《New Life, New Task: I'll Be A Mom Then!!!》


 Chapter 1 A Womans Lament

    ?"Huff.. huff.. somebody.. anyone... help!" a bloodied woman pitifully cried for help in the dark forest.


    While picking up herbs to nourish her pregnant body, a hooded figure charged at her with a sword.


    Crash! She fell to the ground. Her motherly instincts allowed her body to prevent the assant''s sword from piercing her womb, to ensure her unborn child''s survival.


    Swiftly, she mustered her strength and gathered as many pebbles as she could in her hand and threw it towards the assant before running with all her might towards the depth of the forest.


    Her heart, although shaken, but her mind was as clear as day, focusing all her efforts on surviving for her child.


    "Wench!" the assant shouted in irritation as he chased after her.


    However, the woman knew the ins and outs of the woods and eventually managed to hide in a crevice of the dense forest.


    She tied her scarf to her stab wound to slow the blood loss. She prayed that her assant would give up looking for her and that she and her child would survive.


    Soon it was night. She was contemting whether to keep hiding or gamble trying to go out of the forest and ask for help.


    The night was cold and her stab wound kept bleeding.


    The blood will attract hungry beasts and even if she is not able to encounter one, if she couldn''t be treated, she would die of blood loss.


    To be discovered by the assant or the beasts, or to keep losing blood, either way, she and her child will die!


    She chose to cling to the hope that they will survive.


    "My child, keep fighting! Mother will protect you, so do not give up on me," She said in her heart while caressing her small baby bump. She had no time to cry. She gathered her courage and started to move.


    She carefully went out of the crevice, looked at the sky, and mentally located the exit of the forest.


    Taking note of the area where she encountered the assant, she threaded her way out.


    Stealthily threading in the dark forest, ensuring that she will not create something that will attract the beast or her assant, she eventually saw the exit of the forest.


    Just as she was about to heave a sigh of relief, a hard object suddenly hit her head. The shock made her fall and her vision started to fade as she felt the pain.


    She only heard a scornful voice shouting-


    "Ptoey!! That''s my revenge for the damned pebbles you threw at me!" It was the assant.


    "Do you think you have a chance to survive? Hahaha! Soon, the beasts wille by smelling your dirty blood! I''ll leave you be as I wasted a lot of time waiting for you to go out of that crevice," the assant said in disdain.


    "You..." the woman was shocked. She thought she had hope for survival but who would have thought that he was just toying with her from the start.


    "Hahaha, your dirty blood couldn''t be hidden from a tracking knight''s nose! If not for my mistress specifically instructing me to give you a slow and painful death, I would not have wasted so much time!"


    "Peasant! Who are you to stand in the way of my mistress?! Just lie down there while your death awaits!" The assant dered without a hint of mercy as he took a small pipe and blew from it.


    It was a beast caller.


    An item used by the tracker knights to manipte beasts and stall enemies who were trying to chase them. In human ears, no sound can be heard when one blows from it. But the beast can hear the sound loud and clear.


    Soon, a howl was heard. Pairs of red glowing eyes appeared in the dark canvass made by the forest at the night.


    The knight let out a chuckle and mysteriously vanished in the area leaving the bloodied woman for the beasts to eat.


    The woman in despair gathered her strength to crawl out of the forest.


    "Huff.. huff.. somebody.. anyone.. help!" she tried to struggle.


    "Anyone, please help, for my child, my poor child..." as the facts started to shrink in, her voice now contained despair, agony, and distress.


    "Oh heavens!


    Will you show your light no longer on me,


    But on my poor child who did not even experience the warmth, you bring in the day,


    Nor the glow you bring in the night!"


    With her fading vision, she did her best to look up at the night sky.


    "Oh, earth!


    May you show your wonders no more for me,


    But for my pitiful child who didn''t even get to see your beauty!"


    Sheid her face on the ground, her tears watering the earth underneath.


    And with herst breath, she whispered, aggrieved-


    "Oh Bringer of Life!


    Why put the little soul in my undeserving womb,


    If you will just send him straight to death without taking a single breath of life?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ----------


    Sleep-deprived, Eli finally shut down herptop as she heard the boarding announcement for her flight.


    She rushed straight to the airport after she received a call from her chief that he will not be able to go to Cebu ind to conduct the quarterly inspection on one of the construction projects herpany had.


    As she was the next senior ranking member avable for deployment, she had no choice but to take the emergency assignment on top of aplishing her reports as a supervisor.


    Living as a sry woman is hard.


    In this world where flourishing careers and growing wealth took priority for most people, it became an unpopr opinion for women to have simple joys in life as their goal.


    Simple joys such as taking a nice vacation to rx, being in love, having a happy marriage, giving birth to cute babies, or even just settling down in a nice cozy home, enjoying afternoon naps with your adorable pet became aplete luxury.


    Society was just cruel.


    Its cruelty doesn''t discriminate between the rich and poor, gender, nationality, and age. Everyone was a victim in one way or another. The pressure to bepetitive, up to the standards, financially free, and good-looking was apparent.


    From your own family, peers, colleagues, social media, and everywhere you look, the message is subconsciously transmitted into your mind.


    So much that one will feel a sense of worthlessness, that the years they have lived are empty, without any sense of achievement. Some couldn''t take the disappointment and choose to end their very lives with their own hands.


    Of course, everyone, including Eli always had a choice to believe in this current standard or stay within one''s definition of sess and worth.


    To conform is to suck it up and achieve that goal just like everyone.


    To defy it is to also suck it up and prove them wrong.


    Either way, you will have to suck it up!!


    As Eli sat in the window seat and waited for the ne to take off, her inner self continued thismentation.


    "In truth, even having idle time and contemting these things are a luxury to me," she sighed in her heart and made a mental note to thank her chief in some way for the paid three-hour meditation time.


    Soon, the pre-flight procedures were done and the ne took off.


    Eli enjoyed the blue sky and the fluffy clouds in her window seat. It was so seldom that she would have the time to travel and enjoy these kinds of things.


    Ever since that day, she forgot to take time and enjoy these things. Her life became a cycle of just waking up, eating, working,muting home, sleeping, waking up, and working again.


    While marveling at the great view of the window seat her mind again started to wander. "It must be nice to take a break from work and travel.."


    "When will I get a boyfriend?"


    "Am I good-looking enough to captivate a good single man?"


    "What if the man I will fall in love with turns out to be aplete jerk?" she asked with uncertainty.


    "Will I experience getting married?"


    "Will I experience ''that''?"


    "It must be nice to have a child to raise..to have a family," she longingly thought.


    Eli remembered her junior, Moriah saying "My greatest dream is to be a happy housewife and build a happy family!"


    "She was very remarkable, I admire her simplicity," Eli thought with a smile, as she slowly felt sleepy.


    However, before she could finally get some sleep, she felt the ne violently shake.


    "Brrrrr!" jolting her awake, she instinctively looked at the window to see that the clear skies were gone, only dark greyish fog can be seen. Droplets of water bizarrely rolled rapidly on the window ss.


    She heard the announcement that the ne suddenly encountered a storm. Thus, the cabin was experiencing turbulence.


    She calmed her heart and prayed that everything would be alright even as she heard every passenger panic. She tried her best to resist the urge to go hysterical.


    The ne struggled to navigate through the violent storm but to no avail.


    Soon, the ne started to lose control and everyone felt the ne plunge rapidly down to their deaths.


    Everyone shouted in despair, all the things they have, whether money, love, career nor grand ns, no longer mean anything.


    Everyone in the cabin realized that there were only a few seconds left in their only life.


    Some spent it by shouting at the top of their lungs, some hugged their loved ones, and others called upon the god they worship.


    For Eli, as despair and eptancees into her being, she only has these thoughts on her mind -


    "To the Creator who brought me life... Forgive me for I have wasted all your efforts,"


    "Forgive me, for I haven''t lived this life fully,"


    "Forgive me, for I never get to fulfill the reason why you gave this life to me in the first ce...."

 Chapter 2 What Do You Think Of My Plan?

    ?"Eeeh? I''m still conscious?.." surprised, Eli wandered around a dimension that looked exactly like how everyone would imagine the heavens of the afterlife.


    "So the afterlife is real!!!" Eli felt nervous.


    As her soul wandered, she noticed that her soul was drawn in a certain direction. She followed the pathway until she was led into an enormous hall.


    Well.. the hall had no ceiling because heaven was its limit. Literally!


    At the center of the hall was a giant desk. It was shining like white gold. On top of itid two giant golden books on each end of the desk.


    Sitting behind the desk was a figure clothed in white.


    However, Eli couldn''t see what his face looks like. Tiny bits of glittering particles dance as it surrounds the figure''s countenance.


    The sight felt so holy and majestic. Eli was in awe!


    Then she felt her spirit slowly drift in front of the figure and as she drew near, she heard the figure talking to someone in the gentlest and mostforting voice she had ever heard. "Child, you have suffered.."


    When Eli heard the voice, it felt like she wanted to run and sit at the figure''s feet and stay there forever. Her soul felt like she finally found a home.


    Just as Eli''s soul continued to go near the desk, a weeping voice of a woman answered the figure. It was just then that she noticed that there was a white orb hovering in front of the desk.


    The orb was as pure as white, however, it looked like it was sliced by something so malevolent that an eerie red miasma kept gushing out of its wound.


    "Oh Great One, have mercy on my child! May you permit my little one a chance to live," a voice came out from the orb.


    Witnessing the bizarre scene, Eli deduced that the orb was a soul. Soon, she wondered if she looked the same as the orb right now.


    "..." The Great One stood up and examined the soul, he circled it.


    Then he noticed Eli''s presence and inspected her soul as well. Though she couldn''t see his expression, she could feel that he was staring at their souls intently, not missing any part of it.


    Silently, he went back to the desk, his hand hovering around the gigantic golden book on the left side.


    "Shulla!" Without touching, the book flipped itself open and turned on its own, stopping at a certain page. Then he read through the page and walked to the other side of the desk where the other book rested, and the same thing happened.


    "Indeed, the entry on your names shouldn''t have ended yet," Strangely, he addressed these words to the two souls present.


    "One of you had her soul wounded, while pregnant with a child. Surprisingly, you have prematurelye back to this realm," The Great One continued.


    "This means that both of you dearest child with your little one shouldn''t have died yet," he spoke as his hands, as white as snow, gestured at the wounded woman''s soul.


    "You, on the other hand, died in ce of another soul who was destined to die! Your life shouldn''t have ended here as well.." the figure stepped near Eli''s soul.


    Shocked, Eli remembered a person, her chief!! Goodness! She died in ce of her chief! She wasn''t supposed to die!!


    This was the first time Eli felt so aggrieved that she felt resentment toward what had happened to her! In her anger, she wanted to utter curses!


    "Child, do not defile your state right now with your emotions. For you are no longer on earth," knowing her emotions, the Great One gently reprimanded Eli.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Embarrassed when realised that she was in front of the Great One who will judge her life, she apologised.


    "I''m sorry, please don''t send me to hell~~~" she pleaded.


    "Don''t worry my children, you are already home, the evil can never intervene with your spirit once you enter paradise," a gentle wind ''patted'' Eli''s soul orb.


    "Oh, Great One, how about my little one? I couldn''t let myself into paradise while knowing that my little one''s soul is out there wandering aimlessly," the woman pleaded.


    "Huh? Shouldn''t it make sense that if you and your child both died, your little one''s spirit will also be here with you bound to paradise?" Eli curiously asked as she heard the unfortunate situation of the mother and child.


    "There were two effects of the malevolent wound in your soul, pitiful child. One is, that it injured your soul which forcibly terminated your destiny and severed the link between your body and of course, your little one.


    "It was because of it that the second effect took ce. An infant with no soul could not be able to go home here in this realm. The little one has no soul yet as it did not take a single breath in the world, thus, his humanity was not yet perfected.


    The soul directs the spirit to go into this realm. Without it, the spirit will drift aimlessly into your physical body, then miasma will take it to consume. Eventually, it will be a wraith," the Great One exined in full sadness.


    "How unfortunate!!!" the nosy Eli eximed. Poor mother and child. How malevolent is the enemy to separate them for eternity!


    "Oh Great One, is there anything we can do to call the little one''s spirit back? Perhaps send an angel to fetch it? Or send it to another womb to reincarnate??? Wait.. is it even allowed??!" Eli pleaded, feeling pity for the mother and child, she kept on throwing random ideas in front of her very own Maker.


    As a person who didn''t experience the joy of being in love, marrying and giving birth to a child, Eli felt great sympathy and sadness towards the poor mother and child.


    "My rule is that a spirit must breathe life once in the only body it has in the world. Remember, when I made man out of mud, I, myself gave my own breath once and only once. Thus, man is destined to live once in only one body in this world." The Great One patiently exined.


    There is no irritation in his voice. He exined it in a loving and patient manner like a father patiently exining to his innocent daughter the mysteries of life.


    "I see... but... I can''t help but be sad about the mother and child. Can''t you do something to solve this too?" Eli pleadingly asked.


    "Oh Great One I beseech you.." the woman also seconded.


    "I indeed crafted a grand n to solve this, however..." The Great One paused.


    "It will greatly involve you," the Great One continued staring at Eli.


    "Me? Is there anything I can do to help?" Overwhelmed by the excitement that she will witness the Great One manifest his power and make exceptions, she hastily answered.


    The woman''s soul orb also glowed in excitement.


    "Yes, only you can do it! The only spirit that can do the task I am about to assign!" The Great One proudly said.


    "What is it? What is it?" Eli curiously asked.


    "Ehem, ehem, my n is for you to be a Mother!" the Great One proudly dered.


    "..."


    "What do you think of my n? Isn''t it great?!!" the Great One chuckled with pride.

 Chapter 3 The Scream

    ?"Me? Mom? Pregnant?!" Eli''s mind short-circuited. That came out of nowhere!!


    No, it came from somebody! And that somebody was the Creator himself!!


    "Errrrm, are you sure you are thinking about the right n, yeah? For this poor woman''s soul and her child, yeah???" Eli slowly and carefully questioned the Being that had just blurted out something she couldn''tprehend.


    "I am not mistaken, my dear child... I need you to be a mom in her ce," the Great One calmly replied.


    "Will it not just be easy to just directly resurrect her soul ahhhh? Why me ahhh??" Eli went crazy.


    Of course, she wanted to be a mom in the FUTURE.. in the near future, with her going through the process of knowing a guy being in love and married. Not a straightaway baby bump!!


    She remembered a passage of scripture about the birth of a savior. It was said that the savior was not conceived by the union of man and woman but his spirit descended directly from heaven into a woman''s womb.


    But what in tarnation!!!


    This time, it is the mother''s spirit that will descend directly from heaven to conceive a child??!!! She, Eli will be the one descending to conceive a child!!!


    "My child, hear me out... This poor child here is named Elise, she came from another world that I created, just like your earth." The figure exined.


    "Another world?! So parallel worlds exist? Or is it another? So humans are not alone in the univeeeerseeee?!''''


    It is fortunate that Eli is in soul form right now. For if she had a physical body, her expression would be exactly like the famous painting named ''The Scream''.


    The Great One chuckled at Eli''s shock and continued exining, "Hahaha! Yes, indeed my child. My creations, especially humans, for whatever world I put them in, I made them fearfully and wonderfully. However, the evil one is out to destroy everything that was intended for my creation."


    "Elise my child, as you know, your soul had been directly corrupted by the malevolent evil, not allowing your spirit to both directly enter the paradise and spend eternity with me, nor go back to your world to be resurrected. Your soul was so badly injured, that I need to let you undergo healing first before you enter paradise." The Great One addressed Elise, the woman''s soul orb.


    "And for you Eli, my brave child. If I, here, have used Elise''s soul to resurrect, the evil residing in that world will detect his aura and will surelye back to take away both Elise''s life and the little one for sure. However, if a new soul, clean and without a wisp of the evil''s aura was used, you can live and safely conceive the little one," this time the Great One, for the first time called Eli by her name.


    "You know, my children, the moment you called my name when you were both at death''s door, I heard yourmentations loud and clear. It was at that moment I decided to let your souls meet Me and hear your pleas." he continued.


    "Eli, my dear, this time I''m giving you a new life. For you deeply regret how you have lived the first one. However, I just have one additional task for you... and that is to be a good mother for the little one." The Great One coaxed Eli.


    "And for you, oh pitiful Elise, your soul has been badly damaged. Thus, although I can do resurrection, your soul could not handle it. This will bring you more damage than good. Thus, I decided to grant the deepest desire of your heart instead, and make a way for your child to live, while you recuperate and enter paradise," the Great One said while turning his head and gesturing his hands in Elise''s direction.


    "Both of you, my children, this is the n and the choice I am giving you.. think about it well.." The Great One''s voice slowly faded, went back to the giant desk, and started working on the files that magically appeared the moment he sat on his chair.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While this was happening, the two ''Elies'' found their souls slowly drifting outside the hall. The doors closed and they found themselves back on the pathway where they both gained consciousness.


    "Sniff sniff... Lady Eli..." Elise the woman called out.


    "Hmmm?" Eli, in deep thought, absentmindedly replied.


    "Will you be merciful and go to my world in my ce? I know that there is no way it is nice to ask you or convince you. But, if I could, I would go back, but only you can do it. For my little one," Elise started sobbing while pleading.


    "..how old are you in your world supposedly?.." Eli asked


    "It.. is my twenty-fourth year... I have been pregnant for about five months," Elise replied.. still in a pleading tone.


    "Well... I''m already twenty-seven in my world.. Sigh.. you know, I have pretty much lived mechanically all my life and all I can remember about was how hard I worked." Eli told resignedly.


    "The Great One, out there, earlier clearly knows how many tasks I have epted in my life during those times I am practically a ''yes woman''. In fact, I actually died because I just mechanically epted a task that wasn''t really mine to aplish.." She continued, self mockingly.


    "So this task, in my personality, I knew that I would have easily epted it just like those countless tasks I epted while I was alive. But it is just so weird... I don''t know how to be a mother Elise... It even feels weird to know that I will suddenly be a mother, a biological mother MAGICALLY.." Eli voiced her concerns.


    "And are you even alright with that? Knowing that some random woman from another world will rece you as a mom to give birth to your little one??" she asked with concern.


    "Lady Eli, believe it or not, it doesn''t matter to me as long as I know that my child will have a chance to live. Well... I can''t really put it into words, but maybe because I came to understand what it means to be a mother.." Elise softly answered.


    "It doesn''t matter what will be of me.. as long as there is a future for my child. I can take the fact that I am not the one who will physically give birth to the little one... Maybe when you actually be a mother, you will somehow understand what I am saying and feeling right now..." Elise said with a smile in her voice.


    "Lady Eli, in truth, the little one was not conceived out of love, it was due to my careless drunken mistake.." Elise dropped an unexpected bomb.


    "!!!"


    Eli all the more was baffled. If it was a mistake, why all this nning? Why all this thinking and pleading?!


    "Well, back then, all I thought was I would want to once in my life experience the... taste of a man.." feeling that the other person was baffled and shocked, Elise bashfully exined her reasons.


    If souls could blush, she would definitely blush as red as a tomato.

 Chapter 4 If I Dont Want It, Who In The World Will?

    ?"Well, you are one wild woman.." dumbfounded, Eli replied. A part of her was shocked but another part of her really admired the other soul for being adventurous.


    "Hehe yeah, in fact, I don''t even know the name of the little one''s father. All I knew was that he had a good well-ripped body, silver hair, and captivating crystal blue eyes.." Elise started describing the little one''s father vividly... in the heavenly realm.


    "Ssssshhh!! The Great One will hear you! He might banish you to hell for saying these... things.." Eli, the virgin shyly reprimanded the bashful and naughty Elise.


    "Hahaha!! Pardon Lady Elise... Well, although that''s what happened, I know that there is no love that can happen between us and that is just one night of drunkenness during a festival..." Elise toned down but continued her tale.


    "When I discovered that I was pregnant, I got so scared and I pretty much didn''t know what to do. I never knew that I would get pregnant right away after doing it just once, just once! I was so na?ve.." Elise innocently exined.


    "However.... the child was destined to bebeled as illegitimate - born out of wedlock! So I tried to kill the child. I didn''t want to get pregnant! I didn''t want it to be born! I didn''t want it to be named as illegitimate! So I went around town and found a store selling medicine that could forcefully terminate the pregnancy." with great sadness, she continued.


    "I started to put on a disguise to go to the shop, but when I saw myself in the mirror something dawned on me. I, as well, was an unwanted child... I witnessed my very own parents receive money with their own two hands by selling me..." Elise started to sob.


    "Due to the freedom I so miraculously gained, I was so engrossed in being free that I didn''t realize that the actions I made would shackle my very own child with the same thing!"


    "If I do not want this child, then who in the world would want it? Who in the world would say to my child that ''you are not a mistake''?... That moment, Lady Eli is the moment I decided to be a mother." Elise reminisced.


    "Since then, I decided to give birth to my child no matter what. I will give him or her a life where he or she will never feel unwanted! Never!"


    "That is why even if I die, I would do anything to give my child a chance to live, even if it means giving up the very opportunity to be a mother!"


    "That is why, Lady Eli, I implore you to descend to our world and give birth to my child! I cannot offer anything, I also don''t know how hard it will be for you.."


    "Forgive me for my selfish reasons, I give you no excuse... I only can beg you," Elise relentlessly begged Eli.


    Eli didn''t reply.. but there is one thought that kept resonating inside of her -


    "If I do not want this child, then who in the world will?"


    It kept repeating and repeating in her that soon, Elise''s voice ovepped with someone''s voice so familiar in Eli''s life.


    The voice was none other than Eli''s mother. To be precise, she was Eli''s aunt who took her in as her very own daughter when she was just a child.


    For Eli, the time she spent with her mother was the most treasured thing she had in her life. She would never ever forget this moment of her life. The years living with her mother were the moment Eli felt that she was indeed living her life.


    As she reminisced about it, she started to contemte, maybe if she entered paradise she would see her mum and they will live together again!


    However, can she really show her face in front of her? Looking at how she had lived her life until she died, her mum would really be disappointed. Sigh...


    Eli looked at Elise, this soul in front of her had so much maturity.


    She became a real mother despite being three years younger than her. For her child, she would give away the fact that her child will never get to address her "Mother" FOR ETERNITY! What a girl!


    Comparing herself, she realized that she wasn''t ready yet to face her mum, for she didn''t fulfill her promise to her - to live her life to the fullest.


    Life after her mum died was bleak.


    She let herself be eaten away by society until the day she died. She knew that if her mum sees her right now, she will be so disappointed.


    She needs to redeem herself somehow.


    Fortunately, there''s an opportunity presented to her. However, this opportunity was in no way easier than her previous life.


    "Uhmm Elise, I really don''t know how to be a mother..." The task right now was just like a vacant job position. Eli was trying to apply with ZERO qualifications!


    "Lady Eli-" feeling that she would be rejected, Elise tried once again to plead to Eli.


    "But, I know how it feels to be loved by a great mother... So if it is alright with you.. would you entrust your motherhood, your child''s life to me?" Knowing that being a mother was a delicate task, Eli wanted to at least ask Elise her full permission if she was really alright with this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Lady Eli!!!!!" Elise was in pleasant surprise.


    "Yes! I am alright with it, especially if the Great One Himself rmended you. I know that I can entrust my little one''s life to you!!!" she excitedly replied with a voice that seemed to indicate that she was crying with happiness.


    "Then, I will be your baby''s birth mom and you''ll be the soul mom!!!" Eli cheerfully replied. She decided that she will somehow tell her child-to-be about the existence of this great soul in front of her.


    "I don''t know what that means but, alright!" full of joy, Elise replied. Seeing that her greatest worry would be solved, her carefree personality instantly manifested.


    They both chuckled. Two women finally came to terms.


    "Oh by the way, have you ever thought of the name you will give to your child? At least you are able to leave a part of you for him or her." Eli suggested.


    "A name, yes! That would be a great idea, Lady Eli!" Elise replied, touched by Eli''s thoughtfulness. Then she contemted.


    "I would like to name my child after the grace of the Great One upon both of our lives, Johann would be his name should he be a boy. Johanna, should she be a girl," Elise longingly replied.


    "Good name Elise! Rest assured. My promise is that I will do my best to be a good mom to the little one. AND I will let the little one know of your existence!" Eli dered.


    "My... Lady Eli, you don''t have to! I''m already contented knowing that the little one will have a chance to live!" Elise was shocked at Eli''s deration.


    "Ohh by the way, our names are coincidentally simr. Hahaha! My name is Elise Mangit!. Eli is my nickname! I''m morefortable with that~~~" having felt they have gotten closer Eli introduced herself.


    "I am most blessed to meet you, Lady Eli! This humble one''s name is Elise Fayre." Elise answered.


    "Nice to meet you too Elise!! Oh, it is good knowing your name for I am sure that I will need to use that name too hehe!" Eli jokingly replied.


    Suddenly, an amicable chuckle was heard by the two conversing souls.


    "Hahaha! Seems like both of you had already made a decision, ya?" It was the Great One''s voice.


    It was only then that they had noticed that they were actually back in the enormous hall.


    "Yes, uhm Great One, I have decided to obey your n," Eli politely replied.


    "Hahaha!!! I knew it, you are a good child! Then let me prepare to send you back," the Great One replied.


    As soon as he did, he waved his hands at the table. A regr-looking book appeared on top of the desk. However, he did not do anything else and stared at Eli.


    Feeling awkward Eli cautiously asked. "Uhmm Great One, you see, I am still actually afraid of the task that you have given me.."


    The Great one didn''t say anything. He let her continue.


    "Uhm Dear Great Father~~I know you will back me up, but I wanted to ask you for something that may increase mine and the little one''s survival. You know, it is a new world for both of us and the evil one is still out there..." Eli shyly exined.


    "What is it that you wanted to ask, dear child~" the Great One is very pleased by Eli calling her ''father''.


    "I won''t ask for magic, nor power, all I want to ask is ess to knowledge! Knowledge of the world where you will send me. Knowledge about pregnancy. Knowledge for everything that I need to know for living my new life..." Eli humbly asked.


    "Sure my child! Here it is!!!" The Great One tapped the very book that had appeared earlier and it transformed into an orb and flew directly within Eli''s soul.


    "!!! You already knew what I would ask!! Thank you Great One!! Thank you, Great Father!!!" Amazed, Eli eximed


    "Of course, you are my child! I created you! Hahahaha!" the Great One chuckled in delight.


    Elise on the side giggled too.

 Chapter 5 Hug Them Golden Thighs! 1

    ?"Alright, before you descend, let me give you some details about your new task," the Great One told them in a serious tone.


    "Elise, right here, will have her soul be cleansed and restored. As for what will happen next, I reserve that as part of the grand n of course hahahahaha!" the Great One heartilyughed.


    Eli was not surprised because, in the holy scriptures, his ways are always described as unfathomable. Only he, himself knew of the big picture. Him, exining a portion of it to them is already a miracle!


    "As for you Eli, you will descend to another earth I created, called Prasinos. The book that I just gave you will be your guide and counsel along the way." the Great One addressed Eli.


    "Yes, Great Father." Eli attentively answered.


    "Your main task is to give birth and be a good mother to the little one. Do not let this be a hindrance to you not to living your life to the fullest!"


    "Also, there is tant danger.. never forget that Elise had a killer, and that killer has something to do with our enemy, the evil." the Great One warned.


    "That book will help you and protect you along the way so do not be afraid, for in that book is a piece of my power. I am always with you." He assured Eli.


    "Along the way, you will meet people I have tapped to help you and the little one on your journey. However, I warn you that until you have given birth, do your very best to avoid alerting the enemy."


    "I will heed your warnings." Eli obediently replied.


    "My good child, don''t forget about me ah...always talk to me ahh~" the Great One childishly reminded Eli.


    "... Of course.. Great Father.. I will even teach the little one about you and Elise of course!" surprised by the sudden yful behavior of THE Great One, Eli replied.


    "Hahahaha! Great! Great!!!" like a proud grandpa, the Great One was delighted.


    "Alright, I have held you in for too long. I know that you still feel afraid, so let me say it once again. I am with you always," the Great One lovingly dered to Eli.


    "Yes, thank you for this chance and for this task. I will do my best not to disappoint you. So please always guide me." She humbly replied. Then she drifted towards Elise.


    "Concentrate on healing. Rest assured, I will do my best!" She told her.


    "Lady Eli, I could only thank you. I pray for the safety of both of you. I know the Great One will grant it," Elise replied.


    As they converse golden light rained down on Eli''s soul orb. Slowly, her soul faded into nothingness.


    "Now my child, it''s time for you to heal yourself.. there''s a lot for you ahead." the Great One beckoned Elise into entering another hall.


    ------


    The next thing Eli knew was waking up in a bed made of soft leaves and grass.


    She was weed by a fascinating canopy of stars and trees waving softly as the wind blew.


    In the middle of the forest, she was surrounded by glowing fireflies. As she looked around, she also noticed a serene-lookingke, reflecting the moonlight as clear as a mirror. It was very peaceful yet magical.


    "So this is Prasinos," she thought as she marveled at the sight. Looking at her new body, the first thing that she noticed was her cute baby bump.


    "This is really happening.. I still feel weird about it.." despite knowing what she signed up for, Eli was still overwhelmed by the fact that she was experiencing being alive again. Especially being pregnant at the same time.


    She caressed her baby bump gently. Suddenly she felt some movement in her belly, the little one seemingly greeting her.


    Eli felt excited, hopeful, and anxious at the same time. There was really a living little baby growing slowly inside her!!! How unreal was this!


    "Hello Little Han, it''s you and me now, exploring a new world." Lovingly, she uttered to the tiny little life in her belly.


    She also gave the little one a nickname that both go well with the boy and girl names Elise had initially given.


    "Oh, your mum is so clever!" Eli proudly thought as she continued caressing her baby bump.


    Suddenly, an amused voice drifted into the woods. "Ohhh... The Overseer managed to rece the damaged soul?!"


    "Who.. who is it?" Eli was startled.


    Then she realized that there was a fairy-like figure that was hovering around the forest trees!


    A male deity, lookingzy with emerald green eyes and long sleek green hair. Wherever he hovers, a green glowing mist will trail his path. His pointed ears gave away the fact that he was indeed a magical being, however, it didn''t do any damage to his good looks.


    "Ohhhh it''s really a different soul!!! Hahaha what a rare move from The Overseer!!! I''m amazed!! Hahahahaha!" discovering the secret of Eli''s soul, he excitedly shouted as if he had made a wonderful discovery.


    Eli again was startled. The fairy knew her identity. It seemed like ''The Overseer'' he was talking about is The Great One and he knew him well.


    "Sylvain, calm down. You''ll startle the dear child!" a soothing woman''s voice was heard, reprimanding the fairy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli looked in the direction of the voice and saw a majestic sight!


    Little sparkles of light came together and slowly formed a shape of a female deity. Her body shined like the stars! Her lips as red as rubies, her hair as white as the clouds, and her eyes as blue as the skies!


    Truly one beautiful deity!!! Eli was simply in awe!


    "Tsk, Celeste you are as stern as ever! Hmph!! Look at Amihan. She is as quiet as ever~~~" Annoyed that he was reprimanded, the male deity replied. He pointed to an unsuspecting Red Vented Cockatoo resting on one of the nearby tree branches.


    As if on cue, the Red Vented Cockatoo transformed into a young girl sitting on the same tree branch. She was dressed in a white long robe, with red and yellow trailing at the ends of the flowy garment. Her eyes are ck as the night, contrasting her snow-white fluffy hair. She looked as docile and as graceful as a bird, witnessing the first two deities bickering.


    "Don''t be fooled by her gentleness, she can be very violent if you annoy her." Suddenly a deep manly voice came from the direction of theke.


    Eli''s eyes were wide open as she saw an image of a man floating at the center of theke.


    Another male deity walked toward the group. His tanned skin and well-built upper body were generously exposed as his garment only covered the lower part of his body. His long midnight blue hair unruly cascaded down to his back as wisps of seemingly alive water floated around his body.


    "Waaah so much flesh... So much skin!" Eli, the virgin mommy thought.


    Even in her previous life, she had very very very limited interaction with shirtless men.


    "Woah you are finally here! Now let''s introduce ourselves to the chosen soul! This Handsome one''s name was Sylvain the guardian of the Earth." the male fairy Sylvain introduced himself.


    "Greetings dear child! I am named Celeste the guardian of the skies," the deity made of stars, Celeste followed.


    "Amihan..wind, I guard." the docile deity shyly said.


    "Zale, guardian of the waters," the handsome tanned deity wasst to introduce himself.


    "We are here to wee you to this earth, Prasinos." Celeste, the sky guardian exined.


    "We have been tasked by the Overseer to protect the body and the little life inside, up until you descend. Also, upon your awakening, we are also tasked to prepare what you will need as youe into this world." Celeste continued to exin.


    "Greetings Great Guardians of Prasinos.. My name is Elise, but you can call me Eli. I am here to obey the task the Great One gave to me - to live this life and give birth to Little Han." Eli politely introduced herself.


    "Thank you for protecting this body and the little one." She expressed her sincerest thanks.


    "No biggie.. we actually heard the original soul''s plea calling our names in her dying breath. Unfortunately, our powers couldn''t do anything, so we can only plead with The Overseer to do something," Sylvain the earth guardian exined. Regret and sadness were clear in his eyes.


    "Hmph! She didn''t call mine and Amihan''s name," Zale the water guardian pouted.


    Amihan the wind deity stared at Zale as if she was looking at an idiot.


    "Would it even matter for a desperate and dying person?!" Celeste was annoyed at Zale''s childish behavior.


    "Tsk.. I was just teasing the young one! Anyways, this part of the forest is actually a different dimension. However, be prepared! Right after you step out of this realm, you will be sent to another location. We will ensure that it will be far from your enemy and the previous vige the original one had lived." Zale was still pouty but sternly exined the details to Eli.


    What a sulky deity. Eli thought to herself.


    "No worries... Zale is kind. Healed your wounds.." Amihan shyly interjected.


    Feeling the need to restore Zale''s image as a guardian, she squeezed out a lot of words.


    "Thank you for taking care of me, Lord Zale," Eli understood Amihan''s intention. She took the initiative to thank Zale''s grace.


    "No problem, it''s such a small thing!!" Proud with a smug look, his chin lifted with satisfaction, Zale replied.


    Now, both Eli and Amihan had their eyebrows twitching due to Zale''s behavior.


    Afraid that Zale will continue to bicker around andpletely destroy his guardian image, Celeste immediately got down to business.


    "Blessed one, We, the Guardians, will give blessings to protect you as you go out," Celeste said.


    "Feel free to tell us what you have in mind, especially what you will be needing to start your journey, living here in Prasinos!" Sylvain followed.


    Feel free to ask? Whatever I need?? Well isn''t this awesome!!!


    Eli excitedly thought.


    Aren''t these deities free golden thighs to hug!!

 Chapter 6 Hug Them Golden Thighs! 2

    ?With these four great fairies here, she won''t start from scratch!!


    Eli excitedly thought.


    ''This must be the legendary privilege given to people who transmigrate!'' Eli, having lived on the modern earth, had a fair share of reading novels and watching anime.


    ''Think about it very carefully, this might be your one and only chance!'' Eli reminded herself.


    She must think through this thoroughly. What does she need the most right now? What area does she need help the most? Although these deities have the ability to give anything she requests, she doesn''t want to waste this chance on nonsense things!


    After contemting, Eli cautiouslyid out her requests, "Uhmm... Great Guardians, as I am new here and I am also pregnant, my greatest concern is our basic needs - food, water, shelter, and money... Then, a way to protect ourselves. Lastly, a doctor who knows how to look after a pregnant woman.."


    "Hmmm..." the deities contemted. Everyone was silent for a good few seconds.


    Amihan was the first one to break the silence. "Silver Dew Forest... Best ce.. send her!"


    "Ohhh that is a good idea! Good job Amihan!" Sylvain said as he patted Amihan''s head.


    "Silver Dew Forest was indeed the best ce for you to be sent into." Zale seconded with a serious face.


    The Silver Dew Forest was known for being the best breeding ground for medicinal herbs. Be it the mostmon ones or the rare herbs, most of them can be found there. The forest was so conducive to their growth because of the rich magical energy surrounding the forest and it was never affected by the change of the seasons all throughout the year.


    Every morning the nts will have droplets of shining silver because of the dew that forms from the congealing of the magical energy after absorbing the moonlight, thus the name - Silver Dew.


    "Aside from the abundant medicinal herbs, there was an Elven vige inside this forest. Elves are known for their prowess in both magic and medicine. As your concern about your pregnancy, we see it best for you to stay in a vicinity near them," Celeste also agreed with Amihan''s suggestion.


    "For the dwelling, do not worry! My dearest subjects will go in advance to prepare yours! They will also grow a garden for your food!!!" Sylvain proudly said.


    "As for money, we don''t have what humans use as money, but we have these gems!! Maybe you can exchange it for money!!!" Sylvain continued.


    He waved his hands. In an instant, a brown pouch full of colorful gems appeared in his hands. He gently handed it down to Eli.


    Eli was again shocked by what she was holding at that moment. Eli, the typical sry woman, had a very very very limited collection of jewelry in her previous life.


    Now she was holding real gems!


    Real precious, untouched stones!


    Seriously, these deities were really good thighs to hug!!


    "Thank you very much!" Eli said gratefully, holding such precious stones, she couldn''t suppress the smile in her eyes.


    "Heh, you sure are the most fortunate pregnant woman I have ever seen!" Zale sarcasticallymented.


    "Hehe! Indeed, I have nothing but tha-" Eli shyly scratched her head.


    But before she finished her reply, Celeste suddenly pointed up in the sky. Almost instantly, a streak of lightning fell down on Zale''s head.


    "You sure would want to go through the guardian''s disciplinary course again huh Zale???" Celeste irritatingly said.


    "Ouch.. why always target my hair!! It''s now so curly again!" Zale grudgingly said.


    "Give him a perm..." Amihan fanned the fire with her youthful face shrouded with annoyance.


    "Tskk women.." Zale, the respectable water guardian, pouted crouched in a corner of the forest and drew some circles.


    "Hahahaha! Zale, I am telling you. You reallycked delicacy!!! Interact more with women and they will love you... probably!!! " Sylvain couldn''t help but join the fun and taunt Zale.


    Eli dared not tough.


    She repeatedly chanted "they are deities.. they are deities" in her head, afraid that she would also be punished if she acted without respect for the deities in front of her.


    "All right!!! Back to business!" Celeste pped her hands and drew her attention back again to Eli.


    "The Elven vige is one of Sylvain''s subjects. He will send a message instructing the vige chief to send you a doctor amongst them."


    "Know that elves prefer to stay away from humans, so they may impose some safeguards toward you. I know, you know what to do." As Celeste was saying this, she winked at Eli, gesturing that she had a good impression of her.


    "Now it''s time to bestow you our blessings," Sylvain announced.


    "You may have already figured out that here in Prasinos, there is abundant magical energy. Everyone here can have ess to use this magical energy in any waypatible with their constitution.." He exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Compatibility to one''s constitution?" Curious about how magic was used in this world, Eli inquired.


    "Yes! Humans, dwarves, elves, dragons.. all creatures can freely use the magical energy present in their surroundings. It is just that the way they can use it depends on the constitution they possess!" Sylvain exined.


    "The magical energy present in the surroundings had to be converted into mana, the source of power for Prasinons. However, the way one can use this mana is highly dependent on the type of constitution they possessed." He diligently exined.


    "First main type is the Caster Type Constitution. Anyone who has this type of constitution is able to speedily convert magical energy into mana. They have the fastest conversion rate of manapared to others. This means that although they have lower mana storage capacity in their bodies, they can cast it right away. The most notable Caster Types can convert and cast magic instantly."


    "Second is the Summoner Type Constitution, their bodies are not ideal to cast magic due to their slow mana conversion rate, but they have the ability to storerge amounts of mana into their bodies. They needed to use intermediaries who would then consume the mana stored in their bodies. The most notable Summoner Types are able to summon multiple legendary beasts due to the monstrous mana stored in their bodies." Sylvain continued.


    "As you have noticed, the first two constitution types have something inmon, mana cannot be ''digested'' by their physical bodies. Both constitutions can only either channel or store mana into their bodies but not truly absorb."


    "However, the third one allows digestion of mana into their bodies, that is the Devourer Type Constitution. They can directly absorb or ''devour'' mana and use it in enhancing their bodies'' abilities. They can use it to increase their physical strength, agility, and senses. Some can alter their appearance or shapeshift. Most notable Devourer Types can take on an army of thousands of men within a single breath."


    "Based on these three main constitutionse many different upations and races. For instance, the Elven Race and Mages possess a Caster-type constitution. The Beast Tamers and Spirit Summoners obviously have the Summoner-type constitution. The Dwarf Race, Werewolves, and Knights possess Devourer Type Constitution."


    "Although keep in mind that there are also other types. But they were either rare or extinct." Sylvain recalled.


    "Now the blessing we are about to give you will be... The chance to change your very own constitution! We, deities, will jointly use our power to change yours!" Sylvain, after the lengthy exnation, very proudly dered.


    "Change my constitution????" Eli is confused and unsure.


    "I don''t know what constitution I currently possess. Even if I knew it beforehand, if it turns out that my new constitution will be ipatible with the new life I am about to live, then it will be more like a disaster than a blessing."


    "What if my current constitution is just as perfect for me? Right here, right now?" Although Eli sees these deities as strong backers, she dared not to be greedy.


    She dared not to hastily make a decision nor ept such ''blessings'' haphazardly.


    Because first, there was a new world and a new life she would be facing ahead. Next was that, from this point forward, for every decision she would take, it will no longer be only her that would possibly suffer the consequences, Little Han would also suffer.


    Gone were the days when she could mechanically live like how she did on earth. Gone were the days when she could carelessly say "Yes!" to every request or opportunity presented to her.


    That''s right, gone were those days!


    From this day forward, she is a mother!


    Everything, every action must be done purposefully. Every decision must have Little Han''s well-being in mind! That''s how it is when you be a mother!


    Bravely, Eli told the deities -


    "Will it not negatively affect Little Han''s constitution as well? If it does, I''d rather humbly decline your precious blessings."


    Sylvain was taken aback. So as the other guardians.


    Many Prasinons would shed blood and sweat, just to have a chance to encounter deities and beg for their blessings. But this young woman, a pregnant neer at that, dared to decline the precious opportunity presented to her on a silver tter!!!


    What a woman! Not many would be this level-headed when presented with this divine opportunity.


    "Zeh, You are one hell of a mindful woman! I like your character!" Zale, even though he had been behaving sarcastically throughout the exchange, he was amazed by Eli''s standpoint.


    "I approve!" Amihan cheerfully seconded Zale as well. She looked so excited that a part of her white fluffy hair stood up as how a cockatoo''s crest would rise!


    "Celeste, what do you think?" Sylvain, with a meaningful smile on his face, asked Celeste''s opinion.


    "I have thought highly of her since the beginning, as she was sent by the Overseer. But she really didn''t disappoint!" Celeste gave an approving nod and smiled at Eli.


    Eli was lost.


    What are they talking about? What approving? She raised her brows with a questioning look on her face.


    With a chuckle, Sylvain answered Eli''s curiosity, "You have just passed the test the guardians made."


    "We will never give blessings to people who are greedy nor those who are not mindful of their own lives and the lives of the people surrounding them. They will never be worthy!" Sylvain dered.


    "As for your worries and doubts about your new constitution, we have already taken those into ount. More precisely, the idea to change your constitution was given by the Overseer!" Celeste revealed.


    She continued to exin with a smile. "As you are already a different soul, the original constitution may no longer bepatible with you. The guardians agree with the Overseer that it is the best arrangement for you and Little Han. We just had to make sure that you are really worthy of our efforts."


    Indeed, Guardians like them do not very often give favor nor special treatment to random people. At the very least, in order to move their hearts or get their approval, you have to be worthy of their attention.

 Chapter 7 Hug Them Golden Thighs! 3

    ?Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Eli was speechless. She stayed silent for a moment and then came to her senses.


    "Eli is grateful for your thoughtful blessings!" She gratefully and humbly thanked the deities.


    Indeed, they were the ones tapped by the Great One to help her. Surely, they have hers and Little Han''s well being in mind. She decided to trust them.


    "You''re most wee dear Eli! By the way, about your new constitution, it was actually a rare constitution!" Sylvain excitedly shared.


    His emerald green eyes shone brightly as he excitedly continued, "Your new constitution is called the Open Paths Constitution! From the name itself, your body can have a choice on how you will use mana anytime. Whether you want the caster''s abilities, the summoner''s, or the devourer''s, your body can adapt to how you want your magic to be used!! Isn''t that great?"


    "Also, this type of constitution was so rare and almost extinct. Thest known Prasinon with this constitution belongs to the Seirende Imperial Family, however he passed away 10 years ago! All other races in Prasinos no longer recorded the Open Path type in thest 500 years. So, many believe that among all Prasinons, it is only the Seirende family who has the highest chance to have a member with that constitution again." Sylvain continued.


    "But we will be bestowing it to you. We believe that giving you the freedom on how to use magical power will help you a lot in this journey." Zale interjected with a serious look on his face.


    ''Indeed, as I am still in the process of how this world works, the Open Path constitution gives me a great advantage. Though, it might also be a time ticking bomb because of its rarity¡­ I must use this in a lowkey manner,'' Eli contemted.


    "Alright it''s time! Let us all get ready!" Celeste announced.


    The four guardians nodded at each other. They formed a circle with Eli at the center, a colorful aura surrounding their bodies. Suddenly, a tiny speck of light appeared on top of their chests, it was of the same color as the aura surrounding each guardian.


    Sylvain the guardian of the earth, colored green. Celeste the guardian of the skies, in yellow. Amihan, guardian of the wind, in white. Zale, guardian of the waters, in blue.


    The tiny speck of light slowly flew towards Eli. As it slowly does, another two specks of light appeared, one in red and another in silver.


    Eli heard the their voices in chorus saying-


    "We, the Guardians of Prasinos, permit you, Eli, the blessed one, to see all paths Prasinos has to offer!!!"


    Then the specks of light shone brightly and slowly entered Eli''s chest.


    The scene was so bright that it looked like it was daytime in the middle of the night. The brightness was too much for Eli''s eyes, she closed her eyes, wondering what would happen as the light continued to engulf her vision.


    As the light entered, she felt her body being gently carried up in the air, then very suddenly she felt heavily sleepy.


    In an instant shepletely fell asleep.


    After the absorption of the blessings, the winds very gentlyid down Eli''s body in the bed of soft leaves.


    "Now, let us wait for the assimtion to finish, and the memories to be imprinted into her mind." Celeste said with a gentle voice.


    "I... will watch her.." The shy Amihan said, full of concern. Immediately she transformed into a red velvet cockatoo and flew beside the sleeping Eli.


    "All right Amihan, go ahead. Then the rest of us will prepare for her entry!" Sylvain looked so proud of Amihan as he was finally seeing her growing as a guardian.


    -----------------


    When Eli woke up, she felt that her face was wet with tears.


    After she was bestowed with the blessing, she suddenly fell asleep and she found herself in a dream. Later, she realized that it was not a dream but a nce of Elise''s life in Prasinos. From her childhood, to her death, it was as if she was watching her life in a cinema.


    Elise''s tragedy sank into her heart. As if she was the one experiencing all of it herself. She was d that she agreed to her request to solve her deepest wish. Eli again had a newfound strength in taking on this journey.


    ''For Elise, that bravedy, I can do this.'' She thought with resolve.


    Maybe if the circumstances are different, it would be nice to have her as a friend. Perhaps, they can get close, as close as sisters, and share a lot of things like what friends do. But all she could do right now was to be a mom in Elise''s ce.


    She will do her best to raise Little Han into a good and happy person!


    ''Mum, is this how you felt when you decided to take me in?'' Full of longing, she looked up at the sky and thought.


    "Chiu chiu!!"


    She came out of her blues when she heard a bird crying. It was only then that she felt something gently brush the back of her hand.


    She looked down and saw a red velvet cockatoo rmingly brushing its tiny head against her hand. It seemed like the little bird was concerned because of her sudden crying.


    Immediately, the cockatoo transformed into an adolescent girl kneeling on her bedside. It was Amihan.


    "Please don''t cry.." Amihan pleadingly said.


    Her eyes teary as she was filled with worry. She still continued to gently brush her soft cheeks at the back of Eli''s hand.


    Eli''s heart melted.


    The way Amihan looked was so adorable that it awoke Eli''s urge to pamper the childlike guardian. She patted her head, smiled and said, "Thank you, I just had a sad dream. I am alright."


    "Really really??" Amihan''s round eyes shone as she inquisitively replied.


    "Really really." Eli replied with certainty.


    Amihan smiled. She stood up and carried a tray of food to Eli''sp.


    "Eat.. to nourish the body.. and the baby!!" Amihan shyly said, "It''s for you¡­ I prepared it.."


    "Thank you!" Eli said as she took the tray of food.


    In it was a bowl of pumpkin soup, a nice piece of bread, some fresh leafy greens and a bowl of sliced fruits. Talk about a healthy meal!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Delighted, she invited Amihan to join her. "Come join me, let''s eat together!" She took a slice of apple with a fork and brought it near Amihan''s mouth to feed her.


    Shocked and not knowing what to do, Amihan just mechanically epted the food and ate it.


    Eli smiled and continued the meal, asionally feeding Amihan on the bedside.


    At some point, Amihan got used to the unusual routine and started to look like she was looking forward to the next spoonful of food Eli would give her. While waiting, her short legs swayed happily as shefortably sat on Eli''s side.


    This was the scene the three remaining guardians witnessed when they went back after finishing the arrangements needed for Eli.


    Their brows twitched as they saw a guardian being happily fed by a human being. To some, it definitely was heartwarming scene. But to them it was unimaginable.


    Feeling that Zale and Sylvain will reprimand Amihan for her actions, Celeste said with a chuckle.


    "Seems like Amihan had taken a liking of you, little Eli.."


    Eli saw the guardians came back and greeted them politely "Greetings guardians, I have woken up. Thank you all for your graces."


    "You are wee! We are back to tell you that everything is ready." Sylvain said with a smile.


    A pouty Zale grudgingly said, "Why not tell her also that the Boss kept nagging us to hastily arrange everything so that she can finally use the gift that He sent??"


    On Sylvain''s peripheral vision he could see Celeste was about to point her finger again in the sky to summon lightning down to Zale''s messy hair, so he immediately patted Celeste''s shoulders and said,


    "C''mon c''mon, Celeste be lenient with Zale, he had already taken a lot of hair damage from the Overseer''s punishment."


    "Hmpf!" Celeste had chosen to heed Sylvain''s request, then she walked towards Eli.


    "Be ready, for now you will be going out of here to go to Prasinos. The Overseer has repeatedly requested us to remind you to summon the book after you have settled down there."


    She said with a sigh as she remembered how her superior nagged the three of them to remind Eli of the book.


    Apparently, the Overseer was afraid that Eli would no longer value the book once she received the guardians'' very advantageous blessing.


    Eli''s brows twitched as she could actually visualize how the Great One acted while nagging the three guardians.


    Poor guardians.. Sigh..


    "I will remember your reminders. I could not thank you enough!" Realizing that these guardians had done so much for her, she repeatedly said her thanks.


    As she was saying this, she saw that she was already sitting on a magic circle, glowing in green and she was already surrounded by the light.


    "Go on Little Eli, live your life!" Sylvain waved his hands and said with a smile.


    "Will I have a chance to see you again?" She asked the guardians.


    She felt a little sad that she will part with them as they are the first beings she met in Prasinos.


    "We would, if you invite us on Little Han''s day of birth!" He said.


    "Then, would you all be Little Han''s Godparents?" Eli shyly requested.


    The guardians were surprised, the offer was very new to them. Being a guardian, they do not have any offspring. Thousands of years had passed, but they never had any experience in having a baby to raise nor having a godchild.


    ''What would it feel like to have a godchild?'' is what was in their thoughts.


    Then they imagined themselves carrying a cute little baby, the baby growing suddenly walking towards them calling them ''godma/godpa!'' with a cute childish voice. Weing them during their visit with a bright and precious smile.


    ''YES WE WANT IT!!!'' is what was in their minds.


    "SURE!!!" Excited, they answered in perfect unison. They themselves became a little embarrassed by their actions.


    Cheerfully smiling, Eli said as her figure started to fade, "Then, I look forward to your beautiful gifts during Little Han''s day of birth!"


    Then the magic circle vanished, along with Eli''s figure.


    A long silence ensued.


    "... I will go to chief dragon grandpa.. And ask him.. how he cares for his young grandson," Amihan again broke the silence as she said with determination. As soon as she finished she immediately vanished in the mystical forest.


    The three other guardians: "....."


    Zale said in a hurry, "Need to go, I should ask the ocean king how he raised his descendants.."


    "Eherm eherm , well, I''ll go to the Elven Vige to arrange for young Eli''s Doctor," Sylvain said, seemingly not following the suit. But in the back of his mind he said "And to also inquire to the Elven chief how to be loved by kids.."


    Celeste couldn''t take it anymore and said "Go on you guys, don''t you dare look for me!! I''ll go back to the paradise realm and demand the Overseer to give me a child rearing crash course!!"


    ---


    While the guardians were worked up bickering, Eli on the other side of the portal had a smug look on her face.


    She said with a triumphant look, "Thigh hugging sess! Conningplete!"

 Chapter 8 New Life And A Sweet Home

    ?The portal led Eli into another forest. As she slowly opened her eyes, she was greeted by glimmers of the morning light shining in a picturesque cottage style house.


    The house was fairly big for her to be living alone. It was made of bricks that are on different shades of brown. She was amazed how the builders did it, that it turned out to be aesthetically pleasing to see.


    The roof and some part of the wall had already grown some greens and flower bearing vines. It gave the house bright colors making them more homey and cozy in Eli''s eyes. The glimmer of the morning light made the flowers so vibrant.


    Eli walked towards her new dwelling. As she came near the house, she noticed that the pavement was also done beautifully, pieces of stonesid the pathway neatly and smoothly. Along the way are flowerbeds of assorted colors. She also noticed the garden, and it seems like Sylvain very thoroughly instructed his subjects about the design and features of the house.


    As she finally opened the door, she was weed by a rustic style living area. Everything was well thought of, from the firece to the dining room, it gives a warm cozy feeling of a home. Eli felt so satisfied. She felt like she had gone on a vacation to the summer capital of their country [1] in the modern earth.


    Full of hope, delight and excitement she uttered, "From today onward, this is our home.."


    After checking out the other parts of the house, she sat on afortable glider chair by the window. She let her skin be gently kissed by the bright sunlight.


    Eli felt a bit exhausted, to her surprise. She fell into contemtion. Activities like this should not have tired her this easily. She wondered if it was because she wasn''t ustomed yet with this body or because she was pregnant.


    At this point, she remembered the book she asked from the Great One, and of course the reminder of the guardians. The book supposedly contains knowledge for pregnancy and all the know-hows about Prasinos. It''s time for her to check it out!


    However, how was she supposed to summon the book?


    Is there a certain spell or magic word? Why didn''t she even ask the guardians how to summon it? Eli somehow regretted focusing on the idea to con the four guardians. However it wasn''t that bad, she thought to herself.


    ''At least, Little Han and I got some badass backers!'' She consoled herself.


    Now, she just had to figure out how to summon the book by trial and error. Immediately, she stretched out her hands as if holding a book and randomly shouted summoning words.


    "Book!"


    "Book of Knowledge, Emerge!"


    "Great One''s Book, Come!"


    "Book! I Choose You!"


    "Wise Book, Appear!"


    Eli continued randomly calling out until she almost used up every word she could connect for summoning the book. Dejected, she stopped and rested on the cushioned chair.


    ''It seems like it was really my mistake not to ask about how to use the book from the Great One or the guardians...'' Sighing, she deeply regretted not being attentive enough to know the details.


    Sheid her head in the glider''s rest and assumed aid back resting pose. Her eyes started to wander around the living area, appreciating the aesthetics of her new home.


    ''This home is really so cozy,'' She thought with content.


    Suddenly her eyes noticed a piece of parchment paper, it wasying on top of the coffee table. Wanting to check what was inside the parchment, she very carefully stood up, her hands supporting her baby bump and back.


    The parchment looked very elegant. It was looking so ssy due to the string of words gracefully written in old fashioned cursive writing. Eli started to read the words -


    "Dearest Young Eli,


    How do you find your new dwelling? I hope it is to your liking.


    I left this letter to remind you of some important things. I decided just to write it in a letter, in case I forgot.


    Firstly, there is a nearby vige around your dwelling where you can go, should you need something to buy or find. Just follow where the pavement leads out, you will reach it in a few minutes'' walk.


    Secondly, about your constitution, although you are an Open Path, you are only able to open one path of your choice at this moment. It will eventually develop once you have met the requirements to open the other paths. So please carefully choose what is the first path you will open.


    Thirdly, your appearance itself is umon in the Seirende Empire. You will not be discriminated against outright. However, your appearance is often associated with a certain group of people that is shrouded in a lot of rumors and mystery. I advise you to stay low and maybe put on a disguise wherever you go out of your dwelling, at least until you have given birth to Little Han.


    Lastly, you can look for the information you need especially about the aforementioned things from the book that the Overseer has gifted to you. Use it well.


    Sincerely,


    Sylvain


    PS: The Overseer reminded me of the way to summon your book. The book will be summoned with a snap of your fingers. But it has a password.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Just utter ''I so love my Great Father'' in your heart whenever you want to ess the book~~~~"


    Reading the lengthy list of reminders from Sylvain, Eli was stupefied by thest part.


    "A snap for summoning the book?! And the password.." She uttered while rubbing her temples, dumbfounded by the information she got.


    "Well who cares, I need to ess it now!" Finally, she shrugged and immediately snapped her fingers.


    Instantly, the same book she saw in the heavenly realm appeared floating on top of her fingertips. She reached out the book and examined it. It looked like an ancient looking grimoire secured by a golden metal lock without any hints of a keyhole.


    ''Indeed, one cannot figure out how to open this without knowing the password.'' She thought. Then embarrassingly, she uttered the ''password'' in her heart.


    "I.. so love my Great Father," feeling that what she was doing was cheesy, she felt hot on her cheeks.


    Immediately, the metal lock clicked and opened.


    Curious and excited, she gently lifted the hardbound cover. What she saw after that was a great surprise!


    As soon as she opened the cover, what weed her was an unexpected line of words.


    On the center of the first page, words magically appear,-


    "Wee, Eli! For a quick tour on how to use the book of knowledge, click here." The words ''click here'' seemed like a hyperlink.


    Then on the bottom right another hyperlink looking word appeared, "Skip"


    "Oh My Grass! This is like a PowerPoint presentation?!" Eli''s mind was blown. This was a technology only present in the modern earth! Surprisingly, the Great One brought it here with Eli.


    Undeniably, the Great One''s thinking couldn''t be fathomed! Eli eximed in her heart.


    She forced herself to recover. Adjusting herself, she found her way back to the glider chair and sat, focusing her attention on the user guide tour. She familiarly maneuvered the mechanisms.


    After some time she understood how the book works.


    It works like aputer, but in the form of a book. The front page acts like a search engine, but in paper form. It can even be used like a touchscreen or with a pen, like a stylus!! Once the search results appear she can browse through it by flipping through the pages.


    She can even see moving pictures and videos. What''s more, the sound could be directly sent to her mind!! It was like the ultimate form of wireless earphones!!


    She was so amazed by how the book works. Soon, she amused herself by searching articles regarding pregnancy.


    Taking note of what ideal food to eat, what are the do''s and don''ts, and all the other information regarding pregnancy. She also searched for the specific changes that she might experience in her body during the remaining months of her pregnancy.


    She has only about three to four months ahead to prepare. She needed to be as ready and as knowledgeable as possible.


    She listed these important information to make sure that she keeps them in mind at all times. Some items, she was left skeptical. However, too bad, she couldn''t find an OB-GYN doctor to verify her doubts.


    She wondered if the Elven doctor who would check on her could answer some of her questions. She decided to give it a shot and find the right timing to ask for these upon her checkup.


    After organizing the needed information, she shifted to searching about how the magic works in Prasinos and how the paths work. She wanted to know the advantages and disadvantages of the other types of constitution. She will take all of these into ount in choosing what path to open first.


    Soon, she decided to open the Summoner Path first.


    Why?


    Because she was alone and pregnant. What she needed the most arepanions to help her ease the difficulties she might be facing during the pregnancy.


    She decisively inquired in the book of knowledge the step by step procedure on how to awaken the Summoner''s Path. She also did a quick inquiry if it is safe to perform while pregnant. Very soon, safe and easy to follow instructions appeared in the pages of the book with a footnote saying - ''Great One guaranteed!''


    Without hesitating, she proceeded to follow the instruction in order to awaken her summoner''s power. She carefully stood up and closed her eyes. Clearing her thoughts as she entered into a state of meditation.


    ''Focus my thoughts on visualizing mana.. Direct them into my body and slowly umte mana in it..''


    Soon, sparkles of colorful light appeared and surrounded the whole room. Then it was slowly absorbed in her body. After some time, her body shone with a green aura.


    Her eyes opened. "So this is magic.." feeling the changes in the sensation of her body.

 Chapter 9 This Grand Piano Remembers It All

    ?Stepping into the realm of magic was an extraordinary experience.


    For Eli, she can feel that there is an abundant source of power within her body, making her feel like she is the most powerful being in the universe. She could also feel the magical energy in the surroundings, emerging from the earth, freely floating to who knows where, waiting for a creature to turn them into their own magical power.


    "Now let''s get to summoning!" Eli, feeling pumped up, cheerfully told herself.


    She was about to make another ''google search'' on how to safely perform summoning magic. However, when she summoned back the book, it appeared to be glowing in a subtle golden aura.


    "Huh?" Surprised by the change in the book, she immediately uttered the password in her heart and checked it out. Upon opening the book she heard a chime sound in her head followed by the sound of joyful trumpets, the kind of sound you will hear when you finally finished a quest in a game.


    Then, out of nowhere, a childish voice cheerfully announced - "Congrattions Eli-chan~~~ for opening a path and officially stepping into the magical world!"


    The spooked Eli nervously replied, "Who''s there¡­?"


    "Over here over here!!!" A blob of white light slowly emerged from the front page of the book.


    Afterpletely emerging, it materialized into a barn owl. It was tiny, but its heart shaped face looked cute and adorable. It''s dark round eyes seemed like it can see through your soul, but won''t be judging you, as it was looking pure and innocent due to its snowy white front body and underwing. The rest of its body was brown, as if it''s snow white body has been painted by droplets of cinnamon tea.


    Eli''s maiden heart had only one word inside "Kawaii!!!" It was so cute she wanted to pet and cuddle it.


    "Hmm??," Seeing that Eli is frozen by surprise and admiration, the barn owl tilted its head sideways. "Halloooooo, Eli-chan~~~" it inquired, looking so charming.


    ''Badump!'' Eli was struck again with the cuteness attack! It was very effective! Eli couldn''t take it anymore, she immediately scooped the barn owl into her bosom and cuddled it affectionately.


    While rubbing her cheeks against its fluffy feathers, Eli eximed, "Kyaaaa! So cuddly! So Fluffy!!!"


    "AAAAAckk! Please be good to meeeeee!!!" The poor bird was terrified that it was suddenly seized and imprisoned with affection.


    "Hello, little owl! What should I call you?" Still cheerfully cuddling the poor owl she asked fondly.


    "I am the spirit of this knowledge book, I have not been named. The Great One said that you can do the honors to give me a name." The owl answered, still trapped in Eli''s ''prison'' like an unfortunate hostage.


    It was a book spirit especially made by the Great One to guard this book of knowledge!! Now, it was being treated like a pet owl by a human!!! Itmented the fact that it had been hostaged by its own master.


    "Hmmm.. name, how does Owly sound?" Eli said with her eyes squinting in delight.


    "..definitely a no! I am a wise owl spirit! I am knowledgeable and adorable! Think of another befitting name.." It grudgingly said.


    "How about Smarty?"


    "Nahh, sounds like an insult," it replied.


    "Snowy?"


    "Eeeh, do I look like a weakling??"


    "You are adorable~~~ Erm how about Wisey?, Like, wise? Wisey!!" Eli still teasingly said.


    "Wise huh.. Youck naming sense. Hmmm but it''s not that bad.." The owl spirit conceded.


    Delighted that the little owl was satisfied she gave her another cuddle. "Yay!!! Nice to meet you Wisey!!!!"


    "Aaaaaaaakkkk, Please don''t do this when someone is around. Gotta protect my dignity!!!" The poor owl pleaded.


    "All right all right." Feeling recharged by cuddling a cute animal, she finally calmed down.


    Wisey quickly recovered and exined. "Eherm eherm.. Again congrattions for awakening your constitution! Due to your awakened sense of magical energy and mana, you are finally able tomunicate with me!


    "The Great One also wanted to give you something the moment you awakened your constitution, so he prepared a gift in advance!"


    "A gift?" Eli was surprised, at the same time she was touched. From the moment she epted this new life, the Great One has arranged many things for her. He also tapped the generous and trustworthy guardians. Upon her descent, everything wasid out well for her.


    It was the first time she felt like being spoiled, after her mum died. Eli started feeling emotional.


    "Follow me!" Wisey said as she beckoned Eli to follow her around the spacious corner of the living room.


    Eli got curious, what''s in that corner? She remembered that she had already toured around the house. She didn''t find anything that would look like the Great One''s gift. But she still quietly followed.


    Reaching in the certain spot of the living room Wisey gave a tiny cute hoot. Then a magic circle emerged from the tip of its beak and expanded as high as the living room''s ceiling.


    The magic circle glowed red and aplicated looking array was revealed in the certain spot. It was then deactivated.


    Eli''s eyes widened in surprise, not because of the magic that she witnessed, but what the array had revealed.


    It was a grand piano, the exact piano that her mum painstakingly got for her when she said that she wanted to pursue music. It was just an entry level grand piano, but only she knows its true value in her heart.


    Her hand trembled as she slowly walked towards it. Tears are threatening to fall from her reddened eyes,


    That familiar wood bench, where she and her mum would squeeze together whenever she taught her a piano piece.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She lifted up the fall board that revealed the familiar white and ck keys. She still can remember how their fingers would y around these same keys and happily enjoy learning music.


    A teardrop finally fell on the white polished keys, as she remembered the memories with her mum with this piano.


    Her mum, who took all her life savings and signed arge loan amount, just to give her a decent piano the moment she learned that Eli wanted to follow her steps and pursue music.


    Her mum, who would affectionately walk her through the toughest passages and the sweetest notes. Ensuring that she learned the piece right and well.


    Her mum, who would proudly stand behind her back on every sessful recital and performance.


    Her mum, so steadfast, that Eli''s day would end in a smile even on days when she lost apetition.


    "This grand piano remembers it all.. I remember it all," trembling with sadness and longing, she uttered the words.


    Wisey, who stayed silent since the reveal, uttered with a soothing voice, "The Great One wanted to leave you this, for He knows how you value your mum. In this world, where not even her shadows appeared, He wanted you to hold on to this,"


    "Hmm..." Crying rivers of tears, Eli only managed to give her a whimper and a nod in response.


    "Why not try to y it? Your mum would be happy if you yed this again right??" Seeing that Eli may get too emotional, Wisey suggested. Trying to change her mood.


    With a nod, Eliposed herself. Her fingers hovered along the keys.


    A gentle melody was heard in the living room. Every note filled with emotions and memories as the sound drifted past the walls of the house and travelled through the forest. It was a piece full of longing and sadness.


    The day her mum copsed, was the day she stopped ying this piano, and ultimately left her dream to pursue music.


    Her mum had fourth stage breast cancer. Her world crumbled upon knowing it. She cannot lose her mum, the only God Given person she had in this world.


    Immediately, she quit her ns to go to music school and proceeded to look for a job to pay for her mum''s treatment. After her mum''s firm stand against quitting school, she reluctantly just shifted to a dderized'' [1] engineering course on the side, while doing a day job.


    She worked to earn money in the daytime, and studied during the night. Afraid that she couldn''t keep up with the expenses, she tried busking and doing gigs in the bar during weekends. Soon, she was able to have enough money to continue the treatment and hope came for the two of them.


    Seeing her mum also fighting to live, Eli didn''t mind how tiring it was to earn money. She also didn''t mind how the bills grew bigger and bigger, she would always enter in her mother''s ward with a bright and assuring smile on her face.


    Upon going out, all she could think of was her mum''s chances to live. She worked, studied and worked, everyday hoping that her mother would recover and be healthy again.


    However, her mother''s body couldn''t keep up with the strong treatments. It soon broke down. Eli also didn''t realize how painful it was for her mother to fight, how much her mother was suffering just not to leave Eli alone in this world.


    Eli remembered her mum''s dying words - "Eli, my daughter, you are the most treasured gift that I received from the heavens."


    "However, Mum can''t make it anymore, so I''m sorry. My body does not have any strength to fight.." Her mum said with great effort.


    "Promise me Eli, that you will live your life on, and live it to the fullest," She said with a smile, her breath so weak, that she was not able to make it until Eli''s reply.


    --


    Thest section of the piece contain all of Eli''s pain and heart brokenness.


    Soon the music stopped, the piece wasplete.


    Wisey said in a calm tone, "It is a great piece, well done."


    Eli didn''t reply, she just nodded and wipped her tears topose herself again.


    "What do you think of the Great One''s gift?" Wisey inquired.


    "Very much appreciated.. I love it from every corner of my heart." She emotionally replied.


    The Great One had given her something so valuable. Just like how she would imagine a father would spoil her child. She was very touched and grateful.


    ''Is this the feeling of having a father to rely on?'' She said to herself.


    ''This feeling is not bad,'' She smiled and whispered from the bottom of her heart.


    "Thank you, Great Father!"


    ----


    In a deep part of the Silver dew Forest, arge furry creature curled in slumber.


    Soon a rich, sorrowful melody was heard in the forest.


    The creature''s eyes opened, awakened by the sound.


    It lifted its head up towards the sound and sniffed in the air.


    "A pure mana carrier has approached.." It said in a deep ethereal voice.

 Chapter 10 Visitor

    ?Eli had a sleepless night.


    It was really weird and hard to sleep when you are pregnant. The consciousness of having a baby in her tummy and the foreign changes in her body kept her from having a good night''s sleep.


    She gently stood up from her bed and prepared breakfast for herself.


    She realized that there are a lot of things that she had to adjust to just like her morning habit of opening the fridge, having a tap on the kitchen sink and a shower in the bathroom.


    These were convenient things she was very used to in her previous life. She realized that she had to draw water from the well in order to use water around the house.


    She is pregnant! This will be a hard job for her physically!


    After finishing her nutritious breakfast she summoned Wisey and inquired how to summon a familiar.


    From her discussion with her, she learned that there are many ways for a summoner to use her power. However, there were three mostmon ones;


    First was the Spirit Summoning.


    One must prepare an array and use it to summon an elemental spirit who will resonate in the mana that he or she had converted. No one can choose what spirit to summon. It all depends on howpatible your mana is to an elemental spirit''s preference.


    Some would not attract a spirit at all, that was why Prasinons invented new ways to use therge reserves of mana in their body.


    The second, and also one of these new ways summoner''s magic could be used, was Beast Taming. The summoner must go to the forest or a target beast dwelling for an attempt to tame them. Just like the elemental spirits, everything also depends on the beast''s preference if it would like to submit to the summoner.


    Upon submission, summoners prepare a ritual and offer a drop of their blood to the beast to seal the contract. Upon thepletion of the contract ritual, the beast can now act as the summoner''s familiar and feed on its master''s mana for magical power.


    Lastly, was the usage of inanimate objects or Medium Maniption.


    This technique was for summoner''s who were not able to contract any spirit nor beast, or even those who really just prefer not to go that route. They use a medium and load their mana into it to manipte at will. This medium may be in the form of a puppet, weapon or any other inanimate objects.


    However, summoners cannot just use any inanimate object avable. They must use objects that are able to absorb or react to mana, this means that the dolls, puppets or weapons must be crafted specifically for this purpose. People say that this type of summoning was the most deliberate and most expensive.


    Eli got stressed, not knowing what to do. It seemed like although opening the summoner''s path was the right choice in her mind, it was not an easy choice either.


    "Should I do spirit summoning?" Eli asked Wisey.


    "I''m here already! An adorable and avable spirit!! Why need other ones!" Wisey protested sulkily.


    "Huh? You can be contracted, you are not an elemental?" Surprised by Wisey''s revtion, she asked.


    "Yes! What more can you ask? I am personally created by the Great One ahh! We just have toplete the contract! After that, you don''t need to summon the book first before summoning me!" Wisey proudly said.


    "Hmmmm, but what can you do except to tell me the knowledge that the book already had?" Eli ask skeptically.


    "I can talk! And Fly!" Wisey said, feeling insulted by Eli''s inquiry.


    "Not convenient enough!" Eli shrugged. "Better get moving to summon a useful spirit!" She said.


    "Ahhh noooo don''t, I don''t want to be kept in the book! I wanna see the world!! Wisey said in panic.


    "Not convinced, I am pregnant. I need a USEFUL familiar." She decisively said.


    "I can be useful, I can do wind magic!!! I can even make things float!" Wisey said, trying to convince Eli.


    Eli didn''t respond, just raising one of her brows skeptically.


    "I can also detect hidden arrays.. Ah you can also use me to gather and pass information!" Wisey added. It can clearly see that Eli didn''t want any of its abilities at this moment, so tears started forming on its dark round eyes.


    "Sigh..'''' Eli, although feeling unsatisfied, couldn''t resist the cuteness attack by Wisey and conceded.


    "You will be in charge of protection and knowledge provision. For the crucial information about something, you must immediately remind me, especially if it is about our safety and health." She sternly said.


    Wisey delighted, spread its wings and flew around in excitement. "Yes! Absolutely!"


    After performing the ritual, Wisey checked Eli''s mana level andmented, "Eli-chan, your mana level is more than enough to sustain me in the world outside the book, you can still contract a beast or a weapon if you like!"


    "Hmmm now that you confirmed it, I am in desperate need of another familiar." Eli replied with an using look towards Wisey.


    Wisey guiltily drooped its head low.


    Just as the two continued to bicker, loud knocks were heard on the front door, "Boom boom boom!"


    The two were startled. They both went into the living room and checked out the visitor.


    When Eli opened the door, she was greeted by the shadow of arge furry body. It was a white tummy!


    Eli panicked realizing that it wasn''t just a tummy, "OMG it is a bear!" Shemunicated with Wisey.


    Wisey had a sharp look in its eyes. It stayed alert should any dangere to Eli.


    "He..Hello.. How may I help you?" Eli tried as much as possible not to panic, but a nervous voice still came out of her mouth.


    "Hmm?" Suddenly the furry animal took a few steps back, only then did Eli finally see clearly what kind of creature had visited her.


    It was a Giant Panda!!!!


    Eli, with her love for fluffiness, immediately forgot the threat in front of her. In her vision, the giant panda who can, at anytime, grab her with its sharp paws, turned into a cuddly fluffy panda.


    Wisey, rmed with Eli''s reaction, immediately sent a warning to Eli''s mind, "Hey Eli-chan, get yourself together! You are pregnant! How can you let your guard down!"


    Upon receiving Wisey''s warning, Eli''s mind began to focus again, ''This isn''t the time to be distracted. Every action matters now!'' She can''t becent.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While this was happening, the giant panda was also observing Eli. It took a few sniffs around her surroundings and said,


    "Indeed, a pure mana user.. I would like to be contracted to you!" The big furry animal decisively said.


    "Pure mana user? You want to be contracted with me?" Eli, who had adjusted her state of mind into vignt mode, was once again surprised.


    "Definitely! I came here not to bring you harm, but offer you protection instead!" The giant panda replied.


    "However, I want to be honest with you about my motive. You are a pure mana user, so I believe that you have the power to cleanse me of my curse!" it continued to exin.


    "A curse?" Eli curiously asked.


    The giant panda crouched down its head on the same level as Eli''s height and gave an enthusiastic nod, "hmm hmm!"


    Then with tearful eyes it pointed towards his eyes, ears, paws while pitifully saying, "Look at my eyes, it has ck circles, my ears, my paws and limbs are contaminated with the curse, turning my fur ck¡­"


    "My fur is supposed to be pure white!!" It added, still looking pitiful.


    "...aren''t you born like that? And how am I supposed to clear your ''curse''?" Eli, trying to hold back herughter, still asked the panda in the most serious tone she could pull off.


    "I am indeed born this way, my parents said that our ancestors said that we are cursed pr bears. That is why we looked like this¡­ Only by consuming the purest mana can make our furpletely white again!" The Panda said.


    Eli now understood the panda''s behavior.


    It seemed like the panda species are umon in Prasinos. The panda race themselves thought that they were pr bears that were cursed for some reason. The whole race now thinks that if they have consumed pure mana, it will cleanse their bodies and make their fur white again.


    "Please, mana user, have a contract with me.." the panda pleadingly said.


    Eli contemted, she didn''t know how to effectively exin to the panda that it was a panda, not a cursed pr bear.


    She mentallymunicated with Wisey if she was allowed to show a picture of a panda from the book of knowledge. She needed to make it look like it was a known fact and that, she didn''t make it up.


    After the two made up a n in their minds, Eli finally answered.


    "I apologize but I can never lift your curse even if you consume all my pure mana." Eli said straightforwardly.


    "What? Why???!" Shocked by the rejection and the fact that pure mana couldn''t fix its fur, the panda stumbled and sat, it lifted paws up and questioningly asked Eli for an answer.


    "Wait a moment, I will show you something for you to understand," She went back inside the living room as if getting something.


    Upon her return, she was already holding the book of knowledge, with the article about the panda species, already searched and disyed.


    She approached the Panda, held the page showing a picture of a panda and other relevant information and started to exin,


    "I stumbled upon this book about the rare beasts that existed in Prasinos," Eli''s opening statement was calmly delivered.


    "You look exactly like this rare beast, it is called a panda.. Have a look!" Then she carefully beckoned the panda to look at the picture.


    The panda touched his face, and ears, then looked at his paws and body while repeatedly looking back and forth at the panda picture in the book.


    "We look exactly the same," It said in a baffled tone, its eyes wide and its jaws hung open.


    "Yes, indeed, you aren''t a cursed pr bear. You are never cursed. You belong to a very very rare species called Panda!" As if coaxing a child, Eli exined.


    "I am a Panda? I am from a rare species?" A twinkle appeared in the panda''s eyes as if all of the problems he carried had been swept away by the winds.


    "Yes, you are a panda. The ck spots itself are the ones that make you rare! You should be proud of that! It is what makes you different and remarkable!" Eli continued to coax the now adorable giant panda.


    "Waaaaaah I am not cursed!! I am remarkable!!!" The panda suddenly bawled and howled, crying like a baby.


    "Yes you are, yes you are.." Eli patted the giant panda''s paws as if consoling it. However, consoling it wasn''t Eli''s intention...


    She just wanted to touch the panda''s adorable fluffy paws!!


    Talk about taking advantage!


    After the panda calmed down, Eli then told the panda,


    "Now big panda, you don''t need a contract to change your appearance.. You can go on.."


    "Hmm? I still wanted a contract from you!" The panda said decisively.


    "But you no longer need my mana right?" Eli said in surprise.


    "Nooo but I love the music you created yesterday!!! I wanted to hear more of those.. So please let me be your familiar," The panda said with a pleading eyes.


    "Well, the panda can help you do the heavy tasks¡­" Wisey reminded Eli.


    "Ohh!" She eximed.


    "Alright, but as you can see I am pregnant, I actually needed someone who would help me for things I can''t carry out right now.." Eli said, as she was reminded.


    "I don''t mind doing that!! I agree," the panda gleefully said.


    Soon the contract ritual was performed. The panda bowed and introduced itself to Eli.


    "Baobao, panda of the Silver Dew Forest greets master!"

 Chapter 11 Exploring Silvertown 1

    ?It has been a few days since Eli started living in Prasinos.


    Day by day she discovered a lot of things she wasn''t used to when she was still in the modern earth. From cleaning the house, cooking by herself and gardening, Eli started to discover new things each day.


    The humble house became livelier and warmer with the presence of Baobao.


    This music loving giant panda was always there, ready to help her on the heavy chores with some delicate instructions.


    Eli didn''t mind, because she thought that someday she will be teaching these things to Little Han in the future. For her, teaching Baobao was like her training.


    ''I feel really blessed, I have a nanny and a teddy!'' Eli thought, feeling satisfied.


    On the other hand, Wisey was always there to give her information of all sorts. From kitchen recipes, to proper gardening techniques and so on, Eli relied on Wisey for these information. Through Wisey, she also discovered why the technology here in Prasinos seemed to be a little far behindpared to modern earth - it was due to heavy reliance on magic.


    Farmers do not need to invent tractors because they can just hire an Earth Magus to cultivate thend for nting. They do not need to invent cell phones becausemunication through a magic stone is possible.


    Households do not need to think of a way to refrigerate things because there is ice magic, or they can just even harvest snow for their use. Transportation stayed in the realm of carriages, carts and old fashioned ships, far from the bicycles, motorcycles, modern ships and even airnes.


    Eli was astounded. People on earth often associated magic with limitless imagination. On Earth, people often dream and long for magic because they, including Eli, believe that magic could grant boundless possibilities and miraculous breakthroughs.


    However from what Eli had understood, in Prasinos, it seemed like magic had limited the people to discover and explore science.


    It hurt her heart a bit, as she was a person heavily involved in the science and technology industry. On the other hand, she reprimanded herself, as it was still too early for her to say that there are no people here in Prasinos who would explore science and develop technology.


    Who knows, maybe she has yet to witness things magic and technologybined produce!


    Eli felt excited.


    Now that she had more or less settled down, the thing she needed to do right now was to check hers and Little Han''s health. She had been waiting for a few days already, but the Elven vige hadn''t sent a doctor yet.


    She felt worried.


    Just as she was about to start asking Wisey a way on how to contact the elves, a bird cry was heard near the window. Investigating what was going on, Eli approached the window. She immediately saw a valiant looking eagle, holding at its powerful beak an envelope.


    It was a letter.


    ''Who could have sent it?'' Eli thought. She gently opened the window and let the eagle settle in the kitchen.


    "Hello Mr. Eagle" She greeted. Upon meeting Baobao, Eli thought that maybe animals in Prasinos could speak, so might as well greet them.


    She took a bit of meat she stored earlier, as well as a cup of water, cing it in front of the valiant looking eagle.


    "Thank you for delivering me this letter, have some refreshment first." She said as she gently took the letter from its beak.


    The eagle looked dumbfounded at the human it just met. What an entric human!


    However, Eli''s face was shouting ''I mean no harm'' all over her face, so cautiously and slowly, the eagle took one bite and tested Eli''s reaction.


    The eagle saw that Eli didn''t move nor try anything to seize it, so it finally let its guard down and enjoyed theplimentary refreshment.


    Happy to see that the eagle epted her food offerings, she finally looked at what the letter contained. Opening the envelope, it revealed an elegant looking handwritten letter on a parchment paper.


    It said-


    "Greetings to our Tribe''s Protector, Lord Sylvain''s Favored One!


    I am Eirllon ddrahel, chief of the Elves of the Silver Dew Forest.


    The Lord Protector hasmissioned me to assign you an elven doctor to care for your well being.


    However, as you know, We, the elves had long separated ourselves from human contact. This is why, I would like to ask you to make avable a teleportation array inside your dwelling. This is in order for us to send ourmissioned doctor straight to your house and to also limit the possibility of meeting other humans as much as possible.


    Apologies for this abrupt request. I ask for your understanding.


    As soon as the teleportation array is avable, kindly use this parchment letter as an activator. This will directly notify our side that your ce is ready.


    Again, apologies for the inconvenience it may cause you.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I wish you well.


    Sincerely,


    Eirllon of the Silver Dew Forest"


    As Eli kept the letter, she immediately summoned Wisey to inquire for the requirements on how to set up a teleportation array.


    "If it is a teleportation array that is for single use, we can purchase a one time teleportation array. However, if you need it multiple times, we may need to set it up ourselves. It is not that hard," Wisey exined.


    "I need to use it multiple times because it will be used by the doctor elf who may have to do frequent check ups." Eli replied.


    "Then we may have to go to Silvertown and check if we can buy the items we need for setting up the array," Wisey decisively said.


    "Alright, but are you sure we are able to set it up?" Eli asked, remembering that she was a summoner not a caster.


    "Yes we can, summoners can also use this type of spell. But only with the right materials!" Wisey assured.


    Soon the duo prepared for their sudden excursion to Silvertown.


    Baobao can''t go yet as it may cause amotion in town. However, it insisted to be Eli''s mount up until the exit of the forest, worrying that Eli may be exhausted from walking.


    Seeing Baobao''s deep concern, she agreed and the trio set off to Silvertown. Along the way, Eli was amazed by the lush green trees and the untouched scenery of the forest.


    "Wow! Beautiful!" She eximed.


    Rays of sunlight beautifully illuminate the forest. The peace and serenity it gives makes even the wild animals feel like they are in a safe haven.


    Soon, she can see that the exit of the forest was near. Gently, Baobao lowered down its furry body for her to unmount. Worried about the oue of the journey, Baobao sent them off with teary eyes.


    Baobao was so worried that he suddenly broke a soft tree branch and chowed down on it in distress.


    --


    Silvertown was a new view for Eli''s eyes. She felt like she had an instant vacation in a little town somewhere in Europe, where she never had a chance to visit in her past life.


    The townspeople were busy with their daily lives, but in a lively way. The ambience of the whole town feels cheerful and energetic.


    Only if they didn''ty their eyes on Eli.


    Eli felt that whenever people look at her, they would either let out a gasp or whisper on the person next to them. It felt so strange, however, she didn''t feel hostility from the townspeople. What she felt was more like a curious reaction or an attitude of wanting to unravel a mystery.


    Suddenly something hit her mind, Sylvain''s Letter!! How could she forget!


    Sylvain mentioned that her appearance was associated with a group of people shrouded in mystery. He even advised her not to go out without concealing her real appearance! How could she forget this important fact!


    Eli wondered. She wasn''t really a forgetful person.


    Soon she just attributed it to the fact that Elise''s actual appearance was exactly like how most of the people in her country, and even neighboring Asians look like. Dark midnight colored hair and eyes. She thought that it just felt normal, because she also looked like this in her past life. Coincidentally Elise''s appearance was simr to hers and her countrymen.


    ''Is Elise''s tribe actually transmigrated Asians?'' she asked herself.


    Noting that she must take her appearance into ount in the future, she politely approached a random townsfolk and asked if there are any shops that sell items for array making.


    Although it was an awkward conversation, the townsfolk still kindly answered her inquiry especially when she saw that Eli was pregnant, with her little baby bump.


    Eli managed to get the instruction to the only magic item shop in Silvertown. Without wasting time she, with Wisey settled on her shoulders, proceeded to follow the directions.


    Little do they know that there was an alley opposite on the side of the road where a group of men had been observing them from the moment she entered the town''s center.


    "It is another young woman, and is pregnant.. She will cost a lot." One manmented sinisterly.


    Looking at each other, they proceed to follow Eli''s team covertly.

 Chapter 12 Exploring Silvertown 2

    ?Argentum Magic Shop - the one and only authorized magic item distributor in Silvertown.


    Although Silvertown is the most remote vige in the Seirende Empire, there are a lot of travelers visiting this vige. This is because of their close vicinity to the Silver Dew Forest.


    Because of the rich amounts of medicinal herbs in the Silver Dew Forest, most of the travelers going here are mages interested in potion making and other individuals in the field medicine. There is a need to also cater to the possible needs of most of the travelers here who needed to prepare for their exploration of the Silver Dew Forest.


    However, the Seirende Imperial Family had a treaty with the Elves of the Silver Dew Forest to limit and control human exploration in the forest. As part of the fulfillment of this treaty, Valentin de Seirende, Emperor of the Seirende, passed a decree that only one magic item shop will be allowed to do business in the Silvertown forest - the one who would win the bid.


    But this is not a concern for thergest merchant family in the Seirende Empire, the Forgeworn n. They, among any merchant guilds and ns, are able to win the bid and bring themselves into Silvertown for business, being the only merchant guild to distribute magic items - the Argentum Magic Shop .


    Although the shop is owned by a well known family, the Argentum Magic Shop is situated in a humble looking building. The fa?ade of the building is very lowkey. Nothing on it speaks of extravagance and prestige.


    Eli immediately entered the shop and examined the surroundings. The interior of the shop was actually far from what she saw from the fa?ade.


    The moment she entered, she found herself in arge hall with high ceilings and well lit ambience. The magic items are arranged very neatly on show tables covered with clear ss. Items were neatly disyed ording to size, nature and function. It was like a luxurious jewelry shop.


    However, Eli noticed that although the hall wasrge, there were doors that can be seen beyond the hall. She deduced that maybe the most valuable items are stored there and can only be essed by distinguished buyers.


    Eli proceeded window shopping. Items for different constitution types were lined up for sale. It seems that the people of Prasinos invented ways inpensating what their constitution is not able to do.


    Casters can buy emblems and items embellished with mana stones for extra storage of magic power. Summoners can buy written caster incantations and spell bombs topensate for theirck of casting ability. Devourers can buy weapons with casting powers, as well as buy spell bombs too.


    ''Well people will really try topensate for their weaknesses.'' Eli concluded.


    As she continued to browse through the magical items, Eli heard an amused voice at the back saying,


    "Interesting! Someone of Asani descent woulde in town undisguised.."


    "Hmm?" Startled Eli turned around to see who was talking. But she didn''t see anyone.


    Just as she was about to turn back the voice spoke again, "Young Asani, you should be looking downward, juuuuust a little bit!"


    Eli then looked down and saw a little grandpa, wearing an elder''s robe and pointed hat.


    It was a dwarf!!


    He looks like grandpa smurf! But he isn''t blue¡­ but he is so cute and cuddly!!!


    Holding back her urge to pinch the little grandpa''s cheeks, Eli politely greeted, "Greetings Grandpa Smur- Ehermmm! Elder.. May I know what you mean by calling me an Asani?"


    "Ohh, haven''t your parents ever told you about your appearance?" Grandpa Smurf, Ehem!! The elder dwarf asked intriguingly.


    "Pardon, good elder, for I grew up without a parent.. May you be kind enough to tell me about it?" She embarrassedly said. She could have asked Wisey, but time didn''t allow it.


    "I see, I see! Poor youngss." The Elder dwarf apologetically said.


    Then he proceeded exining,


    "Rumour has it that the people of Asani are loved by the Guardians and The Creator. They are blessed with an innate ability to change to their desired constitution. Unlike the other Prasinons, who upon being born, their constitution are already set for life, the Asani descendants are able to change their constitution once in their lives!"


    "Change the constitution once... Good Elder, as far as I know, there were already avable ways topensate for one''s weaknesses of the constitution. Why does it seem like the people of Prasinos venerate the Asani ability? My poor mind can''t understand the need for it." Eli curiously inquired.


    Her eyes are bright, full of the desire to learn of this mystery.


    The elder dwarf chuckled, seeing Eli''s courtesy and curiosity. He kindly replied. "Haha, youngss, you do know of the three main constitutions here in Prasinos right?"


    Eli nodded, "Yes"


    Then he continued, "Then you should know that there are still rare or extinct constitutions. Youngss, imagine if the Asanis chose to change their current constitution into one of those rare ones!"


    "That would be ridiculously advantageous!" Eli eximed.


    "Indeed!" The elder dwarf replied with a smile, then continued, "However, not many people know that even though Asani people had a chance to choose from this almost legendary constitutions, to achieve such, they should be able to pass the guardians test! In short, only the worthy ones are still able to get a hold of this rare constitution!"


    Eli was shocked. This sounded so familiar.


    Why does it feel like she was scammed by the Great One and the Guardians? Did they just trick her in using her one and only chance to choose her constitution?


    However, Eli calmed down. The answer is no longer important. She did benefit from their arrangement and getting answers from them will no longer fit her te right now.


    "Asanis are indeed formidable." She mumbled.


    "Indeed, but why do you speak as if you are not one of them?" The elder asked.


    "Maybe because I never knew I was one. I didn''t feel like I belonged with them." She honestly said. Indeed, both her and Elise never knew of Asanis.


    "Well, perhaps that is the case. However, you aren''t exempted from the dangers thate with it. Although many people marvel of the mystery surrounding your blessings, many forces desire your kind''s abilities. That is why, I do not rmend you to go around town looking like this!" The elder, truly took a liking with Eli, said with concern.


    "Especially with the little one you had to protect." He said looking at Eli''s baby bump, full of concern.


    Seeing the genuineness of the little grandpa for her well being, Eli gave a bow and gave a reply, "Thank you elder for your kind warnings! May I know how I should address this problem??"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing Eli''s sincerity, the elder liked her more and more.


    Chuckling, he then replied, "First, you may start by buying disguise magic items,e I''ll show you the best ones and I can give you a discount!"


    Beckoning Eli to the section where disguising magic items are disyed, the elder chose the one that was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive.


    Upon his exnation, this one works best for Eli''s circumstance. It only veils Eli''s appearance as an Asani and does not change the structure of her body. Other types of disguising items may be too invasive for her Little Han.


    Thanking the elder, she also took the advantage and inquired for the items needed to build a teleportation array for summoners. Soon she finished all the shopping and proceeded to pay for the items.


    As she didn''t have money yet, she took out the gems given by Guardian Sylvain as payment.


    "Uhm Elder, I forgot to acquire money for I was so excited to visit your shop. May I know if your shop epts these gems as payment?" Eli embarrassingly took a few gem stones from the pouch and handed it down to Elder dwarf.


    Upon seeing the piece of stone, the Elder dwarf eximed in surprise, "Heavens!!"


    Then he beckoned the shop assistant and ordered him to get the private room ready. Right after instructing the assistant, He discretely beckoned Eli to follow him to the room.


    They entered into a soundproof room with visible arrays, possibly not allowing eavesdropping nor spying. After they sat down on the couch, the elder dwarf asked rmingly,


    "Who did you allow to see these things other than my shop?"


    "Only this shop.. So far.." Confused, Eli scratched her head, seeing the elder dwarf''s seemingly reprimanding attitude.


    "Geez, you youngss! You are a handful!" The elder dwarf sighing in relief, still eximed at Eli''s naivety.


    "These aren''t just gemstones, these are supreme grade mana stones!" He eximed.


    "One gem''s worth is able to hire a grade A Knight! These aren''t easy to find! What''s more, this few you have offered can actually buy out this humble shop!" He said exasperatedly.


    He held his little arms wide open in distress and eximed, "Then you just carelessly showed it in public! Aisssh! You naive youngss!"


    "I.. I''m sorry. I didn''t know¡­ this was just given by the guar- by a mysterious looking mage I helped before..." Eli exined. She decided not to tell the elder about the guardian, so as to not give him more shocks.


    "Sigh!" Remembering Eli''s background, he just let out a sympathetic sigh and said, "Alright, alright.. Instead of you paying these mana stones out, why not, I buy it out?"


    "Really?!" Eli asked in surprise.


    "Yes, however, my treasury funds are only able to buy out a dozen of these supreme mana stones. If you are willing, can you sell this dozen to me?" He said with an honest expression.


    From her conversation with the elder dwarf, Eli had the confidence that the grandpa did not intend to take advantage of Eli. So she trusted her judgement and nodded,


    "Sure, Elder, would it not be a disadvantage for you in any way?"


    "Great!! And no, it wont, I will use some of these stones to create more magic items, then send the others to the head store, so they can make some too. So don''t worry I''ll definitely profit from it a lot! Hahahaha!!!!" The elder dwarf said straightforwardly without any hint of shame.


    Eli alsoughed. Although grandpa is kind, he was still a businessman. It was natural for him to think of profit. Eli as a sry woman in the modern world did not find anything wrong with it.


    Soon the assistant knocked and with permission, he entered holding a tray.


    In the trayy a crystal card, a parchment paper and a stylish looking pen. The assistant carefully ced the itmes on the table in front of Eli and the elder dwarf.


    "Now we will make a contract verified by mana. Then you will take this crystal card, it will hold the amount of money I paid. You can use it to withdraw money and purchase things."


    "Oh just like a debit card!" Eli replied mindlessly.


    "A debit card?" The elder dwarf asked, curious upon hearing a foreign word.


    "Ah never mind, I have the habit of making up words to call the new things I have just encountered." Eli said with a shrug.


    "Very well, now we shall make a contract.." Dismissing the foreign word as Eli''s quirky habit, he proceeded to start the contract. Giving Eli some instructions they soon started the contract signing.


    Written in the parchment is the contract content -


    "I, Elise Fayre, allow Andvari of the Forgeworn n, buy my supreme stones for the amount of 24 million Shinies ¡­"


    As soon as they ced a drop of blood on the parchment a magic circle appeared on the parchment paper. It floated up in the air, while another blue magic circle appeared swallowing the contract.


    Then a deep professional sounding voice dered,


    "Contract between Elise Fayre and Andvari of the Forgeworn n witnessed by the Central Bank of Seirende. The amount stipted has beenwfully transferred to the crystal card named under the seller Elise Fayre."


    Soon the magic circle dimmed and a sparkle of light flew on the crystal card that wasid on the tray. The ray of light acted like aser, slowly printing details on the card. After it finished printing, the ray flew back on the dimmed magic circle andpletely faded along with it.


    "Woahh!!! That''s convenient!" Eli said in surprise. Talk about seamless banking!


    She''s loving how magic was used in the area of banking. Back in the modern earth, there were a lot of processes carried out in order to authenticate, verify andplete a transaction. Here in Prasinos, you can even do it easily and remotely! How convenient!


    In a blink of an eye, Eli, the broke transmigrator became a millionaire with just a dozen gemstones!

 Chapter 13 Gentle Bao, Freaky Bao

    ?"Grandpa Andi, thank you so much for your kindness! I''ll be visiting often!" Eli bowed to the elder dwarf Andvari sincerely as the he saw her off his shop.


    After fulfilling the contract, Andvari the Elder dwarf had taught her how to use the magic items she just purchased and they chatted for a long while. They became so close that the elder asked her to call him ''Grandpa Andi'' every time Eli would visit the shop.


    With a chuckle Andvari replied as he waved Eli goodbye, "Hahaha youss! Don''t be so careless on your way home. Go on, be on your way. Visit soon!"


    "Bye Grandpa, see you soon!" Eli courteously waved her hands goodbye, then she went on her way home.


    Grandpa Andvari stood still in front of the shop until he couldn''t see Eli''s shadow anymore.


    But just as he was about to turn around and go inside the shop, a scary glint appeared in his eyes and he suddenly stared at the alley on the opposite side of the road.


    "The youngss is in danger," He whispered with a solemn look.


    "Randel, go keep an eye on the youngss, make sure that they never find her and track her home." It seemed like Andvari was just talking to himself, but in a nearby tree in front of the shop, a dark shadow immediately flew towards Eli''s direction.


    "Youngss, I hope you and your little one will be safe..." Andvari sincerely said in his heart.


    --


    Eli walked her way home with a happy mood.


    She met a gentle and kind grandpa and he taught her a lot of things. On top of that she became a multi-millionaire! In just one trip!


    "Ohhh It is so nice to have moneeeeeh!!" She eximed. She was a sry woman in her previous life, apart from the living expenses, she worked hard to pay for the loans she signed for herte Mum''s treatment.


    She never experienced having this amount of money on her own.


    Celebrating on her way home, with Wisey on her shoulders. She soon reached the entrance of the forest.


    Soon they saw a huge furry figure, sitting on a tree with lush leaves, eating adorably like there is a feast that is happening in the forest.


    As soon as Baobao caught Eli''s scent, he stopped eating and happily approached the two who came from their excursion.


    "Waaah you''re finally here!!" Baobao the giant panda suddenly acted like a dog who finally saw his ownering home.


    Eli was in a super good mood, so she affectionately petted Baobao''s fluffy face and said "Have you waited long? We''re sorry. But our trip in town was very fruitful!"


    "Indeed, very fruitful!!!" Wisey, who acted like a normal bird when they were in town, finally let go of her disguise and excitedly eximed.


    Seeing the two had many stories to tell him, Baobao lifted the corners of his mouth, his shiny teeth were slightly revealed in a cute little smile. "That''s good to hear, that master had a good time, but first let''s go on our way home.." he reminded them.


    Baobao gently lowered his body and gestured for Eli to mount. The terrain along their way home is not that tricky, however, extra care is needed for the pregnant Eli.


    Baobao, didn''t want a small ident to happen, so he decisively offered to be Eli''s mount every time she would go out.


    When they finally arrived in their dwelling, the sun had already begun to set.


    After letting Eli down, Baobao suddenly lifted his furry face up in the air and took a few sniffs.


    Then he turned to Eli and asked permission, "Master, I am still hungry, allow me to go around the forest to look for some food.."


    Eli didn''t think much of Baobao''s sudden urge to go out of the forest. Since he is a panda, a species of a bear with a carnivorous digestive system that mysteriously became vegetarian, Baobao has to eat a lot of food topensate for the gap between his contradicting diet and anatomy.


    She lovingly patted Baobao''s head and said with a smile, "Go on, but be careful on your way,e back before the lights out."


    "Yes master!" Baobao said then when out of the woods.


    After seeing Baobao off, Eli turned to enter the house to freshen up and prepare for dinner.


    --


    ng! ng! ng!


    Sounds of crossing swords and daggers were heard in the forest. Five men ferociously attack a man clothed in ck.


    These men were the ones who were following Eli upon entering the town. They camped in front of the Argentum shop and ounted for anyone that came and went in the shop. However, dusk had already approached but no young pregnant woman was seen going out of the shop.


    Soon these men realized that Eli may have bought a disguise item as her appearance is of Asani descent. Luckily, one of their team members is a tracking knight - a devourer who specifically allocated his mana to enhance his sense of smell.


    When Eli''s veiled figure emerged out of the Argentum shop, they knew immediately that she was the one they were waiting for. Without hesitation they discretely followed her tracks.


    But who would have known that upon her entering the forest, this insanely strange man appeared to block their way! What a nuisance!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The leader of the man annoyingly yelled and said "Hey you! Do not hinder us from doing business! Men let''s deal with him fast!"


    They surrounded the ck clothed man, arming their weapons while cautiously assuming a battle stance.


    The ck clothed man stood still at the center, without emotions he uttered, " Master ordered that no one cane near her." Then in a sh, he turned into a shadow and disappeared at the center of the circle the men made.


    He appeared at the back of the tracking knight, gave a heavy blow at the back of his head, knocking him out.


    Then he proceeded to engage in a close quarter fight among the remaining four.


    However, it seems like the men are skilled in fighting and the ck clothed man started feeling the burden of fighting a group of men.


    He didn''t hesitate, he used a lightning spell and aimed it on one of the remaining four men. It instantly hit the target knocking him out. Without even checking if his target hit, he immediately casted another lightning spell again.


    "Tsk!" The leader, annoyed, immediately casted an earth spell to form several chunks of rock to block the iing lightning spell and assault the man.


    Soon a caster fight ensued in the forest.


    The ck clothed man keeps the other two at bay by sending some lightning spells, while nimbly defending against the earth attacks by the opponent''s leader. Beads of sweat rolled on his forehead, as he was starting to get agitated and exhausted.


    He could not kill in the Silver Dew Forest, humans aren''t allowed to.


    Because this is part of the treaty between the Elves of the Silver Dew Forest and the Emperor of Seirende - no killing shall be done by humans within the Silver Dew Forest. The Elves would allow the Seirende citizens a controlled ess to the Silver Dew Forest''s medicinal herbs, while the Seirende Empire will not do anything to disturb nor incur the ire of Elves.


    Thus, the ck cloth man could only knock them out and drag them out of the forest first before attempting to kill them.


    While he was busy fighting with the remaining three men. No one noticed the tracking knight, who was the first one to be knocked down, regain consciousness.


    Seeing that the group was busy fighting each other, he took the chance to discreetly go away from the fighting scene and follow Eli''s scent. No matter what happens, they must send the girl to that client, because she will definitely cost a lot of money!


    Sniff sniff..


    Upon reaching a distance far from the battle area, the tracking knight started to use his abilities and catch a whiff of Eli''s scent.


    "It must be in this direction.." He said looking at the direction he believed was the way to Eli''s home.


    "Ohh are you sure about that?" Suddenly a voice asked him back.


    "Of course! Who would doubt a tracking knight''s sense of smell!" The tracking knight arrogantly responded to the sudden question.


    Soon he realized, he should be alone right? Then who in the world asked him?


    "Hmfff! I do!" The voice responded eerily. It grumped, letting out a huge blow of air.


    The tracking knight froze. He felt a wave of shivers as the blow of air touched his nape. He tried to cautiously turn to his back where the voice came from. Upon finally seeing who was on his back his eyes widened and his whole body became stiff.


    Big ck eyes and ferocious set of teeth baring at his open back. Arge furry figure that looked like a monster ready to im his tiny little life. Its paws held on a position ready to w out his human flesh.


    Soon the tracking knight couldn''t take the spook and shock. His eyes rolled up all white then stiffly fell on the ground unconscious.


    "Huh? He fainted? Eeeeh no fun!" The spooky figure was actually Baobao.


    As soon as he noticed the scent of a few people following his Master, he immediately coaxed them to go home. While taking a roundabout path home, he soon smelled another scent. However, the scent along with the others seemed not to progress towards them anymore.


    Baobao didn''t take any drastic measures as he was worried that his master and his little master would be in more danger of shock.


    As soon as they arrived home, he immediately proceeded to the scent of variously dispersed mana on the disguise of finding food.


    Soon he came to the battle scene, noticing a sneaky figure continuing his approach to his master''s dwelling.


    Thus, this scene of a man, knocked out of his wits and him, dumbfounded for not even exerting an ounce of strength to fight him.


    However he must eliminate this person that directly threatens his loving master.


    "Do you know why my ancestor pandas chose to be vegetarians?"


    He asked as if the man still listens to him. While doing so, he effortlessly picked the man''s body out and lifted him high up in the air with his two paws.


    "Because they had once eaten an evil humans'' flesh and found it horrible!" He said while he powerfully threw the tracking knight''s body against a tree crushing his spinal cord, instantly killing him.


    "They were evil humans who hunted on the weak¡­ just like you." He said looking down without mercy on the man''s corpse before finally walking towards the battle area.

 Chapter 14 Wisey And Baoey

    ?Baobao valiantly proceeded to the battle area.


    Without any emotions, his fluffy paw swiped one of the three remaining assants away. The poor assant''s body was struck in a trunk breaking his bones and leaving him fatally injured.


    Deathly silence suddenly invaded the battle area.


    The ck clothed man, along with thest two men standing, was horrified.


    Not that their opponent or colleague was suddenly struck, but because of the creature who struck them.


    "It''s a cursed bear!!!!" They all eximed with surprise and horror. Immediately, the two remaining assants scrambled to get out of the forest. Who cares if they get the woman now?


    In front of them is a cursed bear! A cursed bear!


    Imminent death is their only choice! Even if they couldn''t get anything to sell today, they can always do so tomorrow. As long as they are still alive.


    The two men expended all the mana they were conserving during the battle with the ck clothed man and tried to escape as fast as they could in the forest.


    The ck clothed man also came to his senses and chased the men. He cannot afford to leave anyone alive!


    He prepared to cast the spell and targeted the other one, knocking him down.


    "Leave that one to me, you can focus on chasing the leader," Baobao said in seriousness.


    Although the ck clothed man was shocked, he didn''t hesitate to follow the cursed bear''s instructions as he had no time. He immediately focused on chasing the leader.


    In the battle area, Baobao proceeded to eliminate the people threatening his master. The gentle Baobao who would fawninglyy in the living room while listening to his master''s music was nowhere to be found.


    Baobao''s whole countenance at that moment was filled with an aura ready to bring anyone immediate horror and death. With his strong fluffy paws, he easily picked up the man who was knocked down.


    He was about to move to crush his body but an abrupt voice suddenly stopped him,


    "I think you shouldn''t kill him right away.." The voice was Wisey''s. She has been sitting on Baobao''s shoulders for who knows when.


    Baobao, wasn''t surprised by Wisey''s sudden appearance. Although they have been contracted with Eli for only a few days, they developed a strong partnership with the sole goal - to protect Eli and Eli''s baby.


    During their entrance to the foresting from Silvertown, Baobao mentallymunicated with Wisey about the situation. They can do so, because they share the same contractor, they share the same mana source.


    It was actually Wisey who advised Baobao to stay calm and act naturally, as she knows what could possibly happen when a pregnant woman is exposed to these sudden threats.


    Although Wisey believed that Eli isn''t someone who was that vulnerable, they both didn''t know how Eli''s body would respond nor if the little life on Eli''s womb could take the stress.


    Never underestimate pregnancy they said! They can''t be careless, at least, until they meet the elven doctor.


    Baobao, did not retract his murderous aura and replied, "Why keep him alive for a longer period? We don''t have any use for this man."


    "Aishhh, you brute panda!" Wisey outstretched one of her wings and ''pped'' the back of Baobao''s head.


    "Aiya, you only use your paws to eat or punch! Use your head ahhh! We will interrogate this person! We need to know why they suddenly followed Eli chan!" Wisey said in an exasperated manner.


    "Oh!" Baobao had a realization, like the idea bulb suddenly lit in his head. Upon thinking that it is a good idea, his murderous aura immediately retracted.


    He turned his furry head towards Wisey and admiringly said,


    "Wisey buddy! You are indeed wise!" He said in a chuckle while his paws gestured an approving sign.


    "Of course, I am!" She replied in a dignified manner.


    Then the two looked towards the poor men with an evil smug on their faces.


    --


    The leader of the men was shocked upon realizing that the ck clothed man was still into chasing him, even after their horrifying encounter with the cursed bear.


    "Damn!" He said in frustration.


    He immediately casted an earth spell, materializing a few boulders to hinder the ck clothed man in his chase.


    The ck clothed man nimbly navigated through the obstacle and closed the distance between them. Upon reaching a certain range, he finally released a lightning spell that has been charging for quite a while.


    Three consecutive bolts of lightning struck the leader, almost leaving him burnt to toast, if not for his instinctive reaction to envelope his perimeter with a thick earth shield.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, even with all the mana he can gather to cast, the shield didn''t do much, as it was already broken on the 2nd lightning strike, thest one was a direct hit.


    "You.. are an A ss mage¡­" The leader uttered with shock and unbelief.


    In the first ce, the one thing that was saving them was the fact that they are fighting within the Silver Dew Forest. Now that they were outside, the ck clothed man had no other reasons to hold back.


    For a C ss mage like him, how could he possibly hold a candle against this man?


    "You have targeted someone that was protected by the Argentum. You have no choice but to die!"


    The ck clothed man didn''t waste time to chit chat with the leader. With his hands, he took out a poisoned dagger which he unhesitatingly struck to the leader''s heart. He then proceeded to incinerate his corpse with another lightning spell.


    Upon checking that his work was done, he immediately turned back to the direction where he separated with the cursed bear. Since he was an A ss mage, a cursed bear wasn''t a big threat to him.


    However, he needed to ensure that his mission waspleted seamlessly or his old master would whip the fat out of his poor butt. "Sigh."


    When the ck clothed man reached the area, he heard loud cries, a threatening roar and a... childish voice who was speaking words that shouldn''t be spoken by a child. Confused, he immediately proceeded to see what happened.


    What he saw made him feel ratherplicated.


    Two frightened men, bound with a strong vine, hung upside down in a tree.


    A cursed bear who sits obediently right below the men''s faces and in his shoulder is an owl who acts like a gangster, saying threatening words with her adorable childish voice.


    "Huh!! You won''t speak ehhh! Do you know what''s in front of you ahh?? A cursed bear!" Wisey said with her heart shaped head tilted adorably on ny degrees.


    "..." The ck clothed man almost pped the hell out of his face. Just who would feel threatened with that cute adorable face.


    "Aaaahh you don''t believe me ahh!! Then we won''t waste our time with you then!" Annoyed that she wasn''t able to threaten the men, Wisey stretched her wings and ''tapped'' Baobao''s head.


    Baobao immediately released his murderous aura and roared threateningly. His paws reached out and held the men''s head ready to crush it anytime.


    "AAAAAAAH!!! Spare us!! Spare us!!!!" The men cried and pleaded for their lives.


    These two creatures have been bickering a while ago in nning how to torture them in front of their faces.


    With the twoing up with silly ideas, they thought that they could outsmart these creatures ande out unscathed.


    But they were wrong!


    "I''ll talk!! I''ll talk!!!" One of the men couldn''t take it and gave up the idea of pulling a fast one out of these two furries.


    "We are just lowly mercenaries in Silvertown. We aremissioned to abduct young women, specifically the pregnant ones." He said with a trembling voice.


    "Hmm? Have you known the reason why your client asked for this? Do you know who your client is?" Wisey said in a serious tone.


    "No we didn''t," Answered the other one.


    "Our client is very secretive and mysterious. However, when we received the request, I saw something on his hand, it was a tattoo of a bird, most probably a raven. But I only saw a part of it. As to how it can identify him, I don''t know. That''s all we know!" He continued, in his eyes is a hope that these two creatures will let them away after spilling the beans.


    "Raven tattoo," Wisey contemted.


    The information is too little for her to think that the tattoo had any significance to their master''s threat. It may be the client''s personal preference, it may or may not lead to a certain information.


    "Buddy, are they speaking the truth?" Baobao, with his paws still holding the poor gangster''s head, asked Wisey with a submissive tone.


    "Yes, most likely they are telling the truth.. Sigh," Feeling frustrated that they weren''t able to gather conclusive information, Wisey replied.


    "Well, if we kill them, no one will know of the master''s existence right?" Baobao, unable to understand Wisey''s frustration, suggested.


    The two men froze in fright.


    "We don''t really know.. Actually it is my fault, I was so happy that I will have a chance to see another part of this world that I forgot to tell Eli chan about her appearance." She tearfully said.


    Patpat.


    Baobao felt sad seeing his buddy me herself for unintentionally exposing his master in danger. He gently cupped Wisey on his fluffy paws and patted her heart shaped head.


    "Sush buddy, aren''t werades? For sure we can take away all the threats against our master, with your brains and with my paws!!!" He said in a coaxing tone, brandishing his cute fluffy paw.

 Chapter 15 Elven Doctor

    ?"Yeahh.. You''re right!" Wisey felt better after beingforted by her buddy. "Now let''s think of what to do next!" Recovering from the blues, she went back to thinking what is the best course of action to do next.


    Finally deciding to get involved in the conversation the ck man stepped out of the ce he had been observing. With a nk tone he suggested, "Let me take care of these two as captives. Our side may be able to get other relevant information if I bring them back to our quarters."


    The two were startled, they had been wondering why the man seemed to be involved with these gang members. They set aside the thought earlier because of the immediate situation but now it seemed like they needed to get the answers.


    "May I know who this gentleman is? And what is your business with these people?" Wisey asked with vignce and caution.


    The ck clothed man did not answer right away, he just kept his safe distance to the two watchful creatures while directing his stare to the two captive men calmly.


    "Ohh, you are worried about these two! Baoey, can you let them sleep for a while??" Wisey realized that the man didn''t want to reveal any information as long as the two captives were conscious. She asked Baobao to knock the two out.


    "Owrighty!" Baobao replied obediently while hitting a certain part of the captives'' necks subsequently making them unconscious.


    Seeing that the two creatures understood his intention by doing what is needed right away, the ck clothed man finally went towards Wisey and Baobao and politely introduced himself with a valiant warrior''s salute.


    "Greetings greater beasts, I am called Randel from Argentum. I have been sent by my master to protect Miss Eli when he detected that someone was tailing her. Rest assured I mean no harm." Randel exined in a tactful manner.


    "Argentum? The magic shop owned by Grandpa Andi?" Wisey said in astonishment.


    "Indeed! Grand Master Andvari is my master." Randel replied.


    "How benevolent of Grandpa Andi! Please extend our thanks to him!" Wisey bowed with respect and gratefulness.


    "We are Eli chan''s contracted beasts, my name is Wisey."


    "And I am Baobao!" Baobao is also thankful of the Argentum people''s gesture and politely introduced himself.


    "We are grateful to meet you!" The two creatures greeted Randel in unison.


    "Likewise!" Randel replied with pleasure.


    "On this matter, We heed your suggestion. However, we would like to request you and Grandpa Andi''s help in keeping this matter out of our Eli''s ears." Wisey straightforwardlyid down her request.


    "Understood, I think it is better for her not to be informed of this first. Rest assured, I will inform the Master of your request and share with you any relevant information regarding the investigation of this incident. Thank you for your cooperation." Randel concurred.


    "You have our thanks!" Wisey expressed their gratitude with bright eyes.


    Afterwards, the newly formed alliance wrapped up everything about the incident and proceeded in their respective quarters.


    When the two buddies reached home, Eli had just finished cooking dinner. The odd family of three warmly shared a humble supper full of smiles.


    The night ended with cheerful and nostalgic music from Eli, ying her childhood favourite Mozart Sonata No. 16 in C major K 545, Allegro.


    --


    The next morning, Eli, Baobao and Wisey proceeded to construct the teleportation array.


    Thanks to Grandpa Andi''s help, the materials that they got are the mostpatible and convenient to install in Eli''s situation.


    "With these materials, we do not need to crouch and draw around the floor. We will just position these projection stones ording to Grandpa Andi''s note." Wisey exined to Baobao and Eli. It did not take them long to finish positioning the projection stones ording to the diagram.


    "Then we proceed in sticking these inscripted paper spells one by one ording to the order listed to this.. Then finally we put the letter sent by the Elven Chief and then vi! We''re done!"


    As soon as they finished doing these, strips of light emerged from the projection stones. The lights formed various lines, curves and inscriptions. It is as if the light was the one drawing the array itself.


    Putting the letter sent by the Elven Chief, Eli''spany saw that the letter glowed another ancient looking inscription, seemingly a form of a spell. As soon as the string of wordings hadpletely lit up, the light from the projection dimmed and stopped, while the letter dissolved like dust.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That''s it? Did it really work?" Seeing that no further reaction from the array happened, Eli asked Wisey skeptically.


    "Yes it did. Let us just wait for the response from the other side. Most probably, they need a little bit more time to inform the chief and the assigned Elven Doctor as well.


    "Alright.." Eli nodded in understanding.


    An hour after they have activated the teleportation array. Green light is seen emanating from the projection stones and a magic circle appears. Eli, who was rxing in her favorite glider chair while reading the book of knowledge, was startled.


    Gently, she stood up and walked towards the teleportation portal. Wisey and Baobao on the other hand, stood nearby on guard.


    In the magic circle emerged a beautiful elf woman wearing a cream colored elegant robe. Her eyes are yellowish green, reflecting a young shrub raised by the spring. Her silky copper brown hair was neatly styled with a fishtail braid gracefully draping around her neck and right shoulders.


    "Greetings, Protector''s favored one!" The beautiful elf woman gave a small nod and a polite greeting towards Eli.


    "I am named Azayn, I am the doctor assigned by the Elven Chief to look after your health until you give birth." She continued.


    Starstruck by seeing such a beautiful elf, Eli almost unnaturally replied, "Greetings Azayn, my name is Eli. I thank you in advance for your care and advice."


    "Rest assured, I will do my best. Our chief also would like to send his apologies in requesting such an arrangement in order for you to meet me." Azayn, although looking aloof, bowed with a sincere apology.


    "Ohh noo! I don''t mind. I am already grateful enough that you allowed yourself to show up to a humble human like me, just to take care of my health and my little one''s." Eli quickly gestures Azayn to lift up her head.


    "By the way, wee to my humble dwelling. Have a seat first while mypanions serve you some refreshments," Eli beckoned Azayn to sit in the living room while Baobao skillfully served some delectable elven snack they have searched in the book of knowledge.


    Upon seeing Baobao, Azayn was amused, "What a surprise that you have a cursed bear as your contracted beast!"


    "Uhmm Baobao here, wasn''t a cursed bear.. He is part of a rare species of bear called Panda.. I came to know this through a bookpiling a list of the rarest beast in Prasinos." Eli proceeded to exin Baobao''s real origin.


    She came up with this spiel a few days ago, while she and Wisey nned on how to let Baobao live with them here in the dwelling.


    Like Eli, Baobao''s appearance made Prasinons conclude some beliefs regarding their origin and background. Hence, by only showing that they exist, it may attract Prasinons attention and will further lead to chaos.


    Wisey and Eli were nning to let Baobao and the whole panda race exist as a rare beast species. However, it is too early to start yet. They might need to test the waters first before doing something, for it may bring the panda race more harm than good.


    "Ohh is it? May I have the honor of seeing this book that you are talking about?" Azayn, being one involved in the medical field, naturally asked for conclusive evidence of Eli''s im.


    Eli looked towards Wisey, the other one nodded. She took the book of knowledge that was now disguised as a legitimate book that was titled, "The Earthlingsption of the Rarest Beasts In Prasinos".


    Seeing that the book was really there, Azayn nodded. Sparkles of genuine interest appeared in her eyes as she excitedly said, "May I check out this bookter after I have checked up on your condition? I am deeply interested in what the book contains!"


    "Sure! You are wee to check this book outter! However, I have a deep sentiment with this book so I may not be able to lend it to you outside." Eli said with a smile. Of course, she would not let anyone take away the book of knowledge literally, so she had to remind Azayn that the book can only be read within her house.


    "No problems with that!!" Azayn replied with a smile. It seems like she is a type of elf that is interested in knowledge of the unknowns, how befitting of a person in the ''science'' field.


    Soon the two proceeded on Eli''s health.


    "You are already approaching your 6th month of pregnancy. You will soon feel that your body will start preparing itself forbor..." Azayn diligently exined Eli''s pregnancy condition, while prescribing supplements and rmended diet for the next few weeks.


    "I wille back and check on you next month. When you approach your 7th month of pregnancy, I will have to increase my visits and check ups on you by that time," She reminded.


    Then Azayn the beautiful and graceful elven doctor of the Silver Dew Forest looked towards the book Eli presented, almost drooling.


    She excitedly said with a coquettish tone, "Now can you let me see the contents of the book?"

 Chapter 16 Foreboding Interests

    ?"Fascinating!!!" A graceful astonished voice swept in the living room.


    "So you are indeed a Panda! How interesting, you have a digestive system of a carnivore but your diet is for herbivores!! Wow!!" Azayn, the most respectable elven doctor in the Silver dew forest was now like a child when in front of new discoveries and knowledge.


    "Ehehehe, I know right?! I''m so fascinating!" Baobao replied with a cutesy tone.


    "Waaaaah this is a ko? How cute! It looks like a bear but it is actually a.. Marsupial?" Azayn continued to marvel at the ''book'' of rare beasts.


    "Ohhh, It rears its babies in their pouch?! How awesome!"


    "They have horns on their noses?! Rhinoceros are interesting!!!"


    "Tasmanian devil? Why are they called devils???"


    "The author of this book is so detailed and amazing! I wonder who Professor Earthling is?"


    Eli on the other hand has been trying her best not to give herself a face palm. ''It was just a quick search of the most popr and iconic animals in earth with an endangered to vulnerable conservation status. I haven''t even really verified if they even exist in Prasinos.''


    Keeping her demeanor in check, she tly replied, "He.. is my friend. An entric wanderer and researcher. He gave me this book once when I coincidentally helped him in the forest. The book fascinated me a lot.


    "Wow, I hope to meet him someday! How I wish I could have more time to study this book," Azayn looked at Eli, with her eyes pleading like a puppy.


    Meanwhile, Wisey and Eli had been discussing how to respond to her reactions and questions. They really had shot themselves in the foot. They never thought that the elven doctor would be the type to get interested in this matter. They just made up this story and book because they must justify Baobao as a rare beast, not a cursed one.


    The lie became deeper and moreplicated.


    "Uhmm, how do we go about this, Wisey? Do you know a way to duplicate or print out the contents of this book? Is there magic that can do that?" Eli asked Wisey telepathically.


    "We can do so if we unlock the print feature of the book of knowledge, but we need to feed it with papers of course¡­ You didn''t open your casting path yet so you cannot perform a [creation spell] yet." Wisey replied.


    "The book of knowledge has a print function???! Argh of course it has, it is virtually aputer!!?" Eli almost face palmed because she didn''t realize this.


    "However, we have no sheets of paper here in the house!" She remembered.


    Just thinking about that, she looked towards Azayn and finally responded, "I could ask Professor Earthling for permission to give you a copy of this book. However, it will take about a few weeks to receive his answer. I can give it a try if you want?"


    Hearing that Eli will ask the author to give her another copy, Azayn was delighted, " Really!!! Lady Eli! Waaah please do try~~ I thank you so much in advance!"


    "I''ll do my best!" Eli replied with a smile. She couldn''t just refuse a gorgeous face with a bright smile.


    Soon the two women bid their goodbyes.


    Eli was quite satisfied with her interaction with the elven doctor. She was actually nervous because of the fact that the elves prefer not to interact with humans. She guessed that although elves do not like human interactions, they were not actually callous.


    "Thinking about it, just what actually happened that made them avoid humans?" Eli asked in contemtion.


    She essed the book of knowledge and searched the reasons why. However a notice popped up in the book''s main screen saying -


    "This information is ssified by the Guardians. essing top ss information is not allowed via this book of knowledge. Sorry for the inconvenience."


    "Oh.. there is something like this huh?" Eli was startled.


    Wisey suddenly materialized in her spirit book guardian form and said, "Yes, secrets managed by the guardians are treated as heaven''s secrets. The book of knowledge cannot give easy ess as a rule."


    "Well it makes sense, how terrifying it would be if I could even search random people''s background through this book right?" Eli replied understandably. Her main purpose of asking this book is for her to prepare as much as possible in her new life of being a mom, not to snoop on people''s history.


    After this, the family of three went on with their daily routine.


    --


    Back in the Silver Dew Elven Vige, Azayn appeared from the portal with all smiles on her face.


    "Greetings Young Madam Azayn! Wee home!" The sentries saluted in unison.


    "Good work everyone!" Azayn returned their greetings with a smile. She then proceeded to report to the Chief''s Hall.


    The elven vige looked magical with the marvelous forest and bnced sunshine lighting up the whole vige. The elves'' dwellings are amazingly enchanting tree houses connected with hanging bridges made of wood and vine ropes. These dwellings formed a circle surrounding a colourful meadow, generously lit up with sunshine. Butterflies, pixies and sprites freely interact with the elven children as they y around the meadows decorated with colorful flowers.


    In the Chief''s Hall lies in a massive tree. It was the most conspicuous elven dwelling in the vige. With a pleasant mood, Azayn went towards the chief hall right away.


    "Father, I am back!" She cheerfully announced herself as she entered.


    In the center of the hall, an elder looking elf was seen sitting cross legged in front of a table, looking so focused on ying a board game. He has the look of an elf, with his silky long copper brown hair and green eyes. Although he looked like an elderly, his countenance is full of vitality and wisdom. He is none other than the Chief of the Silver Dew Elves, Eirllon.


    "Ohhh, my daughter you''re here. How was your excursion?" Hearing a familiar voice, Eirllion paused the game he was ying and greeted her daughter. Upon seeing her bright face and pleasant mood, he became very intrigued on what had happened, knowing that his daughter had just interacted with a human.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ohh, It was a very pleasant meeting with Lady Eli, the Protector''s Favored one! She is indeed worthy of being favored by Lord Sylvain!" She said in a highly approving manner. While giving this answer she gave an affectionate hug towards her father. Then she warmly walked towards the person on the opposite side of the board game. Their forehead and noses affectionately touched each other, it is how the elven couples express their romantic affection in public.


    Sitting opposite the table as her father''s opponent is a male elf most probably of the same age as Azayn. He has a striking masculine feature with his chiseled face and pale yellow hair. His build is like that of a warrior''s but his elven blood gave him an aura of a dignified battle champion. He is none other than Azayn''s husband.


    "Koehthar, my dear, you are here with father too!" She told her husband in surprise.


    "We couldn''t help but be nervous about you going out, so we basically just yed a game to distract our minds." He tenderly replied.


    "Indeed! We are actually afraid that you will meet other humans other than the Protector''s Favored.." Eirllon seconded his son inw''s exnation.


    Chuckling due to the care and concern given by these two doting men, Azayn replied with assurance, "Rest assured, Lady Eli''s dwelling is remote to the Silvertown Vige. The ce is seldom found by people."


    "Ohhh, I have learned so much about my stay there! So many interesting things!" She excitedly said as she recounted her experience.


    "Lady Eli is a beautiful, kind and intelligent human. In fact it is because of her that I now know the secret about the cursed bear!!! The cursed bear was not actually a cursed bear but a rare species of bear called the Panda!!" She continued her story telling.


    "The cursed bear? You mean the pr bears that were gued with ck ominous looking fur? They are called Panda?!" The two men were also intrigued. It seems like elves really do have a strong interest when ites to knowledge.


    "Yes indeed, in fact she had one as her contracted beast! He was really doing well in taking care of his master!" She proudly replied.


    "Heavens! A contracted cursed bear! Ahh, a panda!" Eirllon eximed in surprise.


    "But I do not feel quite at peace knowing that people know the panda race as a cursed species. If people discovered this, it may bring Eli more threats that she already has¡­" Azayn said with concern.


    "Threat? Will my daughter borate what is threatening Lady Eli now? Is it her pregnancy condition?" Eirllon asked in rm. Although they avoid humans, Eli is known to be the tribe''s exception as their Lord Sylvain had ordered so. They have to treat her with utmost respect and care.


    "Sigh¡­ Lady Eli.. seemed to be of Asani descent¡­" She nervously replied.


    The two men in the room paused with their eyes wide open, taken aback. Eirllon however, immediately recovered after a deep contemtion.


    "s! This is indeed threatening! We must do something to increase the Lady''s protection!" Eirllon ordered. His eyes filled with worry of something uncertain.


    --


    Capital of the Sierende Empire.


    In a marvelous bedroom, a solitary looking man walked towards the balcony. There, a shadow appeared behind the column of the balcony and discretely reported -


    "Your highness, there has been a sighting of a woman of Asani descent in Silvertown. No information was extracted except that she just went to look for a magic item shop and disappeared."


    The man looked towards the sky, the moonlight reflected on his crystal blue eyes and blood red hair.


    "Prepare the men, We will head towards Silvertown." His cold voice ordered.


    "Right away your highness!" The shadow saluted and immediately disappeared.


    Alone in the balcony, the man once again gazed at the bright stars of the night. His cold voice, with a tinge of perturbation faintly uttered,


    "Free Lady, where the in the world are you?"


    --


    A deste ce, in a remote area far from the Seirende Capital,


    In a massivelyrge hall with a long table, men wearing ck cloaks and a ck ominous mask were listening to a certain report.


    "Reports say that an Asani woman was sighted in the Silvertown forest. Upon entering the magic shop, the Asani probably bought a disguised item and disappeared mysteriously."


    Excited murmurings resonated in the hall. Until the cloaked man sitting on the head position silenced everyone and ordered.


    "We must get that Asani! Send men to Silvertown!"


    --


    In Argentum, Grandpa Andi was talking to a certain person in amunication stone.


    "Forces will soone and inquire about the youngss. I think we need to strengthen the protection of both the Argentum and the youngdy. I might need your institute''s help. "


    "Why go through such danger for an Asani, Andvari?" Another elderly looking grand mage was at the other end. His voice tinged with concern for his dear friend.


    "She may be thest Asani.. No, she is thest Asani.. However, she may give birth to another one." Grandpa Andi replied with a grave expression.


    "We must protect them at all costs."

 Chapter 17 Gods Promise

    ?**Warning - Descriptions of gory scenes**


    "What''s more, this youngss is so daring! ording to Randel, she managed to contract a cursed beast!" Andvari added.


    Up until now, he couldn''t understand why the little girl would choose a cursed animal as a contracted beast. Isn''t that bringing more harm to herself? However, Randel had a high evaluation with Eli''s contracted beast. As reported by him, it is strong but it is also highly reliable when ites to protecting Eli.


    "You little old man, what did you say?! A cursed beast as a contractor?!" The man on the other end of the conversation replied in shock.


    Andravi just gave a serious nod.


    "Old Andi, I understand your intention. However, I must see for myself if she is worthy to be protected by the Farauld Magic Institution." The elderly man calmly. However his eyes has been glowing with of agitation.


    "Suit yourself, Old Ben, however you must act fast. I can foresee that forces will be appearing here in town soon." Andvari shrugged and replied, he knows his friend''s attitude.


    His dear friend Reuben is using this chance to go out and travel again. Despite his old age this friend of his was actually a man who wasn''t honest to himself, even if he wanted to say yes, he would say it in a very roundabout way.


    He was satisfied with his friend''s reaction as he threw out a perfect bait. Eli''s contracted beast. Being the headmaster of the Farauld Institution, this friend of his is a lover of knowledge and new things. No one can stop him from travelling to the ends of the world just to pursue a chance to unravel its mystery.


    --


    "Ahh!! It is finally finished!!" Eximed Eli while she carefully stretched herself from hours of cooping herself on the study.


    Looking again at the several sheets of paper, Eli uttered with a hopeful tone, "This will do.. I hope I''ll find someone who can craft these things!"


    It''s been a week since Azayn visited her house. Azayn once asked her if she had already prepared for the necessities needed when Little Han was born. She suggested that Eli must prepare earlier than normal because she was living alone.


    Although she had contracted beasts, there were still situations when a humanpanion was convenient. For instance, running for errands. Now, Eli had to do all these things by herself. However, it will no longer be advisable for her if she keeps doing these things as she approaches her due date.


    ''Sigh, Azayn is right but what can I do? I don''t have a husband. And even if that man knew about Little Han''s existence, it may not be necessarily a good thing for us..'' She thought in resignation.


    One really important thing which she decided to set aside for the meantime was the fact that Elise had a killer. Up until now, she had no clue about who it was. The only thing she knows is that the mastermind is a woman. And what does it usually mean if a woman wanted another woman to be killed?


    Envy, Jealousy.. It has many names, but all pertain to onemon thing - Hatred.


    Eli''s main deduction was that someone wanted to kill her because of this and it''s probably highly connected to that man. It was highly probable that Elise and that man were spotted by the mastermind that night of the festival and assumed things - urately, like any other suspicious woman.


    Why so? Because one, it happens not only in novels but in real life throughout human history. Second, it is because of Elise''s remark that Little Han may be born as an illegitimate child. With this, Eli is ny percent convinced that it is connected to the man.


    Lastly, she knew Elise''s life from a third person''s perspective. She was never involved in another man that may spark the jealousy of other women.


    When Elise was born, she never knew anyone other than her parents. She was shut down in their family''s basement ever since she was born. The only light she saw was the light of themp. When she was five she finally saw the sunlight.


    However, that was the day when she was happily sold to a man with a gentle smile. That was the first time she saw someone smile at her. She thought that she could finally have hope to constantly be free from that dark basement.


    However, as soon as they reached the man''s mansion, she was then again locked up in the basement. Elise felt disappointment because she thought that she could finally live a new life. She quietly continued her life living in the darkness in another basement. Soon this disappointment evolved into despair.


    It was her seventh birthday when the hell started.


    The man with a gentle smile, opened up the basement and led her out into a more secluded dungeon. Heid her down into a stone bed, chained her hands and legs. The extracted pieces of her flesh and blood everyday for study. Sometimes, the man came to the dungeon frustrated and he would torture Elise by inflicting injuries in her body, then feeding her with healing potion, then torture her again.


    She always heard the man talking to himself, thinking if he should cut through Elise''s body and see what it looks like inside.


    Then on her eighteenth birthday, he finally decided to do so. However, he did it slowly in parts. One day, he will start opening up one of her legs first then an arm on another. He said that if he didn''t do so, then that''s the time that he wanted her to die.


    Elise, fed up with despair and endless torture and pain, begged the man to kill her. She started to plead to him every time the manes down in the dungeon.


    However, it was as if the man never heard anything.


    He would just go on feeding her a medicine that prevents her from dying of blood loss, cut her flesh, stare at it for a long time examining some parts, take notes, then heal her again.


    It was her twentieth birthday, when the man finally decided to open up her chest - where her heart is. That day, sheughed like a maniac while tears fell endlessly from her eyes.


    To some, it is a miracle that only the part of her body where the heart and brain is located was unscathed, until now.


    But only she knows how badly damaged her heart and mind is.


    Shed long determined her heart dead and her mind a corrupted one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The man didn''t like Elise''s trembling due to her crazed actions. He will be operating her in the most vital area on her body and the trembling is not necessary for this operation. So the man threw a fit out of anger.


    The higher the intensity of his anger is, the louder are Elise''s crazedughs and cries. It went on until an explosion was heard in the entrance of the dungeon and a man with hair as red as blood came and seized her captor.


    Elise''s mind went nk upon seeing another person in the dungeon.


    Soon, she saw men, wearing valiant looking uniforms and restrained the man with a gentle smile. She heard a lot of rustling and crashing along the dungeon and loud clunk near her body. One of the valiant looking men went to her stone bed and started freeing her away from her chains.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Every thump of his weapon freeing her, sounds like her dead heart trying to beat again.


    Every limb that was freed, feels like the Creator is bestowing her wings to fly.


    When all her chains were removed, she let out a loud cry. She cried her lungs out, she cried like she wanted all these tears to cleanse her from all the darkness that she had witnessed ever since she developed a mind of her own.


    "Poordy, you are safe now, and from this day on, you are free."


    When she heard these words, her body had already recognised the weariness and pain she had been enduring all along. She fainted immediately.


    When Elise woke up she found herself in a brightly lit room. It was a hospital room where she was sent to. She was taken care of by the nurses and doctors with utmost diligence.


    At first she was afraid, as once this kind of gentleness had brought her into hell. She refused any food or help from them. She also repeatedly attempted escaping, but her emaciated body is not capable of doing so.


    Helpless, the doctors asked for help. The man with the blood red hair immediately visited her and told her things that helped her jumpstart the process of her healing.


    "Are you afraid that people here will do the same?" The man with the blood red hair asked with his rather young voice.


    Elise, who is afraid of people, did not lift her head. Instead, she curled her body and hid her head on her malnourished scarred hands. She let out a whimper.


    "Do not worry, that man was already punished." The man said straightforwardly.


    Elise froze.


    The man with blood red hair continued to exin as he saw her reaction, "He will no longer hurt you. He has been killed."


    "He can''t hurt me? Anymore?" Elise slowly let down her hands, however, she was still too afraid to lift her head up.


    "Yes, he''s gone. You are free now, no one will lock you up," He continued to coax her.


    Elise started to let out soft sniffles.


    Continuing, the man said, "Not everyone will hurt you just because of who you are. One thing I assure you, is that the people here are my people. As long as they are loyal to me, they will never hurt you. No one will hurt you."


    "Tha..thank you.." Elise started to cry.


    "Do you have a name?"


    Elise gently shook her head. Her parents called her cursed child. Her captor just looked at her like a lump of meat.


    "Then may I give you one? This name will be the one you will carry as you live your life from now on."


    Elise finally looked up. He met the eyes of the man, it was blue. It was as blue as the first skies she saw when she was five.


    A name.


    She never had one. Will it be nice to have a name? A hopeful glow shined in her eyes, so shining that even her pitiful scrawny face couldn''t negate.


    Seeing life slowlye to the youngdy''s being, he gave a smile and said. "Let''s give you a name.. Did you know, people with hair and eyes like you are loved by God?"


    "Maybe that is why the heavens let me save you in time. Because God never forgot His love for you. His Love is His Promise,"


    "Elise, will be your name."


    "The name Elise, will remind you of God''s love, God''s Promise."

 Chapter 18 Filthy Rich Went Shopping 1

    ?After that fateful conversation, the red haired man departed to the capital.


    Elise finally cooperated with the doctors and slowly recovered. While doing so, she became friendly with the nurses and doctors of the Riverfort Hospital. They also taught her how to read and write, as they are well aware that Elise had no basic knowledge to survive.


    She was practically ''adopted and raised'' by the nurses and doctors, teaching her the most basic knowledge that she should have known at her age. Upon her insisting, they gave her a job as an assistant to the herb keeper, making sure that the herbs are growing and maintained. She learned from the herb keeper about how to nt and take care of these herbs as well as how to harvest them.


    Her days of happily learning new things and seeing the herb garden made her feel the safest. After living for twenty years in darkness she finally met warmth and genuine people who will never hurt her.


    She soon became a cheerful and happy-go-lucky youngdy. With an environment this warm and forgiving, this gentle and safe, she learned how to smile, joke with other people, y pranks and even sneak out of the Riverfort Hospital.


    This was her life for four years until the festival when she had a fateful night with that silver haired man.


    After knowing the fact that she was pregnant, she thought of aborting the child. However, when she contemted, she felt so guilty about what she did that she was too shameful to face the Riverfort crew.


    She also feared that the silver haired man would hunt her for ''taking advantage'' of him. She just left a note indicating her thanks for their care and affection in all these years and that she wanted to know what is the world beyond their town. And so she fled in disguise to the southernmost area of the Seirende Empire called Mystic Woods, where she soon met her demise.


    Letting out a sigh, Eli stopped thinking about these matters as she felt that even her Little Han was affected by her reminiscing of Elise''s life.


    One thing is for sure, the only man Elise got ''pseudo romantically'' involved with was that man with silver hair. All the men Elise met after she was saved by the red haired man were the doctors in that hospital and the acquaintances she interacted with during her fleeing from town to town.


    As far as Eli is concerned, she has to stay away from the things that may lead her to the enemy, especially now that she is almost approaching herbor date.


    "Anyways!!!" Eli yelled to reset her mood and thinking. She gently pped her cheeks as if cheering herself up. Then she called Wisey and Baobao.


    "We shall go to town!!" She cheerfully said.


    "We?" Asked Baobao, titling his furry ck and white head while his paw confusedly points at his chubby face.


    "Yes, Baobao!! I got you a disguise item thest day I bought papers in Silvertown!" Now you can go with us without alerting anyone. Only you, Wisey and Grandpa Andi knew about this so still, be careful when we go there!" With a twinkle in her eyes, she exined while giving Baobao a cor with spell inscriptions.


    "This will allow you to be seen as a regr bear familiar! It may be ufortable to wear for you the first time, but I hope you can put up with this first until I can open my caster path and use a veil spell on you instead." She gently ruffled Baobao''s fur.


    "Look, even Wisey has one too!" She pointed at Wisey. On her feet was also a tiny cor subtly blending on her feathers.


    "Noo this!! Thank you!!!" Baobao was rather happy that he would no longer be lonely whenever the two went to town! "Finally I can go with you two wherever!!!"


    He excitedly threw his precious carrot snack and ran forward to reach the item. He lifted the cor up to the ceiling with his ck paws and waved it happily until he adorably fell backwards.


    The room was filled with warm chuckles over Baobao''s silliness.


    --


    The walk towards Silvertown is rather cheerful.


    Eli couldn''t get enough of the beauty of the SilverDew forest. It was springtime in Prasinos, the forest canopy and nts all over the forest were vibrantly green. Little sparkles of shiny silver dew subtly drops from the healthy herbs and nts. The tree trunks stood tall and sturdy while the gentle sunlight glistened through the moist ground. The wild rabbits and deers were happily hopping and roaming around peacefully. Eli enjoyed the journey through the forest while listening to Wisey answer her curious questions from time to time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ording to Wisey, the inner section of the forest is spring all year round. However, their dwelling is located in the outer section of the forest where the density of earth element magic is lesser. Thus the outer section still has four seasons, but their intensity is lessened by the nature of the Silverdew forest. This means that if the snow is heavy on Silvertown, it will look like a normal snowfall in Eli''s dwelling. If the summer is extremely hot, it will be a lot cooler in their location.


    How nice it is for Eli, she gets to finally witness the winter snow and the beauty of fall, and she will finally witness a ''gentle'' summer! What can she do? She previously lived in one of the most humid tropical countries in the world.


    They finally entered the ever bustling Silvertown.


    On the sidewalk there was a pregnant woman, d in a light cream colored cloak. Her hair was tied in a simple manner while her eyes were gray. Her face is gentle looking as she exudes a vibe of a loving expectant mother. On her shoulder, rest a tiny parrot with bright yellow feathers that are so striking. They mounted a huge brown bear that looked gentle and huggable with his fuzzy fur. This trio is none other than Eli, Wisey and Baobao in their disguised form.


    Staring at the busy townspeople, Baobao was nervous. He was a solitary animal. All his life, he lived in the forest and only interacted when someone wanted to harm him or his master. He cautiously walked along the sidewalk still on high alert.


    However, he suddenly felt a warm hand gently giving him a rub. ''Yes right, I''m with my buddy and my master, there''s no need to be cautious.'' Not all people in the world are out to harm his master. So he decided to rx and give her master a peaceful journey.


    Having a mount in town is rather an ordinary sight to the Silvertown residents; their town is popr to mages, researchers and hunters permitted to explore Silver Dew forest. Hence, as long as Baobao wears the cor, no peculiar thing is bound to happen.


    Their first destination is, of course, the Argentum Shop! Eli couldn''t wait to see the order she ced with Grandpa Andi! Eli felt so excited that she felt her heartbeat fast.


    It was a space bag!!!


    Grandpa Andi told her that there was an item that can allow her to put her goods in a small pouch and carry it wherever she goes without the heaviness and bulkiness. She asked him for how long she had to wait for her to purchase such. Fortunately, Grandpa Andi''s friend is about to visit in town and will be staying here for a vacation. He asked his friend to take a quick visit to the Seirende headquarters and get a stock of the space bag. She was immediately notified by a messenger hawk upon the arrival of the item.


    Today is the day!!!


    Finally, gone is her dilemma to limit her purchase every time she goes around town. Now she can shop all she wants! She is filthy rich! She has 24 million Shinies in her crystal card. But what use are these millions if she couldn''t buy what she wanted just because she couldn''t carry it all home?


    "This time we''re gonna shop until we drop!" Eli said with a mischievous smile on her face as she gently dismounted from Baobao''sfortable back.


    Standing at the sidewalk near Argentum''s entrance, she took a quick nce at Baobao and gave him a nod.


    Immediately Baobao shrunk into a medium sized teddy bear.


    "Cutie!!!" Eli shouted in adoration as she pinched Teddy Bao''s cheek. Her cuddling of Baobao stayed for a good few minutes. She never even noticed the passerby''s gazes and her twopanions bickering. She almost forgot that they are in town with the intent to shop for the items she need and not to cuddle Teddy Bao.


    "Pfft" Wisey let out a cackle. Then she mentally sent Baobao a mocking message, "Yo buddy, where''s my fierce valiant Baobao now?! You look like a toy! Bwahahahaha"


    Baobao red at Wisey. Oh how he wants to catch this smarty pant bird and fry her in the kitchen. "Wait until wee back, I''ll fry you crispy!" He retorted.


    Wisey gave another mocking look and told Teddy Bao, "Oho? Try it, Teddy Bao! Can you even reach me now?"


    "Make sure you fly from the moment we enter Silver Dew, or else, see this paw? It will surely catch you and deep fry you for master''s dinner!" Baobao sent another re while raising his cute teddy paw.


    "Ooooohhh how terrifying that ''teddy paw'' is!!! Aaack I''m so afraid~~~" Wisey stretched her wings and gracefully ced it in front of her break, like a nobledyughing at a person she was ridiculing.


    Oblivious to the bickering of the two familiars, Eli reached out her hand towards Baobao. In response, Baobao raised his paw and let Eli hold it as they entered the Argentum.

 Chapter 19 Filthy Rich Went Shopping 2

    ?Entering the Argentum shop, Eli and Wisey were weed by the familiar brightly lit hall, full of splendid disys of magical items. In Baobao''s case, he was in awe of the foreign looking ce as soon as he entered. His round panda eyes shone brightly, as he curiously looked around the new world her master had brought him. Leading him by the hand, he followed his master as they went further in a well behaved manner.


    An attentive assistant soon greeted them respectfully. Wearing a neat white uniform with ck vest adorned with silver colored embroidery of the Argentum insignia - a shining silver magic staff encircled withurel leaves. The store attendant gave a curt bow and greeted, "Good day patron, how may this humble keeper assist you?"


    Eli shed a business smile and answered in a dignified manner, "Good day! I am here for an appointment with the store''s master." She then quickly showed a letter with Grandpa Andvari''s mana seal as a proof of appointment.


    The way Eli behaved was foreign to Baobao. He was confused. When they were at home, his master and even Wisey, were very carefree and yful. However, the way his master was acting right now seemed so astute and formal, it was so foreign that he felt a little intimidated.


    Wisey did not react but was amazed by how Eli conducted herself. Truly, she came from the corporate world. Her way of carrying herself in the business was definitely not for the inexperienced. She never expected that Eli''s vast experience in her previous life would still be apparent in the way she carry herself in situations like this.


    Feeling the respectable aura from a prim and proper Eli, the assistant was taken aback. He was startled again when thedy in front of him showed a mana sealed letter from his very own master. However, he was trained even to meet distinguished people like this on a daily basis so he immediately recovered.


    Courteously epting the sealed letter with his two hands, he verified it immediately through activating the mana seal. Inserting his mana, the mana seal reacted and glowed in blue light - it was authentic. He gave another courteous bow and led Eli to the receiving area, while he notified the inner office. The trio sat there for a few minutes before a tall, handsome man came and greeted them in a cold but polite manner.


    "Greetings me Lady, I am here to escort you to my Master''s study. He is already waiting," He offered his hands to help Eli gently get up the lounge seat.


    The man d in ck butler outfit with the same adornment of the Argentum insignia, only that his insignia was more intricate and detailed. His pale brown long hair is formally styled,plementing his mysterious cold vibe along with his sharp grey eyes.


    The trio, along with the cold butler, walked towards a door at the end of the hall. While walking, Baobao intensely stared at the man, however, did not say anything. The man also felt Baobao''s stare but he only gave him a brief knowing stare.


    They soon entered arge luxurious room. It was a high ceiling room with cream white colored walls andfortable furniture in red and gold. The windows are located higher, almost near the ceiling where the sunlight efficiently cascades light down into the spacious room. Overall it looked ssy and calming.


    In the lounge chair there were two elderly men, a dwarf and a human, amiably conversing while sipping tea. The dwarf looked gentle with his light brown eyes, brown long beard and brown hair. Today, he was wearing a dark green robe with silver embroidered patterns, waist belt and hat. The elderly human wears a royal blue mage long robe paired with a gold waist belt and hat. Unlike the gentle elderly dwarf, he exudes an erudite countenance with his discerning light bronze eyes and grey hair.


    As soon as Eli entered the room, their disguise items were automatically deactivated as this was a security feature of the Argentum. Then she saw that the two elderly men stopped their conversations and excitedly looked towards Eli. The dwarf was no other than Grandpa Andvari while the other was his old friend Reuben.


    Walking towards Eli with a big warm smile, Grandpa Andi weed, "Young Eli! Finally you are here,e sit down and let me introduce my dear old friend." Then he enthusiastically led Eli towards the Erudite looking man.


    "Youngss, this is my dear old friend, Reuben Farauld. He is from the Capital!"


    Eli looked towards the erudite looking man, gently smiled and greeted, "It is my honor to meet you, Sir Reuben. My name is Elise Fayre, you may call me Eli for short." Then she gestured towards the Panda and Owl pair and introduced them as well.


    As Eli introduced herself, she observed that Reuben was looking at the trio in his sharp discerning eyes. She thought that the elder was a strict and cold person. After she finished giving her introductions, Reuben gave her an approving nod and answered,


    "Hmm, nice to meet you youngdy, I am very much curious about why this Old Andi here is fascinated about you. Turns out you are one fine youngdy, and also, what I am most curious about is regarding your contracted beast. I see that he is a cursed bear?"


    Although Reuben said this in a calm manner, the intense curiosity and fascination in his eyes couldn''t be hidden, especially when he looked at Baobao. Eli felt that this expression seemed very familiar.. A deja vu! This elder man had the same expression as Azayn when she wanted to learn about these rare species.


    She inwardly sighed andmunicated with Wisey, ''here we go again..''


    Casting an inquiring nce towards Grandpa Andi, and with thetter giving her an assuring nod, Eli calmly exined Baobao''s origin. The more she talked about Baobao''s characteristics and anatomy, the more Reuben''s eyes glowed like a fascinated child.


    Couldn''t take this anymore, Reuben pretended to be calm and cleared his throat with his chin up and eyes half-closed as if contemting something, "Youngss, this book that you mentioned, could I get the chance to see it?"


    ''I knew it!'' Eli felt her brows twitch. However sheposed herself and replied, "I can show you, however, I left it in my home.."


    "Oh no worries! Old Andi here, ns to visit your dwelling soon anyways, but could I invite myself in too?" He replied so excitedly then lifted up his old little dwarf friend like a doll towards Eli.


    Eli, the Butler, Wisey and Baobao all had an awkward face. Seeing that their respectable and generous Grandpa Andi was treated in such a manner. Grandpa Andi himself felt so embarrassed that his dignity waspromised by this knowledge-freak friend of his. With a resigned tone he said, "Hey old Ben, I understand your passion about knowledge but would you care to give me leeway to preserve my dignity?"


    Suddenly realizing that he failed to conduct in a reserved manner, Reuben paused and said, "Ohh, apologies old Andi! Here you go!" Then he carefully brought his friend back to the seat like a father letting her son sit on a chair. He even gave him some small pats.


    "There ya go, there ya go!"


    The rest in the room: ¡­<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli was the one to break the awkward silence, she helplessly replied, "Yes, Elder Reuben and Grandpa Andi, you are much wee to visit my humble dwelling in the outer region of the Silver Dew Forest."


    "Goodss!!! Hahahaha! Do not call me Elder Reuben, you call old Andi as grandpa. Call me Grandpa Ben too!!!" Reuben finally getting what he wanted, gave a very heartyugh that sounded in the room.


    Eli helplessly replied, "Yes, Grandpa Ben,"


    "Good! Good!" While still jubnt, Grandpa Ben then remembered something and patted a tiny dark brown brocade box that was ced on the table. "By the way, your Grandpa Andi asked me to bring this to Silvertown. I believe this is the one you wanted to procure."


    "Ohh I almost forgot! Young Eli, this is the item you have asked me during yourst visit. Have a look!" Grandpa Andi now recovered his mood and excitedly beckoned Eli to check out the content of the brocade box.


    Eli reached out the brocade box and opened. Her twopanions also looked towards the content of the brocade box. It was a beautiful maroon colored silk drawstring pouch with golden silk rope and embroidered flower patterns of silver thread in the base. Eli liked the design because it was stylish and convenient, as Eli can just tie it on her waist belt or keep it inside her coat pocket.


    "This is a space bag? How beautiful!" Eli said with a happy smile on her face.


    Happy to see that Eli is satisfied, Grandpa Andi warmly answered, "It is good that you like it, now you can keep your important items here and bring it anywhere!"


    "Yes indeed! I can finally shop a lot of things and prepare for my uing delivery!" She replied while caressing her baby bump. "Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, thank you very much for this item! It will help me a lot in preparation for Little Han''s birth." She gave a grateful bow towards the two seniors.


    "No problem young Eli! We are always here to help. I, myself, am so excited for your little one''s birth!" Grandpa Andi chuckled in delight.


    "By the way, youngdy, that rolls of paper, is that your shopping list?" Grandpa Ben suddenly inquired as he pointed to the thick roll of paper beside Eli. It had always been carried by Eli, up until she reached the room.


    "Oh, this one Grandpa Ben? These are actually my ns for the things I needed to procure and prepare before I reach the month when I couldn''t do these tasks anymore!" She picked the thick roll of paper and gently unravelled it after the mysterious quiet butler attentively cleared the table for them to see what the papers contained.


    "With these things, I might need your help in looking for the best craftsmen and cksmiths for these.." Shemented as she unraveled the first paper that looked like a blueprint.


    The two men had their eyes wide open, they never saw a ''n'' looking as foreign as what they had seen.


    "What in the world are these youngss??" The two looked towards Eli in unison with a questioning expression.


    --


    A few days back, one day after Azayn did her first visit to Eli''s dwelling.


    *Seirende Capital*


    In an enchanting secret garden, there sat an old couple. The man in histe fifties with his already grey hair and crystal blue eyes was enjoying a warm tea time with his beloved - a woman in her early forties, with graceful silver hair and captivating moss green eyes.


    Suddenly, a solitary looking young man entered the secret garden and respectfully greeted the old couple. The young man in histe twenties, bowed with his hair as red as blood and his eyes as blue as the old man''s.


    "Greetings, Father and Mother.." The young man said. As this was a secret garden, the young man felt that he didn''t need to be formal in front of this old couple. He decided to conduct himself as their loving son.


    "Hmm, so seldom to see you here with us on a good morning. Is there something bothering you?'' The old man, seemingly familiar with his son''s personality, asked straightforwardly, while the old woman also showed concern in her eyes.


    "Father, Mother, I might have to go on a trip to Silvertown. I received a report of an Asani sighting in that area a few days ago." He respectfully pleaded with his parents.


    "The Asani again? Son, just be honest with me, why have you been so obsessed with this young Asani?" The old man looked towards his son with a discerning look, his tone is gentle but it was tinged with authority.


    Realizing that his father needed answers the young man took a deep breath and sincerely looked towards his curious parents, "Father, Mother.. The reason why I am so pressed to find this Asani is because.." with a pause he took another deep breath and a worried look appeared in his eyes.


    "I might have gotten the Asani pregnant." He said in a straightforward manner.


    The old man upon hearing this, dropped his jaw wide open, while the woman who was about to sip tea, uncontrobly let go of the tea cup in shock.

 Chapter 20 Filthy Rich Went Shopping 3

    ?"Sson¡­" Not minding that she dirtied her light blue dress of the tea she just spilt, the young man''s mother gasped out of shock.


    With a trembling voice she asked, "Sssson.. don''t tell me.. you forced yourself into a.. woman??"


    Taken aback by his mother''s peculiar question, the solitary looking man gave a guilty helpless smile and replied,


    "Dear mother, your son did not force anyone. I swear in my name. However, about what really happened, it was tooplicated to exin to the two of you yet. My mind right now is filled with worries of finding the Asani woman as soon as possible because she is in grave danger..


    "That force, most likely already knew of her existence in Silvertown.."


    The young man''s father gave a heavy sigh as he snapped his fingers and casted a type of magic that let his beloved''s dress restore to normal along with the tea cup.


    While doing this, he asked the young man with a stern tone, "How certain are you about the possibility of having a child with her?"


    "Absolutely certain." The young man looked directly into his fathers eyes, not showing any lies.


    "About three months ago, I felt a resonance that I have never felt before. Only you, father, knew what it meant.." the young man continued.


    With astonishment and joy in his eyes, his father eximed, "The first heartbeat of a Seirende offspring! The Resonance of a Victor''s Heart!"


    Upon hearing this the mother also had an ted expression. "Heavens!!" She uttered with tears forming in her eyes.


    However, the joy and excitement from his father''s eyes turned into worry and pity towards his son, "But son, getting involved with an Asani, will bring you more harm than good."


    "Father, I have the power to protect myself.. Do not worry." The young man replied in a resolute tone.


    However, his father just gently shook his head, and uttered sadly, "It is not enough to have the power to protect yourself, you must have enough power to protect what is most precious to you.." Then he walked towards his son and gave him a pat in his shoulders,


    "Son, if you can, never repeat the same mistakes that I did."


    His eyes that had already been marked by time, disyed deep regret and guilt as he tried to remind his son about the past.


    "Father, I''ll take it one step at a time. Do not worry." Putting his cold hands on top of his father''s warm and gentle hands, understanding the underlying message his father conveyed, he assured in a decisive manner.


    "My priority right now is to locate her. To keep her and my child protected under my care¡­"


    His eyes filled with determination and sharpness.


    --


    Back in the present - Argentum Magic Shop


    "Young Eli, I am very curious about these drawings!!! This looked like some incredible invention!" Grandpa Ben, the knowledge freak grandpa eximed in anticipation.


    Eli started to patiently exin the contents of the blueprint -


    "This is what you call the Integrated Water System, designed for my household. It is a mechanism to make the water automatically be stored and flow easily around the house. From the well, to the kitchen, to the bathroom andfort room, water will be essible without doing the manualbor of fetching it. Water can also be heated during the cold winter days."


    "Integrated.. Water System?" The two elderly grandpa had their eyes wide open and mouth agape in marvel.


    "Young Eli, how does this work? Kindly exin to me! Hahahaha this is so fascinating!!!" Grandpa Ben sprawled on the floor andid out the sheets of paper in order to better study the blueprints.


    Grandpa Andi also gestured to the quiet butler toe closer and examine the blueprint.


    "Young Eli, allow my apprentice here, Randel, to also take a look at your system." Grandpa Andi finally introduced the quiet butler.


    Eli was helpless about their intense reaction to her blueprints. However, she needed to exin it properly to the two especially to Grandpa Andi, so that he can rmend manpower and suppliers that are able to carry out her attempt to replicate the system.


    This system is modeled from the household water system in modern times. Only that the keyponents such as the pressure pump and heater were modified to run with mana as the energy source and on the simpler and more primitive version. Using the knowledge book and her knowledge in engineering, she researched how to create this system and make an initial n for its execution.


    Eli decided to do this because it will be convenient for her especially when Little Han is born. The less chores she''s required to do, the more time she could spend in taking care of Little Han. She took the schematic diagram that summarized the system and started to exin it to the three audiences.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Every page corresponds to a function and a section of the system, the key to this system are the pipes and the water pump. First is the pump and and storage section. From the well, a water pump will automatically draw water from it, then stored in the main water tank. Then the tank is connected to the main pipeline which will eventually lead to the pipes around my dwelling as it is drawn here¡­


    "The tank ideally can be located in the attic and using gravity it will distribute water through the pipes. If it isn''t feasible to install it in the attic, we can add a pressure pump just after the outlet of the storage tank creating the force that will enable the water to freely circte at the right pressure within these pipes..


    "Then the heater system, originally I nned to make a central heater that will distribute the hot water in a separate pipeline however, it will take more time and is a total waste of effort. So I have nned around here... a faucet iid with a heating array that can be activated whenever there is a need of hot water. I have also added a water filtration function in the kitchen area, which removes impurities from the water, making the water safe for drinking. It''s a perfectbination of science and magic!"


    "Thisss this!!!" Grandpa Reuben was speechless.


    He never thought of letting water flow from pipes, much less let it conveniently circte around the house. And heating the water with just an activation of an array? Why didn''t he even think of that?


    One must know that although Prasinos is a world where magic exists, the usage of this magic is not used for this kind of trivial matter. A mage wouldn''t waste his mana for a create water spell every time he wanted to cook, bathe or clean. This is not advisable because one must have a good grasp of control in magic, at least a B ss talent, before you can perform a water creation spell at a scale as small as this.


    Elemental creation spells, like water creation spells, are meant for battles orrge scale operations, not for trivial household things. That is why people of Prasinos didn''t try to use their magic in these things, especially the caster types.


    "Marvelous!! Splendid!!!" Grandpa Ben eximed in astonishment and surprise. Grandpa Andi also had a look of pride on his face, it was as if Eli was her daughter and she made him very very proud. The quiet butler showed a tinge of interest towards the drawing.


    "But these are just concepts, Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben¡­ that is why I wanted to show it to you to verify if these ns are feasible and if there are any craftsmen or cksmiths who could create theponents of this system.." Eli still had a humble tone, aware of the fact that this may not work at all unless it is studied and verified.


    "Hmm indeed.. This needs further study in order to make it work.." Grandpa Andi agreed, and he continued in a tone full of resolve, "This will be a great help for Prasinons belonging to the F bracket!"


    "F Bracket?" Eli asked in curiosity.


    "Oh, you must not have known!" Grandpa Andi, knowing a bit of Eli''s background,mented with understanding.


    "You must already know about the constitutions and the corresponding upations every Prasinons has, right? May it be devourers, casters or summoners, upon awakening of one''s constitution at seven years old, the Prasinon children must be assessed of their magical capability. It is divided into 5 main sses, A, B, C, D and F sses. sses A to D are called the qualified ss. With ss A being the highest, one had the potential to be as strong as an Empire''s General in the future. While those who are ssified as F have a very unstable and low aptitude to magic. They are basically treated as failures, as non-magic people.


    These ssifications however, are not cast in stone. One can continue training and get the possibility to improve a grade higher. However, it will be much harder and there is no guarantee of sess. There is also a ss beyond the A level - the Special  ss or S ss." Grandpa Andi patiently exined.


    "Old Ben here belongs to the special ss for the casters. Take note that mages of S ss are legendary figures," Grandpa Andi now had an opportunity to put Grandpa Ben on the hot seat.


    "Wow!" Eli in return looked at Granpa Ben, amazed.


    "Cough cough¡­ It''s not that great ahh.. Hey Old Andi! Why not also say that you are also an S ss devourer ahh? Ya, and thisd Randel too! He is an A ss caster training to achieve S ss!" Blushing Grandpa Ben tried to pass the hot seat to the other two.


    "Woaaah! All along I was in a room full of great people!" She gasped in pleasant surprise.


    "Eheerm eherm.." Seeing that Eli was very astonished about their aplishments, Grandpa Andi was speechless that he could only clear his throat embarrassingly. Randel, on the other hand, just turned his face away to hide his shy expression. However, Eli could see his ears blushing cherry red.


    "Anyway, what your Grandpa Andi was saying is, your invention, if it works, will help a lot of households belonging to the F ss. For one, we will need manpower to create theseponents, and as you can already figure out, other than the dwarven race who love crafting and forging as a profession, no one belonging to the qualified ss will ept the job in manufacturing these items." Granpa Ben exined.


    Eli nodded with understanding. She acknowledges this rationale.


    Upon knowing Grandpa Andi, she also knew that even as a merchant, Grandpa Andi had a lot ofpassion with the people of the F ss. He is charitable enough to hire them alongside with his dwarven brethren in order to craft items for his family''s merchant business. It was said that it is because one of Grandpa Andi''s grandchildren belongs to the F ss, that he had that muchpassion for them.


    After the excitement around the room, the atmosphere now turned serious. Everyone recognized the impact of Eli''s innovation and the amount of research, sourcing and testing needed for this to work.


    After a long silence, Grandpa Ben, cing his hands in his chest, spoke with utmost sincerity and grit,


    "Young Eli, I would like to take part in the development of this invention. I, Reuben Fauruld, headmaster of the Farauld Magic Institute, will mobilize my resources to help you make this inventione to life. In return, I would like to ask for your permission to release this technology under your name as the inventor, to be able to help vast households all over the Seirende Empire!


    Grandpa Andi spoke next andmitted, with his hand also ced in his heart,


    "Youngss you know very well that I belong to the dwarven race who love doing this kind of thing, and that I like doing profitable business. I, Andvari Forgeworn, Head of the Forgeworn Dwarven n,mit to support you in crafting this invention alongside you and Old Ben. In return, you will permit us to have the rights to exclusively manufacture this system in order to be used all across the Seriende Empire!"


    Feeling honoured to be receiving an oath ofmitment from the two legendary grandpas, Eli tearfully replied.


    "Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, thank you! Please help me in this endeavor!"

 Chapter 21 Filthy Rich Went Shopping 4

    ?The two legendary grandpas gave heartyughs hearing Eli''s agreement. As their energeticughs sounded, the room was instantly filled with warmth and excitement.


    "Goodss! Good Lass!" Grandpa Ben eximed in a jovial mood. In his happiness, he pped and raised his hands, like a man who had just won the grand prize of the lottery.


    "Young Eli, we will make history!!! And more money!!!" Grandpa Andi was also full of excitement. His eyes were filled with enthusiasm that it squinted into a straight line, almost looking like a littleughing Buddha.


    Eli, seeing the exhrated grandpas, started to be ttered. Shyly, shemented, "Although I didn''t really expect that it will have an impact like this¡­ Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben¡­"


    Her eyes drooped in a worried expression, and with a serious tone she continued,


    "I have many worries and many doubts about this invention.. That is why I need your help. If you see that it will also help the Seirende Empire, I am more than willing to let this technology be known, but only with your guidance and support."


    Then even with her now more obvious baby bump, Eli still assumed a bow of respect towards the two.


    The two grandpas had a thoughtful expression on their faces. In their minds, they are baffled about how an asani woulde up with such a breakthrough idea. But seeing her humbly asking for their guidance and support, without a hint of pride but in pure humility, their liking towards Eli increased by leaps and bounds.


    "Youngss, we will be with you! Do not worry, we have your back!" Grandpa Andi said in a resolute tone. Grandpa Ben also gave a nod of assurance.


    "Now now.. Aren''t you going to shop for things, we may be holding you up for too long!" Grandpa Andi, pped his hands and reminded everyone of Eli''s other agenda ining to Silvertown.


    "Ohh yes I almost forgot!" Eli let out a gasp. Then remembering that she will be shopping until they drop, a hint of excitement showed in her eyes.


    "About this innovation, let us talk about it another time. We will inform you by the time we will visit your home. We still need to contact our trusted people in the institute for their opinions about this one.. We will bring them along if we can.." Grandpa Ben was the one who wrapped up the conversation.


    ''The Farauld Magic Institute..'' It was the first time Eli had heard of it. She decided to inquire things about this with the book of knowledgeter on. But for now, she set her sights on her goal for today.


    ''Finally shopping!''


    The rest of the conversation was about the endless nagging of the two grandpas towards Eli and herpanions. The cautions they need to consider, especially for Eli and Baobao who were peculiar existences in Prasinos. They were worried too much that Grandpa Andi gave an itinerary to guide Eli in the entire shopping district of Silvertown.


    He also almost pushed Randel into escorting her on her shopping trip. However, Eli respectfully declined.


    In the modern world, amonment for men was that, apanying women in shopping was one of the most exhausting tasks for them. Because of the long hours it takes for women to finish shopping. Only a few men would say, without flinching, that they were willing to do this for their beloved partners for their entire lives. Very few, without flinching nor whining, nor yawning.


    Having an acquaintance, let alone a ss A mage, apprentice to a legendary ss S, to apany her in shopping, gave Eli indirect embarrassment. Thus, she respectfully declined the offer.


    Patting her shoulder, Grandpa Ben bid farewell, "Youngss, be careful on your way. It was so nice to meet you! I can''t wait to see you again soon!"


    Smiling, she reciprocated Grandpa Ben with sincere words. Indeed, a pleasurable time spent with these two grandpas, full of wisdom that could never be searched through books. Then, she bid goodbye to the two elders respectfully, while the two and the young butler saw her off.


    ---


    It was midday when Eli managed to proceed exploring the shopping district of Silvertown. Eli,fortably mounted to Baobao''s cushion back with Wisey in tow, proceeded to explore the town''s marketce.


    Contrary to its name, Silvertown was rather a colorful town. The structures, with three to four story high buildings, proudly lined up as Eli, Wisey and Baobao took a stroll along the vintage cobblestone road. These houses and buildings were timber framed, giving emphasis to their structure and ent to their tiled walls of assorted colors such as brown, white, peach, yellow and so on. Balconies contain bright disys of lush flower pots that bring bold festive colors uniformly parading at sight. Its colors were even amplified by the light the sun brings at noon.


    "Truly a beautiful town!!" Elimented with pleasure. The aesthetics of the town made Eli feel that she was actually abroad on a vacation. However, her desire to stroll more was hindered by the active midday sunlight that was touching her skin, almost burning it.


    After Eli withdrew enough Shinies from her crystal card, she decided to proceed to the area where most restaurants were situated. The food district was also equally beautiful, especially with their stylish alfresco dining area, it gave a feeling of walking in a high ss culinary district.


    Holding the itinerary map given by Grandpa Andi, she looked for the location of the restaurant the two grandpas highly rmended during their nagging session.


    Following the directions ording to the itinerary map, they soon reached a half timbered building decorated with white tiles from the second floor up. Its maple brown french windows ented the white tile walls along with the timbre frames. The ground floor was an open dining area with their door frames embossed by varnished oak wood. At the center facade of the ground floor, was a headboard engraved with stylish cursive words - Ristorante di Ragu.


    Ristorante di Ragu was one of the most famous restaurants in Silvertown. Unlike itspetitors in town, this restaurant did not boast of their high ss menu nor aristocratic atmosphere, but a warm and non discriminating customer experience both to distinguished guests and ordinary people alike.


    ording to Grandpa Andi, the owner of this restaurant was the legendary ss A mercenary, Ragu, who had encountered a near death experience in one of his missions. After experiencing this, he decided to leave the bloody path of the mercenaries and pursue a peaceful life with his wife.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Soon, the couple discovered a passion for food and they worked to establish the restaurant that offers their menu to people of all sses and races. As a former mercenary and a family that came from humble backgrounds, the couple stood by their advocacy to cater good food for everyone, the poor and rich alike.


    No one dares to throw a fit inside this restaurant. Because if you do, Mr. Ragu will most likelye out with his towering body, adorned with a frilly apron, especially made and embroidered by his loving wife. His overwhelming strength will mercilessly throw the troublemakers out of the ce and ban them for lifetime.


    A cheerful teenage boy, clothed in a white long sleeve shirt, ck suspenders and pants, with a cute ck bow neatly fastened on his cor, approached the trio. "Good day patrons, would you like to check out our restaurant?"


    "dly!" Eli cheerfully replied. When the boy approached them she caught a whiff of the sumptuous aroma of home cooked fried chicken. Her appetite activated. As they entered the restaurant, the boy led them to a wooden log table spacious enough to amodate the trio especially, the giant Baobao.


    After settling down, the boy carefully handed the menu towards Eli. Browsing at the menu. she discovered that there were familiar dishes that exist in her previous world served in this restaurant. Most of the dishes resemble pasta in the modern world, - Aglio Olio, Carbonara, Marinara, Spaghetti, Lasagna and many more. There was also a dish that resembled pizza and her favorite breaded fried chicken!


    Immediately, she ordered her favorite fried chicken and a te of carbonara, 10 bowls of fresh green sd for Baobao, and a bowl of fresh picked fruits and nuts for Wisey. When the food was eventually served, Eli almost drooled because of the aroma of the chicken, freshly fried in oil.


    The trio happily enjoyed their lunch.


    Especially Eli, who never expected to see familiar dishes from her world. It gave her a nostalgic feeling. The pasta was perfectly cooked al dente, with the perfect amount of saltiness from the guanciale and creaminess of the whole egg and pecorino cheese.


    The breaded fried chicken was phenomenal! Perfectly crispy outside, with the chicken skin so crunchy and tasty that she wanted to order a bucket more. The chicken meat was juicy and vorful! Too bad, there was no rice on the menu so Eli had to make do with the chicken alone.


    Soon, they happily finished their lunch. After resting for a few minutes, they paid the bill and generously tipped the cheerful and adorable teenage boy. Exiting in the restaurant still ted, Eli proceeded to go on a shopping spree.


    After Eli turned to the corner of the road, a pair of men with mysterious brown cloaks arrived in front of the restaurant. One of the men, in histe twenties, mindlessly looked at the direction where Eli disappeared, his crystal blue eyes filled with confusion as to why he suddenly had the urge to check that corner block.


    He stood there nkly for a good few seconds, until a gentle breeze blew his hood out of his head, revealing his silky silver hair. But soon he was awakened from his trance by another youthful looking man, a head shorter than the former, with hair as green as moss and adorable freckles on his cheeks.


    "Master, you must eat first, our search for the Asani will require a lot of energy¡­" the man with the moss hair convinced the silver haired man.


    Reminded by hispanion about their goal, the silver haired man nodded and proceeded inside the restaurant.


    --


    *Snippet of Eli''s Daily Prayer to the Great One*


    Eli sitting at the bedside, looking at the vast stars beyond the window ss, uttered her sincerest prayers,


    "Dear Great One, uhmm.. Great Father¡­


    Thank you for everything, Your faithfulness does not falter.


    My garden blooms and yields sufficiently,


    With millions of shinies my pocket is never empty.


    Azayn said that I and Little Han were perfectly fine¡­


    I pray to you, Great Father, that our health will not decline.


    I discover things about myself, it''s always a surprise,


    Today, I seem to have found out that I can''t live without rice¡­


    Amen!"


    ",

 Chapter 22 Filthy Rich Went Shopping Spree! Finally!

    ?Having a nice and sumptuous lunch, the trio moved to the shopping area to look for the items needed for Little Han.


    The shopping district was busy and bustling, with all the travelers and townspeople exploring and looking for items they need. However, Silvertown''s marketce was rather small to Eli''s surprise. For instance, there were only one or two boutiques in Silvertown. Not much like Eli''s expectation of what she had read in novels and manga regarding shopping in a medieval town, there were limited choices to what she could buy.


    She realized how remote and small Silvertown was. The stores and market ce have only one or two on each variety of goods due to the fact that Silvertown only has travellers and the townspeople as consumers. This also meant that there were not many luxurious items in the market.


    Travellers wouldn''t stroll in the market for luxury, they are here to explore the vast greens of the Silver Dew forest. The most expensive items they may have to look for around Silvertown were the forest exploration equipment, ready made potions and magic items.


    The townspeople on the other hand, weremon folk, not really bothered to own luxurious and high quality items. The most venerated people that would most likely embody luxury in the whole of the town were the merchants permitted by the Emperor to do business with Silvertown, like Grandpa Andi.


    Silvertown, unlike the other ces in Seirende Empire, was not ruled by any lord or noble from the aristocrats. Instead, Silvertown was directly under the supervision of the Imperial Family through a deputy governor, who took a blood oath for the Imperial Family. This was mainly because of the Exploration Treaty between the Silver Dew Elves and the Seirende Empire. Emperor Valentin couldn''t afford to give the jurisdiction of this small town to any other lords of the nobility due to the high stakes of the treaty.


    Silver Dew Forest was the number one source of herb and medicine for the empire, and one vition of the treaty would mean that the ess of the Seirende citizens to the Silver Dew Forest would disappear. This meant that the empire''s capability to develop medicine and magical potions would decrease by forty percent.


    It would impact the economy of the empire in exporting magical potions and medicine to other races and domains. The total demand for magic potion for the Seirende Empire alone wasrge enough that the empire could only self sustain for two years after the loss of ess to the Silver Dew Forest.


    This would also jeopardize the stability of the empire because they could not keep up with the production of potions and medicine by only relying on their own yield of herbs. When war breaks out, Seirende empire will not have enough supplies to sustain their defenses and soldiers'' lives. Due to these high stakes, anyone who vited the treaty would be executed for high treason.


    There were three stiptions in the treaty.


    First, that the Seirende Empire was only allowed to conduct exploration of the Silver Dew Forest only on the outer territory which was about 40 - 38 thousand square kilometers, as big as the modern earth country Bhutan, with a total of only one hundred twenty explorations each year. The total area of the Silver Dew Forest was about 100 thousand square kilometers, about the size of the country, South Korea, in the modern earth.


    To control this, the Seirende Empire only allowed fifteen people to enter the exploration region of the Silver Dew forest every month. They will be issued an empire''s emblem symbolizing the clearance from the empire of their identity and capability to enter the regions, which was valid for one year. Elves, on the other hand, had utilized the vast mana in the forest to set an enormous and sentient array that will prevent unauthorized entry to the forest. Once the emblem''s authority expires, the array will automatically eject the explorers back to Silvertown.


    There was a free exploration zone, however, where everyone was permitted to enter without an emblem. It was the outermost strip of the Silverdew forest, spanning for about 700 square kilometers, about the size of the country Singapore in modern earth.


    The second stiption was that the explorers must prove their vast knowledge and abilities in harvesting the herbs without endangering its reproduction. This was to ensure that the numbers of herbs in the forest could keep up with the exploration and harvesting of both the Seirende citizens and the inhabitants of the forest. The explorer must pass the emblem certification exam facilitated by the Farauld Magic Institute - one of the allied organizations of the Imperial Family.


    The third was that no killing must bemitted within the Silver Dew Forest for its entire region. Elves are a peaceful race that was protected by the guardian of earth - Sylvain. They abhor bloodshed that was brought by the corrupted minds of humans. They would grieve for the lives that were mercilessly taken away by human hands. That was why they strictly prohibited humans tomit murder within the forest.


    Despite this treaty however, the Imperial Family along with the citizens of the empire wasmitted to fulfil the end of their agreement. Everybody understood the benefits that the Silver Dew Forest gave to the empire.


    The Imperial family was also not greedy enough to expand the scope of the exploration area unlike other empires who also tried to secure an exploration right to the forest. For Emperor Valentin, the grace of the elves to allow the citizens of Seirende to step on their territory, was enough. Because it was widely known in Prasinos that the elves do not wish interaction with human beings.


    Although there were only fifteen people allowed to enter the forest each month, the number of travelers were still many, as they wanted to take the opportunity to explore the free zone of the Silver Dew Forest.


    Most of the herbs present in the free exploration region were themon herbs with higher medicinal efficacypared to the herb of the same type raised outside the Silver Dew Forest. Even if this zone was not regted, the explorers still harvest herbs in moderation so as to notpletely deplete the herbs in the forest. Everyone understood that if the herbs were depleted, they had no choice but to aim at passing the grueling emblem certification exam by the Farauld Magic Institute.


    Sitting at a bench in the za, Eli let out a sigh.


    She was a bit disappointed with her shopping excursion because of theck of choices for the things she wanted to buy. She wanted to buy Little Han some swaddle nket and cloth diapers, along with some gender neutral baby outfits, but the ones avable in the market were all made of coarse fabric because it was only bought bymon folks.


    She wanted to buy a nice crib or a bass, luckily she was able to buy a simple one she can already take home. She also wanted to buy some baby bottles but to her surprise no one in Prasinos uses baby bottles! Townswomen used breast feeding for their child.


    She totally forgot that baby bottles were a thing for the modern world and was most probably not yet invented in this era.


    She worriedly looked at her chest. It seemed like she wasn''t very blessed in this area¡­ ''Sigh''


    Feeling that Eli''s mood was down, Wisey thoughtfully suggested, "Why not explore the flea market? Maybe we can find some goods that may interest you?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes! Master, maybe you can also find some new musical instrument! Then I can hear more music from Master!!!" Baobao also tried to cheer up his master by using music, whom his master passionately loves.


    Touched that the adorable two tried their best to lift her mood up, she caressed her twopanions and gave them a pat on their furry heads. She then took a deep breath and carefully stood up, looking at the direction of the flea market. The entrance of the flea market was also located in the za so they soon proceeded to explore it.


    They arrived in another bustling location, the flea market was more lively than the shopping district. There were small makeshift stalls disying all kinds of items that were pre-owned or self produced by small time sellers who just wanted to make some money.


    There were also some sellers who onlyid a mat on the cobblestone ground and disyed their goods for anyone to see. Even in the intense heat of the afternoon, these sellers were not even bothered by the risk of having heat stroke as long as they could make some money by the end of the day.


    Eli was reminded of the time she was in desperate need of making money. She also did some garage sales of anything she could afford to let go. With the feeling of being on the same page, she went to the open area where the sellers sat and shopped in their stores one by one.


    She is filthy rich, she could afford it, she thought.


    She knew how it feels to be sitting under the sun trying to make some money out of the items she had once cherished, so she tried to help in this way.


    She went to each store, asked the seller what was their most cherished item among the items they disyed for sale on the ground and bought it. Afterpleting the transaction she would hand it over to the seller''s hands and would gently whisper,


    "I''m buying it for you!"


    It left the sellers shocked at first, but once they realized her intent, they would tearfully bow on her receding figure, deeply grateful towards her.


    However, one store made her stop and seriously considered the item to buy for herself. There was only one itemid on the ground. The seller was a youngdy dressed in a coarse peasant blouse and brown pants with a conflicted expression on her face. The youngdy looks about eighteen to twenty one years old, with her stunning burgundy hair, messily tied in a bun and weary hazel eyes. She wore an expression of worry at one moment, then a hesitant expression at another.


    Eli was curious, it looked to her that the youngdy was desperate to sell the item at one moment, then hesitant on another. She then gently approached her area and took a close look towards the only item on sale.


    It was a violin.


    The violin, neatlyid on its own case, carefully cushioned byyers of cloth and guards. The violin top was made of solid spruce and other parts of the violin such as the finger board, tailpiece and chin rest seemed to be made from ebony or some type of denser wood, while the bridge was made of maple wood.


    The craftsmanship of this violin was superb. It was evenly coated with thin varnish and polished so smoothly and beautifully. The shape of the violin itself, the detailed flowery vine carvings on the tailpiece and scroll were smoothly done, making the ones who would check the violin actually visualize how the maker carefully crafted and carved each and every part of it.


    "What a beautiful violin!" Eli eximed in admiration as she looked at the violin with interest.


    Shocked that someone was finally interested in the item she was selling, the youngdy stared at Eli with wide eyes. However, she then recovered and replied with great pride, "Yes, Mdy, my father crafted this himself!"


    But after excitedly replying to herment, Eli observed that the youngdy was again worn with an expression of hesitance. It was an odd reaction, at one moment thedy was full with pride, but on the other she seemed to be hesitating about something. ''Could she be forcing herself to sell the violin?'' she thought.


    Wanting to know what was on thedy''s mind, she politely asked, "Do you know how to y this? Could you y some tunes with it so I could evaluate its sound quality?"


    "Sure.." Feeling a bit odd about her customer''s request she still carefully took the bow in its case, after gliding it with rosin. She took the violin, expertly attached the shoulder rest, and stood up. Resting the violin on her shoulders, she then yed a simple tune of G major scale notes in legato.


    The lustrous and vibrant sound echoed through the noisy market. Some of the market goers turned their head towards the source of the vibrant sound. Eli was satisfied with the sound quality of the violin. It had a good tone and it resonated really well even when yed outdoors.


    Nodding her head, Eli smilingly praised the performance and said , "Good ying! It was a very good violin indeed! I''d like to buy it! How much does it cost?"


    But before the youngdy replied, a high pitched voice interrupted and said with an arrogant tone,


    "Hey peasant! I want that thing, how much is it? I''ll pay for it with Shinies!"

 Chapter 23 My Dearest Wife, I Am Here!

    ?"Pardon?" Raising her eyebrows in an intimidating manner, Eli turned her head towards the source of the voice.


    The source of the voice came from ady d in forest green woolen cloak with her inner wear, a fine luxurious purple dress. Her plum colored long hair was stylishly draped on her cloak, portions of her hair were braided to make a crown, making her look like a fair nobledy. Except for her arrogance and coldness from her dark amethyst eyes, everything about her speaks of elegance and grace in appearance.


    The nobledy didn''t bother looking at Eli, as if she treated her as air. Instead, she took a few more steps towards the youngdy selling the violin and demanded with annoyance and hurry, "How much should I pay for it?"


    The youngdy was startled by the intimidation of the noble lookingdy. However, she still replied with a calm and polite manner, "I apologize Mdy, but, there was already a customer ahead of you who would buy this violin."


    The nobledy was taken aback, it was then that she noticed Eli''s existence. With a lofty expression she looked at Eli from head to toe, taking a note on her appearance especially with the way she dressed. She especially raised her eyebrows in ridicule when she saw Eli''s baby bump. With an unmasked trace of contempt in her eyes, she then replied,


    "Oh, is it? May I know if she already paid for that thing? Hah! Can she even afford it?" Letting out a light chuckle, she held her waist and looked towards Eli and the youngdy as if waiting for a show to happen.


    "This.. this.. She hasn''t.. We are just about to discuss the price.." The youngdy meekly said. She looked towards Eli with an embarrassed expression, waiting for her decision.


    Although Eli was annoyed at the nobledy''s antics, she stayed calm and decided not to bother with the shades thrown at her. This was due to Wisey''s thoughtful reminder that she should not put herself into trouble, especially as a pregnant woman.


    She then looked towards the youngdy and asked again in a kind manner, "How much does it cost? Do not bother about the price, tell me its real value.." Then she gave the youngdy an encouraging smile.


    "Hah! Pretending to be someone wealthy won''t take you anywhere!" The nobledy ridiculed Eli''s response. She firmly believed that Eli couldn''t afford paying for the violin.


    The youngdy, seeing Eli''s unbothered and assuring smile, did not bother the nobledy''sments and said, "Mdy.. This violin is the greatest of my father''s works. As much as I don''t want to sell it in this lowly manner, I need money for my father''s cure and medical expenses¡­"


    Sadness filled her being at the moment she remembered her father''s predicament, with tears threatening to fall from her hazel eyes, she weakly continued,


    "It may be too high for a lowly seller like me.. In this flea market.. But I know that its value is around seventy thousand Shinies.."


    As she said this, her head drooped lower and lower, bracing for anyment of ridicule from Eli, her first and only sincere buyer.


    "More than seventy thousand Shinies? Are you hallucinating? This isn''t capital! You aren''t even an artisan nor a renowned luthier! How dare you rob me, Illia Ves, in broad daylight?!"


    It was the nobledy who threw the ridicule at her instead. She shouted so loudly that she was able to gather the attention of the nearby market goers.


    "Illia Ves? Is she connected to the Grand Duke of Ves" The nearby crowd murmured in shock.


    "She is the niece of the grand duke! The youngestdy to be an apprentice to an Imperial Doctor!"


    "An apprentice to an Imperial Doctor?!"


    "My heavens! So young!"


    Hearing that the crowd knew of her renowned identity, Illia held her head up and continued her ridicules towards the youngdy. Hearing the price, she had decided that Eli would not be able to buy the violin, making her the next and only buyer.


    "Give me a reasonable price for this item! It is not even signed by a renowned maker! How could you say that it''s worth nearly a hundred thousand Shinies?" She continued to demand.


    Eli on the other hand, was almost out of patience towards all the shouting and intervening done by Illia. However, knowing that it would put stress on her body and Little Han. She took a deep breath and calmly looked towards the crestfallen youngdy,


    "Youngdy, I want to buy this violin. I think your price is just right for the violin''s value." She said with reassurance.


    The violin''s quality can bepared to the modern day high quality professional violin in the modern earth. What''s more, just a mere seventy thousand Shinies wouldn''t make a dent on her twenty four million Shinies in reserve!


    Surprised that there was someone who was willing to buy his father''s violin, she nkly looked at Eli for a good few seconds. That was seventy thousand Shinies!


    "Mdy! Did I truly hear it right? Are you willing to buy it at my price?" She said with her eyes almost crying.


    Eli gave a nod, but before she could give a response, Illia once again interrupted the transaction


    "Ridiculous! How could a vulgar pregnant woman out here, alone in broad daylight have any capacity to buy this at that crazy price?!" She eximed in ridicule while rudely pointing at Eli''s baby bump.


    Hearing this, murmurs started to be heard from the crowd.


    In truth, being pregnant was not vulgar at all in Silvertown, asmon folk were not really bothered by women who went out to town alone to buy and do their daily things.


    It was only considered vulgar in the noble society, where etiquette applied. In the noble society, a pregnant woman should stay home, preparing her body to deliver the infant. Should they need to go outside, they must be apanied by their husband. Should an expecting mom go out in public alone, it was referred to as a woman being pregnant out of wedlock or that the father of the child does not support her pregnancy at all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli, for instance, does not have any malepanion. As a noble, it made Illia think that she had gotten pregnant in a vulgar way that was why she bravely pointed it out. Criticizing Eli in such a humiliating manner, even involving the crowd.


    "Vulgar?" An intense anger could be heard in Eli''s tone.


    She could take all the interruptions this conceited nobledy had been doing but not her insulting her motherhood and Little Han! She was trembling all over her body, her fist clenched so hard that her neatly cut nails were still able to pierce the flesh of her palm.


    She was about to go towards Illia to give her a nice crispy p.


    As crisp as the sound of a well delivered high note in the violin.


    However she was then stopped by a tall figure wearing a brown cloak. The figure held her shoulders with his two reliable arms. It gave Eli a sudden cold sensation when the figure''s hand touched her shoulders, even though she was nicely clothed in warm fabric.


    Then she heard a deep yet baritone voice from the back of her head, gently saying -


    "My dearest wife, I am here. Have you been waiting for me that long?"


    She then turned to look at the back of her shoulders and saw the figure''s face. The first thing she saw was the man''s crystal blue eyes. Then she continued to examine his face, his striking silver hair reflecting the yellowish tinge of the afternoon. His longshes gently entuated his crystal blue eyes that felt as if they could see through the depths of one''s mind. His chiseled jawline and fair neck¡­ Eli felt a cold chill in her spine.


    She knew this man!


    It was none other than the silver haired man whom Elise shared a passionate night with.


    Little Han''s dad.


    Panic crept through Eli''s whole being, she started to shiver. She wanted to run away from this man as she was not prepared to meet him at any time. She had enough worries in staying away from potential danger and maintaining a good health for Little Han. She did not have any ability to face another troubleing from this man at the same time.


    ''Did he see through my cover?'' ''How did I even get this man''s attention?'', So many questions appeared in her mind.


    Feeling that thedy was about to resist, the silver haired man whispered in a low calm voice, "Youngdy, I mean no harm, I am just trying to get you out of this situation. Think calmly¡­"


    Hearing this Eli was reminded of her current predicament. Although it was nothingpared to the threat this man could give, it was indeed a sticky situation because now, there were many witnesses. Perhaps, this man did not even see through her actual identity and was merely helping her out of chivalry. Finally deciding to handle Illia in a calm manner she painted a stiff smile on her face and said,


    "Hu..hubby, Are you finally done with your business? I was just enjoying this little shopping stroll~~~" She tried to say these as lovey dovey as possible.


    While this was happening, Wisey and Baobao, the furrypanions of Eli ever since her descent to Prasinos, were shocked out of their wits. Wisey was as stiff as a stuffed toy, her yellow parrot disguise and her agape beak looked like the shocked pokemon meme. ''Who the hell is this guy?!'' Is what was on her mind.


    Baobao was as shocked as Wisey. His teddy paws were lifted up in front of his mouth that was wide open in shock. His brain short circuited, his mind saying, ''Master had a husband?!'' ''Oh I have another master?!'' ''He looks strong.. and scary!'' ''Will he also make beautiful music like master?''


    Illia on the other hand, was taken aback. She was sure that this woman was not wealthy nor even able to be married to such a fine handsome man. But how could this woman in front of her do it? She couldn''t help but stare intently towards the silver haired man, he was ridiculously handsome! Taking a look at the ''loving'' gaze the handsome man gave to Eli, a deep sense of envy suddenly crept out of her heart.


    "Hmm," The man replied with a nod and then proceeded to look towards Illia and said in a curt tone, "Do you have any problem towards my dear wife?" His gaze was as sharp as a tip of a sword ready to stab anyone.


    "Thiss.. Ah pardon my uncourteous remarks. I was just eager to buy that instrument.." Illia, seeing the hostility of the man she was just admiring a while ago, said in panic.


    "I wanted to buy that violin as I am skilled in ying it. I want it to be my practice violin during my stay here, seeing that it was not that badly made. But ''madam'' here not only was not able to see through the real quality of the violin but insisted on buying it at a higher price."


    Her words were saying that Eli has no skill in violin at all and that she was ignorant of the violin''s value, stubbornly insisting on buying it at a ridiculously high price.


    "I just wanted to advise the young madam here, not to dab on things she had no knowledge of. So that she would not spend on things that were unnecessary.." She said with concern and indignation.


    The man was about to reply in defense, however, Eli beat him to it.


    "Youngdy, you seem to be assuming a lot of things? It is not good for a well bred nobledy to think like that.." She answered in a chuckle.


    "You! You!" Shocked at Eli''s sudden word of insult, Illia was caught off guard.


    "Assuming that I am ignorant about the violin?" She then looked towards the youngdy and gestured to her to handover the violin.


    She expertly ced the violin on top of her shoulders and assumed a ying position,  holding the bow with a graceful posture. Before she yed the first note, she looked towards Illia and said in a dominant manner,


    "I''ll show you who is ignorant and who is not."

 Chapter 24 Lovely Rosemary

    ?*Best read when you listen to the piece*


    Eli gracefully stood with the violin on her shoulders and elegant bow hold.


    She closed her eyes and thought of a piece she wanted to y. Her ears can hear the lively sound of the busy market ce. She remembered the beauty of the town, the building structures, the different and lively color around, and the charm it gives.


    "Sch?n Rosmarin.. by Fritz Kreisler.."


    She gently whispered while taking a deep breath and yed the first note. The afternoon sunshine shone on Eli''s fair cheeks.


    A yful melody suddenly resonated in the marketce. Eli projected the violin''s sound in the most suitable way for outdoor ying. Everyone around went to a sudden pause and looked towards the source of the beautiful music.


    The piece had a very simple and recognizable melody that will make the listener''s spirit be uplifted and happy. The yful, ever changing tempo, paired with Eli''s controlled bowing created a warm and cheerful atmosphere. It made everyone nearby in awe and be in a good mood.


    Then all of the audience saw a vision of their respective lovers, and even the imaginary ones, for those who aren''t betrothed yet. They saw how lovely their respective lovers were while gracefully waltzing in the melody Eli was ying. As if no one was around, only them, their lover and Eli''s beautiful music.


    Soon the middle section started, the happy yful melody shifted to an emotional and romantic mood.


    In the audience'' vision, as they started to realize how beautiful their lovers were and how much they love the person, they felt like they wanted to profess their affection towards their beloved ones.


    They wanted to say it out loud, how deeply and hopelessly they were in love with them!


    ''Oh how lovely they were!''


    Was what the audience thought and felt towards the imagery they see, towards the loveliness they see.


    Everyone then saw an imagery of blue, pink, purple, and white flowers freely floating in their surroundings, dancing while basking in the afternoon light.


    On the final section of the piece, the melody then went back to the yful and cheerful notes. However this time, with the a hint of the romantic and emotional theme like the middle section of the piece.


    The audience was so immersed with Eli''s performance and with the image she painted on every listener''s mind, that they stayed in a trance even after the piece waspleted.


    Two minutes of beautiful music went by so fast...


    "Lovely!"


    "Wonderful piece!"


    "Such an amazing yer!


    "Encore!"


    Nobody knew who started to speak, but then the crowd was so overwhelmed that they started to cheer, p and praise the wonderful performance.


    Baobao, the music loving panda, was so amazed by another beautiful music from his master, that he adorably pped his teddy paws andughed like a silly bear.


    Wisey on the other hand, had a very proud look on her countenance, as if she was already expecting Eli''s superb performance. Her small parrot body stood so dignified, nodding while her eyes were confidently half closed, as if she was the one who trained Eli.


    The youngdy selling the violin had an awestruck expression on her face. She had a gleaming sparkle on her eyes that felt like she wanted to worship Eli.


    The silver haired man still had his stoic demeanor, but a slight lift on the corner of his lips can be seen. He pped along with the crowd as he stared towards Eli with eyes hinting of approval.


    Amongst all the listeners, only one person was displeased by Eli''s performance, it was none other than Illia. She couldn''t ept the fact that she herself was put into the same trance as all of the audience did.


    She initially nned to make Eli aughing stock to people, because she had thought that this woman would continue not to defend herself, just like how she had acted patiently earlier.


    How could Illia have predicted that Eli would fight back and p her face in this roundabout but most shameful manner?


    She never felt so embarrassed in her life from swallowing the arrogant and indignant words she uttered earlier. Swallowing it whole! It was very painful.


    Visibly irritated, she turned her back and said, "It seems like you really did know how to y a tune or two. Very well, I''ll forgo buying this violin. It''s just a block of wood anyways!" Then she hurriedly retreated to nowhere, eager to hide out of shame.


    Giving a shrug, Eli then gently bowed towards the people, as a basic etiquette after a musician''s performance. Then she turned her attention towards the youngdy.


    Smilingly she said, "Finally, we can finish our transaction! Youngdy, how should I address you?"


    "My name is Lainie! Mdy, it''s my lifetime honor to meet a generous and amazing musician like you!" Lainie gave cheerful greetings as if she was meeting her idol. She gave a bow towards Eli.


    "It was nice meeting you Lainie, just call me El¡­ Liza. This violin was beautifully made, Imend your father''s craftsmanship!" Eli reciprocated Lainie''s greetings, halfway through she almost uttered her name, fortunately she remembered the silver haired man, still patiently waiting for the two to finish like a ''dutiful husband''.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She must not reveal any hint of her identity.


    Eli took her space pouch and took out several bank notes worth a hundred thousand Shinies. However, she hesitated to hand it openly in public as she was afraid that some thief would target Laine after witnessing the scale of their transaction.


    "How should I pay you while ensuring that you won''t be targeted by thieves." She ignorantly asked Lainie, while looking down at the bank notes she was about to give.


    "Ah this? This.." Lainie also scratched her head. She obviously did not think through this point because she never expected that someone would really buy her father''s violin at fair market value.


    Seeing the two women in a predicament, the silver haired man reached out of his cloak pocket and pulled out a nk bronze card. Then he then straightforwardly asked Eli,


    "Do you have a Central Bank Card?"


    "Central bank card?" Eli gave a questioning look at the silver haired man. But after seeing the bronze card, she then took her space pouch again and pulled out her crystal card saying, "Is this a central bank card?"


    The silver haired man took an unnoticeable pause, staring at the crystal card, he replied, "Yes, indeed, that is a central bank card."


    Holding the bronze card upright with his thumb and index finger, he then phlegmatically asked Lainie, "Full name?"


    "Lainie Yseult of Silvertown, Sire!"


    "Age?"


    "Eighteen, Sire!"


    "A drop of your blood."


    "Right away, Sire!"


    While this was happening, Lainie and Eli then saw a trace of blue manaing out of the silver haired man''s fingers, then the information about Lainie''s identity was slowly engraved by the blue mana into the card. Afterwards, Lainie ced a drop of blood into the bronze card, as if activated, the engravings in the bronze card glowed with a blood red light.


    Checking the card onest time, the silver haired man turned towards Eli and instructed in a less stoic tone, "Tap your crystal card towards this bronze card while verbally saying the amount you wanted to pay her."


    Nodding, Eli obediently did as instructed, "A hundred thousand Shinies!"


    After saying this, the crystal card shone in white light, gently passing through the bronze card. In turn the characters engraved in the bronze card shone in a light of assorted colors, the same crystal rainbow colors as Eli''s card. At the back of the card, a string of numbers appeared, "One hundred thousand Shinies, Status: Pending"


    "Hmm, the transfer is almostplete." The silver haired man nodded. He then handed the bronze card towards Lainie and instructed sternly,


    "You must go to the Seirende Central Bank branch in Silvertown to have this card verified personally. After that, you are able to im the amount she transferred for you. No one other than you can im it with these mana engravings."


    "Even if that card was stolen by someone and tried to withdraw it to the bank, it would not work. For your information has been personally authenticated by me through this mana, and only you can withdraw this amount directly through the bank."


    "As you have instructed, Sire!" Lainie respectfully bowed and took the bronze card. When she saw the amount engraved to the bronze card, her eyes widened in shock and she trembled in bafflement.


    "Mdy, Liza, this amount was more than the price of the violin¡­" She turned towards Eli with uncertainty in her eyes.


    Shaking her head, Eli smiled in an understanding tone,


    "No no, that amount is the payment for the violin, the rest you can consider as my investment to your father''s recovery. If he recovers, he could create even more wonderfully made violins!"


    As if seeing the bright future, the smile on Eli''s face became much brighter, "I can''t wait to see more from you and your father''s works! I sincerely pray for his recovery."


    "Mdy¡­ I couldn''t thank you enough, I am so grateful!" Lainie, after hearing Eli''s intention suddenly felt that the bronze card was heavier than usual. With Eli''s grace, and her hope for her father''s well being, she trembled in so much emotion that she couldn''t help but cry in joy and relief.


    "My, my, don''t cry don''t cry.. Go on now, go and bring home the good news!" Eli coaxed Laine, and encouraged her to set home early as she was afraid that stubborn thieves will pester her.


    As to why Eli was adamant in supporting Lainie, it was because she saw herself in Lainie''s eyes. A daughter ready to do everything just not to lose her parents, only Eli could understand how desperate Lainie''s situation was. Now that she had wealth, she wouldn''t hesitate to use it for this purpose.


    Seeing Lainie''s joyful and excited figure, hurriedly rush home she felt like a wound in her heart was slowly healing. She may not be able to do this to her own mum, but she thought, ''Mum would be proud of me now right?''


    She then asked herself, maybe the Great One arranged for the gems as her source of wealth to help other people in this way?


    The transaction was finally wrapped up and Eli gently ced the violin in her space pouch. Very excitedly thinking that she will finally practice her violin skills when they go home, she started to hum a tune. However, she suddenly heard a deep cold voice at her back saying,


    "So my lovely dear ''wife'', shall we settle OUR family matters?"


    Shivers crept down slowly on Eli''s back, ''Oh My Glissando! He knew me all along!!!!"

 Chapter 25 Finding Her

    ?"Baaaaah!!! That was a very nice meal!"


    In a tall magnificent looking bell tower overlooking the town, two cloaked men were looking towards the za. One of the men, a head taller than the other, happily massaged his tummy ted for the satisfying lunch they just took. Beaming with happiness as his freckled cheeks went round from his happy smile, the man continued.


    "Sir Ragu''s cooking is the best! Now master, I have all the energy to work again~~~"


    "Then do not dy anymore and get to work."


    The other man replied without any emotions. His crystal blue eyes sharply wandered to the view surrounding the tower. From the height of the bell tower, he silently looked towards the situation down town.


    "Aye, aye master!" Although the other man had responded coldly, it didn''t change his happy mood. Knowing his master very well, he was still fine even with the master''s attitude.


    As long as his master does not demand blood, he is safe. But if his master did ask for blood, he must start praying to the Creator to mobilize the Prasinos Guardians to protect his tiny life.


    Getting into action right away, the freckled man sat cross legged at the stone floor of the tower. The cheerful face could no longer be seen, only a serious face trying to concentrate on what task he was about to do.


    He closed his eyes and created several seals with his hands. Immediately, a faint magic array appeared in the area he was sitting on, with him at the center.


    The freckled man opened his eyes, extreme focus can be seen on his youthful face. He needed the magic array to be as discreet as possible, so as to not alert any mages who can sense the array''s mana fluctuations.


    A few secondster, three pigeons flew up to the tower andnded on the faint magic circle. Their eyes shining ck, had an inquisitive expression towards the freckled man as they slightly tilted their heads as how a curious creature would do.


    "Master, they are ready." The freckled man dered.


    The other man had been silently observing throughout the process. He nodded with an aloof face and replied,


    "Find every pregnant woman in town, project it here right away,"


    "Yes master!" The freckled man acknowledged his master''smand and mentally instructed the pigeons.


    Soon the pigeons flew to their respective flocks and interacted among the other pigeons, behaving as if they were rying instructions. Soon three flocks very naturally flew all over Silvertown.


    Silently waiting for the results of the search, the freckled man who couldn''t take prolonged silence,  asked his master out of curiosity,


    "Master, why didn''t we engage our men to do this search? Wouldn''t it be easier if we have them investigate all over Silvertown?"


    "We aren''t the only ones looking for her." The master said frigidly. His eyes continued to scan down on the town.


    "Other forces are involved? Master why is that-" the freckled man''s curiosity sparked and continued to ask.


    "Olivier," the master''s voice became more frigid.


    "No more questions, focus on the search." Hemanded.


    Knowing that his master won''t tell anymore, Olivier, the freckled man, shut up and focused on his search task. His task was to utilize his mana to acquire the sight from the pigeons he had contracted. Transferring a bit of his mana through the pigeons mind, he was able to control the pigeons and also gain control of their flock to widen the search.


    He could have summoned the whole flock into the bell tower, however, it would cause the people nearby to wonder what was happening. Therefore also alerting possible opposing forces. Thus, he engaged only three pigeons as the main carrier of his mana, while the flock were the extensions.


    Through the subtle interaction of the three carrier pigeons, his mana was discreetly transferred on the whole flock, hence sessfully gaining control. To perform this task in an extremely covert way, one would know that you have to be at least a ss B summoner.


    Now, Olivier and his master would just have to wait for any news from the three flock of pigeons. After waiting for around half an hour, the first flock of birds had sent back the news to Olivier.


    "Master, there''s some news.." Olivier dered in urgency. He took out a projection stone, performed several hand seals then congealed a teal-colored ball of mana. He then loaded it in the projection stone. Immediately, screens of images appear as if they were modern CCTV monitors. Seven women appeared on the screens, all of them were pregnant.


    The master took a look at all the faces disyed on the screen, while he was doing this a white colored magic circle appeared on one of his crystal blue eyes as he uttered, "Distort.."


    After looking for some time, he shook his head and said, "It wasn''t them¡­ None of them even used a disguise spell."


    "Alright master, there are still two flocks. I''ll continue the search." Olivier responded with determination.


    "Uhn," The master acknowledged.


    The duo waited for another half an hour. Soon, the two remaining flocks sent them some news. After inspecting the images with Distort spell, their search was filtered down to four women.


    As they were looking for an Asani, it was a given that she would try to conceal her own appearance to make herself safe. They were not in the women''s vicinity themselves, so they couldn''t perform a spell that would unravel the appearance of the target. However, a spell can be performed in order to reveal truths from these remote images.


    This is the Distort spell.


    Distort spells were used on images, letters, manuscripts and even paintings. This spell was used by appraisers, schrs and investigators when presented with an artifact involving imagery. When a distort spell was used on an image, it will force the image to temporarily distort upon reacting to mana.


    In principle, when an inanimate object was exposed to a small amount of mana, it will react the way the caster had intended. For instance, if a caster used a fire spell on a normal wood, it will burn, a water spell on a normal paper, it will get wet. Objects that do not contain mana will not have any resistance to themands sent by the caster through their spells.


    However, if the object contained mana, or was a material with mana receptors, it would manifest resistance to foreign mana. For instance, if a sword embedded with a defensive spell was attacked by a caster, it will try to resist the spell ording to its defense capacity.


    Distort spell works ording to the same principle.


    If the caster used this on an image that has no concealment magic, the image will be temporarily distorted. However, if the image had used some form of concealment, disguise or protection magic, it will try to resist, or maintain its image as if it wasn''t affected by the spell at all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A Distort spell casted by sses B and above can also be used to images recorded on projection stones, just like what the duo was doing at the moment.


    "Master, these two women were located in the south and east part of Silvertown. The other two were located near our vicinity. One was in this za where we are located, the other in the shopping district on the west side of the tower." Olivier diligently informed.


    His master took two pieces of paper, then he uttered a few incantations. As he was uttering the incantations, a trace of blue mana went out of his hands and started to inscribe some characters on the two pieces of paper. Then he took another two and inscribed another type of spell in it.


    Handing it down to Olivier he instructed, "Take these spell papers, two storing reveal spells and another two for notification spells."


    "Go and investigate the women located on the south and east, immediately inform me if they were cleared with the reveal spell."


    "Should the reveal spell fail, you know what to do." After his masterpleted instructing, Olivier immediately gave a knight''s salute and disappeared in a sh.


    The master then proceeded to the other two locations, he first went to the west where the shopping district was located. Like a nimble ninja, he speedily hopped from roof to roof to immediately arrive in the location. After arriving at the location that matched exactly on the imagery, he saw the first of the two women he was investigating.


    The woman was sitting in the customer''s lounge appearing to be a woman of blonde hair, with a knight in tow. Immediately performing a reveal spell, with a cyan colored magic circle appearing in his eyes, the master then investigated the true appearance of the woman.


    Her appearance was revealed and disappointment appeared on the master''s crystal blue eyes.


    The woman wasn''t an Asani.


    Not wasting any more time, the master proceeded towards the main za and scanned the surroundings. Matching the surroundings he then located the particr bench where a gray-eyed pregnant woman was sitting dejectedly. On her left shoulder, a tiny yellow parrot and on her side a brown¡­ living teddy bear?


    The twopanions seemed to be cheering her up from her bad mood. He was immediately entertained by the sight.


    But with a mission in mind, he immediately performed a Reveal spell. In the roof around the za, he could clearly see the trio, thus even performing a Reveal spell at a distance, he could still see the results.


    However, the spell suddenly discontinued during the casting.


    The Reveal spell failed.


    Every caster would know the difference between a Reveal spell being sessfully executed butcked reaction due to the target not using any concealment spell at all and a failed Reveal spell. Should it fail, there could only be one meaning, the Reveal spell was weaker than the concealment spell used by the target.


    The master raised one of his eyebrows, a trace of interest could be detected in his crystal blue eyes. Closing his eyes one again, he performed another optic spell,  "Observe!"


    As soon as he casted it three goldenyers of magic circle appeared in his eyes. Then another detail appeared on his vision while looking at the target, - mana concentration. The mana surrounding the woman was revealed, there was a thinyer of mana veiling her body along with her two furrypanions.


    ''They were all using veiling items?'' he realized as he only used the Reveal spell earlier towards the woman and not herpanions.


    Observing further, he noticed something that left him astounded.


    A magic circle rests on the woman''s right shoulder.


    ''This mana... an S ss concealment spell.. Farauld?!''


    He thought with surprise in his eyes.


    ''How could Grand Master Farauld be connected to this woman?''


    His interest reached its peak and he decided to verify his doubts by getting nearer to the trio. He descended to the za and stood at the opposite side.


    Badump Badump!


    Suddenly, he felt a heavy thump in his broad chest.


    A Resonance!


    He felt like a little life was calling unto him, his blood almost boiling from longing! He looked towards the woman. A hopeful expression appeared in his beautiful face.


    He took a deep breath and walked nearer, sitting on another bench few meters away from the woman.


    BADUMP!BADUMP!BADUMP!BADUMP!


    The resonance grew louder and louder, it made the master feel agitated. By now, a trace of certainty can be clearly seen on his eyes. However, he still stopped himself.


    ''I must not draw a hasty conclusion right now..'' he thought.


    ''I need to wait for a few minutes to perform another S ss optic spell..''


    An S ss spell was considered the greatest since there were only historic figures that could do such. All the more, an optic spell that uses the mana receptors around the eyes.


    After casting an S level optic spell one was to wait for a certain interval so as to not strain the eyes or else it would lead to permanent loss of sight.


    He then decided to continue observing first. Intently observing the woman, while doing his best to control the resonance he could feel through his whole being he uttered,


    ''Oh woman.. Just who in the world are you?''

 Chapter 26 Facing Her

    ?The man with his crystal blue eyes sat solemnly on the bench nearby.


    To a passerby, he looked like a cold mysterious traveler who was just taking a rest from getting around the town. However, his eyes were glued to a particr direction - at a nearby bench, where a pregnant woman with two furrypanions sat.


    He didn''t seem to care about how the people around were creeped out of his cloaked figure with a cold aura emanating from his stature. His attention was only focused on that particr trio. He was so absorbed, he couldn''t even hear the noisy, bustling za.


    ''No matter what, I must not lose sight of you..''


    ''I need to get my answers today..''


    His crystal blue eyes were filled with intention, further making his whole countenance several degrees colder. Soon he saw that the trio started to move towards the flea market. Raising his brows out of surprise and a tinge of irritation, he wondered,


    ''Doesn''t this woman not care about her health? She had the energy to go to a chaotic flea market in that condition?''


    However, no matter how much he wondered, he was determined to follow the woman up until his eyes were ready to perform another S ss optic spell. He abruptly stood up and tailed the trio at a good distance.


    What he then witnessed afterwards made him more baffled.


    The woman, after entering the flea market, started to go on a shopping spree. What''s more, she didn''t bring home the items, instead she would just buy then give it back to the sellers.


    ''A wealthy woman?''


    A trace of doubt and amusement appeared on his cold beautiful face.


    His doubt was because the woman he was supposed to be looking for was not in the capacity to spend money like this. The woman he was observing was squandering a considerable amount of money that was far from what he had in mind.


    ''Did I follow the wrong person?''


    His amusement came from the woman''s quirky personality. He had met a lot of women in his twenty eight years of existence, but he never met a woman that was as unpredictable yet sympathetic as her.


    All thedies he met cared about their outer appearance and extravagance. But this woman¡­ doesn''t hold her money back on charity.


    He observed the woman go from mat to mat to buy from the poor sellers in the flea market. The more he watched the woman, the more conflicting emotions he experienced.


    He felt worried that the woman might be pushing herself too much and might strain her pregnant body, exposing herself and her child to danger. His worry intensified when the thought of this woman being the one that he was looking for came to his mind.


    His doubts grew stronger as his surmise about the woman''s lifestyle kept on going beyond what he had been prepared to see. But the longer he stayed near her, the louder and more unbearable the resonance was.


    ''Is she or is she not?''


    His body and guts told him that she was the woman he was looking for. But his rationality and sight was saying otherwise.


    The woman was already conversing with a youngdy selling the violin when he felt that his eyes had recovered from casting the earlier S level optic spell - Observe.


    After casting a S level optic spell, the caster would feel that their eyes were unable to let mana flow around their eyes for a certain period of time. Although their vision would not be impaired, the mana receptors will be closed around their eyes and will reject attempts to channel mana around it.


    He then went to an inconspicuous tree , blending himself well from the shadows, to prepare himself for casting the S ss optic spell. Since the flea market was crowded and open, usage of a spell at such a high level will surely be noticed by wary Mages, thereby inviting chaos. Thus, he needed to distance himself from the crowd and take precautions, just like how he did when he earlier casted the S level Observe spell.


    After ensuring that the woman was still within his vision at the distance, he then uttered -


    ''Bypass!''


    As soon as he uttered this, his crystal blue eyes shone and threeyers of purple colored magic circles appeared. Unlike the Observe spell, where theyers of magic circles appeared stationary, the magic circle of the Bypass spell was revolving.


    The firstyer closest to his eyes, revolved counter clockwise, while the second, on a clockwise motion. Thestyer revolved in both ways randomly, as if finding the rightbination to align with the other two circles. Its behavior seemed to be decoding something from the target of the Bypass spell.


    The few seconds of waiting for the spell to bepleted was an intense emotional battle for the man with the crystal blue eyes. He felt like these few seconds were prolonged to an extent where his hearing was so focused on the sound of his rapid heartbeat.


    Thump thump thump..


    He tried topose himself as he could slowly see that the Bypass spell revealed the appearance of the woman beyond Grand Master Farauld''s powerful S ss veiling spell. His frigid blue eyes suddenly became alive in intense agitation, like an untouched freshly mined crystal that has just been cut and polished.


    He could feel that his cold, unfeeling body slowly went several temperatures up. His blood was boiling so fast that a tinge of redness could be seen on his pale cheeks. His hands clenched to a fist as he felt that the months of investigating and locating the woman finally came to an end.


    ''Atst, I finally found you... freedy,''


    As he dered victory in his heart, his eyes stared intensely at the woman. In his vision, what he could see was a woman with silky ck hair, stylishly arranged on a french braid. Her long braided hair was gracefully resting on her right shoulders down to her bosom entuating her warm ivory skin tone. What was most striking was her dark colored eyes, as dark as the midnight.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The woman was none other than Eli.


    Her midnight eyes shone as she focused on the violin for sale, her appearance contained maturity that was not appropriate for her age. Her aura exudes a vibe of a smart independent woman, not bothered by the hassle of her surroundings and her physical condition.


    Standing there at a distance, concealed on the shade of the nearby tree, the man stood frozen. Now that he finally confirmed that Eli was the woman he was looking for, contrary to what he expected, he felt more conflicted than ever.


    So many questions came to his mind, apart from his doubts earlier, which was not even diminished the slightest, but intensified even more. Nheless, the biggest question on his mind was what would be his next step.


    He started to ridicule himself.


    He was a man bathed in the blood of all the enemies who tried to invade the Empire. He had experienced countless battles and the numbers of assassinations he survived could no longer be counted with the fingers of his hands. In every battle he did, he always had a meticulous nid out anticipating every possible set back he might encounter.


    But now, he just realized that he did not even prepare for the things he would do after finding this woman and his child to be.


    All he thought was to find her, as to how he would take her under his protection and care, he did not think that far. No wonder his father was wearing an anxious expression during the time he asked for permission to search for her. This was beyond his typical character.


    How could he mess up in this aspect?!


    As he was battling with his internal struggles, he saw that Eli was being subjected to ridicule by some random woman. With a worried expression he nimbly jumped off the tree and went to the flea market to watch out for her nearby.


    He saw that Eli was restraining herself, most probably because she was mindful of her pregnancy. He gave her an apuse in his heart. She was a good woman.


    However, the random woman continued to irritate Eli after realizing that she chose not to bother. That random woman kept pushing her to the limits up until she called Eli and her child ''vulgar''.


    Something thugged heavily on the man''s heart.


    He felt the torment of a fiery arrow piercing directly to his cold heart. The word vulgar was never pleasant to hear, surely. But to hear others call the people that mattered to him as ''vulgar'' sparked a great pain into his heart, prating straight to his soul.


    Some insignificant person insulted the mother of his child in front of his face.


    Looking at Eli''s provoked reaction that was almost ready to p the soul out of the random woman, he took a step forward without thinking.


    He just found himself walking hastily towards Eli, to keep her safe under his wing. His desire to defend the mother of his child made his cold hands gently grab her shoulders into his personal space.


    His only focus was to get her out of this situation so he calmly uttered,


    "My dearest wife, I am here. Have you been waiting for me that long?"


    The petite body in his embrace turned stiff, Eli cautiously turned his head looking at his face. They were close to each other so they both had the chance to inspect every miniscule detail on each other''s faces.


    He saw her beautiful midnight eyes that could see through one''s soul. But clearly he noticed that her reaction was one of panic, not because of the situation with the random girl but towards him. As he was holding her safe in his cold arms, he felt that she wanted to struggle out of it and run.


    He immediately knew that Eli didn''t want to see him right now. A tinge of disappointment seemed to be budding deep in his hear seeing her reaction. However, his utmost priority was to keep her by his side, so without any hesitation, he tried to y it down. He tried to calm her down saying,


    "Youngdy, I mean no harm, I am just trying to get you out of this situation. Think calmly¡­"


    He then felt Eli''s body rxing, and saw that Eli reciprocated his greetings in a very unnatural way,


    "Hu..hubby, Are you finally done with your business? I was just enjoying this little shopping stroll~~~"


    Hearing the word hubby, his body became ufortably stiff. It was such a foreign word for him that it felt so awkward, but it wasn''t that bad, he thought. Moreover, she had already done her part of the acting, so they must pull this through.


    Casting a re towards the random woman, he poured out all his hostility and anger from hearing that random woman insult the mother of his child. He became even more angry when he heard the indirect way the random woman insulted Eli.


    However, when he was about to reprimand the woman, he felt a gentle hand stopping him. He looked down and saw Eli, with a cunning look in her midnight eyes as if telling him,


    ''I got this!''


    With that look, he was fascinated.


    With interest, he allowed Eli to unleash what she had on her crafty eyes and watch what would happen. His mind, with how little he knew of women''s attitude, was expecting her to engage into a cat fight or a venomous verbal war. He then stood alert in case harm woulde on Eli''s way.


    However, she once again had broken his expectations. The woman who was so ready to fight with such scheming eyes just a while ago..


    Was gracefully holding a violin.

 Chapter 27 Facing Them 1

    ?He stood there mesmerized. ''Since when did she know how to y an instrument?''


    The woman in front of him was like a puzzle, she constantly left him in bafflement. However, he couldn''t keep himself from figuring out the mysteries surrounding her.


    How she lived and survived all this time..


    How she stumbled upon Silvertown..


    How she learned to do this and that...


    How she interacted with people..


    And most of all -


    How she confronted the fact that she was pregnant.


    How she decided to stick with it.


    All of these things and many more, he wanted to know the answers. But before he could solicit an answer to one, here she is, adding another mystery into his already long list.


    Standing there bewildered, he suddenly found himself in a trance as he watched and heard her y the violin. While everyone saw an image of their beloved ones with colorful petals raining down on them as they twirl to the music, what he saw was a vision of a mother and child merrily dancing and enjoying the music.


    Such a loving scene..


    Only that, he wasn''t there.


    He could just imagine how much he would be missing if he wouldn''t get to join that loving family of two. A deep sense of longing sprouted in from the depths of his cold heart, so deep that he had to use all his mental capacity to stop his mouth from uttering out loud -


    ''I want to be there too¡­''


    That was his decision as soon as the music stopped, as soon as he heard the cheers from the crowd, as soon as he found himself pping along and nodding with pride -


    ''This is the mother of my child..''


    At that moment, he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be part of this family. He wanted to be there. He also wanted to belong. He decided that he will be staying beside her and go through this journey of building a family with her and his child.


    Prior to this, it was only out of the obligation to care for a descendant of his family. His motivations came from the fact that he had to be responsible for his future offspring. For people like him the word ''family'' had a twisted meaning. But now¡­


    He stood there in anticipation, waiting for the moment to finally have a serious conversation with her. As he stayed beside her, he felt an agitation to settle this matter as soon as possible. He found himself impatient, even helping her settle such a trivial task of setting up a bank ount for a random dealer just to finally talk things with her. He couldn''t wait anymore.


    After settling the matter, he found her uncaring about him. She even just hummed a tune out of excitement in getting a new instrument. Most probably, it didn''t ur to her that he already knew her identity.


    Although agitated, he found it amusing. However, he wouldn''t let this opportunity be lost.


    Finally deciding to remind her of his presence, he teased with his maic baritone voice -


    "So my lovely dear wife, shall we settle OUR family matters?"


    --


    ''Oh my Glissando! He knew!!!!"


    Goosebumps crept through Eli''s body as soon as she heard his words. She was caught off guard. She cursed herself for how naive she was thinking that the man didn''t recognize her.


    At that moment she froze, her mind went nk. She felt as if there were no people around, not even Baobao nor Wisey. Just her and this man, one of the people she wanted to meet the least.


    Eli started to feel anxious, that her shoulders closed in forward and her hands were ced on her chest - a bodynguage showing anxiousness and inferiority. The silver haired man felt her fright, afraid that it would stimte her too much he said in a much gentler tone,


    "Freedy, I know you are anxious.. But we need to really talk," his crystal blue eyes were pleading as he tried to disy his pure intentions.


    "If it will make you feel better, let us move to a location where you feel safe the most, whether it is a restaurant or the za." The silver haired man continued to coax Eli.


    Still wary of the silver haired man''s intention, she forced herself to think calmly. Inhaling deeply, she took her time to reply with the man''s request. After feeling her body rx from anxiety, she started to mentallymunicate with Wisey about the situation.


    Wisey, assuring her that they would be with her whatever decision she made, told her not to worry. As a spirit of knowledge, Wiseyid down the possible choices Eli can think about.


    She can choose to confront the man now, or decline to give some time for herself, then confront himter on. But one thing was for sure, she definitely had to face him someday.


    After contemting, Eli took a deep breath and helplessly replied,


    "A ce where I would feel safe¡­ Then we go to Argentum,"


    If someone would ask her who in Prasinos does she trust the most, that would be Grandpa Andi. She wanted to gamble on the fact that Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben were legendary people. Eli was sure that in Argentum, she would be protected no matter what.


    Without any emotion but utter calmness on his face, the silver haired man nodded. He, along with Eli and the furry buddies, wordlessly walked towards Argentum. The atmosphere around them was so tense, especially for the two furries who were on high alert for Eli''s safety.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli didn''t know how she could even manage to walk in the long busy road to Argentum. Full of uncertainty over what will be the oue of this confrontation, she walked with her head hung low. She was so afraid to lift her head and see the expression of the silver haired man, so during their stroll, her eyes were only focused on the cobblestone road.


    In the busy cobblestone street where the fiery orange color of the dusk was starting to grow darker, a group of young kids was yfully running their way home. They ran towards Eli and the group, with one of the kids about to collide with Eli. Before Baobao could shield her from the impact, a pair cold arms gently pulled towards safety,


    "Watch out.." the silver haired man softly said, as he covered his arms on Eli''s body, protecting her from colliding with the child.


    "Thaa-thank you.." Eli, consciously replied. She had been too physically close to this man, ever since she met him. She was not toofortable with this kind of interaction.


    She was a srywoman. She only knew how to work. She never gave herself an opportunity to socialize and mingle with men. The things she knew about men, all came from her female colleague who woulde and rant on her during work breaks and ask advice about rtionship problems.


    An irony though, she was a single woman, yet her female colleagues would all ask her for advice on the things she was not even able to experience. Maybe it''s because the eyes of an independent person were the most reliable and unbiased?


    "Uhn, do not wander your mind off.. Focus on walking to Argentum safely." the silver haired man replied with a stern tone.


    "One thing I assure you, I came with clean intentions. Just give me a chance to talk with you, So do not worry too much, lest you stumble on the road." he continued his tone was still stoic, yet his crystal blue eyes were filled with worry.


    "Yes.. Apologies." still wary and embarrassed, Eli docily replied, but this time she held her head up and looked at him cautiously.


    ''He is right, my worrywart attitude may cause Little Han harm,''


    ''Eli, be courageous!''


    Finding a bit of courage, they continued to walk along the road, again filled with awkward silence. Wisey who could take the level of awkwardness between these two dense people, mentally asked Eli,


    ''Since you would be conversing with him, then might as well introduce yourself?''


    ''Eeeh why me? What if he would not respond to me? No way!! I won''t take initiative!''


    ''Heh.. you were fearless enough to go through the hellish pregnancy but you chicken out on just introducing your name? Such a scaredy cat~~"


    ''It''s a different matter!'' Eli retaliated.


    ''Oh~~~ You were even brave enough to ept being reincarnated into a strange world, but you were too cowardly to make such a man an acquaintance??''


    Wisey continued to tease her so much until she scrunched up her face in frustration. She was so provoked by Wisey''s taunt, that she dared to do exactly what the other wanted.


    With a determined look on her face, her brows furrowed in concentration and her eyes so intense, she looked towards the silver haired man and said in tone feigning boldness,


    "Since we will be talking, let''s get acquainted. My name is El-"


    "Elise, I know.." the silver haired man interrupted.


    "You already knew me?" Eli was surprised. As far as she knew, Elise and this man had only spent a drunken night with each other. She never reckoned that the man knew Elise by name.


    "Uhn, I used to.." the man answered in a cryptic manner.


    "You used too???" Eli was as speechless as much as she was confused. This man really was so aloof he didn''t want to talk. Silence again filled the air.


    Wisey face palmed, she lifted her parrot wings and hid her head in it, frustrated.


    ''These two, how cringy had this conversation be? Aishh!!''


    She was about to nag Eli to continue the conversation, however she eventually lost hope when she looked at the two. Soon they arrived at the Argentum, where they saw the little elder dwarf, Grandpa Andi.


    "Heavens, you lot are still here? The night is just around!" Grandpa Andi hastily met the group with a distressed expression. As he said this, he was gasping in between, as he wiped the little beads of sweat in his forehead.


    "Grandpa! Howe you seem exhausted?" Surprised, Eli weed the anxious Grandpa Andi.


    "Ah no bother, no bother, I just came to check some matters.." Seeing Eli worried, he assured her that everything was fine. He also felt touched that the youngss was worried about him and immediately cheered him up.


    "What brings you here.. Oh who might be this gentleman?" Cheerfully changing the topic, he asked Eli and noticed an aloof silver haired man beside her.


    "Ah this.. Man was¡­" Eli was too embarrassed to tell them who the man was.


    "Greetings Elder, I am the father of the child she is conceiving." The silver haired man respectfully bowed on Grandpa Andi and introduced himself in a straightforward tone.


    Too shocked about what was happening, Grandpa Andi looked towards Eli with eyes wide and mouth agape, then back to the man, then back to Eli.


    He was stunned as a rock, like a father hearing her precious daughter introducing her boyfriend for the first time.


    "Fa..father?!"

 Chapter 28 Facing Them 2

    ?"Bahaha! Old Andi, are you so shocked that you had forgotten that babies do note from storks?"


    Another elderly voice came from the corner, it was Grandpa Ben, who was also a bit exhausted, but wasughing at his stupefied friend.


    Eli seeing Grandpa Andi''s dumbfounded reaction and Grandpa Ben''s teasing, sheepishly tried to exin,


    "This, you see Grandpa Andi, I never would have known that we would cross paths again.."


    Her head hung low in shyness and pleading, she continued, "He requested to sort our matter out, and for safety, I could only go back to your ce Grandpa..."


    Hearing her exnation, he understood Eli''s intention. As he had been conversing a lot with Eli before, he was not oblivious to the story on how Little Han was conceived. Knowing it, Grandpa Andi supported Eli''s decision to raise the child well, even without the presence of a father.


    Her worry of facing a much greater ridicule should she find that the father would not ept Little Han and dere him as illegitimate was indeed valid. He supported Eli, like how a grandpa would do for his precious granddaughter. This was also the reason why he was shocked at the sudden appearance of the so-called ''father''.


    He gave another examining look at the silver haired man''s face, and with an authoritative tone he said,


    "Well if that is the case, let us enter my private study first. This matter should be handled very carefully¡­


    "Young man, I hope you don''t mind that you converse with young Eli, but with us around."


    He had decisively dered that he would involve himself in Eli''s matters. He, along with Grandpa Ben, would stand in as a father figure for Eli; this matter needed support from elderly people like him and Old Ben.


    The silver haired man unfazed with Grandpa Andi''s firm approach just nodded respectfully,


    "If it gives her assurance, I''d dly have your presence."


    The two elders casted a knowing nce at each other. Not wasting more time, they all headed to Grandpa Andi''s study room. Eli and the furries entered the study first, and they had once again entered the familiar warm room, where they had stayed earlier.


    After ensuring Eli entered first, a yellow wall of mana suddenly appeared. A strong array had been set up in the study. She was started by the sudden activation of the array. She had already seen how Grandpa Andi''s array was activated, it was subtle and gentle. However, this array looked imposing. It gave Eli the feeling of being watched by a judge or a holy guardian.


    Then she saw that Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben had paused, blocking the entry of the silver haired man like an immovable mountain. Standing valiantly at the entrance of the room, Grandpa Ben dered with a strict, unwavering tone,


    "Young man, from this point onwards, the people who choose to step into this array must make an oath not to harm young Eli at all cost and adhere to the oath of utmost secrecy. This array is governed with the blessing of Celeste, the Guardian of the Skies."


    Hearing this, Eli felt a deep thug in her heart, looking at the aged yet firm backs of the two elders. These two grandas she just knew for not even a month, however they had been Eli''s most trusted people in Prasinos.


    To be protected like this by not only one,but two fatherly figures, was a first time experience for Eli, due to this, her eyes reddened with tears threatening to fall.


    Facing the two protective elders, the silver haired man had a profound look in his eyes. Although he was bewildered, he maintained his frigidly calm stature and just gave a simple nod.


    Seeing the silver haired man concede to their firm request, the two elders stepped aside the entrance and allowed him to enter. They heaved a sigh of relief seeing the man agree to their precautions. However they were still on high alert because they were definitely sure that the man was just like the two of them -


    A legendary ss S.


    In truth, during the time that Eli was bidding goodbyes to the two elders, Grandpa Ben had put the highest level of Veil spell on Eli''s shoulders the moment he gave her a pat. When the silver haired man sessfully used Bypass spell to unravel Eli''s real appearance, Grandpa Ben had been immediately notified by the interruption of his Veil spell.


    What shocked them the most was how fast the Veil Spell had been decoded, they felt a strong sense of danger for Eli as they all knew what this all meant.


    Eli was being targeted by an S ss mage.


    They were caught off guard because there were only a few ss S personalities in the whole of Prasinos. Even the Emperor of Seirende was just at the peak of ss A.


    To actually have three legendary ss S in such a small Silvertown at the same time was actually a big deal!


    Should any normal people know of this situation, it will definitely cause a huge uproar!


    The two grandpas along with Randel immediately tracked Eli into the flea market with grave expressions on their faces. They had witnessed what had happened. Due to the fact that the two were in the midst of the crowded flea market, they decided to observe first and jump at Eli''s side in case of any danger.


    When the man went near Eli, so nearly intimate, the Grandpas almost exploded from anger.


    Who in the world is this man?!


    Get your hands off of our young Eli!!!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were fuming mad that Randel almost lost all of his strength by holding off the two legends from creating chaos in Silvertown.


    This man had guts! Taking liberties with our young Eli!


    When they heard that the man would like to converse with Eli, and that Eli suggested going to Argentum in that case. They were all baffled.


    Who in the heavens is this man? Why does Eli seem to be acting strange? Why didn''t Eli choose to run away but talk to him instead?


    However, they couldn''t linger any longer.


    Not wasting any time, the two grandpas frantically rushed back to Argentum to set up an array governed by the blessings of the Sky Guardian Celeste, while Randel was left to observe and protect Eli, should dangere along the way.


    The two grandpas crammed to set up the array by the time Eli would arrive in Argentum. No one in Prasinos was able to make these two legends rush to the point of exhaustion, however, Eli did.


    Maybe because of their initial goal of protecting an Asani descendant, or because of how they took a liking to Eli. But one thing for sure had touched their hearts, it was Eli''s level of trust towards them.


    Mutual trust was indeed a magical thing.


    It creates a bond that even transcends the strength of those created by blood.


    Finally, all of the parties had already entered the study. Randel appeared suddenly and closed the door from the outside, guarding for any intruders. Sitting in the luxurious set of chesterfield sofa, Eli felt more anxious even with Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben''s presence. The atmosphere inside the room became constrained.


    Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben sat protectively beside Eli, with a piercing stare, they threw a barrage of questions towards the silver haired man with the utmost intimidating tone,


    "Now, young man, talk."


    "Who are you?"


    "What is your identity?"


    "What made a ss S mage interested in our young Eli?"


    "What is your goal?"


    "Are your intentions pure?"


    Eli was the one who was overwhelmed by the interrogation of the two elderlies. However, trusting the two, she silently waited for the silver haired man to answer their questions.


    Looking at the silver haired man, she was surprised to hear that he was a ss S mage. Another wave of shivers crawled slowly at the back of her spine.


    Elise sure was courageous, to actually do that with a S ss mage?!!


    Her first impression of the silver haired man was that he was a very cold and detached person. He would not hesitate to disy his hostility towards the people who irritated him. What kind of miracle did Elise carry when she approached this man and tricked him into spending a passionate night?


    As she was thinking about this, she also got curious about what this man thought about ''that'' night. Will he demand to kill Little Han? Or will he take him away from her? Is it even possible that he would acknowledge Little Han?


    Will she allow it?


    The silver haired man didn''t disy any trace of anger and hostility towards the aggressive interrogation of the two grandpas, instead he sported an attitude of respect towards them. He slowly stood up from the chesterfield sofa, ced his right hand on top of his chest as if showing sincerity, gave a gentlemanly bow and introduced himself,


    "Apologies honorable grandmasters and Lady Elise for alerting you this way.."


    As he was saying this, Eli could clearly see that his silky silver short hair was slowly turning into chin length blood red hair. His bangs slightly covered the right side of his face, while the other side was clearly seen as his hair was neatly set into his left ear.


    "I,Leon Andrae De Seirende, wish to take Elise Fayre along with our child to be, to be kept under my care and protection¡­"


    He suddenly paused and slightly raised his head. His piercing cold crystal blue eyes became more beguiling, especially with the tiny ck mark perfectly located under his left eye.


    "As mywful wife. The Third Prince''s Consort."

 Chapter 29 Naivety

    ?The two fearsome grandpas were shocked to the point that they were speechless.


    "B-blood red hair!!"


    "C-crystal blue eyes!"


    "Heavens it is you! Your Highness, Third Prince!"


    No longer did the scary interrogating grandpas were seen, but shocked and astonished elders. They were stuttering as they struggled to give proper greetings to the royalty in front of them. It was too much of a shock for them.


    "Please be at ease, Ie here for Lady Elise..." Leon, the third prince, politely responded to their greetings.


    "This.. your highness is too much for us to take in¡­" Grandpa Ben absentmindedly uttered.


    "Indeed, the fact that you were a legendary ss S mage was never known to people, even for personalities at our level¡­"


    "And the fact that you were expecting an offspring with our young Eli.. Your highness.. This is a huge matter!" Grandpa Andi said with worries.


    "Ipletely know the weight of this matter¡­ However, I also have witnessed and understood your roles in Elise''s life right now¡­" Leon paused for awhile and looked at the two grandpas with sincerity and gratitude


    "Grand Master Andvari, your bravery in protecting Elise''s identity knowing that you would be targeted by unknown forces as the only clue to track Elise''s identity. You even went to the lengths of creating ghost buyers, so as to not leave any clues for the transactions connected to her.."


    "Grand Master Reuben, the headmaster of the Farauld Magic Institute who couldn''t be forced to move even by my father Emperor, took the initiative to use the highest level of Veiling Spell to ensure that no other force under ss S could unravel her identity.."


    "Your efforts as well as Elise''s trust in you as her father figures, I find that you deserve topletely know who I really am. This is to show my gratitude towards you, as well as to prove my utmost sincerity."


    He gave another respectful bow.


    Overwhelmed by the acknowledgement of the royal in front of them, the two grandpas stayed silent. Now they knew why the man had been hasty in revealing himself. Most probably he had already stayed here for a few days, investigating any lead towards Eli''s identity.


    His encounter with Eli today was both a strike of luck and a disy of strength. For just as Leon had said, they went to such lengths to cover Eli''s tracks and protect her. They had made sure that she was not that easy to find.


    The revtion and facts had started sinking in to everyone in the room.


    A long silence ensued. Everyone focused their attention on Eli who was just sitting there nkly. No one could decipher what she really thought at that moment. Herck of reaction made the people around her anxious, even for Leon.


    He was a man that was always ready for battle. Every war and incident he took, there was nock of taunts and vulgar insults thrown at him. It never really affected him that much. This was the first time he realized that he was anxious about another person''s thoughts of him.


    What does she think of him right now?


    It was a tough moment for Eli. The revtions were too many for her to take in.


    First, the silver haired man and the blood red haired man who rescued Elise and gave her very own name, were one and the same person. Next was that, this same man was a royal, a prince! His identity became much moreplicated.


    This made Eli worried about the possible connection with Elise''s killer. If this man had such a high background, wouldn''t it just mean that someone might have known about this affair and decided to eliminate her first? Wouldn''t his identity solidify Eli''s conjecture that Elise was targeted because of some ''affairs'' rted to him?


    Third, were the things that Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben did to protect her.


    She never knew that she was exposed to such a level of danger that the two legendary masters were forced to move. Didn''t that mean that someone was almost hurt and might be possibly hurt in the future just because they chose to protect her?! Didn''t that also mean that she would be forced to hide her appearance for the rest of her life to make herself and those around her safe?


    Lastly, this royal prince, out of nowhere, appeared on a normal day of her life, and dropped a bomb of a marriage proposal to her?! What in the world was this? How was she supposed to feel about this?


    She was not sure how to feel about the truth regarding the third prince. For whatever happened between him and Elise, she was aplete outsider. She felt that she was conceited if she would react on behalf of Elise or not.


    Should she be angry on her behalf? But if she did, would it really be how Elise would like her to react? Should she just ept it? How sure was she that Elise would also decide the same thing?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As she thought of this, her outwardly expression became more apparent. Everybody in the room saw her conflicting expression. It was like she was so confused about the details that she had just taken and she didn''t know how to deal with it. Like a child presented with aplicated toy puzzle, totally clueless on what to do with it.


    They all felt pity for her, especially Grandpa Andi, who was the closest to her. He knew how determined Eli was in her future single mother life. But now all these things must be confronted. She had to take everything into consideration. As much as Grandpa Andi wanted to help, it was all up for Eli to decide.


    Eli looked around the people in the room, her eyes begging for an answer. What she saw was faces looking back at her one with a face of worry, one with a face of pity, one with a face of anticipation and nervousness. No answers could be seen. No answers could be given to her.


    "I can''t take this all.. I am more confused than ever.." was the only words she managed to utter, with her trembling voice, so close to breaking down.


    She started to realize that she was a mess.


    She was but a child unprepared in dealing things such as this. She had clenched a fair amount of victories and losses whether in music, studies or work. She suffered many hardships during her previous life. She had struggled for money, she suffered the pain of losing a loved one, she had once experienced the cruelty of a sudden death.


    She thought that she was already strong enough to withstand the endeavors she might be facing during her new life as a mother. She thought that as a person who had gone through a lifetime full of adversities and pain, she would no longer suffer the feeling of disappointment in herself. She taught that after going through the experience of death, no problem could ever make her feel fear and insecurity.


    But she was naive!


    She was naive to think that those she had experienced from the past - were all the things life has to offer.


    She was naive to think that she had already seen enough of life, that she already possessed the wisdom to deal with theseplexities in front of her. She was naive to think that she could live a carefree life free of dangers, controversies andplications, that the only problem she would deal with was the problem of raising Little Han.


    She was too naive...


    ''Oh Great Father, I don''t know what to do!''


    Out of options she uttered a soft prayer in her heart. No one, except The Great One knew what really happened in the heavenly realm, what Elise felt and what she, Eli was feeling right now. She could only turn to him for an answer.


    Her shoulders started to tremble, as she hung her head low dejectedly. Droplets of warm tears fell on top of her clenched fist that was resting on herp.


    "What should I do, O Great Father? How to deal with all this?" she was so dejected that her mouth had voiced out the deepest concern of her heart.


    Seeing that she had already broken down, everyone was in panic.


    Baobao and Wisey rmingly went into her side. Baobao gently knelt beside her. He gave a low unthreatening growl, the gentlest he could give. His fluffy paws kept patting Eli, his eyes round and tearful, like a puppy dog, pleading for Eli not to cry.


    Wisey sat silently on herp, with her wings trying to wipe out Eli''s tears. She was mentally sayingfort words to Eli, ''It''s all right, everything will be fine, everything will fall into its ce..''


    "Aiyoo young Eli.." The two grandpas were heartbroken upon seeing her cry too. They stayed at Eli''s side, one patting her head, the other one rubbing her downcast back. "Susssh, we are here, we''ll all find the right answers"


    Leon was at a loss. Seeing Elise in front of him cry, he suddenly felt guilt in his heart. He wanted tofort and calm her down. However, his body stayed frozen as he didn''t know how to deal with that feeling. He knew that as a gentleman, he had tofort thedy in distress who was already in front of him. But because of guilt and hisck of experience, his body and brain didn''t know exactly what to do.


    Everyone knew that her breakdown was not only caused by the third prince''s sudden proposal. But everything that was revealed ever since they entered the room, including its respective implications to Eli and Little Han''s life. To them, she was just a young woman, trying to be responsible for her own mistakes and choices. She wasn''t that mature enough to deal with it all.


    "I''m sorry I don''t have any answer to all of this..." she started to wail and say her feelings aloud to everyone in the room.


    She raised her head and looked at the two grandpas, "Boohoo, I''m sorry Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, I caused you great danger and trouble...Waaaah.."


    Her heart wrenching childlike cries filled the study. She also looked towards Leon, tears rolling continuously in her eyes, her head shaking as if saying no to him,


    "I''m sorry because I''m scared..."


    "I''m sorry because I caused you this mess..."


    "I''m sorry because I am too weak to ept your request..."

 Chapter 30 The Guilty Prince

    ?The sound of Eli''s heart rending cries continued to fill the study.


    Not knowing what to do, Leon found himself standing towards the group, frozen. In reality, this was already his third time seeing ''Lady Elise'' cry. The first two instances were obviously not triggered by him, but by someone who even he, himself would deem as cruel.


    However this time, he knew that it was likely triggered by his appearance and the subsequent circumstances that happened along with it. Everything that was revealed thereafter, most probably caused thedy in front of him to break down.


    Seeing her pitiful state, Leon felt the guilt in his heart grow stronger and stronger. The more he heard her sobs and the more he saw her tears from falling, the more his guilt thugged the strings of his heart.


    He started to feel embarrassed of himself.


    ''Have I truly be so cruel that I have brought ady to cry so bitterly?''


    He was not oblivious on how the people of Seirende Empire viewed him. He, the third prince of the Empire, was of lowly birth. His father, the Emperor, fell in love with a humble but lovely bard. Emperor Valentin took her as his consort, the Second Queen, and had Leon as the fruit of their love.


    He was born with blood red hair, to which for the Seirende Imperial Family, was a sign of vast strength and capability. This color was the same as the first Emperor of the Seirende Kingdom - the first Victor. Although every Seirende offspring was born with reddish hair, everyone knew that the closer their hair would be to the color of blood, the more potential and talents they must have.


    His blood red hair became the cause of the rumors that he would most likely be the one appointed as the crown prince rather than his two older brothers from the Empress and First Queen, who were both of noble origins.


    To add to this controversy, it was known that Emperor Valentin, was madly in love with the lovely Second Queen, and that the Empress and First Queen never had favor in his eyes. Due to this, the noble families they belonged to started to target Leon''s reputation and his life. They saw him as the threat to seizing control of the throne.


    Realizing this at the very young age of five, he avoided dangers by tantly avoiding any princely activities about the Empire''s governance and politics. He wanted the aristocratic parties supporting the first and second princes that he was not even interested in fighting for the throne. He distanced himself, almost lived like a ghost prince locked away in his ce at a very young age.


    However, the aristocratic families of the Empress and the First Queen were never convinced of his stand, as they could clearly see the Emperor''s affection towards him and her Queen Mother.


    They started to intensify their attempts to assassinate him and even tried to poison his Queen Mother. It only subsided during his constitution assessment ceremony at the age of seven, when he, from the esteemed position of being the prince closest to the throne, became the mostughable prince in the history of the Seirende Empire -


    He was assessed as a D ss - Devourer.


    This, to the aristocrats, had locked his fate as a prince to be ineligible in inheriting the throne.


    For no one would believe that a person belonging to the D ss was able to lead an empire as powerful and asrge as Seirende. What was more cruel was that his assessment was med on his lowly origins.


    But his Father Emperor wouldn''t let him live a life of humiliation.


    To take him far from the people''s ridicule, the Emperor had no choice, but to ask Leon to go and take the path of blood, being a warrior exposed to ruthless battles and wars. To expose him to the dangers of the battlefield and prove himself that he can do great things despite this low assessment.


    He sent him under the tutge of his most trusted general, Eugene Farauld, to train as a knight, hoping that he would hone himself to survive even in the cruelest of wars. This was a suitable path for Leon, nheless, for devourers are known for their immense physical strength.


    It did not take Leon that long to learn and excel in the art of war.


    His battles and victories, helped him to gain his reputation as the Barbaric Blood Prince. A prince that didn''t have any other talents than to kill. A prince that had no other avenue to prove himself as a rightful member of the imperial family and had no choice but to be the Empire''s mad dog. Everyone who sees his blood red hair would tremble in fear because of his renowned cruelty in the battlefield.


    Now the same Barbaric Blood Prince was at a loss upon seeing Eli cry, wondering if he had gone beyond the bounds of being valiant and stepped inside the realm of real cruelty.


    "Making ady cry¡­ I never would have thought.." he absentmindedly thought as he stretched his arms towards Eli''s head.


    With a guilty look in his eyes, he gently patted her head and said in an calming tone,


    "Hush.. Lady Elise.. I should be the one to give an apology.. ."


    The guilt in his voice started to manifest in his slightly cracking voice,


    "I was inconsiderate..."


    He was overwhelmed by the growth he saw from Eli earlier,pared to the time hest met her. He had forgotten that she was still akin to a child due to the fact that she was captured. How could he forget?!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Let''s calm down first and take one concern at a time¡­"


    "Hushhh.. We are here, you aren''t alone anymore.."


    "Even I don''t know the right answer.."


    "However, We, You, have to stay calm for the little one.."


    "Please calm yourself down¡­"


    The guilty third prince wracked his brains to squeeze out everyforting word he could think just to coax Eli. He wasn''t the best person to do this, but he needed to, because he was at fault in this matter.


    Eli felt thefort that the bunch was giving to her, however, their concern overwhelmed the anxiety that she was feeling. But after sometime, she felt a warm hand patting her head and a voice coaxing her to stop crying. Then, one phrase had gently pulled her emotions back to the ground..


    "For the little one.."


    ''Yes, I shouldn''t let these emotions get the best of me. Calm down, Eli, calm down..''


    As she told herself to calm down, she felt her heart had somewhat let go of the anxiety that was invading her mind. She took a deep breath and she felt that her chest became rxed.


    After that she felt that her body was exhausted. Maybe because of the activities she did throughout the day, or maybe because of her overthinking, but she felt like her body wanted to rest and get a nice sleep.


    Seeing that Eli finally calmed down, and that her body demanded for a rest, the bunch heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Aiyoo, she must have felt exhausted¡­ Let her stay first for the night.." Grandpa Andi said in a relieved tone while asking for the permission of her twopanions. Wisey looked at the night sky beyond the window pane and gave Grandpa Andi a nod of consent.


    "Come I''ll lead the way. Your Highness Third Prince, I hope you''ll excuse us first." He then gave a bow and asked Leon for permission to leave.


    "Grandmaster Andvari, please carry on, I entrust her to you.." Leon in turn gave a nod of gratitude.


    Baobao immediately stood up and gently carried Eli, beating Leon to it. He and Wisey then proceeded to follow Grandpa Andi to another room outside the study.


    The moment they stepped out of the door, it wasn''t the familiar hall that they saw, instead it was a long corridor that was dimly lit. The flickering candlelight revealed that the corridor was painted in silver, elegantly matching the red colored carpet.


    Grandpa Andi led them to a bedroom where Eli could rest for the night. After that, he bid goodbye to the twopanions and assured them that the ce was safe.


    --


    Meanwhile, back in the study, Grandpa Ben and Leon sat in the room wordlessly. Leon, still feeling guilt, didn''t know if he would have to stay or excuse himself to leave first. This was the first time he felt the need to retreat.


    The prince who, although ridiculed by everyone, had always kept his head up high. But now, in this remorseful state, his head hung low in embarrassment and helplessness.


    Seeing the troubled third prince, Grandpa Ben finally gave a sigh of sympathy and said,


    "Your Highness Third Prince, let''s stay here for a while and wait for Old Andi,"


    "We may need to talk with you first before taking the next step.."


    Startled, Leon looked towards Grandpa Ben and saw his eyes of sympathy towards him..


    It was at this moment he knew, he would be receiving the kind of rebuke that he might never forget in his life -


    The admonishment of the Two Legendary Grand Masters of the Seirende Empire!

 Chapter 31 The Impulsive Prince

    ?Just as Grandpa Ben had instructed, Leon stayed in the study, sitting stiffly on the sofa. Soon Grandpa Andi came back and the three sat silently in the room.


    Leon was mentally preparing himself for their scolding. He could feel the beads of sweat creeply rolling on his back. He never felt the nervousness of anyone''s reprimand, mainly because he was still a part of the Imperial Family. But not towards these two grandpas.


    Although he was now a legendary S ss mage, he knew that he couldn''tpare with these two in terms of wisdom and reputation. He himself had deep admiration and reverence towards the two legends.


    Reuben Farauld, the Headmaster of the most prestigious institution in Seirende and one of the most renowned schools in the whole of Prasinos - the Farauld Magic Institute. He was also the current head of the Farauld n, the most schrly n in the empire. Their n excel the most in research and educating the younger generation, honing them in the field of magic and even academics.


    He was a S ss mage deemed as the strongest and wisest mage in the Empire. He had educated the Emperor himself in his younger years. Even his son, Eugene Farauld who was presently the strongest war hero in the empire, was known as Leon''s master in the art of war and magic devouring.


    Andvari Forgeworn, the great master of the Forgeworn n and the head of the Forgeworn Merchant Group. He was a master craftsman, a genius merchant and a Legendary Devourer. Although he was from the dwarven n, he was not to be trifled with in the area of inventing products for sale and crafting magical weapons.


    With his great talent and achievements, he was able to make the whole of Prasinos acknowledge the inborn talent of the dwarven race in crafting and forging, making the dwarves the main preference for weapon and magic item makers.


    As a Legendary Devourer, one of his notable feats was participating in the Great Battle of the Blood Valley, along with Grandmaster Reuben and thete Emperor Idelfonso - the current Emperor Valentin''s father, Leon''s grandfather.


    Together, they were the three Grand Masters of the Seirende Empire, Grandmaster Andvari, S ss Devourer, Grandmaster Reuben, S ss Mage, and Emperor Idelfonso, the legendary All Rounder, possessing the open paths constitution - a devourer, caster and summoner all in one!


    These two grandpas were histe Grandfather Emperor''s most trustedrades and dearest friends! How could he not be nervous and take their words seriously?!


    Meekly looking towards the two grandpas in front of him, Leon couldn''t help but gulp out of nervousness. He reminded himself that no matter what he would take a humble stance and honor these two grandmasters words.


    "Sigh¡­" looking towards the guilt-ridden third prince, Grandpa Andi couldn''t help but let out a heavy sigh. This young man was indeed Old Ide''s grandson, so impulsive!


    "Tsk tsk.." Grandpa Ben also seconded Grandpa Andi''s reaction thinking of the same thing. He casted a quick look towards Grandpa Andi as if saying, ''what are we gonna do?''


    Hearing their expression of disappointment Leon became so nervous that his heart beat faster, it kept pounding like the sound of the drums in a battle. He wanted to let out a word of apology but he couldn''t do so.


    "First of all Old Andi, can I just say that I am really proud of our young Eli?!" Grandpa Ben suddenlymented with a lively tone. His eyes shining bright for the pride he felt for Eli''s feat.


    "Hmm.." Grandpa Andi also nodded in agreement, as he looked towards Leon with an inspecting look on his face, showing a tinge of contained satisfaction towards the third prince.


    ''Huh? What are they talking about?'' Leon was confused about the conversation of the two grandmasters.


    "Who would have thought that the mysterious father of young Eli''s little one was none other than a member of the Imperial Family?!" Grandpa Andi continued.


    "Indeed! I was worried that some trash man woulde to find Eli and im as the father of the little one.. An imperial prince.. Not bad, not bad!" Grandpa Ben agreed with his old friend.


    "The third prince was fortunate to be Eli''s prospective husband!!!" The two kept bickering whilst chuckling.


    ''Why do I feel like my identity has been looked down upon?''


    Leon figured out the conversation as he continued to observe the two grandmasters being proud of Eli''s ''achievement'' of having him as the father of their child-to-be. His brows kept twitching as he heard the praises of the grandmasters towards Eli.


    Grandpa Ben looked towards the bbergasted Leon, and said "You must be wondering why we think that you are the one who is fortunate to be involved with Eli.."


    Leon froze. Indeed, he expected to be treated the other way around. As the prince of the great Seirende Empire, he was convinced that his identity as a prince was enough for anydy to consider him as a good husband candidate despite his unstable political power and reputation as a war freak.


    But now, it seemed like the two grandmasters value Eli more, and it was not because of personal emotions, but a grounded reason.


    "But before that, let me address first the issue at hand, let us take this slowly." Grandpa Ben suddenly turned from a jovial mood to a stern one.


    "Your highness, third prince, pardon mynguage.."


    "I wanted to let you know that you have been too impulsive.." He continued.


    Leon, finally realizing that they started to get into the matter, had replied in turn,


    "Indeed, Grand Master Andvari, Grand Master Reuben, I have no excuse for this, I am embarrassed as much as I am guilty of this."


    His head hung low in dejection, he stared towards his hand that was resting on hisp. This hand had earlier patted Eli''s head, he felt her whole body trembling as she was crying in confusion and disappointment with herself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You all know how I have lived. Upon seeing her carrying my own flesh and blood, I had hope."


    "Hope that I can finally feel the warmth of a family, a nice and normal family.."


    "Warmth I had long desired ever since I was sent to the borders to bathe in blood.."


    "Warmth after thest time my beloved Grandfather Emperor gave me a pat on the head.."


    "I was impulsive, I indeed came without a n."


    "Grandmasters, I ask for apologies and for your guidance."


    He bowed his head as he said these words in a pleading tone. The cold barbaric blood prince had been bowing too much today, all because of the desire to feel some warmth.


    "Sigh," The two grandmasters felt sympathy towards the third prince.


    They also knew of how this prince had lived. The prince was forbidden to show affection towards his Queen Mother and Father Emperor, in order topletely portrait himself as the Barbaric Blood Prince.


    This was also the same with his parents, especially the current Emperor Valentin. He forbade himself to show any kind of affection towards his son and the Second Queen in order to keep them safe from the opposing aristocratic families from the Empress and the First Queen.


    This family of three, can only show their affection and longing for each other in the Emperor''s Secret Chamber, where no one but the three of them have ess. For the third prince, who was sent to the cruel battlefield at a very young age, these abrupt and sneaky family moments were not enough to wash away the cold he felt every time he went to a battlefield.


    Thus, he was starving for familial love.


    "Grand Masters, believe me when I say, I only wanted to protect her by staying at my side¡­"


    "I am sure that you have already figured out by now that she was the Asani I rescued four years ago - the Asani of the Riverfort," the prince continued to exin.


    "She was rescued from her captor, after over ten years of merciless experimentation. We managed to rescue her, and retrieved records worth more than a decade. Only two people were able to ess these up until this day, yours truly and my Father Emperor."


    "Hmm, that was also agreed by me and His Majesty.." Grandpa Ben nodded in agreement as he continued.


    "The information tied with young Eli, the Riverfort Asani, was an extremely confidential matter. I myself have refrained from getting involved in this matter as I am not confident that the information will be safe in my institution."


    "However, the situation had changed upon getting physically involved with Eli, third prince.." Grandpa Andimented with deep worry in his eyes.


    "Indeed, that is why even though the information about her was confidential, all I can say right now there was a high possibility of being tied up with The Spectre."


    "I knew it!" Grandpa Andi eximed, he was so agitated that his little body actively stood abruptly from the sofa.


    "The day of Eli''s appearance in Silvertown, my apprentice, Randel, along with young Eli''s contracted beasts had defeated some mercenaries we suspect to be hired by The Spectre." Grandpa Andi continued, as his fist was clenched hard, his whole body trembling with anger and concern.


    Leon had a cold look in his eyes and said,


    "We have also observed suspicious people that were roaming around Silvertown, especially in Argentum, looking for pregnant women these past few days. Eighty percent of them were confirmed to be part of The Spectre, we eliminated them on the spot."


    The three men all had a sharp look in their eyes.


    Danger, immense danger is waiting ahead of Eli''s path. They went silent for a long time. Each of them were thinking of ways on how to protect Eli moving forward, now that they already have an idea on who the enemy was.


    "It was onlyst night that we were able to finally extract relevant information from all those that were captured. The Spectre had two agenda. To find an Asani and to abduct enough pregnant women." Leon continued.


    "I can understand why she was targeted because she was an Asani.. But why because of the fact that she was pregnant?" Grandpa Andi asked in confusion, he also knew of this information as they had extracted the same information on the mercenaries captured by Randel, Baobao and Wisey.


    Leon looked towards the two grandmasters with a sharp and cold look in his eyes.


    "It was because The Spectre had been the ones who regrly received the captor''s report about the experimentation."


    "This means that whatever information I have confiscated four years ago has already been known at their side all this time."

 Chapter 32 Finding The Answers 1

    ?"This means that they continued the experiments from the captor''s hypothesis and a possible development may be connected as to why they were now interested in pregnant women. Another angle was that, those pregnant women are a substitute for the extinction of the Asani n..." Leon continued exining the matter with a hint of angst in his tone.


    "Just what was in those research records that made them crazy on doing this¡­" Grandpa Ben eximed, his voice trembling in apprehension.


    "I have yet to ask permission to reopen this case from my Father Emperor, pardon me Grand Masters Reuben and Andvari," Leon exined apologetically.


    "It''s all good, let his Majesty decide regarding this matter," Grandpa Ben replied understandably. "However, I do think that this is an urgent matter to tackle, as innocent lives are in danger."


    "Indeed, Grandmaster, I have already informed Father regarding this matter. I may have to go back to the capital right after settling matters... with Lady Elise," He said in a guilty manner, as he was reminded of how he made thedy cry.


    "Speaking of that matter, how do you n on approaching this, Your Highness, Third Prince?" Grandpa Andi inquired with a worried tone,


    "Knowing that young Eli is possibly being targeted by The Spectre, for the marriage proposal¡­Your Highness,"


    "Pardon this humble one for contradicting you, but for young Eli to marry Your Highness, will force her to reveal her existence to the whole empire¡­and to The Spectre,"


    "Also, many aristocratic families would say something on this matter. They may question our young Eli''s origins. Your status as a royal prince is still an attractive power source to aristocrats."


    Grandpa Andiid his concerns down with a careful tone.


    Leon, on the other hand, listened well to what the Grandmaster was saying. His face showed focused expression, contemting the pros and cons of everything.


    Seeing that the Third Prince was considering his old friend''s opinion, Grandpa Ben also added,


    "Young Prince, you were known in the whole of the empire as a D ss devourer. Showing us that you have the abilities of an S ss mage, must mean that¡­ Your Highness possesses the same legendary constitution as yourte GrandFather.."


    "Indeed, I possess the open paths constitution." Leon confirmed.


    "Hmm.. Knowing this, Your Highness must be thinking that you have enough power to keep her from danger, that is why you impulsively requested for her hand in marriage, to keep her under your protection," Grandpa Ben looked at Leon in a reprimanding manner and continued,


    "However, Your Highness, even with this ultimate power, you must understand that it wouldn''t be enough to protect the people around you,"


    "Your highness, you couldn''t just literally stay by her side at all times. Certainly, you will need to be away to do your duties as a member of the Imperial Family. Enemies are everywhere, and they liked to strike the most when the protectors were not looking.."


    "I mean to say that marriage will not be enough as a solution... It may or may not be the best answer out there. But Your Highness, I would like to advise you to hear our young Eli''s opinion first."


    "For we are protecting her and her little one''s life because we all think that they were precious to us¡­ She has all the right to know what''s going on, and decide for herself.."


    "This is also our way of protecting her. Hearing her opinion.. Respecting her wishes, and supporting her all the way."


    Grandpa Ben very patiently voiced out his opinions on this matter.


    Observing Leon''s reaction, he could see that the third prince was listening. He couldn''t help but sigh in his heart.


    This prince is still inexperienced in matters like this. His old friend Ide had gone too soon. He was sure that if his Old Friend was alive, he would very much guide the young prince along with his brothers in matters like this.


    As Leon listened to what the Grandmasters said, he remembered his Father Emperor''s face when he was telling him that his power wasn''t enough.. No wonder he was worried about him impulsively looking for Elise.


    "My impulsiveness almost brought her more harm than good. How retarded must I be to not think of that?! It was such an obvious matter!!"


    He dejectedly blurted his thoughts out. He was so embarrassed that he held his palm towards his face. Trembling as he tried to grab his blood red hair that naturally cascaded in front of his face.


    "Your Highness, do not me yourself with this matter, please. We all here did not even know the right answers on how to approach this matter, so please do not reduce yourself to this state." Grandpa Andi, seeing the frigid prince ridicule himself, was rmed.


    Their reprimanding never intended to point me towards the prince, their aim is to guide him and Eli in approaching the matter at.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Please know that we never intended to me you on this matter. We are saying these things to Your Highness, because we wanted for you and Eli to receive enough guidance in matters such as this. In the end, we do not even desire that both of you do exactly what we say, but use our opinions to guide whatever decisions you may take." Grandpa Andi said in an earnest and gentle manner.


    Leon looked gratefully towards the two grandmasters, and still with a troubled smile he responded, "I understand, Honorable Grandmasters, thank you for your words of guidance. I ask you to continue to guide me, as well as Eli towards this matter.."


    "It is our pleasure, Your Highness, you are one of our Old Ide''s precious grandchildren. I would also like to humbly suggest that you thoroughly consult with his Majesty Emperor for his opinion." Grandpa Ben replied with kindness on his face as he was feeling nostalgic upon mentioning histe friend.


    Leon nodded as he acknowledged the grandmaster''s suggestion. At this point, he admitted in his heart that he was indeed in need of guidance on this matter.


    The rest of the conversation of the three men was about their discussion of the possible solutions on how to deal with The Spectre, and how the two grandmasters could give support in this matter.


    The grandmasters'' standpoint on these matters made Leon marvel at the wisdom and experience the two had. He found a new level of respect and reverence towards them. He also asked permission to use their opinion as an input on his proposal to his Father Emperor by the time he returned to the kingdom.


    As they had all stepped into the array with the condition of upholding the Oath of Secrecy and oath to never hurt Eli, the grandmasters also discussed relevant things about Eli that they thought would be helpful for the third prince in knowing her more.


    ''For who knows? At the end of all these uncertainties, the two might end up marrying each other right? They must at least get to know each other well~~''


    The two grandpas nced at each other with this idea in their minds. If this matter did not involve The Spectre, perhaps they themselves would push Eli to marry the prince for they think it wasn''t bad.


    As for the cunning aristocrats? Tsk! It was just an easy matter with the head of the Farauld and Forgeworn n as her support!


    Due to this, Leon learned from the two grandmasters the reason why they were fascinated towards Eli.


    One of these was the discovery of the truth behind the cursed bear, who he had already witnessed, yet in the interest of the situation, he temporarily set aside. To think that the discovery of the cursed bear as a rare species came from Lady Elise!


    As he slept through the night, he kept wondering. He regrly read the reports about her recovery and living in the Riverfort Hospital during those four years. He had the general idea of the subjects she learned under the hospital crew.


    Studying rare species wasn''t one of them.


    Another was her ability to invent things, as advanced as embedding magic on a so-called ''system''. Again, he was sure that the Riverfort hospital crew never taught her anything about this subject, and the difference between hisst encounter with her was just a matter of months.


    How in the world could she learn these things on the level of an expert that she was able to create these groundbreaking concepts on her own?


    Just what happened during the time she disappeared?


    No matter how he thought of possibilities, he couldn''t find the answer. He spent the night bothered about this and a lot of other things that were revealed today. He did not know how he managed to get some sleep despite the chaos that was keeping his mind active and heart bothered.


    --


    Morning came, and the warmth of the morning light gently filled a certain luxurious bedroom.


    Eli, who had slept deeply out of physical and emotional exhaustion, gently fluttered her eyelids open. Aftering from a very nice sleep, she woke up pretty satisfied, until she was able to fully realize where she was.


    What she first saw was the sturdy vintage bed canopy, that she would only see on animes and movies portraying the noble and royal bedrooms during the middle ages. It was simple yet elegant, with its wood carvings and smooth brown varnish. The cream colored tapestry that was used as the bed drape added to the ssic feeling of the bedroom.


    "Where am I? What happened yesterday?" Still confused, she tried to remember the things that happened, gently rubbing her temples in contemtion.


    However, before she was able to fully remember what happened, she felt a sudden movement under the fluffy quilt. A small ''bump'' suddenly moved towards her from one corner of the bed.


    Eli panicked, almost giving a loud shriek, but the ''bump'' suddenly revealed a furry head of a teddy panda.


    "Waaah master~~~ You are finally awakeeee!"


    A tearful and plump teddy Bao ran on Eli''s side, full of concern.

 Chapter 33 Finding The Answers 2

    ?"Baobao!"


    Startled by the crying furball, she proceeded tofort the distressed fluff beside her.


    "Sush, I am alright! By the way what happenedst night? I remember I cried a lot.. How did I end up here..Where are we?" She asked Baobao, still trying to remember what happened.


    It was at this moment that Wisey gracefully flew towards Eli andfortably settled on Baobao''s head, as if it was the most natural thing to do, then answered,


    "So it''s like this.. We are now in Grandpa Andi''s House¡­ Last night, you cried a lot, you cried rivers of tears, then everyone came tofort you, even the Prince too, then¡­"


    Wisey took a sudden pause and stared at Eli with a glint in her ck round eyes.


    "Then?" Eli asked curiously.


    "Then you fell asleep within the Third Prince'' arms~~~" Wisey continued with a teasing tone.


    Gasp!


    Eli was shocked with Wisey''s recount of the happeningsst night. "Did I really do that?" Blushing, she tried to still confirm with Baobao just in case Wisey was just teasing her.


    "Master master, you indeed fell asleep.. But don''t worry I protected you from that Prince Master, I beat him into carrying you to bed!" Baobao innocently answered.


    From his bawling state, he adorably sat up and ced his two paws in his furry chest. Then he lifted his head up high, feeling proud that he was able to beat the ''Prince Master'' into carrying his master to the bedroom.


    "¡­"


    Eli was startled, she tried hard to recount those things on her own, she finally felt her cheeks and ears hot in embarrassment. For it was the first time she cried in front of so many people. In her past life, she just cried when she was already alone in her room.


    But now, not only that she cried in front of so many people, she cried in front of a prince and the legendary Grand Masters of the whole empire. What''s more she bawled like a child! How embarrassing was that!


    "Ugggh, I don''t know how to face Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben now¡­" she couldn''t help but facepalm.


    "Arrrghhh what''s more, the prince!!! I don''t know how to answer him! Arggggh!" Eli''s hands then ruffled her already messy hair in panic and distress.


    Although she was able to sleep through the night, she was still unable to determine the answer to thest night''s proposal. The problems were still present and in need of answers. Theplications of the matter must still be sorted out before she would be able toe up with the right solutions.


    Still lost, she nkly stared towards the arched french windows. Praying in her heart that the Great One will give her an answer.


    "Hmm~~ It might sound crazy but, I could try searching from the book of knowledge right?"


    Eli, out of options, mentioned the book. Maybe she could do what the modern day people do, type a question on google and search for answers from a forum?


    "You can try that Eli chan! Remember that the book of knowldge contained a sliver of the Great One''s power!" Wisey, encouraged Eli to try.


    "Well who knows, I might find some guidance if not the absolute answers.." She nodded and immediately summoned the book of knowledge.


    Who knows, the question might be sent directly to the heavenly realm right? But could the heavenly realm have forums like that too? Eli couldn''t help but chuckle on her ridiculous idea.


    Although deep inside she was feeling ridiculuous, she still very seriously typed the question:


    "The Third Prince turned out to be Little Han''s father. He showed up yesterday and gave me a marriage proposal. What should I do on Elise''s behalf? Please help because I am at a loss of what to do..."


    Finally clicking the search button, the front page disyed a prompt - ''Searching for Answers¡­Please Wait. Thank you for your patience''.


    Unlike her previous searches where the results almost instantly appeared, this time her inquiry took a good few minutes for her to view the results. What she had read made her feel mixed emotions of excitement and bafflement.


    The front page automatically flipped to the next page and disyed an interface akin to a modern day inte forum. On the brownish ancient looking paper, the question she typed was printed as the page title, very auspiciously positioned at the top center. She also noticed on the top left a header saying - Ask the Heavens.


    Following text disyed the ''search answers'' from the very first beings she knew since her new life. However, the answers to the forum made her eyebrows twitch..


    --


    The Green Hansum Guardian answered:  Hmmm I don''t think it''s that bad to marry the prince. You get to wear a very beautiful tiara~~~ Oh, and you can also finally put a ring on it! *insert crown and ring emojis*


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian answered:  Huh? Is that prince guy awesome? I think I''m cooler! Nobody is cooler than me! *insert arm flex emoji*


    The Green Hansum Guardian replied to Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian:  *thumbs down emoji*


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian replied to The Green Hansum Guardian:  Heavens Sylvain! Just say that you are envious of my awesomeness! Why the thumbs down ahh????? *insert frown emoji*


    The Green Hansum Guardian replied to Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian:  Ya ya.. You are the coolest.. Your hair is the curliest! *insert smirk emoji*


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian replied to The Green Hansum Guardian:  Bro!! Who said that my hair is curly?! Leave my hair alone! *insert angry emoji*


    --<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli''s felt her head ache after reading the first few answers. "This wasn''t answers, they just turned the page into a chat box!" She said in frustration after giving herself a facepalm.


    She noticed though, that there where a few lines standing out amongst Sylvain and Zale''s bickering:


    --


    Amihan Wind Guardian answered:  Up to you. I will support. Always.


    --


    Eli let out a light chuckle. As she read this, she could clearly imagine Amihan''s youthful shy face and her adorable childish voice while saying these words. She also saw a lengthy post of the most serious guardian amongst the four.


    --


    Sky Guardian Celeste answered:


    Young one, The Great One had ordered us not to give you a definite answer. This is a journey you must take to grow as a person and a mother¡­ *insert shrug emoji* You must be having a hard time right now because you are well aware of the risk thates with every decision you are about to choose. That every answer involves risk you must choose to take. But as a guardian, let me leave you a small piece of advice..


    Choose the risk that is worth taking!


    --


    Eli took a good pause to take in Celeste''s answer.


    To choose the risk that is worth taking. The Sky Guardian''s statement does not encourage her to y it safe nor to haphazardly take the risk. Her advice meant that Eli should open up her heart and mind to see all the sides of every choice she had before she could make a good decision.


    In deciding which choices to ept, people tend to choose the one with risk they know they have the capacity to endure. Most times, it is undeniably the most sensible approach to use.


    However, there are times when people lose out because they chose the ones with the lowest risk to themselves. Not realizing that the other choices with the higher risk tend to benefit them more than that risk they thought they had fully perceived.


    "Indeed, it was a good insight, however.. I still do not have the whole picture of everything¡­" Eli uttered in contemtion.


    "I might need to talk to the Third Prince before I could properly consider things¡­ Besides, I don''t feelfortable about making the decision on behalf of Elise.."


    She was a transmigrator, the life she was living right now belonged to someone else. How impudent could she be to decide about these things! This life wasn''t her own. It was just borrowed. She felt like she could never answer anything whenever she was reminded of this fact.


    It was as if the book of knowledge had heard her words that suddenly, another answer appeared on the page:


    --


    Elise the Recuperating Soul answered: Lady Eli, you seem to be forgetting something¡­ Whose life are you living for right now? It definitely was no longer mine¡­ You cannot say that the life you are living right now isn''t yours.


    Go feel your heartbeat.. Lady Eli, it is beating not because of me, but you.


    Feel Little Han in your womb. He is alive and well because you chose to live this life that had already ended with mine.


    Lady Eli that life has already been yours. Please do not feel like you were intruding just because you are living through my body.


    Now, please choose because it is already your life that you''re living, not mine. *insert heart emoji*


    --


    A teardrop fell on the brownish page of the book of knowledge.


    She didn''t know why, but something in her being was finally set free. Maybe, ever since she had lived this new life, she always thought that she was just living on Elise''s behalf. Maybe from the first moment she woke up in Prasinos, she had the mindset that everything she would do was all for Elise, not hers.


    She forgot that what The Great One had given her was a life, and not a task. The task was just something that came with the life she was living right now. She seemed to misunderstood The Great One''s words before she left for Prasinos:


    "Your main task is to give birth and be a good mother to the little one. Do not let this be a hindrance for you not to live your life to the fullest!"


    She only seemed to have focused on the first part, not on the second. Her task of being a mom, giving birth to Little Han should never be a hindrance for her to live her life to the fullest. The Great One had established from the start that it was already her life that she was living not Elise''s.


    "Master!!!" Baobao, seeing his master crying again, cried out in rm.


    "Eli chan, are you all right?" Wisey also followed with worry in her voice.


    "I''m fine, I just felt relieved because I found some guidance on how I could decide." Eli tried to console the two. True enough, these tears weren''t out of sadness but of relief.


    Knock knock knock!


    While the trio were spending such a warm and fluffy moment, gentle knocks were heard on the door.

 Chapter 34 Queenly Accomodation

    ?"Good morning Lady Eli, this is Randel. Master wanted to check up on you if you have already woken up."


    Hearing Randel, the trio scrambled to fix their teary faces and made them look ''presentable'' to Randel who was at the doorstep.


    After tidying up, Eli responded, "I am already awake, one moment." She carefully stood up and walked towards the door, opening it.


    Randel''s cold handsome face was immediately seen, he was wearing his signature ck butler suit with the Argentum''s Insignia. He took a respectful bow with his hands gracefully ced in his chest.


    Beside him were three lovely maid''s wearing a ck and white uniform. They also respectfully bowed upon seeing Eli.


    "A pleasant morning Lady Eli, how are you feeling? Did you have a nice rest?" Randel respectfully greeted Eli.


    "Sir Randel, good morning! Thank you so much for amodating us, I had a nice sleep. Aboutst night, I am so embarrassed about what happened.." Eli gratefully reciprocated Randel''s greetings in an embarrassed manner.


    "Do not worry Lady Eli, in fact we all had been worried about your copsest night. We saw that it is best for you to spend the night here instead." Randel replied gently.


    "Also, here are the maids I have tasked to prepare you for the morning. Then after this, they will guide you on the dining hall to take your breakfast. We also arranged for you to see the doctor, to check your well being."


    Shocked by the queenly amodation, Eli replied in shyness, "Ah, Sir Randel, you don''t have to do this for me! I am already grateful enough that you and Grandpa Andi took care of me in my copse!"


    Gently shaking his head, Randel respectfully replied, "We can''t do that Mdy, considering that you are here in Argentum, you are under our care. We insist on doing these things." He then took a bow to plead with Eli to ept.


    Seeing that Randel insisted, feeling guilty, Eli gave in, "Alright Sir Randel, please take care of me. I couldn''t be more grateful."


    After saying these words the maids moved and helped Eli. Starting from the bath, up to choosing the dress to use, the maids skillfully assisted Eli prepare for the morning. This was a first and a bizarre experience for Eli.


    As a modern day woman, she could take care of herself without the help of others. But in this world and this time, it seemed like this was a normal thing to do for those who are privileged. Along the way, Eli tried tomunicate that she could bathe and dress herself to the maids.


    However, whenever she said it, the maids'' expressions were as pitiful as how Baobao would look whenever he begged Eli to y music.


    On the other hand, whenever she allowed them to assist her, they would beam happily just like how Baobao would glow whenever Eli served him his meal.


    It was not only Eli who received this care, elegant beast handlers were also assigned for Wisey and Baobao. These handlers took care of them to brush their fluffy feathers and fur, respectively.


    Wisey was so happy because her handler gave her a bell attachment on her feet. The ring it gives whenever she moved were rxing and pleasant to the ears.


    The beast handler for Baobao on the other hand, was fascinated. Prior to this, Randel had already briefed them that Baobao was not a cursed bear but a panda. He also told them that Pandas belong to a rare species of bear and the rumors about them being cursed were not true.


    The handler approached Baobao not only with the intent of taking care of him but also to fulfill his own curiosity. Carefully approaching Baobao who was already in his original size, he offered a freshly harvested carrot, while saying,


    "Mr. Panda, I''m here to also prepare you for breakfast. Please enjoy this appetizer first while I clean your fur¡­"


    Baobao, seeing the carrot, beamed in excitement and said, "Oh breakfast?! Ok ok, make it fast! Can''t wait, can''t wait!"


    "Yes, Mr. Panda!" The handler was thrilled that Baobao gave him permission, he then quickly proceeded in taking care of him. While he was brushing his fur, an ted expression can be seen in his face, like he was in the heavenly realm full of fluffiness all around.


    After finishing the morning preparations for the trio, they were led into the dining hall, where Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben were peacefully waiting. The dining hall was elegant as it was decorated with silver walls and red ornaments. The windows were alsorge, giving the room enough light for everyone who was dining.


    Seeing the trio the two legendary elders stopped their serious conversation and amicably weed Eli and the two furries to the dining table.


    "Young Eli~~ Finally you''re awake! How was your night? Did you have a good rest?" the two grandpas greeted Eli in a cheerful tone.


    "Good morning Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben, thank you for allowing us to stay here for the night, as well as taking care of us! I also apologize that I worried youst night."


    Eli gave a courteous bow of gratitude towards the two grandpas.


    "Ah, no worries no worries! Come, eat up first. I have asked them to also prepare meals for your twopanions. Comee!"


    Grandpa Andi beckoned the trio to take a seat. Eli was led into the elegant table that was ted with shining silverwares and luxurious red cemats.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Due to the size of Baobao, he was led into another table that was near the window, where he could take a glimpse of the greenery outside, making him feel morefortable while eating his bowls of freshly picked bamboo and fruits. Wisey also went with Baobao''s table as she could already see the delectable shining b of meat parked on the dining cart beside their table.


    Just like how the two furries enjoyed the thoughtful amodations and atefortably, Eli, and the two grandpas ate with a warm atmosphere. They encouraged Eli to eat more as the food they had prepared for her was meticulously prepared to nourish her pregnant body.


    While they were eating, the two grandpas cheerfully shared to Eli their exploits during their younger days. From them she came to know that the Third Prince'' Grandfather was also their dearest friend and colleague.


    By the end of the meal, as they were taking time to wait for the dessert, the two grandpa''s now opened up the topic regarding the happeningsst night.


    "Youngss, I know that the revtions fromst night has made you worried and confused as to how you will proceed with the matter concerning the Prince'' proposal¡­" Grandpa Ben opened the topic with concern in mind.


    "We talked to the prince andmunicated that the marriage at this moment might not be a good idea.." Grandpa Andi added with caution, he paused and after giving a helpless sigh, he continued,


    "What the prince said about us protecting you, this is what really happened,"


    "On the day you first visited Argentum, I asked Randel to protect you on your way home, as I had detected a group of men who maliciously waited and followed you along¡­" He paused then looked at Eli and the two furries on the other table,


    "During that time, Randel was shocked that your home happened to be in Silver Dew Forest. Toote to block the men, he was forced to take them on within the grounds of the Silver Dew Forest. However, he couldn''t go all out in apprehending them as you know, there is a treaty between the Seirende Empire and the Silver Dew Elves regarding killings."


    "Fortunately, your brave and reliable contracted beasts, Baobao and Wisey came to the battlefield and assisted Randel in defeating them. Due to their cooperation, we were also able to extract some clues as to why they targeted you.."


    Although Eli had been mentally and emotionally prepared to hear the details about the danger, she was still shocked that the two furries were also involved. It seemed like everyone was protecting her, without her knowing anything! She couldn''t help but clench her first in frustration as she realized how weak she was.


    Sensing the frustration from Eli, Grandpa Ben then tried tofort her while he continued his old friend''s story,


    "I know you feel frustrated about knowing this just now, but young Eli, the reason why we kept you from the dark was because we stillck information about why you were targeted."


    "It might just be because of an isted case or a part of a much greater scheme as an Asani, that was why we felt that it was crucial not to rm you and to protect you from the dark, until enough information could be obtained."


    "So old Andi here, immediately contacted me that night, persuaded me to give you assistance and protection, that is why I am here. We thought that the forces would not be able to trace you once I had given you the ultimate protection, however, who would have thought that the Prince, who was known to be a D ss devourer, turned out to be an S ss mage!"


    "D ss devourer? S ss mage.. Does he possess a rare constitution?" This information caught Eli''s interest amidst her chaotic heart.


    "Indeed! The Prince actually possess the same constitution histe grandfather had! My theory is that the initial assessment was actually because it was only his first awakening at that time... Anyways, due to this, the happeningsst night ensued, leaving you inplete panic and fatigue."


    "However, after your copse, we had continued our conversation with the prince and we were finally able to get some important information!"


    !!!


    Eli felt agitation as she heard that there might be some answers from one of her many questions in mind.


    "Young Eli, the attempt to abduct you was most probably connected to a sinister organization known as The Spectre!"


    "The Specter was a mysterious organization who were filled by mages, devourers and summoners obsessed with sinister magic practices. They were known to worship evil and did many things to experiment and spread corrupted mana all over Prasinos."


    "After our old friend Ide, thete emperor, father to the current Emperor Valentin and the third prince'' grandfather, obtained victory during the Great Battle on the Blood Valley, they seemed to havepletely disappeared from Seirende Empire."


    "However they once again had surfaced on one event, that was the case of the Riverfort Asani, which was you, young Eli."


    It was at this moment that Eli''s eyes red in angst and agitation.


    The Spectre!


    The ones who made Elise''s life miserable! The ones who caused Elise''s life to be a living hell!


    "They were the ones responsible for capturing me?" she said in a shuddering hoarse voice.


    "Yes, young Eli, it was them who caused you to spend your entire childhood in captivity." Grandpa Ben also responded with resentment in his tone.

 Chapter 35 Meeting Again

    ?The warm atmosphere of the dining room became dark and tense.


    Even Baobao and Wisey who were happily enjoying the food had sensed hatred and resentment from their master.


    Worried that it her reactions may be too detrimental, Grandpa Andi tried to calm everyone''s mood and said,


    "Now, now.. This isn''t the time to think about the dark past, what we need to think about now is how do we proceed into savoring this dessert~~"


    He gently waved his little hands towards the decadent mixed berry mousse cake beautifully ted with fresh berries and crushed nuts.


    Eli understood Grandpa Andi''s intention and proceeded calming down herself, by giving a taste of the well prepared dessert.


    Taking a spoonful, Eli couldn''t help but savor the symphony of vors in her mouth, as all the berries were well blended with the light and airy cream. The fresh berries tickled Eli''s taste buds,plemented by the varying texture of the cookie base, crushed nuts and mousse.


    "Desserts are powerful!" She said in amazement and satisfaction. Her eyes went wide and round as enjoy every spoonful.


    The two elders gave a light chuckle seeing the youngss enjoyed her food without a care. "Good to know that you liked it!"


    "Yes, yes, now I feel that all the stress were gone and I feel like I have a clear head now, hehehehe." Eli responded with a somewhat mischievous tone. Finally adjusting her emotions she proceeded back to the main matter again.


    "Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, thank you for voicing out your opinions to the Prince. Just like what you were thinking, I also share the same opinion."


    "A marriage with the prince will bring me more danger now." She said in a more serious tone and continued,


    "First, it would be tantamount to announcing my whereabouts to The Spectre and who knows, they might also be interested in my Little Han.." She clenched her fist and she could imagine the great danger ahead for her unborn Little Han.


    "Second, I will be forced to participate in a political battle should the Prince be subjected to pressure by the nobility. My identity and background will cause immense ridicule and pressure towards the Prince and the Imperial family."


    The two men nodded towards Eli''s opinion and were impressed that she had taught this far for the issue at hand.


    "However, Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben¡­ even if I run away from the Prince I will also be taking a lot of consequences...


    "First and the most important one is, I will be depriving Little Han of a childhood without a father, knowing that the Prince was willing to take his responsibility as a father to him."


    "Next was the fact that I couldn''t protect myself and Little Han if I chose to live alone."


    "Hmm, hmm indeed indeed, although do not forget the fact that Old Ben and I will be doing our best to protect you too. You have the Forgeworn and Farauld n standing beside you in this struggle!"


    Grandpa Andi dered with a resolute expression. Grandpa Ben also acknowledged with a beaming smile and a nod of confirmation.


    Touched by the elders'' unrelenting support, she gave a grateful smile and replied,


    "Grandpas, I couldn''t be grateful enough with your support and protection. However, I think you would also agree to my desire to be stronger to protect myself.."


    She took a pause, lovingly caressed her baby bump and looked tenderly towards Baobao and Wisey at the other table.


    "To keep my little household alive and standing, at least until greater helpes."


    "We also think that you need to do that. But s! Your grandpas were not summoners! We have summoners in our ranks but I don''t think they are strong enough for us to be relieved." Grandpa Ben affirmed Eli''s statement.


    "However, the Creator has been kind to us and let us know of one person strong and qualified enough to help you increase your strength as a summoner!" Grandpa Andi added with excitement on his face.


    "A strong summoner? Who might this person be?" Seeing Grandpa Andi''s excitement, she couldn''t help but be curious.


    "You will know soon~~ Hahahahaha!" Grandpa Benughed mischievously.


    Eli''s curiosity was immediately quenched. She gave a sigh of disappointment.


    Shaking his head in surrender, as he saw his friend having a good time teasing the young one, Grandpa Andi thoughtfully gave Eli a little spoiler, "You maybe meeting this person after you get your health checked!"


    "I see, I see. I''m curious and definitely excited to meet this summoner!" Eli replied, still savoring the dessert in front of her.


    The two grandpas looked at each other with a knowing nce, their faces almost red in holding theirughter.


    The rest of the meal time was another round of discussion regarding the household water pressure and heating system invented by Eli. It ended well and the two grandpas were excited again about what would happen in this project.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli suggested that the grandpas inform her in advance of the inquiries they have prior to visiting her household in theing days, for her to prepare a ''paper'' exining their questions.


    She wanted to also know how deep was the knowledge of the Elite Schrs of the Farauld Magic Institute in terms of science and technology.


    After the meal Eli was led into the same study area they had metst night, to meet the doctor and receive medical advice. As her identity was sensitive she had been activating her veiling spell ever since she went out of the room.


    However, Randel informed her that in order to get treatment from the doctor, one would have to deactivate all types of concealment magic before receiving a medical treatment because of the risk of misdiagnosis.


    Randel assured her, however, that revealing her identity to that person was safe.


    Trusting Randel, Eli deactivated her veiling spell. As she did this, she saw the activation of the familiar array requiring anyone who entered, give an oath of secrecy and an oath not to harm Eli.


    ''No wonder they said that it was safe.'' Eli thought.


    After the activation, the two grandpas along with Randel entered the study. Behind them was a very familiar person.


    "Azayn?!" Eli eximed with wide eyes. She was so shocked that her mouth stayed open for a good few seconds.


    "Wh-why are you here? Howe?!" Eli couldn''tprehend what was happening. She knew that elves prefer not to interact with humans, so it was a big question for her why Azayn is here in Silvertown.


    Azayn on the other hand was not surprised as she already expected to see Eli. Instead she gave a teasing chuckle and said, "Of course I will be here! At first, I was surprised that uncles Andi and Ben requested for me. When I knew that it was you whom I had to check, I dly came!!!!"


    "Well young Eli, this girl Azayn is also our friend. Although the elves do not like to interact with humans, we are part of this rare exception!" Grandpa Ben exined. He then beckoned Azayn to take a closer look at Eli.


    In truth the grandpas were equally shocked that Azayn so willingly and immediately epted their request upon knowing that it was Eli. They wondered how Eli got the favor of the elves. But upon long contemtion, they attributed it to the fact that the elves, just like them are lover of new knowledge which Eli had.


    Without dy, Azayn immediately checked Eli''s condition while she thoughtfully said,


    "I heard you copsedst night? I''ll remind you again, it is crucial not to get too emotional as it will put stress on your body and Little Han. Please.."


    "Uhmm, sorry. I''ll be careful next time." Eli replied docily.


    Azayn diligently checked Eli''s condition and determined that there was nothing rming to note. Little Han''s heart beat remains at a normal level and Eli''s pulse was also within the normal range.


    After the procedures, Azayn stayed for a while and talked with the rest of the people in the study. She came to know about Eli''s project and pleaded Eli to allow her to alsoe and participate. Clinging like a child, begging her mom to buy her ice cream.


    Eli reminded her that other humans would be involved in the process and interaction with them was highly probable. This caused Azayn to be sulky and disappointed.


    Although she wanted to gain new knowledge, her fear of interacting with humans other than the exempted ones remained unbearable.


    Taking pity on her desire, Eli promised to exin it to her on one of her visits and show her the drafts and eventually the final product. Hearing this Azayn beamed in excitement once again.


    Soon Azayn bid her goodbyes to Eli and went with Randel to transport back to the Elven Vige through a portal. Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben then went on with their morning activities for their business and institute, respectively.


    In the meantime, they advised Eli to stay a little more and make herselffortable in the study while waiting for the summoner teacher to arrive. There were a lot of books in Grandpa Andi''s study, most of them were about crafting magical items, history and geography.


    However, Eli wasn''t attracted yet with these subjects as she needed to dedicate this spare time right now in knowing one thing - who was the Third Prince!


    Immediately summoning the book, she searched who the Third Prince was, praying that it wasn''t marked as ssified information from the heavens. Soon, the book of knowledge gave her the information she needed regarding the Prince background.


    The information that the book of knowledge gave was akin to how the modern inte would disy information about a public figure. She also noticed that the information disyed was color coded. She tried to figure out what it meant.


    Public information will be printed in ck text and gged if there were more than twenty people who knew of the information.


    Exclusive information about the prince was colored in cyan blue. It could be gged if there were at least ten people other than the prince who knew of the information. Once the information was known to more than twenty it will be ressified as public information.


    Any lesser than ten was considered private information and would be marked as ssified by the heavenly realm. It was so to prevent usage of this information to distort the ones destiny to the searcher''s advantage.


    After Eli figured out the meaning of the different ssification of information, she engrossed herself in to reading the avable info about the Prince.


    "Leon Andrae De Seirende.."

 Chapter 36 Bamboozled!

    ?"Leon Andrae De Seirende..


    Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, son of the current Emperor Valentin and the Second Queen Teh.


    Actually good in ying musical instruments because of his admiration he had towards his Queen Mother''s musical prowess.


    Loves meat the most, but still tries to hide it from his aides and servants.


    Ridiculed by the aristocrats because of the Second Queen''s humble origins and his low magical aptitude. Oftenpared with the first and second prince who were born from high ranking nobility and excellent aptitudes.


    Mistreated by the opposing nobles and their children, he was viewed no different from an illegitimate child.


    Forced to train as a warlord starting from a very young age of seven, up until hising of age at fifteen.


    Upon hising of age, he participated in several wars and battles. His victories earned him the reputation as the Barbaric Blood Prince."


    Eli little by little came to know and understand the Third Prince background. Upon knowing his childhood, she felt sympathy towards him.


    ''No wonder he had a cold demeanor and was socially awkward, he basically spent his childhood in the warzone.''


    Both the Prince and Elise had a very dark childhood. As to her, she was fortunate to have a redeemed childhood when her mum took her in. The days she spent with her were filled with warmth and love, enough to wash away the heartache of being an unwanted child.


    Despite the sympathy, Eli chose not to let her guard down.


    Whether the prince''s personality reflects his reputation as the Barbaric Blood Prince, she wanted to see it with her own eyes and discover. She continued to read through his basic information, and came to know who his teacher was, as well as his notable battles.


    But she noticed that the information about him being an S ss mage was not included in the avable information.


    "Huh? This means that there were only less than ten people who knew of this information?!"


    Counting herself, Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben and most probably Randel, that already amounted to four people. She couldn''t believe that the Prince was able to hide this fact even though he had been living in the cruel battlefield.


    "How strong was he to actually endure not revealing his great gift?"


    Eli couldn''t help but ponder. If he was a warlord, how was he able to conceal his real abilities while leading an army? How about his trusted confidants?


    Suddenly a thought came to her mind,


    "ss D devourer, ss S Mage¡­ Open Paths.. Summoner! Of course!!" Eli eximed in self ridicule. She ced a palm on her forehead.


    How could she not figure it right away? The summoner that the grandpas were talking about was none other than the Third Prince!


    "No wonder the two grandpas looked so constipated while they saw me excited about the summoner!" She had been bamboozled!


    "They were holding theirughter!! Ahh!!!" Eli blurted out in embarrassment, as she gently pped her palm on her forehead.


    As if it was perfectly timed, a knock was heard at the door.


    Eliposed her embarrassed self and responded, "Come in!" Specting that the visitor was the Prince, she immediately tried her best to calm down.


    Soon the door was opened. Granpa Andi and Grandpa Ben''s smug faces peaked at the door and said in perfect coordination,


    "Young Eli~~ We brought you the great summoner we have been talking about!"


    "Please be well acquainted with each other~~~"


    After they said these teasing words, they yfully pushed the third Prince, who wore a stiff expression, inside the study then scurried away from the room. Eli was left stunned, twitching her eyebrows.


    Relenting to the situation, she looked towards the Prince.


    Just as Eli first saw his appearance, his striking blood red hair and sharp crystal blue eyes were both cold and valiant. When their eyes met, she could clearly feel the stiffness and awkwardness towards each other.


    ''Not good, we will be staring at each other for the whole day!'' Eli thought as she figured out that the Prince stayed frozen near the entrance.


    She carefully stood up and gave a little bow and greeted him, "Eli, greets His Highness, Third Prince.."


    As she was doing this, she expected that the prince would still be standing near the entrance but she immediately felt two stiff hands on her shoulders and a low concerned voice saying,


    "Free Lady, please do not bother to greet me this way. You are with a child, do not mind me. Instead, take care of your health." With his stiff hands Leon guided Eli to carefully sit on the chesterfield sofa.


    ''Mother said that pregnant women often suffer from back pain,'' Leon thought while roamed around the study looking for something like a pillow for support. His eyes stopped on a throw pillow nearby and gently put it behind Eli''s back.


    Eli was surprised by the considerate gesture, from the moment that the Prince stopped her from taking a bow, to affixing a pillow on her lower back, her mind went nk. She didn''t really know how to react.


    It was the first time she experienced the care of a gentleman. She could feel her heart rate increase and her face heating up because the close proximity to the prince made her self conscious.


    "Uhmm, thank you.. Third Prince.." she awkwardly expressed her gratitude for the prince''s thoughtfulness.


    "You do not have to worry, Lady Elise. It is my responsibility to look after your well being."


    The prince replied with his low maic voice. He then proceeded to sit opposite Eli''s chair and kept afortable distance.


    Another staring contest and awkward silence ensued.


    Eli was having a mental battle in her head, ''What to do?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Back then, she had no qualms in keeping a conversation with a male client during a business meeting. However, she found herselfcking in interaction skills towards the prince.


    She couldn''t help but feel ufortable especially that ''she'' had such a juicy past with him. But she must not let this day over with them staring at each other! She missed her warm and cozy cottage already!


    "Uhmm Prince!"


    "Mi Lady!"


    It seemed like they were both thinking of the same thing.


    "No, you go first, Your Highness.." Eli immediately said with determination in her eyes.


    ''It is much better to hear the Prince first,'' she thought.


    "This.. First I wanted to apologize for my rash actionsst night.." Seeing Eli insisting that he go first, Leon braved himself to ask for Eli''s pardon over the things that happenedst night.


    "No.. I don''t dare me you, Your Highness.." Eli immediately replied.


    "In fact, it was really a surprise to me that you didn''t reject Little Han''s existence¡­" She caressed her womb lovingly and continued,


    "I already knew inside my heart that you wanted to embrace the responsibility you have with Little Han.. It''s just that, I didn''t know that there were so manyplications around me, that I didn''t know how to respond correctly¡­" She said in a dejected manner.


    "Little Han¡­" Leon uttered in a trance.


    "Yes, I gave the little one a nickname, Little Han. So regardless of Little Han''s gender, it would still go well.." She said shyly, then looked towards the Prince,


    "I hope you don''t mind?"


    "No, it was a lovely name of endearment. Have you thought of a name yet?"


    Leon responded gently, if one would look closely, they would notice that the corners of his lips were slightly curved upwards. A hint of a faint smile could be seen from the frigid Barbaric Blood Prince.


    "Y-yes, it was actually Johann or Johanna. It will be given ording to Little Han''s gender." Eli replied with a bright smile,


    "It means, God is Gracious." She added.


    Leon took a long look towards Eli''s smiling face, as she was saying the meaning of the name behind their unborn child. He suddenly remembered the scene when he, himself, gave Elise her own name with simr meaning, connected to the Creator.


    ''Back then, her eyes were filled with darkness and grief. Now, how bright her face is!'' He thought to himself feeling relief.


    "It was a good name that you have chosen," He confirmed, this time with a visible smile on his face.


    Eli was mesmerized by the Prince''s smiling face.


    The third prince was blessed with such an undeniable attractive face that even with his cold demeanor and barbaric reputation, no women in the Empire nor Prasinos could keep themselves from admiring his beauty.


    But the moment he smiled.


    It was two times, no, maybe ten times more attractive than his normal cold expression. It was like a pure flower blooming at the center of a deste ce. It will leave anyone in wonder - why does it not bloom so frequently to fill the barrennd with such beauty and purity?


    Eli''s trance was broken by the prince''s voice, along with his signature serious expression,


    "I still wanted to apologize to you.. For not finding you right away.. For not being there in your struggle of being pregnant with our child, and for giving you a sudden shock of a hasty marriage proposal.."


    Leon guiltily met Eli''s eyes and continued, "The Creator knows how much I wanted to make it up to the both of you¡­ But as inexperienced as I am, it turned into a messy situation."


    Eli didn''t interrupt the prince, but instead looked at him earnestly. As far as she is concerned, the Prince was an upright person, based on how he helped Elise redeem thest four years of her life.


    What she was doubting right now were his intentions and ns towards their awkward rtionship. How far was he willing to go when he said that he would take responsibility, she wanted to know.


    Seeing that Eli kept listening to his words he continued voicing out what was on his mind,


    "Of all people here in the Empire, I was the one of the people who understood the danger behind your identity as an Asani. Even after that fateful night, my intent to protect you still exists and only intensified because of our Little Han."


    "I have heard the grand master''s opinion about how marriage right now is definitely a disadvantage. I have also spoken with my Queen Mother and Father Emperor who were sharing the same opinion as them."


    "However, Free Lady.. I don''t know why.. But I couldn''t picture myself out of the family you and Little Han are about to build!"


    "I couldn''t take it.."


    He looked towards Eli, his crystal blue eyes glistened with deep fervor. His first clenched so tightly that veins could almost pop out, whilst trembling.


    "Let me in¡­ Lady Elise, Little Han.." His voice quivered in pleading.


    "Apologies for my selfish desire, my stubborness are to me.."


    "For after thinking through itst night,


    After deeply considering my parents and the grandmaster''s opinion,


    After knowing the dangers that would be around¡­


    I still think that our marriage was inevitable¡­"

 Chapter 37 Scary!

    ?Eli was shocked by the Prince''s standpoint. She was not expecting that the Prince would remain firm with his decision in marrying her.


    She was a woman before she was a mother.


    For her, marriage was no joke. It was something that she viewed sacred, especially that she was born out of an extramarital affair. She saw the advantage of being legally married and the ugly side of it, when infidelityes.


    She was left in deep thinking, how to protect Little Han from this? Elise had also reminded her to live for herself. The guardian Celeste advised her to take the risk that is worth taking.


    Eli looked towards the prince, her face serious but uncertain, "Your Highness, I understand your concern but I have my own¡­"


    "Please do voice it out, I need to hear yours. Marriage requires consent of both parties. That, I fully understand." The prince replied earnestly.


    "Then pardon my impudence, Your Highness. But I don''t think I am ready for this. Putting aside the dangers regarding my identity, it has something to do with my personal take in marriage."


    "Your highness, it may be an unpopr opinion, but I view marriage as a union of two people romanticallymitted with each other. They are not binded my political agenda nor moral responsibility."


    "Between the two of us, there was no love in between."


    "Apologies if I may look a bit ambitious, but I too want to experience love." She said sincerely.


    "If I choose to ept your proposal then what if the timees that Your Highness and I found the ones who we really love? I hate to be subjected to infidelity. I stand by it."


    "Between us there is only Little Han and nothing more. It is best to be friends and co-parents to him. Rest assured that I won''t take away your rights to be a father to Little Han."


    "So please forgive me, but I could only respectfully decline your proposal."


    ''Friends? Co-parents?'' The prince was confused, he had never heard of couples who had been expecting a child not to be bound by marriage.


    Be it the legal wife or a concubine, they mustmit to some kind of intimate rtionship such as this. Unless, the woman runs away to have a peaceful life, to the point that their existence would never be remembered.


    Insisting to be friends and co-parents was never an option. It was unheard of! The prince furrowed his eyebrows in deep thinking.


    What he wanted was to be part of the family.


    What she wanted was a family bound by love.


    Both were hard to reach, but aren''t impossible.


    He looked towards Eli and remembered that ''she'' actually had only lived for four years in the real world. It was normal for her to dream of experiencing a lot of things.


    ''Well, I too hadn''t experienced a lot even in my almost thirty years of living,'' he thought mockingly. ''Then, why not give it a try now?''


    A glow appeared in his eyes. Romantic love, he wonders how that feels. Being a father, being a husband. An overflowing excitement made his chest warm.


    Leon looked towards Eli with his crystal blue eyes glowing and a subtle excitement in his dead cold face,he said,


    "A marriage with love... Let''s do it!"


    "Ehh? Your Highness, didn''t you hear what I said earlier? There is no love between us.." Eli was bbergasted but still tried to reason out with the prince due to respect.


    "Yes, so we will put love in between!" The prince dered straightforwardly, as if it was a matter of fact.


    "P-putting love between us? How would that even work?" Eli was now stressed as she massaged her temples in distress.


    "You said we will be friends first, then what''s next.. Oh! We be lovers, then we be husband and wife! Easy!" The prince said, with all seriousness in his face.


    Eli couldn''t even connect the stubborn prince in front of her to the same man that gave Elise the kindness and security, that fateful night, nor to his reputation as a Barbaric Blood Prince.


    "But Your Highness, how about the dangers from the Spectre, from the Empire?" Eli didn''t want to relent that easy.


    She decided to still follow Celeste''s advice. Were the risks in having a marital rtionship with the prince worth taking?


    The prince took a sudden pause, his frigid demeanor came back as he said in deep thinking,


    "First, I must help you train your summoner skills, the elders were right. I will not always be by your side. So you need to have strength to protect yourself. I, myself, will teach you."


    "Next, is to think of a way to try to distract the Spectre in focusing their resources in finding you. But as of this moment, I have yet to think of any other ways except to target their sources of ie which were the illegal ck markets happening in the borders of Seirende."


    "Last, is to temporarily hide your identity, but only until I fully destroy the Spectre and eliminate the dangers around you and our Little Han. This one... my heart aches, for I now know how suffocating it is to live hiding who you really are."


    Even with his frigid and serious demeanor, sadness could be seen on Leon''s crystal blue eyes. He too had to hide the fact that he was a person with high aptitude.


    When Eli heard of the prince''s n, gave a nod of confirmation as she could also only think of these things. But one thing interested her the most,


    "To distract the Spectre.. Hmmm.. it might sound ridiculous but I have an idea. However, I would really need Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi in this matter." Eli said in contemtion.


    "You called us~~~?" Two teasing voices were heard towards the door, surprising the two youngsters.


    "Ehh?! I thought that this array does not allow eavesdropping?" Eli blurted out in shock. She casted a questioning look towards the prince.


    Seeing Eli with an innocent and dumbfounded expression Leon couldn''t help but chuckle. He found it cute to still see a childish side of ''her'' as she had always been showing a demeanor of an independent mature woman ever since yesterday.


    "Indeed, one couldn''t, but not the makers of the array." He said with a faint smile on his face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ohh.. I see, I see. Then maybe we can call them.. Only if you don''t mind?" Eli suggested.


    "I don''t mind, for I have already said my heart out." the Prince said meaningfully.


    Eli couldn''t help but take a gulp as she could feel the Prince''s stubbornness about the marriage.


    To ease herself, she decided to call her ultimate anti-prince shields.


    "Grandpas you cane in.."


    Immediately the door opened, the two grandpas'' heads peaked from the outside. "Do you need us?" They said in a yful tone.


    Eli with her brows twitching answered, "Yes grandpas, it''s about dealing with those forces."


    "Oh!!!" Hearing that it was about The Spectre, the two grandpas became serious and attentive. They hastily entered the room.


    "Let''s hear what this is about.." They said with their game faces on.


    "It''s like this, I havemunicated with Lady Elise about how to deal with the dangers should we push the marriage between us¡­" Leon took the initiative to exin the ideas he had to the two grandmasters.


    Seeing the grandmasters nod in approval, Leon felt relief, and continued, "Lady Eli was also about to propose an idea that greatly needs your participation."


    "Ohhh! What do you have in mind, young Eli?" The two grandpas asked in unison, their faces glowing in excitement as they expected another out of this world ideae out of Eli''s proposal.


    Eli didn''t mind the agitation of the two grandpas, however, she still proposed her idea with great uncertainty,


    "I am not actually sure if it will distract The Specter.. It is more likely to confuse them.."


    She looked towards the three men who had their attentions focused on her, as she hesitantly continued,


    "It is to normalize having ck hair. We willunch the first ever ck hair industry..."


    The three men froze with wide eyes, "B-ck hairindustry? Normalizing ck hair?!"


    "Young Lass, H-how will we even do that? If anyone wanted to change their hair color they could just use magic,"


    Grandpa Ben said in uncertainty. It was yet again an out of this world idea. However, if one would want to change their hair color, one would just use magic.


    "Indeed, and also I have not heard of ck hair being a trend." Grandpa Andi, the business man in the group, also voiced his concern.


    "That''s exactly what I wanted to target. Changing natural hair color without the use of magical items.. Our target market is the middle ss and the lower nobles." Eli exined her standpoint.


    "The middle ss and the lower nobles wouldn''t want to spend lots of Shinies just to have their hair color or appearance change. That is why we offer to them a natural way to do it. It is perfect for just attending balls and banquets." She continued.


    "As for starting the trend for ck hair, this is the hardest part. We need to market it to people who are popr enough to start the trend. Most preferably, they must be a fashion icon." Eli uttered in contemtion.


    "We first need someone to establish that having ck hair is also beautiful.."


    The three men were shocked upon the details of Eli''s proposal.


    Indeed, middle ss and lower nobles would be the perfect target market for the hair color industry. The higher nobles and royals wouldn''t mind buying lots of magical items to enhance their appearances, but the middle and lower ss would!


    "I understand, but how do we make the human hair ck?" Grandpa Andi asked in curiosity.


    "Hehehehe," Eli let out an evilugh, she picked up a certain ''book'' from her space pouch then opened it.


    She seemed to pause in the table of contents page trying to locate the exact page she wanted. Then she opened a certain page from the ''book'' and showed it to the men.


    "These two nts are what we need. We are going to create a natural hair dye!" Eli said proudly.


    The three men examined the contents of the page. It showed two nts and its properties.


    "Henna and Indigo?" Grandpa Ben was shocked.


    These two nts were just considered asmon shrubs in Prasinos! Who would have thought that it could be used to change hair color?!


    "But Lady Elise, if this would be released in the Empire it would only let the Spectre know that this is a scheme to provoke them." Leonmented on the idea with worry.


    The two grandpas also took a sudden pause. It was as the prince said. This would definitely provoke the Spectre to concentrate their hard search within the Empire. The three men looked towards Eli seeing if she was discouraged.


    Contrary to what they expected, what they saw was an evil smile and schemeful expression on Eli''s beautiful face while she was saying,


    "Who said that it will be released in Seirende?! We will release it from the far east! Slowly spreading to the nearby empires, until it reached Seirende, up to the west! Hehehe..."


    The grandpas and the prince were shocked at Eli''s deration.


    Her expression was like she was scheming on spreading some kind of epidemic throughout the whole Prasinos. At this moment they only thought of one thing, right now Eli is definitely,


    "Scary!"

 Chapter 38 Bringing A Lady Home

    ?"Cough!" Although the three men were shocked, they still tried topose themselves in front of Eli.


    Especially the Prince, he was the one who was shocked the most with Eli''s proposal.


    No wonder the grand masters liked her a lot. Her ideas were not heard off. He was really curious where she had learned of these ideas.


    "It is indeed a good idea young Eli! Do not worry, I will immediately mobilize my people to look for these two nts." Grandpa Andi immediately offered to take action.


    "Ahh.. No hurry Grandpa Andi. These are just the concepts first. Give me time to make a formal paper for this one." Eli said in a hurry.


    In truth she was already thinking of developing synthetic hair dye as a more fool proof way of bypassing The Spectre''s detection. Butmunicating it out came too early that all she could do was to introduce the most ancient hair dying practice on the modern earth for the meantime - Henna hair dyeing.


    "I must create a detailed proposal for you, before we could decide if this is possible. I could pass it on to you the day you visit my dwelling," Eli said in a smile.


    "Ohh, you are referring to that document simr to the water pressure and heating system?" Grandpa Ben said with a twinkle in his eyes.


    He really liked the way Eli made her thesis. He wanted the way the study was written to be implemented in the institute too. ''Very schrly, very systematic!''


    "Yes, a paper just like that! But unlike the previous, this one will be more of a feasibility study, as we are creating a brand new industry!" Eli said smilingly.


    "Oh then we should wait! Haha! I am thrilled to see what you will give us!"


    It was now Grandpa Andi''s turn to get excited, as he said with a chuckle of satisfaction. With a feasibility study, he would have a good view of the return on investment for this venture!


    Seeing the two grandpas rejoice yet again for the new found knowledge, Eli couldn''t help but give a helpless smile. ''It seems like I have to buy more paper before I go home.''


    Leon was also affected by the cheeriness of the atmosphere. Deep inside, he was also curious about the effectiveness of Eli''s idea. It wouldn''t hurt to try.


    ''If the grand masters couldn''t help, I would.'' He decided for himself.


    "So¡­" After the hype created by Eli''s new idea, the grandpas came back to their previous yful demeanor.


    "Seeing that you have been nning to deal with the Spectre, have youe to terms on the matter between you two?" The elders asked the two with their hands lighty covering their mouths, deeply emphasizing their naughty nces.


    "Yes, honorable grandmasters!" Leon answered, he seriously looked towards Eli and continued,


    "We decided to put Lo-"


    "We decided to be friends first!"


    Eli immediately interjected, not minding her serious breach of etiquette. She must not cause any more uncertainty by letting the Prince announce ''a marriage bound with love'' to the grandpas.


    "Am I right, your highness???" Eli casted a nervous nce towards the Prince.


    Seeing the panicked Eli, Leon was amused. Understanding her desperation, he said while responding to Eli''s nce with a smirk of victory,


    "Yes we will be friends first. We need to take our time in thinking through the future. For now, we are officially ''friends''."


    The two grandpas didn''t notice the ambiguous interaction between the two as they were actually shocked by the oue. ''The Prince was actually this calm when his marriage proposal was rejected?''


    However, they couldn''t agree less with this oue.


    There were more pressing matters to do, from preparing to safeguard and deter the threats from the Spectre, to the preparation for Little Han''s birth. Dealing with theplexities of marriage could actually be more detrimental for the youngsters.


    They were actually not concerned about Little Han''s status. The blood of a Seirende was undeniable. It will be acknowledged even if there were many who would feel negative towards it. For this was the Empire''sw.


    The rest of the conversation was regarding the additional questions of Eli regarding the Spectre and her requesting some additional items to prepare her going back to the household.


    With the prince around and the Spectre lurking, the grandpas suggested that Eli be escorted home by the Prince. They also suggested that the teleportation array in Eli''s house should be enhanced and connected to at least the Argentum, which Eli allowed.


    Since the Argentum was seemingly on surveince by the unknown forces, the trio along with the prince used the teleportation array in Argentum to jump in the Seirende Central Bank Branch of Silvertown.


    This was because Leon, as a member of the royal family, was authorized to go there.


    There were quarters prepared for each member of the current members of the Imperial Family, all with a portal connected to it. Thus, they could use it to their advantage, bypassing the Spectre''s observers.


    --


    On the Third Prince''s Quarters, a dazed Olivier was nkly sitting on a guard''s chair. Obviously bored and hungry from frantically waiting for the Prince toe back, he sulkily rested his chin on the palm of his right hand.


    ''The Prince had dragged me here in Silvertown out of nowhere searching for a pregnant Asani. Yesterday, we finally found some leads and I diligently went to the far end of Silvertown to investigate the two leads.''


    ''Who would have thought that he would leave me behind and forget me, his poor subordinate.'' Olivier gave a sigh with his inner self crying.


    As soon as he confirmed that the two possible targets weren''t an Asani, he immediately notified the Prince of a negative result through the notification slips the Prince gave him. However the only reply he received was ''Got it, back to post.''


    So he immediately went back to the bell tower they previously stationed and waited¡­ for an entire night for the prince to show up.


    Stressed with theck of sleep and the coldness of the night, he was hesitant to defy the Prince''s orders. However, with no signs of the Princeing back, he decided to use thest notification paper to ask if something happened. What he received as a reply was,


    ''Oh, back to quarters.'' Olivier shed a single tear. His Highness was so ruthless to forget him, making him vigil through the night on the cold bell tower.


    With almost no energy left, Olivier dragged himself back to the Third Prince''s quarters in the Seirende Central Bank - Silvertown branch.


    When he got to the Prince''s quartersmon room, what he saw¡­ was the Prince staring intensely at the mirror, with a grave expression in his face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''He seemed troubled¡­ and not in the mood.'' Olivier took a gulp, he was nning to voice out his heartache towards the Prince forgetting him, but decided to keep it for himself.


    ''His expression did not look good..'' He thought nervously, then he started to think if he had done anything wrong yesterday.


    ''Could it be that me staying in the bell tower for the whole night was a punishment for the wrong results yesterday???'' Cold sweats slowly dripped down on his exhausted back.


    He decided to be meek towards the cold Prince and stiffly greeted him,


    "Your subordinate, Olivier, greets you a pleasant morning, Your Highness!"


    Hearing the greetings, the cold Prince looked towards his direction and frigidly said, "Oh, you''re here. Come closer."


    ''Oh heavens help me! Please pardon my sins and shower mercy on me!''


    Olivier was in so much panic, thinking that he was about to receive more punishment from the Prince, he started to pray to the heavens.


    The distance between him and the Prince was only a few meters, however, he wished that it was a thousand miles!


    Trying to hide his shaking, he robotically walked closer to the Prince. When he reached afortable distance, he kept his head bowed and eyes tightly closed.


    Clenching his teeth to brace himself from the Prince''s verdict.


    "Do I look handsome?" The frigid prince suddenly uttered, with the same dead serious expression on his face.


    "P-pardon your highness?" Olivier was dumbfounded by the Prince''s unexpected inquiry.


    "Do I look handsome? Attractive to women?" The Prince repeated his inquiry patiently, attentively waiting for Olivier''s response.


    "Y-your highness'' handsomeness couldn''tpare in the whole of Empire! W-women will not help but to covet your beauty!"


    Olivier was again shocked that the Prince was patient in repeating a word he had already said. He knew how the Prince hates repeating words that he had already uttered.


    "Hmm.." Unsure if he was convinced, he again stared at the mirror and examined his face again. He frowned and said, "Are you sure?"


    "Definitely sure, Your Highness!" Olivier answered attentively, he must tread carefully in interacting with the Prince as seemed to be different today.


    "Hmmm.. You say, could I make a woman say yes to a marriage proposal?" He said, seemingly losing confidence with himself.


    "M-marriage proposal? Y-yes.. Your highness¡­ W-with your renown, who would dare to say no?" Poor Olivier was trying his best to calm down from the prince''s shocking inquiry.


    ''The Prince wants to propose to a woman? What happened in the world?!


    The Prince! The Barbaric Blood Prince!


    The Prince who mercilessly drove out the threats to the borders of Seirende!


    The Prince who wouldn''t even look at ady because his thoughts were full of war tactics for the next invasion threat!


    This same Prince was now asking a woman for marriage!


    While Olivier was having an internal scream session, the Prince then took a deep breath to boost his confidence. Doing the final check he smoothed out his ssic blue robe and white garment to ensure that he was as presentable as possible.


    He wordlessly walked towards a certain corner of the room where an elegant looking teleportation array made of colorful mana stores and golden engravings were set.


    He turned towards Olivier and said, "Stay here, rest and I''ll be back." Then without waiting for Olivier''s answer the Prince hurriedly activated the array and disappeared.


    The sleepiness fromst night''s vigil waspletely gone from all the shock Olivier had received. Helpless about the matters of the Prince, he sulkily pulled a chair and guarded the portal waiting for his return.


    ''I''ll be sure to inquire of the Prince when hees back!'' He said.


    His curiosity peaked when he actually realized that the Prince had mentioned the word marriage so seriously!


    And what''s with being so nervous like a man who was trying to confess his feelings?!!


    Such thoughts went through his head repeatedly as he sulkily waited for his master toe back. From time to time he would sigh, then a few seconds he would grumble like a stressed child.


    It was almost noon when Olivier found some reactions from the teleportation array. He then stood up alertly to greet his master.


    An intense light shone brightly filling the white and gold room with a silver glow. Olivier put his guard up while partially covering his eyes from the bright light.


    What he saw gave him another shock. He did see his frigid cold master, but he was withpany.


    A yellow parrot and a bear, a small teddy bear???


    He casted an inquiring look to his master but what he saw made his soul almoste home to the heavenly realm.


    He saw his master, gently looking towards a beautifuldy, she was pregnant and seemed so delicate with her obvious baby bump.


    What''s more, his cold and dead serious master, who learned to only hold the sword from childhood, was actually, actually¡­


    Tenderly holding ady''s hand!

 Chapter 39 Bringing The Prince Home

    ?Leon carefully assisted Eli towards the portal.


    He had already known that this was not Eli''s first time to use the teleportation array for herself. However, he was still worried that it would be a different matter now that Eli was approaching thete stage of her pregnancy.


    He respectfully asked her if he could hold her hand to envelope her with his protective magical power and stabilize her pregnant body, keeping it from being disrupted by the foreign feeling of traveling through the teleportation array.


    Throughout those few seconds, the Prince was fully alert and worried.


    Only after he had determined that they had safely jumped in his quarters did he smile and looked with relief seeing Eli wasn''t feeling anything wrong.


    Thus, the scene that almost made Olivier faint in shock.


    Finally letting his guard down, Leon attentively guided Eli to carefully step out of the array. Then he looked towards Olivier who mechanically greeted him, and gave a nod of acknowledgement.


    "This is Olivier, one of my most trusted aides." Leon introduced his subordinate to Eli and herpanions. "This is Lady Elise, my futur- my friend."


    "Nice to meet you Sir Olivier." Eli slightly bowed her head in a slightly happy tone, as she was satisfied that the prince properly introduced her as his friend.


    "P-pleasure to meet you Mdy!" Olivier found himself tongue tied.


    Just this morning, the Prince talked about how he was worried that ady would not ept his marriage proposal. He had already assumed in a split second that thedy in front of him was his master''s betrothed.


    But now the Prince had surprisingly introduced thedy as his ''friend''! Didn''t that mean that the Lady rejected her?!


    No, no, no it can''t be! For the Lady was obviously pregnant. Surely, this was indeed the Prince''s friend and he was just helping a pregnant friend go home conveniently!


    Olivier tried to convince himself from his own deductions and finally calmed down.


    Unaware of his subordinate''s inner battle, the Prince immediately summoned Olivier closer and ordered, "Let us escort the Lady to her home. We are going to the Free Region of the Silverdew Forest."


    "Right away, Your Highness!" Olivier attentively responded, he then led the group outside the quarters to a courtyard.


    The group continued to walk through an exclusive passageway until Eli and the group made it to the main lobby of the Seirende Central Bank - Silvertown Branch. They immediately proceeded to exit the main entrance where Olivier immediately summoned his massive flying beast - a giant harpy eagle.


    After Olivier ensured that the giant harpy was ready, he gave a nod towards Leon, who in turn briefed the trio that they will be mounting the giant to go home.


    Eli was a bit excited as it would be the first time that she will mount a giant creature to fly! She wondered how different the experience would bepared to a ride to an airne. She looked towards Leon indicating that she was ready.


    "Mi Lady, may I?" Leon gently said as he asked permission to carry Eli up to the harpy''s back.


    Although Eli knew that there was really no way she could climb the giant bird on her own in her pregnant condition, she still felt awkward. However she shyly allowed Leon to do the honors.


    Soon the group took flight towards the Silver Dew Forest. They slowly ascended up to afortable altitude and steadily flew up in the air. As they flew Leon had activated his protective magic to ensure that everyone was not affected by the wind resistance and the heat of the midday sun.


    It was a very awesome experience for Eli, as she enjoyed the skies on a bright day and saw a birds eye view of the massive Silver Dew Forest.


    She knew that the forest was as big as a nation but she still felt awestruck by its beauty. At this altitude, it was like they were treading between the blue sky and the green forest up until the end of the horizon.


    Soon Eli saw the tiny area where her cottage was located. Olivier asked the giant harpy to slowly descend towards the area. Theynded in no time, and Eli felt a bit disappointed that the ride went that quick.


    As soon as she was carried down by Leon, sheposed herself and smilingly weed the two men.


    "Wee to our humble home!"


    The trio led them towards the cottage house, where the pavement was decorated with flowers. The butterflies freely wandering around Eli''s little garden weed them home.


    As they entered the house, the men were greeted by the cozy feeling of a rustic living area.


    It was far from the luxurious ambience of the castle, the cottage house was warm and nice. It made the two, who were feeling nervous because this was the first time they had invited themselves to ady''s house, feelfortable.


    "Come sit, Your Highness, Sir Olivier, while we prepare some refreshments." Eli beckoned the guests in the living area, then hastily walked towards the kitchen to prepare some tea and light snacks with Baobao.


    Leon observed the surroundings of Eli''s home. He felt relieved by howfortable the home was designed for Eli''s condition, but also felt a bit of a loss because he could only wonder how much Eli did much for herself as she lived here alone.


    Another thing he saw, was the well maintained grand piano on the corner of the living room, as well as a study table where a stack of papers were neatly arranged.


    Curious, he casted an inquiring nce towards Wisey, who was left to apany the men in the living room.


    "That grand piano was Eli''s most treasured item. That study table was where she crafts her ideas." Wisey obligingly exined to the inquiring prince.


    "The house had no protection array for intruders.." Leon dered as he scanned the surroundings with his magic perception.


    "Indeed, however, Baobao and I were always alert for any intruders at a 10 kilometer radius." Wisey responded with a hint of pride, "Though I, too, acknowledge that a protection spell will be helpful." She added.


    "Hmm.." Leon responded with a nod. He stood and walked towards the area where the grand piano was located, then a red magical array appeared on top of his palms.


    It kept rotating and slowly drifted on top of the grand piano, soon a dome of red light appeared fully enveloping the grand piano.


    Then he created another magical array and directed it on top of the wooden ceiling. The array kept floating up, passing through the wooden ceiling to who knows how high up. Few secondster, a glimmer of blue light shed from outside the window.


    "I ced a simple protection spell for now, but I will reinforce this when I get the appropriate array materials." Leon said towards Wisey.


    Wisey gave a grateful bow towards Leon and replied, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As soon as they finished the conversation, Eli came back with a tray of snacks with Baobao who was already in his original form carrying the tray of freshly brewed tea.


    "Come and have some refreshments, Your Highness, Sir Olivier!" Eli said with a thoughtful smile on her face. "Pardon if our hospitality wasn''t up to your standards."


    "Ldy! Behind you!!!" Olivier was alerted when he saw Baobao the Panda behind Eli''s back.


    "Oh, this is Baobao, he was the ''teddy bear'' we flew up with earlier." Eli exined trying to calm down Olivier. She had forgotten that he wasn''t aware of Baobao''s real identity yet.


    "He belongs to a rare species of Panda, characterized by his white and ck fur. He wasn''t a cursed bear." Leon helped Eli exin Baobao''s existence towards his aide.


    "P-panda.. I see, I see. Pardon, Mr. Baobao, I wasn''t aware of the truth behind your race." Olivier immediately apologized for themotion he created.


    "Ohhh no worries I wasn''t aware of that either, until my master told me about the truth!" Baobao responded nonchntly, as he skillfully brought down the tray and serve it to the two guest,


    "Here, the world''s most lovable Panda serves you delicious tea!" He beamed brightly as he gave the cup of tea towards Olivier.


    "Thanks..." Olivier didn''t know what to say anymore.


    It was one thing that he had encountered a panda and another thing that he experienced being served with tea by that same panda!


    Enjoying their cup of tea, Leon looked towards Eli and said, "I made a move myself and put a protection ce in the whole area, I hope you don''t mind?"


    "No I don''t, Your Highness. In fact, I thank you!" Eli was deeply touched by the Prince''s thoughtful action. She knew that the Prince wanted to keep her and Little Han''s safe, as it was part of his intention.


    On that matter, she chose not to resist nor reject it, as it was the Prince''s right to do so.


    "Now we are friends, aren''t we?" Leon once again confirmed the status of their rtionship.


    "Yes, Your Highness, we are friends." Eli replied as a matter of factly. Keeping her guard up, in case the Prince would suddenly bring the topic of marriage back again.


    "So what do we do next?" The Prince asked with all seriousness.


    "Uhmmm, get to know each other more¡­until we trust each other enough to be close friends?" Eli answered awkwardly.


    How helpless she was to exin these matters to the Prince! Friendship does not actually follow certain steps to grow.


    "Sigh, we could start by calling each other by our nicknames." Eli suggested.


    "This was how friends do it anyways. You can call me Eli!" She said with a smile.


    "Pfff!" Olivier almost spewed out the tea he was enjoying. The Prince was also frozen stiff.


    "What''s the matter, Prince? Are you shy? Didn''t you say we are friends?" Eli said with a chuckle.


    Clearing his throat, the Prince said while keeping his countenance under control, "Indeed, I said that, but I didn''t know being friends would be this¡­ difficult."


    He couldn''t look towards Eli as he could feel that his face was burning hot in bashfulness.


    "Difficult? What''s difficult about calling each other by nicknames? Everyone does it!" Eli said nonchntly and continued,


    "Then I''ll demonstrate it first. Your Highness, how do you want me to call you?"


    Feeling pressured by Eli''s insisting, the Prince awkwardly avoided her intense stare and meekly answered, "L-leon is fine.."


    "Then, I look forward to being friends with you¡­ Leon!" Eli said cheerfully.


    Leon''s body went stiff, his facepletely red. He felt like smoke coulde out of his skin in embarrassment. ''How could she do that so easily!''


    "Unfair..." He whispered under his helpless breath.


    --


    Back in Silvertown, two cloaked figures were frustratingly standing on the open ground in front of the Seirende Central Bank.


    "We checked thest three pregnant women here but we didn''t see any signs of the Asani." the taller among the two said in irritation.


    "Curse it! Did that Asani really leave Silvertown!? It has already been a few days and we have already investigated every pregnant woman in town!" the other replied seemingly tired.


    "The men who were sent way earlier had all died, do you think that would make sense? If the Asani wasn''t here, then how would our guys be eliminated?" the man said in a furious tone.


    "Argentum must be clearing her traces. Only Argentum could do it! Say, should we destroy that old dwarf?" The other man suggested in anger. However, he didn''t hear any response from his partner.


    "Shut your trap, I found the one!" The taller man said irritatingly as he intensely looked towards a group who was preparing to mount a harpy.


    "That woman was wearing the exclusive clothing for the Forgerworn n under her cloak." He said in a vicious smirk.


    It was one thing to wear an item from Argentum, but it was a different matter to see amon woman wear the prestigious clothing only made for the members and honorable guests of the Forgeworn n.


    "Call the remaining men. We will sweep the entire Silver Dew Forest to get her!!!"

 Chapter 40 Unsettling Matter

    ?"Hey, isn''t it not allowed tomit murder within the bounds of that forest?" his partner asked.


    "Humans couldn''t, but the beasts¡­" He let out a viciousugh.


    "We only need that woman alive." He said as they disappeared as fast shadows in the open ground.


    Not far from where the two men had conversed was a youngdy, with her stunning burgundy hair and hazel eyes. She was none other than Lainie, thess who sold Eli the violin.


    She had heard the whole conversation made by the mysterious men and was in panic. The beautifuldy was in danger!


    She was actually on the way to withdraw an ample amount of cash from the sale she made yesterday. As she went home, the whole family cried in joy to finally have the money to treat their dear father. They all thanked the heavens for allowing them to meet their benefactor.


    However, who would have thought that she, Lainie would witness some wicked men to harm their family''s benefactor!


    "What to do? What to do?!" She paced back and forth in the open ground.


    "Argentum!" Lainie recalled the conversation of the two men.


    Her benefactor was somehow rted to the Argentum. Not wasting any more time, she sprinted to Argentum, praying that she would meet someone who could help her benefactor.


    She ran with all her might until she reached the shop''s entrance, almost out of breath. Entering the shop with utmost sense of urgency she immediately approached a shop assistant.


    "Please, call the store chief, I bring an urgent matter!" She pleaded to the shop assistant, who was shocked that somess just abruptly grabbed his hand.


    Looking at her almost breathless, he thought that what Lainie would bring was really urgent, but that wouldn''t be enough for her to see the master.


    "May I know who you may be, young miss? So I could fully inform the head." the shopkeeper calmly asked with a business smile.


    "Uhm, I am sure that the chief do not know me¡­ But this is really an urgent matter! Allow me to inform him!" Lainie pleaded.


    She didn''t even know who she was looking for, she was just taking a gamble in finding help in Argentum, based on the information she heard.


    "No can do, young miss, you have to identify yourself first, in order to get an audience with the store chief." The shopkeeper gave an apologetic response.


    "Lives of people are in grave danger right now!!! Please!!!" Losing hope as she was rejected, Lainie panicked and shouted in a hurry. She moved and tried to bypass the shopkeeper towards the store office.


    "Young miss, please calm down.." The shopkeeper gently blocked the panicked Lainie.


    "What''s the matter?" A young man''s cold maic voice was suddenly heard, startling the two. He looked towards them with a stern expression.


    "Sir Randel! It''s like this, this young miss insists on meeting the chief for an urgent matter. But she failed to identify herself," The store keeper helplessly exined.


    "Thedy, my benefactor, is in danger! Lady Liza is in danger!!" Lanie was almost about to cry as she was both in extreme panic and intimidation by Randel''s cold stare.


    "Lady Liza?" Randel was confused. He didn''t know of anydy connected to the Argentum nor the Forgeworn n named Liza.


    "Yes, I sold her a violin yesterday. She was my benefactor.." She tried to exin, "Just now, I saw Lady Liza and her husband ride a giant bird towards the Silver Dew Forest."


    "Go on," Randel lifted one of his eyebrows indicating that he had her attention.


    Randel finally recognized Lanie as the seller of the violin Eli boughtst night together with her ''husband'' the Third Prince, he more or less understood the confusion.


    "But near me, two cloaked men were having a conversation about sweeping out the whole forest to capture the Lady! They will use beasts to kill all herpanions and capture her!!!" She said in distress, shivering in fear, deeply pleading towards Randel to believe her and take action.


    "Nel.." Randel said with a grave expression.


    "Yes, Sir Randel!" The shopkeeper replied.


    "Assist the miss to master, inform him that I went ahead to Silver Dew Forest!" He said while looking towards Lainie indicating that he understood what she said.


    "Yes sir!" The shopkeeper replied and proceeded to lead Lainie to Grandpa Andi''s study.


    Randel could''t afford to inform his master anymore, he immediately turned into a shadow and rushed his way to the forest. Hoping that he would outrun the men and warn Eli and the Prince of the danger approaching them.


    --


    It was already lunchtime but Leon and Olivier didn''t show any signs of going home.


    They satfortably in Eli''s living room and leisurely enjoyed their tea, asionally asking how she had lived her life in this serene area of the Silver Dew Forest, and how Wisey and Baobao helped her in her daily activities.


    "I see that you were able to get two contractedpanions. Have you undergone the aptitude assessment yet?" Leon asked Eli as soon as the conversation led to summoning.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I actually haven''t.." Eli helplessly responded as she scratched her head.


    A trace of surprise could be seen in Leon''s eyes.


    He then gestured towards Olivier and said, "My Aide Olivier was officially a B ss summoner, but his abilities are already within the A ss."


    "You need to have an assessment to know how much effort you need in order to improve." He continued.


    "Then how do I do that? I haven''t attempted to get an aptitude assessment." Eli inquired.


    "I could assess your level right now¡­ Olivier, could you also assess Eli''spanion outside?" Leon responded implying that he and Eli needed privacy.


    "Yes sir!" Olivier respectfully responded and asked Baobao and Wisey to lead the way.


    Soon only Eli and Leon remained in the cozy living room.


    "Free Lady... No!.. E-Eli.." Leon was actually still embarrassed that he was addressing someone not only with their name but their nickname.


    Since that night, he was already used to address by her alias as ''Free Lady'', as she insisted, and formally as ''Lady Elise''. To the Empire, calling each other with only their names or nicknames was the most intimate form of addressing a person.


    "May I have your hand, please?" He respectfully asked Eli''s hand, to which Eli obliged. Leon closed his eyes and focused on assessing Eli''s aptitude.


    Following this, Eli felt a gentle surge of mana flow inside her body. A light breeze blew in the living room encircling the two. As soon as his assessment was finished, the breeze also disappeared from the room.


    Eli was actually curious about the result of the aptitude assessment, she looked towards Leon with anticipation.


    Leon was in deep contemtion. After a few seconds he said with a conflicted expression on his face, "La...Eli.."


    "Another reason why I asked for privacy is first to confirm something to you.." Leon asked with a grave expression. "Did you awaken your abilities as an Asani and change your constitution?"


    Eli was shocked by the Prince''s sudden inquiry, although she wasn''t really the one who changed her constitution, it was still true that it was an Asani''s ability.


    "I-i.." tongue tied she wasn''t able to answer Leon''s answer straight.


    Leon smiled with understanding and said, "Do not worry if you couldn''t exin it now. However, the reason I asked is because of your data during your stay in the Riverfort hospital."


    "Your assessment was actually an F ss. But now, you showed that you could actually contract two beasts, this means that your ss actually upgraded."


    "It was actually normal for people to upgrade from F bracket to D ss. However, you have actually jumped straight to C ss. An entire two levels within four months!" Leon said with worry.


    "Eli, I am worried about the people who knew of your data from Riverfort and your captor... They might assume that the abilities of Asanis are true and may expose you and Little Han in more danger." His voice was full of concern, as he trembled in perturbation.


    "This¡­ Leon, what should I do?" Eli was also in distress.


    Threat after threat appeared everywhere that made her feel so scared.


    "For now, just keep yourself from contracting any morepanions. I will soon ask Grand Master Farauld to issue you an official D ss result."


    "But do not worry, I will soon teach you about summoning arts, from the basics down to the advanced level." Leon said, trying to ease Eli''s anxiety.


    He tightened his grip on her hand, as if trying to envelope it with all the protection he could possibly give.


    "Summoning arts.. I thought that after I finished contracting, there''s no more to it.." Eli said with a curious expression, still oblivious that she had been holding hands with the Prince for too long.


    "There''s a lot more to learn on summoning, Eli¡­" Leon replied with a gentle expression, while tenderly looking towards Eli.


    "After summoning you must figure out how to synchronize your mana with yourpanion, so that you could control the mana flowing out of your body to supply to yourpanion. Then-"


    "Master!!!" A sudden shout was heard from outside interrupting the two.


    Eli and Leon looked at each other then hastily walked out to see what was happening.


    They saw Randel, walking towards the entrance wearily. He was drenched in sweat, almost out of breath.


    A grave expression of panic could be seen in his whole being. As soon as he saw Eli he tried his best to squeeze out the words,


    "Haaah¡­ Lady... Elise... Flee!!!"

 Chapter 41 Why Must It Be At This Moment?

    ?"Sir Randel! What''s the matter?" Eli hastily asked the exhausted Randel in concern.


    "The Spectre has deduced your identity... They''re on their way now to capture the Lady!" Randel said in panic.


    Shock filled the entire crew of the grievous news. Eli was frozen stiff and panicked. Herplexion became pale as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her shiny dark eyes were now dull, dim and nk.


    "Why must it be at this moment?"


    With her voice shaking in anxiety, she uttered aggrievedly. She stared at her two weak hands that weren''t even a threat to someone like the members of Spectre.


    She wasn''t ready. She wasn''t even able to know how to increase her strength in order to escape from the threats around her. Why now? What must she do?


    This was the very same feeling she felt the time her mum copsed and slowly sumb to her sickness.


    ''Why do these situations alwayse when I am not ready?'' ''


    Am I going to be helpless again?''


    ''Will I experience that excruciating feeling of losing someone again?''


    Little Han is in grave danger, Babao and Wisey too. She even dragged Randel, Olivier and the Prince. Her mind went blurry and her vision slowly became dark, as despair started to grow in her heart.


    Suddenly, she heard a cold yet assuring voice, as she felt warmthing out from the hands ced on her shoulders, stabilizing her emotions, "Eli¡­ This time, you are not alone."


    ''This time, I am not alone..'' The words echoed inside her , trying to blow away the fogginess of her mind.


    The voice continued to soothe Eli''s disturbed heart. "Today, my own hands will protect you. So that tomorrow, we will have a chance to grow your strength."


    Then thest string of words ignited the light into the darkness in Eli''s heart,


    "So today, you must live! We all must live!"


    ''We must live!''


    Color slowly appeared on Eli''s paleplexion, rity could also be seen on her eyes as she looked towards the source of that voice who gave her much encouragement - Leon.


    Determination filled her heart, which was earlier filled with despair. There were two messages sent through Leon''s words that resonated to her -


    epting, that now, she was weak and she needed help.


    Survive today, to have a chance to grow strong tomorrow!


    Leon was relieved upon seeing Eli look at him in dependence and hope for the future. At this moment, she needs his protection, and he will give exactly that. Tomorrow is the opportunity she needed, and he will give exactly that!


    Without the need of words to get the message across, Leon gave a nod of assurance to Eli and proceeded with the rest of the crew to prepare for a fight.


    Addressing the crew with him, he expertly navigated, "Right now, we do not know how many people we are going to face.."


    "Randel, reinforce the vicinity''s protection spell with a concealment spell, to buy us more time."


    "Baobao and Wisey, I need you to detect enemiesing near our area as early as possible. I also need the information about their numbers and the type of beings they are."


    "Olivier, recharge your mana as much as you can, let''s stretch out your summoning capacity. Be ready to go all out¡­"


    "As for the two of us, let us go inside as I needed a pen and paper," Done with his navigation, Leon focused towards Eli.


    Going back inside the cottage house, he immediately proceeded writing as soon as Eli gave her the pen and paper. After writing, he bit his finger and stamped his thumb print with blood to the paper he had been writing into.


    He then led Eli towards the teleportation array with the letter in his hands. He had long noticed the teleportation array and recognized traces of the manaing from a Silver Dew Elf. Although he didn''t confirm yet with Eli, the fact that she was able to dwell here freely, told him that the Silver Dew Elves had some connection with her.


    He ced the letter at the center of the array, the inscriptions glowing in green as the blood thumbprint emitted a faint red light. Soon, the letterpletely dissolved.


    "Wait here for a while and try to calm down." Leon dragged a cushioned chair near the teleportation array, not forgetting to take with him a throw pillow to support Eli''s back.


    "I will see the situation outside, as we wait for the response of the Silver Dew Elves." Ensuring that Eli had sat properly andfortably in the chair, she patted her head with an assuring smile.


    "But I''m worried about you guys¡­" Eli said with concern.


    "Do not worry, you know my ability right?" Leon responded with certainty in his eyes.


    Eli, who already knew that worrying anymore would hinder Leon''s preparation, nodded in response, still with anxiety in her heart.


    Leon went out with haste, but took a sudden pause as he was about to close the door and said,


    "I would highly advise that you take your grand piano in your space bag to keep it safe. It''s precious to you right?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli was startled and looked towards Leon''s broad back as the door slowly went to a close. That back, in her vision seemed so reliable. It seemed to speak to her heart, ''trust me''.


    Now alone in the room, sitting silently to wait for the good news, she only knew that there was only one thing she could do, to pray to the Great One.


    Looking towards the heavens in total surrender with her two hands solemnly ced in her heart, Eli uttered her prayers aloud, as it resonated in the living room and even outside her cottage:


    "Oh! Dear Father, Heaven and Earth''s only Great One,


    I am always grateful for all the things You have given and done.


    Now, Oh Father, I feel so weak and helpless,


    Threats left and right kept appearing to me, who remained defenseless.


    You, Oh Father, are the one who gave me and mypanions our lives,


    I trust with all my heart, that you have a purpose and you will keep us alive.


    I pray that you will guide us on how to proceed,


    Sharpen our swords, let darkness not seed!


    Let the foundation of righteousness remain unscathed,


    With your blessing upon this crew, let victory be proimed!"


    Her words ignited something within the hearts of everyone who was protecting her outside. It was their first time hearing someone solemnly praying aloud for their victory, other than the priest.


    They can feel an inexplicable magical power showering in their bodies, strengthening their will, their minds and their power.


    "Divine Blessing!" The crew was extremely surprised, especially Leon, Olivier and Randel. They know that this phenomenon could only be achieved when an ordained Priest prays to the heavens to give someone a blessing.


    "Lady Elise.. Who is she really?" Everyone asked in their hearts.


    But it was not time to find the answer, as Baobao immediately announced,


    "Prince master!"


    "There were a total of twenty pairs of humans and beasts about to approach the ten kilometer limit. And the beasts were unusual, there was a very foul smelling from them¡­ I detest it so much!" Baobao reported immediately.


    "They were advancing in different directions, groups equally splitted to four. Two of the groups ventured pointing towards our direction on the northwest and east."


    "Master, what to do?" Olivier asked Leon the next course of action for the defense crew.


    "Do not act yet, wait a little more.." Leon dered with steadfastness in his expression, like a captain of the ship, staring straight into the approaching storm calmly and without a hint of fear.


    The cottage suddenly opened, a figure hooded in green appeared. It was a tall yet delicate figure, seemingly a woman as her shiny copper brown hair flowed gracefully beyond the bounds of the green colored hood.


    "We have received your request. Our response, no killing within the bounds of the forest. Keep the covenant intact."


    A cold glint subtly appeared on Leon''s eyes, however he didn''t react and let the figure finish.


    "In turn, a disorientation spell was casted in the entire free region of the forest. Everyone will be affected and will lose their sense of direction¡­ except those who ate this flower." The figure then used magic to distribute a flower to each of them, its petal was bright violet with golden ends.


    "Now, I will bring Lady Eli to safety. Contact us the same way after resolving the matter." The figure uttered her final words and immediately closed the door of the cottage. Soon, a sh of green light was seen at a certain window.


    "Eat it." Leon ordered the team.


    Even though they do not know what the flower is, the crew trusted Leon''s orders.


    After a minute, Baobao immediately reported, "Prince master! The groups started to venture opposite our direction!"


    Leon then finally released their battle strategy, "Our strategy is to lure them out of the forest, do not engage in battle until you arepletely out of the forest. As much as possible, lure them away from Silvertown too."


    "Baobao Wisey, go with Olivier, to target the group exploring farthest to our vicinity. Randel, the second one."


    "I will be left to deal with the nearest two groups."


    He handed out several spell papers on each of them and finally said,


    "Go! Eliminate all that threatens the Lady!"

 Chapter 42 Disperse!

    ?"Yes, Your Highness/Prince Master!" the crew answered in unison.


    Olivier summoned the giant harpy, mounted with Baobao and Wisey to immediately set off to the direction where their targets were located.


    Randel, who had already been recharged from rushing to Eli''s cottage, immediately set. He disappeared in a sh. To other people''s eyes it would look like he suddenly turned into a shadow and disappeared to nowhere.


    But to an S ss mage like Leon, we could clearly see that lightning attribute mana covered Randel''s entire body and granted him the ability to move with great speed.


    Leon nodded in affirmation. Randel''s ability couldn''t be taken lightly, with a little more training, he will be able to step into the realm of the S ss.


    Now, finally alone in Eli''s cottage, Leon took a second look at the vicinity''s protection barrier and ensured he could leave the ce without worries.


    ''Free Lady likes this ce.. I must keep it safe too..'' He said to himself as he slowly walked outside the boundaries of the protection spell.


    Leon took ast look towards Eli''s cottage before moving towards his targets. In his face, not a trace of steadfastness was left. Only an overbearing aura of ferocity and determination.


    "Kill to protect!"


    --


    Randel dashed quickly towards the forest.


    As a ss A mage, he had greater mana capacitypared to his fellow casters in the lower ss and a purer mana quality. Of course, his mana capacity was still littlepared to the summoners. But a caster''s strength lies with how fast he could utilize mana in the surroundings.


    Silver Dew Forest was rich in mana. Hence, Randel wasn''t afraid of running out because he could convert it with great speed. As long as the atmosphere contained mana, he could cast the spell he needed.


    He didn''t hesitate to cast a speed spell in his body, which enabled his whole body to move with such great speed that could bepared to a B ss devourer who specialized in speed.


    Lightning attribute is known to grant speed and prative power. Casters with the lightning attribute tend to be great strikers and weak on defense. However, the attributepensates with speed, making it easier to evade an attack directed at them.


    Randel continued to use the spell in his whole body to catch up with the direction provided by Baobao.


    Along the way, he would asionally see innocent forest goers who were exploring the free region of the forest, with a look of confusion in their faces. Indeed, the elves used a disorientation spell to the entire free region, everyone will lose their sense of direction, whether they were innocent or not, no one was spared.


    Without the flower provided Azayn, whom he recognized earlier, they too would surely be lost in the forest.


    He needed to get to the target''s location before the group deviated to the general direction they were previously venturing.


    Without minding his consumption of mana, he strengthened his speed spell. Now, visible lightning surrounded his body and his speed doubled.


    Soon he could see the traces of a group of beasts on the ground, he could now tell that he had already reached the path his target had ventured.


    Deactivating his speed spell he proceeded to stealthily track the group of Spectre.


    Threading along the marked paths, following the footprints on the ground, he could deduce that he would indeed face five pairs of human and beast. Based on the footprints, the beasts were used as a mount, they seemed to be a foot print akin to a wolf.


    After following the path, he could clearly see that the group drastically changed their direction, most likely when the disorientation spell kicked in. He decided to follow the path and could see that the traces were bing more and more fresh, indicating that he was near the group.


    *crunch*


    Five men cloaked with mud brown cloaks were disgruntled. Each of them mounting an eerie looking wolf, asionally growling in blood lust from time to time. They were actually unsure of the path they were taking.


    They were briefed to find a trace of a group of people mounting a giant bird and kidnaped the pregnant woman in that group, who was most probably the Asani they were looking for in the past few days.


    However, they had no clue where they were going. They had been venturing for a while and no traces of people could be seen, nor a giant harpy bird.


    "How are we supposed to find that group? A woman wearing a Forgerwon n fabric?! We only have vague descriptions, we didn''t even manage to get a tracking knight to remember and follow their scent!" One of the five menined with impatience.


    "Just suck it up! We are lucky to be finally pulled out in Silvertown, because if not, we could be killed like the ones who were caught by the Argentum!" Hispanion replied.


    "Curse that Argentum! Curse that Forgeworn n! How did they be so strong that they could even detect the slightest bit of attempts to infiltrate and observe their inner courts!" Theining man again voiced out his frustration.


    "How did they even manage to identify our fellow men and eliminate it right away... Man! Where did they manage to get people to do that!" Another one of the five also followed the suit and started to talk about the happenings in the past few days.


    "I was actually happy that we were suddenly summoned to sweep out this area, because if not, I might be the next one to get caught!" He continued.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But this is boring!"


    "Just be thankful, the more we don''t see any clues to that Asani, that means we are out of danger!!"


    The group continued to talk to each other while they wandered aimlessly to the forest. Since it had already been long since they found any trace off their target, they started to let their guard down and becent.


    They didn''t even notice that there was a man clothed in ck who was covertly following their path and heard their whole conversation.


    ''They seemed to have attributed the Third Prince''s elimination of theirrades to the Argentum. I have to inform the master after cleaning up this situation.'' Randel thought as he was taking his time observing the group.


    He had determined that they were unknowingly heading towards the exit of the forest. This is the perfect time!


    From his all ck butler coat, he pulled out a handkerchief.


    The handkerchief was made from the fabric exclusively worn by the Forgeworn n. Each fiber of this fabric was iid with magical incantations making the user feel warm in winter and cool in summer. Anyone from sses C and up would detect the fine traces of mana iid in each fiber of the dress, authenticating that it was indeed a Forgeworn fabric.


    While the group was still unaware, he covertly went ahead of the group with a considerable distance and dropped the handkerchief along the way.


    Then proceeded waiting for the group to reach that point and detect the handkerchief.


    "Stop!" One of the men alerted their group the moment they reached the point where Randel left the handkerchief.


    The man then picked up the handkerchief and his mood emitted a glow of viciousness. "It''s a strike!! Hahaha, a handkerchief from the Forgeworn n!"


    "For real?!" Others inquired.


    "Yeah! Men, let''s go fast! They''re up ahead!" The man said and soon they sped up towards the end of the forest.


    Without any expression, Randel followed the group behind. In his right hand, a spell paper, which was one of the things the Prince gave them before going out, ready to be used.


    With the speed of the excited group, it didn''t take them long to reach the bounds of the Silver Dew Forest. This led them in shock.


    "We are out?" One of the cloaked men inquired.


    "Could it be that those people already exited the forest??" Another one said.


    However, before they could continue discussing a bright light suddenly shed, shocking the whole group.


    "It''s a trap spell!" They all eximed in annoyance.


    "Who are you! Come out!? They shouted with their senses high alert ready to respond.


    No voice replied to their inquiry. Instead, what they saw was the head of one of theirrades rolling off the ground.


    Instant kill!


    The four remaining men were on full alert as they realized that they were out in the open. They started to utilize their dark magic to try and break out of the entrapment. However, how could an entrapment spell personally written by the S ss Prince budge with their attack?


    While they were busy ramming various attacks to break the entrapment spell, they didn''t notice that their wolf mounts were acting strangely.


    Upon smelling the blood around them, the wolves'' blood lust intensified. They growled agitation. They needed blood! Since they were trapped, they could only attack their own human partners.


    All the remaining four men were killed by their own mounts. They all died without Randel lifting his hands again to fight.


    Randel did not let his guard down. For he could still see something was wrong with the beasts.


    The wolves were agitated even as they hadpletely consumed their humans. Their ferocious eyes glowed dark red, while in their dark grey body, a ck malevolent miasma.


    He remembered Baobao''s information. There was a detesting smelling from the wolves.


    These wolves weren''t normal!

 Chapter 43 Randel

    ?He continued to observe the rampaging wolves.


    As they continue to berserk, Randel could clearly see the changes in their body. Their size doubled while spikes appeared as if an extension of their spines. He could see that their fangs had be longer and sharper, craving for more blood, salivating ceaselessly.


    They were ramming the barrier, to which they couldn''t even make a dent. They continued to ram it with their heads, until they were all dyed with blood. They were like mindless animals only out there crave for blood.


    As to how much it is, Randel could only deduce that will never be little.


    Randel could see that at this point, they were no longer wolf mounts, but rather killing machines. Although he was curious about why these wolves turned out like this, the oue didn''t matter. He still had to kill them.


    Because now, it wasn''t only a threat to Eli but to humanity!


    Not forgetting to record this bizarre encounter in a record crystal, he then entered the barrier to finish his targets.


    Armed with only a dagger, he knew this wouldn''t be enough to kill a wolf in one hit, as their size was already double his height. No fear could be seen in his eyes. He used his mana and enveloped his dagger with lightning. With this attribute, he was sure that his dagger could pierce a little more deeper than before.


    Growl!!!!


    As soon as he entered the barrier, the wolves immediately turned to attack him. In response, he moved speedily and guarded one blow from the first wolf with a mana shield. Taking the wolf''s blow he was forced to retreat ten steps back.


    "Powerful!"


    He immediately knew that he couldn''t take every single blow these wolves give, so he immediately conjured a lightning stun spell on his right hand and threw it to the nearest wolf, while simultaneously jumping towards the head of another.


    sh!


    Using his whole body and the gravity, he poured out more lightning attribute mana into his dagger and shed the head of one wolf. But the lightning dagger managed to slice only about twelve inches deep.


    Grrrrrrr!


    Hurt by Randel''s attack, the wounded wolf got much more agitated and immediately bared his scary fangs, trying to swallow him whole.


    "Tsk!"


    Sparks of lightning appeared on the soles of his feet as he nimbly stepped outside the wolf''s attacking range.


    He was nning to eliminate the wolves one by one and test his aptitude in fighting multiple enemies at once. It wasn''t often that he encountered a perfect situation where he could test his skills. The Prince''s S level entrapment spell made it possible.


    However, he mustn''t spend a lot of time doing it. Now that he exchanged blows with the wolves, he knew that half assed attacks will not get him anywhere.


    "Master is right, nothing will happen if you never go all out¡­" He said, as his eyes were now filled with a cold glint.


    Lightning sparks appeared, enveloping his all ck suit, as well as his hands and feet. The sparks generated a light breeze around him, as his long ponytailed brown hair swayed along. His sharp grey eyes reflected the light the sparks brought., giving him a vibe of a distant unfathomable mage.


    So bright yet full of mystery.


    The wolves seemed to detect the enormous powering out of Randel''s body, that they backed a little bit with caution. "Ngrrrrr," Baring their sharp canines they readied themselves to charge towards Randels direction.


    Whoosh! The wolves charged at Randel one by one.


    However, Randel only smirked as he saw the wolves were only a meter away from him. When a wolf was about to swallow Randel on the spot where he stood earlier, his figure instantly disappeared.


    The next thing that happened was Randel appearing midair directly above the head of the wolf farthest from his initial position. With his whole body parallel to the ground, as his dagger was lifted pointing towards the sky, his body dropped with great speed.


    Clenching his dagger tight, he braced for impact on top of the wolf''s open neck.


    "Swosh!" As soon as the dagger touched the wolf''s body, lightning started to spread in its entire body and a de of lightning sliced through the path the dagger would slice, cutting the wolf''s head clean.


    The damage didn''t end there, as soon as Randelnded on the ground, a devastating chain of lightning flowed from the entire entrapment ground .


    Buzz!!! Not one wolf was spared with the piercing lightning strikes.


    The wolves were left bleeding and burnt, weakening their strength. They still remained standing, nheless, which didn''t surprise Randel.


    Without taking a break, Randel''s body shed near another wolf once more, and immediately gave it a powerful kick. Seeing the wolf blown away for several meters, he immediately appeared to the nearest wolf and quickly shed its head with the same lightning.


    Boom!!! Another wolf head dropped on the ground.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing that the two of theirpanions had already fallen, the wolves began to coordinate their attacks, attempting to limit Randel''s movement. When one would attack him, two would try to block his movement.


    sh! A drops of crimson blood flowed out of Randels right shoulders. A deep wound appeared between the ripped fabric of his all ck suit.


    He was caught off guard by the sudden coordination of the wolves. All this time, they acted like mindless bloodthirsty creatures, he never thought that at one point, they wouldmunicate with each other and do a coordinated attack. He let his guard down.


    Crackle! Learning his lesson the hard way, Randel quickly conjured a ball of lightning in his right arm and quickly dashed towards the wolf at the back.


    Bzzzt!!! Upon touching the targeted wolf, its body was wrecked by a powerful surge of electricity.


    Like a sentient being, the ball of lightning infiltrated the wolf''s vital organs, destroying them once and for all. It didn''t take long for the wolf to copse lifeless.


    Without checking if this lightning bolt had reached his target, Randel twisted his body to charge at the direction of another wolf, the same homing lightning ball.


    However, unlike his first attempt, his attack was dyed by a second, which enabled the target wolf to w his chest area. It was fortunate that he was able to jump back with the speed spell in time, or else his vital organs would have been sliced too.


    w wounds appeared in chest area, staining his pale white skin. The contrast of the ripped ck suit, his fair skin and the unceasing blood flowing from his wounds made him look like a fallen dark angel.


    Randel involuntarily winced in pain. His wounds were deep enough to impair his movement and the blood loss would endanger his life.


    ''I only have one enemy now, I could still hold on!'' He told himself.


    Thest wolf, upon seeing thest of hisrades dead, let out a howl of anger and immediately charged at Randel. Although grimacing in pain, Randel gathered mana once again to use a speed spell to evade thest wolf''s attack. However, he failed to gather enough mana to do so.


    "Receptor Fatigue!" He eximed in panic.


    Everyone had their limits. A body''s mana receptor could only convert and channel a certain amount of mana depending on ss and natural talents. Once a receptor reached its limit, it would shut itself down and would not be able to channel mana for a certain time.


    If one forced to use the fatigued receptors, they would jeopardize their physical bodies, as the mana receptors were attached to the circtory and nervous system. Once the fatigued receptor was forced, it will burst inside the body and damage the nearby arteries, vein or nerves.


    Randel who had been using the speed spell at the maximum three times itoday would surely have his receptors give up.


    Now Randel was in great danger!


    Without the speed spell, he could not perfectly evade the wolf''s attack. Desperate in evading his impending doom, he clenched his teeth to contain the extreme pain from his wounds and ran as fast as he could.


    However his attempt was futile. A malevolent shadow covered Randel''s body. He lifted his head up and saw the enormous mouth of thest wolf open, ready to swallow him.


    "Doom!" He said in despair. The only thing he had on his mind was the smiling face of his master who took him in since childhood and gave him a bright life.


    "Master.. I''m sorry.. Thank you.." Admitting that he was already in hisst moment, he closed his eyes and epted his sealed fate.


    Ding!!!


    The anticipated pain didn''te to Randel''s body as he heard an ethereal sound of a bell.


    Opening his tightly shut eyes, what he first saw made his entire body feel goosebumps.


    He saw the malevolent body of the wolf, slowly disintegrating as soon as it touched the surface of the pure golden light covering his body. While he was witnessing this, Eli''s voice kept reverberating in his mind,


    "You, Oh Father, are the one who gave me and mypanions our lives,


    I trust with all my heart that you have a purpose and you will keep us alive¡­"


    It was Eli''s prayer that allowed him to receive the creator''s blessing and protected him from death. He promised to keep on protecting Eli as a sign of gratitude.


    Seeing that thest wolf was gone, he heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn''t help but smile self-mockingly as he had barely managed to put up a fight against multiple enemies even after going all out.


    Randel limped towards the bounds of the trap array.


    As soon as he stepped out of the entrapment spell, Randel weakly fell in the ground, looking at the skies wearily. He was now bloodied, his suit ripped, his long hair was no longer tied, far from the prim and proper version of himself.


    "s...I need to train more.." He uttered weakly as his consciousness started to fade away.

 Chapter 44 Jackpot!!!

    ?Riding the giant harpy, the trio, Olivier, Wisey and Baobao headed towards the location of their target.


    "Sniff sniff.. We are near the smelly beasts." Baobao dered as he directed the group towards their destination.


    Oliviermunicated to the giant harpy to let them down the forest so that the group wouldn''t detect their presence. As soon as theynded, they quickly walked towards the location where the group of Spectre was venturing.


    Soon they finally saw a group of cloaked men, each partnered with an eerie looking wolf. They stayed stationary in the forest, while one of them was intently studying a map, seemingly the map of the Silver Dew forest.


    "Vice Captain, we have been roaming around this side of the forest for a little while now. Do we have any clues as to where we could possibly go?" One of the cloaked men asked in helplessness.


    "We don''t have any clues other than they were mounting a giant harpy, and their chauffeur was also a young man with moss green hair. Oh, they have a small bearpanion as well as a yellow parrot bird. It was really an unusual sight to see contracted beasts as weak looking as them..." The vice captain of the group answered tly.


    "They were probably not contracted beasts, but pets!" Another cloaked man in the group answered with a hint of mocking. The group found the remark funny and let out a mockingugh.


    "Anyways, we need to probably look for an open area of the forest, where the giant harpy couldnd, possibly we could find traces from there." The vice captain added.


    The rest of the men nodded as they continued to wander in the forest. They were not able to notice that hiding in a certain shrub behind them was a man with moss green hair, a small teddy bear and a tiny yellow parrot, their appearances fit exactly as the vice captain had described.


    Wisey, Baobao and Oliver stealthily hid in the bush while eavesdropping on the Spectre''s conversation. They were covered by a faint green aura from the spell paper given by the Prince, it allowed their scent and mana presence to be concealed and undetected by the enemies.


    "Now we found them, but how do we lure them outside the forest?" Olivier whispered with a troubled expression on his face, while looking at the target group, who was getting ready to set forth their journey.


    "Shall I transform and chase them out to the exit of the forest?" Baobao suggested with irritation in his furry face, he was offended by the mockery the group gave towards them.


    "No, we must not let them scatter, it will be harder for us to deal with them when they scatter.." Wisey poked the angry Baobao''s head trying to calm his anger.


    "What shall we do then¡­ I am kind of slow in thinking of tactics.. Usually it was Master who does all the thinking.." Olivier asked embarrassedly while scratching his head, a hint of blush appeared on his charming freckled cheeks.


    "Don''t worry! Buddy is wise, let''s listen to her!" Baobao patted shy Olivier''s shoulder with his teddy paw and brightly replied, not forgetting to emphasize his buddy''s wiseness.


    "Little Wisey, I''ll be in your care.." Olivier looked at Wisey with trust in his eyes. He could clearly see that the giant panda Baobao treated Wisey with respect and approval, which let him feel at ease.


    "Hmm.." Wisey nodded and started contemting. She stared at Olivier and Baobao, who were waiting for her opinion. Then she looked towards the departing group of Spectres.


    After several seconds of contemting, Wisey finally gave a nod and dered, "Alright, I already thought of an idea."


    "Really? Let''s hear it!" Baobao excitedly responded with a glow in his round eyes.


    "It''s like this¡­"


    --


    The group of Spectre have been wandering for a few kilometers already and were getting irritated that they had not yet found any clue as to where Eli''s group was.


    "Vice captain.. Shall we just spread out even more so we could widen our search?" One cloaked man asked.


    "I would have done so in the very first ce! However, we are mounting these hell wolves. What if your wolves would suddenly berserk? No one would be able help you." The vice captain answered with a reprimanding tone.


    "I know this but..." the cloaked man who suggested it still insisted.


    "Enough!Tthey are meant to deal with our target''spanions, not to kill our own. One wrong mistake in handling these hell wolves you would all be sent straight to your deaths!" The vice captain dered firmly.


    The members stayed silent, although they were disgruntled by their fruitless search, they couldn''t oppose their acting leader.


    Shhhhkk!


    Suddenly they heard a suspicious rustle on a shrub nearby.


    "Guard up!" the vice captain ordered as they stared cautious towards the direction of the rustle.


    While they took out their weapons and readied their mounts to attack, the culprit had finally shown themselves out in the open. It was a small bear with a yellow parrot perched on his furry shoulders.


    They innocently looked towards the savage looking group, with their round adorable eyes. The small ''teddy bear'' carried several kinds of fruits in his furry paws.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Henlo! Humans! Henlooo!"


    The yellow parrot greeted the savage people. It innocently tilted its head while the orange spots on its cheeks made it look blushing, bing more adorable.


    The vice captain was shocked by what he saw, after a vain search they finally stumbled upon a great clue! Hiding the vicious smile in his cloak, he raised his hands, gestured his team to be at ease and casted them a meaningful look.


    The men understood their vice captain''s gesture and hid their weapons. Then the vice captain removed his hood, revealing his face, a bearded man in his thirties, with a raven tattoo peaking from the lower side of his neck.


    "Hello wise creatures. What brings you here to approach us humans?" The vice leader inquired in a coaxing manner.


    He had identified them as thepanions of their target. Upon observing, they seemed to be innocent and naive looking pets, too trivial to be considered a threat to them who were armed with hell wolves. For these ''pets'' to use humannguage, they would surely be contracted beasts.


    "Master needs food, we must bring it to her! Do you still have any more?" the parrot answered yet again, and innocently pointed with one of its ws.


    "Who may your master be? Howe you were the ones searching for your master''s food?" The vice captain answered with an excited glow in his eyes.


    "My master is pregnant! My male master stayed with her to protect her while we went out.." The parrot and the bear drooped their heads in depression,


    "Because we are weak.. We cannot protect our master.. We could only hunt for food."


    ''Jackpot!'' The vice captain''s excitement was now so obvious in his face. He looked towards the group again and signaled. He then looked towards the innocent looking creatures and said,


    "Oh we have a lot of food here, see." He pointed towards their bags and continued, "However, these would not be small enough for the two of you to carry. You are so little! Oh, why not let you travel with us and deliver these foods to your master?"


    The parrot looked towards the savage looking group, tilting its head in innocence and replied, "Are you fast? My master may be crying in hunger¡­"


    "Oh yes we are! Hurry and mount right away so that we could deliver the food to your master sooner!" The vice captain coaxed.


    "Oh alright then! Thank you, thank you, kind humans!" The parrot responded excitedly as it flew on above the teddy bear''s head in circles.


    The men then carried the small teddy bear who obediently sat on top of their mount, still holding carefully the several fruits they gathered.


    "Now let us set forth, to where shall we head to?" The vice captain asked the parrot.


    "My masters set a camp outside the forest to be safe from the beast, let''s head towards that direction!" The parrot answered naively and pointed towards the exit of the forest.


    The vice captain then nodded and headed towards the area.


    It made sense that they would camp at the exit of the forest because the Silver Dew Forest was not a ce for a pregnant woman. Why didn''t the group think of it?! He then stealthily used a notification paper and sent the information to the rest of the search team


    Soon they had exited the forest and they saw a little camp at a distance ahead. The cloaked men stared at each other meaningfully.


    "There she is! My master! Oh, my male master must be hunting too..." The parrot pointed towards a lone cloaked figure. It excitedly flew towards the camp. From afar, nothing could distinctly identify the figure except for therge bump around her tummy.


    "Let''s speed up then and meet your master soon!" The vice captain said, his voice quivered a little due to excitement.


    When they reached the little camp, the vice captain along with his crew had taken down their cloaks andughed in victory. "Bunch of fools! Hahaha!!! You brought your master''s doom!"


    However, their ''master'', the parrot and the bear didn''t react with fear.


    "Hahaha they were too naive to understand the situation!" One of the cloaked menmented. However, before they all could continueughing, a bright light suddenly shed.


    "What the hell is this!" Shocked by the sudden sh of light, the men eximed while covering their eyes with their hands. They soon realized that they were inside an entrapment spell.


    "Hahaha!" The cloaked figure who was supposedly the ''master'' let out augh of triumph. ''She'' took off the cloak and revealed Olivier, with arge squash tied in his tummy.


    "What should we say?" He then gloated towards the trapped group and continued,


    "Jackpot!"

 Chapter 45 Freckled And Furries

    ?"Crap!" realizing that they had been fooled, the vice-captain and the rest of the team went into a panic. He didn''t think that these weak-looking creatures would double-cross a person like him!


    He then remembered that the small teddy bear was still with them sitting quietly on the mount.


    He could make him the hostage!


    He then held the bear, who was in front of him while putting his sharp sword onto its neck.


    "You sure had the audacity to rejoice for this little achievement! You had forgotten that I have here your poorrade!" The vice-captain announced taking teddy Baobao as a hostage.


    "Ohh~~? Are you sure you wanted to take him in as a hostage?" Wisey said with a sharp yful look in her eyes, "You may have chosen the wrong hostage to take~~"


    As Wisey dered this statement, the vice-captain soon felt a dark shadow pass in front of him. It was so fast that he had only realized that the bear was no longer in front of him - including the sword he was holding.


    "Aaaaarghh!"


    The vice-captain shouted in agony as he realized that his right arm was no longer attached to his body.


    His vision was going blurry. He didn''t know how in the world was he incapacitated so fast. The only thing he heard was the sound of horror from his subordinates.


    "A-a cursed bear!!!" The men shouted in panic as they controlled their hell wolves to retreat to the barrier and try to break it with brute force.


    Facing them was arge cursed bear with a bone-chilling look in his dark round eyes. In its paws was the arm of their vice-captain, still holding the sword he used to threaten the small teddy bear earlier.


    "Damn! What trouble did we get into!" They shouted in regret.


    Cursed bears are unfathomable mythical creatures that cause the absolute perishing of life for those who had encountered them. Even men like them who joined a sinister organization such as the Spectre would feel great terror should they encounter a cursed bear.


    "It''s no time to y.." Baobao said coldly as he cast a nce towards Wisey and Olivier who was still observing themotion inside the entrapment barrier. "Sir Randel''s mana presence is fading¡­"


    "!!!" The two were shocked by Baobao''s news. Without dying any further, they stepped into the barrier and engaged in a fight.


    Olivier performed a series of hand seals with his hands and a magic array appeared underneath him. From the faint light of the magic array four enormous grizzly bears appeared.


    He instructed them to attack the wolves along with Baobao while he dealt with the human counterparts.


    He was after all a close aide of the Barbaric Blood Prince, hisbat skills alone were not to be trifled with!


    He charged toward the nearest cloaked man and eliminated him with a single strike before the man could even finish the spell he was about to cast.


    His charming and youthful freckled face was now a face of sharpness and bravery. After taking down one enemy, he proceeded to jump to another wolf to take on another cloaked man.


    sh!


    The next target had a better reaction than the first.


    Although the man had been flustered due to being entrapped by a powerful spell and the appearance of the cursed bear, he needed to fight to survive. Without minding themotion around, he proceeded to engage in a fight against Olivier.


    Wisey, on the other hand, hovered on top of the battleground and used a cyclone wind spell on the rest of the enemies. Although this cyclone spell wasn''t enough for her to deal damage to the enemies, it was good enough to separate the men and the wolves from each other, preventing a coordinated attack.


    She then perched on top of Baobao''s furry shoulders, together they defeated another pair.


    "Let''s deal with the men first, the bears could deal with the remaining wolves." Wisey reminded Baobao as she observed that Olivier seemed to be in a busy fight with another cloaked man.


    "We only have the vice-captain and thest subordinate.." Wisey suggested, which Baobao followed. Quickly charging towards the terrified cloaked man, Baobao swiped his paw with full force, fatally wounding the enemy.


    "I feel like subduing them was disturbingly so easy¡­" Baobao told Wisey with uncertainty on his face.


    They looked towards the vice-captain who was still disoriented due to the excessive blood loss from his severed arm. "This level of fighting shouldn''t have pushed Sir Randel into a state where he would lose mana presence¡­"


    Wisey contemted and said, "Hmmm, indeed, but for now, we don''t have any clue yet. Let us just be vignt."


    While they were conversing the vice-captain had regained some of his consciousness and saw the great peril that came to his group. Only two of them were alive now, and it won''t be long for him to be targeted by the enemies. He let out a crazedugh and pulled a pendant hiding behind his cloak.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was a pendant crystal with a red-colored liquid inside. The pale-faced vice-captain then crushed the crystal and the blood-like liquid flowed through his fingers. "Hahaha! I would die anyway, so why not bring you along!"


    "Growl!" A terrifying sound came out of the remaining wolves. Upon smelling the pungent and repulsive smell of the liquid, they started showing signs of going berserk. Their size doubled, and their appearance became more savage-looking.


    "It has something to do with the liquid!" Baobao dered as he charged toward the vice-captain speedily and lifted his body up with his paw. "What was it that you did right now!" He said in agitation.


    "Bahahaha! It''s nothing, I just awakened the hell wolves! Now nothing can stop them from going berserk!" He said with a crazedugh.


    Knowing that there was no more information to be given, Baobao then ended the life of the vice-captain and said, "I think those things were the reason why Sir Randel was in that state."


    "Then let''s go ahead and finish this before the situation bes grave!" Wisey said as she once again flew and cast a cyclone spell trying to distract the wolves frompletely transforming.


    Olivier who had finally defeated the enemy regrouped with Baobao and the grizzly bears, "Something is wrong with the remaining wolves.." He said in full alert.


    "The vice-captain used some kind of liquid to trigger their berserk.." Baobao briefed Olivier on what happened.


    The Freckle-Furry team readied themselves in facing the transformed wolves. There were three of them against the six members of the team, while Wisey flew around the battlefield to assess the situation.


    The first exchange happened, and heavy blows were taken by the Freckle-Furry team. These wolves are much more powerful than their handlers! It seemed like it would be hard for them to wrap up this fight sooner.


    Wisey was shocked by the difference in the strength of the transformed wolves. She could clearly see the restrained movement of Baobao and the team, it only showed that they were not easy enemies.


    If Baobao and the rest of the team were already having a hard time dealing with three transformed wolves, then what kind of hardships did Randel face to defeat a team of these wolves!


    It wasn''t only Wisey who thought of this, even Baobao and Olivier were wondering. But the important thing right now was to defeat these wolves and regroup with Randel to check on his condition.


    They continued to exchange blows with the wolves, as weariness now could be seen in their attacks, they did not have any countermeasures against the overwhelming strength of the wolves and they could only barely hold their defense.


    Wisey was worried as the fight was not looking good. She tried to think of ways to turn the tables around. Flying around the battlefield she tried to observe as closely as possible. Then a thought came to her mind.


    She remembered that the Spectre was talking about the hell wolves being uncontroble and that it was imperative that they work in groups rather than spread out so that they could implement a countermeasure should the wolves go berserk.


    This means that one of them must have a way to control the wolves! The most probable candidate to control these wolves must be the vice-captain!


    "Baobao! Sir Olivier, I will be inspecting the vice captain''s corpse to look for anything that could control these wolves!" She announced to the team as she flew down to the vice captain''s lifeless body.


    Inspecting the body, she tried to search for items that looked like a very important artifacts. However, who would have thought that the vice captain''s bag would be filled with so many suspicious-looking artifacts?!


    Should she choose the wrong one, it may add more trouble to their group!


    "What to do? I have no clue as to what the item should look like.." She uttered in distress.


    Suddenly, a pure golden light appeared in front of her and hovered around her. Intrigued by the golden light, Wisey followed where the golden light would go.


    The golden light stopped on top of the vice captain''s severed arm which was a few meters away from the body. When Wisey arrived at the location where the severed arm was, the golden light disappeared.


    "There must be something in here.." Although she was not sure what the golden light was, she knew that there was a reason why it directed her to the ce. She inspected the arm, and what she saw was a bracelet containing a crystal vessel of a greenish liquid.


    "This must be it right?" She tried to take the bracelet away from the arm and flew towards Olivier.


    "Sir Olivier, I found an item, it may help us!" Wisey said, passing the bracelet to Olivier.


    Upon inspecting Olivier then nodded, "We need a drop of this liquid to touch the body of the wolves!"


    Opening the bottle, he then ced a drop of the liquid on his fingertips. He jumped on top of one charging wolf and ced a drop of the liquid on the savage wolf''s nose tip.


    "Boop!" Olivier said as he hurried and retreated from the wolf.


    As soon as the liquid touched the wolf''s nose, the savage beast slowed down and fell asleep.

 Chapter 46 Wrapping Up

    ?"It worked!" Wisey eximed triumphantly.


    "Wheeew!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Olivier wiped the cold sweat in his forehead as he went down from the copsed wolf.


    "Now we only need to do this again for thest two wolves! Cover me while I put them to sleep!" Olivier coordinated with Baobao and the grizzly bears to aim for thest two attacks.


    Nodding in acknowledgement, Baobao and the grizzly bears distracted the wolves by provoking and holding off their attacks. After the wolf was distracted enough, Olivier would stealthily jump on top of it and ce the droplet of the green liquid on the tip of their noses.


    Wisey and Baobao couldn''t help but be amazed by how nimble and experienced Olivier was in the battle.


    Although he is a summoner, he does not only rely on the contracted beasts he could utilize. He could very well defend with his own, his physical strength wasparable to that of a D ss Devourer. He could also use the artifacts and spell papers efficiently. No wonder, he became a close aide of the Barbaric Blood Prince!


    He wasn''t just a naive looking, carefree freckled young man who followed the Prince like a tail, he was a legitimate and strong warrior! In fact, only hisrades knew how many lives have ended through his hands for underestimating his strength based on his temperament and appearance.


    Soon all hell wolves were down. Finally, the trio and the grizzly bears had the time to breathe.


    "What to do next?" Asked Wisey. The wolves were just sleeping. She was not sure if they should take this chance to eliminate the wolves.


    Between the heavy breaths due to weariness, Olivier turned to answer, "No, not this time, we need His Highness to look at them before doing anything for now. I''ll put these restraining artifacts to ensure that they wouldn''t be a threat should they wake up."


    Olivier took out his artifacts and passed it to the grizzly bears, soon the three sleeping wolves were restrained.


    "Now shall we wrap this up?" Olivier said, as a magic array appeared beneath the grizzly bears and disappeared at site.


    After inspecting the corpses, confiscating items and clues about the Spectre, the trio stepped out of the messy entrapment spell and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Olivier touched the barrier and uttered some incantations. The entrapment spell reacted and shrinked into a tiny little bird cage, all of the corpses and creatures inside transformed into their miniature version.


    Although still a little bit weary, Olivier summoned the harpy and gestured the two to immediately set off and go to Randel''s location.


    Through Baobao''s monstrous sense of perception and smell, it did not take long for the trio to arrive at Randel''s location. Uponnding they saw Randel outside the entrapment spell, unconscious. A mysterious golden light covered his wounds.


    "Sir Randel!" The trio rushed in distress.


    Olivier took a closer look and saw that Randel''s body was covered with deep wounds that would cause severe blood loss. If not for the mysterious golden light stopping the blood loss, Randel would have long died from losing too much blood.


    "This golden light was simr to the golden light who led me to the artifact that controlled the wolves!" Wisey informed Olivier and Baobao.


    The trio proceeded in performing first aid measures for Randel''s wounds, after that the golden light had disappeared.


    "It''s time to go back and report to the master¡­" Olivier said towards hispanions.


    After carefully mounting the unconscious Randel and transforming the entrapment spell into another small bird cage, they set off to go home at Eli''s cottage.


    The moment they arrived at Eli''s cottage, they saw the Prince, unscathed. He was sitting on a log chair waiting outside with his signature cold face. In his feet were two bird cages with the miniature corpses, all dead.


    Wisey and Baobao were curious as to how the Prince managed to eliminate the two groups without even having a single scratch.


    Look at them, they were exhausted and disheveled! Even Randel was left unconscious!


    "Your Highness! We are done capturing the threats. However, Sir Randel was severely wounded.." Olivier greeted and reported the result of their assignment, he wasn''t bothered by how rxed the Prince was, it was all a normal sight for him.


    "Hmm.. I could detect how many lives are in the entrapment spell you have set up, but it seemed like there were three left alive?" The Prince inquired in a frigid manner.


    "Your Highness, it''s like this, the remaining ones are the subdued hell wolves used by the Spectre as a mount. Upon triggering through some liquid, they went berserk and their strength multiplied. Our group was only lucky to have found out the way to subdue them. Unfortunately Sir Randel had to use everything to defeat them." Olivier calmly exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We have determined that there was something strange about these wolves, that is why I opted to spare them in case Your Highness wants to look further into the matter." He continued.


    "Alright, that is good to know. I didn''t even notice that there was something wrong with the wolves¡­" The Prince answered with a hint of surprise in his face.


    Olivier on the other hand, almost face palmed. Surely the Prince had eliminated the enemy even before they knew that they were under attack!


    "I''d like to look into it after we dispose of these." After contemting for a while the Prince nodded and disdainfully pointed at the bird cages.


    "Head towards the point between the fourth and third vige from Silvertown, release these cages in an inconspicuous area." The Prince ordered Olivier.


    After extracting the subdued hell wolves, he casted an incineration spell on the bird cages which turned all corpses into ash.


    It was imperative that they do not leave traces of the dead Spectre near Silvertown, as it would only provoke the Spectre to send more people, much more to leave them outside the bounds of the Silver Dew Forest. It was like saying to the Spectre that the person they were looking for could be found inside the Silver Dew Forest.


    Thus, the Prince had made an entrapment spell that could iste the surroundings and was portable enough not to leave any trace on the original battlefield. This way, they could redirect the traces and evidence on other sites that would make the investigators wonder what actually happened.


    Baobao and Wisey decided to go with Olivier, just in case something happened. They quickly set off to dispose of the enemy''s remains away from Silvertown and Silver Dew Forest.


    After seeing the trio off, Leon casted a floating spell on Randel''s unconscious body and went inside Eli''s cottage. He carefully set Randel on a couch in the living room while he immediately wrote a letter, sealed it with his blood, and ced it in the teleportation array tomunicate with the Silver Dew Elves.


    After a few minutes the teleportation array reacted, a hooded figure and Eli appeared on it.


    "Leon! How are you? Is everyone alright?" Eli immediately rushed towards Leon worriedly and inquired about everyone''s condition.


    "E-everything''s fine, we have all subdued the enemies, however, Randel was severely wounded.." Leon was flustered by Eli''s sudden approach, as well as how natural Eli had called his given name.


    Looking at the unconscious Randel, he tried topose himself and continued, "His wounds were severely deep, I''d like to ask for the mercy of the Silver Dew Elves to help ourrade." He pleaded as he bowed towards the cloaked figure.


    "Azayn¡­" Eli also pleaded to the cloaked figure. Her face was full of dread and guilt. It was because of her that Randel was hurt.


    "Do not worry, Randel is also my friend... Do not worry yourself." Azayn, who took off her hood, answered gently and patted Eli''s shoulders trying to calm her down.


    She then looked towards the Prince and remarked, "I now get why Uncles Ben and Andi had been talking a lot about you, it turned out that you are ''rted'' to my dear Eli. Anyways, you have proven your abilities quite well today... I look forward to seeing how able you are in protecting our dearest Eli."


    "Thank you for your care and protection of Lady Elise, please also extend my gratitude to the Elven Chief, Eirllon." Leon politely replied and gave a gentleman''s bow of gratitude to Azayn and the entire Elven vige.


    "Hmm, do not worry too much, our elven vige would continue to look after Eli especially as she approaches her uing delivery.." Azayn replied promptly while she calmly walked towards the unconscious Randel.


    "Then I would see myself out first, to investigate other matters. Again, I couldn''t thank you enough.." Knowing that his presence may affect Randel''s treatment, Leon excused himself to investigate the hell wolves.


    The two women then proceeded in tending Randel''s injury.


    Walking outside, Leon created an istion barrier and took out the sleeping wolves out of their restraining bird cages.


    Inspecting closely, he initially did not find anything wrong in the wolves'' outer appearance. Everything looked normal except for the fact that they looked more savage than a normal wolf.


    He touched one wolf''s body, closing his eyes, he used his own mana to inspect the wolf''s innerposition. He focused his mind to perceive the wolf''s body and noticed something unexinable.


    In his vision, he could see the mana pathways all around the wolf''s body. Networks of shining grey veins could be seen, indicating that the wolf''s mana pathway was active. However, along the main pathways were blue colored dots embedded in along the grey paths.


    Leon took a look at the other two wolves to verify his observation. He repeated this step a few more times. The more he double checked, the more furious he became.


    "These wolves'' bodies contain human mana receptors!"

 Chapter 47 Leons Decision

    ?Everyone in Prasinos could freely use magical power.


    They could use it ording to their natural aptitude, ss, and their constitution. That includes normal animals and nts. However, there was a distinct difference between each creature in terms of how their bodies take in magical power.


    The difference lies with the creature''s mana receptors.


    Theposition and nature of the mana receptors vary from race to race, constitution to constitution. Even mixed races had identifiable mana receptors.


    But there was no ount in the entire history of Prasinos about a creature possessing two different types of mana receptors! Just what the hell are these creatures?


    Leon furrowed his brows, looking extremely disturbed. He didn''t know what happened to these wolves. Although he had a hunch that they were results of the Spectre''s experimentations, he didn''t want to ept that fact.


    He wanted to deny it as much as possible, for there were many lives involved!


    Today, they encountered twenty wolves, that meant twenty pairs humans and wolves, or even more! His heart pounded hard as he could only imagine the horror they went through. He became burdened.


    He loved his subjects even though they misunderstood him. He was born knowing that it was his responsibility protecting the inhabitants of the empire, regardless if they approve of him or not. What can he say?


    He was born in this position, his heart was meant to love the people.


    Even if they do not love him back.


    Now he was faced with a gruesome reality, the subjects are in danger! He had to do something!


    He turned and looked longingly towards Eli''s cottage. He stared at it for a long time. Clenching his fist, he toughened up himself toe up with a decision.


    To leave his unborn child and future wife, in order to bring greater peace.


    His heart broke in two.


    "Again, I would be out of the family''s picture.." He uttered with a bittersweet smile.


    As much as possible, he wanted to stay by their side at all times. But now, he cannot afford to do it.


    He was about to wrap up to go inside, when he saw Olivier''s team arriving from disposing the remains of the enemies.


    "Your Highness, we have arrived!" Olivier reported.


    "Hmm, you''re timely. I was about to go inside and check on Randel." Leon acknowledged the team and beckoned them to get inside.


    As soon as they opened, the aroma of a sumptuous dinner weed their noses. They had been on high alert all this time that they didn''t notice that they all had skipped lunch and it was almost dinner time.


    Eli weed them home with a relieved smile. Wearing a light pinkced apron, she weed the team. Her aura excudes that of a gentle and loving mom-to-be.


    "You''re here Baobao, Wisey, Sir Olivier! I am d you are all safe!" Of course, the first one she hugged was the furry body of Baobao. She even rubbed her head in Baobao''s fluffy tummy.


    "Aiyoo, Master, I am full of dirt!" Baobao nervously responded as he gave Eli''s head a pat. He nced at the far left and saw the Prince Master, starting at them intensely.


    Meeting the Prince Master''s stare, Baobao''s fur stood up in goosebumps. "The Prince Master looked scary!" He mentallymunicated with Wisey.


    "Hmmf, he was just envious that Eli chan''s object of affection was us. What can he do? He was just a ''friend''!" Wisey responded as she arrogantly transformed into her original barn owl form and brushed her cheeks on Eli''s hand.


    Eli also affectionately caressed Wisey''s head. Wisey didn''t forget to cast a gloating nce towards the cold Prince, "Too bad you were just a friend!"


    Leon couldn''t take the provocation anymore and avoided the mocking nce of Eli''s twopanions. Olivier on the other hand was praying that the Prince wouldn''t be so cold when they go hometer on.


    "Randel was already awake, you can rest in the living room for a moment, while I prepare for dinner." Eli led the exhausted group in the living room.


    There they saw Randel, sitting attentively. His cold and mysterious demeanor was back. His upper body bandaged, his long brown hair was neatly resting on his back and shoulders. Beside him was Azayn, who was busy reading the book of rare animals Eli had duplicated for her.


    "Greetings esteemed elf!" Olivier respectfully greeted the elf in the living room.


    He knew that the elves preferred not to interact with humans, but this elf not only helped them, she seemed to also tended to Randel''s injury.


    "Be at ease, you''re Eli and Randel''s friends, and this Prince was even Eli''s future hus- eherm.. Friend, Eli''s friend." Azayn answered nonchntly, but almost blurted out something that would make Eli ufortable.


    Back when Azayn took Eli to the elven vige for refuge, she was able to introduce her with his father, Chief Eirllon and her husband Koehthar. After formally introducing Eli to the men, she had already dragged Eli out and they proceeded to have a girls talk.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    From that she knew that the reason that Eli copsed and had her summoned in Argentum was because of this Prince''s sudden proposal and the many revtions thereafter.


    Azayn went to tease Eli as to why she wouldn''t ept the Prince''s proposal as she would really be needing the help of a husband in preparing for her delivery soon. However, Eli patiently exined about her take on marriage and how she and the Prince agreed to just be friends.


    Eli left them in the living room to finish preparing for dinner while the group expressed their concern on Randel.


    Randel was already out of the dangerous stage of his condition. He just needed to replenish energy and recover from his wounds. After knowing this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.


    Randel remembered something and took out a recording crystal into his pocket.


    "I have managed to record everything that happened before I engaged in a battle with the wolves. I felt that there was something wrong with them."


    Everyone observed the scene of the wolves transforming and attacking their own handlers.


    "We have also encountered the same thing, however the berserk was triggered by breaking a pendant with a red liquid." Olivier reported. "Howe it wasn''t the same as yours?"


    Everyone was baffled. After some time, Randel replied, "The wolves went berserk after I cut off one of the cloaked men''s heads. Could it be that I have simultaneously broken the pendant?"


    All agreed with Randel''s hypothesis. It was usible.


    "We were lucky, however, that Wisey was able to find the artifact that could stop the berserk." Oliver then showed everyone the bracelet containing the greenish liquid.


    He handed it down to Leon and continued, "Apart from this and the broken specimen of the red liquid crystal, we''re not able to determine if the other artifacts have some connection with the wolves'' berserk."


    Everyone, even Azayn was left in wonder, how these wolves turned into terrifying monsters.


    These monsters appeared mindless and all they could do was to attack the nearest enemy around. If the entrapment spell weren''t there, if they weren''t able to subdue them on time, they could just imagine how many lives would be lost when these wolves were allowed to go on rampage.


    "I havepleted my initial investigation of the wolves we have captured.." Leon dered to the group. Everyone could see that he wasn''t feeling well about what he was able to discover.


    With a cold glint in his eyes and tightly clenched fists, he informed everyone, "The wolves possess human mana receptors.."


    "Ridiculous!" It was Azayn who first voiced her surprise. She dropped the book that she had been enjoying earlier and said in utter disbelief,


    "How could that happen? No one could possess two types of receptors! Even mixed race creatures naturally develop their one and own!" She was a doctor, she knew this fact very well.


    "I, too, would want to not believe it the most. But I checked and checked repeatedly. I couldn''t deny what I saw and verified¡­ Those were human receptors.. There''s no denying that fact¡­They were the result of gruesome experimentations.." Leon exined, his voice shaking.


    Everyone was left speechless. It was such a scary truth they had stumbled upon. No one else spoke a word.


    "Prince, what''s your n?" Azayn broke the silence and asked for Leon''s next step.


    "I''d like to look into the matter deeper. As much as I want to stay here with Lady Elise, this matter must not wait¡­" Leon answered straightforwardly, but regret could be seen in his eyes.


    "I''d like you to also inform the Elven Chief of this matter. Chances are, not only the human and wolf race were involved.. The worst case scenario is, the Spectre had already been using lives indiscriminately for their goal." Leon pleaded with Azayn.


    "Hmm.. It''s good. On behalf of my father, we would like to cooperate with the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire." Azayn acknowledged. The possibility of other races being involved were also highly possible.


    Leon looked at Azayn gratefully, and looked towards the rest of the group and addressed them one by one..


    "Randel, I will alsomunicate soon with the Grand Masters¡­ Continue on your recovery."


    "Olivier, stay here with the Lady. If possible, help her to train using her summoner''s ability."


    "Baobao and Wisey.. I''d like to plead to you, and also to everyone, not to tell the Lady about the experiment¡­I am afraid that this news may forcibly remind her of her past.."


    "As for me, I will immediately go back straight to the capital and report these matters to the Emperor." He said with determination in his eyes.


    He decided to give up the chance to be closer to Eli and make up for his lost time as Little Han''s co-parent.


    "Everyone, I entrust to you the lives of my child, and the Lady¡­ I couldn''t thank you enough for this help."


    Leon, the Barbaric Blood Prince of the Seirende Empire, bowed humbly towards the group with utmost sincerity.

 Chapter 48 Somethings Missing

    ?The group acknowledged and did not say a word.


    Even Olivier, who wanted to protest, also chose not to question Leon''s decision. They all knew that the best thing to do was to support his decision and protect Eli.


    Knock knock!


    Eli''s gentle smile made the group awaken from their gloom. "Comee, dinner''s prepared.. I''m sure you are all exhausted and hungry!"


    Seeing her smiling face, the group couldn''t help but to helplessly set aside the pressing matter and join dinner.


    Walking towards the kitchen, they were weed by an appetizing aroma of a home cooked dinner.


    On the long table, were attractive dishes made of meat and vegetables. There''s even a big bowl of vegetable sd for Baobao, light and nutritious food for Randel, and a variety of Elven Dish for Azayn!


    All thanks to the book of knowledge, Eli was able to search for the best menu for the bunch.


    "You can wash your hands in that corner, thene and sit. Let us enjoy the meal." Eli smiled brightly and weed everyone.


    Teased by the vorful smell and the colorful feast in front of them, everyone prepared for the meal and sat excitedly.


    As soon as they sat, they were curious as to why Baobao didn''t start to eat, but rather solemnly sped his furry paws together and bowed. Wisey also did the same with his cinnamon colored wings.


    They looked at Eli with a look of inquiry and she awkwardly said, "It''s our tradition to say grace before meal, I hope you don''t mind??"


    "Sure.." Leon was the first one to respond. He eagerly sped his hands in and looked towards Eli saying he was ready.


    The rest also meekly followed.


    Smiling, Eli lead the group in saying grace:


    "Dear Father, Oh Our Great Creator,


    Thank you for the food we are about to eat and savor.


    Bless these meal we are about to eat,


    May it replenish the energy we need to stand on our feet.


    Amen!"


    "Amen!" The rest said in chorus.


    "Let''s dig in!" Baobao said in excitement as he cheerfully ate a fresh carrot in his bowl. "Yum!"


    Everyone helped themselves and started to taste the food prepared on the table. "Delicious!" They eximed in amazement. "Lady, you are good in cooking, you could even bepared with Mr. Ragu!" Olivier the foodie excitedly replied.


    "Oh, no.. I am embarrassed. I don''t think I have the qualifications topare my cooking with him!!" Eli shyly replied.


    In truth she had only learned to properly cook when she arrived in Prasinos. The need for her to prepare delicious and nutritious food for her pregnant body and Little Han in the future, pushed her to keep trying and improve her cooking. She was d that her cooking was well received.


    "She had always been good at cooking! I could never forget the elven snacks she served me when I first visited her." Azayn bragged as she delightfully enjoyed the elven meal prepared for her.


    "Indeed, the food was really delicious, but Lady what is this?" Olivier pointed towards the three bowls at the center.


    "This is called vored fried chicken. For tonight, I prepared three vors, the reddish one is buffalo, it is spicy and tangy. This second one is abination of sweet honey and aromatic garlic. The third one is salted egg vored, it is salty and vorful, with a bit of spiciness at the end¡­" Eli introduced the dish to the group.


    "Come and try it, tell me which vor you like the most!" She then encouraged everyone to try the dish.


    Leon was the first one who tried the dish, he took a piece for each vor. He had been eyeing this dish from the start as he could smell the mouthwatering aroma of a fried chicken. He loved meat the most! But he was too embarrassed to ask what dish it was, for it was clearly not just a normal fried chicken.


    Fortunately the foodie Olivier asked for his sake!


    Taking the buffalo one, his eyes widened in amazement as he took a bite. The chicken coated with buffalo sauce looked shiny and liquidy but the crispiness of the fried chicken was still there! As he bite the meat, its juice burst into his pte marrying the buffalo sauce in perfect bnce!


    He took another bite and another bite, until all that was left was a set of clean chicken bones. The sauce from holding the chicken, colored his fingers orange, but he thought that it was a waste so he licked them all clean.


    Everyone was wide eyed at the Prince''s action. It was the Prince! The Empire''s Prince! He was taught manners at a young age but now¡­


    "What? The dish is good! Or you want me to finish it all before you could taste even a bit?" Leon said nonchntly as he felt the shock from the rest. He took the honey garlic vored chicken and proceeded to eat it.


    Unlike the spiciness of the buffalo chicken this one''s charm lies with the aroma and vor. It is sweet yet it wouldn''t leave your mouth tired from the taste. The aromatic vor of garlic bnces it all.


    After finishing the second one, he proceeded to thest vored chicken, the salted egg vored chicken. Leon didn''t know what salted egg vor pertains to. ''Isn''t it just an egg with salt?'' He wondered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Unlike the first two, the chicken''s coating was somewhat powdery. It was a bit messy to eat at first but when Leon took a bite, his eyes shined in amazement. What is this vor? It was salty yet buttery. A bit grainy yet the textureplemented well to the crispiness of the fried chicken?! "


    "What sorcery is this?!" The Prince blurted out in amazement. His crystal blue eyes twinkled like stars as he chowed down the salted egg fried chicken. "Delicious!"


    "I''m d you like it!" Eli was in a happy mood as the Prince and the rest liked the dish she prepared.


    She wanted to introduce a dish from her previous world . She was actually nervous that they wouldn''t even try it because fried chicken was a finger food. In this world, where table manners were deemed important, it was hard to serve dishes such as this.


    Seeing the Prince monopolize the chicken, Olivier and the rest also tried to get a piece of the chicken. "Woah! Lady! It''s very delicious!" Everyone eximed. Of course, except for our fluffy Baobao as he was a herbivore.


    "B-but Lady, I feel like something was missing.." Olivier the foodie was first to notice something.


    "I know right! Something is missing!" Eli got excited that someone had noticed.


    "Yes, I think this dish must be paired with something.. But I don''t know what it is.." Olivier tried to think for the missing partner of the dish.


    "Indeed! However, I am not sure if that thing could be even found in Seirende¡­ I looked around Silvertown but I didn''t find a single grain¡­" Eli said with a disheartened expression.


    "What would that thing be?" Leon was also curious. If it was something Eli liked, he would find it.


    "That thing is called rice!" Eli said in excitement.


    --


    The meal ended warmly and peacefully. Everyone enjoyed the food and each other''spany. While they were eating together, the fact that they faced a perilous situation earlier was forgotten.


    While the group lounged in the living room to have their after dinner tea, Leon asked Eli to have a conversation privately. Since the group already knew of Leon''s matter, they gave the two some space to talk about their matters.


    They decided to talk outside the cottage, in Eli''s little garden. Afraid that Eli would catch some cold, Leon asked Baobao for a warm shawl and covered Eli''s shoulders.


    After letting Eli sit on a log chair, the two stayed still under the moonlight. Fireflies flew around shining in green light while the moon showered its light on the dew''s formed by the moist in the night, silver dewdrops glistened everywhere.


    "Lad- Eli.. First I have to apologize.." Leon said in a nervous manner.


    Eli didn''t say anything but looked at Leon with a questioning look in her face.


    "You see, I have already said that I would make it up to you and Little Han¡­ But due to what happened today, I need to immediately go back to the capital and deal with these matters.." Leon said with regret and sadness in his voice.


    "I''m sorry that I will not be around again as you go through the rest of your pregnancy¡­" Leon looked towards Eli, he could clearly see Eli''s thoughtful expression.


    "Why are you sorry? Aren''t you doing this because it is your duty? Besides, ultimately it is for me and Little Han''s sake, so why are you sorry?" Eli replied with her dark eyes reflecting the glow of the moonlight as she looked up to Leon.


    She didn''t mention it in her words but her eyes were telling him, ''Don''t be sad, we''ll be alright!''


    "But, I don''t even know when I coulde back.. I am not even sure if I''ll be with you when you give birth to our Little Han.." Leon said with a broken heart.


    "It''s ok, didn''t you say that you wanted to be part of the family? I and Little Han will be waiting for you toe back. So do your best!" Eli said with a smile.


    Then she looked towards her house and said, "I am no longer alone, I have people to rely on. Unlike before, I learned how to smile,ugh, make friends, and ask for help. I''m sure we''ll be fine... Ahwp!" Her words were interrupted by a sudden movement in her stomach.


    "Eli! W-what''s the matter?!" Leon asked in panic, hearing Eli suddenly yelp.


    Eli said with a light chuckle, "No it''s nothing, Little Han suddenly moved, I am still in the process of getting used to it¡­ Do you wanna check?" Eli beckoned Leon to touch her baby bump.


    "C-can I?" Leon said somewhat excitedly.


    "Sure!" Eli said with delight.


    Leon knelt in front of Eli, not knowing what to do next. Eli chuckled and gently pulled his hands and ced it around her baby bump.


    "Can you feel it??" She asked excitedly.


    As soon as Leon''s hand touched Eli''s baby bump, he felt delicate movement beneath his palms, the little one seemed to be greeting him warmly.


    He was overwhelmed with happiness that his heart almost burst in two, tears threatened to fall in his crystal blue eyes.


    Trying hard not to sob, Leon greeted the little one with a quavering voice,


    "Hello my little one.."

 Chapter 49 Starry Night

    ?"Oh Little Han moved a lot!" Eli said in surprise.


    "Little Han seemed to like your voice!" She teased with a chuckle and encouraged Leon, "Talk to him more so that he could remember your voice."


    Leon, who was overwhelmed with the feelings of a soon-to-be father, stroked Eli''s baby bump gently and said, "Hello my Little Han, it''s me, your Dad.."


    As soon as he talked to Little Han, he could feel another movement from Eli''s baby bump as if Little Han was responding to his voice.


    He happily looked towards Eli who smiled back tearfully. Holding Eli''s baby bump gently with his hands he continued to talk to Little Han,


    "Little Han, please be good and be healthy.."


    "Dad, has to leave you for a little while to ensure your safety.."


    "So please grow well and be with your Mum while I''m gone.."


    "I''m sorry if Dad wouldn''t be around so often.."


    Eli allowed the father and child to converse. Although there still exists a thought at the back of her mind that she was technically an outsider, she couldn''t help but be emotionally affected by the heartwarming scene in front of her.


    But she reminded herself that she was no longer a substitute. She was now Eli, a living Eli, mother of Little Han! With Elise''s confirmation, she was now living for herself. This was her own body, her own life.


    The two stayed oblivious to the bunch who crowded in the window to observe and eavesdrop to their conversation.


    "*Sniff sniff* Ahh! I couldn''t help but shed a tear, they look so warm and loving~~" Azayn said emotionally.


    "Too bad, Lady Eli does not want to get married to the Prince yet.." Randel who was mysterious and injured couldn''t also help butment.


    "Ehh so it''s true?! The Lady rejected His Highness''s proposal?!" Olivier asked in shock.


    "Indeed. Because Eli-chan was firm that she would only marry someone she loved!" Wisey said proudly and continued, "That''s why the Prince had no choice but to just be a friend to Eli-chan!"


    "I think Prince should woo the Lady immediately!" Olivier asked in panic.


    "Nah.. Let us respect Eli''s decision. If they are for each other, they are for each other!" Azayn replied with a confident expression.


    The bunch still continued to observe the two under the starry night from the window, like curious expectators.


    Back in the garden, Eli let Leon properly say his goodbyes to Little Han. Seeing his pitiful expression he couldn''t help but sympathize. Before the Prince showed up, she was sure that whoever Little Han''s father would be, they wouldn''t acknowledge Little Han as their child.


    But the Prince was actually sincere in fulfilling his role as a father.


    "It''s actually amazing.." She uttered mindlessly.


    "Amazing?" Leon heard Eli''s words and asked curiously.


    Realizing that she just absentmindedly blurted out what she was thinking, she had no choice but to exin, "Uhmm, I was just thinking that both me and Little Han were really fortunate¡­ Because you epted our existence."


    Eli looked up in the starry sky. She remembered Elise''s sentiments as she continued,


    "I actually was ready to face this alone. I know that what happened that night was a drunken mistake of mine¡­I-i was actually so bold to force myself on you..."


    When Eli mentioned that part, her cheeks felt hot, she couldn''t help but cover her face as she was feeling secondhand embarrassment for Elise.


    "I never would have expected that you would take responsibility, and even go as far as to ensure our safety¡­"


    "I couldn''t help but feel guilty... Yet I am also grateful at the same time."


    Eli''s words weren''t only for Elise who had already passed, but for her, the one who continued her journey in motherhood. She couldn''t help but juggle between her emotions and Elise''s sentiments.


    After all, the one who spent the night with Leon wasn''t her, but Elise. But the one who was reaping the benefit of Leon owning his responsibility, was her. Her feelings were asplicated as someone who wanted to get closure on one''s behalf, as if getting it would grant her freedom as well.


    "You do not have to feel guilty about what happened that night." Leon answered with firmness and a hint of guilt.


    "The truth of that night¡­ Shall I say?" Leon said with uncertainty.


    "You might copse again if I revealed it.." He was afraid to shock Eli again but he also couldn''t let Eli feel guilty.


    "Why not? So many things happened today, I think I could handle another.." Eli responded helplessly.


    Indeed, with how much things are happening to her and Elise, she must be trained to be emotionally prepared for these things.


    Seeing Eli insisted, Leon let out a heavy sigh and started to recount what happened.


    --


    Few months ago, in some forest near the border of the Seirende Empire.


    Leon and his small army were marching their way home from subduing a rebel group near the boundary of the Seirende Empire.


    On their way home, one of his soldiers mentioned that there was a festival happening in Riverfort Town. He asked if they could pass by and explore the town, to celebrate their victory before they all went back to the capital.


    Leon contemted, seeing the expectant eyes of his loyal knights, he helplessly agreed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He also thought that the people at the Riverfort hospital were his people. Doctor Einz, the chief of the hospital, was his dear friend.


    He also remembered the Asani, Elise. He was not able to visit for four years, so he nned to drop by the hospital the next morning.


    He was actually curious of how well she had recovered and if she was finally free from all the terror she went through. Although he had received reports and letters from his dear friend Einz, he wanted to see it in his own eyes.


    Upon their entry in the forest Leon allowed his men to enjoy the night of the festival while he looked for an inn to stay and rest for the night.


    On his way from looking around, he noticed amotion on a dark alley.


    He saw ady, unconscious. In the dark alley, four men were about head on their way, while one of them carried thedy on his shoulders, like a sack of rice.


    Leon immediately took care of the abductors and got thedy to safety.


    The moment he saw who thedy, he was surprised. Ady with a ck hair. It was the Asani, Elise, whom he saved four years ago. Unlike thest time he saw her, her face was now healthy and rosy, far from her previous pale and emaciated face.


    However, Elise was already intoxicated with a strong aphrodisiac potion. The way that the men took her, they were about to do something that would destroy her womanhood for good. As Leon realized this, his face had a trace of anger and apprehension.


    He suddenly felt regret that he killed the men on the spot. He needed to know why they tried to do this thing to Elise.


    "Is she specifically targeted? Or Is she just unlucky?"


    For a strong aphrodisiac like this to appear in a remote vige like Riverfort, it was really suspicious.


    Suddenly Elise''s body began to convulse, her body temperature began to rise up rmingly. Her body had just been recovering to the great trauma and torture for more than ten years, even after four years it wasn''t enough for her entire body to fully recover.


    Leon had no choice but to rush to the Riverfort Hospital and ask for Einz''s help.


    "Leon?!" Einz, who was busy finishing his reports, was shocked that his friend rushed from the window, carrying the convulsing Elise in his arms. "Heavens!"


    "No time to exin, it''s a strong aphrodisiac." Leon said in haste.


    Einz immediately worked to extract the potion from Elise''s body. He was able to expel the potion in immediately. Only then the two heaved a sigh of relief, upon seeing her convulsing body rx.


    But after a minute, a dark magic circle appeared on top of Elise''s chest.


    She started coughing up blood. Dark purple veins appeared all over her body, and her heart rate slowed down.


    "This¡­ this.. the potion contains a curse¡­" Einz said in disbelief, his voice trembling as he tried his best to continue,


    "What was given to her was really meant to destroy her womanhood and life utterly. That curse requires to have her womanhood taken away or she''ll die¡­ We have to make a choice."


    Seeing Elise''s twitching body, Leon couldn''t help but be disheartened and feel pity.


    "Einz, should we surrender?" He said with hopelessness in his whole being.


    "Maybe she wasn''t really meant to live a happy life, that is why no matter how we protect her, how much we wanted to let her see the bright side of life, someone woulde and destroy it.


    "Maybe if she finally dies she would be free from pain already." He tried to exin, the pity in his heart rose up to his throat as he felt it dry.


    "Leon what the hell are you thinking!? Calm down!!" Einz shouted, reprimanding his friend.


    "What can we even do? For me, destroying her womanhood to keep her alive, was no different from what she had experienced in that torture chamber..."


    "We would be killing her heart twice!" Leon said in guilt and in pain.


    Einz could see how much he struggled. He too was helpless, what was required to save the poordy was for them to step beyond their moral boundaries.


    "Leon, I don''t have the heart to decide for her life¡­ Even if you use me as a mean friend, I will leave the decision to you. The one who let her out of captivity." Einz patted his dear friend''s shoulder, letting him carry the heavy burden.


    With the dying Elise in front of him, he knelt at her bedside and with his two shaking hands, he cupped Elise''s greyish hand.


    "I am sorry.. I am sorry.. I am sorry.." He couldn''t utter any other words. He felt like someone who gave a person false hope only to bring death and despair by his own hands.


    "I am sorry.." Leon''s tears sobbed as he tightly gripped the dying Elise''s hands, his body trembling.


    "Hello mister.. your eyes¡­ are like stars¡­ beautiful." Leon heard Elise''s weak voice.


    "Mister, I wonder.. will I see more beautiful things like this tomorrow?" Elise uttered almost breathlessly.


    Leon was shocked. Elise was conscious..


    "It would be nice to see some more...right mister?" Elise said longingly as she looked towards the window.


    On that starry night, the rummored Barbaric Blood Prince, decided to really act barbaric.


    With Elise''s desire to live,


    He decided to be the evil one and take her most precious thing.

 Chapter 50 His And Her Worries

    ?"Einz¡­" Leon''s solitary and lonely figure was sitting on the window pane. Wearing only his robes. The cold nightly breeze brushed past his silver hair.


    "I will take responsibility.." He said with his frigid voice. His tone was low, yet full of determination.


    "I''ll do my best to make it up for her. Even if it means marriage, I''ll do it at all cost."


    "But Leon, you are the prince of the Empire, for you to give up marriage for this.. Are you sure?" Einz''s feelings wereplicated. He worried for his dear friend, but his heart broke for Elise, whom he considered as her little sister.


    He couldn''t me Leon for his choice... But he couldn''t ept it either.


    "Einz, before I have decided to do it, do you know what she said?" Leon nkly uttered these words, not minding if his dear friend was listening.


    "She said she wanted to see more beautiful things.. She was looking forward for tomorrow.." Leon''s voice was shaking in anguish.


    "Einz.. I can only give her one thing.. Between things that are beautiful, or her tomorrow.. I was only capable of giving her one, and that is her tomorrow. Even if it won''t be beautiful by the time she wakes up."


    He looked at his two hands and clenched it tight, "I am incapable of giving her both¡­"


    "I won''t justify my actions. Einz, I''ll carry this guilt until I die."


    "But even if it meant giving my future to her, in exchange for me taking away her innocence, I would dly do so."


    "Sigh¡­" Seeing that his friend was emotionally miserable, Einz chose not to let him feel more guilt.


    Looking worriedly towards the bed, where Elise was sleeping soundly, Einz said, "I know my words are meaningless, but I''d like you not to make yourself miserable over this matter. At the end of the day, the choice rest with Elise."


    "Her choice to live has consequences. I think the whole team has already raised her enough for her to understand this." Einz said in a serene tone.


    "If she chose to condemn you, then that''s the time you start living your life as miserably as you wanted, if that would free your heart from guilt."


    "But if she didn''t, then just support her in the way she wanted."


    Seeing his friend,cking in reaction, Einz sighed and helplessly continued, "Spend the night here.. This room was actually from my vi, that secretly connected to my office at the hospital."


    "Don''t let her be alone when she wakes up, if you have decided to really be the Barbaric Prince they said you are.. Then see this to the end."


    He gave his friend onest stern advice and then went out through the secret door. As soon as the door was shut, it disappeared, the surface turned into a normal wall.


    --


    The sun shone gently inside the bedroom where Elise was sleeping.


    "Urggg.." She felt like her body was a little bit heavy, especially lower back.


    She also felt pain down there, as soon as she realized it, she was fully awakened from her groggy state. She was lying on a king sized bed, with a pure white quilt. She was also wearing a long sleeved sleeping gown with light pink ruffles.


    "You have awoken¡­" A cold voice sounded from afar, Elise looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a man, in his inner robe, lying mindlessly on the sofa.


    His silver hair and crystal blue eyes made him look like a noble man, but when Elise looked down on his robes, where a part of his robe let her peak his ripped upper body, he looked like a fallen angel!


    "Wait, Mister, where am I? How did I even get here?" Confused as to why she was alone in an unfamiliar bedroom with such a dangerously handsome man, she asked.


    "You do not remember what happenedst night?" The man with the silver hair answered with his deep cold voice. He was a bit far from the bedside, so Elise was not able to clearly see his stiffening body and his eyes tinged with worry and uncertainty.


    Elise tried hard to remember what happened. She sneaked out to the hospital to see the festival. Then as she was freely wandering, a burly man from a particr stall offered her a liquor for drink.


    ''A liquor! Who would have thought that I would get drunk after that one ss¡­'' Elise facepalmed.


    Everything after that was hazy, she never had been drunk, so that feeling of heat and extreme pain... ''That must be how it feels like when I get drunk!''


    Then blurry memories appeared on her mind,


    "Hello mister.. your eyes¡­ are like stars¡­ beautiful." She said while boldly touching the skin under a silver haired man''s eyes.


    "Mister, I wonder.. will I see more beautiful things like this tomorrow?" She brazenly blurted out such teasing words, asking if she would be able to still see him when the morninges¡­


    "It would be nice to see some more...right mister?" She shamelessly asked if she could see more of his body. She held herself back from staring at his chest area, afraid that the beautiful mister see through her, so she just longingly stared at the window.


    ''Oh my herbs!!! I flirted and did THAT with a random man!!!'' Elise was shocked out of its wits.


    ''Calm down, calm down first¡­'' She tried topose herself, taking a deep breath and stealing a look towards the man.


    ''All right Elise, the man must be someone from a noble family,'' She looked at the bedroom around her, it was luxurious and elegant, fitting for a noble man like him.


    ''I heard from my sister nurses that noble men had the hobby to do things like this and brush it all off afterwards¡­ So then, let''s be carefree and show to him that we will not be after his wealth..''


    ''That''s a great idea! Right¡­ I''m sure he will like it if I have no interest in making him responsible..''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Noble men like him must already be married or betrothed, so let''s just say that it doesn''t matter!''


    ''Arrrggggh, Why do you have to be so bold Elise!!!!'' Elise had her inner dialogue nning how to interact with the mister onwards.


    "Ehem, ehem! So aboutst night¡­" Elise tried to act as nonchntly as possible.


    Leon, on the other hand, clenched his fist. His adam''s apple rolled as he nervously took a gulp, as he braced himself for Elise''s judgment, ''No matter what she says, if she uses me, I''ll take it all!''


    "Let''s forget about this matter!" Elise dered as she flicked her hair as confidently as possible, trying to hide her shame and embarrassment.


    "P-pardon?" Leon was shocked beyond his wits, ''Is Elise on her right mind? Did she even understand what I did to her?''


    "I am a freedy! I do anything I want! Including what happenedst night! So you!!!" Elise said, acting like a spoileddy and pointed towards Leon,


    "You must not think that I wanted you to take responsibility for me!" She dered with a proud expression.


    "So don''t think I will take responsibility for you too!" She looked sharply towards Leon, as if warning her.


    "But.. you -" Leon wanted to exin but he was again interrupted by an arrogant voice.


    "FREE Lady! Call me FREEdy!" She said with pride.


    "But.. Free Lady, did you not understand what I did to you? What happenedst night?" Leon''s mind was already in shambles, he was mentally prepared facing Elise''s anger, but not these strange things Elise was saying.


    He had never interacted with women, the first time he had an intimate contact with the opposite sex wasst night. He couldn''t reconcile the guilt he was feeling and Elise''s nonchnt reaction about it.


    "I fully understood it! I''m a grown up now, a freedy at that! How could I not understand it?!" She said fuming in annoyance. She wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible so that she could run back home in the hospital.


    Pointing annoyingly towards Leon, "You¡­"


    Then she pointed towards herself and dered, "and I. We slept togetherst night!"


    "What could I not understand about that fact?" She said irritatingly and continued, "I''m telling you, I do not need you to take responsibility for me."


    "But Free Lady.. You were drunk! I was sober!" Leon tried to reason out, thinking that maybe, Elise was still childish that she looked over this matter so carelessly.


    "As far as I know, I gave you the consentst night!" Elise said in a firm manner.


    "I know what it all meant, when I flirted with you, when I said your eyes are beautiful and when I asked you to let me see more!"


    She slowly got up from the bed, although she felt the piercing pain from down there, she still did her best to walk steadily towards where the mister was sitting.


    "Repeat after me!" She demanded Leon, who was not able to process everything.


    "Free Lady does not need me to take responsibility!"


    "Free Lady... does not need me... to take responsibility..."


    "I will forget what happenedst night!"


    "I will forget...what happened...st night..."


    Seeing that Leon had already surrendered, she then demanded,


    "Now I need to go, DO NOT FOLLOW ME!"


    She saw her cloak neatly folded on the bedside, she fastly pulled it and went out to the room.


    "Mister.. See you never!!! Bubyee!~~~"


    Leon was so shocked that he was left frozen for about five minutes.. ''Where am I, what happened? Who am I?''


    Rushing to go outside with all her might, Elise hastily ran away. When she was already considerably far from the premises of the vi she heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Whew, I did a good job back there! Crisis resolved!" Elise proudly patted her chest with pride.


    "He looked so guilty, it''s not as if there''s something to be responsible for a person like me.." She said with a self mocking smile on her face. Her past was something that would make noble people like the mister have second thoughts.


    "Hmm as to how foolish I was to get drunk and be wild like that.. I surely have learned my lesson.."


    She remembered the man''s face, his silver hair, crystal blue eyes and well ripped body.


    "Charge to experience! Charge to experience!" She mischievously said as she walked towards the Riverfort Hospital.


    "And it''s not as if I will get pregnant from doing it once!!!" She shrugged and said with a carefreeugh.

 Chapter 51 Let Go Of Guilt, Start To Love

    ?"Pffttt! Hahahha!" Upon listening to his friend''s narration of the confrontation with Elise, the dignified Chief Doctor couldn''t help butugh his heart out on how ridiculous the situation had turned out.


    "Einz this is noughing matter!" Leon reprimanded his dear friend. "Thedy does not see this matter as grave as it should be¡­" He said in a worry.


    "Leon.." After calming himself down fromughter, Einz patted his dear friend''s shoulders and said, "It doesn''t mean that she was wrong for shrugging the matter off."


    "Remember what she had been through¡­" Einz said in a mncholic tone, his brown eyes looked at the view far beyond the windows.


    "I am not saying that she had already gone through the worst that these things wouldn''t faze her.."


    "I am saying that because she had been through that.. She looked at the things we see negatively in another light¡­" Einz gave his friend his heartfelt advice.


    "I have been observing her for four years, raising her like my foster sister. Leon, she had grown to be such a mischievous yet happydy. Yet instead of me teaching her the things in life, she was the one who taught me more about life instead." He said with a smile.


    "She looks at life so differently.. What I see as a mundane thing, she sees it as something precious. So precious that even I, who watches over her, would be convinced of her different outlook."


    "It is not wrong that you feel guilty about this, because it was your own bottomline you had broken.. Yet I am saying that you should acknowledge her outlook on this things,"


    "By the time she wanted to talk about what really happened, then tell her as it is. No more no less."


    --


    Leon recounted all that happened in his perspective, not concealing anything.


    As Eli was listening, she was able to get the whole picture with Elise''s memories. Now everything made sense. The Prince had already been thinking of marriage on that night because of his deep sense of responsibility in talking Elise''s innocence away.


    If anything, the existence of Little Han, made Leon much more adamant in taking responsibility.


    However, Elise''s memories of what happened has been influenced by her carefree personality and the potion taking effects on her body.


    She couldn''t help but let out a helpless chuckle. ''These two.. really a handful!''


    Leon, who was downcast in shame and guilt, became stiff as he heard Elise''s chuckle. "Eli, if you are angry I won''t say anything¡­ I will ept it!"


    He clenched his fist as he looked down on the ground thinking, ''Finally I was able to exin everything¡­ I will let Eli decide on the next step."


    "Leon¡­ Leon, look at me!" Eli, who had observed the guilt ridden Prince, tried to call his attention.


    Hesitant, Leon slowly looked at Eli''s face and met her stare. He was expecting a look of condemnation and disgust from Eli''s eyes but he was not able to see any trace of it.


    In her eyes, a look of independence and freedom. Her dark midnight eyes looked so clear and pure, he couldn''t find any trace of resentment nor usation.


    It was a look of sympathy and kindness. As if she didn''t see herself as a victim nor the judge.


    "Leon, free yourself from guilt. I think it is time to let go of the past." She said so gently.


    She doesn''t want to say if he was guilty or not. She is not the Great One to judge what happened between him and Elise. She wanted him to let go of the burden he had been carrying because she doesn''t want to see Leon shackled by the guilt of the past and live with it for the rest of his life.


    "The mistakes of yesterday, didn''t we choose to face them properly this time?" Eli said while looking down on her baby bump.


    "Leon, now that we have decided to be friends and co-parents. I want you to know that Little Han is not something to be guilty of."


    "Look at how much happiness Little Han was able to give to the two of us today¡­ How much more when Little Han is finally out of my womb!" She said with a smile while sincerely looking towards Leon.


    "Leon, I stand by my decision to reject marriage, because I want us to be free from the guilt of the past and properly face what is present."


    "For us to be free to live, free to love, free to smile and free to cherish the people around us. For us to have rtionships that were not bound by guilt nor responsibility,"


    "But of genuine love."


    Eli carefully stood up and walked towards were the moon shined brightly, looking up in the beautiful night sky, she continued,


    "In life, there are different kinds of love, not just romantic love¡­"


    "I want us to be free enough to experience and find those kinds of love¡­ Genuine, true love!"


    She looked towards Leon, smiling gently.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Leon, what kind of love do you seek?" She asked with a curious tone.


    "I-" Leon couldn''t say anything.


    Love, he didn''t really know what that meant. His love for his people? Does that count? His love for his parents? Is it really love that he felt towards them and not responsibility? Not just a task that came with him being born as a prince?


    "Leon, for whatever kind of love you want to seek.." She turned to Leon and said with a sincere smile.


    "Why not start loving yourself first?"


    Badump!


    The sound of Leon''s heartbeat became loud enough that he could hear it from his head. He looked towards Eli who was looking at him with a thoughtful smile.


    Her body was delicate and fragile looking, yet something in her made Leon see strength and beauty beyond what is physical.


    This image was forever etched in Leon''s mind. He will never forget how loud his heart was shouting in his soul in this particr night.


    Seeing Leon absent minded, she let out a light chuckle, "Hehehe, do not fret too much. I too had just started on my journey to love myself."


    "We need to love ourselves first before we are able to truly love other people." Eli''s tenderly looked on her womb carresing it lovingly.


    Thinking that Leon was baffled of the idea of self love, Eli thought of a famous quote in her previous world,


    "I heard this from the wise people back then, -


    "You cannot give what you don''t have!"


    --


    Soon, it was time for the bunch to settle down and go to their respective homes.


    Azayn and Eli affectionately gave their goodbyes towards each other. Azayn left through the teleportation portal.


    As for Randel, who was injured, he had to wait a little bit for Leon and Olivier to finish reinforcing Eli''s teleportation portal to be connected in Argentum and Leon''s quarters in the central bank.


    As soon as it was finished, Leon asked Olivier to stay behind and guard Eli, while he himself would assist Randel in Argentum, much to Olivier''s protest.


    Leon insisted that he had to talk to the grandmasters about the matters of the Spectre, to which Olivier finally relented.


    Soon the cottage became quiet with the trio plus the new member, Olivier. She then beckoned Olivier upstairs to his assigned room while Wisey and Baobao were busy cleaning up the living area and the kitchen.


    Eli had already allowed Leon and Olivier to spend the night. Leon was anxious to leave Eli alone tonight in her cottage.


    During their private talk, Leon had informed her that he will let Olivier stay behind to be her guard and trainor in summoning. However he had strictly requested Eli not to let Olivier live inside the cottage, much to Eli''s confusion.


    Eli agreed, nheless. After all, Leon was still the Prince, and Little Han''s father. She had to also give the respect Leon deserved. She decided to let Baobao and Olivier construct his quarters by tomorrow.


    "Tomorrow, the Prince will be going back to the capital.." Eli gently uttered as she sat quietly in the living room, with Wisey, Baobao and Olivier waiting for the Prince toe home.


    "Sir Olivier, will the Prince be alright, that you weren''t there with him?" Eli asked with a hint of worry and guilt.


    "Do not worry Lady, His Highness will be fine! Besides, it''s not only me that follows him wholeheartedly! I have myrades there, rest assured, they are the Prince''s most reliable and loyal men!" Olivier said in a lively manner, pumping his chest as if guaranteeing what he had said.


    "Sir Olivier, I do not want to be a burden for you, the Prince, and the people I care about." Eli said in a serious manner.


    She looked towards Olivier and pleaded, "I want to have strength to protect myself and my people, Sir Olivier, please teach me!"


    "Lady! You do not have to beg me! I was already assigned by His Highness to teach you the fundamentals until he is back!" Olivier said in a fluster.


    "Although I hope that His Highness wille back and teach you as soon as possible.." Olivier said with regret.


    "Why?" Eli was curious why Olivier was sad and regretful.


    "Lady, it''s because the Prince is currently the strongest summoner in the Empire!"

 Chapter 52 Departure

    ?Morning came, everyone felt refreshed and energized from yesterday''s events.


    Except for Leon, who felt anxious overnight about leaving the mum and child. He battled through the night, trying to calm himself down and convince himself that his decision was right.


    Still anxious about leaving, Leon silently went out of the bedroom, prepared for the morning, and for his departure. Walking downstairs, he was weed with the sweet smell of pancakes from the kitchen and the sound of someone chopping wood.


    Eli and Wisey were busy preparing for breakfast, while Olivier and Baobao had already started constructing the separate quarters.


    "Good morning, Leon! Have you rested well?" Eli greeted Leon amicably.


    Last night was not her first time talking to Leon alone, yet she admitted that their conversation made her know the Prince more. She became much morefortable with Leon aspared to their initial awkward and evasive rtionship.


    As of now, to Leon, she had the samefortability level as her male colleagues in her previous world. Someone you have to treat with respect and trust to some extent. Someone you can rely on when a task is assigned.


    As for Leon being her close friend, the journey had just started. She didn''t know how they would be in the future. But for now, between them is mutual respect and acknowledgement as co-parents to Little Han.


    Leon was also content with how things are right now. Just like Eli, their conversationst night made him understand Eli more, especially on how she viewed love, marriage and responsibility. Although her outlook was a bit unusual to their society, he respected it.


    Seeing Elifortable with him was enough, for now.


    There were many worries up ahead. Taking care of some will help the both of them in preparing themselves as parents to Little Han.


    "I''m good, although I won''t deny that I still feel anxious." Leon said straightforwardly. Hefortably sat on the dining table and sipped the coffee Eli prepared for him.


    Eli gave a light chuckle, "I also feel anxious every morning, I feel uncertain. But I think it''s normal for first time parents like us."


    Wisey ,on the other hand silently watched the two. They were talkingfortably with each other, reserved yet amiable. ''This too is good, nothing seemed to be forced.''


    "Eli-chan, I''ll go and callthem now for breakfast!" Wisey then flew from the window to call Olivier and Baobao.


    "Eli, take this¡­" Leon took something from his space bag and handed Eli a tinum ne with a shining red pendant, it was lowkey yet very elegant. He also handed a stack of paper with written notes.


    "This.." Eli''s eyes widened in surprise by the Prince''s parting gift.


    "This ne have amunication stone. Ask Olivier to teach you how to feed mana into it to ensure that it will always work. I couldn''t be rest assured if I do not have the means to contact you and check on your well being. I hope you don''t mind." Leon exined and pleaded in a serious manner.


    "I see it''s like a cellphone! Could I also use this tomunicate with others?" Eli was surprised by the function of the elegant looking ne.


    "Cellphone?" Leon asked in confusion, hearing an unfamiliar word.


    "Ah nevermind, I tend to make up words, its my habit haha.." Eli awkwardly dismissed Leon''s inquiry, she got so excited about the function of themunication stone that she mindlessly blurted out a word from her previous life.


    "I see, anyways it canmunicate with others but only those who hold the other piece of thismunication stone. This stone was originally one piece and could go as big as a fist.


    "Users tend to break it down into small pieces and give it to people they need constantmunication with. Only those who hold the pieces of the stone couldmunicate with the other holders. As to others, they would have to get anothermunication stone and establish their ownmunication groups."


    "Oh I see, I see, then anyone who also holds part of these stones could call me?" Eli said nervously.


    "Yes," Leon responded, seeing Eli nervous, he understood the context of her question and gave her assurance,


    "Rest assured, the ones who hold the other pieces of these stones are not your enemies, but my trusted people. You do not have to hide your appearances with them. If you aren''tfortable enough, you could decline their attempts tomunicate, they would understand."


    "Alright, then. Oh, how about these notes." Eli nced over the thick stack of paper Leon had given.


    "Training regimen, fundamentals of magic, and essential teleportation security." Leon said in a serious way. Eli could clearly see an imaginary spectacles and a studious aura fromm Leon.


    "Wait.. did you all write thisst night.?!" Eli said in shock. These stacks of papers are approximately a hundred pages! How on earth did he manage to do it in one night?!


    "Hmm I''ve written it, but I started to write it the other night, when the Grandmasters asked me to teach you summoning magic. You can ask Olivier about the things you couldn''t understand about these." He said straightforwardly.


    "Wait, tell me honestly, ever since the other night, have you managed to get even a little bit of sleep?!" Eli said in a bit of an angry yet worried tone.


    Leon was shocked, he could see anger in Eli''s eyes, yet with her dark piercing stare he couldn''t say anything.


    "It seems like you really haven''t slept." Eli said with a heavy sigh.


    "I-i could go on without sleep for days, even a week¡­" Leon tried to exin.


    Eli didn''t answer right away, he understood why Leon was like that. Living in the battlefield at a young age, he could most probably go on to battle without taking a break. Letting out another heavy sigh, Eli responded with helplessness,


    "Leon, as your friend and Little Han''s co-parent, I''d like to advise you to look after your health."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You have two additional people, relying on you. So you have to stay strong and healthy. Do not neglect yourself. Just like I saidst night, start trying to love yourself¡­" Eli said in a sad yet gentle manner.


    "I see, so taking care of myself is also self-love¡­" Leon responded meekly.


    Looking towards the worried Eli, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart. The feeling of seeing Eli worrying for him is not bad. In the future, he looked foward for more interaction like this.


    Talking with someone who sees and respects you as an equal. Aside from Einz, he could only experience this with Eli.


    Remembering Einz, Leon inquired Eli, "


    Oh, by the way. Do you mind that I inform Einz of your well being? He had been so worried since you left Riverfort."


    "Uhh, I am not yetfortable seeing the crew right now...I still feel guilty towards them.." Eli said in embarrassment.


    She didn''t know how to face the first people who cared about Elise genuinely. She needed to mentally prepare before facing them.


    "Uhn, I understand. But just in case you are ready, you can use themunication stone tomunicate with Einz. I am sure he would be happy to see you more than he would be angry." Leon said in a dead serious tone. Yet his eyes were filled with sincerity and certainty.


    "I will, when the timees." Eli replied with a smile.


    Knock knock!


    The rest of the bunch entered the dining room, said their graces, and everyone shared a warm and happy breakfast.


    Looking at the atmosphere in the dining area, Leon couldn''t help but let out a smile hidden under his cup of coffee.


    Mornings like this, made him rx and content. The cottage was only made of logs and bricks, far from the concrete and sturdy pce walls, yet why does it give his heart such a deep sense of security and belongingness?


    If he wasn''t a prince, living with these bunch here in this serene forest for the rest of his life wouldn''t be so bad.


    After breakfast, everyone prepared for Leon''s departure. With Leon reinforcing the teleportation array, there was no longer a need to risk physical travel to Silvertown and exposure to the unknown forces.


    The travel to the capital for Leon, was only a matter of jumping from portal to portal. Since he was part of the royal family, he had his ownwork of teleportation arrays located in his quarters on each branch of the Seirende Central Bank. It would only take him a few minutes to travel to the Capital.


    Standing at the center of the magic array, he thoughtfully looked at Eli and said, "It''s time for me to go, please take good care of yourself and Little Han."


    "Rest assured we''ll be fine." Eli replied with certainty in her eyes.


    "Olivier, please take care of the Lady and remember my instructions." Leon looked towards Olivier entrusting Eli and Little Han under his protection.


    Putting his fist over his chest, Olivier said with determination in his eyes, "I will Your Highness, I vow with my honor!"


    "Uhn!" Leon replied in acknowledgement.


    "Baobao and Wisey, I know you have your Master''s well being in mind. But I still wanted to plead to you, to look after them." Leon addressed Baobao and Wisey.


    "You don''t have to worry! We''ll protect them at all costs!" Wisey replied with Baobao nodding his head in agreement, "Hnn, Hnn!!"


    "Then I shall go..." Leon said with his dead serious face.


    As soon as he was done saying his reminders and goodbyes the teleportation activated and started to emit a tranquil white light beneath Leon''s body.


    Seeing Leon slowly disappearing in the portal, without taking away his nce at her, Eli said with a smile,


    "Leon,e back soon!"


    Leon''s eyes widened in surprise, seeing Eli''s smile and hearing Eli''s words, a pleasant feeling surged out from his chest.


    "Uhn! I''ll be back sooner." He replied with an enchanting smile before hepletely disappeared.


    The group left behind stayed silent for a few minutes, especially Baobao, Eli and Wisey. It only had been less than a day, yet the Prince''s departure had somehow made the house feel a bit empty.


    "Pheww, now, now, let''s go and do our best!" Eli cheered up, looking at the bunch but was surprised upon seeing the frozen Olivier.


    "Sir Olivier, what''s the matter?" Eli inquired with worry.


    Olivier robotically turned his head on Eli''s direction, and slowly pointed his finger at the ce where the Prince was previously standing, almost on the verge of crying,


    "Ldy Eli¡­ the Prince just now¡­ H-he smiled!"

 Chapter 53 First Day Apart 1

    ?The day continued with the Baobao and Olivier constructing the quarters.


    Eli and Wisey, on the other hand, went on to the study area to prepare for Water Pressure and Heating System and the ck Hair Industry Proposal.


    The sess of the water pressure heating system will be important to Eli''s preparation for her motherhood as it will make her life easier. With Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi''s insight, she knew that this system will also help other Prasinons in making their lives more convenient.


    "I wonder, what area does Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben''s team need more help andprehension in order to make this all work?" Eli uttered in contemtion.


    "I think it was most probably the principles behind the concept of the system and the type of materials needed. Your concept is a very new one and chances are, the principles behind this aren''t yet discovered by the schrs and researchers as of now." Wisey suggested.


    "Hmm, It makes sense, but how do I start?" Eli took a moment to carefully think, after sometime she uttered,


    "Aha! I have a search engine right here! This is the best research tool! Why didn''t I think of it earlier!" She cheerfully said while immediately summoning the book of knowledge.


    She searched for the current state of the research and discoveries in Prasinos for science and technology.


    But after hours of searching and reading she felt stressed and disappointed, "Aiyoo, there''s so much to do¡­"


    "Fundamentals like the threews of thermodynamics, physics, chemistry aren''t really progressing. It''s still in the stage of discovery by trial and error." She was baffled by this information.


    She was left in wonder.


    Prasinos used potions, magical weapons and even teleportation arrays! These things made her assume that they have a very rich foundation of the science on how matter and magic works, yet these were all discovered through trial and error?


    Just how much sacrifice was made in order to get a breakthrough discovery?


    "Eli-chan, calm down, they may have been doing this by trial and error but I think they only needed someone to tell them the principles behind it. Remember, in this world, there exists magical power, which does not adhere to thews of nature in your other world." Wisey thoughtfully advised Eli, seeing that she was in such a dilemma.


    "Alright! I have decided. I''ll create books for elementary sciences!" Eli said, she was so pumped up. Her midnight eyes shined brightly in determination.


    "Are you sure? That will be a lot!" Wisey said in shock.


    "Yes, I have decided! I will also check how far they got in the periodic table of elements!" Eli said, burning with passion.


    "Alright, alright. I''ll ask Olivier to buy you lots of paper again in the town tomorrow.." Wisey said in a helpless manner.


    Over the days that she had been with Eli, she noticed that there were three things that Eli was so passionate about, - Little Han''s well being, Music and Knowledge. For thetter two, these were the things she wanted to pursue now that she had a new life.


    Eli promised that aside from being a good mother for Little Han, she wanted to fulfill her promise with her Mum. She wanted that when the timees for her to finally go home to the Great One and reunite with her mum, she would be able to say that she had lived a life that is full and meaningful.


    Knowing this, Wisey chose to support Eli in pursuing her passions. Giving her advice when needed.


    As for warning Eli, she had learned her lesson when she forgot to warn her of wandering around Silvertown with her original appearance. They were suffering its consequences now.


    She promised to be more attentive than ever when ites to Eli''s safety.


    After creating a n for the uing meeting with the project team, Eli noticed that there were some reactionsing from the teleportation array.


    "Let''s take a look!" Wisey immediately flew towards the glowing teleportation array. Soon something emerged from the array, a letter and a brown brocade box. After the items were fully transported the light in the teleportation array quickly disappeared.


    Wisey flew and quickly used wind magic to deliver to Eli the items. These days, Eli''s movement was limited because of her pregnancy. Picking up items will give her a hard time.


    Examining the letter, Eli noticed that the seal was from Grandpa Andi''s Argentum, "It might be from the Grandpas!" She eximed as she excitedly opened the letter. As she opened the letter, Eli saw an elegant writing from Grandpa Andi -


    "To our dearest young Eli,


    How have you been? We have been worried about the threat that you have encountered yesterday.


    We have thanked the heavens repeatedly that they sent the youngss Lainie to inform us about those men. If not for her, we all may have been caught off-guard and the worst might have happened¡­"


    Eli paused as she read the letter, "Lainie? Isn''t she the one whom we bought our new violin with?"


    "I think she is!" Wisey, who was perched on Eli''s shoulder, replied.


    Eli was feeling grateful and lucky that Lainie was able to inform the Argentum beforehand. However she still felt guilty that Randel was severely injured. "I wonder how Randel is doing?"


    She continued to read the letter hoping that there was some information about Randel''s situation.


    "I and Old Ben apologize for not going to your ce right away to check your situation there.


    For if we have personally moved, it may cause an uproar to the whole of Seirende, putting you in a more difficult situation. We hope you understand. Yet rest assured, we are always supporting you here in the shadows.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As for Randel, I know that you are feeling guilty about his situation but do not worry. What happened to him is part of his growth and it will be beneficial for him to ascend to the S level in the future.


    I am sure that you know that Randel doesn''t me you too. So youngss, make your heart at ease..."


    Eli was touched with the words offort by Grandpa Andi. She understood their situation, and she was always grateful for their support and sacrifices. No matter what happens she trust these two grandpas, as well as Randel.


    Thest part of the letter was about their uing visit.


    "By the way dearss, I and Old Ben have many things to discuss with you and we couldn''t wait to visit your home.


    However, the team Old Ben and I hadmissioned was still on their way here in Silvertown and would be able to get here in a week at most. So we can only visit you back then.


    I also had prepared the initial materials that you have listed based on the properties that you have specified. I look forward to our coboration on this project!


    Oh! By the way, in that brocade box is a piece ofmunication stone. I heard that the Prince gave you one so your two grandpas didn''t want to be left behind! You can use this tomunicate with me and Old Ben! Hahaha!


    Youngss, always know that you are always in our hearts and minds.


    Always have a heart that is in peace and a mind that is well.


    We look forward to seeing you soon.


    Sincerely,


    Grandpa Andi"


    After reading the letter, Eli couldn''t help but give the sweetest smile she could give. Having many people who sincerely cared about her was a far fetched reality in her previous life.


    She didn''t want to be greedy and she was already content to have her Mum''s love.


    Deep inside her heart, she was d that she epted the request the Great One had assigned to her. Because of this, she was able to meet good people in Prasinos.


    Opening the brocade box she saw an elegant golden bracelet with eight pendants. It was a bit peculiar because there was only one slot filled with a red gem. The others were empty.


    "Why is this bracelet missing some gems?" Eli asked in curiosity.


    "The bracelet may be made to hold multiplemunication gems! Think about it, if you have many friends you have to carry a lot ofmunication gems along with you! That would be inconvenient!" Wisey energetically deduced.


    "Oh, that made sense!" Eli immediately agreed. She continued the day, preparing for the her matters while waiting for Baobao and Olivier to finish the quarters.


    Olivier''s quarters were done before the day ended, everyone celebrated with a nice and warm dinner.


    --


    Back in the Seirende Kingdom, Leon''s figure appeared in his parent''s secret ce.


    Looking at the familiar secret ce, full of colorful flowers, chirping birds and fluttering butterflies, Leon wondered if his Father Emperor and Mother Queen were inside.


    Walking to the gazebo, he saw her mother enjoying her cup of tea along with his father. The old couple weren''t doing romantic actions, but in the atmosphere alone, one could definitely feel that the two loved each other deeply.


    It was her mother queen who first noticed his presence.


    "My son! You are back!" She put down her cup of tea and walked towards Leon with a happy smile.


    Father emperor nced towards his son with a reserved nod.


    "Hmm, I''m back mother, father." Leon replied respectfully.


    "How did your trip go, My Son?" His queen mother asked nervously.


    Father Emperor Valentin also looked towards his son, anticipating his answers.


    But what surprised them more was the expression they saw in their beloved son''s face. They hadn''t seen this expression ever since he was doomed to be a trash prince of the Seirende Imperial Family.


    Leon was brimming with a smile on his face, it was so beautiful that the flowers all over the secret garden paled inparison.


    "I have found them, the mother of my child, and Little Han!"

 Chapter 54 First Day Apart 2

    ?"Ahhhh, the heavens have blessed us so graciously!" Queen Mother responded joyfully. Her moss green eyes glistened with tears. She elegantly wiped it with her pure white handkerchief.


    Her joy does not onlye from knowing that they had already found her future grandchild and her future daughter inw. It was also from the fact that she had seen her son smile once again, after so many years.


    "No wonder you suddenly asked me about my opinion on marrying the Asani in the middle of the night!" His father emperor responded with a serious tone, feigning a stoic attitude.


    However, his crystal blue eyes that were glowing with glee, had already betrayed the rejoicing he was feeling deep inside.


    "Yes, her name, now I have the heart to reveal. Her name is Elise Fayre. But I call her Eli." Leon responded with a tender gaze as he carefully led her emotional mother back to the gazebo to sit down.


    "Oh, my! Our dear Leon, had actually called a woman so intimately!!!!" From her emotional state, her attitude turned cheerful, teasing Leon about how he had addressed Eli.


    Leon and Father Emperor Valentin could see imaginary flowers blooming around Queen Mother, Teh.


    Leon cleared his throat and shyly corrected his Queen mother, "Mother...It''s not like that.."


    "Hmmm, I''m sure I had advised you to set marriage aside for the meantime, son?" Emperor Valentin inquired with a stern tone.


    "Valentin¡­" Queen Teh tried to calm the emperor down. She casted a pleading look with her captivating moss green eyes.


    Seeing his beloved pleading to him, he couldn''t resist to tone down the harshness in his voice, he cleared his throat and continued with a much calmer tone,


    "Son, it''s not that I don''t want the Asani -uhm.. Elise to join you in marriage. But it''s because our side wasn''t ready yet to bear the consequences of publicly acknowledging her and my grandchild."


    Emperor Valentin looked at his son with sadness and said, "I didn''t work hard to be the strong and stable Emperor that I am now, only to use you and your imperial brothers in a marriage you do not want."


    "So in terms of having an opinion on who you and your imperial brothers would like to marry, I would never choose for you, nor hinder you. Although I would have my personal opinion, I wouldn''t let that be a reason not to support you in the marriage you wanted."


    Queen Teh knew the context of her beloved''s statement, sharing the sadness in her eyes she gently ced her hands on top of Emperor Valentine''s hands,forting him.


    Feeling the warmth from his beloved Queen''s hands, Emperor Valentin casted a loving gaze and a bittersweet smile.


    "I always hope for all of you, to be able to continue leading the empire in peace and prosperity without having to sacrifice your hearts. As I have always said with you, do not repeat the same mistakes I did in the past."


    "Nheless the matter with Elise is something that may jeopardize the empire if we don''t handle it well." He said in a worried tone.


    "As much as I want to march down in Silvertown to get my future grandchild and daughter inw, I know that being selfish right now will bring them more harm than good. Our selfishness might be the trigger to their doom!"


    Queen Teh, hearing Emperor Valentin''s exnation became downcasted.


    But she clearly understood his statement, she didn''t try to oppose her beloved. Valentin, whom she deeply knows so well, wouldn''t waste time convincing someone in a lengthy exnation.


    The reason why Emperor Valentin was adamant in convincing his son was because thest time Leon talked about marrying Elise through amunication stone, he saw the stubbornness in his eyes.


    He was worried that Leon would still be insisting on marrying Elise at this moment, when the enemy is hidden and they will bepletely letting themselves out in the open.


    "Father, Mother, do not worry." Leon said in a respectful tone.


    He was not offended by his father''s opposition, instead his expression was now evident with full acknowledgement of his father''s words.


    "The both of us have decided not to force ourselves when ites to marriage. Eli decided that we be friends and co-parents to Little Han, up until we are ready to revisit each other''s views about marriage."


    "Friends and co-parents. It was an unusual arrangement, yet it is not bad. For even if you insist that the both of you get engaged, it will still defeat the purpose of hiding them out of the enemy''s sight." Emperor Valentin rubbed his chin while looking at his son with approval.


    "The truth is, I was still insisting on marrying her. Yet she was the one who proposed this arrangement. After discussing this matter carefully, I found that this was the best arrangement for us right now." Leon exined.


    "Hhmm, my dear. I understand that you set aside marriage first and be friends. Yet why didn''t you bring her back to the capital so that I could meet her. The security here is much better than Silvertown." Queen Teh worriedly inquired.


    "Leaving her alone in Silvertown, isn''t it worrisome?"


    "Mother, do not worry, I left one of my most trusted aides, Olivier, to guard her. I have also reinforced the security in her home. She was also able to contract a Panda. Oh, by the way, the Panda was what we used to believe as a cursed bear¡­"


    The words that were meant to exin how Leon ensured that Eli was secured enough to stay in Prasinos, turned into a long monologue of Eli''s amazing exploits in Silvertown.


    The two were left in wonder about two things.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    One, was on the fact that their future daughter-inw was amazing enough to achieve something that no nobledy in the Empire could ever do -


    Discovering the truth about the Panda race..


    Awakening from F ss to the C ss in only a few months...


    Inventing a household water distribution and heating system run by mana..


    Getting the favor of the Legendary S ss Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben¡­


    Making the Silver Dew Elves protect and attend to her as a personal doctor..


    All these are amazing things that made their future daughter-inw''s exploits not lose to Leon and any of the princes. Just the fact that she was able to get the grandmasters move was a monstrous feat, that even the Emperor would find hard to achieve!


    The second thing that amazed the old couple was how Leon looked so proud when telling something about Eli. They were left in wonder, did their future daughter inw manage to melt their frigid son''s ice cold heart?


    The two looked at each other in puzzlement.


    The family of three continued to talk about the happenings in Silvertown for a long time. Leon also managed to recount to them the fight that had ensued in the boundaries of the Silver Dew Forest which triggered his immediate return.


    "Son, we better talk about this in more detail on another day, ready yourself." Emperor Valentin tapped the ring on his finger and it emitted a warm yellow light.


    Suddenly, a key appeared in his hands and he handed it down to Leon.


    "Father this.." Leon reluctantly received the keys given by his Father Emperor.


    "The key to the secret archive area of our Empire. That is where I have stored those experimentation records from four years ago. You can only find the door in this secret chamber, in the tree at the middle of the garden." Emperor Valentin said in a grave tone and continued, looking at Leon with a warning nce.


    "Ready your heart, that you may not be affected nor enticed by the things you would discover in these records. No other member of the mperial family knew of this matter, not even your imperial brothers."


    "The reason why I have decided not to look into these records was to abstain myself from whatever knowledge was there. However, hearing your report, I think it''s time to open the archives."


    "Now, I understand, it was not only my future grandchild and daughter inw that were in danger, but all the inhabitants of Seirende!"


    "I entrust to you the investigation of this matter. As always, I''d like you to keep it to yourself and your corps. " Emperor Valentin said with worry in his eyes.


    "I will heed your words father!" Leon replied resolutely. Clenching the key to the secret imperial archive his eyes showed a glint of determination.


    "Uhn, I pray that The Creator may grant you wisdom to solve this matter. Discuss to me what you have in mind after studying those records."


    "Thank you Father."


    "Hmm go on, you have disturbed us for a long time." Emperor Valentin shooed Leon away as he saw that Queen Teh was starting to get more worried about the things that she heard from the two.


    "Mother, Father, I''ll be on my way." Leon bowed and bid goodbye to his parents who wanted to continue their lovey dovey time.


    Exiting in the secret chamber he was transported to his own bedroom.


    Looking around his luxurious bedroom of blue, gold and white theme, he found it dull. He walked towards the balcony and nkly stared at the view around the pce.


    He didn''t feel he was finally home.


    Why is it that he felt like the walls made of log and bricks were far more appealing than his bedroom made of ss and stone?


    Why does it feel like he was more at peace looking at the green and mystic forest view than the majestdscapes of the pce grounds?


    Did he really miss the ce? He only stayed there for one night, he didn''t even sleep there.


    He felt that the big pce was missing something.


    Trying hard to find the answer in his heart, he mindlessly whispered to the winds gently blowing in his frigid and solitary countenance,


    "Eli, I seemed to be missing you¡­"

 Chapter 55 Elis Training Regimen

    ?Morning came and Eli excitedly got up to prepare.


    Today is the day!


    Olivier will finally teach her the basics of summoning!


    Although Eli had used the book of knowledge in searching how to do summoning, she still wanted to hear from those who had used these skills in real life.


    "I wonder what kind of awesome things I will learn from today''s lessons!" Grinning from ear to ear, Eli cheerfully went outside the cottage.


    What she first saw was Baobao clearing up the front backyard so that it would be suitable for training.


    Rolling arge piece of log Baobao greeted Eli happily, "Master! Are you ready for our training?"


    After he finished rolling the log on a spot with a cool shade, he turned it sideways to be a log chair.


    "Master, you can sit here!" With his furry paws, he pointed on the log chair he just rolled and beckoned Eli to sit.


    "Thank you, Baobao!" Eli obligingly sat on the log chair while Wisey very normally perched on Baobao''s shoulders.


    Seeing his master excited Baobao also happily smiled and sat beside her with his signature panda sitting posture.


    Olivier, who was initially busy flipping the pages of the thick stack of paper, approached the bunch and greeted everyone. He gave everyone a polite smile, far from his cheerful demeanor.


    Today he was a summoner knight, tasked to train his Master''s future wife. He needed to do the job well and safe, so as to not jeopardize Eli''s condition.


    Clearing his throat he then greeted everyone who were looking at him with eagerness, "Good morning My Lady, Baobao and Wisey! Today, we will start your training to get stronger!"


    "Yay!" Eli cheered excitedly, pping with her hands like a young student.


    "Yay~~~" Baobao and Wisey also followed their master''s enthusiasm and cheered.


    "Ehermmm, I''ll do my best to teach you the fundamentals!" Olivier became a little bit tense seeing the enthusiasm of the group.


    "Let''s start with how mana receptor works!


    You all know that summoners possess a very distinct constitution right? But do you know why it works like that when humans share the same physical anatomy?" Olivier threw the question to his listeners with an excited expression.


    Everyone tilted their head sideways and threw a questioning look towards Olivier.


    "Hmm, that was because of our mana receptors!


    Every being in Prasinos has mana receptors. Yet these receptors could generally be categorized in three ways - by the race that being belongs to, by the shape of the mana receptors they had, and by their capacity!"


    First, let me exin the difference by race.


    If you are a human, your mana receptors would look different from the mana receptors of the elves. But this will be distinguishable by color. Human mana receptors are colored blue, Elves have yellow green mana receptors, Dwarves have golden brown and so on.


    Even the nts you see, and the non magical animals they all have mana receptors. The whole spectrum of color represents a group of creatures. That''s the first difference.


    The second is by shape. I know that you already know the three major types of constitution. These constitutions basically existed because of shapes of their mana receptors.


    The round shape mana receptors were possessed by the caster types. With the rounded mana receptors, one could convert magical energy and release it so fast for spell casting.


    The vortex in the mana receptors made it possible to do this. Thus, if you possess round mana receptors, you definitely possess a caster constitution!


    Summoners have rectangr mana receptors. Because of this shape, the flow of magical energy in each receptors is uneven.


    Thus, it takes time for a summoner to convert the energy into usable mana. However, rectangr receptors are very sturdy in nature that they could hold the magical energy for a long time, thus summoners had the highest mana capacity!


    Devourers are a bit different, their mana receptors appear like a fibre or little lines.


    You know that devourers absorb mana directly into their bodies right? Their line shaped mana receptors are so thin that the absorption of mana into the body is extremely fast, enabling it to enhance their bodily functions and even shapeshift!"


    Olivier eagerly exined everything, that hepletely turned into a nerd.


    "Teacher Olivier, Question!" Eli, the student mommy energetically raised her hands to inquire.


    "Yes, what is it, Mdy?"


    "Teacher, how about the prince! What does his receptor look like when he possesses the open paths constitution?!"


    Olivier had an evil scientist''s look in his eyes as he answered Eli''s question, "Hehehe, mdy. I''m d you asked!"


    "Open Path''s constitution allows anyone to gain the abilities of all three main types of constitution once you have unlocked each path.


    Before, people theorized that the open paths possessor would have all three shapes present inside their bodies.


    But that changed when thete Emperor Idelfonso allowed Grand Master Reuben to examine what his rare constitution looked like and discovered that..


    His mana receptors change shape ording to the constitution he used!"


    "Woah!!!" Eli was fascinated about this discovery. She thought that in the future her receptors would also change.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright now, we''re down to thest differentiation which is the capacity or the mana receptors. It was the capacity of each receptor to channel mana at a given period. This would determine their ss levels, A to F, and special ss, S!


    If the mana receptors are already in its limit, one would experience receptor fatigue. The receptors would sleep or shut down, and not ept the mana flowing inside the body. At this point in time, the one experiencing fatigue would be like a non magical person.


    F ss people had a very low receptor capacity that they were already considered as non magic people. Imagine a person experiencing receptor fatigue every minute! The A ss on the other hand would not experience fatigue for hours!


    It is important that you know this stuff because this is important for every battle. Knowing your limits and knowing your enemies'' limits, is an advantage!"


    "Woahhhh!" The bunch pped enthusiastically from Olivier''s lecture.


    "Alright, alright, now we move to the main topic! Summoning Magic!"


    "Osu!!!!" The bunch were pumped up.


    "I have already exined that the rectangr shape of the summoner''s mana receptors are not ideal for fast conversion of the mana, but very conducive in strong magical energy right?


    However, summoners couldn''t use mana if they couldn''t convert it, and the magical power would stay inside their mana receptors until they die!


    That is why summoners needed a medium or a contractor to feed the magical power stored to their bodies and use it to their advantage!


    But you must take note, it is not true that the summoners couldn''t convert mana at all.


    The truth is, we were just too slow to convert mana on a battle. Some would take an hour to fully convert mana, some would take days.


    But nheless the speed would be so slow that if we force ourselves to use mana like how a caster or a devourer would use it we would probably die first before we finished converting.


    That is why there were those who choose summoning by contracting beasts and spirit beings that feed on magical energy, converted or not.


    Others would be summoners by medium, they choose inanimate items like puppets or weapons because they could convert mana faster than summoners by contracting."


    "Teacher! Question!" It was now Baobao''s turn to ask innocently.


    "Go on Baobao," Olivier answered.


    "Then we are at a disadvantage when we run out of mana storage, while the casters and devourers could immediately absorb and convert mana in the atmosphere?"


    "Well that was not necessarily the case. The summoner''s strength not only lies in our high mana capacity but¡­ Our high tolerance to receptor fatigue!


    Because the mana flow in the receptors is slow, our receptors would take long to reach their limit. Thus, we would be thest one experiencing mana fatigue if we are fighting against casters and devourers of the same ss.


    Adding to that, in the battlefield, summoners are considered as the most efficient users of magical power. Casters and devourers rely on what they could absorb in the atmosphere but the summoners do not.


    So if the battle coincidentally happened in a ce with very scarce magical energy¡­" Olivier paused and gave an evilugh.


    "Hehehe, we will be the strongest in that battlefield and they will be the first one to be crippled by mana loss and fatigue!"


    "Woaaah!!! Summoners are awesome!" The bunch said in amazement.


    "Indeed! Now let''s talk about how to be a strong summoner!"


    "Yay!" The bunch once again were pumped up.


    "There were only two ways to do that! First is to upgrade the master''s strength, second is to upgrade their contractor or medium''s strength.


    So from this point onwards, you will be training separately. Baobao and Wisey will train to strengthen their abilities and strength.


    Mdy, you will also train to increase your strength. However, we couldn''t do physical training because of your pregnancy. But fret not!


    Up until you are physically fit to train your bodily strength, we will focus on two things, your mana capacity and your mental strength which enables you to connect with your contractors." Olivier finally exined what each of the bunch''s training would look like.


    "For now we will focus on strengthening your connection with Baobao and Wisey. This is important especially on the battles toe.


    Your training is based on what the Prince had observed with the interaction among the three of you. He created this training regimen."


    Olivier then handed down a page from the thich stack of paper the Prince had left behind prior to his departure.


    Eli excitedly received the page and read its contents.


    But as soon as she was able to see the contents her eyebrows twitched with bafflement.


    "Olivier, you might have handed me the wrong paper..." She asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    "Mdy, that is the correct one." Olivier responded with a respectful smile, ignoring Eli''s stupefied face.


    Seeing that Olivier wasn''t joking the slightest bit, she stared at the contents of the paper:


    --Training Regimen to Strengthen Connection with Baobao and Wisey--


    --y the Violin or Piano for four hours, Read Lots of Book for four hours--


    "What kind of training regimen is this!"

 Chapter 56 The Crimson And Roaming Blade

    ?"This... Mdy, was because of what the Prince had deduced from your interactions with Baobao and Wisey." Olivier politely exined how the regimen was made.


    "It is important for summoners to maintain a strong connection with their contracted beasts. It will allow easiermunications and sharing of abilities."


    "Sharing of abilities?" Eli was intrigued.


    "Yes! The master can share magical power to the contracted beasts while the contracted beasts could offer their abilities to their masters.


    The pinnacle of ability sharing is the ability of the summoner to temporarily use the abilities their contractor has!" Olivier exined excitedly.


    "Ohhhh!" Eli''s eyes shined brightly as she evilly looked toward Baobao and Wisey.


    "Ability sharing huh.." She looked at Baobao, so far she only knew that Baobao is physically strong and he can shrink his size. Does that mean that she could do that as well?


    "Hehehehe.."


    Baobao froze as he suddenly felt cold on his back.


    Eli looked at Wisey who was perched on Baobao''s shoulders. Wisey could use a little bit of wind magic, but her strength lies in¡­ calction and analysis!!!


    It was known that Eli was the one who had invented the water pressure and heating system. But unknown to all she had with her an Owl Supercalctor - Wisey!


    While she was drafting the blueprint, Wisey was in-charge with theputations Eli could have a hard time solving because shecked aptop and calctor.


    If Eli could borrow Wisey''s insane calction ability, then their creations in the future would be twice as fast! She could share the burden with Wisey for theputing and analysis tasks!


    "Hehehe.." Eli looked towards Wisey evilly. Wisey felt chills on the tips of her feathers.


    Seeing that Eli was enticed with the benefits of strengthening her connection with Wisey and Baobao, Olivier then continued to exin.


    "The Prince had noticed that Baobao''s mana flow would be so active when you y music. In situations when you discuss schstic matters, Wisey''s mana flow also activates.


    Thus, the Prince had deduced that your bond with Baobao and Wisey could be strengthened through music and studying, respectively!"


    Eli realized that the training regimen now made sense, she finally nodded in acknowledgement, "Hmm, if that''s the case then I would have more time to study and prepare for the grandmaster''s visit. It is advantageous as well."


    "Yes, Mdy! After strengthening your connection with Baobao and Wisey, we can proceed on teaching you how to manage the mana in your body.


    But don''t you worry, this is just one part of your training! We just have to wait for Mdy to give birth to proceed to the next part, which is physical training!"


    "Oh, physical training! I look forward to that! I need to be strong enough to p the wits out of the people who would try to bully my Little Han!" Eli''s motherly instincts kicked in.


    "All right! I''ll get going and follow this arrangement.." Eli then proceeded inside to start her ''training regiment'' and left the three to continue their own training.


    --


    In the Capital of Seirende.


    Leon got up early in the morning to visit his troupe, the Crimson de Army.


    The Crimson de Army was the smallest yet the most mysterious corps of the Seirende Empire. There were only a total of twenty-three members of this army.


    The people of the empire also believed that they were the most vicious army because they were led by none other than the Barbaric Blood Prince. But little did they know that it was also because each of the members of the knight are elite and talented.


    Assisting Leon in managing the corps were the Left de, Olivier and the Right de, ze.


    These two were the strongest among the members of the crimson de army, of course only next to Leon. But nheless, they were capable enough to manage the army in Leon''s absence.


    Leon arrived in a busy barracks filled with the sounds of men chanting battle phrases while they ranps on the wide training field. This was a very familiar ce for Leon, and the second mostfortable ce to him, aside from her parent''s secret chamber.


    His presence was first noticed by a tall handsome man with fiery orange hair. His countenance gave a vibe of a mighty and reliable knight. He immediately stopped the corps from running and directed them to march towards the prince.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As soon as they reached a considerable distance near Leon, the man with the fiery orange hair led the troupe to kneel and salute the Prince.


    "Greetings, to the wielder of the de, His Highness Third Prince!" They greeted Leon in unison.


    "Hmm, be at ease." The Prince gave a nod and continued, "I have sent the left de, Olivier, for a highly important mission. In the meantime, the troupe will be overseen by the right de, ze." Leon looked towards the handsome man with fiery orange hair.


    "This de follows your order!" ze responded with a bow. He looked at Leon with his golden brown eyes zing with determination. The morning light hit his beautiful tanned skin which amplified the aura of a true warrior in his countenance.


    "Uhn! In a few days prepare yourselves for a scout and assault mission. I will be secluding myself for a while ande back to you for the details." Leon gave his orders to the rest of the crimson army members.


    His eyes went cold and vicious as he continued, "This time our old enemy, the Spectre is moving. I trust that you know what kind of preparations you all needed!"


    Upon hearing the word Spectre, the eyes of everyone in the army gave a sharp glint. Yet they still controlled their agitation and acknowledged the Prince''s orders. "The Crimson de Army follows the order of the Prince!"


    "Uhnn, be at ease. ze, let me talk with you for a while." Leon replied as he beckoned ze to follow him to the army''s discussion room.


    The moment they entered a room, an istion array activated. ze immediately knew that what the Prince was about to discuss was something that is top secret and critical information.


    His expression became alert and he braced himself to hear rming news from the Prince, only to see him smiling so brightly and beautifully.


    "ze, we have found the mother of my child, the Asani we rescued four years ago, Eli." Leon said with relief and joy.


    "ze congrattes Your Highness!" Although he was surprised, he didn''t forget to express his happiness seeing his leader finally smiling.


    "Thank you, ze, I actually left Olivier to guard thedy. For before I came back here, her existence had truly been discovered by the Spectre.." Leon''s expression became grave and cold.


    ze''s eyes widened in rm, "This¡­ Your Highness, what do you want me to do?"


    "I want you to activate the Roaming des, to scout for information." Leon with a serious tone.


    The Roaming de was actually a hidden organization that the Prince had established. They specialized in gathering information solely for the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire.


    They were spies nted in every information gathering and detective organization of Seirende and in some neighbouring kingdoms as well.


    "This, I will immediately contact the roaming des. What information do you want them to look into?" ze replied.


    "Tell them to find any incidents of missing pregnant women, as well as mysterious disappearances of a group of beings, may it be humans, elves or mythical beings.


    What we have discovered in Silvertown were two things.


    One, with theplete disappearance of the Asani race, they had set their eyes on pregnant women, to which they had coincidentally targeted the Lady, who was now six months pregnant.


    Two, we discovered during our fight with the Spectre that they had been engaged in human-animal experimentations.


    They were able to create fearsome killing machines, the hell wolves. I have found out that these wolves contained human receptors!" Leon said with a grave expression.


    "This! How sinister!" ze replied in anger, he couldn''t believe that after so many years of inactivity, the Spectres didn''t stop doing abominable things.


    "Indeed, we need to stop them. I need to eliminate the threats regarding the Spectres so I could finally publicly acknowledge my future wife and child." Leon said in full longingness, yet it was again immediately changed into a cold expression.


    "After this, I will immediately proceed to the archives with my Father Emperor''s permission and open the confiscated records from the incident four years ago. I am hoping that I can see some clues as to what really is their goal in doing such things." His eyes were full of determination.


    He handed down the recording stone Randel had managed to record regarding the hell wolves, as well as a summary report he had written and said, "These are the records we have retrieved, see for yourself the fearsome creature, that made a ss A mage almost lose his life. Our army will most likely encounter them in the future."


    "I understand, Your Highness. I will study this and immediately prepare the Crimson and Roaming des ordingly." ze replied his eyes burning with resolve.


    "I cannot wait for Your Highness to finally move and give retribution to the Spectres! I pray that the heavens may help us!" He dered boldly.


    "Uhn, I also pray that everyone from the Crimson and Roaming des would finally receive justice for the Spectres'' deeds!" Leon replied solemnly.

 Chapter 57 Memoirs Of A Madman

    ?*Warning - Graphical Bloody Scenes*


    ------


    After meeting with the Crimson des, Leon immediately headed to the secret chamber to ess the archives.


    But since it was already high in the morning, he was keen not to meet any of the officials nor his Imperial Brothers along the way.


    For if they knew that a top secret mission was entrusted to him, their camps would be on high alert and investigate.


    He didn''t want any conflict right now. He wanted to solve the threats, before he tackled the fight for the throne.


    When he was a child, he was already subjected to the disdain and scorn by the nobles attempting to disqualify him for the throne. They even attempted to harm his mother queen.


    It had only subsided when he was assessed as a ss D, making him more unworthy to be even considered as a member of the Imperial Family. The aristocrats thought that it was the Emperor''s move to send him to the borders to participate in war to kill him indirectly.


    It was different now that he already had a reputation and aplishment from the very ce that he was supposed to die.


    Who would have known that he would grow into a barbaric war hero? The aristocrats from the First and Second Prince''s camp were rmed.


    Leon knew this all, that is why he had always been careful enough to carry out his missions. With the help of his Father Emperor, they would make his mission as though he would just be sent to do menial tasks.


    Yet only the two of them and a few sworn allies would know what the mission really was.


    This time was no different. For they really do not know how deep the power of the Spectre is. The worst case would be there were already people nted to spy the Empire.


    Realizing this, he again reprimanded himself for the actions and thoughts he had in Silvertown.


    Asking for Eli''s hand in marriage was a foolish move! His father, the Emperor, was right! He could have brought her and Little Han straight to their doom! He was fortunate that Eli was firm in her decision.


    That somehow sobered him up.


    For now, he needed to at least eliminate the immediate threats before thinking aboutpleting his own family.


    His crystal blue eyes shined with determination.


    Walking on the marble pavement, Leon set his eyes on the massive Wisteria Tree at the centre of the secret garden. The tree stood majestically at the centre showing off its massive produce of light pink flowers blooming beautifully.


    However, despite its beauty, Leon didn''t waste time and walked towards its trunk. Examining it, he traced an invisible magic array. Activating it, a spectral door appeared, shining on pinkish light.


    He touched the surface of the spectral door. "Hong!" He heard a sound of ringing inside his head while the door slowly opened. What was behind the door was a dark underground passageway.


    Leon didn''t hesitate and took a step inside the passageway. As soon as he entered, the door closed and disappeared from the garden. The light stones mounted in the walls automatically shined, giving the passageway ample light.


    After walking a few minutes underground, he finally reached into a massive door. Inspecting it, he found a key hole. Taking out the key given by his father, he immediately used it to open the massive door.


    Soon the massive door opened itself and Leon saw a massive library hall ahead. It was about five floors high, and a massive light source was ced at the center of the hall making it conducive for the visitors to carry their chosen books at the centre of the hall to read.


    But before he moved, he noticed a presence from his far left. On high alert, he discreetly touched his sword.


    "What brings a young Seirende in the archives?" Leon heard a deep old voice ringing on the entire library hall.


    Calming himself down, he politely replied, assuming that the voice was the guardian of the most sacred archive of the Empire,


    "Greetings, esteemed guardian ofthis archive. I am here at my Father Emperor''s permission to view the records seized from the Riverfort Asani incident."


    "This humble one is named Leon Andrae de Seirende, Third Prince of the Seirende Empire." He respectfully assumed a greeting position.


    "Hmm.. hmm.. So seldom to have a visitor here in four years. Who would have thought that you would like to seek the memoirs of that madman¡­ Come ye, I''ll guide you to their location." As the voice was speaking, Leon could hear steps approaching from the dark corner on his far left.


    Soon, he saw the source of the voice, it was an elder looking leprechaun. Dressed in green hat and robe, with his white beard as long as the hem of his robes, he stood near Leon, half his height.


    Fixing his spectacles, he beckoned Leon to follow him whilementing,


    "For four years, your father dumped these records in this chamber without any intention to look into it.


    Now his son appears to be interested in it! I''ll tell you I have finished reading it, it was all mundane writing. I have long evaluated it as just a madman''s memoir!"


    "Great elder, this madman''s memoir might save some lives.. I am here to investigate what had instigated his wrong doings." Leon politely replied.


    "What for? The Asani was long gone, there was no saving those people.." The elder leprechaun said with a hint of sadness.


    "The Asani of the Riverfort was saved. She is alive up until this day.." Leon said, as ifforting the elder.


    "What?! How merciful heaven was! It seemed like I had been cooped up with this chamber for so long that I didn''t know what''s happening to the outside world!" The elder replied in relief and helplessness.


    "However.. The hidden forces had discovered her existence again. I am here looking for clues to figure them out for a counter attack.." Leon said coldly.


    "Hmm, good good. Protect that onest person, whom the Creator favors!"


    "I will do my best elder!" Leon said resolutely.


    He was then brought to a particr bookshelf. But before he attempted to reach out, he could fill multipleyers of S ss protection spell wrapping the bookshelf.


    He was left in wonder? Who put thisplicated spell in here?


    Four years ago, his grandfather had long been dead.


    Is it the two grandmasters? No, they aren''t. The array didn''t have a familiar mana trace from either of the Grandpa.


    He didn''t want to admit it, but he didn''t have a choice but to look at the elderly leprechaun beside him. ''Is he also an S ss? But there were only two official ones in the Empire..''


    While he was figuring it out, the elder leprechaun had already deactivated the multyer protection to have Leon ess the files.


    He then snapped his fingers and transported himself, Leon and the wooden bookshelf into the reading area at thecentre of the hall.


    "Aren''t you going to investigate? It is easier to do it here.. Go on and do your thing. These old bones won''t disturb you anymore." After saying this he mystifyingly faded in thin air.


    Awoken by the words of the elder, Leon refocused himself and started to open the oldest record from the book. He was fortunate that the records were already organized chronologically. It had saved him time sorting out the papers.


    Taking a deep a breath, he started to read the contents of the memoirs -


    --<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Year 1567, a night during the fourth week of spring,


    I was undercover looking for clues for a potential subject when I heard a drunken manmenting about a cursed child he was rearing.


    Intrigued, I have interrogated that man¡­"


    --


    "Year 1567, the fifth week of spring.


    After investigating and convincing the family for a long time, I have finally managed to get myself an Asani!


    Oh my fortune! I am sure that she was already thest, and it was a mundane attempt of histe parents to save their child!


    Who would have known that the adoptive parents would happily sell her to me for just a few bags of shinnies! Looking at her, she was rather two young yet, her body didn''t even have the trace of a manawork.


    It wasn''t a problem. It''s just two short years, I can finally start my n.."


    --


    "Year 1569,


    The girl was already seven years old.


    Examining her body, I was baffled.. She was already seven! Why are there no traces of mana receptors!"


    --


    "Year 1570,


    What in the world was happening? I''ve examined countless samples of her blood and pieces of her flesh, but yet no traces of mana receptors were found?!


    Was this girl really an asani?!"


    --


    "Year 1575,


    I do not believe that there was anything different from an asani to the normal human!


    What is it in their bodies that they were able to change their constitution once in their life?!


    I needed to know!


    Curses!"


    --


    "Year 1580,


    My hypothesis was right! It won''t work if I will just examine her flesh and blood as small samples!


    Hahahaha!


    Skinning and opening up her body parts was the best way! Her receptors are not dying that way!


    The next step was to figure out how to extract them.."


    --


    "Year 1581,


    A great breakthrough to the countless years of my study!


    Through years and years of attempts, I have finally found that it was possible to physically transnt the mana receptors to another body!


    It was only irritating that I had to hear her annoying begs and cries! But I don''t have any choice, to keep the receptor alive she must bepletely conscious!


    If not I would have knocked her out for good.


    Anyways, I am only one step closer to getting their abilities!


    Soon the Spectre will acknowledge me and grant me a high position!"


    --


    "Year 1581, winter


    The subject wolves have been epting the receptors quite well. So far, only the wolves have the resistance to take on this asani''s receptors, the dwarves and halflings would immediately explode! What a waste!


    However, I have a hunch that because the wolves that I have used aren''t as intelligent as the dwarves or halflings, they were able to ept the receptors easily with no resistance.


    I have to figure out this early how would I apply it on humans. I need them to be like fools or in a state without a sense of self..."


    --


    "Year 1582,


    All receptors had been extracted except from the brain and the heart.


    I have also discovered that this girl had the ability to regenerate her receptors after I harvested it! In the future I will have her as a receptor farm!


    I must carry out this operation perfectly. She mustn''t die!


    If I have sessfully extracted her brain and heart receptors, the first phase of this study will beplete!


    The next step was to finally try it on a living human and attempt to achieve the very first man-made open paths!"


    --

 Chapter 58 The True Ruler!

    ?Leon was so absorbed in reading the memoirs, as well as analysing the records Eli''s captor had left.


    The deeper he read through the memoir, the colder his expression became.


    God knows how hard he tried to control himself not to tear these records and burn them all. This madman, Doctor Wird was really obsessed with getting the asani''s ability.


    He couldn''t imagine the pain and despair Eli was feeling that time. He wished he could have discovered her sooner.


    Maybe her agony could be shortened or even eliminated... She would not have suffered through the hands of this gruesome man.


    An image shed on his mind.


    The image of Eli gently smiling the night they talked so seriously under the moonlight.


    "I wonder how she is.." He gently uttered to himself. Rubbing his exhausted eyes, he decided to pause first and check into her condition.


    It would also be advantageous for him to stop first and digest what he had read.


    Closing the journal in his hands, he started to move and ce the records back into the bookshelf with magic.


    "Finally, you seem to have remembered that you are still a human.." The familiar elder''s voice said with a relieved tone as he slowly walked towards Leon.


    "Esteemed guardian!" Leon acknowledged the elder and gave a respectful bow.


    "Didn''t you know that you have been burying yourself deep into these memoirs for a week?!" Elder Leprechaun said with a hint of reprimand.


    Leon was surprised. He never knew that he would be so absorbed with the memoirs that he forgot to even take a sip of water. Only then he realized that his throat was already parched and dry.


    "Ah, I seem to have forgotten the time. Great Elder, thank you for your guidance and concern, I''ll go back first ande back on another day." Leon replied politely.


    "Hmm..hmm, I have been watching you from time to time. The look you had on your face was a look of fervent obsession¡­" Elder Leprechaun nodded as hemented,


    "Young one, whoever you are doing this for, always have rity in mind¡­" The elder solemnly said as he sped his aged hands behind his back.


    "Let your mind be sober to discern the difference between determination and obsession. It is only then that you will know, you are on the right path in reaching your goals.


    Without damaging yourself and those around you."


    Leon silently looked at his retreating figure as he heard the elders''st words of wisdom.


    "Determination or obsession?" With a confused mind he said out loud. He wanted to know what''s the difference between the two. For as far as he knows, these words are almost interchangeable.


    However, the presence of Elder Leprechaun wasn''t there in the library anymore. Without a choice, he decided to leave the archive for the mean time and take care of his body.


    Stepping out of the spectral doors, Leon realized that it was already noon, as the heat of the sun had already prated on the ss roof of the secret chamber garden.


    "My son! Thank goodness you finally came out!" Leon heard a worried voiceing near him in a rush.


    Queen Teh was adorably pouting when she finally reached her son''s arms and dragged him to the gazebo. While doing that, she couldn''t help but nag in anger and frustration,


    "Son, why do you have to stay there for seven days straight? Didn''t you know how to sleep and eat? Do you want to let me die of worry?!"


    "Mother¡­" Leon was embarrassed as he helplessly scratched his head.


    He was already almost thirty, a dignified prince of the empire with the vicious reputation as the Barbaric Blood Prince, yet he remained powerless towards the angry tone of his mother queen.


    If the aristocrats would be able to witness this, they would surely spread rumors that he was a prince with no backbone!


    Cough cough!


    An old voice butted in, trying to calm down his beloved, "My dear, calm down, he was already here. Come sit here, so that we can finally eat¡­"


    "Hmm! It was all because of you! My son really took after your workaholic habit! Look at your eyes! Both of you! They were so dark that it would resemble that rare species of Panda.."


    Queen Teh reprimanded the father and son, with fuming a face.


    "If not for me insisting that you take a break and have lunch with me you would have forgotten to eat the whole day again.." She looked towards Emperor Valentin who was guilty scratching his grey hair in helplessness.


    He looked aggrievedly towards Leon, with an using expression saying, ''This is your fault, now your mother is angry at me too!''


    Leon just gave his using father a shrug.


    Now that his Queen Mother had diverted her attention to his poor Father Emperor, he tried to minimize his presence and mana flow, trying to blend in the garden as how he would do in the battlefield during a chase.


    He sneakily started to eat the food on the table while his Queen Mother was nagging his Father Emperor continuously.


    "..I am telling you! If you repeat this again, I will escape with my future daughter inw in Silvertown and not see you again!" He heard his Queen Mother dere sulkily.


    "My Love¡­ My only Star.. I won''t do it again... Please do not leave me and escape with our future daughter inw..."


    The Great Emperor Valentin, sweated profusely as he nervously coaxed his beloved.


    "Hmf!" Queen Teh crossed her arms and turned her head away from the pleading crystal blue eyes of Emperor Valentin.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Why not? It''s good to get to know my future daughter inw! I''ll help her with her pregnancy.. You won''t see me around to nag at you.."


    Hearing the conversation, Leon decided to break his camouge and seriouslymented, "That''s a good idea too. Mother will teach Eli the things about motherhood...


    She is young and only saw the world for four years.. I''m sure that dear mother could help her a lot more than I could help in her struggles in pregnancy..."


    "Ohh~~~ Why did I not think of that! Oh my, that really made sense! Both of youe and finish your meals fast! I''m gonna prepare and go to Silvertown today!"


    Queen Teh, who was fuming in anger just seconds ago, suddenly became cheerful as imaginary flowers appeared around her again.


    "Leon, My Queen.. You didn''t even hear my opinion¡­" Emperor Valentin couldn''t help but massage his twitching forehead of being helpless about where the conversation was going.


    "I didn''t decide for Mother, I justmented about her idea." Leon shrugged, washing his hands away from the matter and let the old couple talk it out.


    While he let the two continue to lovingly discuss the matter, Leon couldn''t help but wander his mind as he nkly stared at how the couple interacted.


    Suddenly, the image of his Mother Queen and Father Emperor bickering was slowly reced by his and Eli''s image.


    !!!


    ''What is this!'' Leon was startled as he gently rubbed his eyes in shock.


    ''Ah, I must be seeing things because of exhaustion¡­'' He concluded.


    Looking again towards the old couple, he couldn''t help but admit that the image he just saw wasn''t bad.


    It was actually beautiful.


    !!!


    ''What am I thinking!?'' Leon said in rm.


    He had long conceded to the fact that he will treat Eli as a friend. Not like how his Queen Mother and Emperor Father treat each other.


    "Ah, I must really be exhausted¡­ Mother, Father, I''ll go ahead and rest for a while." Leon politely bowed towards his parents and saw himself out.


    "Ah my dearest son! Tell my future daughter inw to get ready! Your father and I will be sneaking a visit soon!~~~" Queen Teh cheerfully dered.


    "Oh, so Mother had finallypromised with Father? It''s the first time I heard that Mother gave in.." Leon said with surprise in his crystal blue eyes.


    "Oh.. This.." Emperor Valentine meekly replied in embarrassment.


    "Whopromised?! He was going with me to drop me off at my future daughter inw''s house! Then he will obediently go back to the empire and be a workaholic!"


    Queen Teh dered proudly, raising her chin up with dignity.


    --


    After bidding goodbye to his parents, Leon went straight to his room to freshen up and prepare to sleep.


    But before heid to let his body rest, he saw a red glimmer at his bedside table. It was a pendant ne simr to the one he gifted to Eli, only that the design is manlier.


    Smiling, he gently scooped the pendant and uttered "To Eli.."


    The red gem then twinkled beautifully for a few seconds.


    Within these few seconds, Leon was feeling a bit nervous. ''Will she answer?''


    He could feel his palms sweating and his heart pound hard on his chest.


    Ten seconds passed, Twenty.. Thirty¡­


    Leon felt sadness in his heart. ''It seemed that I had expected too much..''


    He thought that Eli was still ufortable in talking with him casually like this.


    Just as he was about to loosen his grasp of the stone and leave it on the bedside, he heard the familiar female voice on the other side of themunication stone,


    "Leon? Hello?"


    It was Eli''s voice, it wasn''t sweet. She was even talking in her signature businesswoman tone.


    Yet to Leon''s ears, it was the sweetest voice he ever heard.


    He couldn''t help but smile as he felt that his fatigue was slowly being washed away by just knowing the fact that Eli answered his call.


    With a nervous yet hoarse voice, he gently replied,


    "Eli.. It is me, Leon.."

 Chapter 59 Disparity

    ?"Your voice is hoarse.. Are you sick? How have you been?" Hearing the husky, maic voice on the other side of themunication stone, Eli asked in an assertive tone.


    Yet in Leon''s ears it seemed that Eli''s strong willed intelligent tone was sweet sounding in his ears.


    ''Maybe it was because this is my first time calling a woman other than my mother queen.''


    "Leon??? Are you there? Is everything fine?" Noticing that Leon wasn''t responding for a while, Eli''s tone became a bit worried.


    "I-im alright. I am about to rest for a while. I thought I could check on you for a while¡­" Leon answered rather stiffly.


    "Oh, I see. You must have been busy. I''m sorry for not answering the call right away. I had to go out to find a quite ce to answer your call. It''s quite lively here now, the project team is here to start working on the water system."


    Eli replied in a relieved tone, she paused for a while then continued,


    "Have you eaten? I hope you didn''t forget to eat and sleep regrly."


    "I-i.." Leon found it hard to lie about forgetting to eat and sleep.


    "So you went again to go for sleepless nights?" Eli''s voice became a little bit lower. Although it was only her voice that he was hearing, he could clearly see in his mind that Eli had squinted her dark midnight eyes.


    "I forgot about the time, I''m sorry.... But do not worry, I''ll be sure to regrly eat and sleep." Leon replied rather guiltily. Now, he was acting as meek as how his Father Emperor Valentin was behaving earlier with Queen Teh''s sulking.


    He heard a helpless sigh from the other side. He couldn''t help but stiffly sit upright on his bedside like a little child receiving rebuke from his parents.


    "Alright then, unhealthy habits aren''t that easy to change. I won''t nag you for that." Eli said in a helpless tone.


    "Uhn, thank you for your understanding." Leon said with a relieved tone, he never felt this good after receiving pardon.


    The voices from both ends of themunication became awkwardly silent.


    "Then.. I think you should sleep first. Do not worry about us. The grandpas are here. Baobao, Wisey and Sir Olivier are all reliable." Eli broke the awkward silence and tried to remind Leon to take his well deserved rest.


    "Uhn.." Leon said gently.


    "By the way, my Father Emperor and Queen Mother will visit you soon. As to the details I still don''t know when, but it was most likely the next month, to give time for my Father Emperor to free up from his duties.


    My mother also wanted to stay with you to help you go through the rest of the pregnancy." Suddenly recalling his mother''s reminder, he notified Eli.


    "..." There was no reply from Eli''s end.


    Leon thought that Eli might have been surprised, yet after a while Eli replied with uncertainty and nervousness in her voice.


    "I have actually no objections, they are Little Han''s grandparents. However, I don''t know if I would be able to wee them at home considering their status¡­ I don''t know how to interact with them."


    "Do not worry I''ll be sure to be with you when that timees." Leon replied assuringly.


    "But, aren''t you too busy for the matters at the Capital?" Eli asked worriedly.


    "It''s fine. With my father immediatelying back after meeting you, I don''t think it''ll be a problem."


    "Alright, then¡­ Let yourself rest first. When you aren''t busy, we can talk about how to prepare for the Emperor and Queen''s arrival." Eli reminded Leon to rest.


    Hearing Eli''s rational yet thoughtful reply, Leon couldn''t help but smile, "Alright. I''ll be off. Take care."


    "Yes.. you too. Rest well."


    Leon then cut supplying mana in themunication stone. The stone was cold in nature but Leon could feel it warm in his hands.


    He gently ced it back on his bedside cab and absentmindedlyid on his massive navy blue quilted bed.


    He stared at the exquisite bed canopy that was decorated with embroidered white drapes matching his navy blue quilt.


    He was still light headed from the conversation he had with Eli. He could clearly feel that Eli was veryfortable with him, just hearing from her business woman like tone.


    He felt it was a bit unfair. She was adapting easily to their current situation while he was having a hard time.


    ''Has she been this good at interacting with men?'' He couldn''t help but wonder.


    Thedies in the empire would disy some kind of shyness and embarrassment, sometimes coquettishness, when interacting with men especially for the bachelor ones.


    They would try their best to disy their femininity as well as try hard to act like a nobledy in front of the gentlemen they were interacting with.


    Yet Eli, aside from the initial awkward meeting they had, was quite unfazed in interacting with men, especially high profile men.


    Like Randel and Olivier who were one of the most sought after bachelors in the capital.


    All the more with him, a member of the royal family.


    He couldn''t help but see the disparity of the willful and childish Elise he met just a few months ago.


    ''What could have caused her drastic change?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For just a few months, she turned from a willful carefree person to a rational, independent and opinionated one.


    The way she carried herself exudes confidence and discipline, that would only be achieved when one had trained for several years.


    On things she didn''t know, she wouldn''t be pretentious to impress everyone. She was humble enough to ask, yet confident enough to stand firm on her opinion.


    Her intelligence and knowledge was also a big question.


    ''Well, since it''s just been a few days of being friends. It might be rude to ask for these things.''


    He decided to set his questions aside first. He had to earn her trust enough for her to befortable in telling the secrets in her life, especially what happened few months ago.


    While his thoughts were freely drifting he eventually fell into a deep sleep.


    --


    Seeing that the glow on her pendant was gone. Eli absentmindedly stood still in the flowery little garden outside her cottage.


    It was only when she heard two yful voices that she was awoken from her trance.


    "Young Eli, is that His Highness, the Third Prince?~~~~" Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben teased yfully.


    With her twitching brows, Eli helplessly replied to the two Grandpa, "Yes it''s Leon. He was checking the situation here."


    "Ohhhhh¡­ ''Leon''~~~" The two grandpas continued to gossip while yfully looking at Eli as saying, "Ah¡­ young love.."


    "Aiyoo grandpas, love isn''t an option for me yet. Too busy... Too busy¡­" Eli respectfully dismissed the yful teasing of the grandpas.


    "What''s more important was the news he said to me.."


    Eli continued with nervousness in her eyes.


    "His Majesty, Emperor and Her Highness, the Second Queen will be visiting soon¡­ Leon said it might be next month."


    "What?!"


    "Heaven''s!"


    The two grandpas eximed in surprise.


    The Emperor who was the symbol of the Seirende Empire would being here and visit the youngss! This was an urgent concern!


    "What''s more¡­ Her Highness, Second Queen would like to stay here until I give birth, to learn from her on things about motherhood."


    "T-this¡­" The two grandpas were left speechless from shock. How eager must the Emperor and the Queen be in meeting their future daughter inw and grandchild to go all the way to Silvertown?


    Sigh!


    The three couldn''t help but let out a heavy sigh. They all felt the pressure of knowing the royal family''s visit.


    "Youngss, then all the more that we need to finish this project. It''ll be more convenient that all these matters were sorted out before they arrive here.


    "You don''t want to wee your potential mother and father inw while there is ongoing construction in your house do you?" Grandpa Ben advised thoughtfully.


    "Indeed Grandpa Ben, I''ll be needing everyone''s help, yet again." Eli responded and looked towards the two Grandpa''s gratefully.


    "Hahaha, youngss do not worry! We have brought the most talented team to work on this project. I''m sure that we can do this smoothly!" Grandpa Andi cheerilyughed and beckoned Eli to go back to the cottage.


    As they went back through the cottage, a boisterous sound weed them. Instead of proceeding to the living room, the trio went to the dining area instead.


    Sounds of discussions, exmations and praises filled the whole dining area,


    "This! I never knew that the transfer of heat could be quantified through this form!" A cheerful and plump little dwarf said excitedly as she energetically raised a book almost half her size.


    "How insightful was this! The table of elements is out of this world!" A schrly looking man around his early thirties eximed in pleasant surprise.


    "Indeed! How could one table provide us so much information such as this!" Another schrly looking man in his forties, dered with amazement. His curly brown hair bounced ratherically as he kept nodding in agreement.


    "I felt like I have entered into another realm of Prasinos just by reading this." Amongst the busy group was a face so familiar to Eli.


    It was Randel, who was intently reading the modified periodic table of elements. He nerdily fixed his spectacles in a serious schstic manner.


    Despite how absorbed they were in the new learnings, they didn''t miss the entrance of the trio.


    Except for Randel, who greeted so naturally, the three new faces greeted with burning agitation in their eyes, which were all directed to Eli.


    "Great Teacher! You''re back!!!"

 Chapter 60 Elis Project Team

    ?"T-this! I''d rather have you esteemed schrs and inventors address me by just my name, Eli."


    The fervent gazes and the overwhelming address made Eli embarrassed and pressured.


    All she did was to show them the books she hadpiled containing the very fundamentals of sciences.


    Since she had an ultra super convenient research tool, she was also able to modify the books in ordance with the truths of the world here in Prasinos.


    "This can''t be! Your knowledge is vast and out of this world! If I wouldn''t even give you respect as a great teacher, We would be trampling on our reverence for you!" They replied


    Although she expected that showing them these books would spark some shocking reactions, she didn''t expect that it would be this overwhelming.


    Especially knowing who these members of the project team were. They are a team of four, including Randel,ing from the Forgeworn n and Farauld Institute.


    The first member, was a handsome schrly looking man in his early thirties, wearing a white long robe with straight and silky grey hair. He was currently the youngest Dean for Magical Research Division of the Farauld Magic Institute - Zeke Bartholomew Gifford.


    The second member was an entric yet wise looking man in his forties also wearing the same white long robe as Zeke, with his eye catching bouncy curly brown hair. He was currently the vice chairman, an array master and the right hand man of headmaster Reuben of the Institute - Bramwell Merill Lewis.


    The third member was a chubby and adorable dwarven girl. If one took ount of her height, they would think that she was just a teenage young miss. However she was already ady in herte twenties.


    She was the master engineer of Forgeworn n who was behind the countless magical items released for the Forgeworn merchant group. - Meredith Lavachin.


    Thest member was Randel. Although Eli saw him as the ck butler of the Argentum, he was attending now as the apprentice of grandpa Andi in craftsmanship.


    Together, the four people, along with the two grandpas and Eli, came together to make the concept of the water pressure and heating system a reality.


    "These were just the knowledge passed down to me by Mr. Earthling." Eli said embarrassedly, as she wanted tomunicate that these were all the acquired knowledge the earth had.


    Just like what she said to Azayn and the rest, she deviced the story about Mr. Earthling to exin the miraculous source of her knowledge.


    "Alright, alright. Enough of ttery and let''s get down to the business." Grandpa Reuben announced with seriousness.


    "We have quite a bad news for everyone¡­" He then continued.


    The members of the project team stopped what they were doing and looked at Grandpa Reuben with a serious demeanor. "What is it, grandmaster?" They all asked.


    Eli was rather nervous upon seeing the serious faces of the team. She couldn''t help but wonder if they would be angry at the hastened timeline ofpleting the project.


    "We need to hasten thepletion of this project within a month." Grandpa Ben announced straightforwardly.


    "This¡­ Headmaster, what could be the cause of this change? I think it would be hard for us to apply our new found knowledge in just one month..." Vice Chairman Bramwell asked with a shrewd tone.


    "Eherm!! Well to put it simply.. The Emperor and Second Queen will being to visit and inspect the Silver Dew Forest next month." It was Grandpa Ben who continued to exin.


    "We found that it would be advantageous for us to finish this project and present your work to them¡­" He said with a look that was somehow scheming, as he subtly nced towards the expression of the members of the group.


    He saw some hesitation in the eyes of the group, so he continued,


    "Unless you do not want the benefit and honor of personally showing your groundbreaking coboration to the Emperor himself?" He said with squinted eyes.


    The three people reacted stiffly. Randel was rather immune to his master''s conning and acted naturally.


    Eli couldn''t help but think that the chief of the Forgeworn Merchant group was formidable. Especially on conning skills!


    "Then¡­" It was Meredith who was first to give in.


    With a reluctant tone yet expectant eyes she said, "If the Great Teacher and the Empire''s Grandmasters think we can do it, then I guess we will go a bit all out then¡­"


    The expression of the rest of the team also disyed a bit of concession.


    "We can do this if the Great Teacher would allow us to stay here for a while to maximize our time!" Meredith followed up.


    "That''s a great idea!"


    The other two seconded, they were pumped up knowing that they would be staying here for an extended period of time, pull all nighters and dive to the books Eli had prepared for them.


    "Also, I would have extra time to interact with Baobao the Panda¡­" Bramwell said with slightly blushing cheeks, staring at Baobao with a bit of longing.


    As the vice headmaster of the Farauld Magic Institute, his field of responsibility was in academics and sciences, while Zeke was on Magic. He disyed greater interest in Baobaopared to the rest of the team.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "T-this, esteemed masters, I''m afraid that my cottage would becking to amodate you all¡­" Eli was at a loss.


    As much as she wanted to let them stay, her cottage was two small to aodate the whole team.


    "Great Teacher do not worry! We take care of our own lodging!" Zeke replied with a lively manner, while proudly taking out a ck box.


    "I''m proud to present to you this portable sleeping quarters! Newly developed by the Farauld Magical Research Division! With this, we can stay here without worrying about theck of space!" He presented with pride, his eyes sparkling with excitement.


    "Woahhh!" The whole team of professionals and Eli''s bunch pped in support with Zeke''s introduction.


    Zeke''s smile reached from ear to ear, as he proudly lifted his chin up while elegantly disying the little ck box on the palm of his hands. Truthfully, it was quite a sight to see for a revered personality of the prestigious Farauld Magic Academy to act asically as this.


    "Then if you all don''t mind¡­ Let''s do our best to create this system moving forward!" Seeing that the bunch do not mind the arrangement, Eli also conceded with a grateful bow.


    "We look forward to working with you, Great Teacher Eli!" The team cheered in unison.


    And so the team started to work on fast tracking the water heating and pressure system project.


    Meredith and Randel were incharge of crafting theponents of the system ording to Eli''s design, while Zeke and Bramwell work on embedding magical aspect on the entire mechanism.


    Eli naturally, would be the chief and designer.


    With her project management skills from her profession in her previous world, Eli smoothly navigated the team inpleting the project.


    This made the two grandmasters who acted as consultants amazed by Eli''s prowess. They felt as proud as a father would, seeing their daughter shine.


    --


    While Eli''s project team was busy on fast tracking thepletion of the project, Leon on the other hand was also doing his best inpleting the research he was doing regarding the madman''s records.


    However, this time he was sure to remind himself from time to time to take a rest and look after his health as he promised to Eli and his Queen Mother.


    Elder Leprechaun also gave him insight from time to time. He also considered the reports given by ze through the efforts of the Roaming de.


    It didn''t take him that long to finally summarize the results of his investigation and present the report to his Father Emperor.


    Sitting in his Father Emperor''s receiving area, Leon solemnly handed the results of the report.


    Leon sat wordlessly as he allowed his Father Emperor to skim through the pages of the report.


    Silence rang so loudly in the spacious red and gold themed room, with the golden sunlight gently lighting up the area where the father and son were sitting.


    As Emperor Valentin read through the files, his expression became darker and darker. Soon he couldn''t contain his emotions.


    "This!!!" Emperor Valentin shouted in alert. His body trembled with a grave expression on his face, as he tried hard not to crumple the report he was holding.


    "Leon, are you sure about this?" He said with a cold and sharp tone. Leon knew that this coldness was not directed to him but to the perpetrators of the report.


    "Yes father. This is by far the most probable hypothesis I could create based on the records." Leon replied with a solemn face.


    "The goal of the Spectre is undoubtedly to create an artificial way to obtain the open paths." He said with a shape glint on his crystal blue eyes.


    "By doing that, they must seed in two things.


    First, seed in artificially extracting an asani''s receptors and ensure that it all stays alive.


    Second, was to seed in getting a human body, one without any sense of self, and transfer the receptors in it." The coldness in his voice was getting lower and lower as he continued to exin.


    "With the records we already know that they had seeded in the first stage, but how about the second one.." Emperor Valentin asked in contemtion.


    "They had already started it¡­ By abducting pregnant women." Leon replied, obviously disturbed.


    He clenched his fist as he tried to control himself, with a shivering voice he continued,


    "A human, suitable enough because of theirck of sense of self¡­ Who in the world could they be but the poor unborn infants!"

 Chapter 61 Lets Bet!

    ?Emperor Valentin didn''t say anything for a while.


    He just stared at the report showing the statistics of the missing cases of pregnant women throughout the Seirende Empire.


    "They sure moved so carefully to ensure that the rate of missing women was not rming enough for us to dig into." He said as he felt anger and guilt welling up in his chest.


    To just discover it now, for thest four years, they have already abducted more than a hundred pregnant women. What had he been doing all this time?


    Another heartbreaking fact was that forty percent of these cases weren''t reported as normal missing cases but murder cases.


    The husband, children, and all the members of the household were reportedly killed and missing. The crime scene would just be blood and a few body parts without any intact corpse.


    It was done so cautiously and was distributed cleverly throughout the empire. No wonder it was not raised by the council during the assemblies! Not even once!


    Only due to the efforts of the Roaming des that it had been finally brought to light. Such a gruesome event had been happening under his rule!


    "How could they!" Emperor Valentin was trembling in fury. As the Emperor of the Seirende Empire, he couldn''t help but me himself for only discovering it now.


    "Father, I know that it''s not right to tell you to not me yourself. But do not torment yourself like this." Leon tried to calm his father down.


    "What''s more important is to think of a way to address this problem without rming the perpetrators."


    Seeing the concern from his frigid son''s manner of speaking, Emperor Valentin rubbed his temples as he said in a helpless manner,


    "This case isn''t something we could contain just within the two of us. I think that we need to somehow think of a way that this will be raised by someone in the uing assembly to mobilize the manpower.


    I have a nagging feeling that this case wasn''t just hidden from us by relying on these schemes alone. Do not forget the possibility that there might be nobles involved in these cases."


    The two carried a dreadful expression on their faces as they contemted silently.


    After a while, Leon took the papers at the coffee table and flipped on a particr page. Showing it to his Father Emperor, he said in a serious tone,


    "Father, notice that the cases within these areas have the highest number of murder-abduction cases. I think we can start with this."


    "Hmm, the vassals governing these areas were under the jurisdiction of the Astaze Marquessate." Emperor Valentin immediately caught Leon''s point.


    "The Astaze Marquiss, the maternal family of your Second Imperial brother, are you sure that you wanted to go against him?" He asked Leon with a challenging tone.


    "It won''t make any difference to avoid offending him now. My very own existence had already offended both him and first Imperial Brother." Leon replied nonchntly.


    "I just wish that my child and Eli would pass the stage where they were most vulnerable before imperial brothers knew of their existence."


    "Then handle this carefully."


    "I will father. My aim is to cripple the Spectre''s obvious forces within the Empire before going against them directly. I need to think of a way to distract them not to dedicate their resources to specifically targeting the Empire."


    "Hmm, do you have any idea how to do that?"


    "Initially I thought of targeting the ck markets within the Empire and trying to cripple their sources of ie and information. But Eli had a better idea in mind¡­"


    "Oh.. I am interested to hear of my future daughter-inw''s idea!"


    "It was actually tounch the ck hair industry. She had already started working on the ns in coboration with Grandmaster Andvari and Grandmaster Reuben."


    "ck hair industry¡­ Now that the Spectre knew that there still exists an asani within our borders, they would surely engage their powers to track down Eli even under disguise, concentrating on Seirende alone."


    "Since one can see through magical disguises, Eli proposed that we introduce to the nobility the trend of having their light-colored hair dyed in ck, in an attempt to disperse the Spectre''s forces outside the Empire."


    "She nned to start this trend way distant to the Empire so as to not give rise to the suspicion that it was actually our scheme."


    "Hmm well thought of." Emperor Valentinmented while rubbing his chin. A trace of interest could be seen in his expression.


    "As to how we will deal with Astaze March, I have already devised a n. I hope you just can support me during the uing assembly next week."


    "Hmm, alright, let''s see what you have in mind at that time. Also -" The Emperor suddenly paused and looked at Leon.


    His sparkling crystal blue eyes were begging, he leaned forward sping his hands, as he continued,


    "My son,e help me think of a valid reason to visit Silver Dew Forest and go with your Mother~~"


    --


    Day of the assembly.


    mors of greetings and pleasantries could be heard in the pce assembly hall.


    Countless vassals from the different duchy, march, and county were all dressed modestly, fully embodying their dignity as the leaders of their own territories.


    While there exist factions within this group of people, they dare not to explicitly go against each other unless their interests are jeopardized.


    Thus, the atmosphere of the hall was like a den full of lions, who looked docile yet ready to bite when threatened.


    Soon the pce aides announced the entrance of the members of the Imperial family. The officials and vassals then observed proper decorum while giving respects to the members of the Royal Family.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "His Highness, Leon Andrae de Seirende, Third Prince of the Empire arrives!"


    "His Highness, Antoine Raz de Seirende, Second Prince of the Empire arrives!"


    "His Highness, Kazimir Nox de Seirende, First Prince of the Empire arrives!"


    Soon three handsome elegant men entered, they were dressed in a dark blue royal prince suit with a striking red sash decorated with golden embroidery.


    They all had hairs under the shade of red, the third prince had the deepest red among the three. The most striking feature all had was their crystal blue eyes.


    They stood dignifiedly on their assigned ces on the right side of the throne, while they all hear the aides announce,


    "His Majesty Emperor Valentin De Seirende, Ruler of the Empire, enters the Hall!"


    As soon as Emperor Valentin imposingly entered the hall, everyone greeted,


    "Long live His Majesty Emperor! Long live the Empire''s Princes!"


    Emperor Valentin nced at the audience with scrutiny in his crystal blue eyes. The atmosphere of the hall turned stiff.


    d with his white imperial suit lined with golden chains and gems, he finally let the audience be at ease while he imposingly sat on the throne. "Be at ease! Let this assembly begin!"


    As soon as the crowd and the Imperial family settled down, the aides then proceeded to the assembly agenda.


    While the vassals were nervously racking their brains to present their matters in the presence of the Emperor, a tense atmosphere was brewing in the area where the princes were seated.


    "Oh ho, it''s really amazing to see you right here! Despite ying swords with your little army on the borders of the Empire¡­" Kazimir, the First Prince, mockingly said to Leon.


    He didn''t even bother to look at Leon as he said these words as if his eyes would be wasted if they looked in Leon''s direction.


    Leon didn''t say nor react in any way as if he didn''t hear what Kazimir had said.


    "Have you been bored in the ambiance of the wastnds? I thought you blended really well there.." With a chuckle, Antoine, the Second Prince, also followed in mocking Leon.


    "Are you hoping that Father would assign you again to some trivial errands across the Empire? What would you be if not for an errand boy? Hahaha,"


    "Hey Kazimir, let''s make a bet on how long would the missions, oh no, errands Father would assign to him today!" Antoine schemingly said.


    "Sure! It''ll probablyst for about six months. I''ll bet on the gold mine in Trameni Peak." Kazimir replied confidently.


    "Hooo.. you really went all out! Then I''ll have to bet my Beaussy Winery, for him to be sent in a year!"


    A series of taunts could be heard one after another from the first and second princes, yet Leon maintained his uncaring attitude with a deadpan face.


    In his mind, the two looked nothing but red-haired clowns.


    While they were distracted in making fun of their third Imperial Brother, Emperor Valentin had already called Leon''s attention.


    "The Third Prince will be in charge of escorting me in the Silver Dew Forest for the Renewal of Treaty with the Elves."


    "What the heck!" The two princes were caught off guard. They uncontrobly stood up in their seats in protest.


    "Your majesty please reconsider!"


    The Duke of Ves and the Marquess of Astaze, voiced their opposition with a shocked expressions. They were the strongest supporters of the First and Second Prince, respectively.


    The reason why they were rmed was that the renewal of the treaty with the Elves holds a lot of weight on who will be the most possible heir of the Empire.


    The treaty with the Silver Dew was the one that gave Emperor Valentin stability and power as the ruler over Seirende and the neighboring kingdoms. It was the Emperor''s greatest legacy and source of power.


    Thus, it was also important that the Silver Dew Elves recognize the next heir.


    Everyone knew that the Silver Dew Elves do not like human interaction.


    Hence, whoever among the princes was approved by the Silver Dew Elves to enter their territory, was most likely the one who will be chosen as the crown prince.


    The faction supporting the two other princes was in panic! They were all cursing in the back of their minds.


    The faces of the two princes couldn''t be painted either. Their faces which were full of mocking and ridicule were long gone. In their faces were only anger, denial, and envy.


    "Your Majesty, we must think of who among the princes would be your perfect escort in entering the Elven Territory. Shall we?" The Duke of Ves said in a tensed, yet coaxing tone.


    "Silence!!" Emperor Valentin announced with full authority in his voice.


    The agitation and protest from the crowd were forcibly contained.


    The next words of the Emperor made them feel cold as if someone poured a bucket of ice-cold water into their bodies.


    "The Silver Dew Elves specifically named the Third Prince, Leon Andrae the Seirende, to enter their territory!"


    Emperor Valentin coldly said while a projection stone containing the Elven Chief''s writing shed for the crowd''s viewing.

 Chapter 62 Who Came Up With This Scheme?!

    ?"T-this.." The noblemen were left wide-eyed and speechless by the image disyed in the projection hall.


    The scroll containing the handwriting of the Elven Chief really did mention the Third Prince''s name for all to see!


    Duke Ves and Marquess Astaze gritted their teeth in vexation. But since it was the Elves, who did not even take part in the political affairs of the Empire, they couldn''t protest.


    Gritting their teeth, the two princes threw an aggravated nce at the emotionless Leon.


    "What kind of trick did you do, to be able to manage to get the attention of the elves?" Kazimir uttered discreetly towards the uncaring Third Prince in wonder.


    "Who did you ask for this favor?!"


    "It must be just mere luck! Whose forces in the Empire were even willing to support him with his lowly origin?!" Antoine dered with obvious envy.


    His fist was clenched so tightly that veins could almost pop out of his fair smooth hands.


    "Tsk! You''re right, who would dare to support him with his reputation and abilities?"


    The two princes grievously shrugged and pretended to be benevolent to their ''little brother'', as if they were the ones who gave away the precious opportunity for him.


    Because of this, they were not able to see that as Leon rested his handsome frigid face in his hand, the corner of his lips was slightly lifted in a smirk.


    ''Who in the world did I ask? Heh¡­'' His heart couldn''t help butugh with pride and contentment.


    ''It''s just my capable, strong, and independent future wife!''


    The rest of the agenda had proceeded smoothly, but with obvious stiffness from the rest of the crowd.


    However Emperor Valentin didn''t bother appeasing them, the only one he needed to appease was his beloved Teh!


    ''Luckily, I have a very kind and capable future daughter-inw!''


    ''If not for her suggestion and close rtionship with the elves, my Queen would have sent me to the cold pce!''


    ''Hmm, I must send the secret guards to buy many goodies for my grandchild and daughter inw¡­ I''m quite ashamed to be taking advantage of her brilliance when I haven''t even seen her personally!''


    His heart became troubled as he unconsciously let out a heavy sigh.


    "Is there something that matters, Your majesty?" His closest aide asked worriedly.


    "No, go on, I''m listening." Emperor Valentin waved his right hand dismissively and continued with the agenda.


    "This is thest concern, Your Majesty! Please hear us!" After some time, a baron from a remote area in the Empire humbly presented.


    Signaling the guards, a group of pitifully dressed farmers came to the hall with a sorrowful faces.


    "Impudence! You, a lowly baron, dare to invite peasants within the castle walls!!" Some of the higher-ranking nobility reprimanded the actions of the baron.


    Disgust could be seen in their faces as they could clearly see the filth from themoners'' attire. Others couldn''t help but step back, afraid of catching germs and smelling a stinky odor from them.


    The group of farmers shivered in fear and shame. They hung their head low as they couldn''t bear to lift their faces when the vicious eyes of the nobles and monarch were directed at them.


    "Silence!" Emperor Valentin shouted in irritation as he coldly stared in the direction of the noble who ridiculed the baron.


    "So much for being a noble! You seemed to forget where you all came from!" The Emperor squinted his eyes and continued,


    "Who are all of you without that title? Don''t dare throw a high almighty act in MY assembly!!!"


    Everyone went stiff and embarrassed.


    Seirende is an Empire.


    It means that every territory within the empire was conquered and trampled down by the Seirende family. People who gained noble status were all solely granted by the Emperor, but it was all earned through hard-earned work and sacrifice.


    In short, all the attendees in the hall became noble because an Emperor of Seirende granted them their status, even the duchy!


    The Emperor had struck the sore spot of every noble in the hall.


    Like a direct p for them, reminding them that they were also of ''low origins'' in the eyes of the Imperial Family.


    They, the ''noble'' ones who had been ridiculing the Third Prince for havingmoner blood.


    It is the reality once a territory was conquered by a strong force.


    Even if you are a former royalty or a peasant under the previous rule, once your ruler was defeated, everyone will be of lowly status and their lives will be in their conqueror''s hands.


    The Duke of Ves couldn''t hide his fury and humiliation. With gritted teeth, he stealthily nced at the monarch with deep resentment.


    ''How could he utter those words at this moment, of all times!'' His heart was in a panic.


    In his ears, it was like he was finally defending the third prince''s origins. ''Could it be because of the Elves'' favor?''


    He stealthily looked at the area where the princes were sitting, concentrating his venomous gaze on the third seat.


    Chill ran down his spine as he met the cold and ''barbaric'' stare from the Third Prince! His crystal blue eyes seemed to be emitting some aura that froze his breathing.


    !!!


    ''He has been observing me! That Barbarian!''


    He almost wet his pants in shock as he could feel the bloodlust directed at him. He couldn''t do anything but nervously hung his head low as he felt powerless under Leon''s nce.


    ''A mere D ss devourer managed to scare me like this! You damned monarch just you see! Savor the time you could sit on that chair!'' He thought in his heart while biting his lips in frustration.


    Seeing that the noblemen had learned their ce, Emperor Valentin looked toward the baron and the group of farmers and said with authority, "State your case!"


    The Baron then became at ease and exined their situation, "Your Majesty, this humble one, from the Rugglestan Barony seeks your help in our situation!"


    As he bowed, the farmers behind him also followed and pleaded, "Have mercy on us, Your Majesty!"


    "These farmers were desperate to find their missing wives. Although they were only a few, what was rming was that they all had simr cases - their missing wives were all pregnant¡­" The Baron of Rugglestan exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This case, how could your Barony fail to handle this one? To be raised in this assembly, you must give me a good reason." Emperor Valentin didn''t show any expression and kept on disying a fair and unbiased attitude.


    "This.. Your Majesty, it was the same as I had thought initially, yet these people didn''te from the barony! They came from the different vastnds near the border and stumbled into our town in desperation of looking for their wives!


    Our territory was the first gateway to ess the nobility. Thus, I was the first one to receive theirints.


    During the investigation, I verified with the neighboring county and viges if there were any traces of their wives. But what I had discovered were simr cases of missing pregnant women!"


    Hushed discussions and murmurings rang into the entire hall. This case, to their ears, is not simple.


    "What''s scarier was that not onlymoners were involved, but to date, we have noted five simr cases involving lower nobility¡­


    Your Majesty, at this point I have recognized that this case was clearly beyond my capabilities and tried my luck to plead to you in this assembly¡­


    If this case wouldn''t be properly looked into, the capital might also be in danger!"


    Panic ran through the hall. Everyone was discussing how peculiar the case is. Yet what really engaged the nobles was the keyword, "Nobility".


    Of course, the report was clearly exaggerated, for this was the scheme of the father and son to bait the nobility into cooperating with the investigations against the Spectre. They knew that the only way to do it was by threatening the nobles with ''known unknowns''.


    Engaging a powerless baron who doesn''t mean to either of the major forces of the first and second prince, crafting an essory store for the real victims to be more pitiful and effective in persuading the nobles were all part of their setup.


    Surely their scheme was extremely effective as the nobles started to plead in favor of supporting the investigation of this matter.


    "Your Majesty! We must look into this case thoroughly!"


    "Indeed! Who knows, these cases could already be happening throughout ournds!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    Emperor Valentin lifted his hand to gesture at the silence of the crowd. After a long silence, he then addressed the people,


    "This needs an empire-wide investigation...Hmmm,"


    Stroking his chin to scan through the agitated crowd, as if contemting a solution he then announced his decision.


    "Then, I assign the three princes of the Empire to look into the matter! Each of you would receive a territory to assign!


    First Prince to the West Territory.


    Second Prince to the East.


    Third Prince to the South.


    As for the North, since I''ll be going to the Silver Dew Forest soon, I''ll have my men cover it.


    I decree this as final!"


    !!!


    The two princes and the nobles were given another shock.


    However, this shock wasn''t because of themotion made by the third prince but...


    The decree was asking the first and second princes to investigate each other''s major territories.


    As to the third prince, since there were no forces supporting him, his assignment in the south covers an insignificant portion of both. So the nobles didn''t find any issue with the third prince''s assignment.


    The two princes went stiff as they cautiously looked at each other. It was the same as the Duke of Ves and the Marquess of Astaze.


    They all clearly knew what was going on!


    The Emperor wanted them to fight each other! However, now was not the time yet!


    Both the parties knew that one day, they would be fighting for that one spot in the monarch to get the ultimate power.


    But they had a tacit understanding of not going against each other until they have eliminated the unkible third prince, much to their dismay!


    Emperor Valentin observed the reaction of the two forces that controlled the aristocrats.


    ''Hmmm, they needed a little more push¡­'' He immediately nced at a certain farmer in the group of peasants.


    This farmer was not a real victim, but a Roaming de member blended with the group.


    Getting the Emperor''s signal, the undercover member then immediately knelt in panic and agitation,


    "Your majesty there is one thing that you need to know! I happened to survive the abduction so I saw something that could lead us to the case¡­"


    The undercover was still shaking in fear and nervousness, he looked pale as if he was traumatized by what he had witnessed.


    "What is it?" The Emperor went with the flow.


    "I saw cloaked men, with the sign of the raven on their bodies!"


    A burst of panic, dread, and horror spread in the hall.


    "The Spectre!!!" They all eximed.


    At this point, the hesitating princes and the two high nobles no longer disy hesitation with each other, this time their faces surely disyed an expression meant to kill each other.


    Because of themotion, no one noticed the Third Prince, Leon, looking at them as if watching a circus show.


    Obviously uninterested in the people around him, he couldn''t help but wander in his thoughts,


    ''A vored fried chicken would have been so nice for dinner¡­'' he thought as he was reminded of Eli''s bright face as she excitedly introduced the three vored fried chickens.


    ''What would her reaction be, if she saw that her scheme of letting my brothers quarrel with each other was extremely effective with these clowns?''

 Chapter 63 Taking The Initiative

    ?On the day of the discussion between Leon and Emperor Valentin.


    Eli attentively weed Azayn who popped up in the teleportation array to conduct her check up.


    In three weeks will be Eli''s seventh month of pregnancy. She had been feeling a lot of movements from Little Han.


    Day by day, she realized that a little human had been actively living inside her body. She was filled with excitement and anxiousness at the same time.


    Seeing Eli smile happily while waiting for her, Azayn beamed and gave Eli an affectionate hug. "How are you feeling Eli?"


    "I''m feeling good, yet sometimes my mood changes. Also, I can feel a lot of things happening on my body." Eli repliedfortably towards Azayn.


    "Oh it''s alright! The significant changes in your body to prepare for child rearing."


    Spending time catching up with each other, the two then proceeded in the medical procedures.


    "Prepare yourself for the next month, for Little Han will be much more active. Your body will change more than what you could witness right now. What is for sure, you will be feeling more restraint in movement." Azayn reminded Eli as she gently tapped her shoulders.


    "As much as possible, have Baobao assist you with your movements. It would be much better to have your prince ''friend'' around." She teasingly continued.


    "Hehe, he will be busy this time as I know he has duties in the capital." Eli answered awkwardly, she knew that Azayn advocated the presence of Leon if it concerns her preparation for thete stage of pregnancy.


    As if remembering something, Eli gently stood up and walked towards her study.


    Her study table had many documents as she had been studying to train her summoner powers. She picked another thick stack of paper and handed it down to Azayn.


    Seeing that Eli gave her a stack of paper, Azayn''s yellowish green eyes shined in excitement. "New knowledge!" She happily took the thick stack of paper.


    "Come and look through its contents. Tell me what you think¡­" Eli smiled as she encouraged Azayn to check the paper''s contents, yet a trace of anxiousness could be seen in her midnight eyes.


    Skimming through the documents, Azayn''s eyes couldn''t help but show a trace of surprise and agitation. But in between these expressions was a trace of anxiousness and uncertainty.


    "This! This is an operating procedure!" Azayn eximed in surprise.


    "Eli, why are you giving me this? The contents of these documents were enough to shake the whole medical world!"


    Eli expected Azayn''s reaction, she gave her a knowing smile and replied,


    "I''m giving it to you, just in case a problem would arise during mybor."


    "But, Eli! This procedure wasn''t even tested yet. I am not even qualified to know this procedure.." Azayn said with hesitation.


    Eli gently held Azayn''s trembling hands, trying tofort and encourage her, she said,


    "This procedure is called Cesarean section or C-section¡­ I know that we do not have the technology to perform this operation yet. But I entrust it to you."


    "In this document are theption of all the studies and the knowledge I have regarding this procedure. I know that just by having this would not be able to give you confidence to perform it, but I have a hope that it will save many lives of future moms out there." Eli exined.


    Azayn didn''t say anything, especially when she saw the expression Eli had in her face.


    It was a face of fear and anxiety.


    "Azayn, my dear friend, I have a nagging feeling that my delivery wouldn''t be a normal one. I can feel it¡­" Eli confessed as she held onto Azayn''s hands tighter.


    She was also trembling. Azayn felt it as the cold from Eli''s hands seeped through her skin.


    "I am having nightmares at night, seeing the day I would give birth. What I feared was not dying per se¡­ I deeply fear dying before even giving birth to a Little Han!" Tears from anxiety formed into Eli''s eyes.


    "I have been preparing this ever since you first visited me here¡­ This is all I can give¡­"


    "This¡­" Azayn now understood Eli''s fear and reason as to why she would give her something that does not exist yet to this world.


    This extreme fear of something that has no basis, she had to acknowledge that her dear friend was suffering from it.


    Denial wouldn''t help them either.


    For now she decided to support Eli and give her assurance.


    She gave a helpless sigh and replied to Eli, "Alright, but I don''t really have the qualifications to perform this. However, I know someone who could possibly pull this off¡­"


    "R-really?" Eli nced at Azayn with a renewed hope.


    "Yes. In fact, I know that He could only pull these kinds of procedures.. However he is a male.. Are you alright with that?" She casted Eli with a look of inquiry.


    "It''s fine with me, as long as you trust him!" Eli lived in the modern earth. She knew that there were male doctors that specialize in OB-GYN. She found no problems with it.


    Azayn froze when she realized that Eli answered without hesitation. Without any other choice she then exined,


    "He was considered as the youngest genius doctor in the Seirende Empire. However, he suddenly went into hiding five years ago, because he was being targeted by the Spectre...


    As to where he is, only us, the Emperor, Uncle Andi and Uncle Ben knew of his whereabouts."


    "Who might he be?" Eli asked calmly.


    "My cousin and adoptive younger brother, a half elf¡­ He was publicly known as Dr. Kayden." Azayn replied with longing in her face and continued,


    "He now goes by the name Einz."


    "Wait! Einz? You are not talking about Dr. Einz, the chief doctor of the Riverfort Hospital, are you? Wait but Dr. Einz was a human as far as I remember!" Eli asked wide eyed.


    Realizing something Azayn gave a light chuckle and replied,


    "My bad, I just remembered now that you are the Riverfort Asani! I forgot that Kayden took care of you at that time!


    Since he is a half-elf, he could mask the features of the elves with just a little bit of magic and lookpletely human! "


    "So it''s really Dr. Einz!" Eli said in a conflicted expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing Eli at a loss, she started to tease her,


    "Why? Are you hesitating right now? Because are you afraid that Kayden will scold you for leaving them without a word? Fufufu~"


    Eli was speechless. Her cheeks blushed in secondhand embarrassment. Through enough, she was not able to mentally prepare facing the people who genuinely took Elise in.


    How could she face them? She didn''t think about it yet.


    Azayn realized that she hit the mark and let out a light chuckle. After a while she patted Eli''s shoulder and looked at her with an assuring smile,


    "Do not worry, you know how Kayden is. He couldn''t bear to get mad at you for a long time¡­"


    "...Alright.." Eli replied meekly.


    Seeing Eli find a bit of confidence, Azayn gently pped her hands to change the mood and cheerfully said to her friend,


    "Now, all that is left is to think of a way to contact my younger brother!"


    "Didn''t you have any contact with him?" Eli asked with surprise?


    "Aiyoo, this little brother of mine was so afraid that the Spectre wouldy their hands on us. So he erased all traces and connection he had on the elves before disappearing.


    If not for the treaty with the Emperor, to use their resources in helping the elves gather information, we wouldn''t even know that he had taken another identity and is living in Riverfort." Azayn replied with a helpless sigh.


    Eli stopped and pondered for a while. After some time she took the ne given by Leon and said, "It seems that I must call Leon for this¡­"


    "Ohhh! Now that you mentioned! He might really help!" Azayn replied with Eli''s idea.


    However Eli was hesitating, "But, he may be busy now¡­"


    "Ehhh, Eli, are you shy? It''s just calling a ''friend''! If he gets mad I''ll take over. Even if he is the Prince, no one can disrespect a Silver Dew Elf!" Azayn replied confidently.


    "T-then.." Eli held the pendant anxiously and uttered, "To Leon.."


    --


    In the room, Leon was actually bbergasted to see his dignified Father Emperor acting pitiful just to have him think of an irrefutable reason to go to Silver Dew Forest.


    He was about to dismiss his father''s request when he felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He immediately took out the pendant he was wearing.


    It was shining brightly, in the center of the pendant, a name appeared that made Leon''s expression ridden with surprise - Eli.


    Emperor Valentin was also shocked.


    He never saw Leon get so attentive on an alert received through his personalmunication stone. That only meant one thing! On the other side was his future daughter inw!


    "Go on, answer it here. You don''t need to mind me~~~" Seeing the conflict in Leon''s face he excitedly suggested to answer this in his presence.


    But that was not out of the consideration as an Emperor but because he was curious about the rtionship of the two. "Fufufu.."


    Leon didn''t bother his Father Emperor and immediately answered Eli''s call. For her to call in her own initiative, it must be important.


    "Hello? Leon?" Eli''s voice rang through the Emperor''s study.


    Emperor Valentin gave a lively expression, "My future daughter inw''s voice!!!" Hemented with a hushed yet excited tone.


    "Eli, It''s me." Leon gently answered. "How are you? Is there something that matters?"


    "I-i," Eli''s voice from the other side stuttered, yet soon the voicepletely changed, it was Azayn''s voice.


    "Greetings, Third Prince, this is Azayn of the Silver Dew Elves.. I need your help in contacting my younger brother Kayden! This is for Eli''s sake." Azayn straightforwardly requested.


    "Done, but may I know why?" Leon asked cautiously.


    On the side, the Emperor was shocked to hear Azayn''s voice, he looked at Leon as if saying, ''We could ask them for any suggestion to go to Silver Dew!!! Come, they must have any idea!''


    "Well to cut the story short, I have here the document crafted by Eli for a certain medical procedure that could be performed when a problem in delivery is encountered.


    You all know that it is only Kayden who had the ability to understand this info. As to the further details, we can fill you in when Kayden is here."


    Leon didn''t hesitate upon hearing that it was about the preparation for Eli''s delivery.


    In fact, hearing that his dear friend Einz would be involved gave him assurance. "Alright, I''ll contact him right away."


    "L-leon thank you.. I''m sorry you must be busy right now but I had to call.." It was Eli''s voice who replied. It was all natural as they know the elusive attitude of the elves.


    "I''m not that busy.. In fact, I was just stuck thinking about how to help my fathere up with a reason to visit there without rming the nobles¡­" Leon said as he finally relented to the Emperor''s request to bring up the question.


    "Eh¡­ Come up with an official reason? Then why not use the treaty of the Silver Dew Forest? Ahhh.. I spoke hastily.. The chief might get angry for using him¡­"


    Eli replied, yet after realizing that she spoke carelessly she immediately apologized to Leon and Azayn who heard the conversation.


    "No it is a good idea!" Leon replied, as he saw on his pehiperal vision the joyous expression of their father.


    And thus.. the scheming of Eli and Leon started.


    From the reason of going to Silver Dew Forest.


    To the scheme to bring the reports to the assembly and make his brothers quarrel.


    Azayn and Emperor Valentin on the side was shocked to see how the two go well with scheming, they were terrifyingly good!


    Yet they couldn''t help but twitch,


    "We are still here and we can hear you! How could you discuss as if we weren''t here??!"

 Chapter 64 Sudden Visit

    ?During the day of the assembly, happening simultaneously in Eli''s cottage.


    "Sess!"


    Eli excitedly dered as she triumphantly took a medical mask and gloves!


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the first manmade ck hair!"


    She dered as she disyed to the project team and the rest, the first testing of the blended indigo and henna sample hair strands.


    She had been working through the proper proportion in mixing the two nts in order to make her samples dyed ck.


    Everyonemended Eli in amazement.


    From the moment they knew her, she kept on working and studying to make her idease into reality. It was really a joy to see her seed.


    "Great Teacher, this is amazing!!! It''s really so ck!" Meredith eximed as she curiously inspected the hair samples.


    "If I didn''t see you work on this I would have thought that you used magic in transforming different colored hair into ck!" Bramwell also marveled as he observed the samples.


    "Hohoho! Dear Eli, you amazed me again with your ideas! With this, we can already set out to distribute it outside the borders!"


    Grandpa Andi eximed as his eyes shined bright, as if he could already see the profits they would yield.


    "Hehehe, have you seen the study I have given? What do you think of that proposal?" Eli replied with an evil looking smile as she nced at Grandpa Andi.


    "You, Old Andi! How could you teach our young Eli to be as schemeful as you!"


    Grandpa Ben yfullymented as he saw the two almost drooling at the idea of Shinies flowing to their pockets.


    "What can I do? Eli''s n is very brilliant! To think that she would start to do this in the Kingdom of Belizia? It would be so perfect!" Grandpa Andi proudly replied.


    Belizia, a small kingdom in the far east. It doesn''t have any political rtions with the Seirende empire yet they were a kingdom known to have rich heritage of textile and fashion.


    It was like Paris in the modern world.


    Every trend happening in the Belizia Kingdom would definitely be a trend to the neighboring kingdoms, even to Seirende. What''s more, the Belizia Kingdom is the home of the most famous fashion designer in Prasinos, - Madame Kari.


    Introducing ck hair as a trend in this kingdom would be perfect. The Spectre would not even suspect that it was a schemeing from the people of the Seirende Empire.


    Eli''s n was simple.


    She and Grandpa Andi would create a ghost merchant group traveling to Belizia. They will target Madame Kari to partner in starting the trends. But the challenge is to convince the Madame that ck hair is beautiful.


    In order to do this, Grandpa Andi hadmissioned the Forgerworn n artists and designers to create a drawings ording to Eli''s description.


    All to create a fashion book highlighting the ck hair as a style. With this, they hope that it will be up to the taste of Madame Kari and cooperate with them in supplying the blends of henna.


    The second phase will be the distribution of the henna to the fashion houses in the neighboring town, all under the ghost merchant group. Up until it reached beyond Seirende Empire, only then that the merchant group will dissolve and the henna form will be released in the public.


    This will allow the Forgeworn n and the other merchant groups to legitimately engage in the henna business. By that time, the Spectre would have no way to trace back who created the henna blend and will just disperse their search troops for the Seirende Empire to slowly eliminate.


    The group celebrated joyfully until lunch time, then they all proceeded in working with the water pressure and heating system. They were already at the stage of crafting theponents, thus everyone in the house was busy.


    While the project team was working, Eli had no choice but to stay in the lounge area to rest.


    They begged Eli to take a break because everyone could already see that she was already at thete stage of pregnancy.


    They were worried that all the work Eli has been doing would affect hers and Little Han''s health.


    Her break was gently interrupted when Olivier respectfully went inside to report. He had a shocked and awkward face while saying, "Mdy, t-there was a man looking for you outside.."


    "A man? Who might he be?" Eli was surprised, she didn''t know any other man other than the Prince and the bunch that was currently with her.


    "T-this.. I don''t know but he seemed to be strong. He knew you very well and he.. He is half naked!" Olivier shyly eximed.


    "Half naked?! Ahh! I know who that is!! Olivier, no matter what happens, tell everyone to be respectful to the guest! You all must be respectful.. We must avoid trouble!"


    In shock, Eli abruptly stood in panic. She then immediately went out to meet the ''guest''.


    Standing at the gate was a tanned, half naked man with midnight messy hair.


    On his shoulders was a red vented cockatoo with snow white feathers, behind him was a beautiful deer. Hovering around its antlers was a glittering butterfly.


    The half naked man alluringly crossed his arms while aloofly looked at Eli, "I was wondering what took you long enough... I see, the little baby is growing.."


    "Greetings Lord Za---" Eli was about to greet himpletely yet Zale interrupted her.


    "Eherm eherm, Eli you must have forgotten my name after some time, it''s Za.. Zaen, Zaen¡­" Zale replied in rm as he awkwardly looked at the people around Eli.


    Eli got Zale''s message and went with the flow, "Pardon, it seemed like I had really forgotten. Greetings Lord Zaen! I wee you to my humble home."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Uhn, your home is nice, and very lively¡­I am curious to see what''s inside!" Zale awkwardly replied, obviously not used to these kinds of formalities.


    It was his limit as a half naked man, so he immediately hinted to Eli that they go inside for a private talk.


    "Alright, pleasee inside.." Eli replied, she didn''t dare to answer the questioning gazes that Grandpas and the bunch gave her. What''s in front of her now was a guardian!


    Immediately, the two went inside along with the animalpanions of the half naked man. The people outside could only ask Olivier about who the person was.


    "The Lady only said that no matter what happens, we have to respect him." Olivier replied, he was also as baffled as the others.


    Upon reaching the lounge room, Zale immediately snapped and created a barrier in the cottage.


    "Bahh! That was nerve wracking! Why do you have so many people in the house!" Zale said as he acted like he was finally freed from his restraint.


    "Who insisted oning here with a human form?! We repeatedly reminded you to disguise yet you insisted!" A nonchnt voice came from the beautiful deer, glowing with green, he suddenly transformed to Sylvain.


    "Bro! Why would I transform like you guys! What about my awesomeness!" Zale replied, confidently brandishing his tanned and ripped upper body.


    "Then you brought that upon yourself and to your ''awesomeness''!" A stern female voice replied to Zale, it was from the butterfly who transformed as Celeste.


    The red vented cockatoo didn''t say anything but just quietly flew towards Eli''sp, brushing its fluffy head on her hands.


    "Great Guardians, What may be the reason for your visit?" Eli politely asked with curiosity in her eyes.


    "Oh Eli! It''s just a short visit to see how you and the little one had been doing!" Sylvain affectionately said.


    "Seeing you healthy and living well, I am really happy! I was actually worried to see you copsed under the array that contained my blessing!" Celeste said while tapping Eli''s shoulder with concern.


    "Ah, at that time I was really confused. But now, thanks to your answers on my inquiry, I am well and alright!" Eli did not forget to thank the guardians for helping here up with the decision about Leon.


    "It''s alright. Oh, by the way, we came here because Zale had something to give to you! We just tagged along with him!" Celeste replied, it was unusual to see her endorse Zale so proudly.


    "Eherm!" Slightly blushing because he was dignifiedly introduced by Celeste who was usually strict with him, he snapped his fingers and a rainbow crystal shell appeared in his palms.


    "It happened that in the jurisdiction that I was governing, the merpeople, gifted me a mermaid''s cradle. It is used when a female of the merpeople finishes giving birth. The cradle will be the resting ce of their offspring.


    Once their offspring grow, the cradle is crushed to be a material for the mermaids'' jewelry. But this cradle is special! This cradle is from the queen of the mermaids and she very willingly gave it to me!" Zale exined proudly.


    He slowly handed it down to Eli and continued, "The interior of the cradle is warm and rich in protective mana spells . It is very conducive to infant development and protection.. The four of us had adjusted its properties to be usable for humans!"


    "This! This is so precious! How could I take this?" Eli eximed in surprise as she heard of Zale''s exnation.


    "Zeh.. Don''t you worry, the queen was happy to know that I have a godkid! She was so excited when she gave me this thing! So might as well take it!" Zale replied insistently.


    "This.. I thank you.. Thank you so much!" Eli gave a grateful bow to the four of them.


    She happily caressed the rainbow crystal shell. Actually, she really liked the item. If she understood it clearly, the cradle could be something that would help little Han grow more healthier than the other kids.


    "Alright then! We will be on our way! We just quickly dropped by." The four immediately said with happy faces, seeing Eli liked the gift so much.


    "Ahh so soon?" Awoken from her trance, Eli asked the guardians.


    "Fufufu, I know you missed us but we have to really go or else, the Overseer would scold us from cking off~~~" Sylvain yfully replied. The three immediately transformed into their initial disguises.


    "Ah.. I see, if that''s the case, I''ll see you out.." Eli said in an awkward manner.


    She respectfully led them out of the cottage for them to go to their respective domains.


    Just when she was about to cheerfully wave Zale and the rest goodbye, a sound of a falling sword was heard.


    ng!


    It was from Leon who was with another cloaked man. His expression was unsightly, a trace of panic and surprise could be seen in his crystal blue eyes.


    ''I just witnessed Eli see off a half naked man!''


    "W-who might this gentleman be?" He said coldly. His stoic demeanor helped him mask the anxiety he was feeling right now.


    Zale intesely gazed at Leon, inspecting his overall appearance.


    As if he had finished his assessment, with arrogance he replied, "Are you asking who I am?"


    He raised his well built tanned arms and charmingly pointed to himself while saying,


    "I am just none other than Little Han''s future Father!!!" He dered so boldly.


    DUN DUN!!!!


    The Third Prince, Leon felt a strong sense of cmity after hearing the half naked man''s reply.

 Chapter 65 Lets Talk

    ?"F-father??! Eli what''s going on?" Leon''s face became intensely dark and stiff.


    He looked at Eli in disbelief.


    "Leon this.. It''s a misun-" Eli was about to exin when Zale''s egotistical voice interrupted.


    "Who else is as awesome as me to be Little Han''s father? Huh...?" Putting his arms on his waist, he flexed his eight-pack abs for Leon and all the bunch to see.


    By saying "Father", what he meant was as Little Han''s godfather, he, along with the other guardians will be Little Han''s parents in case Eli and Leon wouldn''t be around.


    Sylvain couldn''t take it anymore and dragged Zale from his sash to move out already. He mentallymunicated to Leon, "Common Bro! The Overseer might punish us if we dy any further!"


    "Well, I still have some matters to do! Young Eli take care! I''ll see you and our little baby!" Zale then speedily said goodbye alluringly, after he received Sylvain''s message.


    By using the word "our" he was referring not only to himself but to the rest of the guardians with him in disguise.


    ''Young Eli take care! I''ll see you and OUR little baby!???'' Leon''s mind went nuts.


    To think that Eli had already promised to marry another man, and even acknowledge that man as Little Han''s father?!


    No wonder Eli was so adamant to have clear-cut boundaries with him. It was because she had alreadymitted to another man!


    The grandpas, the bunch, and the cloaked man were all left in awkward silence.


    Especially the three new members of the project team - Meredith, Bramwell, and Zeke. They were not yet aware of Eli''s connection to the Imperial Family.


    At this moment they all felt fear and confusion. But they couldn''t afford to make a tiny noise right now. Because what was in front of them was the Barbaric Blood Prince!


    The Barbaric Blood Prince!


    The Angry Barbaric Blood Prince!!!


    "Sigh¡­ Leon, let''s go inside and I''ll tell you everything." Looking at Leon''s reaction, Eli immediately knew that Leon misunderstood who Zale was.


    She felt at a loss because she was notfortable enough to disclose her connection with the guardians. However, she knew that Leon wouldn''t want to leave without an answer.


    "Yes we need to talk¡­ I really need to hear what this is all about¡­" Leon said in a very low and dangerous tone.


    Yet before he took a step, the grandpas stepped forward and said,


    "Seeing the situation right now, you two must talk in the presence of the elders. To make sure that the two of you are in calm and in good temper." They looked towards Leon in high alert.


    "Grandmasters, I am very calm right now.." Leon said coldly, however an aura of bloodlust was seeping out of his body.


    "Now, now the elders are right, be a good boy and talk inside." The cloaked man patted Leon''s shoulders and urged him to do as the elders wanted.


    "I am very calm!!!" Leon said a bit harshly.


    Everyone stopped and looked at Leon in surprise. Even the cloaked man, it was the first time he saw the cold and deadpan prince throw such tantrums.


    "Hahh... It seems that you need to cool down first, Your Highness.." The cloaked man said, he then turned to Eli and rest to apologetically say,


    "Esteemed Elders, could you wait for a moment outside, we''ll follow once His Highness'' mind is clear already. The youngdy might be strained from staying outside for too long."


    The grandpas nodded then guarded Eli side by side as they went back to the cottage.


    The reputation of the Barbaric Prince didn''te with no basis. They had to make sure that whatever the conversation will be, Eli must not be harmed by the Prince''s reputed temper.


    The rest awkwardly went back to their tasks as they wouldn''t dare to pry on the blood prince''s business. Yet all of them stared at Eli''s receding figure with a worried expressions.


    The cloaked man then dragged Leon to another location and immediately pulled his hood down.


    He was a delicate-looking yet handsome man, his hair was shining copper brown, it was long and straight with charming side bangs. His reddish-brown eyes are captivating yet his entire face speaks of nothing but gentleness and wisdom.


    If the Blood Prince was a beautiful war god, he was a stunning benevolent saint. If Eli was here, she would immediately recognize this man.


    It was none other than Einz, or Kayden by his real name.


    "Now talk, Leon... What made you so irked about the situation?" He asked calmly.


    Leon did not answer, he just clenched his fist tightly.


    Seeing Leon not intending to answer, Kayden helplessly helped his friend get a sense of reality,


    "As far as I know, you just wanted to take her in to ensure her safety. As for another man in her life, you arepletely out of bounds."


    Leon still did not answer, but he hung his head low.


    "You are only her friend. Whoever she was seeing, it was out of your concern. Whoever she met on the way you have no right to say anything against it. It''s because you have just recently entered her life."


    By this time Kayden saw his dear friend flinch without saying a word. He let out a heavy sigh and chose topletely wake up his friend.


    "I hate to break it to you Leon, you are really just a friend right now."


    "That, that is why I am angry¡­." Leon finally uttered something, he was clearly agitated as he barely squeezed out the words as if he was holding himself back from crying.


    "Hoho... It''s been a while since Ist saw you in this state, almost on the verge of crying!" Kayden couldn''t help but crack a joke in the midst of the serious conversation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, deep inside he was happy to see that this big boy blood prince was still the little sensitive kid he knew back then.


    "Then what makes you angry about that? Last time I checked, we both saw Elise as a kid." He raised his brows in suspicion. "Do not tell me you have romantic affections towards her?"


    "Romantic affections? I don''t know¡­" Leon said with conflicted feelings.


    "I just know it made my heart tight and painful when I saw her smiling so familiarly towards the half naked man¡­"


    "I thought we were alright... Wefortably talked with each other¡­ But I never thought that she could smile like that.."


    "Hey Leon... I think you are jealous!" Kayden replied with obvious amusement.


    "But when have you started to look at her like that?! Heavens! Back then you only looked at her as a responsibility, even in the midst ofmitting yourself to her in marriage. We both clearly knew that your intentions do not fall into that realm¡­" Kayden''s eyes squinted with interest.


    "I don''t know when it started¡­


    Maybe when I saw her nonchntly buying everything from the poor sellers in the flea market...


    Or maybe when she disyed such maturity in handling the ridicule from a random woman.


    Maybe when I saw her ying the violin so beautifully¡­


    Or maybe when she let me touch Little Han in her womb that night?


    Maybe during the moments, I see her eyes shined with intelligence and wisdom as she articted her opinion...


    Or maybe the moment she said that in order for me to love, I must love myself first.."


    Leon said with a defeated look, it was only now that he realized how different he looked at ''Eli'' back at Riverfort than the ''Eli'' now in Silvertown.


    Kayden was taken aback, for two reasons. The first one was because he was actually caught off-guard to see his dear friend notice a woman to such a level of detail.


    The next one was about how different Leon was describing Elise to him, the one who practically raised her like his own little sister for four years. ''ying violin? Articte speaking?''


    However, now is not the time to pry on those matters. At this moment, he had to calm his dear friend down, so that they could face Elise safely and hear her exnations.


    He again let out a heavy sigh and told Leon,


    "Well, I am not the one who would dictate what you feel. Think about it for a long time, what''s important right now is to ensure that you are calmed down."


    "To be honest, I would very much like to hit your head! You could have scared Elise to a prematurebor earlier! If you are not a royal I would really have hit you until your face is a pig head!" He harshly rebuked Leon.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry.." Realizing the implications of his tantrums a while ago, Leon apologized in shame.


    "Do not say sorry to me, say sorry to Eli and your future child, you almost scared the baby out!"


    Leon hung his head low guiltily.


    "Now, you better work your way out to gain Elise''s good impression again!" Kayden demanded.


    --


    Inside the cottage, Grandpa Andi immediately led Eli back into the living room to rest, while Grandpa Ben poured a ss of water to the shocked Eli.


    "Thank you grandpas¡­" Eli thanked the two for their concern.


    "Youngss, you must be shocked, how are you feeling?" The two asked worriedly, their aged eyes looked dewy, as if they were about to cry.


    "Do not worry grandpas. In fact, I had already expected it. Well, I am just at a loss on how to exin everything." Eli replied with furrowed brows.


    Exining who Zale was would entail giving details about her descent in Prasinos.


    What''s more, she managed to identify the cloaked man behind Leon.


    That gentle assuring voice. That same warm voice who gave Elise such warmth and the first taste of family love¡­ It only belonged to Einz, now Kayden.


    She was sure that Kayden would be suspicious of how she conducted herself right now. What''s more, her idea of the cesarean section.


    She resigned to her fate. ''Might as well tell them. I n to tell everything to Little Han anyways.''


    Taking a deep breath, she cast a nce towards the two grandpas and requested,


    "Grandpas, for our conversationter... I need to be under the same array you did back then in Argentum."


    The grandpas were taken aback.


    Seeing the surprise from the grandpas Eli continued to exin, "What I will say will exin a lot of things. Things that I n to keep until I die."


    "No need to bother the Grand Masters, I will do it.."


    A familiar voice came from the door, it was Leon with a guilt ridden face.


    Beside him was Kayden.


    Everyone fell into awkward silence.

 Chapter 66 No Wonder!

    ?Without waiting for their reply, Leon had already uttered a series of incantations andyers of magic circles appeared in the palm of his hands.


    Theyers of magic circles were shining in golden light. It floated beneath Eli''s position and expanded to cover the whole living room.


    "Everyone on this array will take an oath of secrecy and oath not to hurt Eli, under the watch of the Guardian of Sky." Leon nkly dered.


    "I solemnlymit." Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben and Kayden responded without hesitation.


    "I also solemnlymit." Leon uttered.


    As soon as the oath was finished the array was fortified. Everyone then settled down and waited for Eli to speak.


    But Leon beat Eli to speaking first, with a meek voice far contrasting the dangerous and harsh tone he had used earlier, he apologetically said,


    "Eli, Esteemed Grandmasters, for my behaviour earlier¡­ I deeply apologize." He gave a humble bow.


    No one said anything, no one consoled him. Leon didn''t take offense and just meekly let his head bow in shame.


    "I have no excuses. I hope you look past my mistake and wait for me to redeem myself." After this, Leon proceeded to look towards Eli.


    His expression was pleading and asking at the same time, what really happened back then.


    Eli kept silent for a long time.


    Even though she had already decided to tell everything, she was still battling between uncertainty. Would it really help her to reveal these things out in the open?


    However, everyone was waiting. Waiting for her to talk. She trusted these people, she must demonstrate the level of trust she had with them.


    Organizing her thoughts, she took a deep breath and exined everything.


    "What you will hear from this point onwards, as I said earlier, I n to keep it all a secret until I die. The only one whom I had considered telling all these, was my Little Han.." She said in a serious manner.


    Seeing the sharpness in her eyes and the seriousness of her tone, everyone couldn''t help but gulp and brace themselves for whatever bomb she was about to release.


    Clenching her fist in nervousness, Eli continued,


    "To cut the story short. On Elise''s fifth month of pregnancy, in the entrance of the Mystic Woods, she met her demise under the hands of a vicious tracking night."


    !!!


    Everyone was left in shock and disbelief. Except for Kayden, who seemed to be showing more of an expression of devastation and sorrow rather than surprise.


    "Young Eli, what would this mean? You are clearly alive¡­ How¡­" Grandpa Andi was the first one to react and inquire.


    Shaking her head gently, Eli replied,


    "The original owner of this body was already in the heavenly realm. I, the one who was living on her behalf, came from another world, where science and technology is advanced and magic is nonexistent."


    "This.. this can''t be¡­" Grandpa Ben uttered in bewilderment. If not for thepelling truth from Eli''s ideas he would have used Eli of being insane right now.


    Eli looked at the expression of everyone. Grandpas'' expressions were within her expectation, even Leon too. But she was intrigued by Kayden''s reaction.


    Kayden''s eyes wore an expression of sadness. But to Eli''s impression, Kayden seemed to know what''s alreadying and what he wanted to hear from her was more of a confirmation rather than exnation.


    "Elise and I, both died on our own worlds almost at the same time. At the heavenly realm, she refused to enter paradise because she knew that Little Han''s soul would stay here in Prasinos to wander aimlessly and transform into a wraith.


    She pleaded to get back in this world. However, her soul would bepletely destroyed. Because the weapon that injured her was able to damage her soul so badly." Eli recounted everything slowly and with caution.


    "With no other choice, she pleaded that I descend in Prasinos and continue her life to give birth to Little Han. Her only wish was for Little Han to live, even if it means that her child would never get to address her as mommy."


    At this point Eli couldn''t help but cry. She still was affected by the extent of Elise''s love for Little Han, no one in the world could contend with her love for her child.


    "Young Eli.. All these are so hard to believe.. It''s not that we don''t believe you, but switching souls was unheard off!" Grandpa Benmented still in a trance.


    Eli sighed in resignation, she would also react like this if she belonged to the other side of the conversation, "It is what is.. I swear that these are all the truth."


    "As for the group you saw earlier, there were the ones who healed and kept Elise''s body safe up until I descended. They were also the ones who also helped me settle down here. In my gratitude, Imitted that they will all be Little Han''s godparents.


    As to who they are.. I will keep my mouth shut and let them decide whether they want to reveal their real identities or not.." After this Eli let everyone digest all that she had said.


    She told everything that she deemed necessary, and left out what isn''t. She let her listeners decide on what to do with the information she just revealed.


    Surprisingly, Kayden who was fairly a new member to the group was the most epting of them all.


    With his reddish brown eyes, he woefully looked at Eli and asked, "Did she¡­ ended up being happy up there?"


    "She did." Eli replied without hesitation. "With me granting the deepest desire of her heart she peacefully remained in the heavenly realm to have her soul healed before entering paradise."


    "Good.. good.." Kayden''s reddish eyes finally shed tears.


    ''In this world, who would grieve for her but me.


    Who wouldment for her passing?


    It would only be me, her older brother.''


    "Ahhh¡­" Kayden''s grief stricken face also made Eli cry.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His whole body was shaking in sorrow, his hand deeply clenched his chest as if he wanted to w his heart out to relieve himself from the pain it was giving.


    Eli couldn''t help but stand up and kneel at Kayden''s side, tears also flowing so freely in her face. As if Elise was channeling her emotions from her soul, through her body.


    "Sir Kayden, Big Brother Doctor Einz¡­ I have all the memories Elise had with you¡­" She said in a consoling tone, cupping Kayden''s shaking hands, as if to share the grief he was feeling.


    "As an outsider who witnessed everything.. I can attest. That the moments Elise shared with you were the happiest she had been in her twenty four years of living." Eli said with deep sincerity.


    "Aaaaaaahhh!" As if a lock in his heart was forcefully pried open, Kayden let out a heartbreaking howl in grief.


    ''My precious little sister is gone. She''s gone. She''s gone. I couldn''t even protect her just once!''


    The gentle looking, legendary doctor''s cry filled the whole room. Everyone felt emotional. They also couldn''t help but share the grief he was feeling.


    Everyone just sat silent. Eli just held Kayden''s hand, letting him vent out his devastation. She just held it steadfastly.


    Leon was also grieving. In the end, he couldn''t protect Elisepletely. She still ended up dying without him even knowing.


    More guilt and me came to his heart. What could he do? He didn''t know what exactly he had to regret. All of his actions, should he start to regret it one by one? What should he do?


    In the midst of the conflicting emotions and mourning, a white light came from Eli''s heart and formed in the shape of Wisey.


    "Halt you all grieving men in this room!!!"


    Wisey said with an ethereal voice. She sounded so dignified and heavenly.


    "The matter of Elise''s passing was not a matter to be med on you,


    But to the evil that resides in this world.


    Grieve, let your heart grieve!


    Yet the Great One here says,


    The me isn''t for you to take!"


    As soon as Wisey finished, she vanished in the air.


    While Wisey was announcing this, Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, Kayden and Leon prostrated themselves in shock.


    "Heavens! It''s an oracle!" The elders eximed in shock. It''s a miracle that these too elderlies were still not copsing with so many shocks and emotions.


    For a voice that was too holy to suddenly bypass the array under the jurisdiction of the Guardian of Skies, it could onlye in the heavenly realm.


    Only Eli had no idea what happened. But thanks to this, the mood in the room was changed. Kayden and Leon''s emotions were calmed.


    As soon as everyone settled down, Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben then asked Eli''s original identity before epting the task of fulfilling Elise''s wish.


    Eli then told them who she was, about her mum, about her dreams, about her struggles and about her death. All of it, Eli freely shared so as to give these people an answer as to how she thinks and conducts herself in the future.


    As they were now the people she deemed as close and important to her, she wanted them topletely understand her. The Grandpas, and even Kayden, who had a renewed mission in mind, attentively listened to her story as Elise Mangit.


    Leon just sat in silence.


    The answers he had from the moment she found Eli in the za wereing clear to him all at once. While he was in a trance, his heart had alreadyid down all the realizations he had with intense rity in his mind.


    No wonder, her sudden maturity was almost irreconcble.


    No wonder, her knowledge was unexinable and almost didn''t make any sense considering the known information in Prasinos.


    No wonder, she could y the violin like she had been doing it ever since childhood.


    No wonder¡­


    No wonder, he had started to look at her as a woman rather than an innocentdy needing protection and guidance.


    No wonder, he started to long for her presence and monopolize her attention.


    No wonder, that fried chicken and that coffee was the most delicious thing he had all his life.


    No wonder, he was feeling this way.


    No wonder.. No wonder!!!


    A sudden realization had struck his heart. The loud sound of his beating heart rang into his consciousness. He didn''t know how to deal with this truth.


    Would he suppress it?


    Would he let it all out?


    What will he do with the fact that...


    He had finally found himself inlove!

 Chapter 67 Questions And Its Answers

    ?Leon clenched his heart with a messy mind.


    His mourning for Elise and the realization of his feelings towards Eli made him unsure what step to make.


    He stared at his grieving friend and Eli. He didn''t know what to do. He just stared at them for a long time.


    And for a long time he was in a trance...


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when Leon and Kayden reached Silver Dew. They rushed right after the national assembly to ensure that Kayden had enough time to study Eli''s caesarean section research.


    By the time the group had settled down their emotions, it was already night time.


    Seeing that Kayden and the rest had calmed down. Eli excused herself to prepare for dinner.


    Leon, who was still in trance, mechanically nodded and let Eli out of the array.


    When Eli came out of the living room, she stumbled upon the bunch who bore a worried and gloomy expression.


    The moment they saw Eli, their faces brightened up and they all showed their concern about her.


    "Great teacher! How are you feeling, are you alright?" Meredith hugged Eli''s thighs with her tiny body and asked with teary eyes.


    Eli smiled, patted her head and assured everyone, "I''m fine. Thank you for your concern."


    Only then did everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    "But the atmosphere here is kind of gloomy, so I''m nning to cheer everyone up with a nice dinner!"


    "I''ll help master!" Baobao cheerfully said as he lifted his fluffy paw while he bit on a carrot with his other paw.


    "We''ll help too!" The rest of the team also cheerfully volunteered.


    Soon the whole cottage was filled with the fragrant smell of dinner. Another sumptuous line up of healthy and meaty food was prepared on the long table. She immediately called the rest for dinner.


    Everyone came and sat orderly, looking at Eli to lead the rest in saying their graces.


    Eli looked happily towards them and sincerely said the graces.


    On the day she dined here, at first, it was only her. Soon, Wisey and Baobao came, at some days Azayn would join, then Leon and Olivier.


    In the past weeks she had the grandpas and the project team, now even Kayden. She never expected that she''d have her cottage full of wonderful people.


    Contrasting her initial reaction the moment she first saw this house, she felt that it was too big for her. But now¡­ who would have known?


    Looking at the long table, Eli could feel her heart warm and full.


    Everyone enjoyed the dinner. Even Kayden and Leon who have been grieving had their spirits uplifted. After dinner, the rest spent time outside to unwind from a long day of working.


    While Leon, Eli and Kayden were in the living room discussing the paper detailing the caesarean section under the array.


    Settling down once again, it was Eli''s time to ask Kayden of a question she wanted to say,


    "Sir Kayden, I observed that you were the most epting one in this group about the truths that happened to me earlier.." She asked cautiously, yet her curiosity was so strong, that even in this kind of mood, she didn''t hesitate to ask.


    "You can call me Older Brother Kayden. Please grant me the peace of mind and continue to take care of you as you are. This is also to fulfill Elise''s deepest wish." Kayden replied.


    Only after he saw that Eli understood his intention that he finally let out a thoughtful smile and proceeded to answer Eli''s question.


    "In fact, I was already in shock the moment Leon called me to go here and look into the caesarean section you proposed." Kayden knowingly looked towards Eli and continued,


    "Because I am already familiar with this method, and I know that it doesn''t exist yet in this world."


    Eli and Leon were left in shock.


    Leon casted an inquiring look, while Eli just stared at Kayden, waiting for his exnation.


    Kayden gave a nostalgic smile and exined further, "You must already know that I am a half elf. My mother and the Chief of Silver Dew were siblings, and my father was a doctor."


    "I lost my parents just before the age of seven when they went missing after a medical expedition. But before my father left, he gave me a ring, he said that I will know its powers when the timees."


    Kayden then showed the ring he had been wearing since he became an adult.


    Leon remembered back then, he and Kayden were seven-year olds lined up for the magical aptitude assessment. Kayden had this ring stringed on his neck, sping it as if it was a talisman.


    Kayden then focused on the ring, immediately the ring glowed and a book appeared.


    Eli was shocked!


    The book wasn''t an ancient book she was used to seeing here in Prasinos. It was a book printed through the technology of the modern world!


    "Big brother Kayden! This¡­ does this mean your father?" Eli inquired with a trembling voice.


    But Kayden shook his head and said, "No, the time I was able to use this ring, the first thing I received was my father''s handwritten letter since I was born.


    Through his letter, I learned that his ring is actually a library containing books that aren''t from this world.


    He theorized that this ring was proof that there are other worlds that exist and their knowledge was vast and more advanced than ours." Kayden seriously exined.


    "Based on his words he was not from another world¡­" Leon analyzed the meaning of Kayden''s exnation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes. However, he only mentioned in the letter that he was able to gain this ring due to a fortuitous encounter. During that time, I brushed off this information and just kept everything to myself, while using the books to develop my medical skills, whom I have known to this day."


    With my identity as human Kayden the doctor, the Spectre started to target me. Leon and my Uncle knew that it was because of the fact that I can perform surgeries.


    In Prasinos, medical doctors only handle simple diagnosis and the main treatment involves healing magic, potions and prescriptions. Surgeries are unheard of, yet I was the first one who performed it and shocked the medical world.


    I thought that I was the first one who did it until you were rescued by Leon.


    Before the records were surrendered in the Empire, I browsed through it with Leon''s permission and knew that surgeries aren''t an exclusive knowledge I possess, but your captor had already known this for so long.


    Coupled with Leon''s recent investigation, I finally concluded why I was hunted. It was because this exclusive knowledge from Spectre was leaked. Fortunately I have long decided to change my identity to Einz and stop performing major surgeries.


    The medical world today had just started to explore the world of surgical practice from my papers as Doctor Kayden. This made me, as Einz, less suspicious as long as I only do simple stitches."


    "Then the ring¡­" Eli nervously inquired yet she already knew the answer in her heart.


    "It was most probably from Spectre, my father was just lucky to obtain them." Kayden replied with a cold low voice.


    "This¡­" Eli was shocked and started to think deeply. As of this moment, she had already known of two mysterious artifacts.


    First one was the sword that killed Elise, powerful enough to injure her soul. Second one was the ring.


    Without hesitating, she summoned Wisey. For the second time, Wisey materialized in her book spirit form rather than her usual contracted beast form.


    "Eli chan, do you need me for something?"


    "Wisey, are you able to identify the origin of this artifact?" Eli pointed to Kayden''s ring.


    Understanding Eli''s intention, Kayden took the ring out and handed it near Wisey to examine.


    They had witnessed Wisey deliver the Creator''s message. They knew that Wisey wasn''t just a contracted beast almost uselessly tagging along with Baobao, but a far more mysterious being than Baobao.


    Wisey closely observed, her dark round eyes glowed in heavenly gold.


    "Eli chan, the information about this ring was nk, but the only thing I assure you is that this ring was not a heavenly artifact." Wisey replied straightforwardly.


    "Then could this ring really be originally from a member of Spectre?" Eli said with uncertainty.


    "Most probably¡­" Wisey, Leon and Kayden agreed with Eli''s conjecture.


    "Then we can now deduce that the Spectre is not only just an organization who wanted to perform crazy experiments. Their goals run deeper than that." Eli said with fear creeping in her heart.


    As the night was already getting deep, their conversation came to a halt when Kayden advised Eli to retire early for the night.


    Eli obediently heeded to Kayden''s advice and prepared to go to bed.


    The two men went out in Eli''s garden to digest everything that happened.


    However, they weren''t likedies who would be vocal in talking their heart out.


    They just stood, watching the glowing fireflies in Eli''s garden while the moon shone so brightly, forming the silver dews on the moist trees and shrubs.


    "So what''s your n now?" Kayden finally let out a word.


    "I''ll be leaving after tomorrow to settle things in the Capital." Leon said reluctantly.


    "I wasn''t talking about that," Kayden replied, shooting Leon a knowing and teasing look.


    "What are you talking about.." Leon averted his gaze from his dear friend, afraid that he could see through his emotions. But he failed to hide his ears that was as red as tomatoes.


    "You are so obvious, you do not need to hide." Kayden let out a light chuckle. He patted Leon''s shoulder and said,


    "It''s better to start letting her know now, rather thanter.. You know how brilliant she is. For sure, many people around would volunteer to be her husband."


    Kayden advised while looking towards the direction of the temporary quarters, where the project team and Olivier were spending the night away.


    He could feel Leon''s body jolt in realization.


    Leon then stiffly said, "But I think, the timing isn''t appropriate. We were just mourning about Elise''s passing, yet I would be too hasty to pursue my desires.."


    "Elise is Elise, Eli is Eli. Even I, who was deeply devastated about Elise''s passing, had to ept that fact." Kayden replied in a mncholic yet serious manner.


    He looked at the cottage where Eli was sleeping and continued,


    "Moreover, now that we know the truth. Just imagine how Eli struggled when you first proposed marriage to her, who was actually an outsider. Among the three of us, she was the one who struggled the most, internally."


    "That was most probably the reason why she was firm to reject you at first. It was herst respect for Elise." Kayden said with sympathy.


    Ff he was put in that situation, he would even go crazy with all Eli had to face. Alone in a world whom she knew nothing of, an identity whom she had to live by, and a baby whom she had to raise.


    Kayden couldn''t help but praise Eli with her guts to face all of these.


    Hearing Kayden''s advice, Leon was also enlightened. Truthfully, he had forgotten to consider who Eli is right now.


    Seeing that his dear friend was finally getting it, he smiled and thoughtfully said,


    "You should be the one to let Eli realize who she was. Free her from unnecessaryplications. I know you can do it."

 Chapter 68 Leon, The Barbaric Lovesick Prince

    ?That night Leon forced himself to sleep.


    Waking up early in the morning, Leon immediately prepared for the morning and went down to the kitchen.


    A sweet and expectant smile bloomed from his cold handsome face as he smelled the familiar aroma of coffee and pancakes.


    Opening the door, his eyes didn''t wander around and only stared on the back of a pregnantdy who was focused on preparing breakfast.


    She gained a little bit of weight, yet to Leon''s eyes, she was still so skinny.


    The way she was moving was quite vigorous even though she asionally rubbed her back due to the weight of herrge baby bump.


    Her ck silky hair was braided so neatly. The bangs around her face made her so alluring and enticing, especially when her dark midnight eyes would look straight into you.


    Her serious face exudes maturity and genuineness, independence and hardwork.


    ''This is the woman who I am in love with¡­''


    Leon thought in his heart with a warm yet nervous expression.


    Eli noticed his presence soon enough, she smiled with her usual business smile and served him coffee, just like how she did the first time Leon spent the night in the cottage.


    "Breakfast will be ready soon! Just warm up first with this." She added.


    Leon touched the cup, it wasn''t so hot, it wasn''t luke warm. It was just right. Yet how much his heart was rejoicing, feeling that this cup was so special.


    Taking a sip, he couldn''t help but smile as he savored the nutty roasted vor of the ck coffee.


    ''How was it that the coffee tasted so sweet and nice when it was just a in cup of coffee?''


    A tingling sensation welled in his heart as the sip of freshly brewed coffee ran down his throat. Unconsciously, he gave a slight smile while obsessively looking at the cup with dness.


    "It seems that you''ve had a good dream." Eli said in a teasing tone while she rested her chin on her arm at the long table.


    At first, Leon panicked because of how sudden Eli caught his attention. But he then quickly recovered hisposure. With his signature deadpan face, he said straightforwardly,


    "Indeed, I''ve had a nice dream. I want it toe true as soon as possible."


    Eli looked at Leon with interest. For a cold and expressionless prince like him, he had things he desired to get so hastily?


    "Curious?" Leon asked as he met Eli''s inquiring gaze.


    An ignorant and curious glow appeared on Eli''s face, she nodded energetically with interest.


    "It''s just a simple dream¡­ You, Me and Little Han, happily living in this cottage of ours." Leon said, hiding his nervousness.


    He closed his eyes as he tried his best to nonchntly sip his cup of coffee.


    "Oh.. Well it''s quite an idealistic dream." Elimented, nodding her head with her business woman expression.


    Leon froze, a tinge of disappointment appeared in his crystal blue eyes. However, he tried to retaliate and replied,


    "Well it would be really nice. Little Han would grow up with both of his parents around."


    "I agree to some extent." Eli acknowledged Leon''s point yet she continued with a serious expression,


    "But of course, it would only work that way if we are husband and wife. For now we are just co-parents."


    "When will that happen?" Leon asked calmly.


    Eli replied with an unperturbed manner while she was busy arranging the cutlery on the long table,


    "The matters of marriage areplicated."


    "Then let''s simplify..."


    Leon, who was warmly helping her arrange the table stared at Eli with his piercing blue eyes,


    "I pursue your heart. The moment I catch it, give me your hand in marriage."


    Eli froze. She looked at Leon with a shocked expression.


    However, Leon just concentrated doing his part on finishing the arrangement of the long table.


    Eli tried to digest what Leon had just said. From her ears, it doesn''t sound like a confession. So she brushed it off as Leon''s attempt to straighten things out for Little Han.


    "You can''t just pursue me with that intention." She finally replied.


    "Give me a chance. I''ll show you what my intention truly is." He looked at her with a determined and sincere expression.


    Leon did not exin any further. He knew what''s on Eli''s mind. From the moment he knew her, he had quite understood how she thinks.


    She was a realistic person, the only thing that could convince her were results.


    Eli, seeing the look of determination in Leon''s eyes felt helpless. Too much rejection would lead to a moreplicated rtionship, especially during the time they raise Little Han, she thought.


    ''Might as well give him a chance. Of course, it''s not as if I am that easy to pursue.''


    A woman who lived two lifetimes, saw the ugly side of marriage and grew up in a society where love is rare and marriage is vulnerable, wouldn''t find it easy to enter into such a rtionship.


    "Then, do your best." She replied, nonchntly.


    Hearing her reply, Leon smiled with satisfaction.


    Soon, the rest entered for breakfast and proceeded to go on with their assigned tasks.


    After a while, Azayn visited the cottage, catched up with Kayden tearfully, and proceeded to discuss the matters of pregnancy with Eli.


    Leon on the other hand, went to Olivier''s side and helped him, Baobao and Wisey train their strength.


    The trio felt happy and honored as Leon volunteered to help them. Leon mentioned that he only has today and tomorrow morning to help. He challenged them to learn his tips rapidly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    True enough, Olivier, Baobao and Wisey were spent with the rigorous training they had with Leon.


    The training was simple, he just let himself open and the three should attack him until one of themnds a clean hit. He faced the trio using only his physical strength.


    While they were having a break, they noticed that Leon had been absent minded.


    At one moment his eyes would twinkle in delight, then he would rub his hair in distress on another. He would wear his cold expressionless face while thinking deeply, then heave a helpless sighter on.


    Curious about what''s troubling his master, Olivier sat up and cautiously asked Leon with a concerned expression,


    "Your Highness, is something troubling you?"


    Leon looked at Olivier''s worried face. He suddenly remembered that Olivier was also a well sought after bachelor in the capital.


    "Olivier." He called out with a deep serious voice.


    "Yes! Your Highness!" Olivier replied in full attention.


    Leon looked at Olivier with sharp squinted eyes which made the other shudder in nervousness while saying, "How do you manage to catch ady''s affection?"


    "Ehh?" Olivier was too bbergasted to reply.


    Baobao stared at the two cluelessly.


    Wisey gawked inughter.


    Leon heard Wiseyugh and stared at her nkly. As if he had thought of a good idea, the way he looked at Wisey changed, as he asked politely,


    "Wisey, do you know what Eli likes?"


    Wisey then looked at Leon with a knowing look and replied, "You want to pursue Eli?"


    "Uhn," Leon replied without hesitation, still looking at Wisey with an expectant look.


    "Ohohoho.. With Eli''s culture, you will have such a hard time." Wisey said in a challenging tone.


    "I''ll do my best!" Leon said with determination.


    Baobao and Olivier just watched the two with a stumped expression.


    Ignoring the two, Wisey puffed her chest up and said in a dignified manner,


    "In Eli''s previous world, before a couple decide to be lovers, there was a period of courting. Your Highness Prince, in this period you must put your best foot forward!"


    Leon perked his ears up, got a paper and pen from his space pouch, and diligently took notes.


    "When I say best foot forward, it means that you use your strengths and outstanding qualities to be of help to the girl you pursue!"


    "Strengths and Outstanding Qualities.." Leon fanatically jotted down notes.


    Olivier''s mind was in chaos as he saw the dignified blood prince obediently listening to a barn owl about the ways to get ady''s affection!


    Should the other members of the Crimson de see this, they would go crazy as well!


    Wisey continued, "Respect is good when you address Eli, but sometimes you have to be straight forward! Women do not like ying mind games when ites to love!"


    "Straightforward!" Leon obediently echoed.


    "Women like men who take the initiative! So even if they do not say what they needed, you should know it already."


    "In Eli''s culture, men should be as proactive as a mind reader!" Wisey continued her lecture.


    "Mind reader!" Leon just took in whatever Wisey said without hesitation.


    On a peaceful spring day, in a particr cottage located at the boundaries of the Silver Dew Forest, lies a barn owl and a lovesick prince, passionately discussing how to woo ady.


    Throughout the rest of the day, Eli felt so stressed about Leon''s drastic change.


    Ever since their conversation in the morning, Leon had started to address her as ''wife'' rather than Eli, much to her shock.


    When she asked why, Leon replied with great conviction.


    "Women like straightforward guys!"


    While she was about to take an afternoon break in the lounge, Leon frantically filled her cushioned chair with fluffy pillows, so much that Eli felt they should throw the cushioned chair instead.


    He also stayed at Eli''s side, watching her like a guardian knight. Whenever she sighed or stretched, Leon would nervously call out,


    "Wife! Is there something wrong?!"


    The worst happened the next morning, when Eli who was about to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she heard a thumping sound outside.


    Usually at this time, the bunch had yet to wake up so she wondered who woke up so early.


    Walking out of the cottage, her eyes were left widened on what she saw,


    "W-what are you doing?"Eli asked with shock as he saw Leon''s handsome face.


    His upper body glistened in the morning light, as he firmly held a massive axe. He was drenched in sweat which alluringly rolled in his six pack abs and dripped into his blood red hair.


    "Wife! Good morning!" Leon replied brightly with his crystal blue eyes.


    "The wood is ready to keep you warm for the winter ahead!" He proudly pointed towards the massive mountain of firewood he just finished chopping.


    "Heavens! Did you chop every tree in the whole forest?!" Eli felt her head ache.


    Rubbing her temples, she couldn''t help but exim, "We are still in the middle of spring!"

 Chapter 69 Preparation

    ?Eli let out a heavy sigh, looking at Leon whose eyes were expectantly waiting for her praise.


    "Come inside and freshen up.." Eli helplessly said.


    Leon, hearing Eli''s gentle voice obediently put the axe down on a safe ce and went inside to freshen up.


    After a while, Leon came back to the kitchen, seeing the usual busybody Eli preparing breakfast.


    Upon realizing that Leon was already there, Eli ced down a cup of coffee for him and warm milk for herself.


    She looked at Leon silently, her intentions couldn''t be deciphered.


    She just closely looked at Leon intensely for a long time, watching his every move.


    Leon on the other hand, became conscious and nervous of Eli''s sudden attention.


    He started to feel weird and out of sorts when she just stared at him for a good few minutes without saying a word.


    He thought that Eli would just stare for a few seconds, but what is this?


    He was already feeling bad and nervous after being subjected to Eli''s piercing stare.


    "You''re weirded out right?" Eli finally said something, still looking at Leon with seriousness.


    "Y-yes." Leon answered with honesty. He had long felt that he couldn''t lie to Eli''s dark midnight eyes.


    "You don''t like it? Being stared like that for nothing?" Eli asked yet again.


    "I don''t feelfortable¡­" Leon replied meekly. It''s too ironic to see the cold blooded prince act like a reprimanded child in front of Eli.


    "That''s what I felt with your advances since yesterday." Eli calmly dered.


    Upon realizing Eli''s message, Leon hung his head low in disappointment and embarrassment. Too speechless to reply, he just pitifully held the cup of coffee.


    "It''s not that I am pushing you back, I do appreciate your efforts." Eli gently confronted Leon, her voice tinged with concern and honesty.


    "I just felt that you are presenting yourself to me in the most unnatural way." She looked at Leon sincerely.


    In truth, Eli was trying her best not to hurt Leon''s feelings while saying her concerns, she was actually nervous if her approach would step on Leon''s pride.


    But she needed to say it.


    "Leon, you are you. You do not need to do frivolous things to make me happy, especially if it causes you to go against who you really are." Eli said straightforwardly.


    "I am a simple minded person. I am not that hard to please. I do not need some frivolous favorsing my way in order for me to feel at ease."


    "I''m fine with seeing you as you are, just like before. Helping me when it mattered, being with me when I neededpany. That''s all I need from you." Eli continued to pour her heart out.


    "I would love not because I needed flowers, gifts, ttery or favor¡­


    I would love, because I cherish the person so much that I wanted to be by his side as much as possible. Loving all of him, including his ws and weaknesses."


    Leon looked at Eli and saw her sincere bright smile as she stared past the window.


    Her face was gently kissed by the morning light, exuding a beauty that is full of wisdom and sincerity.


    "Leon, that''s the kind of rtionship I wanted to have with someone. How about you?" Her bright face gracefully turned towards Leon, making his heart skip a beat.


    "I like that too¡­" Leon replied as he stared straight to Eli''s face.


    This woman had only shown shock and bashfulness in his presence during that time in the flea market. Now, she seemed to be so immune with his presence that he was really having a hard time thinking of how to get her affection.


    "I''m sorry if I made you feel ufortable¡­" Leon followed with an apology.


    "It''s fine. It''s obvious that you listened to the wrong person, that''s why you acted like that." After Eli voiced out her concern, she brushed off the issue fully, hearing Leon''s apology.


    Eli was alreadyfortable with Leon as to how she would interact with a colleague. But she was really in panic when he suddenly decided to pursue her romantically.


    It made Eli see things in another perspective. Yet she finds it right to voice out her feelings to the person who wanted to be her lifetimepanion.


    Just as Leon learns how to woo her, she also has to learn how to appreciate his advances and discern through his feelings.


    Because as of now, she was really sure that Leon does not look at her romantically, but more of a moral responsibility.


    Now, Leon understood that he had to work his way to break Eli''s mindset and let her ept what his heart truly felt.


    "Thank you for being honest with me." He said with a smile.


    "Thank you for listening to my concerns." She also replied with a smile.


    These two people didn''t know, that the way they look in other people''s eyes was like husband and wife making up after a huge quarrel.


    However, it will take time for them to realize that¡­


    After their serious conversation, Leon helped Eli prepare breakfast. Initially, Eli was surprised that he as a prince would know how to do these things.


    But Leon very naturally exined that these were just one of the things he had to do, living in the battlefield. While they were busy preparing, Eli had the chance to get to know Leon more especially during his life in the warzone.


    They were not able to see that everyone had already woken up and were dumbfoundedly staring at them.


    Their faces say ''something''s fishy about these two..''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After everyone had breakfast, Olivier, Kayden and the Granpas see Leon off.


    He had to go back to prepare for the Emperor and Second Queen''s visit next month.


    By the time of their arrival Eli would be on her eight month of pregnancy. Knowing this Eli, became nervous.


    However Leon just gently patted her head and looked at her with a smile saying, "Everything will be fine."


    Eli returned Leon''s words with a trusting smile.


    Saying his goodbyes and reminders, Leon smoothly went back to the capital.


    --


    Leon immediately went back to the familiar bedroom.


    Realizing that he still had enough time to visit the Crimson de barracks he immediately set off.


    Arriving at the Crimson de''s training ground he found that several of them had already returned.


    "Greetings! Wielder of the de! His Highness, Third Prince!" The des saluted solemnly.


    "At ease, any results from the investigation?" He replied.


    ze stepped out and diligently reported what they had found in the investigation of the south territory.


    "It is as you have expected, Your highness¡­ There were high rates of activity in the southern territory."


    "Since this territory were both located in the far end, where the forces seldom reach, there has been more urences of abduction even if they were under the jurisdiction of the duchy and march factions."


    ze summarized the findings of the group and handed the written report to Leon.


    "Also, we have found multiple requests rted to this matter in the mercenary guilds. Noble houses and middlemen asking for protection or search requests for their pregnant rtives."


    "Thank you for this report. Continue with the investigation, the focus now is to find clues on where the abductors convene. We might be able to find out their secretirs within the territory." Leon gave his final instructions andmended the des.


    "Job well done, des! Always stay safe and alert."


    "Yes! Your Highness!" The des brightened up hearing the praise from their leader.


    Leon bid goodbye and immediately headed to his study.


    Studying the report given by the crimson des and the reports given by his pce aides, he worked his way to find out something that might help apprehend the Spectres roaming in the empire.


    He was hoping to finish the job beforeing back to the Silver Dew, yet from the reports of the pce aides of the progress from the first and second prince''s side, it would be a far fetched goal.


    Rubbing his temples in disappointment, he heard a knock on the door. It was his pce aide, informing that the Emperor wanted to summon the three princes to join tomorrow''s council.


    Realizing that his father emperor was also equally agitated as him about resolving the matter about the Spectre, he nodded in acknowledgement.


    "It was only the second day from the announcement of this assignment for me and my brothers, yet Father already wanted results."


    He could already visualize the faces of his two brothers upon knowing that he already had some results after only two days of going out.


    Well, this was all thanks to his des, both the Crimson and Roaming des. He nned in his heart how to appreciate these two teams after the endeavor.


    He was about to go back to his reports when he heard the voice of his aide, frantically announcing,


    "H-Her Highness Second Queen enters!"


    Soon Leon saw the door open, with her Queen Mother Teh smiling brightly and excitedly.


    "Son, it''s good that you have alreadye back! Come and take a look at the items I bought!~"


    She adorably dragged his son out of his study and excitedly led him by the hand, to her pce - the Wisteria ce.


    Leon helplessly took his documents into his space pouch and followed his mother dotingly.


    Soon they reached into the beautiful looking pce, a huge array of wisteria blossoms lined up around it, giving it a magical vibe.


    The mother and son hastily walk towards the pavement, where the breeze gently blew away thevender petals, beautifully showered the two.


    Entering the pce hall, she dragged Leon excitedly towards the lounge area.


    What Leon saw next left him in shock.


    "Son, look! I bought the most beautiful baby items for my grandchild and dresses for my future daughter inw! Isn''t it wonderful?"


    Queen Teh proudly waved her hands to the hundreds of luxurious items neatly lined up in the spacious lounge.


    From diapers made with the gentlest fabric, to basss, swaddle cloths, baby outfits, baby hats, baby socks, maternity dresses, support belts, and tonics for a rearing mother. They were all bought and prepared by Queen Teh!


    "Oh! I hope you don''t mind that I initially bought gender neutral designs! Do not worry I''ll buy more when my cute grandchild is out~~~" She said while smilingly pping her hands in excitement.


    It is now Leon''s turn to have his eyebrows twitch.


    Carefully, he replied to his mother, "Mother, all these items would not fit to Eli''s house¡­"

 Chapter 70 Morning Council

    ?Queen Teh adorably pouted, her moss green eyes looked at Leon with a hint of reprimand and said,


    "You can never say enough on the preparation for a baby! That''s your child we are talking about! Forget the fact that my sweet child belongs to the Imperial family. Little Han is my first grandchild! My first grandchild!"


    A bead of sweat appeared on Leon''s forehead. Whether back then or now, Leon finds it hard to go against his Queen Mother''s whims.


    She was as free spirited as the music she makes. She also had such a bright and adorable personality which made him and his Father Emperor dote on her.


    However, she was as sharp as a spear and as firm as a buckler whenever she expressed her opinion, especially when ites to the family. Her moss green eyes would look into you with such determination and sincerity, which would make you concede to her requests.


    As to the matters of the pce and politics, she never intervened in this matter.


    Aside from her being a subject of ridicule because of hermoner background, she viewed prestige and status as a mundane thing.


    The only thing that mattered to her was music, her beloved Valentin and her dear son, Leon. That''s why, even if she was targeted with attacks from the nobles, she stayed strong and alive within the hostile pce walls.


    Perhaps, every woman who loved, every mother who cared, really had this amazing power to persevere.


    "Alright Mother, I sincerely thank you for your preparations." Leon replied with gratitude, albeit helpless.


    "Hmf.. You are trying to persuade me because you think I beat you regarding this matter, no?" Queen Teh inquired with a piercing gaze.


    "It''s not like that.." Leon awkwardly replied.


    He indeed felt guilty because he once had nned to take care of these things. But his work upied him in the past days.


    Queen Teh saw through Leon''s mind, a tinge of pity appeared on her beautiful matured face,


    "Well, it''s not like you have to do all these things, let me be the one to do it. What''s more important is paving a way for my grandchild and daughter inw to have a safe ce here in the Empire."


    Holding his battle worn hands, Queen Teh said with such warmth, "It''s the most precious gift you can give for the two."


    Leon nodded understandably. Ever since he realized that he was going to be a father, he finds it easier tomunicate affection to his parents aspared to before.


    Back then, he would just call his mother and father stiffly. His cold crystal blue eyes would look at them without any expression. The most he could do was to call them with respect.


    Queen Teh was really happy that she could now see her son express his emotions a bit openly.


    She recently heard from her beloved Valentin that he was able to show concern towards his father and had even bickered with him during their meeting on how to settle matters for the national assembly.


    It made her smile so beautifully as the imaginary flowers bloomed around her.


    The mother and son spent the rest of the day catching up with each other. Of course, it didn''t end without Leon asking his mom how to pursue a woman properly.


    This made Queen Teh so blissful that she asked her son to have dinner with her, as she narrated all her experiences in love and courtship.


    It was a well spent evening for the two.


    Morning came, Leon dutifully prepared for the council, taking with him his closest pce aide and vice captain of the Crimson de, ze as escort.


    When he arrived in the conference area, he wordlessly sat on his assigned seat while the two stood alert behind him.


    Soon, the respective heads of the noble houses belonging to the council, the Emperor and his two older brothers arrived in the hall.


    First Prince, Kazimir coldy entered with his pce aide and a vice captain in his own corps, the Amethyst Warlocks.


    Second Prince, Antoine had a simr entourage with the vice captain of his own corps, the Viridescent Summoners.


    The three princes of Seirende Empire, upon theiring of age had been bestowed by a great privilege - that was to organize their own corps who would be their aide on their future missions.


    However, in order to prevent the princes from converting their personal corps into a rebellious one, the knights they have to choose should be a knight who took the oath in front of the throne of the Seirende Empire.


    This means that although they were led by the princes, they could disregard their orders if it would entail them to give up their loyalty to the throne itself, because they swore loyalty to the empire, not to the princes.


    Amethyst Warlocks, named by the First Prince Kazimir, represented the pure mage corps of the empire. Because of his lineage to the Ves''s who had amethyst eyes and were known to be talented n of casters.


    Viridescent Summoners, organized by the Second Prince Antoine, was also inspired by his lineage to the Astaze March, who all had lush green hair, as green as the moss.


    The Astaze n was also known to produce talented summoners for decades, this is why the knights under second Prince''s corps are talented summoners.


    The Crimson des on the other hand do not have any specific requirement in terms of constitution.


    But they have distinct characteristics as all outsiders perceived, whether they were casters, devourers and summoners, all of them are vicious and mysterious.


    That was why people shuddered the moment they hear of the crimson de.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Another thing that made people''s hair stand on ends when hearing about the crimson de was how mysteriously strong they are.


    At the age of fifteen, when the third prince reached adulthood, while all the other nights prayed that the prince would not ask them to be the members of his army, a total of 20 knights stepped forward voluntarily to join his Crimson de.


    It was a shock to the onlookers!


    However, they soon looked with disdain when the group of knights who volunteered was ofmoner background and members of the fallen noble houses.


    But then again, another event made the whole capital enter into an uproar! When two apprentice knights voluntarilymitted to training exclusively for the Crimson de.


    One was the youngest son of the Marquess of Astaze, the twelve-year-old apprentice knight Olivier.


    The next one was the strongest apprentice knight from that current batch, his physical strength alone could send a ss C devourer on his knees, what''s more, he was a caster, ze!


    These two, who were considered the cream of the crop of the current apprentice knights pledged theirmitment to join the crimson de in advance!


    Since then, these twenty-two knights formed the Crimson de along with Leon, up until now, they were still the same members as thirteen years ago!


    That only meant one thing, these vicious crimsons were so indescribably strong that they weren''t able to witness even one of theirrades die.


    However, the major noble houses do not really see the matter as scary because of their puny number. What can an army of twenty-three do when real wares? They thought in disdain.


    Back to the council, the Emperor didn''t dy and proceeded to the main agenda of the meeting - the abduction cases connected with the Spectres.


    Once the council was opened, panicked expressions of the council members appeared as they reported the current situation in their own territories.


    After the assembly, they all reverted back to their vassals and checked on these matters.


    The three princes listened to the council''s narrative intently as they needed this information on their respective assignments.


    By this time, the noblespletely let their guards down and opened their territories for the imperial family to take over the matter.


    Of course, with the exception of the two strongest noble houses, the Duke of Ves and the Marquess of Astaze, who still bore calm expressions.


    The Emperor looked towards his sons and inquired what they had found out during thest two days.


    Everyone in the council expectantly looked towards the princes, especially the older two. Of course, that was because they had pledged allegiance to these two princes whoever could take the crown.


    The first prince reported his findings, but it was disappointingly just a summary of theints from the vassals themselves.


    It''s as if he didn''t value his assignment just because it was under the jurisdiction of his second brother''s family.


    He basically just repeated what he heard yet he still bore a calm expression, thinking that it was just normal to report superficial information due to how quickly his father Emperor asked for updates.


    With his tone, he practically was saying that if the Astaze march couldn''t handle this small thing, they might as well just cry in defeat.


    The second prince was no good either, he imed that the cases under the east territory were not that rmingly high and could be resolved by simply just stationing more patrollers around their jurisdiction.


    It was as if saying that the duchy does not need to be that strict, since they are strong then it would not matter if there are cases like this. Just increase security and you''re done.


    The nobles in support of the two were taken aback.


    It seemed like the two princes didn''t fully understand the gravity of this matter. The effect of assigning them against their rival territories made them negligent.


    It was also as if telling straight to the Emperor''s face that their loyalty lies only in their own territories, not with the whole empire!


    The council looked at the two princes as foolish, the Emperor looked with utter disappointment. Even the duke and the marquis looked at their nephews with veins almost popping out of their foreheads.


    Emperor Valentin did not mask his displeasure and gave a heavy sigh, which made the two older princes pause to think twice.


    ''Why does Father Emperor look so disappointed?'' They thought.


    They were also surprised to see shaking heads from the members of the council and the angry faces of their uncles.


    "Third Prince, how about you? Any updates from your side?" Rubbing his temples Emperor Valentin looked at his youngest son as if saying, save me from this disgrace!


    However, the other council members looked uninterested as they did not expect any results from the barbaric prince either.


    If the two princes dared to present superficial results, then what more of this barbaric prince? Isn''t this just a waste of time?


    Understanding his father''s words, Leon nodded and stood in front of the council, ignoring their dismissive gazes.


    His pce aide carefully set the projection stone showing the statistics and particrs of the report. While ze stood alert and focused ready to intervene for any specific information needed as the Third Prince reported.

 Chapter 71 The Third Prince Is A Genius!

    ?The council members raised their eyebrows with interest.


    What the projection stone showed were peculiar images.


    The images shed on the screen looked like lines and towers of different height with numbers, there was an image resembling a sliced pie as well!


    What a cryptic presentation!


    The nobles and even the Emperor Valentin himself were curious about the meaning of these images.


    Kazimir and Antoine also didn''t dare to show a dismissive and disdainful attitude after knowing that their father was in a bad mood.


    They looked at Leon''s presentation with focus, waiting for him to embarass himself. In their hearts, they thought that it was just a scheme of their little brother to stand out and gain approval from the nobles.


    Little did they know that if Eli, the Grandpas and the Project Team would be here in the room, they would be shocked! This presentation was exactly what Eli brought into the team, the graphical charts!


    This time, Leon used the bar, line and pie chart to visualize the data from the investigation and present it to the council.


    It was all thanks to his future wife!


    Eli came up with these ideas whenever she writes her research papers and feasibility studies. As he always received the copy of the report, he found that it was good.


    He asked Eli to help him figure out how it was made and even how it can be interpreted.


    Now, seeing that he had already obtained the attention and the interest of the audience, he stood firmly and charismatically as his aide manipted the projection stone at his cue.


    "I''d like to present to this council what my men had found during these past few days."


    The bar graph was magnified.


    "This image is called a bar graph. It is currently showing to the council how high the rates of abduction cases were in the viges and towns of the southern territory¡­


    As you can see, the highest tower represents the territory with the highest case, the lowest represents territory with the fewest cases.


    We can see that the top three territories which had the highest rate of abduction were the territories farthest from the forces of the east and west¡­ Thus we can conclude that this chaos was more apparent in these areas due to theck of authoritative figures¡­"


    Leon calmly presented his interpretations of the reports from his aides and des.


    His listeners were mesmerized by how intelligent he sounded and how his presentation made sense.


    It was also backed up by the vassals familiar with the southern territory, confirming his ims on the numbers.


    Leon did not stop his presentation, this time the pie chart was magnified and they saw the demographic statistics of the victims.


    "Here, you can visualize who the main victims of the abductions were, most of the victims, of course, were themoners, whichprises 67% of the victim count.


    However what''s more surprising was, there was a higher percentage of missing nobility at 22%pared to the middle men at 11%.


    Upon further investigation we have found out that these were because the cases involving nobilities were from the fallen and lower noble houses.


    Because their resources had been dwindling in the first ce, they gave up having reliable security, while most of the merchant families could afford it without batting an eye.."


    The nobles nodded with Leon''s words. It really made sense.


    "Sadly most of these nobles were actually awarded with their status because of the great contributions of their ancestors during the unification of the empire.


    It is sad to see that the families of the people, who shed blood for the peace and prestige of the Empire were pushed to such a state."


    Leon eloquently continued, tugging the hearts of the council.


    Compassionate discussions rose throughout the council room. They were affected by Leon''s sympathetic speech.


    Leon continued his presentation, this time he had his aide magnify the line graph.


    This was the crux of his presentation.


    He took a sudden pause, and let the crowd finish the discussions before continuing,


    "This is thest part of my report. What I am showing you right now is aparison of the economic situation of the southern empire in the months where the abductions happened versus the same month of the previous year.


    The red line represents the period of economic performance when the abduction took ce, while the green ones were the performance of the previous year. Everyone, take a look at the difference of the total remitted tax between the two periods."


    "This!!!" Everyone was in uproar, even the Emperor widened his eyes in surprise and information overload.


    But there''s no need for everyone to hear Leon''s detailed exnation, everyone saw the great decrease of the yields produced by the southern territory all because of this.


    What that meant was less funds for the empire.


    Less funds meant less military budget. Seirende is surrounded by enemies. They could not afford even a little bit of chunk taken off from the military budget.


    "How did this happen?" One concerned council member couldn''t help but ask Leon.


    "Our initial investigation concluded that it was because of the murders along with the abduction and the poor families choosing to flee to hide their pregnant rtives because of terror. Some choose to give up work and guard their families.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This caused the farnds and establishments lose workers. In the end, they will be poorer and their situation will be worse."


    Everyone was silent. A grave and disturbed expression could be seen in their faces.


    Leon''s presentation had made them realize a lot of things. If they didn''t eliminate this evil Spectres in their territories, the Empire''s wealth would soon dwindle and so would theirs.


    The Emperor gave a nod of satisfaction. The noble men looked at the Third Prince with a newfound interest.


    "The Third Prince is actually a genius!" Murmured discussion about their approval of Leon''s performance filled the room.


    ze and the pce aide looked at Leon with extremely proud gazes.


    "That''s our Third Prince!"


    However, the two princes wore an ashen expression. They could feel the piercing gazes of their respective uncles and the disappointed look of the noble men.


    They could even hear how their little brother did an outstanding job while they did a substandard job.


    They also could hear how they say the twock wisdom despite being older than the third prince.


    "I wonder how they do as a father of the family!"


    "I know right?! How could they not care to solve this case and give a rubbish report to this council?"


    "They have no sympathy! Didn''t they experience having their wives pregnant, yet this is how they act when their subjects are in danger?"


    "Fortunately the Third Prince is sensible! I bet that he will be a good father of the house and the Empire when the timees!"


    The Duke of Ves and the Marquess of Aztaze had such an angry face when they heard about the third prince being the next father of the Empire. Green veins popped on their foreheads in agitation.


    The two princes also couldn''t help but curse in their heart.


    ''It''s just a tricky presentation appealing because it was apletely new way of reporting! Now you lot are thinking he deserved to be the crown prince?!''


    "Uhm.. I can''t deny that His Highness, the Third Prince''s presentation is very good. Yet these are just results after two days of investigation. Look, even the Third Prince does not have a conclusion yet. I''m sure the first and second prince can alsoe up with a good report on the next council."


    The Marquess tried to smooth things out by emphasizing that two days was not really enough for a fruitful investigation.


    The Emperor gave a cold harumph and said,


    "The youngest didn''t dy and went into action while the two actually dared to give me a mediocre performance. I''ll tell you this soon! Mediocres do not have the right to sit on the throne. To sit on the highest seat of our Seirende Empire? Dream on!"


    He looked sternly at the embarrassed princes and said,


    "Very well, let this be a lesson to you two. I am not young anymore, but you are not young either. Do not act like kids and do your obligations excellently! I''m waiting for the results."


    To be scolded in front of the council, the heads of the noble family, and their subordinates, the two princes had their faces full of hatred towards their little brother.


    Yet they dared not to show it, so they hung their heads low in restraint.


    "Just you wait, Leon!"


    --


    Crash! "Ahhh!"


    A sound of ss breaking and a maid crying out in pain could be heard in a certain room of the Empress''s pce.


    "Damn that son of a bard! He one upped me good today!" An angry Kazimir threw his tea cup to the serving maid to vent his anger.


    "Mother! I was made into a fool during the council!" Kazimir aggrievedly looked at a graceful yet cold woman leisurely sitting opposite him.


    The Empress of Seirende Empire, Carolina Ves.


    Upon first look, even though her face had traces of age, her plum colored hair and amethyst eyes were a testament of the Empress''s noble beauty.


    However, with that vicious look in her eyes, one would think that her beauty was actually a lethal venom.


    "Do not worry son, we''ll get back to that trash of the family soon." She said so tenderly, but the disturbing contrast of the ruthlessness in her eyes looked so creepy.


    "How are we going to do that mother? This brother of mine was so vignt and so elusive." Kazimir said with doubt.


    "Of course, with just his weakness alone, he will be on his knees in no time." Empress Carolina replied nonchntly.


    "Aren''t the ''holy'' family bound to be the representative of the Empire in the renewal of the treaty next month?" She said with a schemeful look on her face and continued,


    "Then let me give my ''dear sister'' a good luck gift to ensure that she wouldn''t cause a ruckus in the Elven territory. Let''s ensure that she would NOT get kicked out nor even cursed to death by the disdainful Elves!"


    A baleful expression could be seen to the mother and son as they let out an evilugh.

 Chapter 72 To The Elven Territory

    ?The day of the Renewal of Treaty.


    "Have we packed everything?" Queen Teh asked herdy in waiting with an anxious voice.


    "Yes, Your Royal Highness, Second Queen." Thedy in waiting respectfully responded.


    "That''s good to hear." Queen Teh replied with a smile.


    The maids behind her were carefully styling her long silver hair with a royal chignon bun. The hairdo was decorated with an elegant ensemble of the freshest leaves and flowers harvested straight from the royal garden.


    She wore a pure white empire waist long gown, beautifully embroidered with silver and golden leaves onto the hem and the bustline. Her outfit was further enhanced by a royal cape hugging her slim and defined shoulders.


    She chose to have simple jewelry, a pair of tinum dangling earrings with a tiny emerald gem at the endsplimenting her olive green eyes, along with a pearl and white crystal festoon ne.


    Right now, there was only one word to describe the Second Queen''s beauty - Regal!


    Queen Teh then heard an announcement from the butler outside the room. "Your Royal Highness, His Highness Third Prince is here to escort you."


    "Let him in." Queen Teh responded as she prepared for their departure.


    Leon''s cold and princely figure appeared at the door.


    Today, he wore a white colored knight uniform, lined with a thin navy blue embroidery. The only color that decorates his whole appearance aside from his uniform was his red blood hair and crystal blue eyes.


    "My son, you look extremely handsome today!!" Queen Teh looked at Leon adoringly.


    Carrying her space pouch that was specifically made to go well with her outfit, she took Leon''s arm and allowed him to escort her out of the Wisteria ce.


    Since they were going to the Elven Vige, they had to have no maids and escorts by their side. The elven people would arrange for their aides when they arrived in the territory.


    "You are as beautiful as always, my dear Mother." Leon didn''t hold back what he thought about his Queen Mother''s appearance. He gave his mother a doting look.


    The mother and son lovingly walked towards the Sun Tower. It was the tower that housed all the teleportation arrays connected to the critical destinations for the Empire.


    Unlike thework of arrays, Leon used to go to and fro Silvertown, the arrays in the Sun Tower were only mobilized for the official affairs of the Emperor, such as the renewal of the treaty with the Silver Dew Elves.


    When they arrived in the hall, they saw the major members of the Imperial family, all dressed abiding to the official dress code for the send off ceremony.


    Empress Carolina and First Prince Kazimir.


    First Queen Lucia and Second Prince Antoine.


    Along with the top knights and escorts assigned to each of them.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty Empress, Your Highness First Queen, First Prince and Second Prince." The mother and son expressed their greetings ording to Imperial etiquette.


    Since Emperor Valentin was not yet around, Empress Carolina was the one with the highest rank, thus, she was the one who acknowledged their greetings.


    Then she elegantly walked towards Queen Teh with a pleased look. She gently grabbed her hands and said with a delighted tone.


    "I see you have prepared quite well. With this I trust that you can represent the Imperial family well."


    Yet a masked look of contempt could be traced with her amethyst eyes, along with the First Prince.


    While a look of sympathy could be seen in the eyes of the silent yet graceful First Queen Lucia. The Second Prince Antoine didn''t bother to cast a look of enmity against the mother and son.


    "You can be assured, we''ll do our best to apany His Majesty." Queen Teh replied with a respectful but detached manner.


    Leon wore the same cold demeanor, which didn''t look unusual for the people around.


    "Then, I feel at ease." Empress Carolina pressed Queen Teh''s hands a bit tighter, squinting her eyes like a crescent moon.


    "His Majesty Emperor, arrives!" A clear and dignified voice rang through the hall.


    Everyone weed Emperor Valentin and greeted ording to Imperial etiquette.


    "Hail! His Majesty, Emperor Valentin."


    "At ease!" Emperor Valentine said with an extremely authoritative and controlled manner.


    He wore his Emperor Suit with a white gold theme, perfectly designed to be a partner of Queen Teh''s outfit.


    The three really do look like a ''holy'' family.


    Seeing the subtle act of affection from Queen Teh and Emperor Valentin, the Empress tried to hide her jealousy with her elegant fan, while maintaining a calm look in her eyes.


    Queen Lucia on the other hand, kept quiet and neutral, as if everything around her was just a scene she was spectating.


    Stepping into the array tform, Emperor Valentin casted a thoughtful nce towards the other members of the Imperial Family who will be leaving behind.


    "Empress, First Queen, I trust that you will leave well even in my short absence in the pce." He addressed the two women with a formal and respectful manner.


    Looking at the two princes with contentment, he left his reminders to them,


    "Kazimir, Antoine, I look forward to the results of your campaign against the Spectre. I am really proud and satisfied with your performance in the past few weeks."


    A look of delight and pride could be seen in Kazimir and Antoine''s eyes. They were like children who beamed with happiness from the words of praise from their father.


    They replied in a determined manner, "Rest assured Father Emperor, we will bring you a fruitful result when youe back."


    Their hearts gave a sigh of relief as they saw that their father had already looked at them as he would do normally.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''It seemed that Father Emperor''s disappointment to us had long subsided!'' They rejoiced in their hearts.


    "Uhn! Do well!" Emperor Valentin replied with a soft tone. He looked at them with a hopeful look.


    In truth, he very well wished that his sons would look after each other as a normal family would.


    Even though these two were born out of the coercion of the aristocrats for him to take Carolina and Lucia as consorts, he never looked at one of them with more favor than the other.


    The affection he had with Leon, was the same affection he had on Kazimir and Antoine. He knew, above all, that his sons shouldn''t be an object of resentment from his weak days as an Emperor.


    His very own blood run through their veins. He couldn''t let himself neglect even one of them.


    However, the two unfortunately followed the whims and wishes of their maternal families. They kept on disappointing him.


    He hoped that they would genuinely love the Empire not for its benefits for the Duchy nor the March, but for the Seirende blood running through their veins.


    That was why, he would not hold back reprimanding them when they were wrong.


    Leon was not an exception either. In fact, everyone could testify that the Emperor was cold towards him publicly, especially when he was young.


    However, only himself, Queen Teh and Leon knew why. It was to protect Leon up until he can protect himself.


    Uponpleting his reminders and words of farewell, the three stepped towards the array.


    Holding the elven letter, containing their names in it, the array recognizes them and immediately activates.


    This was how stringent the requirements of the elves were in letting humans enter their territory.


    It was also a testament on how much they wanted to limit human interactions as much as possible.


    Only the person who possessed the name written in the invitation could be admitted, no more no less. Even if they could note because of legitimate reasons, they would allow a proxy.


    Green light emitted from the magical array and lightened up the entire spacious hall.


    With just a matter of seconds, the Emperor, the Second Queen and the Third Prince could no longer be seen.


    After the send-off, Kazimir curiously looked towards his mother and whispered,


    "Mother, I thought you would do something against that bard?"


    "Keep calm. I already did. Didn''t you see how I approached her earlier?" Empress Carolina.


    A look of victory could be seen in her eyes as she smiled viciously.


    "As soon as she touches someone other than Valentin and the trash prince, the spell will trigger." She tried to hide her excitement behind the embellished fan she was holding.


    "Too bad, I couldn''t be there to witness whatever spectacle she would create." Her eyes were red in agitation as she painted in her mind of the chaos Queen Teh would create in the elven vige.


    Kazimir, listening to his mother''s assuring words also couldn''t help but sport a look of viciousness.


    --


    In a lowkey cottage somewhere in the Silver Dew Forest.


    "Baobao, is everyone ready?" Eli''s nervous voice could be heard the her room.


    "Master, they are already lined up in the living room. All ready and tidy!" Baobao answered obediently.


    He was particrly cool today, his ck and white fur had been diligently brushed by Olivier and Meredith. It shined lushiously especially whenever the morning light hits.


    Grandpa Andi even gave him a red bow tie to look more ''tame'' in order not to startle the Emperor and the Second Queen.


    "Do I look alright?" Eli nervously smoothed out her cream colored long gown.


    It was specially tailored from Grandpa Andi''s exclusive Forgeworn textile to fit her pregnant body.


    "Don''t you trust my beautification skills and my sense of style? You look very beautiful! I''m sure the third prince couldn''t wait to bring you to the altar for marriage once he saw you!"


    Azayn said reassuringly and yfully.


    She was affixing a flower crown made from the elven garden into Eli''s lush ck hair.


    Eli right now looked like a forest goddess with her appearance. Her now 8th month baby bump didn''t dampen her mystical and powerful aura, instead, it intensified.


    However, she still looked anxious as she will be meeting Leon''s parents.


    Would they show contempt towards her background and appearance?


    Would they resent her for not stopping Leon in pursuing her to be his wife?


    "Eli chan~ do not think of other things and just smile. It''s good for Little Han~"


    Wisey, who was sporting a bow of the same style as Baobao,forted Eli. Her heart shaped face tilted adorably as she sincerely looked at Eli with her round ck eyes.


    "Uhn.. I''ll do my best." Seeing everyone''s support, Eli took a deep breath and nodded towards them.


    Carefully standing up, she said with courage, "Let''s go, they''ll be here in no time."

 Chapter 73 Welcome To Our Humble Dwelling!

    ?The group walked towards the living room, where everyone was already on their toes waiting for the arrival of the Emperor, Second Queen and Third Prince.


    Everyone looked dignified and formal.


    Grandpa Ben, Bramwell and Zeke were all imposingly dressed with the official schrly robe of the Farauld Magical Institute. It was a white robe made from a soft andfortable fabric. The ends of the fabric were lined with blue embroidery of rune inscriptions.


    Grandpa Andi, Randel and Meredith were also stately dressed with suits made from the exclusive Forgerworn fabric. Their suit was also designed with golden buttons and cufflinks shaped with the Forgeworn insignia - the Craftsman''s Golden Hammer.


    Olivier was also dressed with the official Crimson des uniform, while Kayden was looking handsome with his ck tuxedo and suede long coat attire.


    As soon as Eli entered the room, everyone let out a gasp of admiration.


    "My my! The Queen of the house is indeed so queenly! So beautiful!!" Meredith beat everyone in verbalizing her admiration towards Eli''s appearance.


    "It''s true!! Our young Eli is indeed so beautiful! Our precious treasure!!" The grandpas proudlyplimented and cherrished Eli''s appearance.


    Embarrassed from so much attention the group was giving, she let out a light chuckle and replied,


    "All of you are also looking good! I couldn''t help but be nervous around you! You all looked so respectable and dignified!"


    The tense mood of the room earlier changed into a jovial and warm mood. Everyone felt excited now that they had done all they could to prepare for the Imperial Family''s arrival.


    In the past few month, the project team worked so hard in order toplete the project and they delivered!


    Exactly a week ago, they were able topletely finish and test the system and achieved sess.


    Everyone, especially the core members of the project team burst into tears as they saw the faucet sessfully delivered water into the kitchen sink.


    Even Randel, who was only next to Leon in terms of aloofness and coldness, had his eyes reddened in agitation seeing their hard work pay off.


    The past few days were filled with celebration and excitement as the team, the grandpas and even Kayden couldn''t get enough of the convenience of this system especially during bath time.


    They were so happy to see that the water flowed freely in the bath tub and they could even adjust its temperature whenever they needed to!


    Another thing that caused sensation in the group was Eli, introducing the showerhead.


    Everyone was so amazed by what the showerhead can do. Meredith was the happiest in using the showerhead as everyone could hear her sing everytime she takes a bath,


    "I summoned a rain through a showerhead~~~"


    Eli didn''t waste her time either. She was able to finalize the formtion for the henna hair dye and had it mysteriously introduced to the Belizia Kingdom.


    The ghost merchant group had already been mobilized and is estimated to reach the little kingdom in two weeks. She had also engaged the grandpa''s help in developing the proper storage of the henna raw materials and the ready made henna paste.


    Grandpa Andi had his ghost merchant team train to make the henna paste so that they could manage to create more, in case the initial batch of henna would sell out or be stale.


    Eli and the rest had all done everything they could for this matter.


    They just prayed for a favorable result in order for Eli to have more hope in living a little freely and worry free, especially now that she was about to give birth.


    The situation with the Spectre was also hopeful. Due to the reprimand the two princes received, they hurried and stopped taking the assignment for granted.


    It could be said that it was the first time the three princes did a coboration.


    Along with the Emperor''s army taking care of the north, they had more or less pinpointed the possible hideouts of the Spectre.


    The stage had been covertly prepared, they were just waiting for Emperor Valentin''s go signal for the Empire wide extermination order.


    Nevertheless, the Emperor had an assured heart today. He could leave the pce for meeting his future daughter inw, while alsopleting the renewal of the treaty on the side.


    Since Azayn was close to Eli, she had the elven invitation directly modified to transport the Imperial Family straight to the cottage.


    No one in the capital knew of this thing, except Emperor Valentin, Queen Teh and Leon.


    As for the treaty, it was scheduled to be done for tomorrow. The Emperor and Queen''s priority today was to get to know Eli, their future daughter inw!


    Should any one other member of the imperial family or the nobles knew of this, it would cause them to go nuts!


    Since when did the Emperor of Seirende be so leisurely just to visit his future daughter inw?!


    They would surely file protests and appeals in the council!


    Soon, the now enhanced multyer array showed signs of mana fluctuations. A green light rapidly traced the inscriptions in the magical array and intensified.


    Unlike the usual arrays which had a limit of a few kilometers, the Imperial Array could go as far as Silver dew forest however, with a staggering high cost.


    The array itself must be powered by ten supreme mana stones and more, depending on the distance one would want to teleport.


    Of course, the Imperial family had enough stones to do that, however it was limited.


    Soon, the multyer array floated up and down until everyone saw the silhouette of the Imperial family.


    Swoosh! The array hummed and immediately lost its luster as soon as Eli and the rest could clearly see the owners of the silhouette were.


    A man, aged yet full of authority and wisdom. He stood so firm and steadfast, making anyone who would look at him treat him with utmost respect.


    A woman, so beautiful beyond her age. Her olive green eyes shouts of pure and carefree personality. Anyone who sees her smile would have an urge to dote on her.


    A young man, so cold and expressionless, stood firmly supporting the two. One could feel the countless battles he had witnessed yet no sign of weakness and vulnerability could be seen on his face.


    This is the Imperial Family.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This is Leon''s family.


    Eli couldn''t help but feel a little bit insecure in her heart upon seeing their countenance. However, she was a modern woman who had enough experience in the corporate world.


    She showed a calm and focused expression as she faced the highest ranked people in the whole empire.


    "Greetings! His Majesty Emperor! Her Royal Highness the Second Queen and His Highness, Third Prince!" Everyone greeted in chorus.


    They also curtsied ording to the etiquette, except the legendary grandpas.


    "Wee to our humble dwelling!" Eli also followed the suit after reciting the imperial greetings.


    Emperor Valentin gave Eli a thoughtful nce, a look of excitement and satisfaction could be seen in his eyes.


    Badump Badump!


    Emperor Valentin held Queen Teh''s hands tight.


    Now that Eli was here with him face to face, Emperor Valentin could feel the intensified resonance in his heart as he felt the presence of Little Han in Eli''s womb.


    Queen Teh felt the Emperor''s excitement and rubbed his hands gently, trying to calm him down.


    "At ease everyone!" Keeping himself calm, with the help of Queen Teh, he let everyone in the room feel rxed.


    Only then they were able to notice the people and the surroundings of the cottage.


    Overall, even the Emperor and Queen were impressed by the interior of the cottage.


    Nothing in this cottage spoke of poverty. It was as if the designer of this house deliberately got his inspiration from the forest and created something warm and cozy out of it.


    Although they had long known of Eli''s connection with the legendary Grandmasters, they still felt so unreal seeing them face to face.


    "Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben, it''s an honor to see you here!" Emperor Valentin expressed his greetings. Queen Teh also curtsied along with Leon, giving a knight''s salute.


    "I am equally ted to see you well and good, Your Majesty Emperor!"


    "I am also d that Her Royal Highness Second Queen is here with you!"


    The grandpa''s returned their pleasantries. Since they were both of the legendary S ss. Their authority transcends beyond the borders of the empire.


    Hence, they are not required to bow in submission towards the Emperor of the Empire. All they need to do is greet them ording to how they should be addressed.


    The atmosphere in the room finally rxed.


    Emperor Valentin, along with Queen Teh slowly walked towards Eli. One could clearly see that Queen Teh was about to cry in joy upon seeing Eli face to face.


    Feeling her queen emotional, Emperor Valentin gave a loving smile and said with a gentle tone,


    "Atst, we can finally see you¡­ The Creator knows how much we long for this day toe."


    Eli was shocked and touched by the kindness shown by the two. She bowed again and expressed her gratitude, "I am really honored meeting you, Your Majesty, Your Highness."


    "Oh my, dear future daughter! Do not bother to do this, your body needs utmost care! No need to bow like that!" Emperor Valentin worriedly told Eli, afraid that it would strain Eli''s body just because she kept on observing the etiquette.


    Everyone shuddered in shock. Even if they knew that it was possible for Eli to be wedded to the Third Prince soon, hearing it from the Emperor himself made their hearts tremble.


    Witnessing the Emperor personally acknowledge a future daughter inw? This is a once in a lifetime experience!


    What''s more, this future daughter inw dared to reject the prince without hesitation!


    Eli casted an uncertain look towards Leon who just stood silently. Upon seeing Leon''s assuring gaze, Eli then followed the Emperor''s advice.


    "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"


    Queen Teh couldn''t contain her excitement anymore, she gave a loving smile and said in a sweet tone,


    "My dear, let me see you up close." She reached out to gently lift Eli''s hands longingly.


    However, just as she was about to touch Eli''s hands,


    Roar!


    Hoot!


    Baobao protectively used his big furry body to gently yet speedily hug Eli, letting her step few steps away from Queen Teh.


    Wisey on the other hand gave a small hoot. She hovered and stayed in front of Queen Teh with a vignt aura.


    That small hoot contained mana, that was why as soon as the sound waves reached Queen Teh, ck miasma appeared on the back of Queen Teh''s hands.


    "Heavens! A malefic curse!"


    Everyone eximed in unbelief. How could the Queen contain such a malefic curse?


    "T-this this.." Queen Teh looked at her trembling hands, she felt a wave of goosebumps all over her body.


    She looked towards Eli, shivering in intense fear and guilt.


    Should she manage to touch Eli''s hands, she didn''t dare to imagine what would possibly happen!

 Chapter 74 First Day With The In Laws

    ?"Ahhh.."


    Glistening droplets of tears rolled on Queen Teh''s beautiful face. "I didn''t know anything.. I didn''t mean to do anything.."


    She was so guilt ridden that she started to struggle in catching her breath.


    Leon was also shocked, he did not even detect the mana within his mother''s hands. A wave of guilt also ran through his body.


    He was about to go forward and resolve the curse in his mother''s hands when he saw Grandpa Ben''s meaningful look,


    ''You shall do what you want to do. The time is not convenient for you to show who you really are!''


    Thus, Leon stood still and let it be handled by the Elders.


    While this was happening, Emperor Valentin had already ced his hands onto Queen Teh''s trembling shoulder, "Sush¡­ It''s not your fault, it''s not your fault."


    "Master, are you alright?" Baobao worriedly asked Eli, in case the shock caused a strain in her body.


    "I am alright. But instead, what happened to Her Highness?" She casted an inquiring gaze towards Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben, there was no trace of me in her eyes.


    Grandpa Ben stood in front of the hyperventting Queen Teh, and tried to console her,


    "Your Highness, I need you to calm down first. No one in this house mes you, please be at ease¡­"


    Emperor Valentin and Leon were also doing their part in calming her down.


    The Emperor tenderly led Queen Teh on a cushioned chair pulled out by Leon.


    Eli had Baobao bring a ss of cold water.


    In a few minutes Queen Teh eventually calmed down, yet she was still downcast because of what could have happened.


    Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Grandpa Ben looked towards Wisey who was the first one to react from the curse.


    "Now, now, Wisey, tell me how you have known of this. In truth, even I could not detect any anomaly earlier."


    Even sporting a calm expression, Grandpa Ben couldn''t help but be nervous knowing that this little trick had made its way past his nose.


    "It was actually Baobao who detected something. He smelled four mana traces in their bodies." Wisey calmly narrated.


    "At first we thought that one of them might have a magical item. That was why we did not make any fuss¡­ However, when the Queen came nearer, I was finally able to determine that it was a malevolent array, embedded in her hands. I am d that we all reacted in time."


    She flew near the low spirited Queen and said with a gentle and sympathetic tone, "Your Highness, please do not me yourself for this matter, we have long known that this mana does not belong to you at all."


    "Based on how it didn''t meld into your mana receptor, the array was most probably nted not long ago¡­It may have been nted just before you came here."


    "An array¡­" Everyone went into deep contemtion.


    "It was most probably triggered by touch.. However, we all saw that Her Highness Second Queen had been touching His Majesty from the start, so how?" Azayn, who was also a caster, asked in wonder.


    Wisey perched on Baobao''s shoulder, she squinted her eyes and said,


    "This was just a theory, but whoever nted this to Her Highness probably wanted her to cause a rift between the elves and Seirende. If it was triggered by touch, then it could only be triggered once Her Highness touches anyone other than the His Majesty Emperor and His Highness Third Prince."


    Everyone did not agree verbally, but all had a dark look in their eyes. The more they thought of the matter, the more it made sense.


    The public reason for this visit was to meet with the Silver Dew Elves on a diplomatic asion. Every move and contact must not be taken lightly, as it will cause a deep effect to the rtionship of the two countries.


    To think that they would nt it to the innocent Queen Teh, they were probably expecting that it would put her into a tough spot.


    At the right amount of coercion, she could be also condemned as a traitor of the Empire.


    Emperor Valentin had a furious look on his face, he looked at the Queen with a solemn face and asked in a cold yet restrained tone,


    "My dear Queen, tell me who touched you earlier. To attempt to hurt a member of the Imperial Family, and cause a rift with the nation''s ally is punishable by death."


    Queen Teh''s body froze, Empress Carolina''s contemptuous face appeared in her mind.


    She casted a hesitating look to the Emperor.


    If she said this, knowing Emperor Valentin''s personality, not only would it trigger an uproar within the Imperial Family, it would also shake the entire nobility.


    Eli understood upon seeing the expression of the Queen. They couldn''t do anything especially without conclusive evidence.


    Hence she took the burden of voicing out Queen Teh''s unspeakable concern and said in a level headed manner,


    "Your Majesty, apologies for speaking beyond my authority, but I think that it was not proper to pursue this matter without any conclusive evidence."


    "We may have an idea in our hearts, however, just Wisey''s and Baobao''s observation wouldn''t be enough. And if the nobles would investigate this, the truth of your visit would be exposed in the open, the nobles and the Spectres alike."


    "I do not wish to burden Your Majesty and Her Highness anymore, that is why, let us just let this matter go for the meantime. Instead, we must investigate¡­"


    She looked towards the ck aura that was still emitting from the Queen''s hands and bore a deep gaze,<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What is the origin of this malevolent magic that bypassed the detection of the numerous mages around the Queen."


    Everyone was silent.


    Eli had already pointed out what should be considered at this moment, in fact she mentioned things that were far beyond what they could even think of.


    Eli, who was the victim of that same scheme.


    The Emperor also had awakened from his angry state and thought deeply, he closed his eyes with a pained expression.


    He was unwilling to let it go, it was his wife, his future daughter inw and his grandchild involved in this matter!


    But what Eli said made sense. He had to let this go, for the meantime.


    Leon had a cold and steadfast expression, yet in his heart he had already taken note of this matter and vowed to get back to the people who did this.


    He knew that only by having power, strong enough to suppress his enemies would resolve this matter once and for all. He might have to do it sooner.


    "Then, let''s set this matter aside at first." Emperor Valentin dered with a grave expression.


    He looked towards Wisey and Baobao gratefully and said, "Thank you for helping us avoid an incident that could have been a disaster."


    The two furries bowed in acknowledgement.


    Then Grandpa Ben moved to properly look into the malefic array along with Zeke and all other mages in the room to try to cleanse the Queen from the curse and also to investigate.


    Eli led the others outside first to give them space, along with Leon who was officially not a mage at the moment.


    Seeing that he looked troubled, she encouraged him in a calm manner, "Do not worry Grandpa Ben is there."


    "Instead let''s think of a way to lighten up the mood after they solve the curse!" Her dark eyes brightened in determination.


    She told the remaining people, "Why not set up the refreshments into the little garden? It may lighten up the Queen''s mood!"


    Everybody agreed and immediately moved into the matter.


    After some time, a set of refreshments were prepared in the little garden.


    It was simple, far the standard for a royalty. But Leon repeatedly assured Eli to not care of this manner, for he had already told his parents about the environment in the cottage.


    Soon, Leon led the Imperial Couple outside. Once the Queen saw the ambience in the cottage, her eyes brightened up and she let out a beautiful smile.


    It could still be considered early in the morning, so there were still residues of Silver Dew all over the garden and the surrounding forest.


    Combined with the colorful array of flowers diligently tended by Eli and the bunch, and the shining silver dew, the old couple marveled of the charm of Eli''s ce and the Silver Dew forest.


    They felt like they were transported into another world. Far more elegant andforting from the sturdy pce walls.


    They were offered morning refreshments and spent a pleasant morning with the rest of the bunch.


    The highlight of the morning convention was the introduction of the Project Team about the sessful application of the water heating and pressure system


    The Emperor was so ted. He gave his word to support the publication andmercialization of this work, crediting everyone who was involved, of course with Eli as the ultimate inventor!


    Emperor Valentin couldn''t take his attention off on how the whole system works. Soon he was deeply upied along with the grandpas and the project team about the system. It created an exclusive convention of men.


    Contrastingly, the women, including the Queen, wereid in a thickfortable carpet in the gazebo, hugging Baobao and Wisey adoringly.


    They leisurely admired Baobao who looked so cuddly with his little ribbon tied in his neck, while they were surrounded by the beautiful garden scenery. They also stroke Wisey''s cinamon colored feathers lovingly.


    "So this is Baobao the Panda~~~ So soft, so cuddly~!" The queen was blushing in delight and excitement as she childishly buried his face into Baobao''s giant arms.


    "Yes, Your Highness Second Queen! Isn''t he adorable!!! Wisey is so gentle too!" Azayn, who was the most fascinated of the rare beast, answered as if she finally had found a best friend who shared the same obsession.


    Eli just watched with a smile, while she stayed beside them resting in a cushioned chair.


    Little Han had been growing nicely and she would feel strained after standing for too long. However, she wanted not to indulge her body too much, exercise was also good, that is why she was adamant to do some chores.


    She was thankful that the Queen and the Emperor had long found the ce good and most importantly, had their mood cheerful.


    Queen Teh suddenly looked towards her and lovingly said,


    "I didn''t expect that our first meeting would be eventful. But I still wanted to say, I am happy to finally meet you, dear young Eli."


    Eli casted a gentle look towards the Queen, she could feel that she held no contempt towards her identity, not even an ounce.


    She caressed her baby bump, smiled charmingly and said,


    "We are also happy to meet you, Your Highness Second Queen."

 Chapter 75 Renewal Of Treaty

    ?Queen Teh tearfully smiled as she heard Eli''s reply.


    Looking at her baby bump, she asked for permission before touching it, "Can I?"


    Eli nodded with a calm smile.


    Queen Teh reached out her hands towards the baby bump. However, she stopped in hesitation as she remembered what happened earlier.


    What if there''s still some harmful spell in her hands?


    Seeing the hesitation, Eli felt sympathy towards the Queen.


    For someone who never wanted to cause harm, it would surely be traumatic.


    She stretched out her hands towards Queen Teh''s frozen hand and pulled it softly towards the excited Little Han. "Little Han wants to greet you too, Your Highness."


    "Ah," Startled by the sudden action, Queen Teh felt her hands touch Eli''s warm belly.


    As soon as her skin felt the warmth, Little Han gently moved, as if greeting her grandmother Queen.


    Queen Teh let out a whimper as she found herself deeply emotional when Little Han moved. Never did she imagine that she would live long enough to witness her only son have an offspring.


    It was a bitter sweet sensation. She had long yearned for this moment toe.


    In the past years, the Empress''s ce and the First Queen''s ce had been celebrating the birth of their own grandchildren. But for her Wisteria ce, it was barren.


    She longed to be as joyful as them, holding their grandchild tenderly.


    But today, she almost caused harm to her future grandchild. She remembered Empress Carolina''s face, she was sure that it was her who nted the spell in her hands.


    Because apart from the pce maids and Leon, it was only her, whom she had physical contact with.


    "Hello my little grandchild¡­" She said with a shaky voice from trying to hold back her tears from falling.


    Soon she just felt big and sturdy hands soothe her back, it was the Emperor, who saw the scene as well.


    He tenderly looked towards Eli and asked, as he gently supported Queen Teh, "May I greet my grandchild as well?"


    "Sure your majesty," Eli replied with a clear smile. She looked towards Leon, asking if it was alright for the two to do this, only to see Leon nod peacefully.


    She let the old couple greet Little Han properly. Everyone gave them space in the gazebo, and let the family of five just have a moment with each other.


    The old couple cried in delight as they felt Little Han''s eagerness when they touched Eli''s womb.


    "Little Han has been so activetely, I can feel that he couldn''t wait to see everyone." Eli let out a helpless chuckle.


    Queen Teh brightened up and said, "It was the same when Leon was in my womb, he was so active in thete pregnancy, I thought that he would be a troublesome child after he came out."


    "However, look at him now! He was indeed troublesome but in another way." She begrudgingly pouted and looked towards Leon, who was slightly embarrassed that his mother queen was badmouthing him in front of Eli.


    "Well, indeed he could be a bit handful!" Eli let out a yful reply.


    "I know right? I''m sure he took that part of him from his father!" Queen Teh didn''t spare the Emperor''s dignity either.


    The two men awkwardly brushed their heads helplessly thinking, ''Whatever they say, just ept it! It would be chaos if we go against them..''


    The mood in the gazebo became light and cheery. After some time, Queen Teh said while sincerely holding Eli''s hands,


    "I have lived far too strained in the pce that I never wanted to get involved in the internal chaos within its walls¡­"


    "I thought as long as Iy low, as long as I would stay far from the limelight, I can protect my son, and I can lessen Valentin''s burden¡­" She said in deep regret and helplessness.


    "But today, I realized that even if I do those things, they would still harm the people around me without hesitation!" Anger shed in her eyes.


    Leon and Emperor Valentin stood still, their hearts were deeply surprised. It was the first time they saw Queen Teh truly angry.


    "This time, I will not hesitate to retaliate! I was not able to do it with my son, but I surely won''t let it happen to you and my grandchild!" Queen Teh said in determination.


    She looked towards Emperor Valentin and said with an apologetic tone, "I want to say sorry in advance if I would cause trouble in the future."


    Emperor Valentin shook his head gently, smiling in sweet surrender,


    "I didn''t bring you to the pce in the first ce toy low and be bullied by them. If any, it was my inability to protect the two of you unconditionally, that you have been suffering in my own pce."


    The Emperor and Leon looked towards the Queen with conflicted feelings.


    They were surprised that the Queen would finally use her authority in the pce but at the same time, they were also nervous because the Empress and the First Queen were not to be trifled with either.


    The rest of the day was spent catching up inside the cottage. The Emperor and the Queen really enjoyed the first day they spent with Eli.


    The more they talk to her, the more they thank the Creator for giving them a future daughter-inw like her.


    They just prayed that theplicated situation between her and Leon would be finally resolved.


    They also prayed that Leon would seed in courting Eli, of course.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After spending a pleasant day in Eli''s cottage, the old couple was then guided by Azayn in the Silver Dew Vige.


    Because they were still under the official duty to fulfill the renewal of the treaty, they had to stay in the vige for diplomatic and safety purposes.


    The next morning, Eli and Leon, along with the grandpas prepared to be transported to the Silver Dew Vige. The Chief of Silver Dew had also invited Eli, as he wanted to check her situation.


    It was her second timeing to the Silver Dew Vige. The first one was during the time when Azayn took her in for safety during the assault of the Spectres.


    The second time was today, in the renewal of the treaty. She looked toward Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Andi and Leon. From their expressions, she could tell that it wasn''t their first time either.


    Soon they were weed by Eirllon, the chief of the Silver Dew Elves, and the rest of the elders and officers of the vige.


    They all look so beautiful as if they were the embodiment of nature themselves. They were full of vitality and wisdom. Although wearing a reserved expression, Eli could feel that they were gentle beings.


    The way they look towards the humans present today were not that of contempt, but a look of mutual respect.


    They were soon led in the chief hall, towards the biggest treehouse in the vige. Upon entering the hall, Eli saw that the seats were set into two groups divided by the aisle.


    There were two big seats in the front facing the arranged seats along the aisle. The elves ushered them to their own seats. While Chief Eirllon and Emperor Valentin sat in the two special seats in front.


    When everyone was settled down the renewal of the treaty started.


    An Elder elf stood from his designated chair unto the tform and announced the text in the scroll.


    His old yet steady voice rang through the entire chief hall,


    "Today, on the end of the second cycle of the pact between the Silver Dew Elves and the Citizens of the Seirende Empire, the two racese together to rmit themselves to the contents of the covenant¡­"


    The elder started to read the contents of the treaty until he finally looked towards the two leaders and asked,


    "Two great leaders in this hall, do youmit to abide in the contents of this solemn covenant?"


    "Imit!" The two dered with full authority.


    The elder looked towards the audience area and said,


    "Distinguished guests, do youmit yourselves as a witness to the existence of the treaty between the two territories, between the two races?"


    "We hereby witness!" Eli and the others replied in chorus.


    The elder nodded and gestured for the representative of the Seirende Empire, Leon, to carry a tray of artifacts, a knife.


    Following him was a representative of the Elves, the masculine and handsome elf carrying arge staff with utmost care. It was none other than Koehthar, Azayn''s husband.


    Lastly the representative of the witnesses, an independent race among the two subjects of the treaty, Grandpa Andi of the dwarf race, carrying a golden goblet.


    "Now the three artifacts were brought here. Let the two leaders publicly dere the existence of the treaty!"


    After this announcement, Chief Eirllon and Emperor Valentin held the knife, took some blood from their thumb, and printed it on the scroll of the treaty.


    After that, the Chief ced the scroll inside the goblet, while Emperor Valentin used a little fire magic to light up the scroll.


    Everyone watched the goblet glow with the fire. However, the scroll was not burning to ashes. Eli was amazed by what she saw.


    Then the two leaders took the staff hand in hand and pointed it toward the burning goblet while saying,


    "With blood, let it symbolize our race dering total cooperation with each other!


    With the goblet of fire, let it symbolize our sincerity to uphold the treaty even when facing tribtions!


    Finally, with the staff let the guardians guide the two races to look after each other, as time goes by!"


    Dong!


    The staff was gently struck in the golden goblet and rang through the hall, immediately the fire was consumed by a white light.


    It lightened up the whole hall. Eli gently covered her eyes from the intense light waiting for it to subside.


    The moment she had finally opened her eyes, she found herself not in the chief hall but in a deste and dark forest.


    "Where is this? Where''s everyone?!" She tried to calm down and not panic, assessing the situation before reacting.


    "Leon! Azayn! Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Andi! Where are you!!" She called out as she walked around the area.


    However, she stumbled upon an ethereal-looking young man, with ck long hair wearing a white silk robe.


    He was sitting on a rock looking solitary as he waited patiently. He was holding a familiar-looking staff, it was the same one used as an artifact during the renewal of the treaty!


    The ethereal-looking young man suddenly looked in her direction, his dark silky long hair gently rolled in his shoulders while his silver eyes met Eli''s confused gaze.


    "Child! You''re finally here!"

 Chapter 76 Silver Dew

    ?Eli was startled, ''Who is this man?''


    However, before she opened her mouth to ask, a scrawny five year old child was excitedly running towards the young ethereal man.


    In his thin dusty hands were a bunch of colorful flowers, his bright dark eyes smiled as he waved his hands towards the young man happily.


    "Oh you brought me colors again!" The young man tenderly patted the child''s ck hair.


    Filled with delight, the little boy rested his body beside the man as he inquisitively pointed towards the colors of the flower.


    The young man gently conversed with him, patiently teaching him what the color of the flower the boy was pointing was.


    Eli soon noticed that the boy was mute.


    However, his eyes were so lovely and cheery, that even with his scrawny body, one would have an impression that the boy had a positive outlook in life.


    The sun had dimmed as it was about to rest for the day.


    The ethereal man then told the little boy, "Child, it''s gettingte, go home and take this."


    A set of fruits appeared in the young man''s hands, he gently handed it out to the little boy.


    The boy looked so happy as he alternately pointed out the color of the flower against the color of the fruits that the young man gave him. It was the same set of colors.


    "Uhn! Go on. Thank you for bringing me colors for today.." The ethereal man replied, brushing the little boy''s head one more time.


    It''s the moon''s turn to do its job in guarding the night. When the moonlight gently kissed the ethereal man''s skin, sparkles of silver light were born, freely flying up like dandelions in the wind.


    Not long after the ethereal looking man longingly looked up in the bright moon, a dark shadow stealthily approached him from behind.


    He was carrying a knife, pointing at the ethereal man''s back!


    "Watch out!" Eli cried in surprise. She ran to warn the young man who was just a few steps away from her however, no matter how she ran, she stayed in the same distance.


    Eli stood there in in shock, the scene was just unraveling in front of her. ''It seemed like I was transported yet again to a memory¡­'' She deduced.


    It was the second time that she had experienced this phenomena, the first one was during her witnessing of Elise''s life. Unwilingly stopping her effort to warn the man, she let out a sigh of regret.


    The figure speedily approached the ethereal man, who was still oblivious of the danger behind him.


    However, a small figure ran from Eli''s direction. It was the scrawny little boy earlier, he ran as fast as he could, reaching in just time¡­


    To shield the ethereal man from the sinister de.


    Ssssk!


    The ethereal man noticed the rushing figure toote. The moment he turned around to see what''s behind him was the time that the de had mercilessly pierced the tiny chest of the little boy.


    Crimson blood sshed to the ethereal man''s beautiful face and his pure white robe. His right hand had swiftly scooped the little boy in his arms while he waved his left hand to punish the assant.


    Arge wound appeared on the chest of the assant. But instead of crying out in pain, heughed sinisterly,


    "Foolish guardian! Howe you''ve be so weak?! Don''t tell me you are now wearing a mortal body?! Hahahaha! Too bad, I was not able to confirm it with my knife!" An eerie voice came out from the man''s body.


    His voice was far beyond what Eli would expect to hear from the man. The voice was so malevolent and ancient.


    ''Is the assant possessed?'' She wondered.


    The ethereal man didn''t bother to bicker in the figure. As if knowing who the being possessing the man was, he knew that the vessel it was using would no longer move and was on the verge of dying.


    He instead focused his attention to the scrawny little boy, who was convulsing in pain.


    Every little tremble he could feel from the little boy''s body, the ethereal man''s soul would cry, especially when he saw what were the objects, the little boy held desperately.


    It was a piece of stale bread and another bunch of colorful flowers.


    "Child, it''s alright, it''s alright¡­" He tried tofort the little child. Scooping him securely in his arms.


    Tears kept falling from the little child''s eyes, however he let out a struggling smile. With his remaining strength, the little boy forced himself to lift his fingers and gently point to the moon.


    The boy looked up towards the moon with a smile.


    His smile, along with the tears in his face and his trembling body was so painful to see. Eli couldn''t help but shiver in deep emotions.


    Who would want to see a little child die like this?! An innocent child!


    After the little child pointed his shivering finger to the moon, he let out another smile and gently wiped the tears just about to roll down from the ethereal man''s eyes.


    "Yes.. the moon and my eyes are both silver in color¡­" The ethereal man''s voice trembled in heartbreak.


    As soon as he mentioned the color of the moon and his eyes, he saw the boy''s weak fingers fall on the ground.


    His short life wass already gone¡­ Silver tears fell into his scrawny little face.


    "Tears? Hahahaha! The Foolish Guardian was already a mortal! Hahahaha!!" The voice from the dying body of the assantughed triumphantly.


    As if it had achieved its objective, the mysterious being possessing the assant''s body fled from the assant''s wounded heart.


    "Little child, I''m sorry I no longer have the power to heal you¡­" He said with sorrow in his whole appearance.


    "All I can do right now in this state is to secure your soul and send it to the Creator." He said as he held the staff beside him and activated it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A little white ball appeared from the little boy''s body. It was weak as it kept on struggling to shine with all its might. However, the dark miasma was emitting from a wound in its surface.


    Hopelessness shed through the ethereal man''s eyes, "Ahhh, it seemed that ''he'' was all out to bring chaos in every world!" Hemented.


    He brushed his head in despair as he uttered in tears, "It seemed that I have weakened so well that I couldn''t even cleanse your wounded soul!"


    He looked at the staff with a look of surrender, "Then I have no choice¡­"


    He held his staff, cupped the little boy''s wounded soul in his other hand and closed his eyes.


    Light shined from his heart and flowed through the hand that was holding the little soul.


    Eli could see that his beautiful face turned pale and colorless. His vitality was slowly draining.


    Pain could be seen in his eyes as he forced himself to transfer his remaining life to secure the little boy''s soul.


    Eli then saw that his body copsed on the ground without a strength to even hold his wand. However he still held the little soul, which now looked like a silk cocoon.


    "This is the least I can do." He said as drowsiness made his eyes droop weakly, his breaths became heavier as time went by.


    While he was on the verge of eternal sleep, two balls of light appeared, one in green and one in yellow.


    Then Eli heard a familiar worried voice call out to the ethereal man,


    "Asa!"


    The panicked voices came out from the orbs.


    Soon, two beings materialized into a figure Eli knew very well. It was Celeste and Sylvain, with their faces full of grief and sorrow.


    "Why did ite to this? Why didn''t you shout for help?" They asked in distress.


    "I can''t¡­ My body could no longer ess the guardian realm." the dying ethereal man, Asa, replied weakly.


    However, he still squeezed out whatever strength remained in his body and gave the silky cocoon to the two guardians.


    "It''s a little boy''s soul, it was wounded by the fallen being. I managed to injure him with thest of my divine power and he will surelyy low for a while." he said in a weak voice.


    "He is out there, he will never stop creating chaos¡­ Celeste, Sylvain, the mortals are in great danger¡­" He continued with his remaining few breaths.


    The two bore a devastated expression however, they couldn''t shed a tear.


    "Ah, brother Sylvain, will you let me rest in a ce full of colors?" he requested in a gentle smile, while his other hands reached out to the little boy''s cold body.


    "Uhn.. Anything you like." Sylvain replied with a hoarse voice.


    As soon as Sylvain gave his word, the Asa smiled, closing his eyes in peace.


    Celeste gently secured the cocoon as if it was the only thing that herrade Asa left behind.


    It was the first time Eli saw the reserved Celeste in such an emotional state.


    "Silvain, what do you think will happen to Asa''s spirit?" she said worriedly.


    Sylvain shook his head sorrowfully, "We were guardians to begin with, we are spiritual beings. Him turning into mortal was already out of our nature. If any, let us hope that the Overseer tells us the answer.."


    Sylvain didn''t dy any further. Raising his hand up in the sky, a gentle green light emitted from his whole body.


    It spread on the ground and expanded to his surroundings, until it reached to where Eli stood and watched, then far beyond what her eyes could ever see.


    Then she saw that wherever the light expands, vitality spreads, covering the deste and dark forest.


    The barren trees were now full of lush leaves and expansive branches, the grass and shrubs grew so full and healthy.


    The trees formed a circle, with the guardians at the center. Soon beautiful and colorful flowers grew as they filled the open space made by the circle of trees abundantly.


    "Buddy, I hope you liked this ce of rest. Soon, I will call upon my subjects to apany and guard you here." Sylvain uttered gently as he looked towards Asa onest time.


    Celeste clenched her heart in pain. Although they were guardians, they have feelings, and right now, it was an unbearable pain that they were experiencing.


    Asa''s lifeless body who was still holding the little boy''s hands, slowly descended into the bed of flowers.


    As if they have life, the flowers crawled all over their bodies and buried them gently underneath, until all Celeste, Sylvain and Eli could only see arge flowerfield.


    Sylvain took the staff that fell in the ground and ced it upright to the very ce Asa was resting.


    As soon as it was ced upright, the staff shined bright in white light, just like what happened during the renewal of the treaty.


    Eli then again covered her eyes from the blinding light.


    Few moments have passed, she found herself kneeling at the center of the flowerfield, her heart full of sorrows, her face crying rivers of tears.


    "Eli!" A worried voice awakened her from her emotional state. She slowly turned her head towards the direction of the frantic voice.


    It was Leon, covered in sweat, his face full of worry and fear.


    He ran towards Eli and gently covered her shivering body in his warm embrace.

 Chapter 77 Indigestion

    ?"Leon.." Still recovering from the bizarre experience, Eli softly called out between her sniffles.


    Leon gently cupped Eli''s face to see if she was hurt. Taking out a handkerchief, he carefully whipped Eli''s pale and tear stricken face, "Sush.."


    "Goodness young Eli!" The grandpas, now trio grandpas, with Chief Eirllon joining the grandpa gang, eximed with concern.


    "What happened?"


    "Why are you here? Eh, why is the artifact staff here?!!"


    "We''ve been looking for you right after the ceremony but you were nowhere to be found!"


    The three grandpas worriedly threw Eli a lot of questions.


    Leon on the other hand, was busy checking Eli''s body if she had been injured or hurt. Finally, he bent downward and carried Eli up.


    He nced inquisitively towards Chief Eirllon and asked in a respectful manner, "May I trouble the Chief to help me have a check on Eli''s physical condition?"


    "Uhn,e this way.." Chief Eirllon suppressed his many questions as Eli''s condition came first.


    Soon they came into Azayn''s receiving room and had her check Eli''s condition.


    "You''re fine, the pulse is good, Little Han is also well. But be careful with your emotional state. It will greatly affect Little Han." Azayn dered her diagnosis calmly, albeit awkwardly.


    Because her little clinic was actually filled with people, especially the Emperor, the Second Queen and the three grandpas, not to mention Leon and Kayden who were silently waiting on one corner.


    "I.. I feel like it wasn''t my emotions earlier." Eli replied with a puzzled look.


    Surely, the vision she had witnessed was so soul stirring, enough to make her emotional. However, she knew to herself that she wouldn''t feel that level of grief she was feeling the moment she awakened from the vision.


    "Child, can you tell this old one what really happened?" Chief Eirllon asked slowly with a mystified expression.


    Eli''s sudden disappearance, as well as the sudden acting up of the artifact staff, wasn''t merely a coincidence, he believed. He must ask Eli what really happened.


    "I¡­" Eli replied full of uncertainty.


    She looked at the Chief with panic. In this room, only him and Azayn were the ones who knew a thing or two about her connection with the guardians.


    Fortunately, Eirllon immediately understood that Eli was in a predicament. He respectfully faced the rest of the personalities in the room, gave a light bow, and requested,


    "Your Majesty Emperor, Grandmasters and the rest, it seems that what happened had a strong connection to the information regarding our elven vige. I hope that you pardon me in requesting a private conversation with young Eli.."


    Everyone paused in silence, hesitation and unwillingness appeared on their worried expressions.


    Emperor Valentin, examined Eli''s expression very well, when he saw the determination in her eyes, he gave a heavy sigh and said,


    "Very well¡­ However¡­" He paused.


    "If the matter deeply exposed Eli and my future grandchild in extreme danger, do give us, Eli''s family, the right to know." He replied, emphasizing without reserve Eli''s rtions with the Imperial family.


    Although astonished with the assertive im of the Emperor, the Chief gave an assuring nod.


    Seeing that the Emperor himself conceded, everyone followed the suit and exited the room. They all casted a hesitant look towards Eli. But they only saw a gentle and assuring smile from her.


    Now that everyone had given them privacy, Chief Eirllon snapped his fingers.


    Eli found that a little dome of green light suddenly enveloped her and the Chief, who was now calmly sitting in her bedside.


    "This was an istion array. You may talk freely and without fear now Young Eli." Chief Eirllon said with kindness in his eyes.


    "You see, Chief Eirllon, the moment you and the Emperor used the artifact staff, my whole surrounding was filled with a blinding light." Eli recounted the events slowly.


    She looked towards the Chief and continued, "Then, when I was able to finally see my surroundings I found myself in an unfamiliar ce¡­ I saw a guardian named.. Asa.. I also saw Sylvain and Celeste.."


    Eli proceeded to exin the vivid details of what happened in the vision she witnessed. She didn''t miss out a single detail because she really had a feeling that there was definitely a purpose why she had experienced this.


    As to why, she would be blessed if the chief had an answer today. If not, she trusts that she will know the answer in the future.


    The more Chief Eirllon listened, the more his eyes disyed amazement, puzzlement and nostalgia, all at the same time.


    He was amazed that a human could witness a vision like that.


    He was puzzled because he couldn''t understand the reason why, of all people in the witness area, it was Eli that had been granted by the staff to see a shard of its memory.


    Finally he was feeling nostalgic, because the story was really close to its heart.


    Smiling lightly, he then started to exin what Eli saw,


    "What you have witnessed was actually a shard of the memory of the artifact staff. Alternatively, you can also call it a legend of how this Silver Dew Forest came about."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He then let out a troubled sigh and continued, "As to the reason why you experienced this, I also do not know why. I do not know the reason why the artifact showed the memory to you¡­"


    "Lastly, the spot where you have been found, was actually the very same spot where the body of Lord Asa, the Guardian of Mortal Time, was resting peacefully."


    "Guardian of Mortal Time?" Eli asked curiously.


    "Before he went to eternal sleep, he was the gatekeeper of the heavenly realm. Before a soul in Prasinos could enter the realm, Lord Asa will be the one to check the life ones soul had lived. He will be also the one who opens which gate the soul could enter..."


    Eli nodded in acknowledgement. From her understanding, it seemed like Asa was like a guardian who judges the soul if he or she could enter the heavenly realms.


    She also thought, maybe because of his demise, that she encountered the Great One instead, prior to her descent in Prasinos.


    Could it be that the heavenly realms was understaffed?


    She couldn''t help but wonder.


    Eli continued to ask a few questions regarding Guardian Asa, especially as to why he was buried in a public ce like the flowerfield, which was actually a yground for the elf children.


    "Ah, it was because Lord Asa had long wantedpanions. Lord Sylvain thought that maybe in his rest, he would find the presence of our elvenmunity a goodpanion for him." Eirllon patiently answered Eli''s question one by one.


    After their conversation, Azayn once again checked her condition before leading her out.


    The event after the renewal of treaty was actually a day-long banquet.


    Everyone enjoyed what the elven vige had prepared.


    Freshly harvested fruits, specially brewed wine, purest fruit juice, rarest and the most tender meat hunted by the strongest elven men. The Silver Dew Elves went all out in hosting the banquet.


    The sound of dancing, the lively music of the lyre and tambourine filled the whole vige. Children happily ran as they cutely held flowerncrowns and gands with their tiny hands.


    They went around the area and offered the flowers towards the guests with a bright smile.


    Eli was also happily enjoying the atmosphere, beside her was the ever attentive Leon.


    While she was absentmindedly picking up the slices of fruits Leon carefully ced on her te, she found herself caught in a deep trance.


    Leon saw her staring nkly towards the happy crowd. He let out a smile and he gently asked, "What''s on your mind?"


    Startled, Eli looked up to see Leon''s handsome face wearing a gentle expression, suddenly she felt self conscious from his deep gaze.


    Feeling her cheeks hot, she slowly looked down towards her te and said,


    "I-i was just thinking how it was so ironic. The elven people weed us very well today, but why do they have a restrained rtionship to humans in general?"


    Leon raised his brow in surprise, however on a second thought, he found it natural for Eli to wonder about these things. She was originally from another world and didn''t know the mysteries in Prasinos.


    He let out a helpless smile and gave a brief answer, "It was because there was a time humans repeatedly attempted to invade and own the Silver Dew Forest."


    "Oh.." Eli replied understandably.


    Now that she knew that Silver Dew Forest was actually a ce of rest for Guardian Asa, it was natural for the elves to get angry at humans who tried to disturb the guardian''s resting ce.


    Thinking that Eli''s reply was a little restrained, Leon added, "When Ie back to the capital, I''ll bring you the history books from the Empire''s library¡­"


    "Errr, you don''t have to do that. What if the officials and schrs needed those to read??" Eli replied embarrassedly.


    "It''s fine, it could also be good training for you." He said in a mischievous tone.


    Remembering the ''special'' training regimen Leon had prescribed for her, she pouted and resentfully looked at Leon, "You are actually abusing your power as my trainer to bury me in a pile of books!"


    Seeing Eli''s using expression, Leon couldn''t help but find it cute. He let out a beautiful smile, his light chuckle almost made the whole banquet pause.


    "Did you witness our son''s expression??" Queen Teh whispered towards Emperor Valentin with wide eyes.


    "I saw it too, my eyes really didn''t deceive me.." Emperor Valentin also replied in amazement.


    "It''s the first time I saw himugh like that¡­" The Queen uttered tearfully.


    Oblivious to the attention other people had given to the two of them, Eli suddenly felt a painful sensation in her lower abdominal area.


    She grimaced in pain.


    However, the pain was actually just for a brief moment and soon it was gone. The sensation was different when Little Han would be so active and ''kick'' around inside her womb.


    Leon also saw Eli''s sudden change in expression, he worriedly asked, "Is anything wrong?"


    Eli shook her head and said with a straightface, "I might have enjoyed myself too much and suffered indigestion."

 Chapter 78 My Water Broke

    ?Leon raised his brow skeptically, "Are you sure?"


    "Uhm, I might just take a little break from eating then.." Eli replied as she took onest sip of the fruit juice served to her.


    Leon then gently assisted Eli to rest her back in her seat. It was a seat especially made for herfort, since she was already at thete stage of pregnancy.


    Eli calmly rested her body in the chair while still enjoying the lively atmosphere of the banquet.


    However, after about thirty minutes, another wave of pain crept in her lower abdomen and back. "Hiss!"


    She slowly straightened up her back, rubbing it to ease the difort.


    She became worried, her instinct was already telling her that it wasn''t just a simple indigestion. ''Am I suffering from Braxton Hicks or Labor contractions?''


    Eli felt nervous, she prayed that what she was experiencing was only braxton hicks. It happens when her own body prepares itself from the actual childbirth process, by preparing the muscles around the pelvic area and the cervix.


    She had just entered her eighth month of pregnancy!


    If she went onbor today, then Little Han would be a premature baby!


    If she was actually in the modern world, she could at least feel a little bit of assurance because the medical technology was already advanced to properly care for a premature baby.


    But here in Prasinos, medical advancement was still a far fetched dream.


    She took a deep breath and tried to rx. ''Calm down, calm down¡­''


    She looked around to see if Azayn was still at the banquet. However, Azayn was busy hosting the banquet in ce of her father.


    She was really unsure of what to do. But she thought that it would be best for her to go home, so that she would at least feel calm and rxed in the cottage.


    Leon also felt Eli''s sudden movement and saw that her face that was filled with uncertainty.


    "What''s the matter?" Lowering his head, he asked in a gentle tone.


    Eli hesitated for a while. But after thinking it through, she decided to trust Leon and replied, "I am feeling ufortable, do you think I could request to go home early?"


    Leon widened his eyes in shock, his crystal blue eyes filled with worry and said, "I''ll go call Azayn or at least Kayden¡­" He then proceeded to stand up.


    But before he could fully leave, Eli grasped the hem of his clothes and gently shook her head,


    "I am too embarrassed to bother them and I am also worried that it might be inappropriate for you to leave the banquet early."


    Knowing that Azayn and Kayden yed a big role as the children of Chief Eirllon, while Leon have to escort the Emperor and Queen, Eli didn''t want to cause amotion, so she tried to stop Leon.


    Seeing the hesitation in Eli''s eyes, Leon slowly sat again and cupped the hands that were sping the hem of his suit.


    "You do not need to worry about those things. See, everyone here understood your condition. If they were really unavable, I will just ask the Grandmasters to keep an eye on the Emperor and Queen while I escort you back to our home."


    Even though Eli hesitated, she reluctantly agreed to Leon''s proposal.


    Face matters but Little Han matters more!


    She couldn''t expose Little Han to danger just because she was too sensitive to think about how she troubled the people who genuinely cared for her.


    Seeing that he sessfully coaxed Eli, Leon smiled so tenderly and gently brushed Eli''s baby hair around her forehead. The sensation brought by the light touch of his fingers gave Eli a wave of electricity.


    It made her heart skip a beat.


    "Stay there and wait for me. If you feel ufortable again, call for help." Leon was not aware of the effect of the little skinship he did.


    He immediately stood up and talked to Azayn and Kayden first, then to the Emperor and Queen, then to the grandpas.


    All of them wore a worried expression. Eli watched as they all showed a face of concern and nodded with assurance.


    While Leon was conversing with them to ask for permission, Azayn and Kayden came to check her up.


    After describing the sensation she was feeling, Azayn replied and said, "I really pray that it was actually just your body adjusting to childbirth, for it may evene as early as your second trimester¡­"


    Pausing for a while, a hint of anxiety appeared in her green eyes and continued, "Time the waves of pain, keep track of it. Be also on the lookout if you observe that the interval between the waves is getting closer¡­"


    She gave a paper spell to Eli and said,


    "If you noticed that the pain was already happening as frequently as five minutes, tear this paper down. If you also manage to notice a gush of liquid flow from you, do not hesitate to tear this paper down. I''lle for you immediately!"


    Azayn held Eli''s hands tight until she saw Eli nod in acknowledgement. She also prescribed some meditation and rxation tips for Eli to do whenever the wave of paines.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While they were doing this, Kayden also advised many things to Leon to assist Eli when the timees.


    Soon, Leon came back with affirmation and they were led to the portal. They immediately used it to go back home.


    "Master! Prince Master! Wee home!" Baobao and Wisey greeted the two home. They smiled so cheerfully like little puppies weing their masters after a day of not seeing them home.


    "Uhn! Have you been doing well at home?" Eli replied while Leon just gave a nod.


    "Yes! Oh Olivier and the bunch were just bickering outside!" Wisey replied.


    "Your Master is not feeling well, that''s why we left earlier¡­" Leon said calmly.


    A worried look appeared on the two furry buddies'' faces. "What shall we do, Prince Master?"


    "Just look after her for a while, I''ll prepare some things." He replied.


    "Hiss! Ahh!!" Eli cried in pain, before Leon could even bring her to sit.


    "Are you alright?" Leon asked in distress.


    "It''s just a sudden wave of pain, probably¡­" Eli said, still grimacing in pain. "Azayn said, we need to record the interval and duration of the pain.."


    Leon immediately took a pen and paper, then recorded as requested.


    He frantically looked for a ce for Eli to sit and rx. However, on the waves of pain Eli was experiencing, she opted to move, stand up, walk or change position, trying to ease the sensation of pain.


    Leon felt so helpless, seeing Eli move around, bend over, and agonize in pain as she held her stomach. All he could do was to rub her back to try to soothe her and wipe the rolling beads of sweat in her face.


    It went like this until sun down, everyone in the house were so tensed and panicked. Everyone could hear Eli''s groans of pain, however, they couldn''t do anything but to wait until their help was needed.


    "Why is it like this?" Eli was already panicking. "It was still too early..why?"


    Leon couldn''t answer a word and justforted her. At this moment, the contraction interval was already down to six or seven minutes and the pain was alreadysting for almost a minute.


    "Hooosshh! Haaaa!" Eli tried to breathe through the pain that had now intensified for who knows how many times.


    She felt like her abdomen was on fire and at the same time, on ice. Her muscles were tightening painfully, her lower back was shouting that it was in distress.


    "Little Han, must youe out this early?" She couldn''t help but shout aloud.


    "Baby, your body is not ready yet¡­ please¡­" She didn''t know if it was because of the pain, or it was because of her fear of Little Han being born prematurely, that Eli was now starting to cry miserably.


    Leon couldn''t help but hold her in his embrace, gently wiping the tears in her already colorless face, "Sush¡­. Sushhh, "


    Eli leaned on Leon''s sturdy shoulders, she wasn''t concerned about how intimate they looked at this moment,. All she had in mind was her deep prayers that nothing will happen to her baby Little Han.


    "Great Father please, I know you could see us from there. Please do not let Little Han suffer." She weakly uttered her prayers, while resting her weary body into Leon''s embrace.


    However, it seemed like the Great One had set this situation for her as a hurdle she needed to ovee¡­


    Instead of feeling calm after the wave of unimaginable pain, what she felt next was a gush of warm liquid flowing from her lower body.


    "Ahhh," Eli shivered in hopelessness, another wave of heartbreaking tears rolled in her pale face. She looked towards Leon, oveed with fear and wailed,


    "Leoon¡­. My water just broke¡­"


    Leon froze for a moment, but he quickly got himself together seeing that Eli was already emotionally affected.


    Without hesitation, he tore Azayn''s notification slip with a message, "Her water broke."


    --


    In the heavenly realm, the Great One, d in the purest white of all stared toward a screen, on his lower left a hovering healthy orb.


    After a few seconds five guardians appeared beside him, asking, "You summoned us, Holy Overseer?"


    The Great One looked towards the five guardians andstly towards the healthy orb soul.


    With a gentle and happy tone he said to the healthy orb, "My dear child, this is my gift for you before you enter into paradise."


    Then to everybody he announced with an excited tone. "Everyone, it''s time. My appointed time hase!"

 Chapter 79 That Night, The Prince Knelt

    ?"What to do¡­" Eli shivered in panic.


    Leon could feel the fear all over Eli''s body. He closed his eyes, toughened up his heart and carried Eli gently into the birthroom he, Baobao and Wisey had prepared.


    Kayden specifically advised him to do this, just in case. The room had to be convenient, secure and well ventted.


    While he was doing this, the portal reacted and transported Kayden and Azayn back to the cottage, they had Queen Teh in tow.


    Azayn immediately looked towards Wisey who was waiting for them, "Where is your master, Wisey?"


    "Come Lady Azayn, Prince Master had already brought her to the birthing room.


    Without dying a second, they proceeded towards the room.


    There, they could hear Eli''s cries from the pain of thebor contractions. Her body was already covered in cold sweats, while her face wet with tears


    "Third Prince, let me check her for a while." Azayn asked for everyone to go out.


    Checking Eli''s pulse and condition, she held Eli''s hands to encourage her, "Eli, do not panic. Your body is built to give birth, remember that. Don''t let the fear and pain ovee you.."


    Hearing Azayn''s encouragement she nodded and started to meditate in her mind that she must not fear.


    "Do not worry about anything else and focus on breathing¡­ Unfortunately, we still need to observe you for a while because your cervix is not yet ready. Please, bear the pain a little more¡­"


    Azayn had Queen Teh, who had also experienced giving birth to assist her on the side. Queen Teh coached Eli like a mother would.


    With them around, Eli''s heart calmed down. She stared up at the ceiling and said in her heart,


    "Great Father, if this is really the time, then I willpletely entrust you with our lives..."


    --


    Outside the birthing room, Leon nervously squatted beside the door, his princely image long gone. He was like a war general waiting for a verdict in the middle of a losing battle.


    It''s been two hours since Azayn and the rest came, after waiting for an hour, he had already heard that Eli started to enter into thebor phase.


    His hands clenched tight to a fist, the more he heard Eli''s cries, the more his heart was stirring in worry.


    "Eli, Eli, hang on! Keep breathing¡­"


    He heard his mother''s anxious voice. He saw Kayden run back and forth from whatever Azayn had him bring.


    "One, two, three.. Push!" Azayn''s voice was already hoarse yet it was still loud enough to ensure that she got Eli''s attention.


    "Ahhh!!!" Eli''s weary voice rang out.


    Kayden patted Leon''s shoulder, giving him an encouraging look he said, "Hang in there just a little bit more, she can do this."


    Nodding his head in acknowledgement, he continued to stay still and solemn. His heart praying that Eli and Little Han would not be in any danger.


    "Eli, Eli¡­ look at me¡­ keep looking!"


    "Breathe breathe!"


    "Stay with us! Eli, Eli!"


    The voices of the two women then rang with an obvious trace of panic.


    "KAYDEN!!!" Azayn shouted in trepidation. "Kayden, Kayden!!


    Kayden opened the door with haste and saw what had been happening inside.


    Tears were already brimming in Azayn''s face as she looked at Kayden not knowing what to do, "Brother, she''s losing strength.."


    Kayden looked at the bloodied Azayn, the trembling Queen Teh, and the pale Eli who was on the verge of losing consciousness.


    No longer minding the difference between men and women, he walked towards Eli and checked her pulse and breathing. A deep frown and worry appeared on his gentle face.


    Eli and Little Han''s life might be danger.


    She couldn''t hear anything no matter how they called out, she didn''t have any strength to even roll her eyes to see who was around.


    Her body temperature was dropping fast and her pulse was slowing down in a rapid phase.


    "Keep your position, I''ll help her push!" Kayden instructed Azayn, as he positioned himself in Eli''s side and tried to assist her in pushing.


    He didn''t forget to try to wake her senses up with a warm brown sugar water and egg, to replenish her energy.


    Leon had followed him in the room. Having witnessed everything, he could feel like he was falling into the depths of an abyss.


    His proud and strong shoulders were violently pressed with the cold reality that no matter how he made himself strong, man''s life was still in the Creator''s hands.


    What could he do? What could he offer? He didn''t know.


    Magic?


    They could use this if Eli was simply injured, however Little Han would be greatly affected at this moment.


    Potion?


    Still the same, it will jeopardize the lives of the mother and child.


    Riches? Power? Will that mean anything when Eli and Little Han perish?


    He stood like a fool, upon realizing that the weight of the world falling down on his shoulders was too much for him to bear.


    Closing his eyes, he knelt without a care. He looked towards the sky, with his crystal blue eyes wet with helpless tears. Clenching his heart that was in great pain, he uttered his prayers of surrender.


    --<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh, Great Creator,


    The one who had blessed every victor.


    You may not heard of my prayers for a long time now,


    As I found myself drifting away from you somehow.


    If my hand was this bloodied, would I still be worthy,


    To hold my love and my baby so dearly?


    Will you grant me the chance to be a good father,


    And live my life for you in sweet surrender?


    Hear us from heaven,


    Oh, the One who looks from above!


    See, our hearts were deeply threatened,


    Wash it all away with your unfailing love.


    Oh, Powerful One, who had given us favor upon favors!


    Sent Eli''s soul from another world to be Little Han''s savior.


    Once again, let us witness Your might and glory!


    Oh, send us a miracle that will go down in history!"


    --


    "Aaaaaaaaaah!!!" Eli, having regained a little bit of strength from the sugar water and egg, poured out every bit of her remaining strength to push onest time.


    With the help of Kayden, who was applying the perfect amount of pressure at the right part of her stomach, Eli could feel that Little Han''s little body was slowly making its way out in this new world.


    Azayn who was giving her one hundred percent focus finally held a little baby. Turning Little Han''s body upside down, she gently flicked his tiny toe.


    "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa! Uwaaaaa!" A tiny and fragile baby cry was heard in the birthing room and in the whole cottage.


    Everyone felt like time stopped for a moment.


    Olivier and the bunch who were solemnly sping their hands in worry, now had a look of relief on their faces as they heard Little Han''s cry.


    Queen Teh, who had ceaselessly held Eli''s hand was trembling violently as she let out a cry of assurance.


    Kayden, who had been mentally preparing himself to conduct the worst case scenario, the C-section procedure, sat down limply on the floor.


    Azayn couldn''t help but shed out a tear as she announced with great joy,


    "He''s a healthy boy¡­ Little Han is a healthy boy.."


    Leon, who had been in a trance upon hearing little Han''s first cry, bowed his head low on the floor.


    It was not a sign of giving up his dignity superficially, but a sign of his deepest gratitude towards the Great One who had heard his unworthy prayers.


    "Thank you.. Thank you.. Thank you...!" He uttered ceaselessly trembling in relief and happiness.


    Eli, who was panting heavily and deeply weary, let out a whimper of joy, "My baby.."


    Her body shook in deep emotions as the shes of events kept repeating in her mind.


    From the moment she first woke up in the bed made of leaves and grass, the first day he met Little Han.


    From the moment she first met the guardians and awakened her magic. From the moment she first saw this cottage and lived with Wisey and Baobao.


    From the moment she explored Silvertown and met her greatest pirs of support. From the moment she met Azayn.


    From the moment she decided to stay at her study table for long hours to research and prepare for everything that would help her and Little Han.


    Then came Leon, who inserted himself in the family picture.


    Letting her realize that there''s more to her than bing just Little Han''s mother.


    He brought worries, he brought assurance. He brought her support, and even brought his heart.


    In her previous life she only had her mum by her side. But here, she had many people who took her in as a family.


    All of these things made her realize the journey of her pregnancy was a hard yet meaningful one.


    And now she was looking at the reason for it all, the sweetest reason for everything...


    On a random summer night, when the pce bells rang so loudly all throughout the capital of the Seirende Empire.


    There lies a small yet beautiful cottage, within the borders of the Silver Dew Forest.


    A young woman named Eli, tearfully hugged a little bundle of joy with great care.


    On her side, a well known cold blooded Prince named Leon, looking at them so dearly, as he tenderly wiped her weary face.


    With his crystal blue eyes, he lovingly looked towards the mother and son


    Smiling with relief, he announced to everyone,


    "Tonight, my son, Johann Asher De Seirende, was born!"

 Chapter 80 The Most Fabulous God Parents Visit

    ?The morning light gently and happily shone in Eli''s warm cottage.


    Everyone felt like the world was rejoicing with them as they weed Little Han into the world.


    After a few hours of rest, Azayn and Queen Teh checked Eli and Little Han''s condition.


    The mother and son were peacefully sleeping in the birthing bed, while the father was also lying with his hands as a pillow, on the bedside.


    It was such a warm family picture, as the sunshine gently lightened up their area.


    The two women smiled warmly and with relief. They were about to go back outside so as to give the little family more time to rest.


    However, Eli''s sleepy eyes fluttered open and saw the two of them.


    "Azayn, Her Highness.." Eli greeted them as she gently tried to sit from the bed.


    Pain suddenly crept from her lower back, it made her lose her strength immediately.


    "Oh no, Eli! Do not be so hasty in moving, your body has not yet recovered!" Azayn said in panic.


    Leon, who immediately woke up the moment he felt Eli''s rustle, looked at the two women. Greeting them with gratitude and respect, he immediately attended to Eli''s request to sit up.


    "It''s good that you are attentive. This moment is the most crucial for young Eli, so you have to be consistent with your care!"


    Queen Teh couldn''t be more proud of how her son was behaving. Although she felt happy, she still warned him sternly.


    "Yes, Mother Queen." Leon replied obediently.


    Azayn took a look at Eli''s physical condition. After taking her pulse she exined the things she needed on her diet and the prohibited actions she must not take for a while.


    "I pray that noplications would arise, but as for now, your condition is good. You can even finish recuperating after a month." She said with a smile.


    Azayn then proceeded to look towards Little Han, she couldn''t help but sigh in amazement.


    Although Little Han was healthy, he was still a preterm baby. It means that his development inside the womb was not yetplete.


    She saw Little Han, sleeping so peacefully in a crystal blue shell, adorably wrapped with the softest swaddle cloth.


    The heavens had blessed them indeed!


    What Little Han needed was exactly this type of magical item! What''s more, it was a legendary item, the mermaid''s cradle!


    Mermaids are very sentimental people. The cradle of their offspring would never be given so casually on a stranger, especially a human! They would rather grind them to be a material to their jewelry and weapons than give them away for another person to use.


    But Eli managed to get this item! Eli is really as mysterious as much as she is amazing!


    "Ack..aaah.." Little Han let out a whimper.


    He was so tiny, his eyes were still closed and he looked very vulnerable. His immature head moved up and down seemingly looking for something.


    Azayn let out a smile and looked excitedly towards Eli, "It''s time for you to give your son his first meal~~"


    She also did not forget to give a meaningful and teasing look towards Leon.


    Hearing Azayn''s words and seeing the way she looked at him, Leon''s body awkwardly jolted and his ears went red. He dared not to look at Eli at this moment.


    "Pfft!" Queen Teh couldn''t help butugh, however she still gave her son a way out and said, "Go and prepare the meal for Eli, she will need a lot of nourishment to feed Little Han too!"


    His mother''s order was like good news to his ears, he stood straight and robotically walked out of the room.


    Eli looked troubled, as she saw that Azayn was about to let her carry Little Han to breastfeed. She couldn''t help but look at Azayn''s and Queen Teh''s ''blessed'' chests. She couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    "What''s the matter?" Seeing her dejected expression, the two asked worriedly.


    Eli looked pitifully on her not so blessed chest, with doubt in her eyes she uttered, "I think Little Han will be malnourished because of me¡­"


    The two women froze, after a few seconds they let out a crisp series ofughter as they found Eli''s concern hrious!


    "Hahahaha! You have woken up my weary body fully awake now Eli!" Azayn kept teasing her friend.


    "Young Eli, your worries are unfounded¡­ With the right nourishment, you will also be able to feed Little Han sufficiently¡­" Queen Teh who was stillughing lightly gave Eli an assuring look.


    "Right, right! So don''t worry but hurry! Little Han is hungry!" Azayn said while gently transferring Little Han, who was already grumpy due to hunger, in Eli''s warm embrace.


    Eli sloppily assumed the breastfeeding position. Little Han instinctively got his milk from his mommy.


    Soon, the frown on Little Han''s face vanished without a trace, he continued to drink until he would be satisfied.


    Since it was Eli''s first time feeding a newborn, her form was still far from what is proper.


    She could feel that her hand was already hurting from holding Little Han so stiffly. Also, she doesn''t even know how to know when Little Han had enough.


    Luckily, Queen Teh and Azayn guided her step by step. Not long after, she started to get a hang of it, only then she found it as an enjoyable experience.


    She now had the focus to observe Little Han''s features.


    He was cute and adorable, although his face generally looked like all other babies. She could hardly trace a resemnce yet from Elise''s and Leon''s features. Could it be because Little Han was still premature?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She looked at her baby, thinking deeply. But a thought suddenly sank into her mind and made her dejected.


    "Little Han''s hair, seems to be also ck.." She uttered with a darkened face.


    She had been praying daily that Little Han would inherit Leon''s features so as to spare him from the dangers of possessing the Asani''s characteristics. Because she would be assured that he will not be targeted.


    "But regardless, I still love him as he is. I will protect him at all costs!" She announced, at the same time saying it to her heart.


    "Uhn! But don''t worry Eli, babies tend to really look like that at first. His features will be apparent soon enough. We cannot say anything this early." Queen Teh encouraged Eli, fully understanding what she meant.


    Eli gave a smile and nodded.


    After feeding Baby Han, Azayn and Queen Teh joined forces to clean her body this time. Eli was so embarrassed she had been red all over, profusely thanking the two of going out of their way to do this.


    Azayn was considered the princess of the Silver Dew Elves, while Queen Teh was a member of the Imperial Family. But these two acted like they weren''t a distinguished person and took care of her wholeheartedly.


    "Jeez, you have already thanked us enough! Just lie down and recuperate. Call us or Leon, if you could feel that Little Han wants milk, so we can help you get up." Azayn finally replied after ensuring that Eli was cleaned well.


    Leon entered the room and announced, "Her room is ready."


    He bent and gently picked up Eli with his strong body. Eli, who was nowpletely rxed suddenly felt a huge wave of shyness all over her body.


    Resting close to Leon''s broad chest, her nose managed to catch a whiff of his scent. It was delicate, yet manly. Smell of a man who wields a sword made to protect, not to kill.


    Leon on the other hand tried his best to shut his loud beating heart down. ''What''s with my heart? What if Eli managed to hear this?''


    He hasted his steps and immediatelyid her with great care into her room. After assuring that she wasfortably resting on her bed, he immediately distanced himself and said,


    "I-i will get Little Han too.." Then he immediately stormed off. His bright red ears were on the verge of emitting smoke.


    Leon went back to the room after a few seconds, then awkwardly put Little Han on Eli''s inner side of the bed.


    Once again he stormed off and entered with a tray of nourishing food to feed Eli.


    Two exchanged a weird look.


    "I think I can feed myself.." Eli suggested.


    "No, you need to recuperate." Leon replied ufortably.


    "Just eat, don''t care about anything else." He said while carefully scooping a spoonful of soup.


    Leon and Eli could feel that their cheeks were heating up. They both prayed that the other wouldn''t notice their nervousness.


    Eli was about to let out another protest but a tiny grumble was heard on her stomach. She let out a chuckle of embarrassment and said, "I guess it really can''t be helped."


    She awkwardly drank the soup that was brought by Leon.


    The two didn''t know how, but they managed to finish the food on the tray.


    "Thank you for the food.." Eli said meekly.


    "Uhn, call me if anything," Leon carefully fixed the utensils and was about to stand to go out, when a sh of light appeared in the room.


    "Ohohoho¡­ My godson is looking so awesome in that cradle!!!" An arrogant voice sounded from the blinding light.


    Soon, Zale appeared with his signature topless outfit. He flicked his hands and the cradle responded by floating near the guardians.


    They all leaned forward and looked at the sleeping Little Han with adoration on their faces.


    "Hmmm..hmmm this is quite an achievement for you, I must admit." Sylvain was the next one to appear. He addressed the words to Leon and Eli.


    "Eli, congrattions!" Celeste said with a happy expression.


    "Eli, did great!" Amihan said with a childish expression, immediately leaning close to Little Han.


    "E---h sir Za..en sir Zaen.." Eli greeted with panic. Leon was still here. Why did the guardians show themselves like this?


    "Do not bother, Eli.. He must know, because only by that, we will be recognized as godparents right?" Celeste brought out a book named parenting 101 and flipped on a page pertaining to godparents.


    "Great guardians! Greetings!" Eli said in surprise, her brow twitching from the enthusiasm of the four.


    Leon who was shocked out of his wits, also knelt with reverence and greeted ceremoniously.


    "Greetings, Esteemed Guardians of Prasinos!"


    "Don''t bother, don''t bother¡­ we are just here to give our godchild his allowance!" Sylvain said nonchntly.


    He waved his hands and a big pouch containing countless colourful gems appeared on the bedside.


    The impact made the gems casually roll in the ground.


    Leon, although stillposed with his cold blooded expression, uttered astoundingly, "Supreme grade mana stones!"

 Chapter 81 Can I Apply Too?

    ?"Uhn, we just casually picked it up in our garden. Tell me if you want more!" Sylvain nonchntly replied. Two crescent moons formed with his deep green eyes.


    "T-this.. Lord Sylvain, it''s too much for us¡­" Eli replied with hesitation.


    Now that she knew the real value of the gems they have casually given to her before, she dared not to ept them so easily.


    "Indeed, Esteemed Guardians, your favor upon our family was enough for us.." Leon also replied with respect. He slightly bowed in gratitude.


    "No bother!! We know it will be a great use especially for you. Aren''t you spending all your life savings already to go to Silvertown back and forth just to visit Eli?" Celeste was the one who answered, casting Leon a knowing nce.


    Leon''s body went stiff. Celeste struck the right point. However, it was a stuff he didn''t want Eli to hear because he knew that Eli would feel guilty because of that.


    True enough, upon hearing this thing, Eli shot him a questioning look.


    Helpless about this matter he gently brushed the back of his head in embarrassment. After a moment, he bowed in gratitude towards the guardians.


    "I, Leon Andrae de Seirende, thank you with all my heart for these gifts."


    "No worry¡­ for Little Han and Eli.. they need you!" Amihan shyly replied.


    "Ohh.. anyways we have another one here who wants to apply as Little Han''s godfather!!" Zale then pulled someone that had been hiding behind them.


    He was another fairy looking deity. But his hair was as hot as a fiery me. His eyes were blue, as intense as the bluest fire. His expression was calm, yet one cannot take away their attention from his intense blue eyes.


    Eli looked towards Leon, then towards the fiery guardian. A clear confusion and interest appeared on her face.


    Leon, upon seeing the deity, knelt with a knight''s salute and greeted, "Leon Andrae de Seirende, third prince of the current Seirende Empire greets our protector, Ignis!"


    Eli also greeted right after, still showing a look of confusion.


    "Are you curious, young Eli?" Sylvain asked with a yful smile.


    "Yes, I wonder how Leon and Lord Ignis are rted?" Eli asked straightforwardly.


    "Ohohoho.. Ignis, buddy! Care to exin to young Eli?" Sylvain teasingly directed the question towards the intense looking Ignis.


    With a deep frown on his forehead, he stiffly answered the question,"The first Seirende Ancestor had received my blessings... That''s why they carry my features as long as they possess the Seirende Blood."


    "I see.." Eli nodded in acknowledgement. That also answered why Leon showed intense reverence to him aspared to the other four guardians.


    "I-i also have the right to be Little Han''s godparent!" Ignis then continued with difficulty. His expression disyed that of a child, insisting on his right to im over something.


    Eli couldn''t help but burst into a bright smile, finding Ignis''s attitude as childish and adorable. "You are considered his godparent too, didn''t you bless the Seirende Family from the olden age? Then you are Little Han''s benefactor too!"


    "Really?" Ignis eyes lightened up.


    "Yes.. It will be our honor, right Leon?" Eli said in a brighter smile, if the two grandpa''s were here they would definitely think that she had schemed again.


    "Yes, it''s our honor, Protector Ignis!" Leon answered solemnly.


    "Alright! Good for you Ignis!" Zale puts his arm over Ignis''s shoulder on a friendly manner.


    "Uhn," Ignis replied calmly. However, his eyes definitely showed the signs of being ted from gaining a godchild.


    Then the five proceeded to admire the newborn Han that was peacefully sleeping.


    "He''s so adorable~~~~"


    "My Little Han!!!"


    "He will grow into a very lively child!"


    "Indeed! Let''s do our part so that he won''t be bullied!"


    "Alright!!!"


    Then they proceeded to congeal a dot of light from their hands, it was the same thing they did when they blessed Eli beforeing down to Prasinos.


    "We, the guardians of Prasinos, blesses Johann Asher de Seirende, to live under our guidance and protection! A piece of us that protect his life when a threates his way!"


    Then the dots of light slowly burrowed in Little Han''s forehead.


    Eli and Leon couldn''t thank the guardians enough of their blessings for Little Han.


    However, the guardians turned to look at them in a serious manner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Eli, Leon, we have something to discuss," Sylvain said in a solemn manner. The other guardians also lined up and behaved, now that Sylvain had started to discuss the main purpose of their visit.


    "You too must make haste on whatever ns you have. These gems might help you. However, all other things I leave to the both of you, protect Little Han.


    "Yes!!" The two answered with determination.


    "Eli, if the situation calls for it, do not hesitate to leave this ce." Celeste then addressed Eli.


    "I can see that you are a sentimental person. However, do know that really important things could be kept in our hearts? There will be a time that the enemy will be tracking you here and there. Therefore you must grow and be strong for your new family." She sincerely said while holding Eli''s hands with worry.


    "Uhn, I will." Eli said with determination, remembering every advice that they gave.


    "We cannot interfere that much on what was happening to the mortal world, we are just here to look over the people and make sure that they would not be led to total doom." Ignis was the next one toment.


    "That is why we can only warn you this early, what''s ahead of you will not be an easy one."


    "We can always give gems to you, of course!" Zalemented.


    "Uhn!" Amihan just nodded, letting the more senior guardians do their thing.


    "Leon, protect your family." They all said in unison.


    "I will heed your words sincerely!" Leon answered with a calm yet resolute expression.


    "That''s good to hear then!" They all said as light faded away to the room and everything went back to normal.


    The two went into a trance silently, the guardians came and went too suddenly. They also blessed and warned too swiftly.


    "I guess, we have a harder job to do at this point!" Eli said with a helpless expression.


    "No matter what your answer is to me, I will hold you two dearly." Leon said with a clear and honest expression. He looked at Eli with a deep intense look.


    Eli felt embarrassed of Leon''s words of affection. She lowered her head and answered, "Uhn.. Thank you... I trust you."


    "That''s good to hear!" Leon said with a smile. His heart bloomed with warmth the moment he heard Eli trusted him.


    ''This was a good step for us, isn''t it?'' He asked himself.


    The warm atmosphere between the two was interrupted as they heard a knock on the door.


    "Leon, Eli, the Emperor is here!" Azayn said briefly.


    Soon an ted Emperor Valentin went inside, holding Queen Teh''s hands. Upon seeing Little Han, his aged face reddened with joy and eximed in delight.


    He carefully carried Little Han in his arms while repeatedly thanking Eli for holding on and giving life to their new bundle of joy.


    After that he proceeded to nagging his son of the things that he has to do to protect Eli.


    With a solemn look on his face, he addressed the two,


    "The bells of the Seirende Empire rang wildlyst night. Now everyone in Seirende knew that there was a blessed offspring of the empire. I was hoping to buy time for his growth, however, who could have known. We cannot conceal this anymore.."


    "The bells?" Eli asked in confusion.


    "When a Seirende offspring was born with high aptitude and capabilities the bells will ring so loudly to rejoice for the blessing given to the Empire. It was also true when Leon was born. It had caused such a disaster towards my son in the end, as at that moment I was still but an Emperor without stable support." Emperor Valentin exined with a sad and regretful expression.


    Leon was also thinking deeply.


    This matter cannot be concealed, for sure, his two older brothers will confirm to every member of the family who had birthed a newborn. It will not be long for him to be suspected.


    In that case¡­


    "I will announce his existence as soon as we arrive back in the pce." He said with a cold tone.


    "Leon!" The Emperor and the Queen said in rm, that move was too risky.


    "It doesn''t make any difference to buy time. I will announce. However, I will also say that I have not found them yet." Leon exined the matter more carefully.


    "No.." Eli said with a cold tone. "It will trigger something unthinkable."


    "What do you think your enemies will do when you say that?" She looked at Leon with a grave expression and continued.


    "They wouldn''t hesitate to kill every newborn in the whole Empire!"

 Chapter 82 How To Fake An Oracle?

    ?"T-this¡­" The three eximed with ridicule. How could Eli think so far ahead?


    "Young Eli¡­ Aren''t you thinking too much about this? I''m sure the princes wouldn''t be that evil to perform that scheme." Queen Teh asked cautiously.


    But Eli couldn''t let her guard down. This pattern, she knew very well. When a threat on the thronees, the one who desires the throne most could do genocidal things such as this.


    Shaking her head, she politely replied,


    "Your Highness, the situation right now was grave because the threat of Leon being back to the race for the throne is evident. Remember how vicious the scheme was done to you when you got here.."


    At the words of Eli, everyone was reminded of the fact that someone had used Queen Teh to cause trouble for the Empire. Those people who didn''t think of the consequences of their evil schemes towards the well being of the empire will not hesitate to hurt the people out of greed.


    Besides, Eli''s words was never to use the princes of the Empire, but the enemy camp as a whole. The princes are merely their tool to take control of the Empire.


    "Then what should we do.." Emperor Valentin uttered in a grave expression. He disyed a bit of understanding about Eli''s reasoning.


    Furrowing her brows, Eli thought for a moment and replied, "Is there any other reason for the bells to ring?"


    The three contemted for a while.


    Leon also thought deeply. While thinking he unconsciously looked towards Eli''s direction. A thought came after looking at her.


    "There is!" He eximed, however uncertainty appeared in his face. "The appearance of a holy mage.."


    "Indeed.. It is one of the others." Emperor Valentin followed while still in deep thinking.


    "The bell will ring for three reasons, a victorious event ured in the empire, such as the crowning of a new emperor or winning a major war. A mournful event, such as death of many people, or a member of the imperial family, or appearance of a great war. The third one is the appearance of a miracle, such as the birth of a talented member of the Imperial Family and the appearance of a holy mage."


    After exining these things, he furrowed his brow because of the dilemma, other than this, how in Prasinos will they exin the sudden ringing of the pce bells?


    "We...We can say that it was caused by the appearance of a holy mage." Leon voiced his opinion.


    "Could we use that?" Eli asked with a serious tone.


    "We could, but only if the temple also feels that it was also the cause of the ringing of bells. The appearance of a holy mage is a major affair in the temple, because that would mean another priest candidate will join their ranks." Leon replied calmly.


    He wanted to say that he had a hunch that Eli might have the powers belonging to a priest, however they are still not certain at this point.


    "But how will we convince the temple to think otherwise?" Emperor Valentin asked with hesitation. Fooling the temple is not an easy task.


    "First stage is that we insist on saying that there was no one in the Imperial family who birthed a newborn." Eli uttered.


    "The next stage is to actually pray that someone will appear to have holy powers." Leon continued as if synchronizing with what Eli wanted to say.


    "In order to do that, we can buy time by asking everyone to subject themselves through holy testing." He continued.


    "It was a good n, however.. The temple really needed an oracle to be convinced.." Emperor Valentin replied with a dejected expression.


    The two youngsters are indeed a goodbination when they are scheming. However, faking an oracle is out of their abilities.


    "An oracle¡­ hmmm." Eli contemted. She could ask the guardians to do that, probably. But how will she exin this to the Emperor and Queen?


    While the trio was brainstorming, Little Han woke up with a whimper and his small face threatened to cry.


    "Aaaaak.. Wooo."


    "Oh, our grandson must be hungry. Let us set aside this conversation and feed Little Han first." Queen Teh suggested.


    Leon and Emperor Valentin nodded in hesitation, their faces showing that they would continue the conversation outside until they solved this matter.


    Soon they exited the room, while Eli proceeded to feed baby Han. The second time was much easier for her. She had gotten the feel of how to position her body, as well as how to put Little Han''s weight properly on her arms.


    As she dotingly looked at Little Han who was looking so innocent and vulnerable in her arms, she couldn''t help but remember the warnings given by the guardians.


    It must be because of the ringing of bells.


    She summoned the book, along with Wisey. First she asked Wisey how she was able to appear as if giving an oraclest time when they talked with Leon and Kayden about Elise''s demise.


    "It was purely the Great One''s will to do it. Other than that, I really have no way to make myself deliver an oracle."


    With no choice, Eli proceeded in using the book. After ensuring that Little Han was satisfied with his meal, sheid him carefully in the crystal shell cradle.


    Then she proceeded in using the book, navigating it with extreme familiarity, she found herself typing another question in the ''Ask the Heavens'' page.


    She typed, "How to summon an oracle to make the temple believe that a holy mage appeared? The bells of the Empire rang, we suspect that it was because of Little Han''s birth. We wanted to prevent enemies on targeting Little Han and also protect the people from unintended harm due to suspicion."


    Then answers immediately popped up.


    --


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian answered:


    "Woah, young one, are you scheming to lie to the temple? That''s bad!" *insert suspicious emoji*


    The Fiery Guardian Ignis answered:


    "Do you need one? I''ll send it right away.." *insert like emoji*<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian replied to The Fiery Guardian Ignis:


    "Woah the godfather strikes first!" *insert like emoji*


    The Fiery Guardian Ignis Replied to the Coolest Awesome Zale the Water Guardian:


    "It is to be expected. I''m Little Han''s godfather." *insert proud emoji*


    The Green Hansum Guardian answered:


    "There you go Eli, you don''t need to stress yourself. " *insert smiley emoji*


    Sky Guardian Celeste answered:


    "It''s good that you came up with this countermeasure. Don''t worry about what Zale says about lying, we can always make it the truth." *insert wink emoji*


    Amihan Wind Guardian answered:


    "Leave it to us!"


    Coolest Awesome Zale The Water Guardian replied to Sky Guardian Celeste:


    "Hey hey hey! Why are you bullying me? I was just teasing her! The oracle must be true anyways ahhhh!!!" *insert pouting emoji*


    --


    Eli couldn''t help but smile in great surprise at the guardian''s answers. She typed her words of gratitude before keeping the book of knowledge.


    Soon, several guests came to visit her and Little Han.


    First was the project team, who now were also preparing to go back to their respective hometown after a month of working through the project.


    They expressed their great thanks to Eli in making them a part of the history. They also ryed the Emperor''s decision to give them awards of honor for sessfully doing the project, along with Eli as the inventor.


    They didn''t forget to adore Little Han who was looking cute and charming after being fed sufficiently.


    They circled around Little Han''s cradle, squealed in delight to see him peacefully sleeping even with themotion around him.


    The next one to appear was Azayn, Kayden, Koehr and Chief Eirllon, who also expressed their well wishes to Eli and Little Han.


    Kayden couldn''t help but be emotional as he held Little Han in his arms.


    This was Elise''s baby, the only legacy she left in the world. He looked at the recovering Eli who also equally used her life to bring Little Han to the world, he casted a grateful look.


    Which Eli fully understood. She replied with a nod and a knowing smile.


    Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben were ted to see Little Han healthy and withoutplications. They quarrelled about how long each of them would hold Little Han.


    They continued to bicker with each other, with Eliughing softly at the side. These two grandpas were like her father figures. She couldn''t help but thank the Great One in letting her meet the two.


    However, just when they were about to finally settle the debate on who''s gonna hold Little Han more, an agitated Emperor Valentin appeared rushing to Eli''s room with a hint of fear and disbelief.


    "Your Majesty, what happened?" The Grandpas asked in rm. To see the Emperor act like this in panic, it must be a major event.


    "An oracle¡­ An oracle really did appear!" He said while a wave of goosebumps crept all over his body.


    --


    In the guardian''s realm, the five guardians spent a rare time together after visiting Eli''s cottage.


    They all wear a look of nostalgia and happiness.


    "Have you seen it clearly?"


    "Yes, my own two eyes really did see.."


    "The Great One was really not joking with us¡­"


    Ignis, Sylvain and Celeste exchanged in a conversation. While Zale and Amihan just watched silently. The three had always been the senior among them, while Zale and Amihan were fairly new guardians.


    They were silent for a long time, until Ignis said in a resolute expression,


    "This time, we were given a second chance. Let us protect Little Han properly. This time.. For sure!"


    Everyone nodded in agreement with a grave and serious expression in their eyes.


    Ding!


    A chime was heard. A magical box appeared in front of each of them.


    If Eli was here, she would have her eyes wide open because this ''magical box'' appeared to be a magical version of smart phones!


    "Ohohoho, the chance to protect him came too early, it seems." Zale said in an amused voice.


    The Esteemed Guardians of Prasinos proceeded to focus typing their replies fervently in long silence, like a group of teenagers fully immersed in their own smartphones.

 Chapter 83 The Offer

    ?"Really?" Eli replied, feigning amazement.


    Of course, she knew that the guardians would send one, however she still had to shut her mouth regarding her connection with them.


    Scrunching her nose to hide her smirk, she asked with a troubled expression, "Do we know what the oracle said?"


    This time, Queen Teh and Leon had also followed Emperor Valentin to the room.


    Leon recited the oracle in deep contemtion. He looked at Eli with a confused look, who also shot him a questioning look back.


    --


    "Rejoice! Oh, Empire whose name is victorious,


    For the One Who Sees listened to the one who prayed.


    Hold the hand of the one who was named industrious,


    No longer will he who suffered be ever afraid."


    --


    "It was more like a riddle than an oracle.." Eli replied. It was her second time to hear an oracle, but this one was quite different from what Wisey deliveredst time.


    "Indeed, but, it was for the temple to interpret." Grandpa Ben answered with a calm tone. His eyes disyed a look of interest, why did an oracle appear at this moment?


    "But this¡­ How the heavens had favoured us! Now we can buy time for Little Han!" The Emperor dered in exhration.


    "Buy time for Little Han? Why what''s the matter?" The two grandpas raised their brows and shot a look of inquiry towards the Emperor.


    They didn''t attempt to conceal the information with the two grandpas either because they were still a figure of authority throughout the Empire.


    The Emperor wore a serious look and exined to the grandpas, "It''s like this grandmasters, on the night Little Han was born, the pce bells rang continuously with a joyful sound."


    "You all know what it means to witness the bells ring. It has to be caused by a blessed birth in the imperial family. It is easy for the imperial family to investigate who the blessed child is, however this time no one in the imperial family is currently conceiving and all eyes will eventually turn to Leon."


    His eyes looked grave as he continued,


    "We are afraid that it will push the enemy to expend efforts just to investigate if Leon had kept a wife and a child secretly. The suspicions will also arise more at the timing of our excursion here in Silver Dew. You all know what will happen after..."


    The two grandpas didn''t have to hear the Emperor exin any further. If one would investigate thoroughly, they would narrow their search directly to Silver Dew. It won''t be long for them to track Little Han and Eli.


    "But we are blessed that an oracle suddenly arrived! With this, we can draw suspicion on the oracle itself rather than the birth of a member of the Imperial Family. In the future, when Little Han would finally be acknowledged in the pce, no one would also associate his birth to the ringing of the pce bells!"


    The Emperor dered with joy. But as soon as he thought of what''sing next, his shoulders dropped low in dejection.


    Queen Teh and Leon also became low spirited.


    "Young Eli, it is also because of this that the three of us cannot arouse the suspicion of the people. This means that we need toe back to the capital as soon as possible." Queen Teh held Eli''s hands in great sadness and worry.


    "You knew that I nned to stay here until you recover, however.. Who could have known?" Queen Teh was full of unwillingness in her heart.


    Eli was a first time mom.


    Besides, she was alone and also so young! To whom could she depend on but her, her future mother inw? She casted a protesting look towards the Emperor, but she only saw the same sadness in Emperor Valentin''s eyes.


    They couldn''t do anything about this matter. They had to go.


    Leon also clenched his fist in helplessness. To protect Eli and Little Han, he had to stay away.


    Stay away at their most vulnerable times! How incapable was he as a father?!


    Although she was shocked by the oue of the matter, Eli didn''t feel any disappointment.


    It was already a blessing to her that they stayed up until she gave birth to Little Han. Originally, she was mentally prepared to face this all alone anyways, so it doesn''t really matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s alright. I am already grateful that you were with me the day I gave birth. I really never expected that I would be with you at this moment, and for me it was already more than enough."


    Eli gave a grateful nce towards everyone, from the Grandpas, to the Emperor and Queen up to Leon. She gave a bright smile, no trace of worry could be seen in her face.


    "Besides, I have my familiars, and I can always ask for help if there''s anything wrong. So please go on and do not worry. Let''s protect Little Han in our own little ways."


    "This¡­" Everyone disyed an unwilling expression. Although what she said was true, no one could discount the fact that Eli was just a woman recovering from giving birth.


    They all went into a mournful silence.


    "Then.. If His Majesty and Her Highness Second Queen are willing, we can take Eli under our care when we go back to the capital. What do you say?" Grandpa Ben broke the silence and offered everyone a shocking yet viable solution.


    Everyone had their mouths agape in shock. Eli was also surprised. She casted an inquiring look towards the grandpas.


    Grandpa Andi also nodded in approval while continuing to exin,


    "Actually we have been nning this all along, ever since the Third Prince came to us. We knew that eventually Little Han must enter the pce to be acknowledged as a member of the Imperial Family."


    He looked at Eli and said in a thoughtful tone,


    "We thought that when that timees, Eli will have a hard time gaining a foothold in the capital. That is why we have long nned to offer Eli an opportunity to be adopted under the Forgeworn or Farauld Family."


    "This...this¡­" Eli couldn''t find the words to reply to the sudden offer by the grandpas.


    However her heart was already overwhelmed with emotions. Her Grandpas had extended her such a favor again. In this life, how could she ever repay their kindness?!


    Grandpa Ben looked at the shocked Eli, he chuckled lightly and said, "Our only worry was the moment you appeared, the Spectre wille straight at you. But now that the ck hair industry has been doing well and fine, we are more relieved that we can finally extend you this offer!"


    "But we have been fighting day and night on who''s family will offer adoption.." Grandpa Ben added with a pout.


    "It must be me, you greedy Old Ben! You already have a son and a daughter! What''s more, you already have grandchildren!" Grandpa Andi replied grumpily.


    "Is it my fault that you only bore sons and not daughters? Bahahaha even your grandchildren were all boys!" Grandpa Ben retaliated with a mocking smile.


    The rest in the room was caught along the waves given by the two grand masters. They didn''t know how to react. They continued to bicker for a while before they turned to Eli seriously.


    "We know that this is a matter that you must think thoroughly of course, so we will wait for your answer." Grandpa Ben reminded Eli with kindness in his aged face.


    "As to the matter of leaving Eli with no one to take care of her, Old Eirllon had proposed during the day of renewal that she could stay within the Elven Vige while she is recuperating." Grandpa Andi added.


    "As much as we wanted her to stay in Argentum or in this cottage, we are afraid that the suspicion will still be directed towards these two ces. That is why, Old Eirllon offered for her to stay, since it will be Azayn who will look after her anyways."


    Hearing this Emperor and Queen Valentin showed signs of relief and amazement on their faces. Leon had already told them that Eli was so incredible that she could make the grandmasters move.


    However it was new to them that even the elusive Elven Chief would also be willing to extend help to Eli. Nheless this is a good thing for Eli and they would be at peace before theye back to the capital.


    However, everything will be up for Eli to decide. They looked towards Eli who was actually in trance at the moment.


    She was overwhelmed by how fast the changes would be the moment she gave birth. She never knew the impact of giving birth to Little Han. Now she can see the great waves of changes she has to undergo while taking on motherhood to the next level.


    But who would have known that these people would still have her well being in mind and would never allow her to go through this alone.


    She looked towards Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Andi, the Emperor, the Queen and Leon.


    Her eyes couldn''t help but redden with the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.


    But before they fell she felt a gentle pat on her head. Looking up, she saw Leon''s crystal blue eyes, looking at her gently.


    "Just like we said before, you don''t always have to answer right away... Take your time, do not let yourself be overwhelmed."


    He said with a voice light as a feather, but this voice kept tugging the strings of her heart.

 Chapter 84 Empress Carolina

    ?"Uhn.. Please let me have enough time to think.." She shyly replied, feeling embarrassed by how close Leon was at the moment.


    Now that she more or less had a clear mind of what had happened in the past few months, she was already so confused about how she would navigate her rtionship with Leon.


    Last night, while she was agonizing about the pain ofbor, she realized how intimate they had been at that moment.


    It''s not that it was Leon''s fault either.


    At that moment, when she was dealing in great panic and pain, all she could do was to lean on his arms which somehow made her body rxed and feel secure.


    Earlier when he carried her to the room, her heart almost stopped due to how close their bodies were. However, she wasn''t repulsive to that feeling either.


    Her first impression of him was that he was a cold blooded and alluring prince. He was single minded and he wouldn''t hesitate to carry out things that he knew he had to do.


    That was the main reason why she was so overwhelmed to tears the first time they formally met. He was so straightforward that he proposed on the spot.


    Then at the moment he insisted to court her, he sent yet again another wave of confusion to Eli''s heart.


    She couldn''t deny that she was veryfortable relying on him in times of need, also she enjoyed conversing with him, especially when thinking about ways to solve problems.


    But as to looking at Leon from a romantic perspective, Eli was still confused and hesitant. However, she knew that she had to be clear about what she feels especially now that she had to face such drastic changes in her new life as a mother.


    She didn''t want to also keep Leon hanging for so long. If she would be in the capital and Leon woulde and pursue her openly, another set ofplications will arise whatever answer she would give.


    So at least before that timees, she has to have full resolve on her decision. To take the risk of being a single mom, without asking Leon to marry her, or to take the risk to marry Leon because of love.


    Choosing out of obligation is not an option. It could only be that she didn''t love him at all or she loves him crazy!


    That is why Eli now needs to face reality.


    Sooner orter, Leon would ask for her answer. If she kept brushing Leon''s advances off and not looking at him properly as her pursuer, her life would be full of regrets once she showed herself in the capital.


    With this Eli came up with a decision. To start looking at Leon as her pursuer and not just a colleague she teamed up with for a task.


    --


    In the pce, at Empress Carolina''s Pce.


    Empress Carolina was gracefully sitting in an elegant sunroom, adorned with flowering vines andvender blooms.


    Her regal and cold beauty brightly lit by the morning light, made her look like a divine royalty - beautiful and powerful enough to pass a judgement.


    From the outside, she looked calm and rxed as she sipped her tea slowly with finesse. But her amethyst eyes were already filled with impatience and irritation.


    ''Why is there still no news from the renewal of the treaty???!''


    It has already been two days since the Emperor and that woman left, but why did she not hear any news or notice about the incident she was expecting!


    Moreover, the Imperial family had been in turmoil up until this morning!


    The pce bells rang in a joyous soundst night! She had to stay up, mobilizing her men to investigate who among the imperial family had conceived or gave birth!


    However, everyone knew that neither the first, nor the second prince announced the joyous news of pregnancy!


    Also, the birth of the branch of the imperial family will not be significant enough to trigger the ringing of bells. That''s why she could only think of Leon, that barbaric third prince.


    However, a slight frown appeared on her face. With his barbaric and vicious reputation, nody of the nobility would be willing to engage in an affair with the prince.


    A prince that wasn''t favored? A prince that was no different than a mad killer? What kind of woman would dare to close her eyes and offer her body willingly to him?


    She didn''t know.


    But as much as she thought about this suspicion towards the prince, the possibility of choosing amoner woman as hispanion didn''t cross Empress Carolina''s mind.


    To her, the prince would be a total fool the moment he did that. He will also totally lose the favor from the Emperor when that timees.


    "Your Majesty, Empress¡­" A tall middle aged man, d in a nobleman''s suit appeared and submissively bowed to Empress Carolina.


    "Any news from the Emperor?" She asked while gently touching the plum blossom flower at the center of her tea table.


    "This humble one reports! The Emperor had announced to his pce aides that he will be back with the Second Queen three days from now, at thetest. He will be finishing his inspection together with the Elven Officials to check the condition of the stipted territory in the Silver Dew Forest."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Is that it?"


    Not expecting to hear such an orderly and peaceful report, she raised her brow in shock. Her delicate fingers, which had been ying around the plum blossom flowers, also froze in disbelief.


    ''Impossible! Is there really nomotion and discord that happened? Even a little bit? To think that they would continue their itinerary as nned?!''


    Not sure of what the Empress wanted to hear, the man''s heart skipped a beat. Wanting to wipe the beads of cold sweat on his forehead, he cautiously replied,


    "The Emperor also knew about the ringing of the bellsst night. That is why He will try his best to go back and inquire of this matter. He also said that he would coordinate with the temple about the reason for the ringing of bells."


    Upon hearing thest sentence, Emperor Carolina widened her eyes in realization. With a bit of relief, she showed a great amount of enthusiasm.


    "If it''s the temple, then it will also be a joyous event. Keep tabs on the movement from the temple. Any piece of news from them, you are to tell me right away!"


    "Understood, Your Majesty Empress!" The middle aged man gave onest bow and went on his way with haste.


    Empress Carolina was left in the bright sunroom with an eerie smile on her face.


    This is her perfect chance to seek coboration with the temple! Now that the Emperor was not around, she could clearly use this time to freely do whatever it is to get a hold of the information on the temple.


    After a few hours, the middle aged man came back with the news of the oracle.


    After hearing the contents of the oracle, Empress Carolina couldn''t hide her excitement anymore. The oracle only meant one thing!


    The Creator had appointed another holy mage!


    Having a holy mage as an ally is equivalent to wielding the temple''s powers and influence by your side!


    The holy mage could enter the temple as a priest or a knight. For whatever choice they made, every move they perform will be equivalent to an action ordained by the temple.


    She only had to get the favor of that holy mage!


    This will be a force to be reckoned with during Kazimir''s fight for the throne soon!


    So what if that barbaric prince had the Elves by his side? If Kazimir would be able to get close to that holy mage, then the temple along with the forces from the Ves faction would surely give him victory!


    Thinking about this, Empress Carolina let out a triumphant smile.


    The moment Kazimir sits on the throne, will be the moment of her undeniable victory.


    She couldn''t wait to look down from that tform towards the disgusting olive green eyes of that peasant bard.


    That bard, Teh, ruined all the ns and dreams for herself and for Valentin. Without Teh, they would have been a couple subject to envy by the whole empire.


    But why?


    Why does Valentin only have his lovely crystal blue eyes on Teh?


    Why does he always treat her with such importance, when she had given birth to a useless barbaric son?!


    She, who had been born and raised with the best of the noble blood.


    She, who had been educated, aiming to be her betrothed ever since she was a youngdy.


    She, who had bore him a son with excellent magical aptitude.


    Why does he not look at her the same loving way as he looked at Teh?


    Why does he not give her affection the same way as he gave it to Teh?


    She clenched her fist in pain as she remembered all her grievances towards the cursed couple. Whenever she remembered their blissful and affectionate interaction during their travel to Silver Dew, a deep sense of anger and envy rises from the bottom of her heart.


    Teh! Teh! Teh!


    I hate her to death!!!


    The tension from her anger had caused her to be heavily breathing. Gnashing her teeth in wrath, she whispered with a low yet frightening manner,


    "Valentin.. Forgive me for being vicious when that timees."

 Chapter 85 Poisonous Butterfly 1

    ?She was fourteen years old when she first saw Valentin.


    In hising of age ceremony, finally, everyone in the Empire will see the crown prince of the Seirende Empire.


    Born from the Legendary S ss and the only living man possessing the rarest constitution, the Open Paths. Son of Idelfonso De Seirende, the current Emperor of Seirende.


    Everyone in the open grounds of the castle had been waiting for his first appearance with great anticipation. The Crown Prince, who was born as a talented mage, at the age of fifteen had already been promoted to ss A.


    Everyone had also spected that if the Empire is blessed, he may also be promoted to S ss. However to them, it was already a blessing that he had reached the A ss this early. S ss is considered as non-existent, except for the crowned legendaries.


    Great Emperor Idelfonso had been publicly warning the people not topare his achievements to pressure on his precious son. Everyone knew that he had reached the S ss because of his rare constitution.


    Despite the obvious truth and the protection of his father, Crown Prince Valentin still lived a life of pressure and high expectations. However the Crown Prince, lovingly raised by the Empress and the Emperor grew up to have apassionate heart and charisma for the people.


    Just like what he is doing today.


    Carolina''s amethyst eyes focused on the valiant and handsome fifteen year old prince, who was calmly stepping outside the tform to greet the people.


    He was d in a royal blue suite with a red sash fixed to his sturdy shoulders. It was in contrast to his reddish hair and crystal blue eyes. Nheless, his overall appearance was princely and charming, stealing Carolina''s maiden heart on the spot.


    She could feel butterflies in her stomach as she watched him appear to everyone.


    The way he stands exudes royalty, where one would automatically feel they had to submit to his authority.


    The way he looked at the people had a mix of warmth and calmness, making people nod with approval.


    Indeed he was the Crown Prince of this great empire! A normal fifteen year old would never be able to release such an aura.


    Only him, the son of the Emperor, Crown Prince Valentin could do it.


    At that moment, Carolina decided that she would one day step on that tform to be by his side as the Empress of the Empire.


    Going home, the first thing she did was to ask his father, Duke Ves to find her the most prominent teacher for etiquette,nguage, history and arts. She wanted to be the best nobledy in her generation.


    She will do her best to rise to the top of the noble society, so much that Valentin will not even look for another suitable candidate for an empress but her.


    She immersed herself in learning these things. She also cultivated herself some talents so that she could be well known all throughout high society.


    Her wardrobe had only been the best of the best. They were all imported and designed from the Belizia Kingdom, the authority for textile and fashion.


    At a young age she started wearing a corset, even before hering of age.


    She also had to make sure that she bathes with the finest oils and fragrances in order to keep her skin and appearance beautiful beyondparison.


    True enough, she had attained her goals to be the top nobledy of her generation in high society. Her social debut, upon reaching the age of fifteen had been a talk of the town for a couple of months.


    The young girl, in a grand and luxurious hall filled with the purest crystal chandeliers, descended from the stairs like a fairy of thevender garden.


    Her vibrant plum hair was decorated withced crystal ribbons and fragrant white petunia flowers. Shining like a precious stone, her amethyst eyes made the attendees theing of age in awe.


    She walked confidently and gracefully, wearing a simple yet elegant light blue dress, which reminded everyone that although she was already a beauty beyondpare, she was still a young innocentdy.


    She was Lady Carolina Ves, the precious daughter of the Duke, the most beautiful flower of the high society.


    Lady Carolina charmingly epted the well wishes and greetings of the guests, her heart anticipating the moment when the Crown Prince would finally see her.


    However the ball started and ended without him at sight. Grieving disappointedly, she tearfully asked her father why the Crown Prince missed her social debut.


    When she heard that the Crown Prince had to go to the borders to defend the empire, all resentment was gone. Like a faithful wife, she smiled brightly waiting for his victorious return.


    As for her, she will continue to expand her influence and might in the high society, letting everyone know that no otherdy in the Empire deserved the Crown Prince other than her.


    It was so much to the point that she had created her faction,posed ofdies of her age supporting her as the future crown prince''s fiance.


    At a tea party on a bright summer day, she and her faction had caused a daughter of a count to break her legs when she heard herpliment Valentin''s swordsmanship.


    On another social event, she humiliated another youngdy who shamelessly admitted her crush on the Crown Prince, that poor youngdy had to go home with her face scalded with hot tea and disheveled clothes.


    Another event, she had anotherdy lose all her hair after sheplimented how charming the Crown Prince''s hair was.


    And another event, and another event¡­ Soon she was all feared by the youngdies and almost all wouldn''t attend an event had they heard that she would be attending.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Due to her family''srge influence, her ''petty'' offences were all dismissed as childish pranks. All the victims'' parents gritted their teeth in grievance as they couldn''t fight with the Duke of Ves.


    Childish Pranks my ass! Your daughter was already an official adult!


    But Carolina''s obsession for the Crown Prince didn''t stop there.


    She became more resentful and violent when she reached eighteen. Anydy who would longingly look at the Crown Prince during an event will be abducted on their way home and disfigured beyond recognition.


    One time, there was ady whom Valentin casually talked with. Upon seeing them smile andugh in enjoyment, Carolina red at them sinisterly.


    She then nned to abduct thatdy and had her vited by her men under her watch.


    Fortunately, the Crown Prince had been tracking thedy''s whereabouts and rescued her on time, much to Carolina''s dismay.


    Thatdy was actually the Crown Prince''s cousin, from his aunt who was happily married in an allied kingdom.


    Filled with wrath and anger, the Crown Prince condemneddy Carolina, so much that he demanded for a trial!


    For a nobledy to be subjected to a trial it was a big humiliation and disgrace. However, her crime was big this time.


    She had actually plotted against a rtive of the Imperial Family and a princess of an allied kingdom, which could be tranted to treason! The punishment was absolutely death!


    However no remorse could be seen in Carolina''s eyes, but utter disbelief that the Crown Prince, whom she had loved for many years now, was looking at her with disgust and contempt.


    She felt like her whole world crumbled just because the fantasy of her and Valentin happily holding hands, as they ascended to the throne was shattered by his piercing crystal blue eyes.


    She lifelessly stood while being besieged by the imperial knights, as she nkly stared at the cold receding figure of Crown Prince Valentin.


    She tried calling out his name to plead but the image of him looking at her with disgust and contempt made her choke with heartbreak. Her whole world became dark, her heart so painful as if it was peirced with a cold sword.


    Why do you look at me with such eyes? Why?


    Lady Carolina was detained in the cold tower for days, without her knowing how she even managed to walk towards it. She was staring nkly at the cold and mossy tower wall, as if she already had no soul.


    However she was woken up with a loud and painful p from her elder brother Maxim.


    "Till when will you be crazily obsessed with that man?! You fool! You have caused our father''s death!"


    That cruel p, added by the devastating piece of news had woken her senses up.


    Her soulless amethyst eyes slowly turned towards her Brother Maxim''s crying face. She nced at her older brother, whom she have always known as pampering and generous, stupefied.


    "Foolish woman! Wake up! Can''t you see? You''ll cause our family to ruin! Because of you! Father had to sacrifice his life in your stead!" Another resentful p resounded in the cold tower.


    "Because of me??? Father¡­ father died?" Feeling the sting of the powerful p right into her soft skin, Lady Carolina trembled in disbelief.


    "Who else! Didn''t you know that the Emperor had been waiting for this opportunity to put a leash on our family? You walked straight into their trap! Because of a brainless daughter like you, who only knew how to have beauty! Father took the death penalty in your stead!"


    Maxim vented out his sadness and anger to his little sister who caused this all.


    "Bring back my father¡­ bring him back.." He couldn''t take the grief anymore, he knelt on the cold moldy stone floor and cried his heart out.


    Seeing his previously pampering elder brother cry in sorrow, realizing that his ever doting father is dead, Lady Carolina finally shouted in grief and sorrow.


    Revenge revenge revenge! Her heart cried out.


    She med all her misfortunes to thatdy who caused her to fall into the trap. She med all thosedies who caused her to act like that, making the enemy use her feelings to their advantage.


    It''s all their fault! It''s all their evil!


    Burning Crown Prince''s Valentin''s first image deep into her heart, she swore to get him and the throne at all cost.


    Getting that throne is the best revenge, just you see. I will make it so that you don''t have any choice but to give me that!


    The throne, the empress title, the empire, Valentin! All Mine! All Mine!


    Like a cocoon finally ripe, a butterfly struggling toe out to the world.


    So was Lady Carolina''s transformation into a beautiful and poisonous butterfly the Empire of Prasinos would ever have.

 Chapter 86 Poisonous Butterfly 2

    ?The precious daughter of the Ves Duchy, Carolina, was punished for the crime of plotting against a member of the Imperial family, as well as a royalty to an allied nation, the Rubino Kingdom.


    Her punishment was no other than death, or else, it will sow discord between the Empire and Rubino, that may lead to a war.


    Everyone shook their heads as they could already see the impending doom of thedy who was once considered as the flower of high society.


    However, just a day after the verdict was announced, the Duke of Ves opted to plead for thedy.


    He took the me for not educating her daughter well. He pleaded that her life was still young while his life would be enough to appease the King of Rubino.


    Rubino Kingdom, a mysterious kingdom who had been eyed by almost every nation.


    True to its name, the nation is a jewel, proud of itsrge deposits of mana stones. Thus, no ruler wasn''t tempted to subdue and own this kingdom.


    Surprisingly they never suffered any loss.


    The wise emperor of Seirende Empire opted to engage in an alliance with Rubino through political marriage. This also brought countless benefits to the empire especially on the ess of mana stones.


    Emperor Idelfonso didn''t want to lose a prominent official of the Empire, however the duke insisted. In return, the Emperor will pardon and wipe out Carolina''s guilt entirely.


    Full of unwillingness and regret, the Emperor had to relent for he had to uphold justice that the Princess of Rubino deserved.


    Carolina, on the other hand, announced a week after her father''s execution, that she will atone for her guilt by serving in the temple for a year.


    Everyone sighed as they saw the pitiful ending of the noblest youngdy of the Empire. They just hope that thedy will be able to turn a new leaf during her stay in the temple.


    However, little did they know that the act was but a calm in the storm that was about toe in the empire.


    On the night of their father''s execution, a mournful atmosphere reigned all over the Ves Estate.


    The night was already deep, yet Carolina and Maxim were still wide awake. Their eyes were full of resentment and craving for vengeance.


    Holding a letter in her fair hands, Carolina trembled as she read thest letter his father left before his execution.


    "To my dearest Maxim and Carolina,


    Do not me yourselves about what has happened to me.


    For I have long known that our family was seen as a threat to the Empire. Think of my death as a sacrifice for a greater wave that will cause the weakening of the Imperial Family.


    You are my precious children, born and raised by me. I know you have the ability to avenge me and take control of this empire that impedes our family to be known throughout Prasinos!


    However, I warn you so with a grave heart, do not haste to take the throne unless the undeniable win is in your hands. It''s alright to wait for years and even decades, as long as victory will surely be at our side!


    Now read carefully about the truths I will be rying to the two of you. After reading this, burn the letter and keep these truths until you die.


    Our Ves Family had been blessed with the highest aptitude of caster magicians in the whole empire as everybody knows. However our origin and enmity with the Seirende Empire could be traced back to the great war a thousand years ago.


    Our ancestor was an S ss caster, sitting at par with the First Seirende Victor. The Ves and the Seirende n had long been fighting against each other for a decade and both parties couldn''t beat the other.


    Desperate to finally end the decade-long war, our ancestor engaged in a contract with a phantom named Birsha. In exchange for the overwhelming power, we will be the vessels for his consciousness.


    With his newfound power, our Ancestor finally managed to advance and bring the Seirende forces to the brink of defeat.


    But who would have known¡­


    The First Victor had been bestowed by the power of Guardian Ignis. Wielding the guardian''s blessings, he immediately marched across thends of Ves and the neighboring territories to unify thend. With that, we suffered utter defeat.


    In order to preserve our lineage and uphold the contract, our ancestor submitted himself along with our n, to surrender to the Empire. However, that was after he had passed to his sons the secret of the contract.


    One volunteered to pose as the sessor for the Ves n. While one had to feign death and continue upholding the treaty for generations toe.


    Our Ves n was actually divided into two branches, the main branch, was the Ves Duchy you know today. The other one was a mysterious organization known as Spectre.


    Our brother''s forces were equally patient in waiting for an opportunity to wipe out the Empire. So I ask both of you to stealthily prepare our army for the battle toe.


    Remember, it doesn''t matter if it takes years or decades, our ancestors had already waited for centuries, a few years is but a drop in the ocean. Just make sure, that once we move, they are the ones who will be wiped out, not us the Vess!


    Lastly, the ancestors left an heirloom to his two sons. On our branch of the elder son, the treasure lies in the tomb of our ancestor. Before you move, let one of you get it to ensure that this will be used to your advantage.


    With that, I leave to you, my dearest son and daughter, the future of the Vess for the generations toe. My death will be the trigger of the waves for the impending storm for the empire!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Father loves you to death.


    Aides Ves"


    The siblings shuddered upon reading the letter repeatedly. Their hatred towards the Seirende Empire intensified. However Carolina''s heart was still full of desire towards Valentin.


    Once they defeat the empire, she will ask his elder brother to give Valentin for her so that they could live and die forever. She couldn''t help but feel excited because of that.


    It took them a long time before finally deciding to go to the ancestral tomb to get the heirloom their father was talking about.


    Morning came, the two eventually set out even before the farmers would awaken. They rode a carriage to go to the forest within the duchy where the ancestral tomb was located.


    Soon they arrived in a deste and eerie location. It was a stone temple, already on the verge of crumbling. The forest vines had already covered the stone pirs, yet amazingly, no creatures could be found hovering in the vicinity.


    As soon as they attempted to enter, an array stopped the rest froming in. Only the siblings were able to go inside, the knights were left outside in confusion.


    "Do not bother, just wait for us. This is our ancestor''s tomb, no one will harm us in this ce." Maxim calmly ordered their escorts to stand down and wait for them.


    The two proceeded to descend on a long passageway leading to an underground hall. Their eyes were left wide open in surprise.


    In contrast to the old and deste exterior of the tomb, the hall was magnificent and brightly lit. The pirs stayed sturdy and polished. The floor was made from the finest granite stones, shining so beautifully.


    In the center of the hall, there was a tform where a golden coffin rests. The two gave a bow of respect first before moving towards the tform to advance.


    They noticed some engraving on the tform.


    "To the descendant of Ves, drop your blood in the coffin if you are vengeful enough."


    The two raised their brows in interest. It seems like the heirloom could only be essed after you qualified.


    However, the two didn''t worry about whether they qualified or not. In their hearts, the urge for revenge was already crazily running in their blood.


    Maxim was the first one who stepped forward. Using his sword he neatly sliced a wound on his hands and let the blood drip in the stone carvings.


    The tomb lit up with bright red, however it didn''t open. It was followed by a string of words,


    "Indeed a vengeful one but not greedy enough for revenge."


    Maxim had a deep frown on his head and looked at Carolina worriedly.


    "Do not worry brother, it will be ours." Carolina patted his shoulder with assurance.


    Nodding in determination, Maxim assisted his younger sister.


    He carefully created a light wound on her fingers and let her blood drip slowly in the coffin. He was worried that a big wound would be a scar on his sister''s hands.


    As soon as the drop of blood touched the surface of the golden tomb. The golden engravings shone with crimson red.


    The hall trembled as the engravings appeared slowly on top of the tomb.


    "Finally, a descendant who is vengeful enough! Take it and bring your ancestors the revenge we deserve!"


    The trembling intensified, as they saw that the coffin slowly opened in a grandiose manner.


    The two gulped in nervousness as they were creeped out about the opening of the coffin. They were expecting to see a dead body. Thinking of this, they felt cold shivers run through their backs.


    However when the coffin had fully opened, there was no corpse at sight. Only an ancient looking grimoire.


    Exchanging looks with each other, Carolina stepped forward and took the grimoire carefully.


    Dong!


    The grimoire reacted and flew towards her, as if it had recognized its master.


    A victorious smile appeared on Maxim and Carolina''s faces. Inspecting the book, they opened and read a few pages.


    Beautiful amethyst eyes glowed in excitement. A cold and sinister smile appeared on their faces.


    "This book contains the curses written by the entity Birsha!"

 Chapter 87 Poisonous Butterfly 3

    ?"These spells are formidable!" Carolina''s eyes glowed excitedly.


    She was thrilled to imagine how powerful she could be if she managed to learn this book!


    Curses and spells that could bypass detection from even the strongest mage! Curse and spells that could hurt one''s soul! Curse and spells that could mess around a person''s destiny!


    Truly formidable!


    The siblings couldn''t help but let out a sinister smile. In their hands, wielding this book, they will definitely cause the downfall of the Seirende Family and seize the empire for Ves''s honor!


    They were about to keep the book in her space pouch, but the grimoire mysteriously transformed into a dark purple orb and settled into Carolina''s body.


    Mystified by the grimoire, the two exchanged looks and quietly set out to go home and strategize what steps they will need for revenge.


    "We need to infiltrate the ranks in the pce so that we could gain significant political power for our revenge¡­" Maxim uttered in a low and serious manner.


    Carolina lightly chuckled and said with her eyes smiling of evil intentions, "Infiltration is not enough! We will install the Ves Bloodline in the Seirende Family!"


    "You mean? You''ll be an empress? That''s impossible! You are technically banned in the pce grounds so how will you do that?" Maxim rebutted with a sense of loss.


    "That is just an easy task! Didn''t they say that the empress should be like the mother of the empire? Then I''ll make every citizen know that I am worthy of that position!" Carolina said with bright eyes.


    "But how? I am afraid that everyone would just say that this will just be an act for you to redeem yourself.." His older brother replied full of concern.


    Carolina is his only living rtive now that his father is dead. He couldn''t bear to see her get ridiculed by the people.


    Carolina smiled nonchntly. Her eyes squinted childishly as she replied to her worried brother, "It just depends on how sincere I appeared."


    "What if I surrender myself to the temple for a year? Wouldn''t that be sincere enough?" She smiled bashfully, gently flicking her plum colored hair on the side of her shoulders.


    "This.." Maxim''s eyes lit up.


    Entering the temple is basically a noble woman''s ultimate sign of humility. A noble woman like Carolina, was born and raised to be served. However, when she enters the temple, she will be considered selfless and humble.


    Letting go of the luxury to serve the Creator and his subjects for a year! What a selfless and beautiful cause!


    But Maxim couldn''t help but be worried about how her sister would survive in the temple.


    "Carolina, are you sure about this one? Living in the temple will expose you to the harshest conditions, not fitting to your status.."


    "What could a year of living with nothingpare to the day we see the downfall of the Imperial Family? Our father faced death, if we do not face any hardships then we won''t be getting anywhere!" Carolina replied with intense determination and hatred in her eyes.


    "Besides, isn''t the temple the best ce for me to practice the grimoire magic? It was secluded enough, and the people who we will be serving are those who are better off dead. Aren''t they perfect to be my guinea pigs?"


    A wide smile shed on Carolina''s pretty face. "One year is all I need. After that, we will move!"


    Maxim contemted deeply, rubbing his chin while tapping with his fingers in a rhythmic manner, "Uhn.. If that''s what you think is the best option for you, then go. As for me of course, I am more than ready to take over our father''s position. I will prepare the pce for you."


    "When youe back, you will have a great power to back you up!" He said with resolve.


    "Uhn! Let''s meet again after a year.'' Carolina said as she affectionately hugged her brother, who was the only rtive she had now.


    Together, they will seek revenge for their father and they will bring back the former glory of the Ves Family. The Ves Family had long waited for a millennium, the sweet revenge will happen on their generation!


    They will ensure that they will witness the chaos the Ves n will create in the pce!


    And so the Ves household announced Carolina''s admission to the temple. Maxim on the other hand did his best to navigate the duchy with his skillful leadership.


    It just took him a few months to gain approval of the nobles on the watch, six months to finally be recognized as a member of the council, and exactly a year to be a main figure his own noble faction.


    Within this span of one year, he was able to also gain the prestige of the Ves n back; it was further stabilized when he married to a daughter of another strong n of casters, the Cross County.


    With this, the Ves''s influence spreaded out to the empire, covering the east territory.


    Carolina on the other hand gained a lot of praise by volunteering to get the toughest missions for the temple maidens. She bravely went to the areas that were devastated by gues and famines. She also went to the most dangerous warzones where invasion attempts happen.


    The two siblings managed to erase the tragedy that happened to their family. What''s more, Carolina also managed to be bestowed with a blessed artifact for her virtuous work.


    It was a main event to the capital, a nobledy that was previously subjected to trial,pletely turned to her evil ways and managed to be bestowed by a precious blessed artifact. This artifact is a miraculous ne that would be able to save the owner''s life once.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her homing was celebrated with a parade on the main streets of the capital. Wearing a pure white satin garment embroidered by green lining of leaves and vines. She looked like a living saint with her plum hair neatly resting on her poised back.


    A rain of plum blossoms and purple petals showered her ethereal beauty, while she hears the cheer of the people.


    "See this Valentin? I''ve be worthy of you now.." She said in her heart that is pumping wildly out of longing to see the Prince.


    However upon her arrival to the duchy, she was devastated with a heartbreaking news.


    Her beloved, her goal, her dream, Valentin actually announced the existence of his lover, amoner bard, Teh.


    It was a fairytale for everyone, especially themoners.


    The nobledies also opted to keep their mouths shut because of Teh''s unparalleled beauty. There were also rumors going around that their engagement will be announced a week from now.


    Crash!


    "What on earth are the emperor and empress doing? Didn''t they think that it was a disgrace to take in a woman like that in the imperial family?" Carolina vented out her frustration, breaking a nearby vase on the wall. Her saintly image no longer exist.


    "Rx, now that you are here, we can finally do our n. But first, we should do something to dy that banquet. Then render the crown prince powerless to resist you as an empress!" Maximforted his frustrated sister.


    Another sinister smile appeared on the siblings''s faces. No one knew that these two caused the pce bells to ring mournfully three times in just three months.


    In the first month, three days after the arrival of Carolina, the Empress died due to a dreadful nightmare.


    It was so sudden and tragic, because everyone knew how the Emperor and Crown Prince dearly loved the Empress. Also, the Empress was loved by the people, making her be venerated almost like a saint.


    In the second month, when the Imperial Family hadn''t finished mourning, the first grand appearance of the Spectre happened, it caused a great war killing thousands of people.


    The Seirende Empire was caught off guard, without a choice, Emperor Idelfonso marched to the battlefield, leaving his son to take on the duty to hold the pce down.


    In the third month, another mournful sound of the bells rang throughout Seirende and everyone gulped in nervousness.


    Almost immediately, a homing pigeon arrived in the pce carrying the news that the Emperor, an S ss and rare constitution wielder was gravely injured after facing several S ss mages from the enemy side.


    The message doesn''t end there, the Emperor has announced that the Crown Prince will immediately take the throne as he will use his remaining strength for a final face off on the Spectre side, sacrificing his body.


    With this, the Crown Prince ascended as an Emperor with haste, however he is but a young emperor without his strongest backers. The nobles, led by the Ves, smiled as this was the perfect opportunity to install Carolina in the pce.


    Leveraging the power of the East territory as a bargaining chip. The powerless young emperor Valentin was forced to choose between taking Carolina as an Empress and having an army organized to back up and rescue the injured Emperor, or staying to lead the empire while leaving his father to die in the battlefield.


    However, the Emperor still kept resisting. True to his love for Teh, he chose to do his father''s will.


    This caused Carolina to engage in a more sinister plot. An unknown group of assassins abducted Teh, threatening that if he didn''t take Carolina as the empress, then he would have no choice but to marry her headless body.


    Forced to a corner, Emperor Valentin had no choice but to agree to the demands of the abductors, but only if they gave back Teh unscathe. If not, he would choose to marry a random princess in a nearby kingdom.


    Although he knew very well who the perpetrator was, he was really powerless to take them on, now that he had hastily ascended to the throne without any solid preparation.


    Finally getting what she wanted and genuinely detesting the idea of Valentin marrying another woman as an empress, she freed Teh right away.


    The day of the announcement came, Carolina excitedly looked towards the throne as Emperor Valentin sat straight, calmly looking at his subjects. Her heart kept thumping wildly with joy.


    After years of waiting! Finally! She will get Valentin!


    However, her rejoicing turned into rage when she finally heard Emperor Valentin''s announcement.


    He actually announced that on that day, he would be taking three spouses.


    Carolina as the Empress, as it was part of the agreement during the ckmail.


    For the First Queen, the daughter of the opposing noble faction, the Astaze March, Lucia Astaze.


    And finally, the Emperor''s true beloved, known by every citizen of the Empire.


    Everymoner''s fulfillment of a fairytale, Teh the bard as the Second Queen.

 Chapter 88 Poisonous Butterfly 4

    ?Her fantasy of taking Valentin''s hand while they walk towards the tform for the people to see was crushed so bitterly.


    What first queen?


    What second queen?


    She trembled as the brewing rage in her heart was already too much for her to keep. All she wanted right now was to protest and ask Valentin,


    ''Why do you have to do this? Can''t you just ept me?''


    Just as she was about to rush forward to vent her rage and frustration, she felt a strong hand stopping her from causing trouble. It was her dear brother Maxim who was looking at her with stern and angry eyes.


    "Hold yourself together Carolina, remember you are the empress. It will take time for you to get what you truly want. But now you have the power... As the empress!" He told her silently so that only the two of them could hear it.


    But these words were as loud as the thunder to Carolina''s ears. ''Yes, I am an empress! No matter how many queens he would take, I will be superior!''


    Her amethyst eyes that were filled with rage before had now glowed like the springtime. Convincing herself that one day Valentin will look at her not with hostile eyes, but with love and tenderness, her heart bloomed sweetly like the Heliotropes.


    But soon, the nobles and the people knew the impact of Emperor Valentin''s move to get three spouses.


    Soon a group of elderly-looking people appeared, announcing the rules of the Imperial Family. What they had announced sparked a wild reaction and praises from the whole capital.


    Who would have known that the Seirende Imperial Family had a rule: To get one and only one spouse throughout their lives.


    This is to ensure harmony and unity within the Seirende Family.


    There was an exception to the rule, however, but ites with a peculiar condition. Should the Emperor need to take on multiple spouses, he shall not let any one of the wives be bestowed with greater power than the other.


    In short, any political decision made by one of the spouses has to be vetted by the rest of the harem. The ranking was merely an empty title, with no other meaning but the prestige of the tiara they would be wearing.


    "Damn!" Maxim cursed as he hit the table in his frustration. Looking at her sister who was disappointed and aggrieved in his study, he couldn''t help but curse the now Emperor.


    "What a great move Valentin.. Hahaha!" He sarcastically uttered as he frustratingly clenched his fist in anger.


    There was only one meaning of him announcing the three spouses and the truth behind their roles. It was to dere that he saw right through their ploys. He was dering that no matter what they do, the bnce will be maintained within the pce.


    The Ves Faction, the Astaze Faction, and who knows if the neutral nobles andmoners would support the Second Queen? It was aplete equilibrium!


    "No, I won''t let this end like this!" Maxim dered with unwillingness, he looked at his sister with pity.


    With things going this way, her sister will only be walking her way to bing a useless empress whom the Emperor doesn''t favor!


    He wouldn''t let her sister live like that!


    Also, they needed to install their bloodline in the Seirende Family. This will be crucial in order to take the throne solidly.


    "We will use any means." Maxim slowly walked towards his downcast sister, and patted her head while saying in a gentle yet dangerous manner, "Even if it means drugging the emperor himself."


    Carolina''s body froze, "Is there really no way to do this?" She uttered unwillingly.


    "For now, there is no other way. But when you birth him a son, you would have to have leverage among the other queens." Maxim replied.


    She didn''t reply for a long while, she battled her inner self before finally replying with resolve, "Then we have no choice¡­However, I will make it so that the two queens would suffer most in my victory!"


    Thus, came the wedding night of the Emperor, marrying his three spouses. After sharing a toast with the three spouses and receiving congrattory messages from the guests and officials, the Emperor ended the night early.


    Hepletely ignored the empress and the first queen, directly going to the chambers for his beloved the second queen.


    However, just before he stepped inside the chambers, his vision darkened so bad and fell unconscious. When he woke up, he was already lying in the empress''s chambers. The chamber exuded an amorous feeling until he saw two figures bounded strongly in a corner.


    It was her beloved Teh and the first queen, Lucia.


    Their mouths were covered with cloth, and their hands and feet were harshly bound by chains. Their eyes filled with tears as fear crept over their whole being.


    Emperor Valentin jolted his body to rescue the two, but before he could do so, something activated on his body. He spat a mouthful of blood, something was attacking his body in every nook and cranny, tearing every tissue his body had.


    It was unbearable pain, however, he didn''t let out a whimper, not even a little.


    The two women''s eyes showed worry as they could just see his body twitch in pain, he vomited arge amount of blood and dark purple veins appeared all over his body as he was feeling an unbearable urge to release the rising fire within him.


    Carolina amorously appeared in the midst of this chaos with a light chuckle, "You will die if you don''t let your fire out.." She dered as she gently caressed Emperor Valentin''s forehead, wet with cold sweats.


    Then she looked delightfully at the two women and exined,


    "See, our husband has to take out the me inside his body or else he will die.. But it seems like you are not avable right now eh¡­"


    She traced the dark purple veins on Valentin''s body with her slender fingers while looking mockingly at the two women.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But you see, on every decision we take we have to vote right? So we must vote now!" She then released her sinister aura as she stepped nearer to the two trembling women.


    She took away the covering on Lucia''s mouth. "First queen, what do you think? Will you let the Emperor die and make us all widows?"


    Lucia looked towards the Emperor then Teh, she didn''t know what to say. However, she knew that the Emperor cannot die today.


    "L-let him live.." She said with unwillingness, biting her lip until it bled.


    "Ohh, fitting to be chosen as one of the Emperor''s spouses! Truly wise and noble, First Queen Lucia!" Carolina pped her hands sarcastically.


    With an eerie smile, Carolina turned her head towards her true love rival, Teh. "Oh, isn''t this the Emperor''s true love? Look at your beloved, he is dying from restraining himself from the fire."


    She forcefully took out Teh''s covering, "Tell me, what would be your decision.."


    "I-" Teh was about to say something when she was interrupted by the struggling voice of the Emperor,


    "Don''t... I... won''t break her heart.." He said while doing his best by circting his mana to quell the unbearable me in his body.


    "Ohh... What pure love is this? Truly envious isn''t it?" Carolina replied with her hands clenching tight in brewing anger.


    "However, he will die and we will be all widows. The people will also be led astray. Who knows who the next emperor would be? For sure it wille from our husband''s distant rtives. Will they carry on righteously like the main family?"


    Teh cried as she felt so small and helpless.


    Her beloved was dying, but he still thought of her until the end. Her beloved Valentin loved her and the people dearly, she knew of that fact more than any other. But now she had the power to choose, who will Valentin let go.


    "Let him live please.." She said as she could gradually see Valentin''s breathing bing harsher and harder. Finally, he lost consciousness.


    She prepared her heart as she knew that after this night, it will never be the same for the two of them, ever again. At this point, she knew Carolina''s purpose, to torment her by letting her witness this heartbreaking scene.


    "Ohhh, indeed worthy of your title as the Emperor''s beloved! So selfless and pure!" Carolina said triumphantly.


    "But you have to witness everything so that you wouldn''t me me for the oue!" She said as she took a light purple crystal bottle and poured it out onto her body.


    As soon as she went near the unconscious Valentin, his body reacted and he acted like a vicious beast. His pupils were no longer shining in blue as he became a soulless puppet out to only release the tormenting heat.


    He ravaged Carolina''s body. Teh and Lucia saw everything and they trembled wildly in fear and disgust toward Carolina''s scheme. However, they could see that the way the Emperor was taking Carolina, was rough and not gentle at all.


    Carolina''s face became pale as she was violently taken by the crazed Valentin. She shut her eyes as she hoped that the heat from Valentin would go away. With grievance in her heart, she dreamt that her wedding night with Valentin was filled with love and pleasure.


    But all she could feel right now is pain. However, Valentin didn''t stop. He acted like a beast in heat until Carolina fainted in pain and exhaustion.


    Seeing the unconscious body of Carolina, the vicious Valentin flicked her body away from the bed. He roamed his eyes and it settled on Queen Lucia, who was positioned more visibly than Teh.


    Effortlessly freeing Lucia from her bounds, he did the same thing with her, until she also fainted out of humiliation, pain, and exhaustion.


    His eyes roamed around again, finally seeing the bounded Teh. Dragging her body to the bed, the vicious Valentin was about to take her too. However...


    He saw Queen Teh''s heartbroken face.


    His body froze. His subconsciousness instinctively wiped her tear-stricken face. His soulless pupil was slowly filled with color as he started to realize what kind of atrocities he had just done.


    His heartbroken in countless pieces.


    "Ahh, My Teh¡­ What have I done to you!!"


    He weakly uttered as he looked at her in tears, full of guilt, until he fell on top of her body strengthless.


    The next morning, the empire was in an uproar as the Emperor fell into aa after an assassination attempt.


    He didn''t wake up for months as there was too much damage in every part of his body. When he finally woke up, he immediately got up to work on punishing Carolina, however, he couldn''t do so because...


    He had gotten both Carolina and Lucia pregnant.


    As for him and his beloved Teh, only time was able to heal their wounded hearts until they were able to face each other again...


    --


    Thinking about the past, Carolina held her hands together with anticipation. The sufferings and humiliation she experienced, will all bepensated!


    That will be when Kazimir, her son, gets the favor of the subject of the oracle and fights for the throne!


    "I have waited a long time! This time, we will win!"

 Chapter 89 Impure Thoughts! Impure Thoughts! Go Away!

    ?In contrast with the intensely sinister atmosphere in the capital, it was ever warm and loving on a specific cottage in Silver Dew Forest.


    The Emperor and the Second Queen wore ecstatic smiles all day long as they saw the little new family cope up with their new life.


    They couldn''t be even more proud that their son, Leon, was so supportive and attentive towards his little wife.


    The grandpas also could see how Eli, Little Han and Leon slowly be a family unconsciously. If only they themselves could feel the changing atmosphere around them.


    They could only sigh in sadness.


    It was so heartbreaking to see this family separate! The four elders thought the same! Exchanging looks, they all convene in the living room with a serious and downcast expression.


    "Is there really nothing we can do but to see them be separated from each other?" Grandpa Andi voiced his concern first.


    He was the longest to know Eli among the four. He also knew how Eli was mentally prepared to take on life as a single mom before, but who could reject a life withpanions? Grandpa Andi was unwilling to let Eli be alone at this point in her life!


    "It was both crucial to go back to the capital and stay by Eli''s side. We are equally helpless in this matter too." Emperor Valentin replied with a heavy sigh.


    If only they need not to draw away the suspicion on Little Han''s birth, he may as well let Leon stay at least until Eli fully recovers. But s! The matters in the capital will beplicated if they acted rashly.


    Everyone was helpless in this matter. The Grandpas also thought that they could simply bring Eli to the capital until she recovers and reveals herself fully. But the most important thing was, what was the youngsters'' decision in this matter?


    Sigh¡­


    While the group of elders were contemting, the atmosphere between Eli and Leon was a little bit awkward and tense.


    "Leon¡­ I am really all right.. You do not have to do this." Eli was blushing as Leon was calmlyying out his makeshift bed on the floor beside her.


    "Do not worry, I''ve slept in ces with worse conditions than this. Besides, it will be convenient for me to be beside you, lest you need someone to assist you on something." Leon replied resolutely. His face was as calm as a deep river, his eyes were as attentive as a hawk watching his prey''s every move.


    "But¡­" Eli was too embarrassed to voice her concern. Although Leon was Little Han''s father and they have more or less a partnership, it wasn''t enough for her to befortable letting him sleep in one room.


    Leon, seeing Eli''s troubled face, felt helpless and dejected in his heart. He knew well what Eli''s meaning was. It seems like it will still be a long way to go for him to be able to get Eli''s trust and heart.


    However, he still looked at her with a calm and steadfast gaze while saying, "I know what you are worried about. I don''t have any good rebuttal regarding that, only that in your condition, this is the best arrangement."


    "I can carry you when you need to relieve yourself in thefort room. I can change your sheets when it is dirty. I can bring you water when you are thirsty and I cane before you immediately when you are in pain."


    "This is all I can do to make it up for the suffering you went through while giving birth to Little Han. It is not only my responsibility as his father, but is what I''d also like to do for you, simply because of how I feel about you." Leon exined lengthily yet straightforwardly.


    He couldn''t promise Eli that he had pure intentions, because they both knew what he felt about her. It''s better toe clean and be logical.


    Eli was then again caught off guard by Leon''s sudden confession.


    She was rendered speechless, it was very logical however thest part made her heart pound wildly. This man had always been gentle yet straightforward in approaching her, single minded yet tender.


    However, she didn''t want to take this moment for granted. What she was afraid to do was getting attracted to Leon just because the time was convenient for her to do so.


    Dependence is not always equal to love.


    Needing someone is not equivalent to yearning.


    What if one day, they would discover that they weren''t meant for each other. The level of the investment on their current rtionship must be clearly defined. She didn''t want to stumble on the cold reality that he was meant for another woman all along.


    Boundaries must be set. Walls must be built.


    Leon watched Eli''s every expression and move. He had more or less understood Eli''s reservation. However, why must a man quit just because he faced rejection?


    "Eli, I understand. But also understand mine. Please do not underestimate my resolve."


    He replied with his low maic voice. There was a tinge of grievance in his tone, clearly he was hurt by Eli''s worries regarding their rtionship.


    Eli froze and a tinge of guilt appeared on her dark midnight eyes. She knew that at the end of the day, Leon was a prince, he could actually order her to marry him by force, yet he didn''t do so out of understanding and respecting her feelings.


    It would be truly hurtful if she keeps on insisting on her own ideals without considering Leon''s.


    They both lived and grew in different societal standards. But that doesn''t mean that one''s values are higher and more nobler than the other. One must understand another and meet half way when disagreementse their way.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m sorry.. Leon.. Just give me a bit more time." Eli said in a downcast and guilty manner.


    Seeing Eli''s appearance droop like a guilty puppy, Leon couldn''t help but find her adorable.


    Although Eli was clearly stressed and spent because of birthing Little Han, Leon could clearly see that Eli grew by leaps and bounds in terms of her womanly aura.


    Is that the change brought by motherhood?


    He could feel that she was more beautiful, more strong and more appealing to his eyes. Especially when she carried Little Han in her arms and tenderly smiled.


    His heart would always pound so wildly and his eyes would always be drawn into her pale cheeks and pinkish lips. He always had the urge to tenderly caress it and¡­


    !!!


    Leon pinched himself awake. What was going on in his mind? What kind of things did he want to do with Eli?!


    Impure thoughts! Impure thoughts! Go away!!


    He breathed heavily and tried to suppress his evil thoughts calmly. Husssssh!


    Eli heard Leon let out a heavy sigh, she thought that Leon was still aggrieved, so she hurriedly racked her brains topose some words to apologize to Leon. Only to feel a warm and gentle pat on the head, she looked up to see Leon half kneeling on her bedside.


    The corner of his lips have a slight curve as she could closely inspect his cold yet unparalleled beauty. "Don''t worry too much, just take a rest while Little Han is asleep." He said softly as if lulling Eli to sleep.


    No longer protesting, Eli allowed Leon to carry her to adjust into a sleeping position. Then he carried Little Han''s cradle beside him so that he would be the first one to wake up should Little Han cry or feel hungry.


    Soon, the little family of three peacefully called the night.


    While the four eldersically peeked their heads at the door looking at them like the young people who were members of a fan club. They all smiled in bliss seeing their harmonious little family and quietly closed the door to allow them to rest.


    --


    "Aaaaw.. Wooo.." A tiny vulnerable whimper was heard in the wee hours of the night.


    Leon alertly opened his eyes and attentively scrambled in his makeshift bed.


    The rustles he made also caused Eli to sleepily open her eyes. With a delicate and soft voice, she looked at the startled Leon and uttered, "What''s the matter?"


    "Our Little Han is crying.." He said with a frown, clearly troubled.


    He didn''t know what to do.


    Why do babies cry in the first ce? How will he know the cause of Little Han''s difort?


    Seeing that usually calm andposed Leon wearing a troubled face, Eli let out a fluttery chuckle and requested, "May you light up the room first? Then let''s see if he is hungry."


    "Uhn.." Leon was a bit panicky as he used magic to light up themp in the room while hearing Little Han''s whimpers.


    After doing so, he first lifted Eli up to let her sit on the bed then hurriedly carried Little Han in his arms.


    However, as he touched Little Han''s bottom, his nose catched a whiff of a foreign and milky smell.


    His whole body froze as he felt his hands the slightly wet swaddle cloth, multiple dark lines appeared on his ever calm forehead.


    "Awummm¡­"


    As if knowing that his daddy finally realized what''s wrong with him, Little Han let out an enthusiastic hum while a slight curve appeared on his tiny face. He was now nudging his little head on his father''s palms.


    "Daddy will clean me, finally!" Is what this little bunddle of joy saying through his expression.


    Seeing the helpless and darkened expression of Leon, while staying on a half kneeling position carrying Little Han stiffly without moving for almost a minute, Eli realized what happened.


    Little Han just made his daddy wake up because he pooped!

 Chapter 90 Smoothie

    ?"Pfft! Hahaha!" Eli couldn''t help but to let out an amusedugh from seeing Leon troubled to the point that he was frozen in shock.


    This man was usually wearing a cold and reserved expression even when troubled. Yet, who knew that the tiny Little Han would make him so flustered and troubled!


    Hearing Eli''s delight, Leon couldn''t help but feel hot in his face, a visible tinge of redness appeared on his ears while drops of sweat appeared on his forehead. He felt like the hand that was holding Little Han''s bottom was on fire, however he dared not to pass the soiled Little Han to Eli.


    His eyes wandered around the room desperately looking for a way to address the issue until he met Eli''s gaze.


    "Help.." He said in surrender.


    Eli tried to lift her body up to the sitting position but her arms were too weak to contain her weight. A sharp pain suddenly harassed her lower back from the sudden movement. Her pale face couldn''t help but wince in pain.


    Leon saw everything and decisively said in worry, "Do not push yourself, just guide me on what to do. I''ll follow your instructions to clean Little Han."


    "Alright, first get some clean cloth diapers, swaddle cloth, a towel in that corner, and a basin of slightly warm water.."


    She slowly instructed Leon on how to clean Little Han step by step. Leon followed her instructions to the dot and was able to finally clean Little Han and his cradle.


    However, he was stumped on how to put the clean cloth diaper on Little Han, he tried a few times until ck lines appeared on his forehead. He looked at Eli again in distress, worried that Little Han might be exposed for too long if he didn''t finish clothing him properly.


    Eli let out another amused smile which made Leon blush again in embarrassment, "Please help me up."


    Leon carefully ced a warm cloth on Little Han before moving Eli to sit. Then he carried Little Han beside her.


    Eli then demonstrated how to carefully dress Little Han with closed diapers,


    "Always use warm water to clean Little Han, then pat him dry with a soft absorbent towel before dressing him.."


    "The cloth diapers must not be too tight, because the cloth might hurt Little Han''s skin especially when he starts to move. The fit should just be right.."


    "It would be nice if we could get some gentle ointment or petroleum jelly to keep Little Han''s bum moisturized and free from rashes.."


    Leon listened and burned Eli''s demonstration on how to dress Little Han, taking note of the things he also needed to get for Little Han the next day. He was amazed by how she dressed Little Han so familiarly as if it wasn''t the first time she was doing it.


    "I practiced with Azayn.." Eli uttered, Leon was being obvious with his expressions, so she opted to answer whatever was on his mind.


    "I see.."


    "Ummm.. booo!" Little Han''s sleeping face uttered some inaudible words while pouting grumpily. It seemed like he was hungry.


    Eli instinctively carried Little Han and lifted her shirt up, revealing the skin underneath.


    Leon realized what she was about to do. His body jolted and scrambled to immediately turn on his back.


    "Heavens!" He couldn''t help but exim, although he was fast, he was able to see a glimpse of Eli''s abdominal area. It was the first time he saw so much feminine skin. He felt like his eyes burned because he almost saw something inappropriate.


    "Ah!!" Eli was also equally startled. She was so focused on tending Little Han and so at ease in Leon''s presence that she had forgotten that it was still inappropriate to let him see the skin beneath her shirt.


    "I''m sorry! It didn''t cross my mind!" Eli uttered full of shame!


    Goodness! Now I look like an exhibitionist! She thought. How could she be forgetful to not be sensitive with her surroundings! She felt her body heat up in embarrassment.


    "No it''s alright. I didn''t see anything!" Leon tried to squeeze out these words as calmly as possible. However he didn''t know that with his back exposed, he was actually disying his reddish nape and ears!


    "Just feed Little Han.. do tell me when you are finished." Leon continued with a shaky voice. He then busied himself to tidy up the things he used while cleaning Little Han, bringing it out of the room.


    When he finally entered, Eli was now lulling Little Han to sleep, kissing the Little Bun''s forehead so sweetly.


    His heart melted.


    He burned this image in his mind. Eli with her flowy ck hair cascading so naturally in her white nursing dress, carrying Little Han lovingly in a simple log bedroom.


    This is family. The people he wanted to protect with his very own life. A gift from the creator!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli noticed Leon standing quietly by the door, she smiled calmly and announced in a hushed tone, "He''s fast asleep."


    "Uhn.." Leon hummed and quietly reached out his hands to put Little Han on his now clean crystal shell cradle, not forgetting to also tenderly nt a kiss on Little Han''s forehead.


    After carefully cing Little Han on the cradle, he stood up and looked at Eli who met his thoughtful and gentle eyes. It was as if time froze when the two looked at each other.


    The atmosphere created by Little Han had made the two feel sentimental with each other. Yet both knew that it wasn''t the right time yet.


    Leon then continued to go near Eli and assisted her again into a sleeping position. "Rest now.. So that you can gain more strength and recover..." He whispered tenderly.


    "Uhn.." Eli let out a hum as drowsiness and weariness slowly engulfed her. She sleepily looked towards Leon while he tucked her to sleep.


    "Leon.. you are a good man¡­ Little Han is lucky to have you as his dad.." She said before the sleepinesspletely overcame her.


    Leon''s heart skipped a beat when he heard Eli''s words, however when he turned to look at Eli, she was already fast asleep. His eyes disyed a defeated look as he carefully caressed Eli''s face, clearing the fringes in her forehead.


    "No.. I and Little Han.. were lucky that you came here in this world.. and brought us this new life¡­" He said as he tenderly looked at Eli.


    He looked towards the peacefully sleeping mother and son, then towards the window.


    The moon was happily showing its luster in the dark night. Giving light to those who are still out and awake, and cuing those who needed to sleep, guarding them from the darkness the night brings.


    Just like Leon who was the only one who stayed awake, his thoughts wandered on how his little family will live from now on.


    Morning came and shined gently on the little log bedroom.


    Eli was awakened by the gentle kiss of the morning light. Feeling refreshed and happy, her fluttering eyelids opened instinctively and looked toward the area where the father and son were supposed to be sleeping.


    The beddings were neatly folded while Little Han''s cradle was already on her bedside. She looked towards her son who was sleeping cutely.


    Last night, Little Han was not as needy as she expected him to be. He had only woken them up once in the night and let her and Leon sleep until morning.


    "My baby is so behaved!" Eli yfully uttered as she gently caressed Little Han''s tiny head.


    However, she still didn''t let her guard down. It was just Little Han''s second night. Who knows in the following days or months ahead? She may go through countless sleepless nights to tend to Little Han. She must mentally prepare herself.


    Soon a soft knock was heard on the door, "Eli, are you awake? May Ie in?"


    Eli heard Azayn''s voice. "Uhn, I am already up! Pleasee in!"


    Azayn then opened the door, greeting Eli with a bright smile. Leon followed closely, holding a steaming bowl of porridge and two sses of who knows what.


    Leon wordlessly put Eli''s body into sitting position then left the room. Azayn quickly checked her condition while asking her some details about how her body feels.


    She then encouraged Eli to take her breakfast and drink the two cups.


    The first one was a concoction that was pale green in color, its scent emitted a strong herbal smell invading her nose and lungs. Upon sniffing the scent, Eli could feel the cooling effect, as if she had sniffed the scent of a eucalyptus ointment.


    ording to Azayn, this concoction was made for Eli to immediately recover her bodily injuries after giving birth. She immediately took a sip, checking its taste. She was expecting the bitter, leafy taste of the drink, however to her surprise it was actually like drinking mint tea!


    The next concoction had a subtle smoky smell and muddy in color. The scent is milder in contrast to the other one. But Eli was repulsed when she inspected the drink''s texture, it was like a wood smoothie. She frowned in hesitation, clearly fearing on taking this drink.


    Azayn let out a chuckle and yfully said,


    "Why are you afraid? Haven''t you been worried about the size of your chest? Didn''t you keep onmenting that Little Han would be malnourished because of their size?


    "See, I already gave you the solution! With this, you wouldn''t have to worry about that-"


    As soon as Eli heard the first part, she immediately closed her eyes and pinched her nose. She drank the wood smoothie in one go!

 Chapter 91 Home

    ?Eli was ted to know the effects of the concoction made by Azayn.


    The elves were very well versed in medicine and magic. They were also a highly intelligent race. Hence, with Azayn and even Kayden looking after her and Little Han''s health, she would surely recover in no time.


    Add to the fact that what she drank just now were the recipe developed by the elves especially for her conduction. The herbs on the recipe were technically non existent in Seirende Empire. That was because all these herbs could only be found in the exclusive region of the Silver Dew forest!


    "Azayn, these medicinal juices were so precious! How could I ever repay you for this?" Eli told Azayn with a grateful look in her eyes.


    "Aishh! Do not worry about it! But if you really want repayment, just let me borrow more books for me to read! Hahaha!" Azayn nonchntly replied. The herbs in the vige are boundless, the medicinal juices were just a small thing.


    Instead of being calctive of things like mary value, Azayn appreciated knowledge more. Thus she looked at Eli with sparkling round eyes as she leaned forward and asked,


    "I''ll make sure that you''ll be able to stand and walk around without pain in just a few days! With that, you could finally write some new inventions for me to study!!!"


    The corner of Eli''s mouth twitched. It turns out the motivation for Azayn to let her recover well was for her toe up with something new for her to study!


    However, just as Azayn indulged her with these things, she wanted to return the favor and indulge her too. She was her first female friend in Prasinos, she ced greatly in Eli''s heart.


    Thus with a helpless voice, she let out a pampering smile and said, "Do not worry! I already have something in mind. It won''t take that long for me to start working on that thing because it was crucial to our safety as well."


    "Really?!!" Azayn excitedly replied with wide eyes. She excitedly pped her hands and gave a delightful smile.


    "Then I will work harder to get you standing nice and strong the day after tomorrow!" Azayn dered, obviously pumped up.


    The two friends chuckled and chatted for a while before Azayn left for the vige with the Emperor.


    Although they have used the renewal of treaty to obviously visit Eli, the Emperor and Chief Eirllon still had to fulfill their duties to inspect the whole outer regions.


    This is to ensure that the ecosystem in the Silver Dew Forest is in good condition. The treaty would no longer mean anything if the forest was already damaged beyond repair.


    Hence, before they leave for the capital, the two leaders, along with the distinguished elven officials will take rounds in the forest for the next two days.


    Queen Teh on the other hand, stayed on the cottage to guide Leon and Eli in taking care of Little Han.


    Eli warmly watched the Queen and Leon, fervently discussing how to dress Little Han properly as well as how to clean his body.


    Queen Teh was quite stern while teaching Leon, however, Eli could clearly see that her eyes were full of happiness and delight whenever she saw Leon carrying Little Han tenderly in his arms.


    Also, Queen Teh and Eli had found a new hobby tough at Leon''s misery whenever Little Han would make a mess everytime Leon held him.


    One time, Leon was happily carrying Baby Han in his arms while coaxing him to sleep, however, he suddenly saw Little Han''s sleeping face frown while his little body became tense.


    Afterwards, he felt a warm liquid wetting his arms and chest.


    "Awuuummm," Little Han yet again let out afortable hum while nudging his head on Leon''s arms.


    "Sorry to trouble you again daddy! I wuv you!" Is what he appeared to say with his actions.


    Eli couldn''t help butugh at the interaction between the two. She noticed that Little Han would never soil nor wet himself when he was in her arms. However, he would do so when he was with Leon!


    Everytime, Little Han would feel the need to do so in Eli''s presence, Little Han would always cry in distress, letting Eli know that he was not hungry but in difort. Thus, the cmity of getting dirty because of Little Han would always be avoided by Eli.


    But in Leon''s arms, Little Han would do so with little to no warnings!


    But despite that fact, Leon never let out his cold and angry demeanor towards Little Han, not even a drop of it. Instead, he would just freeze and look at him helplessly with a doting look.


    What''s more, this day old baby already knew how to appease his barbaric blood prince daddy!


    "Awuuum~~~" He let out a happy whimper again after Leon had sessfully changed his diapers.


    "Look at how your son tried to appease me with that tiny smile.."


    He calmly leaned near Eli and showed Little Han''s attempt to charm him. His tone was t and calm, yet his crystal blue eyes only looked at the little bundle of joy lovingly.


    "Pfft! He''s your son as well! You both look simr!" Eli replied with a warm chuckle.


    Although Little Han''s eyes were still closed, hisplexion was already bing clearer. It was also the effect of the crystal cradle. His development was not impeded even though he was born a month early.


    ording to Azayn, he will be fully developed after a week, thanks to the crystal shell. This did not only act as an incubator for Little Han, but also a nourishment to his underdeveloped body. Thus everyone would already see subtle resemnce of Little Han''s features from this father.


    Eli couldn''t be happier with this development.


    She thought that it would take her around three months to heal, but who would have thought that Azayn would nourish her with a miraculous concoction?


    She thought that Little Han''s health would be tricky and dangerous, but who would have thought that the crystal shell cradle was what they exactly needed for his condition?


    But even until now, she could feel that the Creator and the guardians had taken care of everything for her well. She felt more than lucky. She felt blessed!


    She looked warmly with a grateful smile on her face, looking at the father and son. She uttered deep thanks in her heart towards the Great One, "Oh Great Father! I couldn''t thank you enough, for this much love!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her warm smile met Leon''s indulgent eyes. The two froze as they felt their hearts skip a beat.


    It just felt so perfect with the three of them together.


    No matter how humble this little cottage is. No matter how hostile the world outside is.


    No matter howplicated their identities were. No matter how tricky the circumstances were.


    Her, Him and Little Han, were just meant to be together with bright smiles on their faces.


    Eli and Leon knew very well. This atmosphere, this life that they had right now. It was just their second day yet they do not want it to end just like that.


    In three days they had to separate.


    In three days, they had to be apart from each other.


    To protect Little Han, to protect their little family.


    Leon had to be away. Eli and Little Han had to hide.


    That''s just the way it is.


    Or is it really?


    Leon was unwilling. He looked at Little Han, who was now peacefully sleeping in his arms after coaxing him.


    A sh of determination appeared on his crystal blue eyes. He took a big gulp and looked at Eli who was also disying a hint of anxiety.


    "Eli.. Can we not take the risk?" Leon said in a gentle tone. To Eli''s ears it was the gentlest tone she had heard from Leon ever since she knew him. This gentleness was full of helplessness.


    He met Eli''s shocked eyes with sincerity, "I do not want to miss this opportunity to be away from the both of you.."


    "I do not want this moment to stop."


    "Eli, can we not take the risk for this family? For our family?"


    "I''ll do my best to shield you and Little Han from harm. I''ll do my best to be there when you need me."


    "I''ll do my best to build and strengthen this home that we built."


    Leon''s gentle tone turned to pleading. Anxiety and unwillingness could be felt in his low quivering voice.


    "Eli, we finally had our home. Let us not stray from it."


    Home.


    Eli knew what this word meant, to her personally and even to Leon. The two of them spent a considerable amount of time being alone, far from their loved ones. Home that they wanted was this.


    Home is in the presence of the one dearest to them, regardless of the location.


    Home is where their family is.


    Home is where He, Her and Little Han are.


    Eli looked deeply at Little Han. He deserved every love she and Leon had for him.


    Including their presence.


    She was afraid, very afraid. What was waiting for them in the capital? What was waiting for them if they stayed here? What was waiting for Little Han when he grew up?


    She was afraid that she couldn''t shield him in danger and contempt. She couldn''t shield him in the trouble and hostility given by the enemy.


    However, there was only one thing she could give him right now.


    And that was a home.


    A family.


    With her and Leon. With the Grandpas, Baobao and Wisey. With the Emperor and Empress. With Azayn, Kayden, Randel and Olivier.


    "Eli, please.. Take the risk with me?" Leon pleaded onest time.


    Eli curbed all the anxiety she was feeling. She steeled her heart to have the courage to nod her head and let out a simple hum.


    "Uhn.."

 Chapter 92 Congratulatory Gift

    ?"P-pardon? What did you just say?" Leon was shocked at Eli''s subtle reply.


    Although he wanted to convince Eli this much, he also knew how firm Eli was with her decisions, especially when ites to Little Han.


    He did not expect to hear Eli''s positive response to his pleading!


    "Eli, you mean-" Leon''s chest pounded hard in nervousness. There was a second meaning to his request. Coming to live with him in the capital meant that he and Eli would be¡­


    "Not so fast.. For now, I am doing it for Little Han." Eli immediately shut down Leon''s hope.


    She was still firm in her viewpoint, to marry only for love. However, she had already decided to start looking with fairness towards Leon''s pursuit. Someday, she will be clearer of what she feels about him.


    Upon hearing Eli''s abrupt reply, Leon felt disappointed. But it wasn''t enough to overshadow the happiness he was feeling right now. He will have more chances to be with her and Little Han!


    That meant that he will have more chances to pursue Eli as well!


    He nodded with calmness and replied, "It''s alright, thank you for hearing me out. You don''t know how happy I am right now." He looked at Eli again, with a tender look.


    Eli couldn''t help but feel shy. Ever since they interacted so ambiguously because of Little Han, she started to feel that she had already lost her touch in keeping her emotions in check.


    Just like when Leon was staring at her with those sincere crystal blue eyes, she couldn''t help but feel hot on her face and feel tense.


    To distract herself, she let her eyes wander around the room. Looking at this simple yet warm bedroom, something dawned on her.


    ''Going to the capital meant leaving this cottage for a long period, didn''t it?'' A sh of sadness appeared in her dark midnight eyes.


    Her first memories in Prasinos happened in this cottage. She met Wisey, Baobao and Azayn in this cottage. She bonded with her trusted and dearest people in this house. Shared meals with them here, conversed with them here.


    She and the project team also exerted a lot of effort upgrading the facilities of this house. She felt that it was a big waste to leave this cottage¡­


    "Are you feeling regretful leaving this ce?" As Leon was looking at her tenderly, he noticed every reaction and emotion she let out.


    Taken aback by his straightforward question, Eli''s body paused for a while but immediately shook her head, "Indeed, but I suddenly remembered Guardian Celeste''s advice. Some things are meant to be kept in the heart."


    Although she was truly feeling sentimental about this house, she can always treasure her memories with this house in her heart. The important thing was that her rtionship with them will not perish.


    Thus, she made a decision to not waver just because she couldn''t bear to leave the cottage. As to the water system, isn''t this just a prototype? Sooner orter it will be publicly released. Their future living quarters would contain that feature sooner orter.


    Leon didn''t inquire any further but just calmlymented, "Don''t worry about the preparation for your journey in the capital. Leave it for me to arrange."


    "Uhn.. Thank you Leon."


    "My pleasure!"


    After that, Leon coaxed Eli to take a nap since Little Han was already sleeping. Although she had been under Azayn''s miraculous medications, her body had exerted a lot of energy in birthing Little Han, thus her body deserved rest.


    After ensuring that the mother and son were peacefully sleeping. Leon carefully tucked Eli in and ensured Little Han was warmly covered before quietly going out of the room.


    In the living room, Leon was actually shocked to see that his parents and the grandpas were leisurely sipping tea and snacks served by the dutiful Baobao at the side.


    Nobody would believe that these four iconic people in the Seirende Empire preferred to spend their time being served tea by a giant panda in a cottage at the middle of the forest!


    Leon was actually worried about the two grandpas more than his parents. Because these two held the crucial roles in their own establishments. But they are here, sipping tea almost every day!


    Regardless of his worries for the elders, Leon still politely stepped forward and greeted the four.


    "Greetings! Grand Masters Andi and Reuben. Greetings Father Emperor, Mother Queen!"


    "Ohhh the young one is free! Come sit, how have you been!!!" Grandpa Andi energetically beckoned Leon to join them and take a seat.


    Inspecting hisplexion, Grandpa Reuben meaningfully brushed his beard andmented,


    "It seems that you have been restless these few nights.. However, I can see that you are rejoicing inside."


    "Who would not be happy to see Little Han! I couldn''t help but tear up in happiness whenever I see him!" Grandpa Andi''s eyes sparkled as he expressed his joy.


    "Indeed!" The Emperor seconded an unconcealed happiness disyed in his aged face. "My grandson is such a joy to see!"


    The Elders then engaged in an intense conversation of expressing their feelings for Little Han.


    Leon was overwhelmed, realizing that it was not only them who genuinely love Little Han but many others. What''s more these people are the people closest to him and Eli.


    "Right.." Leon joined the conversation naturally. "That''s why I and Eli decided to go to the capital together, three days from now."


    "What?!" The grandpas eximed in surprise.


    "Son, are you sure?" His parents also voiced their surprise as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Baobao and Wisey were also left wide eyed on Leon''s sudden announcement. This isn''t a simple decision!


    Leon calmly faced the elder''s inquiring gazes and slowly replied, "Yes, but that does not mean that they will reveal themselves immediately¡­"


    Hearing this, the elders heaved a sigh of relief.


    Grandpa Andi then looked at him and asked, "Then are you saying that you liked our earlier suggestion, to adopt Eli?"


    "It''s something like that.. However, I have a different idea in mind in terms of how she will be staying in the capital for the meantime. As to the adoption, I still do not know Eli''s answer to that."


    The elders raised their brows and looked at Leon with interest. "Isn''t it natural that she stays with one of us before going out in public?"


    "Indeed, however, there is one thing I wouldn''t like to take away from Eli, because I know she will feel sad."


    ???


    The four''s curiosity intensified and waited for Leon''s answer.


    "She seemed to like this cottage very much!"


    Shocked and helpless nces appeared on the elders'' faces, especially the two grandpas.


    Queen Teh had a worried expression on her face and asked, "Then son, based on what you are implying are you.."


    "Yes." Leon nodded without hesitation. "I n to set up a spatial array in this entire cottage and bring this with Eli in the capital!"


    "Heavens!" Grandpa Andi almost spurted his tea out.


    Grandpa Ben froze, the cookie was still stuck on his mouth while he remained dazed.


    "Leon this is insane!" Emperor Valentin also eximed in surprise.


    "My son, although I too would want to do my best for Eli, this is indeed hard to execute!" Queen Teh tried to reason out.


    "That''s right, first of all, we need an expert on arrays toy it out. Second we need mana stones.. No! Supreme mana stones to do it!" Emperor Valetin supported Teh''s opinion.


    Leon was not irritated by the opposition of his elders. He used a polite tone to exin,


    "That is why I wanted to tell you as soon as possible.." He looked at Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Leon and humbly took a bow.


    "I, Leon Andrae de Seirende, plead to the greatest grand masters of the Empire to help me bring a smile to Eli''s face!"


    Everyone was speechless. Leon''s gesture meant that he was dead set in doing this whether they like it or not.


    The two grandpas knew it well.


    They knew that Leon was capable of setting up the grand array for himself as their fellow S ss. However, what he was pleading for was for them to be an alibi to his parents.


    They immediately understood that the two didn''t know his abilities yet. Perhaps, none in the imperial family knew of it at all!


    Exchanging nces, Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben looked at Leon helplessly and nodded, "Alright.."


    Receiving their approval, Leon''s face lit up, gave another bow and expressed his thanks.


    "Thank you Grand masters! Thank you!"


    Although shocked that he was able to convince the grand masters, Emperor Valentin still immediately retorted, keeping a rational stance,


    "Leon, son, it is still hard for you to do it. Weck supreme mana stones."


    However, Leon still calmly shook his head, he activated his space pouch and pulled out a small bag. The contents of the bag made them yet again exim in surprise. This time they all stood in shock.


    "Leon! This! This!!!!!"


    They asked in a low manner, except for Grandpa Andi who had already experienced this shock before with Eli. He appeared to be less shockedpared to the other three.


    "W-where did you manage to acquire this?" Emperor Valentin asked, trying his best to calm himself. Cold sweats appeared in his forehead as deep anxiety appeared in his heart.


    "It didn''te from me¡­" Leon nonchntly uttered.


    He swept his gaze on everyone and continued steadily,


    "It came from Little Han''s godparents! Their congrattory gift!"

 Chapter 93 Decision

    ?The room fell silent because of Leon''s exnation. The elders were stumped, not knowing what to say.


    "Your Highness, Little Han''s godparents¡­" Grandpa Reuben''s inquiry trailed off.


    They looked at Leon and then at the small bag, then looked at him again. Leon maintained an unperturbed expression as he already didn''t want to unravel any details about the supreme mana stones.


    The mana stones he presented was a portion of the stones given by the guardians to the three of them.


    Initially, Eli wanted Leon to take all the mana stone bags for him to spend, because she felt guilty upon hearing that Leon almost went broke from travelling to and fro just to visit them.


    However, he insisted on only taking a portion and keeping the others for Eli and Little Han''s future use. After a long discussion, Eli finally relented to keep the remaining portion, while Leon only took this small bag.


    "They prefer not to reveal their identities for now. But all I can assure you is that they have Little Han''s well being in mind." Leon gave a perfunctory reply.


    "Well it is what it is. What''s more important is that our problem is solved!" Grandpa Andi tried to change the awkward mood.


    The other three nodded, although deep inside they still felt at a loss. They have merely solved the problem on how to transport Eli''s cottage, but they didn''t solve the problem of Eli and Little Han''s arrangement in the capital.


    "We''ll if it really bothers you, then we might as well talk with Eli about this arrangement tomorrow. It doesn''t hurt to hear her opinions right?" Seeing the hesitant expression of the other three, Grandpa Andi nonchntly suggested.


    "Well.." The three finally agreed and finally reacted. Soon, the discussions were about how Leon and the Grandpas will set the array for the next two days.


    Morning came and Eli was awoken by the busy noises in the cottage. With a gentle frown, she slowly fluttered her eyelids open and saw the warmly lit room.


    It was still peaceful yet the busy noises made the atmosphere lively. She was hearing noises of wood being chopped, rustles of the broom from sweeping the wooden floor, some digging sounds and asionalmands being thrown here and there.


    "What''s happening.." Curious by the lively atmosphere, she instinctively used her strength to sit up unconsciously.


    She was baffled because her hands and upper body had already managed to let her be in the sitting position herself. Eli''s midnight eyes lit up!


    "Azayn''s medicine is truly amazing!" She happily eximed. She tried to move her lower body to see if she could already get out of bed. But a wave of pain invaded her lower body.


    "Ouch.." She let out a whimper of pain. It seems like she could only wait until the third day to really be free from the bed rest.


    Knock knock! A lively Azayn appeared in a timely manner, a tinge of excitement appeared on her face.


    "Eli! I''m telling you! If you do not marry the Prince in this life, you will definitely regret it!" She rushed towards Eli, dismissing the fact that Eli had already managed to sit up.


    Sparkles appeared in her green eyes and she grinned as if she was feeling proud of someone. "I''m telling you! You won''t lose out if you marry that ice cube prince! He''s rather not bad!"


    Eli was stunned on Azayn''s almost fanatical attitude, raising her brows with interest, she immediately threw out a question to her dear friend.


    "Just what did Leon do that made you act like that?"


    Azayn was not stunned at Eli''s skepticism, instead her green eyes squinted with a teasing look and said,


    "You will know soon. Fufufu! I''ll tell you, his ways right now could bepared to the manliness of my sweet husband Koetr! That''s why I am encouraging you.. No pushing you! Do not let this big fish go!"


    Shocked by the deration of her friend, Eli couldn''t help but feel shy about how unashamed Azayn was in her words. But from what Azayn was saying, Leon must be preparing for something.


    Suddenly, Eli found herself anticipating what Leon would do for her. Upon realizing this, her mind shook. ''Did I just assume that he will do something romantic for me?''


    ''Not good! If it turns out he was not really doing something for me but for Little Han, I would be disappointed. Protect my heart! Protect my heart!''


    "Huhhhh¡­" Eli let out a deep long breath. As if restarting herself, she looked at Azayn with a pout and sulkily said, "Anyways, didn''t you notice that I could already sit?"


    Azayn noticed Eli''s attempt to change the conversation, however, she didn''t pursue the matters anymore. She also lifted her head up with a proud expression andmented, "What is there to be surprised with?"


    "With me around, you will be strutting your healthy body in no time!"


    Eli let out a helpless smile, this dear friend of hers really took pride in her profession sincerely. "Oh, by the way how is brother Kayden doing anyway?"


    "Aiyoooo Eli! Let me tell you!" Upon hearing Kayden''s name, Azayn let out a frustrated expression while pping her thighs in aical manner, the graceful and womanly Azayn was nowhere to be found.


    "Ever since your sessful birth, Kayden shut himself inside MY medicalboratory and dived himself with research! Eli, that''s MY preciousboratory!!! MY Laboratory!!!" Azayn suddenly ranted feeling aggrieved.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "And then he used all my thingies liberally!!! My precious thingies!!! Now I don''t know if my research equipment would still be fine in his hands!!! Boohooo!" She let out her frustration tearfully. Eli stretched her hands out to pat Azayn''s shoulders.


    "What would he be doing? What is the subject of his research?" Eli asked while stillforting her frustrated friend.


    "I think he was traumatized by what happened to you during yourbor¡­ It is most likely that he pursued the study for the procedure you referred to the both of us." Azayn said in contemtion.


    "But don''t worry, after nursing you back to health, I will assist him on his research!" She added with an assuring look.


    Eli felt that it was most likely possible, she nodded and informed Azayn that there was a specific book about anatomy and biology on her bookshelf. She offered it to Azayn for her to study and prepare for their research.


    Afterwards, the two proceeded to check her and Little Han''s condition. After letting Little Han have his milk, she proceeded to clean herself with Azayn''s assistance.


    Taking care of Little Han and her recovery made Eli''s mind preupied. Soon, she forgot about her curiosity about the activities outside.


    It took them almost half a day to do those things, it was almost lunch when they finished.


    Baobao then entered the room and adorably served their lunch to eat, not forgetting to let Eli drink the two magical medicines.


    The rest of the day was spent on Eli taking care of Little Han with Azayn on the side, and while hearing the noise in the area.


    Thankfully, Little Han was not affected by the sound as Eli observed that the cradle was covered by a faint barrier. Every time she touches it, she feels a warm and gentle sensation. She deduced that Leon probably made this because of the noises outside.


    Evening came and everyone had settled down, even the Emperor came back to his daily inspection. Eli was suddenly surprised as the four elders, including Azayn and Leon, orderly visited her room.


    The four elders didn''t forget to adore Little Han.


    It was amusing to see that these esteemed people would fight with each other while carrying Little Han.


    It was as if they were robbed when the other person demanded that it was their turn to carry him in their arms.


    After settling down, the elders then proceeded to the main topic.


    "Eli, Leon had already told us that you wish to follow to the capital the day after tomorrow." It was the Emperor who started the serious conversation.


    Eli nodded with resolution.


    "Hmmm, well it''s for the better!" Queen Teh was ted to see the affirmation from Eli personally.


    "So does that mean that you know now who to choose among the two of us?" Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Reuben tried to sound Eli out.


    Eli was stumped with the question, in reality she didn''t want to choose between the two of them. Because they are both dear to her. Choosing one over the other would be an insult to their feelings.


    Shaking her head with an honest expression, she replied in a solemn manner, "I dare not to choose. Both of you are important to me¡­"


    "I knew it!" Grandpa Andi shook his head, but a doting look appeared in his adorable grandpa face.


    "Well, Eli is Eli after all! I know she both loves us!" Grandpa Reuben was also equally helpless.


    In reality, the two were touched and relieved with her attitude. Ever since they offered their conditions, they realize the effect of Eli choosing between the two of them in their hearts.


    How would Eli decide when she would choose between the two of them? By the benefits she would get in the future? The status? Or the power we can offer?


    Maybe she will choose who knows her longer. Maybe she will choose who has done things for her more¡­


    They concluded that not only it will affect their opinion about Eli, it would also cause a subtle rift between the three of them.


    Although for some, choosing between them doesn''t really matter. But they are still people with feelings. They couldn''t help but worry because of that. That was why they decided...


    "Then you do not have to choose!" The two grandpas happily announced.


    "We decided that we will both dere you as our god daughter!"

 Chapter 94 To The Capital!

    ?The room again was filled with silence, however, only Eli disyed a shocked expression.


    For the others in the room, they weren''t shocked as they already knew of the Grandpas'' decisions beforehand.


    Eli was caught off guard with their decision. She initially thought that the grandpas would simply not insist, should she really not choose among the two of them.


    But who could have known that the grandpas would go as far as to jointly dere her as a god daughter?


    Thinking of this, Eli felt warm and full deep inside. Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben had always been protecting her unconditionally, since the first day she met them.


    ''What kind of good things have I done for me to deserve this unconditional love from them?''


    The deep gratitude and endearment continuously filled Eli''s heart that it overflowed through the tears gently rolling in her cheeks.


    "Grandpa Andi.. Grandpa Ben.."


    Eli couldn''tpose any words to say. Her voice was trembling so much that she only managed to call their names softly. She looked at them with thankful and sincere eyes, as tears freely flowed from it.


    "Aiyooo... Don''t cry! You are making these old bones cry!" Grandpa Andi frantically patted Eli''s shaking shoulders.


    He couldn''t help but also tear up. His tiny round nose and his chubby cheeks started to redden as he tried to contain his emotions too.


    "Why must you cry eh? This is a joyous asion! No crying¡­" Grandpa Ben was also stopping himself from tearing up.


    He tried to stop his tears from falling by looking up at the wooden ceiling and brushing his long beard down.


    The rest just stared at the trio thoughtfully. They allowed them to have their moment as they also felt genuinely happy for the them.


    "Thank you.. Grandpas.. Thank you!" Eli soon managed to calm down her emotions and carefully thank the grandpas.


    "No worries! Soon you will meet your god mothers and siblings! Even your grandchildren!" Grandpa Andi excitedly announced.


    "Grandchildren.." Grandpa Reuben suddenly uttered, he noticed something amiss from Grandpa Andi''s statement. Suddenly his eyebrows couldn''t help but twitch.


    "What?" Grandpa Andi asked, seeing his old friend acting in an unusual way.


    "Aren''t we making a mistake here? If Eli is our god daughter then that would mean she will have grandchildren that are almost her age, even older than her!" Grandpa Reuben replied in rm.


    Grandpa Andi also immediately understood what his old friend meant. They stared at each other in shock, as their faces showed a ''why didn''t we think about this?!'' expression.


    Then they looked at Emperor Valentin.


    "Eherm.." Stunned by the sudden look of the grandpas, Emperor Valentin dignifiedly cleared his throat and helped the grandpas get away with the awkward situation.


    "Young Eli, I think the Grand Masters meant that they would adopt you as their god granddaughter¡­ Because you are a generation younger than me. Besides, you''ll technically be my god sibling if that''s the case."


    Eli couldn''t help but let out a light chuckle and replied amiably, "Whatever Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben likes, I''m alright with it! I am happy that they always take care of me. In my heart, grandpas are already my family!"


    "Uhn! Good girl!" The two grandpas were ted.


    "Fortunately Eli liked our proposal! If not, our wives would let us sleep on the stable for who knows how long!" They eximed in delight.


    "Sleep in the stable?" Eli asked curiously, it dawned on her that she hadn''t known Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben''s family yet.


    Now that she will be adopted as ''god granddaughter''. She wanted to get to know their families in advance too.


    "Ohhh, you don''t know about this but our wives have been excitedly waiting for you in the capital! So don''t worry about being awkward around our families! They have long known who you are!" Grandpa Andi replied in delight.


    "Yes! Especially our dear wives as they couldn''t wait to see a young one in the house! That is why we were ''gently'' threatened to get you to be adopted in our families."


    This was the second reason why the two decided not to let Eli choose between them anymore. Because their wivesmanded them to take Eli into their families at all cost, if not¡­


    Who knows how the wives of the legendary S ss grandpas would punish them?


    Everyone felt awkward as they heard that the strongest personalities in the Empire were threatened to sleep at the stable.


    "Pfft!"


    No one knew who started it, but everyone had a goodugh right after. Although the people in the room are of different social backgrounds, one goodugh made them all just in people, sharing this rare moment with each other.


    After some time, the Emperor then navigated everyone back to the main discussion.


    "So in two days the three of us will be back in the castle, while you, along with the Grand Masters, will also travel to the capital separately." He gently exined to Eli.


    "Princess Azayn has guaranteed to nurse you back in health by that time, so you do not need to worry." He continued, while looking respectfully at Azayn, who gave a nod of confirmation.


    "As to where you will stay, we decided that it is best that you stay in the Forgeworn territory as it was more secluded than the Faraulds." Grandpa Reuben dered.


    Eli nodded wordlessly, just obediently taking in the arrangement of her elders. In fact, she also agreed that the Forgeworns were the best choice in terms of where to stay.


    Faraulds are a schrly n. Aside from the lively institution they have, their estate was bound to have lots of personalities visiting them from time to time.


    While the Forgeworn were considered the strongest merchantpany in Seirende, they were still of dwarven race. Humans tend to give them space intentionally or unintentionally, because of their natural differences.


    Nevertheless, their influence and power was undeniable that their presence could not be ignored in the capital.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You can just visit us from time to time! Oh, if you want to explore the academy you are also wee!" Grandpa Reuben added cheerfully.


    From Eli''s perspective, it seems like the two had already nned her and Little Han''s arrangement in the capital.


    "Once our target oue in the ck hair industry is attained, we can proceed with the acknowledgement ceremony for you!" Grandpa Andi also excitedly exined.


    "Thank you grandpas!" Eli nodded and gratefully looked at the two excited elders.


    She didn''t forget the reason why the two were going to such lengths. It was to ensure that Eli and Little Han had a legitimate identity to support them. Especially to Little Han by the time he would be acknowledged in the Imperial Family.


    "At most, we can hide your existence for two years. I could only pray that we could prepare ourselves enough, before Little Han''s existence is revealed." Emperor Valentinmented in worry.


    All this nning was for Little Han to be able to safely be recognized as a member of the Seirende Family. Due to theplicated identities of both his parents, these long winding steps must be carefully executed for his future!


    "Father, I too, will also do my best to cleanse the Empire of the Spectre." Leon dered with resolution.


    "Uhn.. Don''t worry, we give you our full support." Emperor Valentin patted Leon''s shoulders with an expectant look.


    "I too.. needed to do something for Little Han." Eli dered in a low steady voice.


    "My! Eli, you do not need to bother, just let us do our thing and focus on Little Han!"


    Queen Teh and the restmented worriedly. They didn''t want to see Eli take more than what she could take on her te.


    Seeing their sincere and worried eyes, Eli gently shook her head with a bittersweet smile and replied,


    "Even with the grandpas adopting me, I still need to reinforce my identity to ensure that I have proven myself enough for their attention."


    "That is why I am nning to continue creating projects, just like the water pressure and heating system you all have witnessed and used in this humble house.."


    !!!


    A trace of shock appeared on the Emperor and Queen, excited and agitated looks shed on the grandpa''s faces. As to Leon and Azayn, it was an expression of being proud of Eli.


    "Young Eli, you mean.." Grandpa Andi cautiously confirmed what was on their minds at the moment, just in case they misunderstood Eli.


    "Yes grandpa, I n to make ''Eli the inventor'' known throughout the Empire." She said with a sharp and astute manner.


    Her gentle and motherly demeanor could no longer be seen, but a shrewd and dignified sry woman who wants to excitedly take on another hard job!


    "Waaaah!~~~" As if cheering for his mommy from taking on another challenge, Little Han let out a tiny squeal. He did his best in nudging his head and body adorably in Eli''s arms.


    Everyone let out warm chuckles upon seeing Little Han''s cute behavior.


    "It seems like Little Han himself likes to support you with that. How can we not!" They all said in surrender.


    --


    The day of traveling came, Emperor Valentin, Queen Teh and Leon were dignifiedly dressed again for their return to the pce.


    Stepping on the enhanced teleportation array, they all gave a thoughtful nce towards the crowd, "We will go ahead. See you in the capital!" Emperor Valentin said as the array activated.


    "Uhn.. We''ll take care of Eli. See you soon!" The grandpas patted Eli''s shoulder as they all looked at Leon and his parents slowly fading in the array light.


    Soon the trio vanished.


    Turning to Eli, who was nervously sitting with Little Han in her arms, Grandpa Andi gently said, "Now shall we all prepare to go too?"


    Eli gave a nod. Then she thoughtfully looked at Azayn with sadness in her eyes, "Azayn.. Thank you so much for everything, even the Chief and the Silver Dew Elves."


    Azayn just gently nodded and didn''t say anything more but, "We will see each other soon!"


    "Uhn!" Eli nodded while looking at her with a mncholic expression. She will surely miss her.


    She swept her gaze towards the cozy living room where she had created lots of memories with the people she hold dear. She burned it all in her heart.


    Then, she nced at the area where her study corner and grand piano were located. She took her space pouch and took these items with her.


    These are the only things she could bring to the capital. The rest will be kept in her memories.


    Taking a deep breath, she nodded towards the two grandpas. She slowly stood up and ced Little Han on the crystal shell cradle. Grandpa Reuben casted a gentle barrier for Little Han afterwards.


    Finally they stepped into the array. They will be the first ones to be transported, as Olivier, Randel, Baobao and Wisey must still wrap up the ce.


    "Are you ready?" Grandpa Andi beamed as he looked up at Eli.


    "Yes grandpa!" Eli steeled her heart, she did not know what''s waiting for her and Little Han in the capital.


    But it''s bound to happen anyways!


    "Then.." Grandpa Reuben activated the array and said.


    "To the capital!"

 Chapter 95 The Forgeworns And Faraulds

    ?Taking a deep breath, Eli soon witnessed the change of scene upon the fading of the blinding array light.


    From the rustic and cozy log cottage, the surroundings were now filled with neatly finished stone walls, amply lit with the wall mountedmps.


    "This is the Forgerworn n''s exclusive teleportation station. Only our main family and trusted friends are allowed to ess and travel through this." Grandpa Andi exined the location they are in right now.


    The station was located underground, secluded enough to prevent other people from essing it. Eli found that this teleportation station was as secluded and guarded as the one in the Silver Dew Vige, unlike the teleportation array in her cottage.


    "Greetings n Grand Chief! Greetings Grandmaster Reuben, Greetings Mdy!" The guards of the station saluted and respectfully greeted the group.


    They were of dwarven race, three fourths of Eli''s height. They were muscr dwarven men exuding an aura of an expert guard ready for any emergencies ahead.


    "Uhn! Good job as always!" Grandpa Andi replied, making the guards at ease.


    He soon led Eli and Grandpa Ben outside the station through a stone staircase. With Little Han on Grandpa Ben''s arms, the trio calmly proceeded out of the underground station.


    The staircase led them to a well lit carpeted hallway. As soon as Eli stepped on the dark red velvet carpet, she felt like she was walking on a fluffy cotton pathway.


    The hallway was simr to the design of Grandpa Andi''s vi in Silvertown. It was themed with silver and red, from the wall and ceiling paints, which were further entuated by brass and golden chandelier embellishments.


    At the dead end of the hallway, was a massive door also guarded by two mighty looking dwarves and a dwarven butler who was patiently waiting for them to arrive.


    As soon as the butler saw Eli and the rest, he immediately bowed and greeted them.


    "Wee home Grand Chief! Wee to Forgeworn Estate Mi Lady and Grand Master Reuben! Madame and the rest are already waiting inside."


    Eli couldn''t help but be nervous, she will soon meet the people whom she will call as family here in the capital. The first people who she can trust and rely on from today onwards.


    Her heart kept pounding wildly as countless questions flooded her mind with doubts and hesitations.


    "Will they like me and Little Han?


    "Are they really willing to take me in as a member of the family?"


    "Will they ept me and Little Han whole heartedly?"


    "They wouldn''t think that I would just leech off their family fortune, would they?"


    As she asked these questions to herself, she didn''t notice that her body was tensed up to the point that the two grandpas had already noticed her restlessness.


    "Just rx and be yourself! We are right beside you!" Grandpa Andi cupped Eli''s hand with kindness as he beamed with a smile of reassurance.


    Grandpa Ben also gave an assuring nod, "All of the people inside are the people who would be your support from today on. In this capital, you won''t be alone!"


    "Thank you Grandpas!" Eli uttered between her breaths. Then she nodded, signifying that she is ready!


    Grandpa Andi gestured towards the guards and butler, they respectfully opened therge wooden door.


    The next thing Eli witnessed was a loud cheering from the people inside the massive hall.


    "Wee to the capital Eli and Little Han!!!"


    It was a loud and lively cheer as they threw flower petals towards theing trio.


    "Wahh!" Eli was startled as she didn''t expect that she would be weed in this way.


    Upon reading some romance novels during her time in the modern earth, she expected that the kind of wee she would receive was reserved and restrained. At most, she would be weed by the person who had the highest status in the house.


    But she was instead weed this way, smiling faces of quite a number of people for obviously three generations.


    The center of the crowd was two graceful women, one was a dwarf while the other a human. Although their hair was already ashen gray, and their faces wereced by the trace of time, kindness, gentleness, beauty and wisdom were all evident in their countenance.


    "We have been waiting for you for so long! Those two men over there had been bragging about how they got to know a good youngss and have been monopolizing you for quite some time now.." The dwarf woman was the first one to follow up their greetings and amiably talked to Eli.


    "Talk about monopolizing! I have long requested Ben to let me follow him to Silvertown but he didn''t want to!!!" The other woman pouted and looked at Grandpa Reuben aggrievedly.


    "But finally we can see you now! And Oh! Your little baby is here too!!!" She eximed in delight as they hugged Eli on both sides.


    "Eherm!" Grandpa Andi cleared his throat and introduced the two women, "This is my beloved, Brygid-"


    "Just call me grandma!" Grandma Brygid excitedly interjected while still hugging Eli''s left hand.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Greetings¡­ Grandma Brygid." Eli shyly replied.


    "Uhn! Good girl! Finally we have another girl in the house!" Hearing Eli calling her grandma, she beamed in delight.


    "Eli, this is your other grandma, Myrna! She is Ben''s lovely wife and also my dear friend!" She didn''t let the two grandpas talk further and immediately introduced Grandma Myrna.


    "Call me grandma too!" Grandma Myrna also yfully demanded.


    Then the two brought Eli near the crowd and introduced their children and grandchildren.


    Grandpa Andi and Grandma Brygid had twin sons Tyce and Tyrel and a total of three grandsons from them.


    Tyce, the older twin, had a son who married Meredith, whom Eli was very familiar with. This also caused the Forgeworns to increase their excitement upon Meredith telling them how brilliant Eli was during their time together.


    Tyrel on the other hand married a talented chief artisan, Margareth, and had two sons, both around Eli''s age. The grandsons all look happy to finally see a younger sister. Meredith was equally excited because finally she will have apanion around her age in the house.


    The women of the family were only inws married to the Forgeworn. Unfortunately, all the offspring of this generation were all male. Thus, the wives of the Forgeworns were happy to finally see another woman in the house!


    Before they tried to monopolize Eli, she was then introduced to the Faraulds.


    Grandpa Ben and Grandma Myrna had a son and daughter, Eugine and Janine. Eugine was the famous general of the Seirende Empire, who has been Leon''s teacher from childhood. He married another soldier from a Knightly Noble house and they had a son.


    Janine was a famous figure as well, as she was married to the vice chairman of the Farauld Magic Institute, Bramwell, whom Eli had also worked with during the project. Simr to Meredith''s instance, the Faraulds became more excited the moment they heard of Eli''s works during his interactions with her.


    General Eugine was also particrly interested in Eli because he was actually curious about her, the woman whom his ice cube student was currently pursuing. What''s more, they already had an offspring!


    Finally introducing the main members of the household, the women proceeded to monopolize Eli, while the men and the great grandchildren of the two families looked at Little Han with care and interest.


    This interaction overwhelmed Eli. Although it seems like everything is too good to be true, she could see that the family genuinely received her with warm and pure hearts.


    She didn''t have time to look around the hall''s surroundings as she was already drawn by the raging wave of attention from the two families.


    Helpless, she looked towards the two grandpas who sat by the floor to ceiling ss window, sipping their tea while looking at their families happy from her and Little Han''s arrival.


    They looked at Eli with content and relief in their eyes, sending a message, "Wee to our family, young Eli!"


    After some time, the butler announced Randel and the bunch''s arrival.


    "Young master Randel is already here! With Young Master Olivier and Mi Lady''s beastpanions!"


    The crowd then turned to greet the bunch. It turns out that Randel was also adopted as a god son in the Forgeworn Family, the time when Grandpa Andi was doing his merchant expedition years ago.


    However, due to his childhood status as a ve, he still insisted to serve the Forgewornpany as Grandpa''s butler even after undergoing direct tutge from him.


    Olivier on the other hand, was also a distinguished son of the second most influential noble house in the capital, the Astaze n. Thus, he was also weed ording to his status.


    But the center of the attraction was, as always, the ''cursed pr bear'' who was actually a rare bear species called Panda - Baobao!


    The great grandchildren of the Farauld and Forgeworn families squealed in delight as they ran and cuddled Baobao''s giant fluffy body without a care.


    Wisey was also not exempted of the attention, she was ''seized'' right after Baobao was swarmed with kids and was cuddled lovingly by them as well.


    "A Panda!"


    "An Owl!"


    The kids happily yed with the two.


    Afraid that he would injure the kids and bring unnecessary trouble to his master, Baobao gently sat in a corner with his signature sitting position and let the kids safely climb and cuddle his furry body.


    Unlike Baobao who was doing well in handling kids, Wisey had a traumatized expression from all the ''hostaging'' done to her.


    Looking at his buddy struggling to interact with kids, Baobao yfully taunted Wisey,


    "If you don''t know how to interact with kids, surely Little Master Han will not love you when he grows up!"


    Upon hearing Baobao talk, the kids paused for a while, then the gleam on their eyes intensied with amazement.


    "Waaaaah Panda talked!" They all eximed.

 Chapter 96 Welcome To The Family, Eli!

    ?Everyone shared a pleasant time weing Eli and Little Han to the Forgeworn and Farauld household.


    While the great grandchildren yed with Baobao and Wisey, the adults then started to swarm Eli with lots of questions with the intent to get to know her.


    "Meredith said that your cooking is literally out of this world! I am quite curious about the recipe for those dishes, if you don''t mind¡­ Oh! I look forward to tasting them in the future!"


    Orion, Meredith''s husband and Grandpa Andi''s grandson from Tyce, asked in delight.


    His wife had always been bragging about how divine and delectable the dishes cooked by Eli. Everytime she talked about it, he couldn''t help but drool because of how appetizing it seemed.


    Thus the moment he met Eli, the first thing he wanted to know from her was the recipe of the dishes she usually served during his wife''s stay in the Silver Dew Forest.


    He wanted to learn the recipe so that he could cook for his wife whenever she craves that ''tasty vored fried chicken''.


    He imagined Meredith''s happy and fluffy face as she enjoyed eating the food he would prepare! He looked at Eli with an intensely expectant gaze, excitedly waiting for the answer.


    "Sure, I''ll write you down the recipe right now if you like!" Although helpless and amused by Orion''s request, she immediately granted his simple yet cute request.


    "Really?!"


    Orion''s face lit up as his pearly white teeth shed in his bright smile. Although he was short in height because of his dwarven blood, he is a charming young dwarf, especially whenever he thinks of pleasing his carefree wife, Meredith.


    Eli nodded with a light chuckle. After confirming Eli''s reply, Orion gestured to the butler to hand them paper and pen. Eli speedily wrote the recipe for the buffalo, salted egg and honey garlic fried chicken.


    With a modest smile on her face she passed the recipe to Orion, who received it carefully as if he was receiving a que of honor from the imperial family.


    All others curiously stretched their heads out to take a look at the recipe. Eli could see them nod their heads with interest and even momentarily be in a daze as if imagining how the food tastes like.


    "This looks so tasty.."


    "I wonder how it will really taste in actual.."


    "If only I could taste it¡­"


    They all looked at Eli with expectant gazes.


    Eli couldn''t help but let out an awkward expression, feeling at a loss. Slightly scratching her head because of the pressure, she finally said, "Then shall I cook for all??"


    "Aiyooo¡­ You don''t have to do it right away, you have just birthed to Little Han, how could we make you cook for us as soon as you arrive in the capital!!"


    In shock that Eli would easily offer to cook for them, the crowd became a little bit embarrassed especially because they didn''t forget the fact that Eli just gave birth to Little Han a few days ago.


    Although she had more or less recovered, she still must spend more time taking care of Little Han at this period of time.


    Nursing a new born baby will defly consume a lot of physical, emptional and mental energy.


    "Yes.. just focus more on getting a hang with taking care of our Little Han and the capital before you think of these things!" The women of the family gently coaxed her.


    "Then, I''ll be sure to cook for you when the time is favorable!" Eli then replied, she felt warm inside as she started to feel a sense of belonging in this household.


    Judging by her interactions with them, she could feel that they are genuine and happy to have her as part of their family, much to her expectation. It was truly a blessing to meet the two grandpas.


    Before this, she was determined and mentally prepared to raise Little Han on her own. But now, she even had two families to take her in with delight!


    The more she interacted with them, the more she was thanking the Great One in her heart for giving her this chance to feel this kind of warm family atmosphere she never had, even in her previous life.


    She also couldn''t help but think of Elise.


    Is she happy in the heavenly realm with the Great One by her side? Will she also finally feel this kind of warm and loving feeling in paradise?


    Eli genuinely hoped so, because she knew that Elise also deserved to experience those feelings.


    The Faraulds and Forgeworns enjoyed each other''spany while getting to know Eli. The servants then entered in an orderly manner, delivering the freshly cooked food on the prepared dining tables around the hall.


    It was only then that Eli managed to notice that the hall was set up to hold an exclusive banquet for her.


    The third generation Faraulds and Forgeworn happily beckoned Eli to dine with them as they continued getting to know her. They thought that this was the perfect time to get to know their god sibling.


    However, just as she was about to sit on their table, Grandma Myrna and Grandma Brygid ''kidnapped'' her away from the third generation adults, who could only look at her with longing as they sheepishly sat on their respective tables.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmf.." Grandmas Myrna and Brygid held their chin up high with a triumphant look on their faces. Locking Eli''s arms on both sides, they sat at the main table.


    Eli then saw Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi, along with Little Han, still peacefully sleeping in his cradle. Eli put on a bright smile as she checked Little Han.


    Everyone waited for Eli to settle down before Grandpa Andi stood in front of everyone on a designated stage and announced.


    "To the 2nd, 3rd and the youngest generation of the Forgeworn and Farauld family, this is a joyous event for all of us.


    Today, we have gained a new member of our family. She is kind, brilliant and hardworking, fitting to the qualities that embody the core virtues of both families.


    From the first day I met her, I knew that she was genuine and simple minded, strong yet honest. That is why I, Andvari Forgeworn, along with my sworn brother, Reuben Farauld, dere to take her in to our families!


    Everyone, let us all wee Eli with warm hearts!"


    Grandpa Andi looked at Eli with an encouraging smile, he beckoned Eli to go up front and formally introduce herself again.


    ps and cheers roared in the hall.


    Even the kids eximed, "Go beautiful big aunt!"


    Although caught off guard with the sudden change of atmosphere, Eli still bravely stood and faced everyone.


    She has been familiar with this kind of setting, being the one on the stage, although nervous, it wasn''t enough to get her fazed.


    "Any word from you?" Grandpa Andi asked her gently.


    Giving Grandpa Andi a nod, Eli nced at the crowd and wore a thoughtful smile,


    "The heavens knew how thankful I was to be here and see everyone. Before this, I never would have experienced having a big happy family to embrace me with open arms.


    But here I am, being weed and epted by all of you.


    For me, at this moment, the Farauld and Forgeworn families are all God sent blessings from above. I will cherish and love with all my heart!


    Thank you for having me here!"


    She gave a humble and heartfelt bow of gratitude.


    Everyone had a smile on their faces. Eli''s words are simple yet they all could feel and see how she viewed their family. They were more than satisfied!


    Another round of weing cheers and ps reverberated around the hall. As soon as it subsided, Grandpa Andi again took the floor.


    "One thing that I learned during my time with Eli was to pronounce graces before meals, that is why I want to ask you all before we start the banquet, that we take a moment and thank the Creator for this time!"


    Soon, Meredith came to the tform and uttered the graces before meals. Everyone cooperated naturally, bowing and closing their eyes in silence.


    Eli felt shy yet happy at the same time, she didn''t know that her simple habit ever since she went to Prasinos would cause this impact on the two families.


    In her previous life, graces before meals were amon practice especially in her country. Although she admits that this practice of praying had intensified after she personally met the Great One.


    Who wouldn''t pray regrly after meeting the very one who would listen to your prayers?!


    After the graces, Grandpa Andi officially started the exclusive banquet and everyone enjoyed each other''s presence.


    Granma Myrna and Grandpa Brygid warmly filled Eli''s te with nourishing food.


    "Here, this will be good for your body!"


    "Here, this will enhance the nutrients Little Han will get from your milk!"


    "Here, this is our household''s specialty, it is also good for your condition!"


    Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi just lovingly watched their wives spoil their god granddaughter.


    A look of relief appeared on their faces. They exchanged a knowing look with each other, as if saying,


    "I''m d we avoided the disaster of sleeping in the horse stable for a long time!"

 Chapter 97 Return To The Palace

    ?Meanwhile in the Sun Tower.


    Empress Carolina, along with First Queen Lucia, First Prince Kazimir and Second Prince Antoine attentively lined up in anticipation of the arrival of the Emperor from the Silver Dew Forest.


    They dignifiedly waited for the grand teleportation array to activate as the designated time of arrival of the Emperor, Second Queen Teh and Third Prince Leon wasing near.


    Although they all looked calm andposed on the surface, they all had different things going around their minds at the moment.


    Empress Carolina and Kazimir were still bothered by theck of information nor reaction from the Emperor and the Silver Dew Elves for the curse she imnted on Teh''s hand.


    She would never believe that the curse spell she put would not cause amotion and tension to the event. What could have happened?


    Antoine, on the other hand, was excited to report his progress on the investigation of the Spectre. He was sure that his Father Emperor would be satisfied with his performance and will show him more favor than before!


    He looked at his Mother Queen with a detached gaze. His mother has always been silent about all the happenings in the family.


    He secretly resented her for not activelypeting for her position in the pce. He resented her more when she showed no intention of supporting him on the fight to the throne nor even supporting him as hepeted with his brothers.


    Nevertheless, his mother was soft spoken and caring, he knew that she loved him dearly. But he finds it repulsive to know that she wasn''t courageous enough to join the fight and give him a strong backing. She even convinced him not to mess with Leon!


    "You can do anything, I will support you in whatever you do. But never ever engage in a fight with your Third Brother nor rebel against the throne..." His mother would always nag him annoyingly, ever since he was a child.


    At one point he even doubted if Leon was actually his mother''s son, not him. This caused him to despise Leon more.


    Leon''s mother had already monopolized the attention of his Father Emperor yet he still wanted to get the sympathy of his Queen Mother?!


    He is unwilling! Very unwilling! Good thing, he saw through it at an early age or he would have thought that Leon was a nice kid after all!


    Vwooooong!


    The grand teleportation array shined with a dazzling white light and the breeze it created from the gathering of magical power rang in the hall.


    The breeze wasn''t powerful, however it was intimidating. The knights assigned to guard the Imperial Family members stepped in front of the array to protect the members from the wind.


    A few seconds after, the breeze was finally subsiding, and everyone could see three images of people slowly appearing at the center of the grand teleportation array.


    It was the Emperor, Second Queen and Third Prince.


    "We greet Your Majesty Emperor, Second Queen and Third Prince for your safe return!" Everyone bowed and greeted the three ording to the imperial decorum.


    The Emperor scanned the crowd with a profound look, no one knew what he was thinking at the moment.


    His gaze paused at Empress Carolina, in a split second, his crystal blue eyes showed unmasked suspicion and disdain. However, he immediately retracted his gaze as he coldly announced, "At Ease!"


    "We thank the Emperor!" Then all stood in an orderly manner and waited for the Emperor to address the crowd.


    "The trip to Silver Dew went perfect and smooth-sailing that the Chief of the Elves had even wanted us to stay a little more. Had it not been because I do not want to unnecessarily burden you all with my extended leave, I would have stayed for a little while."


    Emperor Valentin particrly stressed the words ''perfect and smooth-sailing'' to garner some reactions from the crowd. However the members of the imperial family didn''t even flinch, not even a little.


    Queen Teh''s anger was about to rise up as she clearly knew what the Empress did, yet she didn''t even show fear nor remorse of her wrong doings.


    But she closed her eyes and clenched her fist tightly, as if crushing all her anger into her fists. Now is not the time to be reckless.


    "Now there seems to be a lot of things you have tomunicate with me for the past few days. I will open my hall soon and receive you all right away."


    The Emperor also felt Queen Teh''s plummeting mood, so he diverted everyone''s attention to the Imperial duties.


    He then gestured at Leon and announced coldly, "Third Prince, go escort the Second Queen back to the Wisteria ce."


    "Yes, Your Majesty Emperor." Leon replied calmly and escorted Queen Teh with his typical cold and expressionless face.


    Seeing Teh being ''chased away'' a sh of delight appeared on Empress Carolina''s amethyst eyes. Even Kazimir couldn''t help but jolt his body in excitement.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It seems like my spell worked and the Emperor somehow couldn''t help but me Teh on this matter!" Joy shed on her slightly curled lips. She tried to conceal it with the extravagant fan.


    These subtle movements were all detected by the three, the Emperor, Leon and Queen Teh. But they didn''t dare to react. Leon casted one meaningful look to his father, and the Emperor waved his hands as if dismissing the two.


    To the others, it would seem that the Emperor does not want Leon and Queen Teh to stay there any longer, but only the three knew..


    That gesture meant, "Let''s talk about this at the chamber!"


    Finally seeing the two leave, the Emperor and the rest all went to the Governance Hall, where the members of the Imperial Family conducted their duties.


    Then he received them all in the study and allowed them to report and interact with them for sometime.


    It was a unique habit of the Emperor, every official in the pce knew.


    The Emperor could have summoned his aides for a run down of the reports that happened to the Empire, but somehow the Emperor preferred to meet them all in one ce.


    To the princes this was a chance for them to report their progress freely and proudly, without being interrupted by the nosy nobles.


    To the Empress and the First Queen, this was also a chance for them to spend time with their spouse, the Emperor.


    Soon, the Emperor dutifully listened to the reports of his two sons and the updates of his two wives. There were many concerns raised but two items caught his attention heavily.


    The investigation of the Spectre and the Oracle.


    "With the matter of the Spectre, I would like the two of you, along with the Third Prince, to coborate with each other and resolve the matter quickly!" Emperor Valentin warned with a stern tone as he instructed his sons.


    Seeing their look of unwillingness, Emperor Valentin recited the spiel that his future daughter, Eli, told her to say when this happened,


    "I know that it would all put you in an awkward situation because I have all assigned you to the territories you aren''t familiar with. But that was also advantageous as the Spectre might be too familiar with your forces if I assigned you to your affiliated territories."


    "That is why I would like you to not think of the matter politically and look at it on a bigger picture. Remember, this isn''t for political advantage but for the future of the Empire!"


    "Our territory is wide, the three of you must cooperate with each other." Emperor Valentin didn''t mask his intention of telling his sons that he knew exactly what was on their minds as he told this.


    Even the Empress and First Queen were left baffled on how the Emperor straightforwardly revealed this matter.


    Seeing that the two princes were more or less convinced he finally closed the matter saying,


    "As to who among you should lead this matter, you do not have to worry, I have long tapped General Eugine to spearhead this cleansing."


    Hearing General Eugine''s name the two finally showed willingness of the matter. The remaining hesitation rests on the matter of who among the three shall lead, just like what his future daughter deduced.


    "Putting someone trusted by the people and the Emperor would definitely shut them up!" This was Eli''s advice to him during the time he consulted about the matter before.


    He couldn''t help but be more impressed with his future daughter inw!


    He wished that Leon would hasten and steal Eli''s affection so that he could finally take her in as his real daughter inw!


    "Now, for the matter of the oracle and the ringing of bells, I n tomunicate to the temple for a visitation for such." The Emperor continued.


    "We must know the details of the oracle and offer the temple some help in finding who the subject of the oracle was!" He announced in determination. "I will make a trip to the temple soon!"


    Up until now, he was still puzzled by how perfectly coincidental the releasing of the oracle was. But still, he finds it important to establish a connection with the owner of the oracle.


    The rest also agreed with the Emperor''s move.


    Empress Carolina, though, has different thoughts in her mind. She should soon start to mobilize her men to find the owner of the oracle. But she must find a way to know any info about who or what the oracle is pertaining to.


    Thus she shyly suggested with an expression full of nostalgia,


    "Your Majesty Emperor, I suddenly found myself missing the humble ambience of the temple. I would like to ask that I go with you, just for me to remember the old times when I lived there for a year."

 Chapter 98 Family Meetings

    ?Although the Emperor showed no fluctuation in his expression, he saw through Empress Carolina''s intention fully.


    ''She wanted to use her rtionship to the temple and be one step ahead of me in finding the subject of the oracle!''


    He understood in his heart that Empress Carolina will always be a poisonous person. Her moves meant something that would surely benefit her, even at the cost of someone''s life.


    He then nodded with a mysterious look in his deep crystal blue eyes,


    "Uhn, now that you reminded me, my three wives haven''t visited the temple yet ever since the blessing ceremony of my second grandchild! Then the three of you shoulde with me!"


    His tone was sincere, no one would suspect that he just said it to shackle Carolina''s movements in the temple.


    Taken aback by the Emperor''s reply, Empress Carolina and Queen Lucia could only just nod.


    After a bit of discussion, everyone left the study. While the Emperor met his aides for their reports, before retiring to his chambers.


    However, he didn''t stay in his bed chambers for long. He immediately proceeded to his secret chamber and saw that Queen Teh was already anxiously waiting for him, while Leon was steadfastly guarding his mother.


    Noticing the arrival of Emperor Valentin, Queen Teh didn''t hold back her anger anymore and eximed,


    "It''s her! It''s definitely her! That curse... Only she can do that!" Her anger intensified as she remembered that Empress Carolina had almost caused her to hurt Eli and Little Han during that time.


    Emperor Valentin also frowned, yet he didn''t forget to calm Queen Teh down. With pain in his eyes, he could only grit his teeth while saying,


    "I know... I know... But we do not have evidence to punish her right now."


    Leon had a confused look in his eyes, he felt that his father and mother really wanted to punish Empress Carolina, but were restraining themselves fully.


    "Why can''t you just retaliate?" Leon finally asked.


    The two paused for a moment. Grievance and hatred shed in their eyes. It was Emperor Valentin who replied to Leon, with a face full of struggle.


    "It was because of the sinister magic she used. It was not the first time we witnessed her use that kind of sinister magic¡­ But we even do not know if the magic really came from her abilities or if she bought it from others." Emperor Valentin exined clearly avoiding some facts.


    Leon noticed his father''s restraint however, he got one important point - it was not the first time Empress Carolina used this kind of sinister magic!


    "It would be helpful to know what was the nature of the magic she used the first time you witnessed it." Rubbing his chin in contemtion, he decided to know more about the matter.


    "This.." Emperor Valentin immediately reacted adversely. He looked at the Queen with worry and sighed, "Never mind, forget it.. The matter is too sensitive for - "


    But a resolute voice interrupted the Emperor,


    "I''ll say it. I will be the one to describe it!" It was Queen Teh, she was clearly shaken yet she tried to stay calm and strong as she uttered these words.


    "My Dear, you can''t! It will make you remember horrible things!" Emperor Valentin worriedly stopped the queen. A trace of heavy guilt and anguish could also be seen in his expression.


    "No... This matter may even implicate Eli and Little Han in the future!"


    "What could the opening of old woundspare to the safety of our people!" She said in a forceful manner. Then, she looked at Leon and beckoned him to sit and listen intently.


    Queen Teh then exined the truth behind the conception of Kazimir and Antoine.


    She started with how obsessed Empress Carolina was with Emperor Valentin. Her trial, her stint in the temple, and how she threatened her way to the Empress title.


    Then she narrated how the Emperor was drugged and how she ckmailed the two queens to allow her to sleep with the Emperor, or else he will die.


    Leon quietly took in the tragedy that his parents suffered under Empress Carolina''s schemes. He never asked about the matters of his birth, even on the reason why his father took three wives instead.


    But now, he fully knew and he couldn''t help but feel guilty for being emotionally distant from his parents.


    Now, as a man who was experiencing a yearning for someone, he could only imagine the heartbreak and the deep wounds his parents suffered before they were healed enough to decide on conceiving him.


    Also, Leon was particrly interested in the drug that was fed to the Emperor.


    After Queen Teh calmed down from the emotions she reopened through narrating this horrible story, he looked deeply towards the two and asked,


    "May I know the symptoms when you were suffering the curse of the drug?"


    The Emperor and Queen enumerated the symptoms in reply.


    Vomiting blood, erratic heart rate, the appearance of dark purple veins, and visible loss of life essence.


    !!! Leon couldn''t help but stand in rm and shock.


    "Son, what''s wrong? Did you realize something?" The two inquired worriedly, seeing that their son was visibly shaken and shocked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Those symptoms, I have witnessed them personally happening to someone!" Leon clenched his fist, although, like him, that memory was something that brought him conflicted feelings and guilt, he needed to tell it all to his parents.


    "It was the very symptom that Eli experienced in Riverfort that left me no choice but to take action!" He said with a low voice.


    "What!!" The two eximed.


    Queen Teh now forgot her past grievances and asked Leon in disbelief. "Son! You told me before, you didn''t force yourself on Eli!" She looked at her with an using look.


    Emperor Valentin cast a sympathetic look toward his son. It seems like their generation had a shing affinity with that particr curse.


    The two couldn''t be med, after all, Leon still didn''t tell them what exactly happened that made Eli and Leon bring Little Han into this world.


    "Errr... It wasn''t actually forced... She woke up in the middle of the struggle from the curse and¡­" Leon now actually found himself embarrassed as he remembered what really transpired after.


    "She gave her consent. She even made me promise afterward that I must not bring the matter up ever." He said meekly.


    Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh were baffled by the revtion. This was the second time they felt as conflicted as that wedding night.


    Thinking about it, now it made sense that Leon was not able to immediately take responsibility for the matter.


    It was because ''Eli'' chose to be nonchnt about it. Only when Leon determined that the event had caused Little Han to be conceived, did he exhaust all he had to find and take Eli in.


    The trio paused for a while to take in everything that happened.


    After some time Leon thenmented, "We have more or less determined that the same curse that was used against you was also the one used by Eli."


    "I can start investigating this matter by backtracking if there are any ck market activities with the capital at that time. However, during Eli''s time, I have already done an investigation and determined that there were no ck market operations in town and surrounding areas within that time period."


    Emperor Valentin nkly stared at a random flower in the garden, soon a butterflynded on top of it and then flew away to go to the other.


    As if getting an idea from the scene he was nkly watching, Emperor Valentin replied, "Why not start directly with the Vess? Try to test if there are any links to the curse and Eli''s circumstance in Riverfort."


    "Alright, Riverfort still has some forces belonging to the Ves." Leon nodded in agreement.


    Riverfort was located on the southeastern border of the Empire, although remote, it was still barely within Ves''s area of influence. Starting from this angle was also not bad.


    "Then, I''ll start investigating this matter right away!" Leon said as he stood up to leave.


    "Wait!" The Emperor suddenly stopped him with hesitation.


    Leon cast the Emperor with an inquiring look.


    "Will you check if Eli and Little Han were doing well in the Forgeworns?" The Emperor sheepishly requested.


    Since they were already in the capital, His and Queen Teh''s every move would be closely monitored all around.


    But Leon still has some freedom to do so, since he still was the ''barbaric blood prince'' to many.


    People would tend to leave him be at the moment.


    "Uhn! I''m nning to stay there anyways. I''ll make sure they are fine." Leon said with reassurance.


    Without hearing his father and mother''s reply, Leon immediately bowed with respect to his parents and said goodbye.


    "Aiyoo this kid!" Queen Teh smiled helplessly, "He couldn''t wait to see his little family!"


    --


    Empress Carolina still couldn''t help but smile triumphantly as she remembered Queen Teh''s struggling look earlier.


    She was sure that she was reprimanded and med because of the curse she nted on her.


    "Too bad, your father still protected her and concealed the matter." She scornfully said while looking at his son who was equally ted from seeing his Father Emperor''s cold treatment of Teh.


    "Well it can''t be med, but soon, if these things will add up, he could no longer afford to protect her under his wings! No matter how he tried!" Empress Carolina leaned on the couch leisurely while a vicious smile appeared on her aged yet ethereal-looking face.


    "What are you up to, my dear mother?" Kazimir asked with excitement while slowly sipping his cup of tea.


    cing her hands together in a schemeful manner, she squinted her amethyst eyes while replying, "Well our poor bard queen had already managed to offend the elves right?"


    Kazimir nodded wordlessly.


    Letting out a light yet spiteful chuckle, she then continued, "Then what do you think about her offending the temple?"

 Chapter 99 Surprise!

    ?Meanwhile in the Forgeworn Estate.


    The banquet was smoothly and warmly held to wee Eli.


    The third generation of the Forgeworns and Faraulds started to volunteer to tour Eli around the capital as soon as she was able to enter the weaning period for Little Han.


    Since the first few months had to be breastfeeding, ording to the advice of countless experienced mothers from the two families, she had to stay close to Little Han virtually at all times.


    She would have a breather once Little Han had already started to take solid food. With this she could also leave Little Han to a trusted person for a short period of time to familirize with the Capital.


    But for now, her focus was for Little Han to be fully nourished in this sensitive period.


    "Now, now, let us lead you to your temporary room. You and Little Han must be tired of all the bustle around the house!" Grandma Brygid sweetly beckoned Eli to rest after sharing a meal with everyone.


    "Younger Sister Eli! See you!"


    "Beautiful aunt, see you around!"


    Everyone understandably waved Eli goodbye. There will be enough time to bond with her and Little Han in the future, so they weren''t anxious to allow her to exit early.


    "Thank you all for weing me!"


    Eli gave a dazzling smile and waved them goodbye. She also didn''t forget to give an obedient nod towards Grandpa Reuben and Grandma Myrna before leaving.


    Taking Grandma Brygid''s hands, they were led by the butler to her temporary room to take a rest. With Grandpa Andi tenderly carrying Little Han in his arms, they slowly threaded the silver and red themed hallway.


    It took them a few minutes until they were able to get to the designated room. Along the way, Eli marveled the beauty and wealth in the Forgeworn Estate.


    With Grandma Brygid''s dutiful exnation, the whole Forgeworn estate was located on a secluded part of the Capital. Inside Forgeworn Estate was a mini city where a dwarfmunity had been peacefully living.


    Forgeworn is a dwarf n who engaged in things beyond crafting and forging. They were experts in business too. Since these are the things they chose to do, they settled themselves in the capital for ease of business.


    But that doesn''t mean that the Forgeworns secluded themselves from other dwarvenmunities throughout Prasinos. Infact, they allow dwarves from other ns to enter the estate to learn from their forging and crafting techniques.


    They also freely cared for the declining dwarven ns and sheltered them in the estate.


    Thus Grandpa Andi was regarded as a respected person in the dwarvenmunity even if one would take his prestigious legendary S ss out of his list of achievements.


    "The Estate is really big!" Eli expressed her honest opinion.


    "The hall we stayed in earlier was the main hall, where we conduct main family matters, just like today." Grandpa Andi exined.


    "Yes! The building where we stayed was in this building. Your two uncles also had their own. For your unmarried siblings they are still staying in this main hall." Grandma Brygid alsomented.


    "For the moment, just stay here, we are still arranging the ce where you will stay!" She pped her hands excitedly as the butler opened the bedroom where she and Little Han would be temporarily assigned.


    It was a spacious bedroom, visibly simr to the design of the bedroom where she stayed in the Argentum.


    It was noble looking, with a light blue colored theme. The floor to ceiling windows boasted the greenery around the estate, while the bed was still equipped with an elegant canopy of silk bed drapes.


    "I hope you like this room!" Grandma Brygid excitedly smiled.


    Eli was actually very satisfied, she generously smiled and nodded, "I liked it very much! Grandma and Grandpa, thank you for everything!"


    The two elderlies beamed with satisfaction seeing her happy.


    "Then! Just take a rest first and feed Little Han. If you have any request, ring this bell and someone will assist you." Grandma Brygid pointed towards the bell installed in the bed canopy.


    "Oh and don''t worry about Young Master Oliver and your beastpanions, they will also have a ce to stay for the meantime!" She added cheerfully.


    "Alright!" Eli replied with understanding.


    She didn''t worry about the two as they had always been free spirited, however she worried about Olivier who was actually a noble man in the capital. She casted another grateful nce towards the two for being thoughtful with the arrangements.


    "Then! We''ll be off to let you rest! We''ll call you for dinner time~~~" The old couple then beamed happily as they waved Eli goodbye.


    Eli, now alone in the room, slowly checked Little Han who had been in the cradle for almost half a day.


    She smiled tenderly as she took him in her arms and nted a light kiss on his forehead.


    "Woo.. uwuu.." A scrunchy line appeared on Little Han''s face however he showed no sign of crying.


    "You have been so well behaved throughout the banquet, my baby... Aren''t you hungry?" Eli conversed with Little Han with a soft and loving voice.


    Little Han didn''t make a sound. Instead he nudged his head on to Eli''s arms, feelingfortable. Then he pouted as if demanding for food gently.


    "Hahaha! My Little Han is truly smart!" Eli let out a light chuckle. She noticed that Little Han was a very interactive baby.


    At first she thought that it was all coincidences when Little Han appeared to understand both her and Leon, as well as the situation around. But now she could already confirm that Little Han is an extraordinary baby.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Could it be because of the mermaid''s cradle? Or could it be because of the blessings from the Great One and the Guardians.


    Or could it be the wood smoothie?!


    However, for her it was not important. The important thing is that Little Han will grow with love and happiness. She will guide him with the realities of life, but she will also envelop him with love and protection that he deserved.


    She fed Little Han gently. After that, Little Han ''warned'' her again about his potty matters.


    Finallyying Little Han to the cradle after cleaning him, she hummed a simple tune to lull him to sleep. As she was looking peacefully at the sleeping Little Han, her mind started to wander.


    Eli had lots to think about how Little Han would live safely. But along the way, she slowly learned that worrying will not get her anywhere.


    Instead, she decided to start relying on people who are willing to help her and take one step at a time in resolving the matter. It was clearly different before, when she knew no one.


    Now she had Leon, the Forgeworns and Faraulds.


    She is sure that soon, they will be able to live freely and safely anywhere in Seirende. She just had to trust the Great One in this hard yet sweet journey.


    Soon the mother and son fell asleep peacefully andfortably in the elegant and spacious room.


    It was alreadyte afternoon when she woke up.


    Someone brought her snacks and tea for her to take while she waited for dinner.


    With nothing to do, she summoned the book and searched for the information in the capital, the prominent nobles staying here and the famous facilities located within its bounds.


    She took ational breaks to check Little Han.


    This went on until sunset. After some time, a gentle knock was heard at the door.


    A cute dwarf maid with curly bronze hair wearing a frilly uniform bowed and respectfully addressed Eli.


    "Mdy, I will be escorting you to your ce, Madame said that you will be joining them for dinner right after."


    "Alright!" Eli had been waiting for a while. Hence the maid didn''t take long and led Eli who was carrying Little Han in her arms towards the ce.


    The room she was staying earlier was on the second floor, so as soon as they arrived on the ground floor, she thought that they would have to just walk for a while to get to the area.


    However the maid led her to the main door where she saw a neat and dignified carriage waiting for them, she saw Olivier guarding outside.


    She casted an inquiring nce towards the maid.


    "The dinner will be held at the designated ce where you will be staying, Mdy. Madame and Master, wanted to spend your first dinner at that ce." The maid answered Eli''s inquiry.


    Eli nodded, anyways she saw that Olivier will be joining her in the carriage so she was not worried. With Olivier and the maid''s help, she and Little Han boarded the carriage.


    The carriage took off, although it took them about five minutes until the carriage stopped, Eli was surprised that they didn''t even get outside the gates of the Forgeworn Estate.


    How big should the estate be?! She asked in her heart.


    Olivier then opened the carriage door and escorted Eli down. It was an entrance to the forest.


    Eli thought, ''Could it be that they made me a ce in the forest because they thought that I would miss Silverdew?'' A warm feeling rushed in her heart.


    "Mdy, we have to walk a little to get to your ce." Olivier oriented Eli.


    The moon was still shining bright as it was summertime. It amply lighted the pathway ahead.


    Soon, Eli saw some glimmering lights at the inner part of the forest and made her think that they were getting nearer to the ce.


    But it was up until Eli finally saw the same familiar cottage in front of her that she realized everything that happened.


    They had brought her cottage in the capital! She was in shock as she nkly stood for a few seconds.


    The cottage was decorated with balls of light that gave a cozy and romantic feeling around the area. The fences was also decorated with tiny sparkles of yellow light almost looking like the fairy lights in the modern world.


    The gazebo was buzzling with people eagerly waiting for her arrival.


    And at the gate, there was a handsome, alluring man waiting for her with a smile that could make anydy fall on their knees and immediately ask his hand in marriage.


    Holding a bouquet of flowers, Leon slowly stepped towards her and looked deeply with his crystal blue eyes.


    With his low maic voice, he gently woke Eli up in her trance.


    "Surprise..."

 Chapter 100 Keep Working Hard!

    ?Despite the expectant smile and calm demeanor, Leon''s heart was actually beating fast in intense nervousness.


    He was afraid that Eli would not like the idea of his surprise and would take it in the wrong way. He was also nervous because Eli might again feel weirded out by his advances.


    Nevertheless he came prepared as much as he could.


    Earlier this morning, while he and Queen Teh were waiting for his Father Emperor, he asked his mom how to make a bouquet of flowers for Eli.


    The two personally picked the flower ensemble in the garden.


    Pure white oriental lilies and hydrangea were ented by crimson red carnations, symbolizing deep affection and love that is pure yet intense. Queen Teh also handpicked some aralia leaves to further make the bouquet look natural and attractive.


    He also asked his mother how he would approach her at this moment. It must not be calcted but it also not be that weak. He has to stay calm and true to his feelings.


    With all this in mind and with him repeatedly asking Olivier if he was dressed fine and good, Leon bravely stood at the entrance while waiting for Eli''s arrival.


    Every second felt like years. His mind wanted to shout for Eli to arrive already, yet his heart would say no, thinking he is not ready yet.


    He realized that even though he had already made something that was more intimate than this with Eli''s body.. He couldn''t help but look at her as another person.


    Many times, he would struggle, especially whenever Eli would avoid his advances, that maybe Eli didn''t like the fact that he had already slept with Elise before.


    Thinking about it, he felt small.


    He felt like he did not deserve Eli and had forsaken Elise. But, everytime he would interact with Eli, his heart would shout for yearning.


    This yearning was much more stronger than his hesitations.


    But still, that ghost in his mind would always linger, everytime he was alone and idly thinking.


    The only thing that could be considered as his salvation, was to hear from Eli that..


    She didn''t mind.


    That''s all. She didn''t mind...


    Meanwhile, Eli was still in shock about what she saw.


    It must be because of the dim golden yellow lights that made the simple cottage more romantic.


    Or it must be Leon''s manly outfit too.


    It must be because he was holding a flower bouquet.


    Or it must be because of his sweet sinful smile.


    Eli''s heart kept pounding louder and louder. With the wits she had, she was kind of expecting a form of surprise but not at this scale.


    It was beyond her expectations!


    As she stood nkly at the magical scene, Azayn''s cheering voice kept repeating on her mind,


    "Eli! I''m telling you, if you do not marry the Prince in this life, you will definitely regret it!"


    "...his ways right now could bepared to the manliness of my sweet husband Koetr!"


    "You won''t lose out if you marry that ice cube prince! He''s rather not bad.."


    "Do not let this big fish go!"


    ''This must be the thing she was pertaining to that made her react like this.'' Eli thought in her mind.


    However, she couldn''t ignore the fact that he made this because he knew her so well. He knew that she was hesitant to leave because she holds the cottage dear.


    How is that really not romantic?!


    She had to admit to herself.


    "Surprise¡­" Leon''s maic voice woke her up from her inner struggle. Once again she was back in reality and had to face the urgent matter at hand.


    Directly staring at Leon''s smiling face, she couldn''t help choke up in tears, thinking that he did it all for her.


    How could she not be moved!


    This guy had almost made himself broke, just to increase his time to visit her and attend to her needs. He spent all the mana stones he had on his treasury to fuel the teleportation arrays and go to her.


    This guy had been patient in pursuing her, even during the time that she had cruelly rejected his aggressive advances. Instead of being discouraged, he listened to her requests.


    This guy, although he was a prince who could order her around, respected her opinion and wishes, even threaded the hard route of courtship for a chance to marry her.


    This guy, although a dignified member of the Imperial Family, slept on the floor, acted like her personal cleaner and nurse during the days she was weak.


    This guy, although noble and strong, used his arms to clumsily clean Little Han and carry him gently, without being impatient at all.


    How could she not be moved!


    "I-i hope you don''t mind.." Seeing Eli''s eyes reddening in tears, Leon''s nerve rose up and immediately tried to console Eli in a flustered manner.


    "No.. I like it.. I like it so much that I want to cry.." Eli sniffed while looking up in the sky to try to stop her tears from falling. Her hands were upied with Little Han so she couldn''t hide her teary face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Thank you Leon.." She said with a slightly quivering voice.


    "There there¡­" Leon slowly patted Eli''s shaking shoulders with a helpless smile. He had wanted to see Eli moved, but he didn''t like to see her cry.


    "You hold this bouquet, I''ll hold Little Han.."


    He said in a voice as sweet as a honey nectar.


    Olivier couldn''t help but hold his breath. That was the prince, talking in a gentle manner. He still couldn''t be used to seeing him like this.


    He had always seen the Prince cold and fierce, bathing in blood in the battlefield. But now, where could he be? Is he hiding in his pocket? or in his boots?


    The onlookers couldn''t help but be moved by the sweet scene. They were basically the old couples, Grandma Brygid and Grandpa Andi, Grandma Myrna and Grandpa Ben.


    "Let''s go, they have been waiting for a while." Leon smiled and led Eli to the gazebo, where everyone was waiting.


    The two, while walking, seemed like a newly wedded couple out for their honeymoon. The scene was even sweeter because of Little Han, who was carried not by his Mommy but his Prince Daddy.


    "You two look good! I wonder, when do you like tomit yourselves to marriage~~~" Granma Myrna couldn''t help but tease the youngsters, who had now been blushing and acting shy with each other.


    "Sister Myrna, look at them, they looked so much like me and Andi when we were newlyweds!"


    Grandma Brygid had her cheeks puffed up with a teasing smile as she looked at Eli and Leon meaningfully.


    "Aiyoo, do not tease the youngsters too much.. Or else, we would soon have to wee another great grandson or daughter!" Grandpa Ben joined the fun.


    "Oh!! A great granddaughter would be nice!" Grandpa Andi, looked at Leon with expectant eyes and mouthed,


    "Keep working hard! Be fast!"


    Hearing this, Eli and Leon, who were already hot in shame, could only smile awkwardly due to intense embarrassment.


    Why are they already talking about marriage and child number two?


    After having their fill in teasing the two, everyone settled down and sat at the table to share a warm and happy dinner.


    Having already monopolized and interviewed Eli earlier, it was now Leon''s turn to be on the hot seat with the two grandmas.


    "Eherm, Third Prince, what do you like most about our young Eli?"


    "When do you n on properly proposing to her?"


    "You''re not going to ditch her for a concubine are you?"


    "How many children do you want to have with her?"


    Eli, although still embarrassed with the situation, couldn''t help but be entertained with Leon''s flustered expression.


    It was seldom to see this cold expressionless prince to have a trace of panic in his face.


    The two didn''t know how they survived with all the teasing and matchmaking of the elders.


    Soon, they all retired to their respective rooms while Leon and Eli worked together to clean up the ce along with Olivier, Baobao and Wisey.


    It was already a normal thing for the both of them, especially to Leon. This simple living with Eli and Little Han was more than he could wish for. He didn''t mind doing these menial things for them at all.


    Finally retiring to bed, Leon set his makeshift bed on the floor with great familiarity.


    Eli couldn''t help but frown because of the conscience tugging her heart strings.


    Noticing her reaction, Leon paused and asked in worry, "What''s wrong?"


    "I feel like I have been mistreating you all this while." Eli said straightforwardly with obvious guilt in her face.


    "You''ve only been so good to me yet I couldn''t do something for you in return.." She continued.


    "Look, I couldn''t even offer you a good ce to sleep.." She guiltily looked at Leon who was kneeling on the floor from smoothing the cushioned nkets.


    "You know very well that I am not doing this to wait for yourpensation.." Leon softly replied as he tenderly looked at Eli and Little Han.


    "But even if you gave your heart to me right now, I know that I won''t sleep on that bed for a little while~"


    Leon squinted his eyes with a foxy look as if teasing Eli. It must be because of the atmosphere this evening, but Leon suddenly had the courage to say this things.


    "Ahh!!! Did you learn it from the elders? Now you know how to tease me!" Eli was so embarrassed that she took Little Han''s spare swaddle nket and threw it at Leon''s seductively beautiful face.


    "Hahaha.. I just don''t want to see you that guilty and gloomy.." Leon chuckled without a care, looking at the blushing Eli in front of him.


    "But really, did you truly like my present?" He asked once more with uncertainty.


    "Uhn.. I could even admit that I am quite moved." Eli answered straightforwardly seeing Leon''sck of sense of security.


    She added softly, "I didn''t know you could be romantic."


    His eyes then changed into a glowing, sincere and tender look, "Then, I''ll keep working hard.."

 Chapter 101 Meeting The Blades

    ?Lovely night was smoothly followed by a lovely morning.


    The two woke up almost at the same time, ncing calmly with each other. They didn''t have a continuous sleep, because Little Han would wake up several times because of his baby needs.


    However, there was no trace of annoyance nor dissatisfaction in their hearts. They were filled with love and warmth as they saw Little Han growing slowly day by day.


    Little Han could now open and close his eyes. Finally they could see his lovely bluish eyes. Although itcked the crystal clear luster like Leon''s eyes had, Eli was sure that he would take after his daddy''s beautiful crystal blue eyes soon.


    More baby hairs also grew on his little head.


    Eli was happy that she could clearly see the reddish tint on Little Han''s fine hair. It was like a thorn taken away from her, because Little Han wouldn''t have to hide his features like her.


    Carefully stretching, Eli stood up to prepare breakfast while Leon took Little Han out for the morning sun. There were no words needed for the two, everything went in perfect sync, from looking after Little Han to doing the morning chores.


    Eli felt so surprised thinking about how perfectly symbiotic their rtionship was. She couldn''t help but stop and blush.


    Leon was really perfect husband material!!


    After the quick breakfast, Leon took Eli and Little Han to Grandpa Andi''s hall for a while.


    This was because he would take Olivier in tow to report briefly with the Crimson de, so no one would actually guard for Eli except for Baobao and Wisey.


    Baobao and Wisey are already stronger, under the joint guidance of Olivier and Leon. However, they are in the capital, where enemies could pop up left and right.


    It is safer to stay with Grandpa Andi''s building as it would surely be guarded heavily.


    "Don''t worry, We''ll look after them, go do your duty!" Grandma Brygid assured the worried Leon.


    "Thank you so much, Grandmaster Andi, Madame Forgeworn." Leon bobbed his head in gratitude.


    He then looked at Eli with a tender smile and leaned his head closer to the sleeping Little Han to kiss his forehead.


    As Little Han was sleeping in Eli''s arms, she couldn''t help but halt her breathing because she realized how close Leon was to her.


    She catched a whiff of his freshly washed hair. It was minty and manly, impably alluring.


    Leon didn''t notice Eli''s stiff reaction. He just gave her a calm look and patted her head gently, "We''ll be back soon. Take care."


    Leon and Olivier took off right away. Eli and Little Han on the other hand went with Grandma Brygid and Andi to spend more time with her new found family.


    Leon and Olivier arrived at the Crimson de''s barracks in no time.


    As soon as they entered, they could hear busy noises all around.


    Some were jogging vigorously to train their bodies, others were sparring in the arena, some were practicing their casting abilities, while some were even sharpening their des and wiping it like it was their most prized treasure.


    Since they were currently waiting for the Emperor and Leon''s instruction about the next steps to contain the Spectre, they kept themselves busy by enhancing their abilities. They didn''t take this idle time for granted.


    "Woiiii! Olivier is back!!! His highness is back!!!!"


    A crimson de knight noticed the two calmly walking inside the barracks, in his happiness, he forgot to salute to his leaders but instead ran around to announce their arrival.


    The rest of the crimson de were so excited that they immediately left their positions and briskly ran around announcing their arrival.


    "We greet the Wielder of the de! His Highness Third Prince!!!"


    "We greet the Left de, Vice Captain Olivier!"


    "We wee you back!!!"


    They des, led by ze, wore an excited expression on their faces as they immediately assembled and greeted the two.


    ze was even brimming with a sunny smile on his face, he hadn''t seen his bro Olivier for a while. Finally the brothers areplete!


    "At ease!" Leon nodded and received their greetings! He looked carefully at each of the twenty three members of the des, epting their agitated gazes up front.


    "I have two major things to announce."


    "First, we will be preparing to coordinate with the First and Second Prince to cleanse the Empire of the Spectre forces! We will ensure that no one would be hurt by this sinister organization as long as we exist!"


    ROAR!!! Hearing that they would finally be mobilized to clean the Spectres openly, the des roared in excitement. They mightily lifted their right hand to a fist and shouted with all their might.


    Leon patiently looked at the fired up expression of the des.


    He knew why these people were as agitated as this. It was because they were the people he and General Eugine had rescued during his training on the battlefield.


    Although the Spectre was not really doing something outrageous throughout the years, they still were guilty ofmitting crimes and offenses that harmed innocent people.


    Just like the twenty one members of the Crimson des and the mysterious members of the Roaming des.


    Some of them were rescued as children due to the remote terrorist attacks on the borders of the Empire. Some were rescued from the ck market operated by the Spectre where they were sold as child ves.


    ze was also someone whom they rescued from another ck market auction.


    However, unlike most of them, he wasn''t sold as a ve, but was kept in the dungeon as a potion tester.


    The Spectre took advantage of his body and fed him countless sinister potions, even poisons to test their level of efficacy.


    Why would the Spectre do this to a mere 9 year old? It was because ze was not a pure human. He was one of the rare instances of a sessful union of a human and a dragon!


    With this, he had a high tolerance to potion and superhuman strength despite not being a devourer.


    He also had a high affinity with magic. His body was perfectly approriate to test these potions with his dragon blood, however, he will be subjected to endless pain and torture!


    That was why he, along with the rest of the members of the des, had deep seated hatred with the entire Spectre organization.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They joined the Crimson and Roaming des with a sole purpose - to annihte the Spectres and all other sinister organizations that harm innocent people, especially children!


    Now, their Prince had finally announced a wide scale operation to deal with the Spectre. How could they not feel agitated?


    They kept roaring their battle cries, pumped their sturdy chests and stomped their feet in a manner where one would think that these people were about to charge at a war.


    After letting out their passionate cries, the des soon looked at Leon with obedience and waited for him toplete his announcement.


    "The second one I want to announce to all of you is that¡­ I have found my future wife!"


    ¡­


    The des, except for Olivier and ze, were frozen shocked and wide eyed with the sudden announcement.


    "And she just recently gave birth to my son, Johann!" As if talking with air, Leon ignored the de''s reaction and continued.


    ¡­


    Now the frozen shocked des had their mouths wide open.


    "Olivier, here, was sent to a top secret mission exactly because of that."


    !!!


    Now the shocked expression of the des reached another level as they robotically looked at Olivier who was lifting his nose high up in the air, proud of his glorious achievement.


    Their eyes now stared at him full of envy and grievance!


    "How could the vice captain get ahead of us and get chummy with His Highness''s little prince and future Madame?!!!!"


    "This is unfair!"


    "Totally foxy!!! Our vice captain is foxy!!!"


    "How could he go with that honorable mission without sharing the glory with us!!!!"


    "AAAAH! So envious!!! That''s future Madame! That''s our little prince!!!"


    Their hearts were full of resentment because of Olivier''s fortunate encounter with the legendary beings that could convert their blood prince to a total family man!


    They couldn''t help but look at Olivier, wishing that their stares could burn their Vice Captain''s outfit.


    Olivier felt creepy chills running down his spine, as he immediately saw his subordinates'' fervent gazes.


    "Oh nooo.." He couldn''t help but be on high alert, these people might even ask him for a ''sparring'' non stop.


    Still remaining calm and oblivious to the rising tension among the des, Leon continued his speech.


    "Due to these two major events, I''ll have to divide you into two groups."


    "A quarter of the des will be left here to make rounds and take care of Eli and Little Han, while the rest will follow me for the clean up operation."


    "With this, we can ensure that we will carry out these two important missions excellently."


    "PERMISSION TO TALK! YOUR HIGHNESS!" A loud roar came from all the twenty members of the des.


    Raising his eyebrow in curiosity, he gave a permitting nod and allowed the members to talk.


    "His Highness, I would like to volunteer to guard the Madame and Little Prince!"


    "His Highness, I volunteer too!"


    "Me too, Your Highness!"


    Everyone expressed their strong desire to be assigned as Eli and Little Han''s guards. Olivier and ze couldn''t help but shake their heads feeling at a loss.


    What about their deep seated hatred with the Spectre?


    It seems like their desire to see future madame and Little Prince was stronger than hitting Spectre''s asses off.


    Leon kept a calm and authoritative demeanor. He said with a steadfast and unshaken tone,


    "It seems like you all desire to see my future wife and my little son. However, I forgot to tell you these things¡­"


    "My future wife is of Asani descent."


    "My Little Han carried the blood of both Seirende and Asani."


    "In short, they are the most delectable targets in the Spectre''s eyes."


    "PERMISSION TO TALK! YOUR HIGHNESS!" Another loud chorus rang in the entire barracks.


    "I volunteer to annihte the Spectre!"


    "Me too!"


    "I volunteer too!"


    "Let''s wipe out their existence in the entire Prasinos!!!"


    "Let Vice Captain Olivier remain with the Future Madame and Little Prince''s side!"

 Chapter 102 Multilayered Mission

    ?"Alright.." Leon nodded without minding the fickle mindedness of the crimson des. He knew that whatever choice they would pick, they would surely carry out the tasks wholeheartedly.


    "Then I''ll task Olivier to handpick the team who will be guarding my future wife and my son. The rest will join us to coborate with my older brothers and General Eugine for the operations." Leon announced in finality.


    "The Crimson desply with the will of our Wielder!" The des knelt and shouted in unison.


    "Good! You are dismissed. Olivier, ze, prepare the groupings a littleter,e with me for a while." He then beckoned the vice captains to the meeting room.


    In the meeting room, the trio wordlessly sat and assumed an astute expression befitting of a soldier.


    "ze, I wanted to know the progress of the investigations."


    As he was already expecting the order, ze immediately stood up and produced the report he had from the investigation of the Spectre while articting the salient points.


    "For the southeast territory, we are able to trace a total of seven possible bases of operations, while we have found an astounding number of twenty on the southwest side!" ze calmly exined.


    "The majority of the southwest territory was under the Astaze influence. Just like our initial investigations, it seems like the Astaze March has been particrly infested with the sinister activities of the Specter."


    "We couldn''t help but be suspicious if the Astaze had been cooperating with them secretly. However, it is still hard to say."


    ze worriedly looked at Olivier. He knew that Olivier was a third young master of the Astaze Family. He wondered if this would affect Olivier''s mood.


    Leon nodded with a contemtive expression in his face, "Yes, it is too hard to say. Good job for you and the team for the results of the investigation."


    Leon looked at Olivier with assurance, as he could notice the subtle tension in his body.


    "The possible link to the Astaze March is not a hard possibility, however, we need to also check the links to the Ves themselves. Anyone maybe in cooperation with the Spectre, we are not to discriminate and suspect everyone just because of the numbers."


    Hearing this Olivier heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he was ostracized as a Astaze Household because of his decision to join the Third Prince''s forces, he was still concerned in the welfare of the family.


    Hearing that the Astaze family might be involved with the Spectre scared him so much that even though he tried to contain his nervousness and worry, the two men with him felt his uneasiness.


    "But the two of you, listen to what I will say next and keep it for yourselves as much as possible. Even the Roaming des will not have ess to know this matter."


    Leon''s expression immediately turned a few degrees colder. He snapped his fingers and immediately activated an istion array for the three of them.


    ze and Olivier focused their attention on what Leon would be rying to them. Seeing that he activated an array, their hearts leaped because they could feel the graveness of the matter.


    If it is something that the Roaming de, the most reliable investigative and information arm of the Third Prince, himself, didn''t have rights to know, then it is clearly a dangerous piece of information.


    "Listen, the two of you, this is a grave matter. The Emperor had only allowed the two of you to know these under the oath of secrecy. Do you ept it?"


    "We ept, Third Prince! Under the eyes of the guardian of the skies." The two responded solemnly.


    Leon nodded and took his time to carefully choose his next words.


    "We suspect a linkage of the use of sinister curses with the Vess. To date, we have three instances of curses being used on people." Leon shed hatred in his eyes.


    "The first one was used on our very own Emperor. This was verified by the Emperor himself, the curse came from a member of the Ves n. You all know the incident behind the sudden assasination attack on his wedding night."


    ze and Olivier couldn''t help but gulp in fear.


    This info is about the Emperor himself! What''s more, it was the secret behind a famous incident on the Emperor''s wedding night. Even during the sses in their knight''s training, this was one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in Seirende!


    Who would have known that this mystery was caused by a sinister curse with a verified link to the Ves!


    "The second case does not have a concrete linkage, however it happened under the territory of the Vess." Leon slowly exined with a low, dangerous voice.


    "I witnessed it with my own eyes. The very person who suffered that curse was my future wife Eli. It is a curse that kills the victim if he or she will not engage in an intimate activity. With this info, now I''m sure that you''ll figure out the rest."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The two were again shocked by this revtion.


    Now, they understood why the Prince had been deadset to look for the future madame. It turns out, he happened to be there when the future madame was stricken by the curse. With this little info, they figured out the rest of the story.


    "Thest instance just happened during the trip to the Silver Dew Forest, to none other than my Queen Mother, Teh..."


    "Olivier, you have witnessed the scene itself. This curse will activate once Mother Queen touches someone aside from the members of the Imperial Family."


    Olivier nodded, although he didn''t involve in this matter closely, he still witnessed the event with his own eyes.


    "That curse almost hurt the pregnant Madame during that time." He exined to ze.


    These pieces of information made the two vice captains feel the heavy burden ced on their shoulders. For an unauthorized person to know these things, they will surely be executed on the spot!


    These things are damaging to the members of the Imperial Family!


    Nodding as he saw the understanding in the eyes of his two vice captains, Leon then continued. "I want you to do a preliminary investigation for this matter."


    "In two days, the Emperor, along with the Empress and Queens will be visiting the Temple. I will be assigning you two to be guards to my Queen Mother by that time. While I will go to the temple high priest to ask for permission to research curses in their archives."


    "I want the two of you to observe the movements of the Empress as discreet as possible, and also be vignt to ensure that my mother Queen will not fall into the same ploy again."


    "ze, I will warn you ahead. This curse was able to bypass the detection of three legendary S sses, that includes me. If not for your Future Madame''s contracted beast, I would actually be mourning right now." His eyes squinted with a dangerous glint as he was saying this.


    ze couldn''t help but breathe deeply in surprise. He understood Leon''s intention, to be extra vignt even in small matters.


    There was only one reason why it bypassed the detection from three legendaries. That would be because they had all let their guards down and didn''t get extra vignt on things happening within their territories.


    "Although this is also an urgent matter, the clean up operation is still our first priority. Only, we will now do it with an added intention. Two of the three instances point to the Vess. Keep that in mind and search for any clues during the operation."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" Olivier and ze answered in unison. Deep seriousness appeared in their eyes. They were sure to pour out everything they had on this matter.


    "All right that''s it. I''ll go to the grounds to keep up with the des for today. Tomorrow is the set discussion for the clean up operation. We have to determine the groupings today." Leon then dismissed the two and left them to deliberate for the groupings in the room for a while.


    He on the other hand, went outside to interact with the des, one thing he ensures to do every time. He didn''t look at them as mere subordinates, but brothers in the battlefield.


    He would spend a day or two giving them pointers and spar with them, just like what he intended to do today.


    However, as soon as the crimson des saw the Third Prince walking towards them, they immediately rushed towards him in a fanatical manner.


    Twenty full grown muscle men cheerfully skipped their way towards Leon with dewy eyes, like girls who finally saw their bestieing.


    It made the corners of Leon''s ever expressionless lips twitch in exasperation.


    "Your Highness, tell us about Madame!"


    "How is the young master? Is his health alright?"


    "How did you and Madam fall for each other?"


    "Your Highness! As soon as we finish our mission, we''ll immediately help you prepare for the marriage!"


    "We''ll help you propose beautifully!!!"


    "YEAAAH!!!"

 Chapter 103 Big Changes In The Little Cottage

    ?Leon couldn''t help but feel at a loss towards the enthusiasm of the des.


    Before, they would be so focused on training and improving themselves that once he was already on his way to guide them, they would all fervently look at him like hungry disciples.


    Now these same people set aside their precious chance to be guided by Leon just because they are curious about Eli and Little Han.


    But then, he still casually answered some of their curious questions before he was able to let them focus on the training ahead.


    After some time, ze and Olivier went out to aid Leon with the training until the afternoon.


    At the end of the training, Leon had the des assemble again to let ze and Olivier announce the groupings.


    Olivier, who usually carries a carefree and youthful vibe, now looked terrifyingly serious and dignified.


    "Upon carefully contemting, we have chosen these five des to be Madame and Little Prince''s guards¡­"


    "nc, Caster ss B mid level;


    Ron, Devourer ss B mid level;


    Chad, Caster ss C high level;


    Genos, Devourer ss C high level; and


    Neal, Summoner ss B, mid level."


    All of you will take turns in guarding Madame and our Young Prince until the restes back from the clean up operations."


    The five des mentioned valiantly stepped forward and knelt with determined expressions on their faces.


    The fire on their eyes couldn''t contain the happiness and tion they felt upon receiving this honorable opportunity to guard the people the Third Prince loves.


    "We nc/Ron/Chad/Genos/Neal receive the orders wholly!" They responded in chorus.


    "Uhnn! The reason for the mix was because the Madame was unofficially a ss C summoner, with two contracted beasts. Thus, a caster and devourer can make up for the team."


    "Neal will be assigned to oversee the team and to further train Madame in improving her summoning abilities and contracted beasts."


    Olivier gave a brief exnation why they chose these five people for the mission.


    The rest found it fair and good, as these five people were capable without a doubt.


    ze, with his fiery orange hair and personality, announced with his gruffy voice ,


    "The rest of the des will be divided into three different teams, each will be led by His Highness, Oliver and yours truly!"


    Then he proceeded to name the people who would belong to the three groups. Everyone epted their respective assignment whole heartedly.


    After this, it was Leon''s turn to wrap up everything and solemnly looked to the rest of the des.


    "Everyone, please exercise extreme caution and prudence. No mission is little and easy. Our enemy is the Spectre, who has imed countless lives throughout these years."


    "Just like before, only when we are well prepared can we be victorious! Twenty three of us will go out on this barracks, it will also be twenty three who wille back victorious!"


    Roar!!!


    Everyone, including ze and Olivier, shouted with passion as they responded to Leon''s deration. Through the years it was always like this, they swear to leave alive ande back alive no matter what.


    No man shall be left behind!


    This reminded everyone to train and be as prepared as possible in order toe back victoriously.


    Soon, everyone settled down. Leon went home with Olivier, only after he instructed ze and the five guards to prepare ande to the Forgeworn Territory first thing in the morning.


    Leon wanted to introduce the team as well as ze to Eli and to help the other five get familiar with the ce and prepare for their lodging.


    However, he didn''t want to startle Eli by bringing them all tonight.


    Instead, he had the team prepare for tomorrow while he will go home tonight to tell Eli about them.


    Before the sun had settled, Eli prepared to go back to the cottage.


    Grandma Brygid was worried that Eli would have a hard time supplying her needs, especially now that she could not yet freely go out to buy what she needs.


    Thus, Grandma Brygid assigned a maid for her, Rosea, the young bubbly dwarf maid who escorted Eli yesterday. For anything that Eli needs, from food to clothing, Rosea would be the one to do the errands for her.


    As soon as Leon and Olivier entered the estate, Granma Brygid and Grandpa Andi sent off Eli to board a carriage to the cottage, with Rosea in tow.


    Along the way, Leon mentioned to Eli that he had assigned five knights to guard her in the cottage, while he and Olivier focused on the uing clean up operations.


    The little family then ended the day with another warm and happy night as they shared the dinner and weed Rosea in the cottage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before they retire to sleep, Leon spent time caring for Little Han, while Eli talked with Rosea and Olivier for the materials they needed to amodate the five knights tomorrow.


    They had to buy some quilts and pillows for the knights and Leon as well.


    Eli was really guilty that Leon still had to sleep on the floor just to guard her and Little Han.


    Upon hearing this, Leon couldn''t help but smile in happiness.


    Seeing Eli worry about him like this gave him a sweet and warm feeling in his chest. This feeling lingered until bedtime, so much that he still had a good night''s rest even in the midst of waking up on random intervals for Little Han''s needs.


    Morning came and the two very simrly did their tasks to start the day.


    With Leon taking care of Little Han for some morning sun, Eli and Rosea prepared for breakfast.


    Not long after, ze and the five knights came and greeted Leon and Eli respectively.


    "Greetings, Your Highness Third Prince! Greetings, Madame~~"


    Everyone had an excited look in their eyes, finally seeing Eli and Little Han. However, they still maintained a respectful demeanor towards them.


    If they hadn''t restrained themselves with all their might, they would have their mouths agape as they actually saw their leader gently holding an adorable baby in his arms, while tenderly looking at the beautifuldy beside her.


    "Hello everyone, wee to our humble home. Come and join us for breakfast." Eli responded with a warm and bright smile.


    ze and the knights were obviously well trained people with bulky countenance. But the youthfulness in their personality was still evident as they couldn''t hide their fervent and curious expression, which is not far from how Olivier was during his stay in the cottage.


    As soon as Eli offered them to share a meal, ze and the team blushed in shyness as this was the first time a woman had invited them inside. What''s more, this woman was none other than their Prince''s beloved, they felt like they did not deserve such treatment.


    Seeing that the group was about to respectfully decline Eli''s invitation, Leon quickly interjected,


    "We have been waiting for you for a while. Come and join us, Eli has prepared this breakfast for you."


    "I-it''s our honor!" Hearing their leader''s permission, they reluctantly replied.


    Soon everyone shared the meal while Eli casually threw out questions to get acquainted with them, as well as with Rosea.


    ze and the team observed that Eli was actually simr to their Prince.


    She was also someone who doesn''t look superficially on a person''s status. With a maid, two contracted beasts and several knights, both Eli and Leon perfectly blended with them, making the atmospherefortable and warm.


    The knights gotfortable enough that they freely shared some stories during their quests at the border.


    Of course, they didn''t forget to highlight how manly and valiant the Prince had been during those times!


    Hearing this Eli actually got curious for the rest of the members of the Crimson des, "I wonder when I can meet all of you. It seems like your brotherhood is beyond any blood ties!"


    Leon tenderly looked at Eli. He was happy to see her interested in the things concerning him, and the people he cared about.


    He smiled and softly replied, "After the operations, I will find a way to let you meet the rest of the des."


    "Uhn! I look forward to that!" Eli replied cheerfully.


    After breakfast, Leon had to prepare for the morning session, while Olivier and ze instructed the team for the task they will do for today. First, will be renovating Olivier''s quarters to amodate all of them.


    Eli also had Rosea to assist them for any materials they needed to procure for the quarters.


    "I feel so sad Mdy~ I wouldn''t be assigned to you starting now.." Olivier uttered in a yful manner.


    However, Eli could clearly see the sadness in his eyes even if he tried to mask it with a smile.


    He spent quite a few months with Eli, Wisey and Baobao. In fact, the time he spent here was more than that of Leon.


    He hade to love the simple and warm life in this cottage. Far from the schemes and ridicule of his family.


    This is the second ce he would wholeheartedly call home, next to the Crimson de barracks.


    Eli patted Olivier''s shoulders and said,


    "You are still wee here. Baobao Wisey and myself do not look at you as a guard, but as a member of our little family. So whenever you''re free, drop by here and spend time. This humble cottage is always open for you."


    Olivier choked up upon hearing Eli''s heartwarming reply. Hearing someone ept him as a family, he couldn''t be happier.


    "Besides, there are still a lot of recipes I am yet to cook that you wouldn''t want to miss! So be sure toe back with Leon safe and sound!" She encouraged him with a smile.


    Remembering the out of this world dishes Eli prepared every time, Olivier''s eyes lit up.


    "Yes, Mdy! Don''t worry! During my time in the south, I''ll do my very best to look for the grain you call rice!"


    "That''s more like it!" Eli felt happy upon hearing Olivier''s reply.

 Chapter 104 General Farauld

    ?After ensuring that the five des have been briefed properly and they were already clear on what they have to do, Leon, ze and Olivier set off to the capital.


    "Mdy, we''ll do our best to guard you and the Young Prince on His Highness''s behalf!" Neal, a tall bulky knight, led the other four to kneel and rmit themselves to Eli and Little Han.


    "Please stand up! Wee to our little cottage, I''m looking forward to working with you." Eli calmly epted theirmitment.


    Although she felt like it was too much to have five guards, she couldn''t reject the good will from Leon and the des themselves. Rejecting them would only look down on their honor as knights.


    "Please be at ease and treat this as your second home." She added with afortable tone.


    "We thank Mdy for your grace!" The des were really happy that their future Madam was a warm and kind person.


    Her way of interacting was hospitable and gentle, yet the aura she emits is akin to a shrewd and intelligent woman.


    "Alright, I''ll go and take care of Little Han. Please feel free to tell Rosea your needs." Eli then excused herself gracefully after introducing Rosea.


    Rosea was a little dwarf with a bubbly attitude, thus when Eli introduced her again, she bowed her little body adorably with a determined expression on her face. Her bright sunny smile was saying, "Count on me! Count on me!"


    As soon as she went inside the cottage, the des and Rosea engaged in a passionate discussion while briskly doing their tasks.


    "Our Madame is so beautiful! She and His Highness really look so good together!"


    "They really were a match made in heaven!!"


    "Madame cooks good food too!"


    "Our young prince is so cute and adorable too!"


    "I can''t wait to see our young prince grow up!!!"


    "Me too!"


    Meanwhile, Leon, ze and Olivier immediately went to the Imperial Sky Knight''s barracks, where they were set to meet with General Eugine and his older brothers.


    The Imperial Sky Knights are the most elite corps in the Seirende Empire. Their main task is to ensure the safety of the Emperor and oversee the other knight corps, like the Crimson des, Viridescent Summoners and Amethyst Warlocks.


    They directly report to the Emperor himself. It was said that every young knight dreamt of joining this prestigious knight corps as they were considered as the strongest in the whole Seirende.


    They were led by none other than General Eugine Farauld, the strongest warrior alive in Seirende Empire. Known to all, he was also the teacher of Leon, the Barbaric Blood Prince.


    Leon calmly entered the premises of the Imperial Sky Knights. He went an hour earlier than the set time.


    When the knights saw Leon, they paused and gave a respectful salute, which Leon would immediately reciprocate.


    The Imperial Sky Knights treat Leon respectfully and kindly because he basically grew up in this barracks before forming his own corps.


    The senior knights who saw Leon even bear hugged him with a wide grin on their faces, to which Leon didn''t mind. When he was a child, these knights, along with General Eugine, became his father figures in the battlefield.


    They never treated Leon with contempt, unlike the noble officials in the pce, nor did they show pity on him either. They treated him fairly and warmly. They taught him the ways of war wholeheartedly. They trained him fiercely and cared for him properly.


    Thus Leon would always treat them full of respect, despite the fact that he was a member of the imperial family.


    After catching up a little with the senior knights, Leon quietly proceeded to General Eugine''s office. He respectfully knocked before he entered the office.


    "Come in!" A deep powerful voice rang behind the door. Leon immediately opened the door and entered.


    General Eugine''s office was quite spacious, yet its overall appearance was not busy. It was only inly decorated with a set of lounge chairs and coffee table that were simple and low key.


    His office table was quite spacious with just a pen holder and a document sorter on the side. No other clutters could be seen on his table top.


    He only had onerge bookshelf, with the subject areas on Military and Tactics as well as Imperial History.


    The overall vibe of his office was as in as General Eugine''s personality. Quiet, neat and straightforward!


    Leon looked at the man sitting on the chair behind the office table, he had just flipped his book and quietly ced it on top of his table. Just like a typical military man, he has a towering build.


    His grey hair was cleanly cut along with his shaven beard, his bronze eyes were sharp and piercing.


    Although he had already aged, his vitality was incredibly strong and he could even instill pressure onmon people just by simply standing idly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What more if he released his blood lust? Men will pee on their pants and fall on their knees!


    This is General Farauld. The strongest knight alive, Leon''s lifelong teacher.


    Also, He was now Eli''s godfather!


    "Long time no see, teacher." Leon saluted with a calm and respectful expression.


    Eugine didn''t react excessively. He just looked at Leon for a good few seconds, without giving an inkling of what was on his mind. After a while, he gave a satisfied nod and said,


    "Yes, long time no see. You brat really had a wife and son already!" He said with a helpless and amused tone.


    "Your future wife... I''m very happy with my goddaughter. You have a good eye! Not bad¡­You brat, not bad!" The sharpness in General Eugine''s eyes became more gentler as he uttered these words.


    "Uhn.. I''m sorry for not telling you this matter in person, Teacher. I have no excuse¡­" Leon was happy to know that his teacher approved of Eli not only as his future wife but his very own goddaughter.


    "Just be sure to tell me right away if you decide to finally marry her! Don''t let me wait for too long!" He said in a tone that was more like giving an order.


    "Yes, Teacher!" Leon nodded with determination in his eyes, ''I couldn''t wait too..'' he said in his heart.


    "Hmm, good!" General Eugine finally let out a contented nod.


    However it was only for a few seconds, he immediately came back to his strict demeanor and straightforwardly asked, "Then what made you meet me earlier than the appointed time. Get it straight."


    Leon just nodded, he activated an istion array and ced a recording crystal on top of General Eugine''s table.


    "This is a recording of ourst encounter with the Spectre. This happened in the Silver Dew Forest as they attempted to look for Eli."


    He then yed the recording that Randel took before confronting the group of Spectres, where he witnessed the hell wolves destroying their human partners.


    General Eugine quietly watched the entire scene with extreme focus. His piercing bronze eyes squinted and burned every detail he could find.


    "Tell me the results." He then looked at Leon with a neutral expression, as if he was not shocked by the terrifying scene of the hell wolves going berserk, killing their handlers.


    Leon briefly discussed the happenings and the oue of their encounter, before finally saying, "I had Olivier keep the subdued wolves as well as the specimen that triggers their berserk."


    "Uhn, Have you reported this to the Emperor?" With the recording and the information ryed by Leon, General Eugine nodded with understanding.


    He also understood why Leon was telling this thing now, it was to ensure that the clean up operation n will take into ount the appearance of the hell wolves which could render an A ss mage severely injured.


    "He did know of the encounter with the Spectre and the hell wolves. However, I haven''t discussed this matter in detail with him yet. I''m afraid that with the appearance of the Spectre, the oracle and my son, Father would not be able to sleep at night if I mercilessly added this to his troubles." Leon answered with a slight frown on his head.


    True enough, the Emperor has been upied with the matters in the capital, him knowing about the dangers of the hell wolves will cause him to stress out. The worst thing to happen was he will not be able to handle this matter properly and the information will fall into the wrong hands.


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll find time to tell this to him, however the clean up operationes first." General Eugine calmly answered with a contemtive expression on his face.


    "As to the wolves and the substances, once I receive the Emperor''s permission, I''ll have them sent to the Farauld Laboratory."


    "Thank you teacher!" Leon expressed his gratitude. He knew that there was no other safer option than to let the Faraulds handle the matter about the hell wolves.


    "No need to thank me. I thank you instead, with this information, I can properly n the deployment of our forces in anticipation of the worst case." General Eugine replied.


    "Besides, if it was an experimentation, it means that they have a limited number of hell wolves smuggled inside the Empire. The best thing we can do is make our teams prepared to handle them if this happens."


    General Eugine squinted his bronze eyes with a scheming manner. He would always look like this whenever he ns his ways to the battlefield.


    Leon nodded with understanding and gently reminded his teacher, "It''s almost time."


    "Alright, let''s proceed." General Eugine immediately stood up, his tall stature actually created a big shadow in the room.


    They walked briskly towards the meeting room which was already filled with the key people involved with the operations.


    Upon entering, everyone quieted down and stood up with respect towards General Eugine.


    "Settle down, we will immediately start our nning for the clean up operations!"


    "Yes, General Farauld!" Everyone answered in chorus.

 Chapter 105 Troubled Prince Antoine

    ?The atmosphere around the room became serious and tense.


    Everyone wore an attentive and critical look as they poured out their focus on the man who would carry the whole team to sess.


    Even the First and Second Princes didn''t bother to cast a contemptuous look at the Third Prince. It was because this ce wasn''t a ce to scheme against each other, but to scheme against the enemy of the Empire!


    The three princes of the Empire were present, apanied by their left and rightmands. The other attendees were from the Imperial knights and other key personnel crucial to the sess of the operation.


    General Farauld''s eyes shed with a glint of satisfaction seeing the appropriate attitude disyed by everyone. With a serious nod, he permitted his aide to announce and start today''s agenda.


    "Let''s start with the report of each territory! First will be the condition to the west territory..." The aide announced.


    Soon the aide of the First Prince, Kazimir, presented their report.


    They reported a total of nine target ces all throughout the west territory. This meant that there were a total of nine sinister groups spreading malice and damage in the west.


    They have determined that these were groups of ten to twenty people going around the territory to spread terror to the Empire.


    On Second Prince Antoine''s side, the east territory only had five target groups with the sameponents of twenty people.


    On the far north side, which was headed by General Eugine''s rightmand, there were only three target incidents and two of those ces were bordering the crossing of the east and west territories. Thest one was the activity on Silver town, which Eli and the bunch encountered.


    Finally, the southern territory reported a staggering number of twenty-seven target ces! Seven of them were on the southeast side while the rest were on the southwest!


    Loud murmurings were heard after hearing all the reports. Even if amon person heard these numbers they would only conclude one thing - the Astaze n neglected their west territory.


    Second Prince Antoine was caught off guard with the numbers reported. He clenched his fist as he tried to calm himself down. ''What was actually happening?''


    Although there were no immediate consequences for these reports, the numbers are to be reported to the council once the operation is done.


    By that time, everyone in the council would point their fingers towards the Astaze n and their vassals. It will bring great damage to the family and surely, the Emperor will suspect the Astazes of colluding with the Spectres!


    Just imagining these things made his body wet in cold sweat. He was worried of his maternal family being implicated as well as his Father Emperor being disappointed at him.


    While he was having an internal struggle, he didn''t notice that his elder brother Kazimir was looking at him with a hint of delight in his blue eyes. It was as if he was rejoicing in his misfortune.


    No one noticed this except for the keenest people in the room - Leon and his lifelong teacher, General Eugine. However, they didn''t show any reaction and continued to wear expressionless faces.


    Prince Antoine was clearly distracted by his worries. However, the meeting must go on.


    The next agenda was to instruct the leaders to submit their roster of knights who will participate in the clean-up operations.


    Since the total target groups were 44 suspected sites, they had to at least form the same amount of troops. If they had to be conservative enough, they may need 20 for each group which will be a total of 880 knights.


    However General Farauld greatly rejected the idea. Mobilizing 880 knights will cause amotion in the capital and unnecessarily rm the enemies.


    Thus, he instructed them to craft a candidate list of the knights from the troops stationed in the territories themselves and only bring a maximum of 80 knightsing from the capital.


    General Farauld then gave them time to carefully select their troops and specifically said that for every five-man team, they had to be able to stand ground on at least three ss A mages. Also, they have to be a well bnced team, with at least one ss B devourer and a ss B summoner.


    ss A knights were very small in numbers and they were considered as highest tier in the Empire, since the ss S tier was a Legendary feat.


    Therefore, if one was a ss B summoner, they were already considered strong, a ss C as average and a ss D as the weakest and treated almost the same as the F ss - weak and non magic people.


    The discussion in the room created a hushed buzzing sound as the representatives of each territory carefully selected their teams. Except for Leon who had already prepared in advance and who had the least number of people, of course.


    Soon they were able to craft the roster of the knights that will participate in the clean up operation. All these discussions went on untilte afternoon.


    Upon submitting these roster, General Farauld dismissed everyone and had theme back the next day for the tactical strategy meeting.


    Everyone saluted and bade the general goodbye.


    Leon was also preparing to go home to his future wife and little son when he heard a low and aggrieved voice on his far left side.


    It was Second Prince Antoine, who was disying an aggrieved and distressed expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ze and Olvier heightened their senses at the maximum level, however they didn''t dare to disrespect the Second Prince by tantly showing a vignt attitude towards him.


    "Can I talk with you for a while?" Prince Antoine said in a serious yet conflicted manner.


    Truthfully, he was totally distracted throughout the rest of the meeting. So he had his second inmand do the activities on his behalf, while he was actually deeply thinking of the problem at hand.


    What is the meaning of those results?


    Who really was the one to be med?


    Is it really the Astazes or someone is scheming against him and his maternal family?


    The first person he suspected was his younger brother, Leon.


    Simply because he was the one who reported a staggering number of twenty. He initially suspected that he deliberately blew the numbers up to target him.


    However, during the deliberation session, his suspicion decreased gradually. Because first, reporting an exaggerated amount will actually burden Leon himself, as he will be responsible for all the false rms he will raise.


    The more false rms reported, the uglier his results would be.


    Even though he would never admit it personally, among the three princes, Antoine knew that Leon was always straightforward and decisive in his work.


    That''s why he gained the reputation of Barbaric Blood Prince.


    Although it doesn''t have a nice ring to it, only the officials and the Imperial Family knew that the blood that stained Leon''s hands and sword were the blood of wicked people. He will never dare to harm the innocent no matter how much of a war god he is.


    This younger brother of his is the Empire''s Mad Dog.


    His works ultimately benefit the Empire in their entirety. That''s why it would not make sense if he targeted a long-standing noble house that has undeniable contributions to the Empire just because of political reasons.


    The second reason could be considered as a personal bias nted in Antoine''s heart ever since he was a child.


    There was a moment in his life when he genuinely viewed Leon as a precious younger brother without any trace of contempt.


    He was three years older than him, and he still vividly remembered that Leon would always follow him like a tail during their childhood, looking at him with clear dependent eyes.


    He would call him ''Brother, Brother!'', and look at him with shining crystal blue eyes and silly yet bright smile.


    Only if he didn''t know who he really was.


    Maybe he wouldn''t look at him in contempt right now. Maybe he would still be a reliable older brother for Leon, and he will still be his treasured little brother.


    He looked at Leon who he saw smiling since the day he dered that he will no longer be his brother and that Leon does not have a right to call him elder brother anymore.


    Ever since that day, he started to hate Leon to the core and joined Kazimir and the rest in treating him with contempt. It was because he couldn''t handle the fact that he was identified the same as him, a prince of the Empire.


    At first, the five-year-old Leon didn''t understand his sudden change, he even clung to his sleeves with a pitiful crying face and asked, "Why? What did I do wrong.. Brother... Brother.."


    "What did you do wrong?" the eight-year-old Antoine looked at him with disgust and hate, "Your very existence is wrong! You should have not existed at all!"


    "Do not call me brother anymore! You have no right to be my brother!"


    For a young innocent Leon to hear this from his precious brother, it was like a bomb.


    His hands, which were clinging like a crab in Antoine''s sleeve, suddenly lost their grip. Utter devastation appeared on his plump adorable face.


    That day Leon lost his smile.


    Also from that day onwards, Antoine saw how the dependent and silly young Leon slowly turned into a frigid, cold-blooded barbaric prince.


    Now that his mind and heart werepletely shaken by the iing threat, he couldn''t help but try to find a trace of that adoring and dependent look on Leon''s face.


    But the only thing that stared back at him was Leon''s distant and cold crystal blue eyes.

 Chapter 106 Daddy Is Rushing Home!

    ?Leon maintained his cold and distant expression. He answered Antoine with just a wordless nod.


    This was how Leon conducted himself to other people. This was how he was known. He was so cold and expressionless that one would shiver from looking at his detached expression.


    Many people would avoid him simply because of this. They find it hard to deal with such a person, where one would not know what he really thinks. It would bother them to the point of intimidation.


    Leon calmly sat in his seat and looked at Antoine, waiting for him to talk.


    Facing Leon like this, Antoine found that he could notpose himself. After that conversation during their childhood, he never had a conversation like this with Leon.


    He gulped in nervousness and subconsciously looked at ze and Olivier.


    Understanding his intention, Leon waved his hands to signal the two to exit the room and give them some privacy. Antoine did the same to his left and rightmands.


    Antoine timed his words as soon as the room closed with a light boom, "It''s about the report on the Astaze territory.."


    "What I have reported is verified and true. If you want, have your trusted aides join the south clean up squad to witness and observe." Leon straightforwardly interjected, his eyes had a subtle trace of impatience.


    It wasn''t because he abhor listening to his older brother who had bullied him until adulthood, it was just that he wanted to go home as soon as possible.


    Hearing his interjection, Antoine almost choked from the next words he was about to say.


    His mind went nk as he was already distracted with the things in his mind, thus he was not able to maintain his eloquence as the Second Prince.


    "But the numbers, I''m afraid.." Antoine could only mumble these words in uncertainty.


    However, he then again heard Leon''s frigid voice saying,


    "Whether or not the Astazes had a hand in this, we will immediately know during the clean up operations."


    "Regarding the potential usation of negligence, all our territories were infiltrated by the Spectres. It is not as if the Astazes are the only ones who would take the me. All will be held responsible, even the Vess."


    "As to how our Father Emperor would view you in the future because of this.."


    "Do not dare to insult our Father Emperor and box him as the Emperor inside your brain."


    "Open your eyes and know who our Father really is. Then you will know he is not the kind of person you have in your mind."


    Leon exposed Antoine''s thoughts out in the open and frankly answered it one by one. This made Antoine speechless again, to the point that his mind went utterly nk.


    Leon allowed Antoine to have a moment of silence and process what he had just said. He dignifiedly ced his hands on the table in a sp, appearing like an official waiting for his subject to retort.


    "Second Prince, any more concerns?" Leon asked after some time.


    "N-no, I have no more." He meekly replied.


    "Alright." Leon abruptly stood up and walked towards the room''s exit, he was actually waiting for this word. Finally he could go home!


    Just as he was about to open the door and leave, he turned to look at Antoine''s downcast expression and paused,


    "A word of thought, do not be too blinded and define people by the image you create in your mind."


    "You could do that to me all you want, but never do that to our Father Emperor and your Mother, the First Queen."


    "You''ll just trample on their love and affections if you keep on doing that."


    Then Leon exited hastily. His tone does not have a hint of contempt nor usation. He just used a neutral, detached tone while he was saying those words.


    However to Antoine''s ears, it was more like a concerned voice.


    None of Leon''s choice of words were polite and gentle. It was all straightforward and harsh. On a normal day, Antoine would surely burst with rage and retort at Leon with merciless insults.


    But today it was the opposite. Antoine could actually feel that he was gradually calming down from his worries as he repeatedly digested what he said.


    However, it will take time for him to understand what Leon meant in hisst few sentences.


    As soon as he went out of the room, he almost dashed home straight to the Forgeworn Territory, if not for Olivier reminding him to be cautious as the First and Second Prince''s loyal supporters were still observing his every move.


    "Then, take me to the pce!" He quickly told the carriage chauffeur before boarding with a deep frown on his forehead.


    Although teleportation arrays exist in Prasinos. It was costly to maintain and operate, for it will need a lot of mana stones to power its operations.


    Mana stones are even more precious and valuable than diamonds, so people still had to depend on carts and carriages as the main means ofnd transportation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The observers all determined that the Third Prince ''dutifully'' went back to his own pce to retire for the day and soon they all dispersed after their objective was done.


    But little did they know that as soon as Leon stepped inside his bedroom, he immediately teleported to the secret chamber to teleport to the cottage directly.


    As soon as he reached the chamber, he saw his parents having a sweet time and a sumptuous dinner, so he immediately bowed to give respect.


    Queen Teh was about to invite him to join dinner. However, he just gently shook his head as said, "My little wife and son are waiting at home."


    Then he proceeded to the teleportation array and went home to the cottage.


    The old couple just froze in bewilderment as they saw their cold blooded son slowly turn into a real family man. When they couldn''t see his figure anymore, the old couple just chuckled in amusement.


    "Our son has indeed grown into a real father!" They mumbled still in their giggles.


    Light shed in the living room and everyone knew that the master of the house was already home. Eli was chilling in the living room with Little Han in her arms.


    She subconsciously looked towards the teleportation array and saw Leoning home.


    As she was ying with Little Han, she was in a good mood, that she was actually extra charming when she greeted Leon with a smile,


    "Leon, wee back!"


    Leon''s heart skipped a beat. He was filled with warmth and happiness.


    ''Oh how blissful it is to go home and see the faces of the people he cherished the most!''


    "Little Han, daddy''s home! Come give your dad a smile~~~" Eli didn''t notice Leon''s trance. She stood near Leon and slightly leaned her body and gently poked one of Little Han''s reddish cheeks.


    "Aaaaak~" Little Han was not able to see yet, but he could already blink his eyes open. As soon as his mummy gently poked his puffy little cheek, his face suddenly reacted into an adorable wink~


    "Look! Our Little Han is a charmer!!!" Eli eximed in amusement. She was so absorbed in ying with Little Han that she was not able to notice the doting look from Leon.


    He couldn''t help but let out a light chuckle as his heart was overflowing with love and affection towards the two.


    Never in his life could he have known that he would experience this kind of warmth, without even hiding his identity. All that he had was bared open to the woman in front of him, even his most guilty sin.


    Yet still, here he is, smiling by her side, holding the little bundle of joy.


    This little bundle of joy, may not be the fruit of their love, but surely it was the one who binded them together as a warm loving family.


    "Dinner is ready, would you like to take it now?" Eli asked with a rxed expression.


    Leon shook his head gently and said, "I just came from the barracks, I would like to bathe myself first."


    Cramping in the room for a whole day with the big men made Leon sweaty and feel sticky all over. So he find it inappropriate to touch Eli or Little Han before cleaning himself.


    "Alright, I''ll go prepare the bath, look out for Little Han for a while." She ced Little Han on the cradle and had Leon look after him on the side.


    "I''ll go by myself.." Leon was about to decline and stop Eli.


    "It''s alright, just a little task. Stay there and y with Little Han for a while. You''ve been at work for the whole day, go rest a little." She soon stormed off to prepare his bath water.


    It was indeed an easy task for her, she would just open the faucet and let the hot water flow to the tub until full.


    Specting outside the cottage, the five new des along with Rosea had their jaws dropped in awe.


    This was THE barbaric blood prince! THE Wielder of the des!


    Ruthless to his enemies! Vicious in the battlefield!


    Avoided by noblemen! A scary figure to thedies!


    But what did they just witness?!!


    The Prince dotingly looking at their future Madame and evenughing with her?!!!


    The Prince who would hug his sword to sleep now tenderly rocking a baby cradle with his strong arms?!


    How in the world did Madame and little Prince melt their leader''s frozen heart?!

 Chapter 107 His And Her Thoughts

    ?Eli came back with a fresh towel in her hands, "Here you go.. Bath is ready."


    "Thanks.." Leon immediately took the towel and headed to the bathroom.


    Eli nervously observed his reaction but she gave a sigh of relief after seeing that he didn''t have any peculiar reaction.


    While she was actually preparing the bath, a thought ambushed her peaceful mind all of a sudden.


    ''Isn''t this exactly how housewives tend to their husbands in the animes I watched in the modern world?!''


    She couldn''t help but blush. She evaluated the current rtionship she and Leon had.


    The two are temporarily living together, sleeping in the same room, albeit in separate beds.


    Leon is her pursuer but their currentbel is just friends.


    But day by day, they were slowly acting as husband and wife.


    Day by day they treated each other well and kept the house warm with their interactions with Little Han.


    ''Should I justpromise anyway? I think it could work for us?'' She contemted.


    They have been treading the grey boundaries for a long time already. Why must she keep herself strict if that was the case?


    Should she just let go and enter into amitted rtionship with Leon then?


    However she was still afraid and she felt like it would be an insult to Leon''s efforts.


    If she would eventually do so, then why did she have to let Leon go through this stage in the first ce?


    Wasn''t she wasting his efforts then?


    Filled with conflicted feelings she curbed her worries and went back to the living room with the towel in her hands.


    Seeing Leon not noticing her distracted thoughts, she took a deep breath to calm down. She looked at Little Han who was actively wiggling in the cradle.


    "Wooo¡­ awooo.." Little Han seemed to be more active during dinner time when he was all full and clean.


    He kept wiggling his little arms and feet in the cradle as he noticed that Eli was nearby. Eli couldn''t help but smile. Little Han kept growing more day by day.


    His lively actions lifted up Eli''s shaken mood until she was able to hum a tune while ying with the active Little Han.


    Meanwhile in the bathroom, Leon stayed in the hot tub to clear his mind from the activities during the nning meeting.


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the gentle scent of sandalwood assaulted his nose. The woody and subtly floral scent helped his tensed mind be at ease.


    ''Eli must have added this scent for me..'' He wondered as an unreserved smile appeared on his beautifully seductive face.


    These days have been warm and blissful for him.


    He could feel that day by day Eli was slowly opening her heart to him. In no time he would be able to be with Eli as a legitimate couple. No longer would their rtionship beplicated and ambiguous.


    It would be as clear as day! They were together because they loved each other!


    ''Yes that''s it! Then, I should carry out my duty fast so that I can be ready to take her in as my wife when that timees!'' He excitedly thought.


    Why must he wait for two years if he could prepare everything within a few months!!! It seemed like he had to work harder than ever!


    "Why not? I want this family so bad that I don''t mind getting more work than I should¡­" He uttered softly as he alluringly brushed his dripping blood red hair, smiling in sweet surrender.


    Soon the little family, along with the bunch, shared a warm and delightful dinner.


    With Rosea around, Eli had an easier time in the kitchen. She, Rosea and Baobao could effortlessly prepare food for ten people without getting too tired.


    Rosea was more than happy to help. She was actually very ted to know that she was assigned to the newest member of the Forgeworn family.


    As she heard from the gossips, the newdy was intelligent, good looking and sweet. The only worrisome thing about her was her Asani background, which caused great sympathy and unrelenting support from the servants of the Forgeworn n.


    They too had once been saved by the Grandmaster and their family. In return, they had the same respect for Eli who was now a warmly epted member for the Forgeworn household.


    Thus, Rosea was more than honored to serve her and learn a lot from her.


    During bedtime, Eli silently prepared the beddings while Little Han yed in his father''s arms.


    "I think we should take some of the toys brought by Her Highness?" Eli suggested, seeing that Little Han was now more interactive than ever.


    "We should, I think.." Leon calmly nodded in response. ''Whatever my future wife thinks!~'' He said happily in his heart.


    Eli took out some choke proof soft toys, rattle toys and an overhead arch to be installed in Little Han''s cradle.


    Leon took a wooden rattle toy and yed it above Little Han''s tiny head. It was not painted but it was seamlessly polished in clear finish, letting the toy be colored naturally by its wood.


    "Au!" Hearing the rattle Little Han excitedly responded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli and Leon froze, Little Han is barely a week old, yet he was much more active than any other newborns. Could it be because of the mermaid''s cradle?


    *rattle rattle*


    "Guu.. woo!"


    *rattle rattle*


    "Aweee!"


    Leon and Eli were so amused that they couldn''t help but chuckle in delight. All their worries were instantly washed away by the mere activeness of Little Han.


    The two continued to interact with him until he slowly got tired and sleepy.


    Watching his son peacefully sleeping, Leon let out a gentle smile and said, "Time flies so fast, in three weeks Little Han will be a month old¡­"


    "Uhn.. He grows up so fast, I feel nervous if I could keep up with him.." Eli responded calmly. "I must do my best to make myself a good parent for him."


    "We must do our best." Leon gently corrected as he looked at Eli with a serene and tender gaze.


    Startled by his words, Eli subconsciously looked up and saw the deep blue sea in Leon''s eyes. His eyes were calm yet she knows that turbulent waves of emotions lie underneath its calm waves.


    Her heart skipped a beat, her breath subconsciously stopped. "Uhn," was the only sound she managed to create as she tried to calm herself down.


    "In a few days, we will be deployed in the territory to clean up. It might take us a few months for our mission to finish."


    He calmly said, although there was still no specific date for themencement of the operations, he decided to let Eli know in advance.


    "I see, will it be dangerous?" Eli epted the news with concern.


    "Well.. We are not yet sure, however, we still have to be prepared. This is to avoid getting severely injured likest time." Leon answered Eli with honesty.


    Eli saw how badly injured Randel wasst time, so she might not be at ease even if he would say that it was not that dangerous.


    "I see¡­ Please.. Stay safe.. Come back safe and sound." Eli''s worry intensified.


    Guilt also appeared in her heart.


    If she hadn''t been careless before, the Spectre should have not targeted her, Randel and the others would not be hurt, and she would not have had such aplicated life.


    Leon saw a trace of guilt in her expression. With a heavy sigh, he gently patted her lowered head and said, "The Spectres have been hurting our Empire on a veryrge scale.."


    He then decided to exin to Eli what his and the de''s investigation had found out about the Spectre.


    He stared from how many were killed and missing from the pregnant woman abduction cases.


    Then on the most probable reason that he managed to conclude from the memoirs of Elise''s captor, as well as the experimentations done by him.


    Up to the links of the curse magic to the Ves n.


    He also exined about the other offensesmitted by the Spectre, from murder, ve trading to ck market operations.


    "See Eli, these Spectres need to be stopped, not only for you and Little Han, but for the Empire." Leon patiently exined in a consoling manner.


    "Once they are out of our Empire, you and Little Han, as well as all the citizens of the Empire can live safely and securely."


    "That is why we have to go.."


    Eli paused for a little while. She heard too much and knew too much. However, she now understood where Leon wasing from.


    After a while, she took a deep breath and answered, "Alright, I will pray for you and your men''s safety and sess."


    Leon smiled and nodded with understanding.


    It was already deep in the night when the two managed to calm down and retire to sleep.


    While she was about to sleep, Eli turned to face Leon who was now sleeping on another bed on the other side of the room. They ced Little Han in the middle, between the two beds.


    "Leon.." She said in a low hushed manner.


    "Can you already allow me to enter physical training? Like how to defend myself and Little Han?" Her shining midnight eyes pleaded with Leon.


    "Alright.." Leon replied helplessly. "I''ll ask Neal to move to the next level of your training regimen."


    "Thank you!" Eli happily replied, still in a lowered tone.


    Then the two slept their worries away.


    Of course, our Little Han never failed to wake them up in the middle of the night for their parenting duties~~~

 Chapter 108 Upgrading Abilities

    ?It was peaceful and calm when the morning came.


    As usual, Leon carried Little Han out in the gazebo for some sun, while Eli, Rosea and Baobao prepared the breakfast.


    The des were already up as they still dutifully did their morning physical training. They didn''t dare to ck off just because they were in Forgeworn territory.


    They fully understood the dangers brought by their future Madame and Master''s background. Thus, they must be vignt at all times.


    During the day, Neal along with nc and Genos will be in charge of guarding. At night, it will be Ron and Chad''s turn to guard in half a night''s interval. They decided to take turns with the assignment ording to Neal''s arrangement.


    Seeing their Master awake, they dutifully greeted him in chorus, "Good morning, Your Highness! Greetings to the Little Prince!"


    "At ease.. Thank you for your hard work!" Leon nodded and responded to the enthusiastic des.


    They looked curiously at Little Han''s sleeping face.


    "Uhm Master.. How are you and the future Madame???" Genos asked in a gossipy manner.


    Raising his brows in interest, Leon still answered the question calmly, "We are doing fine."


    "Aiyooo boss, that''s not the way to do it! Do not get confident just because Madame treats you well ahhh.." Ron interjected also in a gossipy manner.


    "Indeed, boss! You know, yesterday, Madame yed the piano. She was so good! The music was very enchanting and rxing! If some noble man discovered her, he would relentlessly pursue our Madame for sure!" Chad also didn''t forget to contribute something to the gossiping session.


    "Yes¡­ Master has to step up his game." nc is a shy and quiet guy. He just let out a few words. However his eyes disyed great interest on the topic.


    "Then what should I do? Should I give her flowers again?" Leon frowned, he was greatly shaken by his subordinates.


    "Aiyaaa! Your Highness, man must have a few more tricks! One trick won''t work!" Neal said in concern, "Whenever I went around town, I would see some fellow knights buy something to take home for their wives! Maybe you can do that too!"


    "Hmm, I see¡­ What should I buy then? Jewelries? Clothes? essory?" Leon mumbled in contemtion.


    "Goo! Woo! Woo!" Little Han frowned as if displeased in his Father''s words.


    "See! Our Little Master also objects! Boss, you must not look at our Madame like the other nobledies. She is intelligent, graceful and most of all, she is a remarkable person. She wouldn''t feel your sincerity just by buying hermon women things!"


    Chad was the most outspoken among the five, he directly reprimanded Leon''s mentality.


    "Yes yes! You need to show sincerity!!! What about starting with buying Madame her favorite snack? Give it the moment youe home tonight!!!" Ron suggested.


    Leon frowned, Eli actually came from another world and he didn''t know what kind of snacks she liked.


    "I-i don''t know what she likes.." He said guiltily.


    ¡­


    The five looked at him oddly. How could their master be so clumsy when ites to wooing Madame??


    He is a top talent when ites to warfare yet his wife chasing abilities need some serious upgrade!!!


    It''s no wonder he still couldn''t get her hand in marriage.


    "Cake! Every girl likes it." nc calmly interjected.


    "Woahh nc! Your ways are good! No wonder, you always receive a lot from girls everytime wee back to the capital!" Chad replied happily.


    Among the five, nc actually had the most attention grabbing appearance with his tinum blond hair and tall stature. Even under the scary reputation of the Crimson des, he was the most sought after de next to Olivier, who was from a noble background.


    "Yeah! Master, buy some cakes from Lilibeth''s Patisserie! It was very popr to women! They say their cakes will never fail you!" Ron seconded.


    "Guuuu¡­" Little Han disyed a pleased expression as he adorably nudged his tiny head on Leon''s arms.


    "Alright cake it is." Finally convinced Leon responded affirmatively.


    The des beamed happily as they saw their Master agree to their suggestion. Their conversation stopped abruptly when they felt Eli''s presenceing out from the cottage.


    "Come, breakfast is ready!" She called the men out.


    Leon quickly prepared after dinner, as he still had to attend another meeting for today. He didn''t forget to remind Eli of the uing visitation of the Emperor, the Empress and Queens in the temple the next day.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He immediately activated the teleportation array. He didn''t opt to use a carriage as it would attract a lot of people if he would be spotted frequently heading to the Forgeworn n.


    With Eli''s insisting, he took a small batch of supreme mana stones to support his means of transportation.


    Looking at the small pouch he couldn''t help but feel at a loss, supreme mana stones were rare, yet here he was, squandering it to teleport secretly.


    Eli didn''t mind at all, the Guardians gave them a big bag of supreme mana stones and she still had many from the first batch that was given to her during her first descent.


    She estimated that she could buy half of the Seirende Empire with all the remaining unused mana stones in their hands!


    The little family who was living humbly in a small cottage was actually a secret tycoon!!!


    He soon appeared in the secret chamber, where he again saw her mum and dad having the morning breakfast.


    Greeting them ceremoniously, he immediately bid farewell as he still had to go to the Imperial Sky Knight''s barracks for the nning meeting.


    It was another intense nning session for everyone in the room. Only that now, everyone, including Antoine were giving their full focus in the nning session.


    Everyone was exchanging information and opinions about the strategy of the clean up operation.


    To make the operations sessful, they need to divide the operations into two phases.


    In the first phase, they must carry out the raid as quickly as possible so that the Spectres would have less chances to alert the other clusters.


    Second Phase is to detect the undercover Spectres who blended with the citizens of the Empire and to impose a strict regtion in allowing entry and exit in the Empire.


    But even after spending a full day, the men weren''t able toe up with a n where everyone is confident enough.


    Leon particrly remained lowkey this time.


    He only said a few words whenever the conversation was unknowingly going off the track. He and General Farauld discreetly navigated the discussions in order to condition everyone''s mind for whatever n they came up with.


    This was the pre-agreed tactic of these two schemers.


    The room was full of people supporting different factions. It is only natural that one wants to one up the other in terms of taking the credit and honors ining up with an effective n.


    If General Farauld or Leon would carelessly let out their n in mind, even if it was the best route to be taken by the group, it would be ruthlessly rejected just because this n did note from their own factions.


    Thus they came up with this scheme - subtly navigate the team discussion until everyone felt that the n they came up with was a product of everyone''s wits and ideas.


    Everyone will ept, everyone will be happy!


    This of course would not take only a day to be fully effective. General Farauld adjourned the meeting and had everyonee back again a day after tomorrow.


    He gave everyone a time for their minds to rest, as well as to give leeway for the people who would be involved in the Emperor''s visitation to the temple tomorrow.


    After that would be another one day meeting for everyone and then they would have to be deployed by the next week.


    Leon again rushed to go home, but not before asking the coachman to go to the main street and buy something in Lilibeth''s cafe.


    True to its reputation, Lilibeth''s cafe is definitely the most famous cafe for nobledies.


    It was conveniently located in the main street. The cafe building was decorated in pastel pink with ents of white and peach, looking so girly and sweet. The signboard was even decorated with a pastel themed floral sculpture and vines to make it more appealing to the eyes of the nobledies.


    Due to its reputation, the noble women didn''t mind the queue in order to enter the cafe and buy their favorite dessert. They had their servants line up until it was time for them to enter.


    Noble men tend to avoid entering the cafe, particrly the bachelors, as they felt that it would affect their dignity and manliness if they were spotted entering the frilly decorated cafe.


    Little did they know that one particr customer is just about to change everyone''s mindset about men entering Lilibeth''s cafe.


    In fact, that particr customer, with an extremely cold but alluring face, intense blood red hair and crystal blue eyes, was standing dignifiedly at the end of a queue full of women.


    Everyone''s eyes were wide open, the busy main street dramatically went silent and still, as if time paused for a while.


    The vicious and ever cold Barbaric Blood Prince is actually lining up to enter Lilibeth''s cafe!!!

 Chapter 109 The Barbaric Blood Prince In The Girly Cafe

    ?"We greet His Highness, Third Prince!" Everyone in the main street curtsied and greeted Leon with respect.


    "Carry on, don''t mind me." Leon just gave a cold expressionless nod as he stood at the end of the queueing line.


    "What made His Highness the Third Princee here?"


    "Who knows, maybe he was just conducting a random inspection?"


    "But in all fairness, the Third Prince really took after the Emperor and Second Queen''s good looks!"


    "Indeed, look at how attractive his face is! If not for his cold and barbaric nature, manydies would have chased after him!"


    "But still, to personally line up to enter Lilibeth''s cafe, isn''t this a major blow to his reputation?"


    "I''m worried too¡­ He was already ridiculed due to his unfavorable reputation yet here he is, adding one more to tarnish his name!"


    "Sush!! He might hear you!"


    Hushed discussions in the main street and inside the cafe ensued as they were all caught by surprise. A man, much less a member of the Imperial Family, was actually lining up to enter Lilibeth''s cafe.


    However, Leon didn''t pay any heed to these conversations. To him it was a waste of time and effort to care about everyone''s opinion.


    He just stood there patiently waiting, cold and unfazed by the people''s nces.


    Soon the manager of the cafe hastily stepped outside the cafe doors in a huff. Beads of sweat rolled on his forehead as he nervously approached Leon who was still wearing a frigid expression.


    "G-greetings His highness! It''s an honor to have you here in our humble cafe!" He shakily said as he anxiously wiped his sweaty face.


    He was wearing a patisserie uniform with a golden name te signifying his rank in the cafe''s crew.


    His build was quite round, although he was nervous, one wouldn''t be annoyed with how jumpy he looked at the moment.


    This is because of his chubby face and funny curled mustache, giving him a kind and adorable patisserie uncle look.


    "This subject''s name is Pichette, the assigned manager for today. We would like to invite you inside Your Highness!" Then he respectfully waved his hands towards the cafe entrance to invite the prince inside.


    "It''s fine, I''ll line up as well. The people before me are equally waiting." Leon elegantly raised his hands to indicate that he didn''t mind getting on queue.


    "T-this.. Your Highness, we wouldn''t dare to let you suffer like this..." Pichette felt at a loss, he was torn between upholding the basic courtesy for a member of the Imperial Family and the set rules of the cafe.


    "Your Highness, we don''t mind. Your time is precious, please go ahead of us." Ady of a noble family who was currently sitting in the alfresco lounge while waiting for their turn thoughtfully helped speak up for Pichette.


    "Yes indeed, Your Highness! We humble ones visit this cafe often, we wouldn''t mind having you go ahead. You can have a remarkable first visit to our favorite cafe!" Another nobledy supported Pichette.


    Soon everyone gave an approving nod, which made Leon unable to say no to their persistence.


    "Then, I''ll have to thank everyone. I wish you well!" He nodded and dignifiedly followed Pichette inside.


    The interior of the cafe was still as girly looking as the facade.


    It was still pastel pink painted. The tables and chairs were painted in white with colorful floral patterned cushions. Each table had a pastel colored floral centerpieceplementing the overall vibe of the cafe.


    As soon as Leon entered the cafe, everyone greeted him with respect and anxiousness. Some customers had already seen him lining up outside through the french windows and all others had been notified.


    The cafe crew had to make themselves as presentable as they could because Leon was actually a person with an extremely high status.


    It is fortunate that they were trained to act and serve high ranking nobility or else, they would surely perform below standards.


    "Your Highness, we have reserved a lounge for you. I will personally attend to your needs." Pichette finally recovered from his initial nervousness and hosted Leon with great sense of professionalism.


    "No, it''s fine, I''m here to take a look at your cakes. I wanted to know what cakes are the most loved by women in your cafe.." He said straightforwardly.


    All ears were perked up when they heard Leon''s statement.


    "A cake for a woman?"


    "Yes, he was asking for the best seller cakes in this cafe!"


    "Oh my, who would the lucky woman be?"


    "Is she really lucky? I doubt it!"


    "Errrm, maybe it is actually for Her Highness Second Queen!"


    Everyone spected the meaning behind Leon''s intention in buying a cake.


    He was known as the vicious blood prince and not a single woman would want to be involved in a rumor with him. Thus, most of them associated his gesture with his Queen Mother.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We have about eight best selling cakes that cater to different preferences. May I know what she usually likes? Like her favorite vour or favorite tea to pair with cakes?" Pichette patiently asked the prince.


    He was as curious as the people around.


    He wanted to also know who the Prince was buying the cake for. However, he could only throw questions that were not frankly probing as it would be insulting to the Prince.


    Leon frowned slightly. He really had no idea what Eli really liked. Even her favorite tea.. She was particrly ranting about this.


    While in her pregnancy she forced herself to avoid coffee which she really liked. During their morning talks, he knew that she was ''training'' herself into drinking certain tea blends that would be safer during pregnancy.


    He would always see her face grimace as she suffered from the leafy taste of the tea blend. To vent her frustration, she would engage in a rant about coffee and tea.


    She said that the only tea she could wholeheartedly enjoy was bubble milk tea!


    What in the world is bubble milk tea?


    He could somehow understand milk tea. But what about the bubble part?


    Bubble?


    Tea mixed with edible soap?!


    He really was puzzled, he even asked the Roaming des for any tea blend that was called bubble tea, but even the Roaming des were as clueless as him.


    But remembering her cute face while drinking tea as if she was in some kind of torture made his lips curved up with a bright smile.


    !!!


    Pichette and the others were shocked to the point that onedy left her spoon hanging in the air and her mouth wide open in a daze!


    A server was pouring water on the counter but he didn''t notice that the pitcher was already full.


    A pair of youngdies were initially enjoying food while watching the scene for gossip. Yet upon seeing Leon''s smile they were left speechless that the utensil they were initially holding fell onto theirps.


    Did they just witness a miracle!!!


    The Barbaric Blood Prince smiled!!! He smiled!


    The ever vicious blood prince smiled so gently and beautifully!!!


    They have been blessed by the heavens to witness such a miracle!


    Everyone''s heart skipped a beat; they were totally enthralled by the beauty of his smile. They almost forgot that he was the notorious prince whom women tried their best to avoid.


    His beauty pushed all of them to the brink of total surrender!


    Oblivious to the unusual reaction of the crowd he said,


    "She doesn''t like bitter tea blends. But she isn''t picky with the cakes, just pack me a slice of all the best seller cakes. I''m taking them all out!"


    "Right away, my Prince!" Pichette immediately recovered and proceeded to carry out the Prince''s request after guiding him to sit in the takeout area while waiting for his order.


    A server also brought him a cup of house blend tea and cookies as aplementary service.


    Soon Pichette went out with a pink-colored box in his hands. He presented the contents to the Prince before fully packing the cakes.


    "Your Highness, these are the best selling cakes in our cafe. Please see if you are satisfied with these¡­"


    Leon took a quick look at the cakes, it was eight beautiful slices of cakes arranged to look like a whole cake. It resembled a color wheel.


    Red velvet cake, mocha moist cake, dark chocte fudge cake, strawberry shortcake, blueberry cheesecake, lemon torte, carrot cake, and tiramisu mousse cake, all in one box!


    Leon nodded with satisfaction, he was now sure that Eli would eat one or two from these selections. He felt quite happy with de''s suggestion to buy cakes from here.


    "I''ll take this. Oh, your house blended tea and cookies were also good,e pack me some." Leon added while giving a crystal card to Pichette.


    "dly! Your Highness!" Pichette nodded happily seeing the Prince satisfied and even praised theplementary dishes.


    He carefully took the crystal card and proceeded to the counter to carefully pack the Prince''s order.


    He sent off the Prince with a set ofplementary tea blends apart from the initial order.


    He finally sighed with great relief seeing that the Prince came and went without any unwanted incident. He felt a little shameful because he also had a prejudice about him in his heart.


    "It turns out that the Third Prince isn''t that hard to serve.." Pichette mumbled under his sigh. He noticed how simple and straightforward Leon was during their short interaction.

 Chapter 110 Just Take Mine

    ?Leon immediately boarded the carriage to head to his castle as usual.


    Today he learned one important thing - he didn''t know his future wife that well!


    The des were definitely right on one thing, his wife chasing abilities needed a major upgrade.


    How could he boldly dere a marriage proposal to her repeatedly without even knowing simple things such as her favorite food?!


    What a major let down! He apprehended himself repeatedly.


    Thus, he made up his mind and nned to use this moment to get to know her more.


    It was already dusk when he arrived in the cottage.


    When he appeared from the array, the first thing he saw was Eli''s sleeping figure, resting on her study table with a bunch of research notes on her side.


    Not far from her reach was Little Han, peacefully sleeping on his cradle with Wisey perched on top of the arch and Baobao sitting alertly on the side with his paw resting on the side of the cradle, gently rocking the baby into sleep.


    The two furry animals were on the lookout should Little Han wake up and need something.


    When they saw the Prince, they were about to wake Eli up but Leon immediately gestured to them to stay silent and let the two sleep.


    He initially wanted to carry Eli in the bedroom but he decided against it because he might wake Eli up.


    He gestured Baobao to carefully take the cake in the kitchen, while he silently went to the bedroom to get a light cloak to wrap Eli''s back.


    He looked at the papers that were beside Eli. It contained some scribbles about a thing called siliconepounds and their properties. What could this research be?


    He was actually surprised that Eli immediately dived into researching again within only a few days after she gave birth to Little Han.


    Last night, she just asked him to allow Neal to train her in close quarterbat and now she was actually doing research on the side!


    He furrowed his brows in worry.


    He knew that Eli was also sleep deprived because both of them would wake up a few times at night because of Little Han.


    "She is pushing herself too much¡­ Apart from taking care of Little Han, she has to do these things on the side.." His heart ached for her as he realized how tired she looked.


    Eyeing Baobao and Wisey, he entrusted the two in looking out for her and Little Han while he went to call Ron, Chad and Rosea to help him in the kitchen.


    He then proceeded to man the kitchen to prepare for dinner. He chose simple but edible dishes, and with the help of the three, he was able to work to prepare a bnced and decent meal.


    Apart from Rosea who had been doing this job since young, Leon and the three were trained to cook in the wilderness during their missions. Although, the food that Eli usually cooked was far from what he was preparing.


    Eli was actually jolted awake by the scent of the creamy vegetable soup assaulting her nose. She opened her tired eyes and looked around. It was already night.


    "Our dinner!" She eximed gently. How could she sleep until night time?! Now she didn''t have time to prepare for a nice dinner!


    "Master, it''s nice that you are awake!" Baobao''s eyes shined brightly as he enthusiastically looked at Eli while his paw still kept on rocking Little Han''s cradle.


    "Prince Master was already preparing the dinner. He didn''t wake you up so that you could sleep some more." He adorably continued while seeing that Eli was still in her confused state.


    "I see... Can you look after Little Han for a while?" Eli immediately stood up and checked Little Han who was still asleep.


    She then proceeded to the kitchen to check Leon and the others.


    The two nodded happily as they would have more interaction with Little Han. Ever since Little Han was born, they were not able to care for him right away, as he was still a delicate newborn.


    They were also afraid of identally hurting him with their paws and ws; that was why they didn''t try to get near as much as possible.


    But today, Eli called them over to interact with Little Han, she eased their worries out and had them remember their good interaction with the kids at her wee party.


    They were actually good at handling children!


    "Uwuu.." A tiny whimper was heard from the cradle


    Baobao immediately stopped rocking the cradle and said with joy, "Little Master is awake too~~"


    Wisey excitedly flew to get Little Han''s toys andy it around Little Han''s wiggling body.


    The two fur buddies amusedly observed Little Han as he mumbled and cooed while wiggling his tiny hands and feet.


    From time to time, they tilted their heads slightly with interest.


    "Little Master is very active.."


    "I wonder when he is able to see us?"


    "I can''t wait to see him running around!"


    "Hmm hmm! Me too!"


    They conversed with each other as they looked after Little Han while his parents were busy in the kitchen.


    Meanwhile in the kitchen, Eli entered and saw that the trio were already preparing the dining table while Leon was wearing her frilly apron and focusedly stirring a pot of creamy vegetable soup.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Leon.." She called out shyly.


    She was a bit guilty seeing him doing these chores aftering home from his princely duties.


    "I see that you''re awake! Dinner is about to be served. Come sit for a while." Leon turned his face slightly.


    It was only then that Eli noticed that he had used a white handkerchief as a headband to prevent his blood red hair from interrupting his vision.


    Leon''s appearance right now¡­ What can Eli say?


    It was both charming and funny. He totally looked like a house husband, if not for her remembering that he was still the Third Prince of the Empire.


    "Alright." Eli didn''t protest and obediently sat in her usual ce. After all, there was nothing to do, Leon and others had already finished everything.


    "Chad,e get the others, dinner is ready." Leon ordered as he calmly tapped thedle on the pot, indicating that the soup was done.


    Chad nodded and eyed the two others toe with him, "Get the hint and go with me!" His eyes ordered.


    Rosea and Ron immediately followed Chad out discreetly, agreeing to dy the other''s arrival for a little while.


    "Master did well today! He brought a gift and even prepared dinner!"


    "Yes, yes surely our Madame will fall for him because of this!"


    They all discussed in a hush outside with the other des and stared at the window from afar. They had to see their master give the gift first before they entered.


    "I''m sorry you had to do this while you just came from work.." Eli meekly said as she kept her head lowered embarrassedly.


    "It''s fine, you need some sleep too. Aren''t you doing so much when you just made yourself used to caring for Little Han?" Leon asked with concern.


    Eli gently shook her head with a smile. "It''s fine, I must start as early as possible, so that Little Han will be safer. Just like you, I want to do my best too, even at my current capacity."


    Leon fully understood where Eli wasing from, they were feeling the same concerning this area.


    With a helpless sigh, he just replied, "Do not neglect yourself¡­ You have two additional people, relying on you. So you have to stay strong and healthy."


    Eli was taken aback by Leon''s words. Not long ago, she had said these words to Leon when he stayed all night to prepare things for her before he came back to the capital.


    Who would have known that Leon would say these words back at her too?


    Eli gave a defeated nod.


    It was very seldom to see Eli act as an obedient youngdy, Leon couldn''t help but find this side of her adorable.


    Remembering something, he took the cake that he chilled on a box filled with ice magic. It was what the Prasinons used in lieu of the modern day refrigerator.


    He opened the box and took the beautiful ensemble of cakes out for Eli to see, "I heard from the knights that this cafe''s cakes were popr with women. So I took some for you. I just don''t know if I managed to get the vor you liked.."


    "Waaah! Cakes!!" Eli''s eyes shined brilliantly as she saw the beautifully presented cakes.


    It was such a long time since she had managed to eat these types of desserts.


    During pregnancy, she tried to limit her sugar intake so that Little Han would be properly nourished in her body.


    Thest time she ate cakes freely was during her stay in Argentum, although she managed to taste a little during the wee party.


    And even now that she was breastfeeding, it didn''t stop her from craving for more decadent vors.


    She happily counted the cakes in front of her, "This is awesome! We will have one cake each! Let''s share these with everyone!" She said with a smile.


    Taking Baobao, Wisey and Little Han out of the count, there will be enough cakes for the rest.


    Seeing Eli happy, Leon''s heart became full and indulgently looked at her while replying, "Alright."


    However, she frowned after realizing something.


    The cakes in front of her contained two of her most favorite cakes. But she has to only take one of these cakes.


    Dark Chocte Fudge Cake or Blueberry Cheesecake?


    It was hard to give up one!!!


    "What''s the matter? You don''t like the vours?" Leon asked with worry.


    "No¡­ It''s just that I can''t decide what cake to choose." She pointed at the two cakes with a troubled expression.


    "Do you like them both?" Leon asked calmly.


    "Yes.. But I have to only take one. If not, we won''t have enough for everyone.." She said calmly, yet her eyes looked at the two cakes with longing.


    Leon found her worried actions cute. He couldn''t help but gently boop her nose and dotingly replied,


    "Then just take my share. You don''t have to trouble yourself in choosing among the two."

 Chapter 111 Day Break

    ?"Are you sure???" Eli pouted with a glint on her eyes, she wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    While letting out a charmingugh, he nodded in affirmation seeing Eli''s covetous eyes staring at the two cakes.


    "Thanks!" She said while happily looking at the cakes like a little child.


    It was really evident that she was in a very good mood. Leon felt that it was worth all his work when he saw her smile with satisfaction.


    "Do you really like cakes that much?" Leon asked curiously. Now is the time to get some information for his future wife chasing strategies.


    "I do! I love fudge brownies and chewy chocte chip cookies too." Eli replied cheerily.


    "I used to buy those things especially when I know that I have to pull all nighters. Sugary sweets and coffee at the side of my table kept my brain working!"


    "And when I am sad, I go to a restaurant called Jollifly!!![1]"


    "They have the best fried chicken and spaghetti! It''s myfort food."


    "After work, I also go to the street food market and buy a lot of street food out there! Like quail eggs, fish balls, cmari, fried chicken skins and many more!"


    "Then I pair them with bubble tea!"


    "Of course, I still love rice, I eat it on a daily basis! Meals with rice are the best!"


    "It''s been a long time since I ate those things. So thank you for bringing these cakes home for me!"


    When Leon asked about food, Eli''s mouth went on and on until Leon had a rough understanding about Eli''s preference.


    "In the future, we''ll go to town and explore the street food market for you to try." Leon patted her head as he promised with an indulgent tone.


    Eli didn''t reply. Although she knew that it would take them a long time before they could freely explore the capital, she still smiled back at Leon.


    She was happy that Leon had those things in mind for her. Being cared for by the opposite sex feels amazing.


    "Uhm speaking of which, haven''t the others been out for too long? The food will get cold." Eli immediately hid her thoughts and reminded Leon.


    "Stay there, I''ll call them out." Leon immediately stood up.


    When he reached outside, he first called the furry buddies to go to the kitchen with Little Han, then proceeded outside the cottage.


    As soon as he stepped outside, the des and Rosea all had a wide expectant grin on their faces.


    Leon discreetly raised his hands gesturing a ''keep silent'' symbol, then gave a thumbs up.


    Seeing Leon''s thumbs up, the des and Rosea clenched their fist and hissed silently, "Yes!!!"


    "Good job boss!"


    "Well done master!"


    "Keep it up, Your Highness!"


    They moughted their words in a low tone so that it wouldn''t cause amotion and attract Eli''s attention outside.


    "Thank you all, now let''s get dinner."


    The rest of the night felt extra happy and warm because all knew that they had made the Madame of the house feel extra special today.


    As they prepared their beds to sleep, Eli, who was still in a jovial mood, asked Leon about the matters on their uing deployment.


    "Everything looks fine. Of course, we must be ready before next week, it will be themencement of the clean up operations. But I will have to go to the temple tomorrow, to search for something about the curse." Leon calmly replied.


    He didn''t mind divulging the information to Eli because she was a directly involved party after all.


    Knowing that she also wanted to do her part, he would do his best to give her the information she needed about the Spectre and the possible enemy, the Vess.


    "I see. Will Her Highness be alright? After all, she had just been schemed by the Empressst time. What if something happens?" Eli worriedly asked.


    Leon had already exined to her who most probably imnted the curse spell on Queen Teh''s hands.


    "I had ze and Olivier closely guide her side on top of her personal knights. Don''t worry, ze is actually a half dragon. Like Baobao, they had a sharper sensitivity in terms of suspicious magic." Leon immediately put Eli''s worries at ease.


    "Also, I will try my best to find something at the temple too." He added.


    "Alright¡­" Upon hearing that ze had the same ability as Baobao, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    The curse spell managed to get past the detection of three legendaries that time, only someone like Baobao and ze who had special bloodline abilities could detect these anomalies.


    "Curses¡­ hmmm¡­ Would it also help you to ess the Farauld Magic Institute''s Library?" Eli asked curiously.


    "They do have some magic books touching the surface of the mysteries behind the curses. However, I can''t go there so openly as it would immediately rm the people who had been wary of me. Besides, only the temple was able to extensively study the counter attacks for these curses."


    "I see.. Then how are you going to the temple without rming the others too.."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon smiled yfully, his eyes squinted sexily that Eli couldn''t help but gulp for a moment. He answered in a low maic voice, "Didn''t you remember, I used to go out with silver hair?"


    Upon Leon''s reminder, Eli recalled the memories from Elise and answered understandably, "Oh, I forgot about that. In Elise''s memories, you had silver hair and crystal blue eyes! There''s that moment also that you suddenly approached me in the flea market. You were also disguised with the same appearance asst time."


    "Crystal Blue Eyes?" Leon raised his brow in surprise.


    "Whenever I disguise myself, I always had silver hair and brown eyes. This is to thoroughly hide my Seirende identity. Howe you saw through my crystal blue eyes?"


    Eli paused for a while, she thought of the possible reasons why she and Elise saw Leon''s true eye color.


    "Errr.. I don''t really know. Maybe because our body is of Asani decent?" After thinking for a while, she attributed the strange realization to the abilities of the Asani.


    "That is quite possible." Leon deeply thought so too. After all, the mysteries of Asani descent are deep. They had barely scratched the surface.


    "Alrighty then, rest early so that you would have a good state of mind tomorrow for your mission." Eli said softly.


    She also made a mental note to do her own research tomorrow about the curses. After all, she had the most powerful resource book in the whole Prasinos - the book of knowledge!


    --


    Day break.


    Leon woke up upon hearing Eli''s distressed groan.


    Highly rmed, he immediately got up and lit the room. He hastily walked on Eli''s bedside to see her pained expression.


    Eli''s face was pale and she was perspiring with cold sweats. There was a deep frown on her face as she kept letting out distressed murmurs. Her body was also frozen stiff. She was having a terrible nightmare.


    Leon softly called her name out as he gently shook her awake, "Eli, Eli¡­ Wake up. I''m here.. I''m here.."


    However Eli didn''t respond and her body became colder by a few degrees.


    He was immediately overwhelmed in panic. He bent his body down to lift Eli into a sitting position and shook her awake more vigorously this time.


    "Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Eli finally let out a heavy pant and opened her eyes in extreme fear.


    She was shivering intensely and it took her a good few seconds to realize that she was already out of the hellish nightmare.


    "Leon.. Leon!!" In great panic, she called out with a quivering voice. Tears were uncontrobly rolling into her pale cheeks.


    "Hush, I''m here, I''m here¡­" He took her trembling body in his embrace and soothed her mood by gently tapping her back.


    "Leon!! Leon.. Help me up¡­ We need to see Her highness. Please bring me to the pce¡­" She called out in distress.


    Everyone in the cottage was already awake. Even Little Han was startled by Eli''s breakdown. He also started to cry.


    Baobao, Wisey and Rosea immediately knocked to enter the room.


    Leon immediately had Rosea get a ss of water while he asked Baobao and Wisey to temporarily soothe Little Han outside the bedroom.


    "Leon¡­Her Highness¡­ Your mother was crying.. She was in danger.."


    "She was seized by armed knights¡­ in front of a white hall.."


    "There''s a guillotine¡­"


    "His majesty¡­ your father¡­ he was devastated¡­"


    "He took his life away¡­"


    "And Leon¡­ there were bodies¡­"


    "Mangled bodies¡­ Fifteen.. No! Seventeen bodies..."


    "I saw de and Olivier among them¡­"


    "And you¡­ you were the only one barely standing alive¡­ your arm.. it was lost!"


    "There were many wolves.. Surrounding you and the bodies¡­"


    "Leon.. Leon, don''t go to that mission¡­ I need to see Her Highness right now..."


    "Please Leon.. Please¡­"


    She was crying in devastation, deeply panting, shaking while mouthing these sentences with great difficulty.


    Even after beingforted by Leon, she kept insisting on meeting Queen Teh and stopping Leon from going to the mission.


    She was one hundred percent sure that the dream wasn''t just a random nightmare.


    It was a premonition!

 Chapter 112 Anomaly Family

    ?"Alright.. Alright.. Calm down first.." Seeing that Eli would not calm down, Leon tried to appease her by saying these words.


    Rosea worriedly brought a cup of water and handed it over to Leon, who immediately coaxed Eli to drink and calm down.


    The rest gave them some space. They all joined forces to look after Little Han while Leon and Eli sorted everything out.


    In the room, Leon patiently soothed Eli''s distress. He repeatedly coaxed her until Eli''s breathing became slow and steady.


    After venting her distress, she lost all her energy and rested her head weakly on Leon''s shoulders, closing her eyes slowly to sleep.


    Leon''s body finally rxed as he gentlyid her down to let her sleep a little more. Leon could tell that Eli still felt insecure as she subconsciously curled her body into fetal position.


    He walked around the room and opened the closet where the towels were ced. He gently wiped Eli''s sweaty face, then immediately headed outside carrying Little Han in his arms.


    "Little Han, will you apany your mommy for a while?" Leon softly asked Little Han who was frowning in distress. He seemed to be affected by Eli''s mood.


    "Wuuu.." As if understanding his daddy, Little Han created a tiny sound.


    "Good boy.." Leon smiled and kissed Little Han''s frowning forehead.


    He had long treated Little Han differently, as he noticed that he seemed to be reacting as if he understood everyone around him, especially him and Eli.


    Although he thought that it was too strange for a newborn to have this level of intelligence, he easily epted it.


    For one, Eli was still considered as the biggest anomaly he had ever encountered - a soul from another world.


    Second, it was because he himself was also an anomaly. He was both a legendary S ss mage and an open paths possessor.


    With his mum and dad as the greatest anomalies in Prasinos, it only follows that their son would also be an anomaly!


    With that he felt proud. The family of three were really meant to be.


    The frown on Little Han''s tiny forehead rxed after his father praised him. He was gently ced on Eli''s side. Eli felt the little one''s presence and scooped him into the bubble she made for herself.


    Leon immediately observed that her body slowly rxed.


    He then went out to contact his mother.


    Upon opening the door, he saw the others worriedly waiting outside. They heard themotion, including the ominous premonition Eli uttered uncontrobly.


    Wisey flew in front of Leon, shended on his arms which he subconsciously stretched out.


    "His Highness Prince, I''ll take a look at Eli-chan for a while."


    She said in a slow yet astute manner. Her round dark eyes glistened deep as if there was something she wanted to say to Eli.


    Leon nodded in understanding and allowed her to fly inside the room.


    Everyone casted curious gazes towards Wisey. She was a contracted beast of the Madame yet she didn''t address both Eli and Leon as masters. Instead she addressed them peculiarly.


    Leon himself didn''t take offense regarding that.


    Only him, the Grandpas and Kayden knew of Wisey''s identity, which was highly linked to the heavenly realms. As they were all witnesses of Wisey delivering an oracle right into their faces.


    Leon trusts that Wisey will have an idea of the unusual happening. He prayed that it was something that would help them, not devastated them.


    After delegating the task to the remaining ones, he went to another room and called his mother through themunication stone.


    "Son.. Is there something wrong? Why call this early..." Queen Teh''s gentle yet groggy voice was heard from themunication stone.


    Although she was obviously disturbed by Leon''s sudden call, there was no trace of impatience on her voice.


    "Mother¡­ in two hours, I''ll go with Eli to meet you and father in the chamber, just before you go and prepare for the templeter." Leon briefly exined his request.


    He didn''t mention anything about the ominous dream to avoid getting her mother worried.


    Queen Teh was taken aback by Leon''s sudden request. It was one strange request that came out of nowhere.


    But who would turn down a visitation from her future daughter inw?


    Besides, she trusted Leon and Eli so she immediately replied, "Alright, I''ll wait for the two of you. Would you like to have breakfast with us?"


    "We''ll be able to join you for breakfast. I''ll bring Little Han too." Leon decided.


    "Alright, see you twoter! I''ll go and notify your father!" Queen Teh replied with an ted tone.


    No matter what reason the two had, she was still happy that she would see her future daughter inw and grandson. It''s been a while since shest saw them.


    Back then, the two had just recovered. She wondered how they have been. Although she knew from Leon that they were doing well, she still wanted to see them personally.


    Filled with delight, she called the Emperor awake. Immediately letting him suffer the same startle she just experienced.


    But upon hearing the news of his future daughter inw and grandson''s visit, he immediately got excited. He ordered a lot of food and had his butler deliver it after two hours.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After finishing the call, Leon immediately proceeded to prepare for the morning. After an hour, Wisey notified him that Eli was already awake.


    Thus, he immediately entered the room and saw Eli sitting up with Little Han on her arms, wiggling happily.


    Leon had Wisey, Rosea and Baobao take Little Han while he and Eli talked privately.


    "Have you calmed yourself down?" Leon gently asked, he sat beside Eli at afortable distance.


    "Yes.. thank you Leon." Eli replied softly, her face was still filled with worry.


    This time, a sh of determination appeared in her midnight eyes.


    "Leon, I want to talk to you for a while." Eli looked at Leon''s crystal blue eyes without a hint of wavering.


    After Leon activated a special array, she started to calmly exin things to Leon.


    She started on the conversation she had with Wisey before Leon entered.


    Wisey had informed her that this situation may trigger opening up the second path.


    Which hade very timely.


    In truth, she had always been praying that she be stronger as early as possible.


    However, the manner it came to her life was extremely scary. To think that she would be receiving a dark premonition. It was a blessing and a warning at the same time.


    But no matter what, she would follow Wisey''s suggestion. Clearly it was a task given to him by the Great One, so she must obey.


    ording to Wisey, it wasn''t a fluke that she was able to release a priest''s blessing during that time of attack in Silver Dew Forest.


    Wisey noticed some traces of the second path forming on her mana stream. However it mysteriously disappeared.


    It was only when this happened that she realized that this was the perfect opportunity to open her second path.


    The two analyzed her dream and deduced that uttering prayers via priest''s blessings to a certain number of people would trigger opening her second path.


    There were two groups of people in her premonition, Leon''s parents and Leon''s subordinates. She had to personally meet them all and release the priest''s blessings.


    When Leon asked, why do Wisey seem to know things that were beyond the Prasinons knowledge on open paths that even he didn''t know, Eli decided to tell Leon the existence of the book of knowledge and Wisey being the spirit of the book.


    All of this she calmly exined to Leon. Although he was surprised, he still felt that it was eptable.


    ''So Eli was also an open path''s possessor. Truly we are an anomalous family!''


    He couldn''t help but smile, feeling proud that the two of them were really meant to be.


    "Leon.. why are you smiling?" Eli''s face twitched.


    She was going all out, carefully exining to Leon these strange things only to see him let out a proud smile on his face.


    "No.. I just realized howpatible the two of us were." He said with a teasing smile.


    ¡­


    Eli was left speechless. She noticed that day by day Leon was getting cheekier in their interactions.


    She vaguely remembered that this guy was initially so shy to call her by her nickname, now he went on and on teasing her randomly.


    But thinking carefully, their interaction with each other was also anomalous. They started as pretending to be husband and wife publicly, then to friends, then to this.


    Seeing Eli baffled, Leon smiled fondly and said, "It''s alright. I''ve informed Father Emperor and Mother Queen of our visit."


    "As for the des, I''ll make a way for them to meet you on another day without the outsiders noticing. Would it be alright?" Leon asked gently.


    It was easy to arrange a sudden meeting with his parents because the cottage was directly linked to the chamber.


    However, meeting the des today would be much moreplicated.


    For he had to personally appear going outside the castle.


    Although he had a teleportation portal connected to barracks in his room, he wouldn''t dare to leave them alone outside the cottage''s premises.


    "It''s alright.. Leon, thank you." Eli replied sincerely.


    She was d that the man in front of her didn''t even flinch when she told her freaky nightmare nor her secret abilities.


    This man epted her anomalous identity and embraced it wholeheartedly. He even took all the burdens that came with it.


    By this time, Eli was unknowingly experiencing a mystical phenomenon called..


    Falling in love.

 Chapter 113 Visiting Grandma And Grandpa

    ?The little family immediately prepared for the short visit.


    While Eli was preparing for herself, Leon took Little Han to dress him for their sudden excursion.


    Eli had prepared the infant clothing set to be used by Little Han.


    It was an ensemble of the softest short sleeve onesie, a pair of cute mittens and baby socks. It was all made with a breathable material, since it was currently summer.


    Little Han happily wiggled his tiny hands and feet as he let his Daddy dress him up expertly. To finish off his look, Leon let him wear a fluffy baby bo with a golden furry ball on top.


    "Now you''re ready! Let''s just wait for your mum." Leon smiled as he felt satisfied with his work. Seeing his little son all fluffy and cute.


    "Wooo!" Little Han cooed, feeling cheery and excited.


    Not long after, Eli was all dressed up. She couldn''t wear the usual outdoor clothes appropriate for this age because she was currently nursing.


    Noble women at this time do not really engage in breastfeeding but utilize a wet nurse instead. She found that there were virtually no selections of outdoor nursing dresses to buy.


    Fortunately, she was already Grandpa Andi''s family, so it was easier for her to customize her dress and make the Forgeworn seamstress create it. It was a flowy long sleeve dress with a clip on extrayer on the bust area, making breastfeeding more convenient and discreet.


    After delegating some errands and reminders to the remaining bunch, Eli, Leon and Little Han proceeded to the teleportation array and went on their very first family excursion!


    What weed Eli''s vision was a brightly lit ss garden chamber, it was tall and wide, massively housing a secluded garden of flowery nts, orchids and trees.


    The teleportation array that they appeared into was located in the south end of the chamber. Eli saw arge wisteria tree at the center of the chamber, abundantly showcasing itsvender to light pink blooms.


    A few strides beside therge Wisteria tree was a white gazebo, where the Emperor and Queen Teh sat, waiting for them patiently. The table in front of them was filled with a wide variety of breakfast dishes.


    As soon as the trio appeared, their eyes immediately lit up and stood from where they were sitting.


    If not for Leon immediately gesturing for them to stop, they would have not minded their royal and elder status and ran like excited grandparents upon seeing them.


    "Ah, Eli, my Little Han! I missed you so much~~~" Queen Teh immediately gave Eli a hug.


    "Ohhh my little boy was already this big! My, my, how cute could you be!!!"


    Emperor Valentin immediately praised Little Han with a silly voice, luckily there were only the five of them around. If not, it would be the Empire''s hot topic that Emperor Valentin became a grandson ve.


    Meanwhile, Leon waspletely ignored.


    However, he didn''t mind. He generously let the old couple carry Little Han in their arms and y with them for a while.


    "Ohh, sit down and eat first!" Queen Teh reminded. She sat beside Eli and unceremoniously put a lot of nourishing food on her te.


    "Here eat this, you are currently nursing Little Han without any helpers. It must be tough on you to do this."


    Unlike Queen Teh who raised Leon in the pce with the help of the servants, Eli was taking care of Little Han on her own. Thus, Queen Teh was worried that the young and first time mother Eli would have a hard time doing all those things while Leon was out.


    "Thank you, Your Highness. Grandma Brygid had given me an attendant, she helped me with the rest of the chores, while Leon also helped me a lot whenever he gets home." Eli was deeply touched with Queen Teh''s care.


    She wondered, if her mum was around, would she act like this too? Suddenly she felt a longing feeling in her heart. "Mum, could you see me up there? Am I doing well?"


    The two women continued to engage in motherly conversation while Leon looked after Emperor Valentin and Little Han ying some baby games.


    Emperor Valentin''s aged face was wrinkled with happy smiles as Little Han interacted with them. Soon Queen Teh joined him.


    Little Han would expertly charm his grandparents with his coos, blinks and winks. From time to time he would also smile with his baby gums showing adorably.


    Seeing the old couple happy, the two let them be for a little while. This was because they wouldn''t want to spoil their mood too suddenly. Thus, they proceeded to eat breakfast silently.


    It didn''t take long for Little Han to get tired. As soon as the old couple saw him yawn, they dotingly ced him warmly on the crystal shell cradle to sleep.


    Leon also stood up and created a sound barrier around Little Han so that he wouldn''t be disturbed by the adults talking.


    After taking the breakfast, the old couple then turned serious and asked as if seeing through Eli and Leon''s distress, "Now, tell us what''s the matter."


    True enough, the Emperor and the Second Queen were not only ridden with the passing of time but also with wisdom. They knew that the young couple just suffered a problem that prompted them toe here so suddenly.


    As to what the problem was that, they prayed that it would not affect Little Han.


    They really hoped that their son would seed in wooing young Eli, but seeing that they were here, they observed the two''s interaction discreetly.


    Eli kept a calm and unperturbed demeanor while Leon still gave her extra attention. Seeing that it was the case, the two concluded, they must have failed to work the rtionship out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Ohh, our poor son!''


    They casted a sympathetic expression towards Leon, who was left twitching in bafflement.


    Clearly this old couple misunderstood! We''re not going separate ways!


    Letting out a helpless sigh, Leon took the initiative to exin things. Before they went out, Eli asked for his help to open up the peculiar happening to his parents.


    Eli didn''t want to act intrusively to the Emperor and Queen despite their warm eptance.


    She found it right that Leon would be the one to open up these things, while she would open her mouth only at the right moment.


    Leon exined Eli''s ominous dreams as well as the things that came up thereafter. Although excluding the fact on the open paths. They just masked them as Eli''s desire to pray for them out of worry.


    Eli gracefully interjected in between, adding critical points to their exnation. The two worked in perfect sync, not giving the old couple the feeling that they rehearsed and were nervous.


    After the exnation, the old couple stayed silent for a while. Their faces were ridden with grave expressions.


    "What do you think of this matter, Father, Mother?" Leon asked with a serious face.


    "I agree with Eli, we must not ignore this premonition." Queen Teh had fear on her face that it became pale. She still steeled herself to mouth these words.


    What she feared was not really the fact that she would be in danger, but on what Eli saw right after - Leon and Valentin''s fate after her death!


    For these two people, she would not ignore any warning signs, no matter how baseless and ridiculous it was.


    She loved them so much. She wanted them to be safe and out of danger at all times.


    "Do whatever you need to do, Eli." She looked sincerely, straight in Eli''s eyes, holding her hands gently.


    Emperor Valentin also nodded that she trusted her future daughter inw too.


    "But, what if I can''t trigger the priest''s blessings? It was only our theory and it might not even work.." Eli replied in worry. She was actually shocked that the two calmly epted their suggestions.


    "It''s fine.. Even if it would not trigger a priest blessing, it was still a sincere prayering from you! Besides, if it really won''t, then I could always say that I won''t proceed with them to the temple!" Queen Teh smiled and immediately eased Eli''s worries.


    Emperor Valentin also seconded, "We are deeply touched by your good will, so the matter of it triggering a priest''s blessing would only be an icing on top!"


    The old couple genuinely felt that way.


    In their society, offering prayers was almost non-existent. Well wishes offered to the members of the Imperial Family were only as shallow as a ceremonious greeting. Thus, for a person to pray on their behalf was definitely a treasured and sincere thing.


    Leon gave Eli an encouraging look.


    "Alright, I hope you don''t really mind." Eli stretched out her hands shyly and let the old couple ce one of their hands on top of them.


    She looked up to the heavens with sincere and pleading eyes.


    As she looked to the heavens, she remembered a certain queen in the scripture, whom the Great One used to save a group of people.


    The part of the scripture went like this.


    "...Yet who knows whether you havee to the kingdom for such a time as this?[1]"


    Who knows whether she came to Prasinos for such a time like this too?


    She decided to just follow the Great One''s lead and uttered her sincere prayers.


    "Oh Great One, Author of our Destinies.


    Let not our fate be destroyed by the enemies.


    For these people whom I love and cared,


    With holy protection may their safety be dered.


    Not one evil will touch a strand of their hair.


    Not one damage be done to the clothes they wear!"

 Chapter 114 It Worked!

    ?As soon as Eli uttered the prayer, an inexplicable warmth showered Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh.


    They also saw that from Eli''s palms, a pale golden light emerged and passed through their arms and settled in their hearts and minds.


    "It really is a divine blessing!" Emperor Valentin couldn''t believe what he saw.


    Eli could really trigger the priest''s blessing. He could feel the divine power enveloping his whole body.


    Queen Teh and Leon were also speechless. As a member of the Imperial Family, they have experienced going to the temple, asking for the Priest''s blessings.


    But they would never obtain one if they have not subjected themselves to the altar cleansing ceremony, which required them to spend an hour in the altar praying.


    But their experience with Eli was entirely different. They received such a precious blessing just by her uttering prayers, without any ceremonial activities involved!


    Eli also was as surprised as them. Although she hoped that she would trigger the phenomenon, she still felt unreal now that she actually did it.


    Still under a deep daze, the Emperor subconsciously recited the oracle for them to hear;


    --


    "Rejoice! Oh, Empire whose name is victorious,


    For The One Who Sees listened to the one who prayed.


    Hold the hand of the one who was named industrious,


    No longer will he who suffered be ever afraid."


    --


    Upon listening to the contents of the oracle, a sh of enlightenment appeared to the two, while Leon and Eli remained humble and calm.


    "Could it mean that you are the subject of the oracle, young Eli?" Queen Teh asked with worry.


    "This¡­ It''s better not to assume, Your Majesty, Your Highness. For it may just be a coincidence." Eli replied softly and a hint of anxiousness appeared on her face.


    "Besides, I couldn''t take the burden and consequences if I really was the subject." She continued.


    Upon hearing this, the old couple choked in realization. Despite Eli''s denial, they had their own answers in their heart.


    However, what Eli said made them realize that right now, it wasn''t good for her to be branded as that. Her identity was alreadyplicated initially, now anotheryer would be added to thisplication.


    The worst was that it may involve a lot of party, not only the temple and the Imperial family, but also the enemies.


    "Mother, Father.. I implore you about these things, please keep it a secret to others." Leon pleaded on behalf of Eli.


    Although he knew that his parents understood the graveness of this matter, he couldn''t be rest assured until he said it with his own mouth. This was to rectify his position in the matter.


    The two immediately understood.


    Queen Teh held Eli''s hand sincerely and replied, "Thank you for your prayers. Please be at ease. We will protect you at all costs."


    "Thank you¡­ Your Majesty, Your Highness." Upon hearing their genuinemitment, Eli was deeply touched. Her eyes started to redden in intense emotions.


    "Right, about the mission.." Emperor Valentin recalled another important topic and looked at Leon.


    "We are rather in an awkward position. We are already at the point where we couldn''t dy nor stop the operations¡­" Emperor Valentin voiced his concerns.


    Although Eli was able to trigger the blessings, it was a different thing when ites to arger number of people.


    Besides, for the people marching for battle, one blessing would not be enough to ensure victory and safety. It also includes proper nning, preparation and manpower.


    "I will ask Teacher to help me, maybe it will help us avoid the worst case." Leon replied with determination.


    He would also not let his subordinates march on a suicide mission.


    He will do his best to increase their chances of survival. Of course, his parents didn''t know of his other abilities yet, so he could only mention asking General Farauld''s help in this matter.


    "Hmm, that makes sense. Then I''ll also mandate him toplement your force as well¡­" Emperor Valentin replied, then paused suddenly with a heavy sigh.


    "Hah¡­ If you only had a bigger force, you would not have to worry much for this one." He said with a tone partly helpless and partly ming.


    Leon didn''t justify himself in front of his father.


    He just calmly replied, "The members of the Crimson de were all volunteers. Rest assured, I won''t stop looking for opportunities to take a few more knights."


    He didn''t tell his father that only a few applied to join the Crimson des every annual knighthood ceremony.


    Those few would always be ostracized by their colleagues, in the end they would withdraw their applications and join other troops.


    The Crimson des really didn''t mind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A knight who wavered just because of the fear of being ridiculed for their differences will not survive in the Crimson des. It''s better for them to recruit no one, than recruit a knight who didn''t have enough guts and loyalty to their vision as a troop.


    As for Leon, among the Crimson de Knights, only his vice captains, de and Oliver, knew of his multiple abilities.


    That was also the main reason why he kept the two close.


    One was a talented summoner, the other was a capable caster. They helped him mask his abilities during battles. He also created paper spells to mask his aptitude on casting and summoning magic.


    All along, his crew and even the observers thought that the traces of caster or summoner fight came from their vice captains. They also thought that the Prince had greatlypensated for hiscking abilities by buying so many paper spells.


    This was how up until now, Leon managed to limit the people who knew of his true abilities in less than ten people.


    After discussing for a while, Eli and Leon bade goodbye as they still had to let the old couple prepare for the temple visitation.


    Being reminded of this manner, the old couple suddenly lost their desire to visit the temple and pouted. Why?


    Because the answers to their questions were already in front of them.


    Also, because they could have spent more time with Eli and Little Han if they stayed!


    However, this was their duty so they had to aggrievedly part with Eli and Little Han goodbye. Leon had to apany Eli back as he wanted to ensure that theye back safe.


    However, just before theypletely step in the teleportation array, Leon had a sudden thought. He turned and walked towards the old couple.


    "What''s the matter son?" Queen Teh softly asked.


    Leon took his space pouch, got several pieces of supreme mana stones and carefully ced it on his mother''s hands.


    ¡­


    The old couple was shocked.


    Why did this young couple like to make their eyes wide open and their mouths agape?!


    In just a span of more than an hour, they have made their hearts leap with so much surprise, anxiety and sense of loss!


    There were a lot of mana stones in the Empire''s treasure, however, they could just be counted as very few.


    Leon just casually took out a several pieces and gave it to the two of them without even showing a trace of pain!


    Seeing that they were at a daze and confused, Leon just gave a short exnation,


    "You can use it to visit the cottage, I have modified the array to be directly linked in this chamber, and only these types of mana stones could be used to go there. I think one stone could transport you back and forth for two months, should you visit daily."


    The old couple were still left speechless.


    With the handful of supreme mana stones on their hands, they could even say that they could sleep in the cottage every night until Little Han turns two years old!


    However, Leon, and even Eli, remained unfazed by the value of the stones they have just given away.


    Since his parents were still not reacting further, he just nodded and carefully bade them goodbye to head to the cottage.


    It was only when the couple couldn''t see their figures that they snapped out of their senses.


    How extravagant could the young couple be!


    But thinking through the intention of the two, Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    The young ones thought of them even after they entered parenthood. Such filial son and daughter inw, what more could they ask for?


    --


    Eli and Leon safely teleported back to their cottage. They noticed that the bunch were just having their breakfast so Eli opted to stay in the living room for a while.


    Seeing that Eli and Little Han were all settled, Leon prepared to go back to his castle.


    "I have to go. Take care and call me when something''s up." Leon bade Eli goodbye.


    "Uhnn¡­" Having half of her troubles solved, Eli started to look back to the things that happened and realized what Leon had done for her a while ago.


    Looking at his cold yet dependable back, Eli took a big gulp and called him out with courage, "Leon!"


    "Yes?" Leon casually paused and looked at her with an inquisitive look on his alluring pair of blue eyes.


    "Thank you for everything earlier.. What do you like for dinner?"


    Blushing Eli shyly asked, like a little wife in love.

 Chapter 115 Temple Visit

    ?"???"


    A sh of amusement appeared on Leon''s crystal blue eyes.


    He looked at Eli with great interest, inspecting even the slight movement she would do.


    His keen senses didn''t fail to detect the rosy tint of sweet red blooming on her cheeks.


    ''Is she trying to thank me?''


    A pleasing sense of happiness sprouted from his diaphragm, gradually spreading out in his chest, up until the corner of his mouth, letting it curve with a smile.


    "Meat. I love meat the most. Whatever dish it is, I''d love it, as long as it has meat, (and as long as it is cooked by you)."


    He said with a calm tone, however thest phrase was only securely said in his mind, lest he would scare Eli away.


    "Uh, alright. Meat it is¡­ I''ll prepare it for dinnerter." Eli, who was still feeling conscious, shy replied.


    Sneakily peering into Leon''s face, Eli tried to determine if he felt something strange from her sudden question. When she saw that Leon remained unfazed with his signature cold expressionless face, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    "I''ll look forward to dinner then!" Leon said with calm tone, unbeknownst to Eli, he had long noticed her sneaky look in his peripheral vision. "See youter!"


    "Umm, take care! Tell me if anything is wrong." Eli finally let Leon go to his duties.


    --


    The designated day for the temple visit attracted a lot of spectators.


    But this was already expected.


    A visitation of the Emperor and the other members of the Imperial Family is a grand affair!


    Even the temple cannot take this lightly.


    The temple does not restrict people of all status in going to the main ce of worship. However the inner premises of the temple are restricted and one has to obtain prior approval before going in.


    This was the same for the members of the Imperial Family, they could freely enter the temple, but if they wished to enter the more sacred ces or meet the high priest, they must go through the process first.


    The Emperor, his spouses and sons were all dressed modestly, since a temple is not a ce to unt riches, but to be in the presence of The Creator.


    They boarded in an open carriage that was ted with gold over the white painted carriage frames, where the Seirende Empire''s insignia was conspicuously printed.


    The Emperor rode on his own carriage, while the Empress, First and Second Queens, rode with their sons. Onto each side of the carriage were their personal escorts, four knights guarding each carriage.


    If Eli was able to witness this, she would feel nostalgic as she once watched a live telecast of a royal wedding from another country during her younger years.


    "Hail the Seirende Imperial Family! Glorious and Victorious!" The people eximed as they saw the carriage pass by.


    They happily threw some scented flower petals as they passed on the road. The Emperor and the rest also wore smiles and waved as they looked at people with kindness, of course, except for Leon who had an expressionless face.


    Nevertheless, it was really a rare sight for people to see.


    The onlookers, especially themon people and middlemen, seldom had a chance to see the members of the Imperial Family.


    Only when there was a grand event happening would they have a chance to see them appear on the tform of the grand square.


    Soon the parade of carriages reached the temple''s premises. The Imperial Family silently entered the ce of worship.


    The temple''s ce of worship was a great white hall. Each of its columns have engravings of the scriptures passed down in Prasinos. At the end of the columns were sculptures of cherubims and angel-like creatures.


    People were always in awe when they scrutinize and realize that these engravings were manually carved. With such a height, how could the scultpor manage to do that?!


    As they entered the hall, they were weed with the smell of incense that would make one be reminded that this was a holy ce and not some other ce one lounge casually.


    The interior of the hall was spacious and massive, the height of the ceiling might even be as tall as a four story building. Therge spacious hall was brightly lit with a long array of clerestory windows.


    Just like every ce of worship, there was a center aisle that was decorated with white flowers on each row of seats.


    The Imperial family orderly marched to the front row and silently waited for the time of worship to start. Soon enough, the ceremonial bells rang and the High priest and the clergymen marched in a solemn manner.


    After reading the Scriptures and singing hymns of worship and praise to the Creator, the High Priest proceeded his exhortation and ended the mass with benediction.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "May the Creator bless you and keep you!


    May He delight in your works and be gracious to you!


    Peace be with you and with this Empire!"


    As soon as he uttered the benediction, a light shower of sparkles rained down the entire hall. Every attendees felt rxed and at peace, as if all of their worries had been washed away by the sparkles of light.


    "Truly, the high priest''s blessing is such a great treasure!!" The people attending eximed in praises.


    It was actually seldom for them to witness this level of blessing, as the high priest does not usually preside on a normal day. Only on special events such as this!


    Although the other priest really does have the power to manifest blessings, it would not be as obviously visible as this one, with the sparkling lights around.


    As such, everyone felt thankful that they were determined enough to join the Imperial family in the mass.


    Now everyone felt rxed and blessed, they started to exit the hall one by one. They knew that the Imperial Family would still need to be admitted in the inner premises of the temple, so they could no longer see anything further.


    Queen Teh didn''t rx and still kept vignt.


    From the time of the assembly, to the end of the mass, she didn''t let Empress Carolina get near her within a three meter radius.


    She observed that the Empress didn''t really mind. As if she was not really nning something today.


    But Queen Teh didn''t let her guard down, she received a warning from Eli. No matter how ridiculous it may seem, she didn''t dare to brush it aside. She must not let Empress Carolina do something today!


    Moreover, didn''t Empress Carolina still looked as if she was innocent when she nted a curse in to her hands that almost affected Eli and Little Han?


    On the side, Empress Carolina and Kazimir had a mocking look on their faces.


    If there were no people around, they would certainly gloat on how paranoid Queen Teh looked like right now.


    ''So what if you stay vignt? You are no match for me!''


    Empress Carolina said in her heart as she looked at Queen Teh. In her eyes Teh was like a clown, trying to fight against her pitiful fate.


    ''Even if you do your best to avoid my touch, do you think you would be saved from my curses? Hah! Too foolish! You only know how to seduce Valentin! Hah! Spiteful!"


    "Greetings, Sun of the Empire! I am here to escort you to the lounge while you wait for the high priest!" A clergyman wearing a pure white temple gown with a serene and calm expression greeted the Emperor and the rest.


    "We''ll trouble you!" Emperor Valentin thanked the clergyman and discreetly followed.


    They passed through the a narrow hallway and arrived in a lobby where there were two artifacts guarding a massive door.


    "Before we enter the inner temple, we have to perform cleansing." The clergy man waved towards the first artifact. It was a deep hollow basin and on top of it was a hovering pitcher.


    He led everyone to line up on the first artifact and said in a clear audible voice, "First, hold out your hands and let it be washed by the holy water."


    He held the handle of the floating pitcher and soon water flowed from it, "The water is freely floating, ready to wash your hands clean, as a sign of willingness to be cleansed."


    Soon Emperor Valentin stepped and did as instructed, followed by the others. On the side there were temple servants holding a warm towel to dry their hands.


    After everyone was finished, the clergyman walked onto the other end of the massive door, where the second artifact was located.


    It was a set of twenty four little bronze bells attached into a brass handle. "Next is to ring the bells of righteousness, as a sign to celebrate the cleansing you have just received."


    Empress Carolina''s eyes shed with excitement, the perfect time came!!!


    How could she, as one who had served the temple for a year, not know of this mundane ceremony? She had long known of this one and specifically waited at this moment to strike.


    ''So what if I can''t touch you? You will be touching the same things I touch?''


    ''So how could you think you could guard against me, huh, Teh?''


    Her eyes shined with a vicious light as a concealed smile appeared on her face.


    ''Now this time, Teh, let me see in my own eyes how you will fall from grace!''

 Chapter 116 Ring Ring Ring

    ?Everyone, including Kazimir, was oblivious to Empress Carolina''s ns.


    In actuality, Kazimir really didn''t know how his Empress Mother will create trouble for Teh. But he trusted her fully because ever since he was a child, when his mom says that Teh and Leon will not have a good time, they really would not have one!


    Didn''t his Father Emperor almost not interact with Teh except on official asions?


    Didn''t Leon have to be sent to the battlefield at a young age and not grow in the castle to be pampered like a prince?


    Because of this, he knew that if his mother would do something, she would really do, and just like those years, all he needs to do is to sit back and watch the great big show.


    As usual, the Emperor was the first one to perform what the clergyman had instructed.


    Ring ring ring!


    The sound of the little bells rang all across the whole lobby. As everyone was silent, they could feel that the atmosphere was turning sacred.


    As soon as the Emperor was done, by order, the spouses followed.


    As dignified and regal as she should be, Empress Carolina ceremoniously followed the instructions and rang the bell three times.


    However, not one of them realized that as she rang the artifact, she was already nting a sinister magic into it.


    Ring! [One who is stronger than any forces.]


    Ring! [Wreck havoc to the wretched!]


    Ring! [The name is Teh! Chaos will be her!]


    She finished the rituals without any mishaps. Nobody noticed that a little wisp of dark purple miasma had appeared on the brass handle of the artifact. With concealed triumphant look, she wordlessly proceeded back to her position.


    The next wielder was the ever quiet First Queen Lucia. She held the artifact just fine and there was no mishap that happened. Truly, the curse would only activate once Teh was the one who held the artifact!


    Soon it was Queen Teh''s turn. With grace and elegance, she stepped calmly in front of the artifact and was about to hold it in with her hands.


    Empress Carolina''s amethyst eyes squinted in anticipation. The curse will activate at the first ring, and everyone will see her covered with a malevolent miasma.


    After that, Teh will never ever step into the temple again. What''s more, the temple abhors the sinister doctrine to its core!


    As soon as the temple witnesses her surrounded with the miasma, the temple will deem her as a witch!


    She will definitely be beheaded! Her body will not be even buried! It will be burnt in the quadrangle for all to see!


    At the idea of Teh suffering a horrible death, her heart leaped with excitement.


    Finally, she will no longer have any rival in Valentin''s heart! After dealing with Lucia, which would be as easy as the snap of her fingers, the title of Emperor''s spouse could only be referred to her!


    With just one ring! Just one ring!


    Ring!!!!


    The sound of the little bells reverberated around the hall. However, nothing happened and the ce stayed as normal as before.


    Ring!


    Ring!


    *Tak*


    Queen Teh carefully put down the bell and walked away silently. She went back to her position as if nothing happened.


    Empress Carolina froze, she tried as much as possible to hide the shock on her face but a sharp sensation suddenly hit her head.


    She felt an intensely prickling headache, it was so sharp that she thought that her head would split open. Her face immediately became pale as she couldn''t tolerate the level of pain she was in right now.


    After a few seconds, her knees became wobbly and in her vision she saw that the massive door was suddenly turning sideways and soon everything was all white.


    Pak!


    She felt her body violently fall to the ground as she could only faintly hear the unclear and muffled sound of everyone eximing in shock around her.


    "Empress!"


    "Mother!"


    "Your Majesty Empress!"


    Everyone was in panic seeing Empress Carolina suddenly copse in the middle of the cleansing rites.


    "Please do not panic and move away, especially those who were not yet done with the rites." The temple servants immediately responded and checked her condition.


    "We''ll escort Her Majesty Empress to the temple infirmary." The head of the temple servants calmly announced, it was as though they weren''t even shaken by the sudden chaos in their own premises.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ll have to trouble you to check on her, please." Emperor Valentin replied immediately, he had one of his own escorts apany them.


    "Your Majesty Emperor.. I would like to apany Mother.. Her Majesty Empress." Kazimir was visibly shaken that he had almost forgotten to conduct himself ording to the pce standards.


    He had just held the artifact when Empress Carolina copsed.


    The moment he saw his mother copse, he shook the artifact as if it was a tambourine and hurriedly put it to its ce without a care.


    The presiding clergyman gave him a stern look as he clearly didn''t respect the holy grounds.


    If this clergy man knew that Kazimir''s very own mother dared to even defile the temple artifact with sinister magic, he would explode like an angry volcano and shout,


    Sacreligious!


    "Sigh.. Alright go ahead and see to it that the Empress is fine." Emperor Valentin helplessly allowed him to go with them because he also clearly saw Kazimir''s tant disrespect to the grounds.


    Although he abhor Empress Carolina, he must not show it tantly to other people.


    He was an emperor after all, he must still put righteousness beyond his own feelings. Thus, even if he really didn''t want to care about whatever happens to Carolina, he had to do something because she is Kazimir, his son''s mother.


    To Kazimir''s inapproriate conduct, he only had disappointment.


    When Kazimir, Carolina and the men proceeded, the lobby became as solemn as it had been. It didn''t take long until Antoine, Leon and the escorts performed the rites, and was given entry to the inner premises.


    The clergyman stood at the center of the massive door and touched the circr metal te with his hand.


    "Vrrrrrrrr!" The sound of the massive door opening rang to everyone''s ears and a sh of bright light washed everyone''s vision white.


    "We wee you to the Inner Courts!" The clergyman announced and beckoned everyone to follow.


    As soon as everyone''s eyes adjusted, their eyes were weed by the lush greeneries and peaceful yard. It was a spacious parterre, designed with turf grass and simple yet wide array of green hedgings.


    In the inner courts, there were still many buildings inessible to one that had managed to enter the premises. However, everyone was free to roam around the garden area.


    They quickly followed the clergyman as they led them into a building and settled them into a modest, yetfortable lobby.


    "Your Majesty, kindly wait here for a little while. I''ll inform the High Priest of your arrival. I will leave my fellow servants for anything you need." He then gave a slight bow and left the crew.


    As soon as the sound of the door was heard, an awkward silence rang into the lobby.


    It was seldom to see almost all the members of the Imperial Family in one room.


    With all the grudges, wrong doings and misunderstandings happening around the family, they had long forgotten how to act as a family.


    Thus everyone could just sip the tea that the temple served without any word.


    Emperor Valentin couldn''t help butment in his heart about how incapable he is as a father.


    ''Look at your son Leon, even though their situation was tooplicated, he still didn''t neglect his duties as a father. How about you, you couldn''t even strike a conversation with your spouses and sons!'' He mocked himself silently.


    With one look, Queen Teh already knew what Emperor Valentin had in her mind, thus she took initiative and looked at First Queen Lucia while gently saying,


    "Your Highness, First Queen, it''s been a while since I had a chance to share a cup of tea with you. Forgive me for not being able to grace you all this time."


    "It''s all right, we both like living in our own pces. If not for this visitation, I would have not even gone out like this and seen other sceneries such as this." First Queen Lucia also gently replied.


    From their interaction, they seem to be not close yet not hostile to each other either.


    "I think I was the one to me, I didn''t have time to take you three for a change of scenery."


    Emperor Valentin seldom admits his wrongs to people other than Queen Teh. It must be because he was also quitefortable with his First Queen that was why he felt that it was easier for him to say it now.


    "Please feel free to take this time and go around the garden to rx, as I meet the High Priest." He continued.


    Meanwhile in the temple''s infirmary, Kazimir was sweating profusely as he looked towards his mother Carolina who was still pale and unconscious.


    Her mother had always been strong and of good health. Why would she suddenly copse and be like this?


    Did someone poisoned her before they went to the temple? Did the servants not clean her pce thoroughly that she had contracted a disease?


    What couldn have happened?!


    His forehead frowed as deep as the rivers of doubt as he tried to find out the reasone for his mother''s copse.


    Not once will it cross on his mind that what was currently happening to his mother was actually,


    A curse rebound!!!

 Chapter 117 No Consolation Prize!

    ?"Uhhh.." Empress Carolina weakly groaned in pain as her temples throbbed in extreme pain.


    She blinked a few times as she tried to see something with her blurry vision. But she could only see a silhouette of a person looking at her downward.


    "Mother! Mother!" Kazimir''s worried voice rang through her ears.


    "Medic! My mother is awake." He called out as she heard him in a desperate and cracking tone.


    "K-kazimir... Where am I? What happened?" She said as she massaged her forehead trying to ease her splitting headache.


    "Mother! Oh thank goodness you woke up!"


    Finally seeing his mother opening her eyes after staying unconscious for about a few minutes, Kazimir''s blue eyes glistened with relief as he eximed.


    "We are in the temple''s infirmary. You suddenly copsed in the middle of the cleansing rites. Father had you sent here and I apanied you to check your condition!"


    "Mother, tell me, is your health all right? Have you been feeling unwelltely? How do you feel right now? " A barrage of questions were directed at her by Kazimir.


    This son of hers, he was already in his thirties, a full grown man and a father of one, yet he was still acting dependently upon her like this.


    A part of herself felt helpless as she wondered if Kazimir could carry himself by the time he ascended on the throne. A part of her was touched that he puts her in his heart first more than anyone.


    "No, I always maintained a good diet and healthy lifestyle. I am sure that my body is not suffering any problems. I have no clue why this happened either."


    She replied with her weak and quivering voice, as she struggled to force out these words while realizing that her throat had been parched like the driest desert in the entire Prasinos.


    "Empress.." The medic on duty immediately attended to Kazimir''s call and greeted her. "May I ask your permission to check your condition?"


    "Yes.." She replied with great pain.


    Although she could identify that she was with Kazimir, her vision was still blurry and she resorted to closing her eyes in deep frown because she felt that the more she tried to use her eyes, the more painful her headache would be.


    Kazimir immediately made way to the medic and watched as his mother was being checked. He saw that the medic had a deep frown on her head as she continued to examine the pulse of his Mother Empress.


    "What''s the matter?" Kazimir asked in worry.


    "Your Highness, Her Majesty¡­ her condition is not good. I am afraid that no one in the temple could fully examine her condition, especially considering her distinguished status. With my authority and ability, I couldn''t perform a more extensive examination, much less know what was the cause of her sudden copse. I plead pardon for my ipetence!"


    The medic dared not to diagnose the Empress just by merely checking her pulse.


    If she was actually inspecting a person with a status other than being a member of the Imperial Family she could have the liberty to perform other examinations to fully assess what''s wrong with her body.


    However, Carolina was the Empress of the Empire, and her medical condition was deemed a national secret, only the emperor could give the permission for the officials to announce them in a formal way.


    "There''s no need. I understand. Arrange us a closed carriage for Her Majesty, My Empress Mother, to be sent back to the pce. Also, inform my Father Emperor that we need to go back for her to be thoroughly checked by the Imperial Doctors."


    Kazimir did not let his Mother Empress speak anymore.


    He didn''t care about creating chaos for the wretched mother and son either. What was more important in his heart was her mother''s condition.


    So even though he could see the trace of unwillingness in the beautiful amethyst eyes of his mother, he decisively gave up those schemes and prioritized the situation at hand.


    "Your Highness, First Prince, permission to speak." The knight assigned by Emperor Valentin to assist them respectfully interjected with great caution.


    "Speak!" Kazimir replied.


    He felt bitter in his heart that the Emperor could only send a knight in behalf of himself even after witnessing his mother copse in front of everyone.


    His Mother Empress is his spouse, does he have to be so cold hearted not to set his duties aside to be by her side?


    "His Majesty Emperor has already mandated me to contact the Imperial medical department earlier. In a few minutes an appropriate carriage would arrive to fetch Her majesty straight to the pce for check up. I also had them assign the best medical team to wait on Her Majesty''s ce to attend to you as soon as you arrive." The knight calmly ryed everything with a neutral expression, he seemed to be void of emotions as he stood dignifiedly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When Kazimir heard his Father Emperor''s arrangement, the resentment in his heart softened a little. At least his father still took the matters ahead to give his Mother Empress the best and most deserved arrangement for her venerable status.


    "Then will do it as His Majesty, Father Emperor arranged." He said in a less tense way.


    Empress Carolina heard everything and couldn''t help but clench her fist in unwillingness. She initially went here because of two reasons.


    First was to advance in the war of the throne by getting more information about the subject of the oracle and get him or her under their force.


    Second was to bring down her most hated enemies, Teh and Leon, once and for all.


    But because of this sudden situation, she had lost the chance to do these things! Since she copsed, it was deemed that this trip was all in vain.


    When she heard Kazimir asking the temple medic to inform the Emperor, she hoped that Valentin could at least show some concern and affection for her as a constion prize.


    However, who could have known that the moment she copsed, Emperor Valentin had already moved so fast, so as to arrange everything without him needing to directly take action!


    She felt bitter in her heart, she didn''t even get the constion prize from all these mishaps!


    As she grieved inwardly of this unfortunate oue, she felt another overbearing wave of pain creeping on her entire body.


    "Urggg!" She cursed Teh in her heart.


    Why was she the one suffering today when clearly she hadid everything for Teh, including her grave?


    Can''t she just deliver herself straight to the pit she painstakingly dug for her?


    Why is she the oneying in the bed suffering from this unbearable torture?


    Why?


    The more she cursed in her heart, the more intense was the pain she was feeling all over her body. She didn''t know how long she was holding on until she once again lost her consciousness from being unable to tolerate such level of pain.


    Hence, on the festive day of the Imperial Family''s temple visitation, the citizens never knew that not long after the Imperial family stepped inside the temple, the Empress of the Seirende Empire was forced to go home unconscious and extremely weak.


    Meanwhile on the inner courts, the Emperor was already in a meeting with the high priest and the rest of the members of the Imperial Family took the liberty to look around with their assigned temple servants.


    Queen Lucia and Queen Teh visited the convent where the female temple servants stayed to observe and check if there were any donations or needs that could be provided for the temple.


    Since they were the reigning queens in the Empire, it was their task to inspect and gather the needs of the inhabitants of the Empire, including the temple. Thus they were not actually restricted to visit the temple servant''s living quarters.


    With Queen Lucia''s quite detached expression, Queen Teh was the one who interacted more with the people. In turn, she let Queen Lucia decide for the best arrangement in front of the people around. One was a people person, the other was silent but wise.


    Theyplemented each other, although not to the point of being friendly, but to an extent where their subjects couldn''t help but be amazed at how remarkable their characters as the Emperor''s spouses were.


    Antoine, on the other hand, was more interested in the temple''s museum. He personally loved arts and culture, that was why most of the properties he preferred as presents were wineries, art pieces and historical artifacts.


    When he finally heard his father allowing them to freely explore, he immediately asked his assigned temple servant if he could be allowed to visit the museum. Fortunately, the temple servant informed him that he could, and he happily followed the servant without a care.


    Leon was also roaming around the garden with a temple servant obediently following behind him at afortable distance.


    He roamed around in the garden aimlessly until he reached a secluded ce.


    After ensuring that there was not even one person roaming around, he turned towards the temple servant following close behind him.


    "Report." He calmly uttered.


    "Julian, reports to the wielder of the de." Surprisingly, the ''temple servant'' replied with a tone of extreme respect.

 Chapter 118 Meeting A Roaming Blade, Sneaking To The Library

    ?"Uhn.." Leon gave a discreet acknowledgement and continued, "Take it off."


    "..." Julian, the ''temple servant'' was frozen speechless.


    It has been a long time ever since his master contacted him and he almost couldn''t sleep because as a roaming de, it was very rare for them to interact with their master face to face.


    Just like the crimson des, the members of the roaming des were rescued by Leon. However, not all of them were victims of the Spectre, unlike the crimson des.


    Most of them were victims of abuse of aristocrat''s authority and crimes brought by the rebels. They looked up on Leon a lot, as they knew his capabilities in the battlefield despite a young age.


    As they recovered and started a new life, they willingly pledged their loyalty to Leon for the rest of their life. However, since the majority of them were direct victims of noblemen, they couldn''t take a knighthood position to directly serve Leon in order not to rm the aristocrats and jeopardize their master''s safety.


    Unwilling to let their passion be wasted because of these nobles, they formed the Roaming des.


    Since the Crimson de would be like Leon''s sharp and broadsword, where its glory could be greatly seen by other people, the Roaming des were like hidden swords, augmenting their weilder''s chance to victory.


    As their role was to support their master to ensure that he would always be going back safe from a mission that was inherently dangerous, they focused on providing him the strongest support - Information!


    With information, their master and the crimson des could prepare thoroughly before marching towards the battle. With information they could maximize their abilities while significantly lessening the threats.


    Thus, Roaming des had been Leon and Crimson des'' partner who had greatly brought them from the battles safely.


    The Roaming de''s strategy was pretty simple and straightforward - integrate far and deep in the society!


    This means that all the members of the Roaming des were spies present to almost every institution holding small to significant roles, enabling ess to both credible information and rumors that could possibly be a source for truth.


    But the meaning of this for the Roaming des was twofold.


    They must be capable of both gathering and protecting that information. That is why all of them were also fairly strong fighters, secretly trained by the Roaming de''s officers from time to time.


    Just like Julian, the youngd who chose to take on the role of a temple servant in order to gain ess to information around the temple. He was basically adept in the workings of the temple as well as fighting.


    However, Julian was feeling at a loss now. His master, whom he almost didn''t see for many years, wanted him to take off his clothes!


    Did his master want to check if he was keeping up with his training???


    Or could it be that, after almost thirty years of singleness, his master developed a peculiar habit???


    Oh no! What''s happening to his master???


    "What are you standing there for?" Leon asked in a cold stern tone with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Do not waste my time, I need to get to the library as soon as possible. I need that temple clothes of yours."


    "O-oh!!!" Finally realizing his master''s intentions, which he clearly had misinterpreted, Julian scratched his head in embarrassment. "Master, I came prepared, I brought you your own uniform."


    "How could I let you wear my filthy clothes!" Julian smiled, awkwardly forming half crescent moons with his hazel brown irises.


    He patted his space bag with pride and said, "Come master, let me lead you to a stealth ce where you can prepare for your disguise."


    Without a word, Leon followed Julian in a calm and natural manner.


    He led him into a booth where no one visits and was treated as a store room. He took out the spare uniform, a badge and a map. Then briefly exined to him some reminders.


    "Master, here is my badge and a map, just in case something happened and you were in a tough position. I had Mort create a duplicate of my badge for you and also draw your escape route from the library to the garden and even one which directly leads out to the temple."


    "You can crush the badge after using it, because the other temple administrator may detect that someone went out of the temple premises without the permit¡­" He exined with a serious expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright, thank Mort on my behalf. You too, good job!" He patted Julian''s shoulder and calmly entered the store room to put on his disguise.


    When he went out, he was already wearing the same uniform andpletely changed his appearance into a man looking identical to Julian.


    Unlike his usual disguise, this time he needed to take on another identity as the temple closely monitored everyone who essed their library. He had to use Julian''s identity for such.


    Julian''s hazel brown eyes shined in a fanatical way as he witnessed Leon''s prowess in disguise. "Master, you are using my face yet howe my face looked so much more handsome when you used it? Master, you are amazing as always!!"


    Leon couldn''t help but twitch his brows, unable to reply to Julian''s passionate praise. He took something in his space bag and took out a stack of notification papers, calmly giving it to Julian,


    "You both can use this just in case you need help. I will also contact you through these papers."


    "This!!! We thank you master!" Julian was ted, if not for the situation which they had to stay lowkey, he could have jumped in excitement.


    Notification papers act the same way asmunication stones wherein if one holds the part of the same stone, they could contact the other holder of the other stone parts.


    Communication stones were inconvenient in mass informing people, that is why the researchers of the Farauld Magical Institute invented the notification papers.


    These papers were infused with the grounded powder of a piece ofmunication stone. Hence, a batch of papers could create argemunicationwork for every individual holding a sheet of the notification paper produced on that certain batch.


    With this, people were now able tomunicate critically important messages without looking for arge piece ofmunication stone.


    The major disadvantage of this was that it only was limited to a few sentences and after the other party acknowledged the message with mana, the pair or group of papers used to transmit and acknowledge the message through mana would disintegrate to ashes.


    For the Roaming de it is a very important artifact to possess. They could immediately inform the Prince for any critical information they stumble upon. That was why Julian almost acted like receiving a treasure.


    With this he and Mort could pass information without jeopardizing his cover, especially on a closely monitored temple. Especially Mort, who currently holds a higher position than him in the temple.


    He was one of the temple''s administrators for the servants, getting more ess to almost anything in the temple. This was also why he was able to create a duplicate uniform and identification badge for Leon.


    "Alright, I might take a long time in the library. Are you prepared for that?" Leon asked before preparing to leave.


    Julian nodded enthusiastically, taking out his space pouch revealing his snacks and drinks before entering the storage room,ying out a clean piece of mantle and sittinf leisurely. "I am very ready, master!"


    Once again, Leon was left speechless by Julian''s nonchnt conduct. It turns out, he nned to chill in the abandoned storeroom and have a pic for himself until Leon finished his trip to the library!


    Leon could only nod, after receiving the direction going to the library, he immediately set out to sneak inside.


    The travel to the library was smooth and easy as it was fully arranged by Julian and Mort. Using the badge to verify his ''identity'', the librarian immediately granted him a pass inside.


    The library was located in arge hall, with an array of books starting from the west to the east wing of the building.


    The most pleasing feature of its interior was the domed round reading area located at the center of the structure. The roof of the dome was made of ss, letting the natural light in the reading area.


    There were a few people roaming around the library as almost everyone convened in the round reading room for a more conducive reading experience. Leon immediately proceeded to the bookshelves to try to find the books he needed.


    Unlike the modern libraries, where there was a digital catalogue for ease of locating the kinds of book needed, Leon had to look for the manual catalogue located on every edge of an aisle to check the sections of the library.


    He chose a catalogue located further from the reading area and flipped through the pages hastily. He needed to find the section where the information about the curse magic was kept.


    Upon flipping the whole catalogue, his heart sank in disappointment.


    ''As expected, they were in the restricted section..''

 Chapter 119 The Restricted Section

    ?''What to do¡­''


    Leon paused for a while to contemte. Although he already had a hunch that the information about the curses were in the restricted section, he still felt disappointed.


    There was no time for him to dy, he had to try going past the restriction before someone noticed him.


    He immediately walked towards the east wing. ording to Mort and Julian, the restricted section was located at the end of the east wing.


    There was a secret passage leading to the restricted section and one has to have an authorization to ess this area. The trigger for the mechanism would be pushing three books on the bookshelf 2HF.


    First book to the left on the third row.


    Tenth book on the first row.


    The centermost book in the fifth row.


    But ording to Mort, once someone opened the mechanism, the temple''s High Priest would be notified immediately. With this, he could not enter the restricted section conventionally even if he knew the way to go to that section.


    Without a trace of panic, he snapped his fingers and created an istion barrier around his body. He blinked a few times and a threeyer magic array appeared on his eyes.


    ''Bypass!''


    Leon had once again used an S Level Ocr spell, bypass. The same spell he used to decipher Eli''s S level disguise.


    Standing calmly in front of the bookshelf, the array on his eyes immediately saw through the protection spells. It revealed its ws, as well as the passageway that was concealed in front of him.


    ''The security of the restricted section is indeed well thought of.'' Leon praised the person who did the mechanisms leading to the restricted section.


    It was ced at the end of the east wing, a ce not too conspicuous to the library goers, yet seemingly too essible for the thieves since the end of the east wing had another entry and exit way.


    However, what kind of thief would think that the secret vault would be located near the exit? Most likely, they would try to search into the most secluded corners of the library.


    Before they realize that the secret passageway was located in the east entrance, they would have been long detected by the temple authorities.


    The passageway was also full of spell traps and detection arrays.


    Each of them, if activated, would send a distress signal to the temple authorities and would immediately entrap the intruder.


    The scariest part of Leon''s discovery was the restricted section was actually directly underground the High Priest''s quarters. The long winded passageway would unwittingly lead the intruder directly to the boss of the house!


    Leon couldn''t help but nod in approval to whoever designed this n. But¡­


    He was an S ss mage and an open paths possessor at that.


    Ordinary thieves may easily fall into these mechanisms but not him, who saw through these things as clear as noonday.


    "Biggie.." He uttered silently.


    Soon a tiny little golem made of hard lumps of mud appeared on Leon''s shoulders. He was sitting adorably like a stuffed toy.


    Its overall size was so tiny, he could make a bed out of Leon''s palm. Its limbs are short and plump, his belly and head round.


    There were two deep holes on his face, seemingly its eyes and its hair was actually the little drop of moss resting on top of his head.


    "Biggie, I need your ability to get past these walls." Leon scooped Golem from his shoulders and ced it on the palm of his hands.


    Upon hearing Leon''s voice, the two hollow holes emitted a yellow light and looked towards Leon. It tilted its head sideways and blinked innocently a few more times before nodding its head, telling Leon that he understood.


    It carefully stood up like a toddler trying to do this first attempt to stand and raised his plump mud hands up. A tiny line appeared in his face and formed a mouth shape.


    "Weeee!" Biggie eximed adorably while Leon could see that he was slowly melting into his palms.


    But instead of the liquified mud flowing out of his palms, it was slowly entering into Leon''s body.


    "Fuse.." Leon uttered the moment Biggiepletely disappeared in his palms.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He reached his hand on the wall just beside the bookshelf calmly. Soon his hand went past the wall without any fluctuation happening. It went past as smooth as someone dipping his body in a tub full of water.


    After his hand, he advanced forward making his whole body pass through the wallpletely.


    What he was doing right now was an ability that could only be attained by summoners on the S level - Fusion.


    It grants the master the ability to ''fuse'' and use the abilities of their contracted beings.


    Biggie, is a fairy with strong affinity in earth magic. With his abilities, he can integrate himself on any type of stone, metal or earth material and swim like one could swim in water.


    It was the ability Leon exactly needed for the situation. Why would he need to physically activate the mechanisms if he himself could be part of its structure?


    As for the detection and spell arrays it wouldn''t matter. The greatest weakness of the spell traps and detection arrays was that it didn''t consider the possibility of an S level mage intruding the structure.


    Leon moved steadily within the walls not bothering to pause just in case he touched a trap. The Bypass spell was still active in his eyes so he could perfectly see where the traps and detection spells were.


    After a few minutes of swimming through the walls he found himself in a dimly lit library. It was a small secluded room, which only contained four wooden bookshelves.


    The bookshelves contained a wide collection of writings. From books to memoirs, and even research files.


    "This is it." Leon''s eyes shed with interest as he confirmed that this was indeed the ce where he needed to go.


    He quickly examined the topics covered in the bookshelves. Most of them were records of the oracle, the origin of the scriptures and many books rted to the temple''s foundations.


    He found out that it was only around three books that covered the curses and they were not even a proper book.


    They were journals of thete priests who encountered curses throughout their years of serving in the temple.


    After ensuring that there were no surprises that could activate when Leon touched the book, he reached out and opened one.


    "On the 12th day of my eighth year of service, there was an old couple desperately running in the temple hall bringing their son for help. The poor child was no longer breathing; he was only about seven years old.


    The parents already knew that their son could no longer be saved, yet they insist that someone hurt their son by the use of foreign words. It was a wandering nomad, skinny figure and looking sinister.


    As soon as she pointed her bony fingers towards the little child, he fell to the ground convulsing intensely. Dark purple veins appeared in his body and blood immediately came out of his tiny mouth.


    I have recorded here the words uttered by the mysterious nomad as remembered by the couple..."


    "The 25th day of my twentieth year of service was a rainy season. Even so, the pce had requested my help in investigating the mysterious annihtion of a remote vige.


    Upon going to the ce, I felt the sinister atmosphere as soon as I stepped into its gates. Me and my clergymen continued to investigate around the area and observed that the corpses all had the same appearance when they died - dark purple veins and blood on their mouths and other orifices.


    I continued to investigate further. Somehow, the more I move forward to the center of the vige, the more unsettling I feel in my heart.


    True enough, when I reached the open grounds I stumbled into arge array. This was the first time I had stumbled with the array''s structure, and I can say there was no way that the array was conventional.


    After confirming the array was dead, I stepped into it and found out that at the centre of the array were footprints, seemingly that of a human. He or she stood at the array for quite some time as the mud still left heavy prints at the center of the array.


    But what was more baffling was that the being disappeared exactly at the center of the array.


    With no other clue, I could only copy the appearance of the array and the inscriptions written in it for the future sessors to find..."


    "I, the 38th priest of the Sny vige, record these memoirs to you. For years, the temple had tried their best to figure out the source and the mysteries behind it.


    It was my blessing to have been used by the Creator to know some of these things.


    To my fellow priest be warned.


    The wielders of the curse were evil people, worshiping a being called Birsha. He granted power that surpasses the abilities granted by mana, which was the Creator''s gift for all of the dwellers of Prasinos.


    It is a power beyondpare, however, to use his power, one mustmit - to find a vessel for him to continue to live in this world.


    My fellow servants of the Great Creator, be warned. I say this in myst breath as I am already afflicted with their sinister curse. Beware of the being called Birsha and his followers."

 Chapter 120 Leon Was Discovered?!

    ?Leon took note of the events and information that he deemed useful from the journal. Most of the cases recorded disy the same symptom and same oue - death.


    But in this memoirs he managed to gather one big clue, the being called Birsha!


    ording to thest priest of Sny, he was the source of the curses, also he seems to be mortal yet not mortal.


    To be a bonafied immortal, one has to live forever with no conditions nor consequences. But ording to this journal, in order for him to continue to live, he has to have a vessel to use, if not, he would most likely disappear.


    He had already read through the three memoirs and estimated that it was alreadyte in the afternoon, checking his notification papers, it seems like the rest also didn''t go home yet.


    He still had time.


    He was about to scan through the other books to know the clues about Birsha, but shook his head after realizing that all the other books were written prior to the time the Priest of Sny revealed this information.


    Also, the seeding journals mentioned that they had attempted to investigate his identity until the matter slowly died down in vain through the years.


    In short, there was no more information about the being called Birsha, at least in the restricted section.


    His crystal blue eyes frowned in unwillingness.


    Now that he had found an important clue, his leads were blocked. With the remaining time, it was impossible for him to research in the open section of the library.


    ''It seems like I have to leave this task to Mort and Julian.''


    Letting out a sigh, he summoned Biggie once again and swam through the walls, to the library exit.


    Returning to the small store room, where he could hear Julian munching his snacks happily, he knocked at the dpidated door ording to their agreed rhythm.


    "Master! You''re back! Are you hungry? I have some food here!" Julian breathed a big sigh of relief after seeing Leon well and good.


    He immediately turned into a fawning littled afterwards and led Leon inside to eat for a while.


    Looking at the fiery orange sky and dimming surroundings, Leon gently shook his head and said, "I appreciate your offer, but your future Madame is waiting for me toe home. She especially cooked the dinner for me and I am looking forward to it."


    While he was saying this, the raging ocean in his crystal blue eyes became as calm as the still waters of the river. The corner of his lips curved into a beautiful smile that could make everydy''s heart burst in affection.


    "P-pardon, master? Am I hearing things wrong?" Julian was scared stiff.


    If not for personally seeing Leon transform in his presence after stepping into the store room, he would suspect that a capable enemy managed to disguise as him and intercepted Leon.


    "Your future Madam. My future wife." Leon rified the matter without a change in his gentle expression.


    All their subordinates knew that he hated exining things twice, but somehow, there was not a hint of annoyance in his tone when he mentioned "Future Madame" twice.


    "..." Julian broke.


    He was not able to continue chewing, rather he forgot how to chew!


    He was just a simpled earlier, happily eating his carefully prepared sandwiches, until Leon rendered him unable to function as a human with his revtions.


    "Oh, I had a son too! He was born just more than a week ago." He proudly added.


    Plop!


    The poor sandwich in Julian''s hand died without justice on the store room''s cold and moldy floor. Poor sandwich didn''t get a proper burial!


    "I¡­ I see, Master! I am happy! Don''t worry much about my reaction right now! It''s just so unreal and sudden!" After a few seconds, Julian came back to earth from the shock he just received.


    Just a while ago, he was still suspecting that his master had developed weird habits because of this almost thirty years of singleness. But who would have known!


    His master had already gotten a wife and he even had a son with her!


    Oh, the heaven''s didn''t shy away from their master and gave him the magical opportunity of a married life!


    He was one hundred percent sure that the roaming des would even organize a meet up tomemorate this day!


    Their Master finally found a Madame!


    They even have a young master already!


    "Oh! What a great day!" Julian''s eyes formed two crescent moons as he happily picked up the juice and served his master.


    "Master, it is only juice for now, but let me offer you this toast to wish you, our future Madame and young master''s happy life!!!"


    "Uhn!" Leon didn''t mock Julian''s gesture, instead he properly received the toast.


    After that, Leon immediately changed his clothes, they wrapped everything up about the investigations, identified the next steps to do, and silently went back to the lounge.


    But before they reached the building, Julian whispered, "Master, about the matter you have said, could we share it with others?"


    "You may, but I forbid you to approach them yet, this is the same for the crimson des. Your future Madame, is Eli, the riverfort Asani. I am sure that with this information, you know what I meant and what you all need to do."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon didn''t restrict this information from them, for the Roaming des had all taken an oath of absolute loyalty to him.


    What he was just worried of was the risk of Eli and Little Han being brought into limelight because of their movements.


    Julian nodded with understanding.


    As a roaming de, he had ess to information even more than the Crimsons. He and hisrades knew the gravity of Leon''s order. He was more than happy that Leon allowed them to know her identity.


    It''s better not to attract enemies. No matter how excited they were for Leon, they had to grit their teeth and restrain themselves for their master''s good.


    "Do not worry, after the missions, I would make way for all of you to meet them officially, this is the same with the Crimson des." Leon consoled him, by patting his shoulders.


    "Understood master.." He replied with a whisper, but his hazel brown eyes were filled with yearning and excitement.


    He really looked forward to the day where his master would openly share to the whole empire his little family.


    Bidding goodbye, Leon headed back to the lounge and saw that everyone was here except for Emperor Valentin.


    "His Majesty, Father Emperor, hasn''te back yet?" He asked ze and Olivier in a hushed tone.


    "Yes, Your Highness." They replied.


    Hearing this, worry appeared in his eyes, as he would bete in his dinner appointment with Eli. How long would his father chat around the temple, did he n to stay here overnight?


    Helpless about it, he could only sit beside his mother and wait in impatience.


    After around five minutes, Emperor Valentine came back, with the High Priest beside him.


    While exchanging greetings, the high priest took a good look on all of them. Leon found it interesting to witness the High Priest, who had long detached himself on worldy matters, spare the Imperial Family attention for a few seconds.


    But afterwards, the High Priest smiled, and recited words of benediction for them. He even had his trusted aide send them off on the way back.


    Since it was already dark, they each boarded their own enclosed carriages.


    "ze and Olivier, please escort Mother for me." He quickly instructed and had the coach man speed off to his pce.


    The two were helpless to see their master rush on the way home, yet they didn''t dare to utter a word, lest any outsider hear about the reason why.


    They could only exchange a knowing look and proceeded to ensure Queen Teh''s safety on her way back home.


    Meanwhile, Eli was currently happy with her work in the kitchen. She prepared a lot of vegetable side dishes and meat.


    With the help of Rosea and Ron, they cut the meat into thin slices, ensuring that each slice had ayer of fat and meat distributed. She then divided it into three portions.


    The first portion, she seasoned with salt and ck pepper. The second one, she seasoned it with a mixture of soy sauce, honey, ck pepper and garlic. The third one with sesame oil, salt, brown sugar and ground chilli red peppers.


    Moreover, she had the other four des set up a peculiar outdoor long table; there were three holes in the long table, where a round iron grill was installed with exact fitting.


    What else could she be preparing but a Korean Barbeque Feast!


    Feeling a little proud of herself for finishing all the preparations, she sat back to her study table after checking the sleeping Little Han.


    On her study table, she flipped the pages of the book of knowledge to continue her research about her project while waiting for Leon.


    Ding!


    Just as she was about to type a word for searching, she heard a chime sound and a notification bell appeared on the top right corner of the search bar.


    Curious, what could the notification be, she clicked it and read the message.


    "An information has been updated on your pinned search - Leon Andrae de Seirende. Click to check the new information out."


    Eli''s brow raised in curiosity, she didn''t know that the book had this feature when she pins a search topic. Eli pinned Leon''s information in the book of knowledge during the time she first met Leon.


    It actually slipped her mind to take the pin off Leon''s information. But who would have known that she would receive an update.


    Eli''s heart skipped a beat. She became worried about the nature of information that has been updated. She knew that there were ssifications of information in the book of knowledge, depending on how many people knew of such.


    If this information turned public, it may most likely be a big matter.


    If it was private information turned exclusive, or worse public, then it means one of Leon''s secrets were brought out in the open!


    Mentally preparing herself for whatever the information was, she clicked the notification.


    A five-word phrase appeared in blue text in addition to all the registered information about Leon.


    "S ss, Open Path Mage."

 Chapter 121 Smells Like Baby Powder!

    ?Eli''s heart dropped coldly on the floor. Her forehead started to perspire as she felt an extreme sense of uneasiness.


    What could this mean?


    Did someone tailed Leon and managed to get a hold of this information?


    How many were they?


    Were they allies or enemies? Will they use this information against him?


    Most of all, how will this impact Leon?


    She could feel that Leon had deliberately concealed the extent of his abilities to protect the people around him, his parents, the des and now, his little family.


    She could only pray that whoever discovered Leon''s abilities were not their foes but their allies. At the very least, they would choose to be bystanders and not do anything.


    Still feeling anxious, she scooped Little Han into her arms and hugged him warmly in her embrace.


    "My baby,e give me some of your peace. I feel so worried for your dad¡­" She brought her face near Little Han''s peaceful sleeping face as she closed her eyes to try and calm her emotions down.


    "Why are you worrying about me?" Suddenly, an extremely maic and alluring voice softly travelled through Eli''s ears.


    "Are you afraid that I would forget our dinner time?" His voice followed teasingly.


    "Leon.." Normally, Eli would try to bicker whenever Leon kept teasing her, but this time, she was too worried to even snide at his foxy actions.


    Leon felt that Eli wasn''t feeling good, he immediately sat beside her and looked at her with an earnest and attentive gaze, "Tell me, what''s the matter?"


    "It''s like this¡­" Seeing that Leon was determined to know the cause of her worry, Eli immediately exined her discovery.


    Just this morning, Eli had already told him about her abilities including the book and its capabilities. This time, Eli exined how the book functions whenever she tries to search for a person.


    Upon knowing that Eli actually ''pinned'' his information in the book of knowledge, he couldn''t help but secretly smile in his heart.


    It just feels so sweet when you know that the person you love also wanted to get to know you more.


    How could he not be happy with that?


    When he heard the next sentences, he finally understood why Eli was that worried for him.


    "Leon, with this happening, coupled by that scary dreamst night, I couldn''t help but feel worried."


    Eli still vividly remembered the scene where Leon was alone in the battlefield, surrounded by countless wolves and the corpse of his subordinates.


    Her heart couldn''t help but shudder in fear, for Leon to be pushed in that state, how prepared could the enemy be?


    She couldn''t help but associate this matter to that premonition.


    Seeing that Eli was diving into overthinking again, Leon stretched out his arms and just hugged her without saying a word, just soothing her mood to calmness.


    During the few months of knowing Eli, he was dazzled by her strong drive to be independent and capable.


    Whenever she sets her eyes into something, her eyes would shine in determination, her way of expressing her opinions were so excellent and graceful, standing up straight with her head held high in confidence, and even her insights were beyondparison.


    But the only weakness she had was she was an overthinker.


    The first time she overthought was during their first proper meeting, she even broke down so bad that she ended up fainting. Then he witnessed it happen again during herbor, earlier this morning, and even right now.


    Whenever she overthinks, she would be in extreme panic, all her walls would be broken, her confidence almost non-existent, her calm and rational thinking would be inplete disarray, leaving her feeling extremely insecured, self deprecating and scared.


    He wondered, what experiences did she encounter during her previous life that made her like this?


    This left Leon helpless.


    He didn''t know what words to say. He also knows deep in his heart that right now, no words could prate her shaken heart until she calmed down.


    Even so, he just chose to stay by her side and let her feel that the burden wasn''t all hers to bear.


    He hugged her and Little Han for a while, letting them be secured with his embrace.


    These two people he cherished the most, he would do his best to keep them safe from harm, no matter who his enemies were!


    Stayingpletely still in Leon''s arms, the delicate scent of baby powder dominated Eli''s sense of smell. She thought that the scent came from Little Han, but after some time, she discovered that it wasing from Leon''s broad chest and neck.


    "Leon.. are you the one who took half of Little Han''s baby powder?" Eli, who was just buried in Leon''s chest, suddenly looked up with her misty midnight eyes.


    As soon as she looked up, she coincidentally saw that Leon was also looking back at her with a gentle expression, their faces only a few inches away from each other.


    Her body suddenly felt like it was burning hot, as soon as Leon''s breath gently touched her forehead. She found herself unable to draw her eyes away from Leon''s beauty.


    Oh, that tiny beauty mark under his eye was the most perfectly ced dot the Creator has ever made!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon couldn''t help but gulp guiltily.


    First was because his thoughts right now were to just lean a few inches forward and kiss Eli''s forehead. How perfect their position were! How fitting the timing was!


    Second was that he really did ''steal'' some of Little Han''s baby powder.


    Eli finally woke up in her trance when she realized that Leon had a guilty expression on his face.


    "So you did steal Little Han''s baby powder!" She eximed usingly.


    "Eherm.. I couldn''t help it, it smells good. Actually, it kind of suits my taste too.." Leon nervously averted his gaze towards Eli''s using look.


    He would never tell her that he switched from using his exclusive perfume blend that was even especially made by the Seirende''s top perfumers, to Little Han''s baby powder just because one time he saw Eli dressing Little Han while shouting,


    "Oh, how adorably refreshing Little Han''s scent is! Let Mommy shower you with kisses!!!"


    "Who''s the good smelling baby???"


    "It''s my baby Little Han~~~" Then the mother and son giggled happily as they yed around.


    He was envious!!! Alright!!!


    He wanted to... smell good too!


    If Eli likes the scent, then he should wear it too, so that Eli would find him smelling good too!


    That''s why he decisively took half of Little Han''s baby powder and brought it with him.


    "Pfttt!" Eli couldn''t help but break into a recklessughter.


    This was the first time she saw a full grown man im to love the scent of baby powder over the typical manly perfume scent.


    ''Is it because he became a daddy?'' She couldn''t help but be amused.


    Leon couldn''t help but feel hot in his face as a pink tint bloomed in his ears. "If you don''t like it, I''ll give it back." He said sulkily.


    "Ah.. no, no. Haha.." Eli shook her head as she wiped the mist in her eyes, still happilyughing. "But really if you like it that much, I''ll blend more for you!"


    "Alright." Feeling pleased with Eli''smitment, he replied while gently patting her head, "Are you feeling alright now?"


    "Uhn! Thank you Leon." Eli replied with a sweet smile.


    May it be intentional or not, but she couldn''t deny that Leon always had the power to calm down her uncontroble state of mind.


    "Oh, right, dinner is ready. Everyone is waiting outside!" Eli was back to being the typical queen of the house as she invited Leon outside.


    The dinner set up outside was warm and lively as the golden yellow orbs of light were installed around the garden, lighting up the dining table brightly.


    The smell of burning coal assaulted Leon''s nose as he looked at the busy people, going in and out of the cottage, bringing out the meat and vegetables.


    "This is?" Leon turned towards Eli with a curious expression, he never saw a dining set up like this.


    "In my previous world, we called it Korean Barbeque Feast." Eli calmly exined.


    As they sat around the table and prayed, she introduced the meal to everyone, from the lettuce and the vegetable side dishes, the egg stew, the sauces she made, and the marinated meat.


    She also had the des carve sets of bowls and chopsticks and tried to introduce to them how it was done in her world.


    Of course, she still prepared tongs and the normal cutleries because she knew that they would have a hard time eating with chopsticks.


    Too bad, there''s still no rice, so she still had to make do with alternatives.


    After Eli demonstrated how it is cooked and eaten, everyone enthusiastically went grilling.


    The whole atmosphere was filled with the continuous sizzle of the grilled meat and everyone''s exmations of praise.


    Leon was just as excited and pleased as the others.


    When he first looked at the meat, he was skeptical because it was so thin, would it really have a taste?


    But then after eating the first slice, his crystal blue eyes lit up in surprise. The meaty vor from the alternateyers of fat and meat bursted in his mouth like fireworks!


    "Delicious!"


    The more he ate, the more fervent his expression was!


    For a total meat lover like him, the taste was heaven! He took a few more slices and finally looked at Eli in with a fiery expression.


    ''Ahh, this woman! I must absolutely marry her!''

 Chapter 122 Conversation With The High Priest 1

    ?Ever since the day Leon finally met Eli with Little Han, he had something to look forward to.


    No matter how toxic the life in the pce was, no matter how much disdain and ridicule was thrown at him. Being in theirpany would instantly wash away the gloom and coldness in his heart.


    In this life where he had to stay in the dark to keep his parents safe,


    He has found a treasure in the depths of the cave.


    A treasure more precious than silver and gold;


    A treasure he desperately longed to hold.


    He spent the dinner time with his tummy and heart full. Before he slept for the night, he tenderly looked at Eli and said,


    "Eli, I promise to protect you and Little Han. So I''ll do my best to be safe and victorious for the missions ahead."


    Eli nodded wordlessly as she looked at Leon''s earnest eyes. He sat in his bed on the other side of the room, exuding steadfastness that made Eli''s heart trust him heavily. She knew well that the words meant more than what he actually said.


    He said not to worry, because he''ll be careful.


    He said he will do everything he could toe back safe and well.


    He said that she and Little Han must wait for him.


    He said to believe in him and he will surelye back.


    --


    On the other side of the capital, contrary to the tranquil and warm night in the little cottage, was a night full of tossing and turning to some people.


    One of them was the greatest pir of the Seirende Empire, Emperor Valentin.


    His heart was visibly shaken as he tried to push himself to sleep. Deep lines appeared on his forehead as his mind was full of thoughts about his conversation with the High Priest.


    Earlier today, he decided to converse with the High Priest, even though he already knew the answer to the mystery of the oracle. He thought that this trip would be easy and it wouldn''t take long for him to talk with him.


    However, as soon as he entered therge and spacious study, he never expected that the high priest would have a huge mountain of words for him to say.


    "Ah, Valentin, You''re finally here young boy~~~" An aged yet cheerful voice resonated in the study. It came from the High Priest who was leisurely sipping his tea on the couch.


    Since he was no longer in the ceremony, he was already wearing a pure white robe with a golden belt. It looked simple and clean as his long grey hair and beard colored his whole countenance.


    Although one could say that he was definitely older than Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben, a holy aura emanates around him, making him full of vitality and energy.


    Emperor Valentin couldn''t help but twitch at his remark, "Please, Your Excellency, I am already an old man in my fifties. I can never be considered a ''young boy''." He said in a helpless tone.


    "Hmm.. In the Creator''s eyes we are all children. And in my eyes, you are still that little boy." He replied casually. He took a good look at the Emperor who was already sitting on the couch opposite him.


    "I see you have found the subject of the oracle." The High Priest remarked in a matter of factly manner.


    Emperor Valentin''s heart skipped a beat, his mind became cautious and his expression became colder. If anyone would look closely, they would definitely mirror Leon''s frigid expression ovepping to the Emperor''s face.


    Seeing the drastic change in Valentin''s expression, the High Priest let out an amused chuckle as if he was looking at him like a child whom he caught stealing candies.


    "Ahahaha, do not worry, I do not n to take her away from where she is at this moment."


    Emperor Valentin had a sharp glint in his eyes, his protective instincts kicked in as soon as he heard the high priest mention Eli''s gender.


    "I don''t seem to understand what you are saying." He carefully said, trying to sound the High Priest out.


    He didn''t believe that the temple would let Eli stay outside the temple now that the High Priest had already clearly stated that he knew who she was.


    "It''s simple!" The high priest took a cookie at the coffee table and bit it happily as he continued, "Her calling was never to serve inside the temple."


    Emperor Valentin was skeptical, the High Priest''s personality was unpredictable, and he really didn''t trust him enough to take his word as it is.


    "Still not convinced, I see? Then watch this.." As if he was fully aware of what Emperor Valentin was thinking, he snapped his fingers and activated the projection stone on the side of the room.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What the projection stone was actually ying was the cleansing rites that the Imperial Family performed earlier, particrly during Empress Carolina''s turn.


    The two watched silently to the scene and soon they noticed that a tiny wisp of ck smoke appeared at the handle of the bell artifact.


    When it was Queen Lucia''s turn, the ck smoke didn''t react at all, it stayed there until she finished her portion.


    However, when Queen Teh appeared in the scene, a faint white light covered her whole body, even the hem of her clothes. When she touched the artifact something happened.


    Tsss!


    The ck smoke was visibly being dissolved by the white light. When it knew that it was not a match against the white light, it shot back to Empress Carolina''s heart as if it was fleeing.


    As soon as the ck smoke entered the Empress, her expression was filled with pain and herplexion became pale. When the suffering reached its peak, she weakly copsed to the ground.


    "This!" Emperor Valentin was shocked, he never knew that Eli''s blessing would be so effective against curses. Another thing was that he never knew that failed curses would cause a terrifying rebound like this.


    "Now you must believe me huh??? See what I have sacrificed for you? I had one of the holy artifacts be defiled for this experiment!" The High Priest said smugly in a childish manner.


    "Now with this, we can conclude that she was much more needed outside than here in the walls of the temple. Remember, that most of the victims of these sinister curses were outside the temple''s walls."


    He sipped his tea, now in a serious manner. "So young Valentin, tell me about her, the young Asani."


    Surrendering to the High Priest''s prowess, Emperor Valentin sighed and exined about Eli, Little Han and Leon.


    He was actually hoping that he could hide Eli''s ability as the subject of the oracle but he totally underestimated the discerning power of the High Priest.


    "Hmm, hmm, I see. So she was your daughter inw¡­ Hmm¡­" The High Priest replied with an unfathomable expression in his eyes. Emperor Valentin couldn''t even guess a drop of his thoughts.


    He finally showed a worried and dejected expression. He felt pity for the little family of three; anotheryer ofplication appeared to obstruct their right to live peacefully.


    Especially Eli, her Asani identity pushed her to live in the dark, yet her abilities and desire to create a family for Little Han were slowly forcing her to step into the light.


    "Do not show such a dejected expression! I am not a clueless man." The High Priest chastised Emperor Valentin''s thoughts. "I am not a person who would refuse to look at the big picture. I am the High Priest!"


    "Apologies. Forgive my naivety, Esteemed High Priest."


    Emperor Valentin realized that he had taken for granted the fact that the High Priest treated him differently.


    He forgot to conduct himself appropriately in front of him. Showing such distrusting expression to a person who advocates trust in the Creator was an utter insult.


    "Hmmf.." Seeing that Emperor Valentin acknowledged his wrongs, the High Priest''s demeanor softened with a childish pout.


    "Esteemed High Priest, about the Empress. This could be considered as conclusive evidence right?" Emperor Valentin moved to the more serious topic. Now, they could show to the entire Seirende who Carolina was with this recording.


    The High Priest simply shook his head and said, "Even if we could, you cannot bring her down yet."


    Startled at the High Priest''s opposing view, he looked at him with puzzlement in his aged face, "May you grant me the privilege to know the reason?" He politely asked.


    Tak!


    The High Priest calmly ced his teacup on the coffee table and looked at Emperor Valentin with a somber expression. "Do you remember the time you woke up from a deepa?"


    Emperor Valentin nodded, it took him months to wake up from the injuries created by Carolina. But even as he woke up, he was still a helpless and powerless emperor at that time.


    Out of options, he chose not to look proudly at the heavens, but instead submit to it. Running towards the temple in desperation, he met the High Priest and told him everything.


    The High Priest listened and looked at him with pity.


    "Yes, that time, you told me about a prophecy that came silently in the temple." Emperor Valentin nodded and recalled that moment.


    "Uhn, that prophecy came even before your father''s birth in the empire. But days before your wedding night, the prophecy was reiterated and it revealed another part."


    "The evil will rise in the midst of the walls and bring forth absolute downfall to the Empire.


    But Hope will descend for the generations toe."

 Chapter 123 Conversation With The High Priest 2

    ?"Indeed.. But you told me clearly at that time that it wouldn''te in my generation." Emperor Valentin recalled with sadness in his eyes.


    "That was why you told me not to say anything, nor do anything to the Empress even though we clearly witnessed all her wrong doings." He continued with grievance.


    It was not because of what the High Priest told him at that time, but because he knew that he had no choice because he was powerless against Carolina''s sinister powers.


    "Surely, you clearly understood now what I meant. That time, it was because there was no one in your generation who could stand against her sinister powers. But now.." The High Priest needed not to continue the rest of his words, for he knew that Emperor Valentin had already understood.


    "You mean Eli, she¡­" Emperor Valentin gulped in anxiety with mixed emotions in his heart.


    He was jubnt that they had already found who could stand against Empress Carolina, yet he became worried because it was Eli, his future daughter inw.


    "But now is not yet time. It was too early and too risky for her. No wonder, even though I have received the oracle, I felt no sense of urgency to find who the subject is. If you had note to me, if I had not witnessed everything with my own eyes, I would never be able to understand the Creator''s intention." The High Priest calmly said with an enlightened manner.


    "To also think that the descent of the oracle coincided with the birth of your grandson.. I deeply believe that it was also the Creator''s grace to send an oracle right after the ringing of bells. I reckon that your grandson will also grow to be an extraordinary person, favored by the Creator!"


    "But now, what the both of us should do is to keep all these from other people until they are ready."


    Emperor Valentin stayed silent, listening to the High Priest words, taking in everything so that he would never forget.


    "But be ready! Sooner orter, we, the servants of the Creator, will need to contact and take her under our wings. Even if her calling is to go to the vastnds of the Empire, she still needs our authority and support. Of course, that would be after having a heart to heart conversation with her and your son~~"


    "I understand, Esteemed High Priest. Just like you, I wanted to protect the Empire and the people important to me, as well. I will remember your words fully." Emperor Valentin finally said a word.


    Ultimately, he professed his intention to listen to the High Priest''s words, the one who wholeheartedly served the Creator. With the enemy hidden in the dark, while he was out in the open, the only thing that he could ce his faith on was to the One Who Sees it all, the Creator.


    "Uhn! Just be extra cautious. If possible, figure out why the Empress suddenly became active again in her schemes. What could be the main trigger of these things?" Pleased to see the Emperor take his words seriously, he continued to warn him of other things.


    "Most possibly, she was threatened by the sudden attention given to the Third Prince. What she wanted was to take control of the throne through my first born Kazimir." Remembering this matter, Emperor Valentin was once again disheartened by what was happening in the Imperial Family.


    He couldn''t help but me himself for his ipetence back then. If he could protect Teh, there would only be one spouse to the Emperor, subsequently there would be no conflicts about the heir to the throne.


    "The question is, would you give him the throne?" The High Priest asked him in a stern manner.


    "Sigh¡­" Empero Valentin felt helpless, but an earnest expression appeared in his eyes as he looked at the High Priest.


    "I would, if his heart lies not on the throne but on the people he would rule."


    "Even if he and Antoine were a product of my weakness and Carolina''s scheme, in my eyes, they were my precious son, equal to Leon. They all have the same rights and chances to ascend to the throne. To Kazimir, I will never identify him with the sins of his mother. He is my son, and so was Antoine and Leon." Emperor Valentin poured his heart out.


    "Hmmm.. As long as your heart and eyes remain open, you will find who among them is fitting to be your sessor." The High Priest gave an approving nod.


    With the matters of the throne, he would not influence Emperor Valentin of his decision, that was because he knew well how desperate Emperor Valentin tried to be a just and fair father for the three.


    It was just that, the matters of the throne were tooplicated. No matter how good Emperor Valentin''s intention was for his sons, it waspletely up to them if they would ept their father''s ideals.


    "Alright, I think that''s all I wanted to say¡­" The High Priest pped his hands trying to lift the Emperor''s mood and wrap the conversation up.


    Cling! Cling! Cling!


    But before they could continue, they heard an rming sound of the bellsing from the High Priest''s study table.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The High Priest stood up with a cold expression on his face, "Someone, took a book in the library''s restricted section!"


    He was actually baffled, to think that the simplest machine he installed at the bookshelves would be the one who would inform him of this matter, not the detection and trap spells that were even installed around the restricted section!


    The intruder was definitely formidable!


    "This¡­" Emperor Valentin was shocked, he knew how strict and secured the restricted section was, but it waspromised! What''s more, it waspromised at the time he was coincidentally visiting the temple!


    "Let''s look at it first.." The High Priest was cautious, he deduced that the intruder was at least a peak stage A level mage in order to enter the section in such a scary manner.


    The room was directly underground, if he was hasty, he could even implicate Emperor Valentin and the rest of the Imperial Family. He took the projection stone and casted a spell on it, it immediately projected the scene inside the restricted section of the library.


    But what they saw from the projection stone made them unable to react for a long period of time.


    "This¡­ this.. Leon!" Emperor Valentin was in disbelief! How could Leon infiltrate the temple''s restricted section! How could he even do that?!


    Great panic and self admonishment appeared in his face as he looked towards the High Priest saying, "Esteemed High Priest, I apologize for my son''s impudence. I take full responsibility for this.." His voice was shaking in shock and trepidation.


    The High Priest raised his hand and gestured him to stop. A calm and unfathomable expression showed in his face as he watched through the projection stone silently.


    Understanding that the High Priest wanted absolute silence, Emperor Valentin swallowed all his words and sat meekly. He watched along with him with an extremely anxious expression.


    For the rest of the day, they watched Leon read through the three memoirs, contemted, mumbled some words in deep thought, and took notes. They watched him carefully take the memoirs back in the bookshelf, change into another face and summon Biggie to exit the restricted section.


    "!!!" As soon as Leon changed his face and summoned Biggie, the little golem, the two elders looked at each other in shock.


    Who in the whole Prasinos does not know that the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire was unfortunately born with low aptitude in magic?! He was only a D ss Devourer!


    But how was he able to summon an earth spirit?! How was he able to change disguise so strongly?! How was he able to perform a high ss summoning spell called "Fusion"?!


    "Ah, hahaha!" The High Priest suddenly burst outughing in amusement. "Oh, young Valentin! All your grievances in the past were washed away with the Creator''s favor to your descendants!!" He eximed in joy.


    "..." Emperor Valentin was still in a daze after witnessing Leon''s prowess.


    The son he tried so hard to protect back then, turned out to be blessed with a rare constitution! He was a devourer, caster and a summoner too! Looking at his fusion spell, he could be at least a peak stage A ss!


    "But still... To do this... I am embarrassed, Esteemed High Priest. I sincerely apologize for my son''s conduct." Emperor Valentin put everything aside and still acted as a responsible father in front of the High Priest.


    "Don''t bother, just directly tell him toe to me if he needs more information, I could even grant him ess to my own journal! Just reprimand him for me, but don''t be too harsh." The High Priest answered in a carefree manner.


    "Besides, what he was actually seeking waspletely aligned with our worries. He only took the journalption about the curses. I could tell that he was starting toy down the foundations for our Empire''s Hope tobat the sinister curses!" He added with obvious delight and pride in his face.


    He looked at Emperor Valentin and reiterated, "So be lenient when chastising him alright? After all, he was ultimately helping us!"


    "This.. Alright, I''ll heed your words, Esteemed High Priest." Even with his emotions unreconciled, he still affirmed the High Priest''s advice.


    And so, Emperor Valentin went home to the pce with a shaken heart and troubled mind. With so many things he discovered today, he didn''t even know how he would face all of these in the days toe!

 Chapter 124 Spectre Clearing Operations - Preparation

    ?Few days have passed. The Emperor, Princes and the clearing operations team have been busy preparing for the mission.


    General Farauld decided that there would only be eighty knights going out of the capital to disperse across the Empire and attack the enemy. The rest of the forces wille from the forces stationed locally on the target points.


    Everyone agreed to use swarming tactics for the Phase 1 of the operations to overwhelm the Spectre and achieve victory. For the swarming tactic, the chain ofmand and control will be sacrificed for agility, focus and convergence.


    With their small numbers and time constraint in getting acquainted with the local forces, it was the best strategy applicable. They had to attack fast, uniformly and strongly in order to ensure that the Spectre was caught off-guard and bepletely defeated.


    Since the chain ofmand was decentralized, the crux of this strategy is uniformity.


    Every attacking unit shall adopt the same tactics in dealing with the target forces. They will continue to do it repeatedly until all they converge and overwhelm the remaining forces.


    There were a total of 44 targets, haphazardly distributed within the Empire. With the consensus of everyone, the whole army will be divided into three divisions.


    The first division will be the North-East Division, with 4 five-man team subunits from the capital,plemented by forty to sixty local unit troops. They will be in charge of targeting the 8 identified locations located in the north and east territory.


    After eliminating the forces, two of the subunits will stay for phase two and the others will advance to reinforce the southeast. The four subunits will be led by Second Prince Antoine, the Viridescent Summoner''s Left and Right Commands and one of General Farauld''s Lieutenants.


    The next was the West Division, consisting of 5 subunitsplemented by the simr number of local forces.


    They will target the 9 identified locations in the west and just like the North-East Division, they will leave 2 sub units behind for the Phase 2 and proceed to overwhelm the south west. They will be led by First Prince Kazimir, with the left and rightmands of the Amethyst Warlocks and two of Imperial Sky Night''s Lieutenants.


    Thest division was the South Division, with the remaining 7 subunits, which were divided under the leadership of Leon and General Farauld. They will be targeting the first fourteen out of the twenty seven target locations in the south, and converge with the first two divisions to sweep the remaining half.


    The small army units will simultaneously attack on the first batch of the targeted locations and strive to achieve victory within a day.


    After recuperating, they willmence the second wave of attack. By this time, the forces on the North, East and West Territory would be settled, and the assigned sub units would quickly transport to the south territory for the third wave.


    Finally, after all the target areas had been raided, they had to address the aftermath. In this case, the people assigned to stay would be led by the Princes and a counterpart Lieutenant from the Imperial Sky Knights.


    The overall n was estimated to be finished in three months to half a year, depending on how well Phase 1 was executed.


    The Emperor had opened the treasury in order to utilize the precious mana stones to shorten the travel time of the troops and to also allow them to depart from the capital silently.


    He even decreed to buy arge bulks of notification papers in order to ensure that the coordinations would be more agile and convenient.


    With this, everyone hopes that all will go ording to n.


    The tedious coordination and preparation made the days pass by and in a blink of an eye, it was already the day for the troops to depart from the capital.


    The troops were set to depart past midnight and teleport to the sixteen pre-identified locations. They have the rest of the day to part with their families and attend to their matters before meeting at the rendezvous point, the Sun Tower, for teleportation.


    For Leon and Eli, it was rather a busy yet mncholic day. Eli silently worked to pack all of Leon''s things in his space pouch.


    Before the two met, Leon didn''t need to spend time to prepare for these things. He would just silently proceed to lead his troops, only armed with his sword, a few rations of dried food and water, then a stack of notification and spell papers.


    But now, Leon watched helplessly as Eli busied herself in the past few days to make a lot of food rations for him. From food to clothing, his new favorite baby powder and sleeping kit, Eli meticulously nned and prepared for everything.


    To add to this, he also received a lot of magical items from Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben in hopes to lessen the burden of his small army in dealing with the Spectre.


    Thus, Leon''s pretty empty space pouch was almost torn because of over capacity. Luckily, Grandpa Andi gifted him another space bag with arger capacity, in this way, he was able to carry all the items his future wife, Eli, had packed painstakingly.


    He estimated that with all the meat, fishes, pickled vegetables and fruit preserves, he could feed the entire Crimson des in one month if they opted to eat without restraint.


    "Leon, just make do with this¡­ I haven''t studied enough to produce canned goods and vacuum sealed food from my previous world, so I have no choice but to use the old fashioned way to preserve these food rations.." Eli told Leon with deep regret in her eyes.


    Too bad, if she was able to do this, Crimson de''s mobility and logistics would improve by leaps and bounds. However, she was simply too busy juggling between research, motherhood and training her physicalbat skills.


    She was even called from time to time to navigate the next steps for flourishing the ck hair industry which was about to be officiallyunched in the entire Belizia Kingdom in theing months.


    Moreover, she hoped that she would never do this again for Leon. She hoped that Leon would never leave for war and put his life in danger ever again.


    "It''s alright, this is more than enough." Leon looked at Eli with sincerity and gratitude. "I couldn''t thank you enough for preparing all this."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was holding Little Han in his arms, maximizing the remaining time he could spend with his little son. Great sadness appeared in his eyes, as he knew that he would not be there to celebrate Little Han''s monthly celebration.


    He hugged Little Han tenderly, remembering his warmth and face, deeply etching it in his heart.


    He snuck a look towards the busy body Eli and gave a defeated smile.


    How he wanted to give her a hug too¡­ but too bad, Eli would be angry if he did that.


    He could not do anything but to keep on hugging and interacting with Little Han topensate for his loss of not being able to hug Eli before he leaves.


    It was already deep in the night, only a few hours before their departure in the Sun Tower. The family of Three, along with the five des, used the cottage''s teleportation array to travel to the Crimson de''s barracks.


    As Leon promised, Eli had to see all the Crimson des and pray for their safety throughout the missions. But because of the tedious preparation in the past few days, they only managed to do it hours before the departure.


    They teleported to Leon''s study in the barracks, and they proceeded to enter the Crimson de''s strategy room.


    Even if it was already deep in the night, the room was well lit and filled with energy because of the people waiting inside. Seventeen strong and mighty young men dressed in low key guard clothes looked at Leon, Eli and Little Han with excited gazes.


    With unison, they stomped their feet, half knelt to the ground and bowed.


    "The Crimson des greets the Wielder of the Sword!"


    "The Crimson des greets the Future Madame and Young Master!"


    Leon nodded and reciprocated their greetings, Eli let out a simple smile and a cordial greeting.


    Leon''s cold andmanding voice resonated in the hall. It was the first time Eli saw Leon in his war god mode!


    His pair of crystal blue eyes emanated a sharp glint while his body stood like a mighty rock. His low maic voice sounded like thunder, prating every listener''s heart.


    "The time hase for us to take the first step to eliminate the Spectre! Now is the time to face our nemesis! Now is the time to bring our people their most deserved peace!"


    "Let us straighten our backs, tighten the grips to our sword andmand our knees to remain stable and unshakable!"


    "Take a step forward to kill the enemy, swing the sword for victory!"


    "OHHHHHH!!" The Crimson de''s shouted in unison. Their deep desire to defeat the Spectre resonated in the hall, it als prated straight to Eli''s heart.


    "Before we leave, Eli, the mother of my precious son, Johann, will plead to the heavens and seek the blessings of our Great Creator. Everyone, in solemn bow!"


    The entire Crimson des, including Leon, who was still carrying Little Han, knelt on the ground, looked up to the sky with submissive eyes and bowed their heads in humility.


    Eli stood there in silence, cing her hands into her heart, she uttered these words wholeheartedly.


    "Oh, may You bless the brave men,


    Great One who brings forth strength and might!


    Grant them the heart that will never relent,


    For it is for Your glory that their hands chose to fight!"


    "The wicked stood strong, bringing terror,


    To the weak and poor who pleads for your salvation.


    And so, Oh Great One, let these men end the horror,


    Strongly, they go forth ande back, still clothed with Your Holy protection!"

 Chapter 125 Spectre Clearing Operations, Departure!

    ?Rumble!


    As soon as Eli''s words finished, the heavens responded with a resounding thunder. As if conversing with Eli, the heavens roared and let the rest of the des awestruck!


    After the roaring thunders, a gentle white light appeared, covering Leon and the Crimson des. The white light gently pulsated until it became faint and invisible.


    Everyone felt goosebumps flow on every inch of their body. They didn''t expect to witness a person virtually interacting with the heavens.


    Except for Leon and Olivier, who had already witnessed Eli''s abilities, the rest of the Crimson des looked at Eli in admiration.


    The future madam is so capable!


    Who otherdy in the whole Prasinos could move the heavens with a prayer? It was only their madame, Eli!!!!


    "Crimson des, brothers I keep dearly into my heart," Leon calmed the excited crowd, he looked at them, still emanating a dignified presence.


    "For what you have witnessed tonight, I trust that you would help me keep this matter until I give permission."


    "We definitely will!!!" Almost immediately, they responded to Leon''s request.


    Who among them would want to carelessly brag about the capabilities of their madame? What if the moment they brag, some other men would try to snatch their precious madame away from them and Master?


    No way! We will keep madame to ourselves! She will only be for our master! Not to any other man!


    As much as the Crimson des wanted to be acquainted with their Madame, the situation was inappropriate. Thus, after exchanging some greetings with the des, Leon had to send Eli and Little Han Back to the cottage.


    As soon as Leon exited the room to teleport Eli and Little Han back to the cottage, the rest of the des swarmed around the five assigned guards to inquire about the two.


    "Hey Neil, tell us how Madame was like!"


    "What are her hobbies? Does she have anything she particrly likes?"


    "Our Madame is so beautiful! She really looked good with our Master!!!"


    "Too bad, our Master and Madame still had to hide along with our Little Master because of that abominable Spectre!


    "Ah!! Let''s do our best on this mission so that our Master and Madame will be able to live peacefully!"


    "Yeah!! For our Madame and Master!"


    Leon and Eli teleported back in the cottage in an instant. As soon as they arrived, the two could already feel each other''s anxiousness about their impending separation.


    "I''ll tuck Little Han before I go." Leon uttered gently.


    Still unable to reply in words, Eli just gave a permitting nod.


    The two silently walked to the bedroom. Eli watched Leon nkly as he lovingly tucked Little Han to sleep.


    There''s a lot going on in her heart, she was actually overwhelmed with questions in her mind. How could Leon''s departure this time struck Eli''s heart anxiously?


    If she would strictly count the number of days she interacted with Leon face to face, it would only be tantamount to less than a month. Yet how could it be that their separation brought a heavier impact in her heart?


    Could it be that Leon was starting to have a special ce in her heart?


    At the thought of this, Eli became more nervous. If that was the case, did she develop a certain extent of dependence on him? Is that why she was anxious to be separated from him this time?


    Or maybe it was because of the dream?


    However, she rejected thetter immediately. If she was anxious just because of the dream, but not to the fact that Leon was subjecting himself to actual danger for her and Little Han, then she would be the most superficial woman in the world!


    This is not good! She was getting more and more confused right now! She had to sort her feelings out at least before Leones back.


    Looking at Leon''s lonesome figure as he continued to tuck Little Han before he marched for war, Eli stood up and challenged herself. It was only two steps to get in front of Leon, however these two steps already consumed half of Eli''s courage.


    Leon paused curiously as he felt Eli''s presence getting near. He had a puzzled expression, trying to figure out what Eli was up to.


    Without letting Leon figure out her intention, she closed her eyes and let her hands blindly reach Leon''s body in an awkward embrace.


    "Leon,e back safe!" She uttered with the help of her remaining drop of courage. After that, a wave of embarrassment and shyness showered her entire body. After a second, she loosened her arm to end the embrace.


    Leon''s body became stiff for a split second, he felt his heart beating rapidly as his brain swiftly processed what Eli had just done.


    Eli hugged her!


    She even took the initiative!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Let us stay like this for a while.." When his body sensed that Eli was ending the embrace, he gently enveloped her body with his arms and pulled her towards him to remember her warmth.


    "I still don''t know what this means to me." Eli gave a nod and uttered these words of disimer. She wanted Leon to know, she wasn''t sure yet of her feelings.


    "Uhn.. but just right now, let us stay like this for a while." He moved his hand to support the back of Eli''s head, letting her rest in his sturdy chest.


    Eli could hear Leon''s intensely beating heart. Her heart was beating so hard too, but she prayed that Leon wouldn''t discover¡­


    "Take your time¡­ You have a lot on your te. It doesn''t matter to me if you still do not have an answer the moment Ie back. But one thing is for sure." Leon said these words so soothingly in Eli''s ears.


    "Eli, I am sure about you!"


    In the little cottage, the two stayed in each other''s embrace as the moonlight shined through the window, creating a silhouette of lovers intertwined with the sweetest embrace.


    While this was happening, there was already a huge uproar happening in the Sun Tower. The knights from the other corps, were fervently discussing the bizarre phenomenon they experienced earlier beforeing in the tower.


    While they were busy preparing for the departure, small sparkles of light showered their bodies and they felt that their senses improved and their hearts were more at peace.


    Upon arriving at the rendezvous point, the knights discovered that everyone belonging to the Clearing Operations experienced the same phenomenon.


    "Someone casted a holy blessing on us!"


    "Who could be so benevolent to do this?"


    "It should be the High Priest!"


    "That makes sense! How could I forget that the Emperor visited the High Priest a few days ago? I think the Emperor requested the Esteemed High Priest to cast a Priest Blessings to us!"


    As everyone engaged in fervent discussions, the seventeen des did not utter any word nor reveal a hint of their emotions. But it wasn''t that hard for them to keep their mouths shut no matter how lively the other''s discussions were.


    It was because the other knights were already used to distance themselves from the Crimson des. They weren''t keen to interact with them either, so they just let them be.


    And so the discussions continued until they saw the arrival of the Imperial Sky Knights, the Princes, General Farauld and the Emperor.


    After a few words of encouragement and instructions, the clearing operations team organized themselves to ready for teleportation. Sixteen groups would be teleported to the nearest arrays on the target locations of the first wave of attack.


    The subunits were teleported one by one, until only the Emperor and his aides were left in the room.


    Emperor Valentin stayed still, looking at the teleportation array with worry in his eyes.


    "Men, I pray for your safety and victory!" He uttered with genuine care in his crystal blue eyes, before turning to go back in his quarters.


    --


    Meanwhile, the bedridden Empress Carolina opened her amethyst eyes with a frustrated expression. She didn''t expect that she would stay like this since the day of the temple visit.


    After her check up with the Imperial Doctors, she was diagnosed to have ruptured twenty percent of her mana receptors.


    This was actually a dangerous situation.


    To damage your receptors would jeopardize the nearby organs as the receptors lie near them. That is why mages tend to avoid experiencing receptor fatigue topletely guard against this situation.


    Fortunately for Empress Carolina, the damaged receptors lie in the different parts of her body and no vital organs were affected.


    However, it took a great toll on her motor skills. Whenever she moves, she will feel an unreasonable amount of pain due to the ruptured receptors. With this, the doctors could only advise her to stay on bed and drink a bitter herbal concoction promoting receptor repair and regeneration.


    She was full of unwillingness but at the same time she was helpless. If she wanted to recover, she had to follow the doctor''s instructions. Remembering this, she clenched her fist so tight, but her fingers gave away easily because of her condition.


    ''Argg! Why am I suffering here while Teh was out there sleeping well and good!''


    While she was cursing the Queen Teh in her heart, a dark shadow appearing on her bedroom moved quietly towards Empress Carolina''s bed.


    "Empress, they have departed." The shadow reported.


    "Did you find any clue to the ns at their side?" Her voice inquired coldly.


    "Unfortunately Empress, I was not able to get any because they moved and conversed withplete secrecy."


    "It''s alright, I get it. Even Kazimir couldn''t say anything because of the oath." Empress Carolina dismissed the idea.


    "It''s good that I have warned the people in advance. All the remaining forces in the Empire would be the hired minions only. They were not even an official member of the Spectres. It will never be a loss on our side."


    She said with a smile, seemingly mocking the Emperor''s foolish efforts that was deemed not to get a good result.

 Chapter 126 Spectre Clearing Operations, First Wave! (1)

    ?Leon and his squad were immediately transported to the nearest teleportation station for their first target.


    "Greetings, Your Highness, Third Prince!" the guards of the teleportation station greeted with awe.


    After acknowledging their greetings, they led Leon and his troops to the Sev Estate.


    The town they transported to was the Sev Barony.


    It was and exactly located in the southwest border of the Empire. Due to its remote location, the Sev Barony was already considered a barren state.


    Supplies were scarce and their fields were producing little to no yield due to the soil being unsuitable for cultivation of crops. The main source of ie for this remotend was the deposits of chromium in their territory.


    In this age, the modern uses of chromium were not yet discovered. In Sev Barony, the actual form of chromium was in the form of an ore called Chromite.


    It was used to make pigments, tanning leather and sometimes creating cheap ornaments. Other than that, there were no other use for theserge deposits of Chromite.


    But even with the little to no value of the Chromite, the whole barony still strive to get by through mining them.


    Leon entered a simple estate quietly. As it was in the middle of the night and also a secret operation, Baron Sev could only wee Leon inside his small estate in a lowkey manner.


    "Greetings, Your Highness, Third Prince!" Baron Sev, a gentle looking man in his forties respectfully greeted Leon with a grateful expression in his eyes.


    With him were his teenage son, the young baron, and his wife. They weed Leon with respect and gratefulness in their eyes.


    Usually, the noble men would despise Leon for his reputation as the Barbaric Blood Prince, however, not the Sev family.


    Not many knew, but it was through Leon, that the Sev Barony saw a glimmer of hope for their barrennd. However, unbeknownst to them, it was actually Eli who made this all possible.


    A few months before this, Eli was working on the water pressure and heating system. One of the most neededponents of the system was the stainless steel!


    Stainless steel is actually a mixture of iron and more than ten percent of chromium along with other minerals.


    Everyone in Prasinos knows that iron is very susceptible to corrosion. It has been a recurring problem to the cksmiths and inventors on how to avoid this thing from happening in their steel works.


    That was not until Eli introduced them the periodic table of elements and the power of Chromium!


    Since chromium was an element found in the Chromite crystallines, which was currently considered as a low value ore, this discovery opened a brand new trading opportunity for the Sev Barony.


    Through Leon''s status as the Empire''s Prince, he acted as the middleman and coordinated with the Sev territory in engaging a trade with the Forgeworn n to provide a batch of Chromite crystallines for producing the world''s first stainless steel!


    Since Eli, Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben nned to mass produce this system, they would need more of these Chromite in the future! What''s more, Eli had introduced to the Forgeworn cksmiths and craftsmen the other uses of stainless steel!


    Thus towards Leon, the whole of Sev Barony was grateful for this ray of hope. In just a few months, their monthly yield from Chromite crystalline mining grew by four times!


    "Your Highness, I have already prepared my men to assist you in traveling to the northtown. From here it will just be a five hour carriage ride." Baron Sev reported as he led Leon to his bedroom.


    "Uhn, we willmence the operations tomorrow. We must not waste time." Leon nodded and looked at the baron with an approving expression.


    "Your Highness, this is your room for the night, please do not hesitate to call our attention if you have anything you need. Also, I wanted to thank you personally for giving us the opportunity to trade with the Faraulds and Forgeworns."


    "It''s alright. About that, it was not actually my idea. I was just the one who acted as the middleman due to my status." Leon responded with pride in his face.


    He felt that Eli''s warmth still lingered in his body as fondness shed in his crystal blue eyes.


    "This.. who could that person be? I would like to give my sincerest thanks." Baron Sev replied with interest. To see the cold blooded prince with a gentle expression, who might the person be?


    "You''ll know in the future.." Leon gave an ambiguous reply and retired for the night.


    Morning came and everyone prepared for their departure.


    Leon and the knights were disguised as a merchantpany, they rode not through the carriage but wagons prepared by the baron as Leon instructed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This was the game n, not only by Leon but the whole clearing operations team. They adopted a uniform strategy.


    To fool the enemy, they had to pose as something like a merchantpany to be able to mobilize arge number of knights without raising suspicion. Half posed as mercenary corps guarding the wagons while the others posed as merchants and servants.


    Upon reaching the northtown, Leon had one of the local knights put on a disguise - a young pregnant woman.


    After letting a mage install snooping and recording spells in her body, Leon let her wander around the northtown in a carefree manner. The reason was to catch the attention of the Spectre and investigate the hideout from the inside.


    Once the knight was already inside, she would deploy the spells to automatically send information to her allies who were staying in an inn just a block away from the suspected hideout.


    After determining the situation inside, Leon will immediately deploy the knights to raid the hideout!


    It didn''t take long for them until the knight was abducted. Since the operation team arrived in the afternoon, they didn''t wait that long to actually receive feedback from the deployed spy.


    The hideout was pretty typical. It was a casino which targets not only the rich families in the vicinity but even the poor people. At its facade, it looked extremely enticing, posing as an establishment that offers entertainment that doesn''t discriminate between the rich and the poor.


    However, people didn''t know that directly below this lively casino was an underground dungeon full of abducted young women in cold steel cages.


    The knight''s eyes became exceedingly ferocious as she saw these young women helplessly sit inside the cage. Their faces were devoid of soul, as they probably had given up waiting for hope.


    "Sir, we got another one!" One of the henchmen proudly announced to the warden guarding the room.


    "Uhn, prepare to feed these people, in three days we will transport them out of the border!" The warden, a middle aged man with a lecherous look on his face, replied casually to the henchman.


    His eyes didn''t even pay attention to the one reporting but to the female knight''s appearance.


    A wave of creeps crawled in her spine as she could clearly see the licentious expression of the warden. Her senses heightened, getting her body ready to defend herself should the man tried to do unspeakable things to her.


    Thankfully, a sh of annoyance appeared on the warden''s face as he saw the ''bulging stomach'' of the female knight.


    "Tsk! Next time, bring me someone with a slightly small stomach unlike this! Seeing the bulging stomach destroyed my mood to have fun with her!"


    "Throw her to the cage!" The warden finally ordered in disdain.


    "Clink!" The female knight''s act of being terrified disappeared as soon as she heard the locking of the metal cage.


    Ensuring that the guards and the warden were not paying attention, she started to do as instructed. She deployed the snooping spells.


    As Leon instructed, she had to deploy the snooping spells in a descending manner. There were five snooping spells in her body for deployment. Each of these spells correspond to a ss level.


    The snooping spells work pretty simple. One would deploy the highest level first, in the female knight''s case, the ss A snooping spell.


    The snooping spell would release a wave of mana within an identified radius, only discernible by the people who had the strengthparable to a ss A summoner, devourer or caster.


    The caster of the snooping spell would detect any fluctuation of manaing from the alerted individuals. If there were no fluctuations, it means that the people within the set radius have abilities lower than a ss A.


    The deployment of spells will continue until they could detect a fluctuation, in order to determine how strong their opponents were and also how many are they in the area.


    As the female knight deployed the spells, there were no reactions until she deployed the C level, and only one user reacted to such. It was the warden who immediately jolted from doing business on one of the female captives.


    Immediately, the female knight deployed the lowest snooping spell, the ss E spell to snoop the rest of the people. Since the strongest had been alerted, it was imperative to deploy the lowest snooping spell to count the total number of the remaining hostiles.


    On the designated inn where Leon was watching, the mage assigned to monitor anxiously announced, "Your Highness, not good! She was discovered. There''s one ss C mage, ten ss D mages and twenty ss E."


    As soon as Leon heard the anxious mage, he looked to the rest of the people with a calm expression and said, "Immediately surround the area and wait for my signal."


    "Ye-" Without waiting for the knights to respond, Leon''s figure immediately disappeared on the spot.

 Chapter 127 Spectre Clearing Operations, First Wave! (2)

    ?*Warning: Violence and Graphic Scenes/Curses*


    The rest of the local nights could not react on time as they just witnessed the Prince literally disappear in their midsts.


    "Move!" A member of the des jolted the knights awake from their daze.


    "Otherwise our operation would not get the best results."


    The mage, who was doing the surveince, saw that the warden was already approaching the female knight''s cage.


    "Let''s go!" The captain of the local knights ordered.


    Although they have a lot of questions to ask about Leon''s abilities, time is of the essence. Any second of dy would cause the lives of the innocent civilians and captives.


    They rushed briefly yet stealthily through the rooftops and positioned themselves around the casino. They waited for Leon''s signal patiently.


    Happening underground, the Warden was greatly annoyed by the snooping spell released earlier. He was in the middle of having fun with his selected captive when he detected a strong presence mana scanning the whole area.


    "D*mn! Who could it be!" He violently threw away the young woman''s soulless body in the cold and moldy floor.


    Hastily wearing his clothing, he scanned around therge dark room filled with around fifty steel cages of young pregnant women. His gaze stopped at the cage where the female knight was ced.


    He chuckled as he stepped torward the cage which was located in the far end of the underground dungeon, conjuring a fire spell in his hands. "Haha, how brave of you to sneak into this ce and try to spy on me!"


    The female knight took away her disguise, she readied herself for a fight to stall time. She even tore her dress so that she could freely move, revealing amon knight''s uniform underneath.


    She had scanned the whole area. It was not good to engage in a fight near the cages, although the women were in an abnormal state, they were still pregnant women. The shock of fighting would affect the unborn babies in their womb.


    Also, her opponent is a C ss fire mage, which would really be troublesome for her.


    Brandishing her concealed blunt weapon, she gathered all of the strength in her arms to hit the chain locks in the cage. As a devourer, she was pretty confident that she would be able to destroy it in three hits.


    nk! nk! nk! A loud sound rang in the dungeon followed by the sound of heavy metal chains falling on the floor.


    The female knight used her mana to enhance her speed, swiftly getting out of the cage and blending in the dark. Her n was to stealthily move until she reach the open area near the entrance of the dungeon.


    "B**ch!!!" As soon as the warden heard the sound, he shouted curses and stopped moving towards the cage. He scanned the area trying to figure out where the spy was hiding as he stealthily stepped back towards the entrance.


    "No matter where you hide, there is only one entrance in this dungeon. Sooner orter you''ll be dead." The warden announced.


    He smiled with lecherous excitement in his eyes upon remembering that the spy was not a true pregnant woman, "Your body will also be mine!"


    "Hmm.. Too bad, you''ll be toasted in the gates of hell before you would be able to do that." A low, cold and murderous voice sounded from the back of the smug looking warden.


    As soon as the warden heard this voice, a cold flush of air drowned his body, letting him perspire with cold sweats.


    But since he was still a C ss mage, he was able to quickly conjure a fire spell, throw it towards whoever was on his back and keep a safe distance from his original position.


    Boom! The sound of collision made the whole dungeon vibrate and rain down countless amounts of dust. The captives were also jolted awake as they felt an extreme sense of danger around. They looked at the battle scene in fear.


    "Who???!!!" He shouted full of uneasiness and dread. With how audible the man''s voice was, the warden shuddered upon realizing how close he was to death earlier.


    "The one who loves to execute divine judgement to vile people like you." The voice sounded so eerily calm, as his steady steps echoed in the room. From the smoke, a silhouette of a man, tall and valiant looking was slowly emerging.


    Every step and every word he uttered became like a knife attacking the warden''s state of mind, throwing it into utter chaos. The warden was already shaking in fear, the person didn''t do anything to him yet but why did he feel so scared that his knees could barely hold his weight to remain standing?!


    It was only a few words yet, why does it bring extreme sense of fear and danger?


    "Some say I love wearing the scent of blood on a daily basis."


    "Well, that''s no longer true. I prefer baby powder these days."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Some say I am a battle maniac too.."


    "Oh, You might know me as well¡­"


    "They call me the Empire''s mad dog."


    "You can also call me the Barbaric Blood Prince!"


    Finally, Leon''s image waspletely visible to the crowd. His appearance was extremely cold, his red blood hair intensified the bloodlust he was emanating.


    However, the bloodlust was only targeted to the warden, not the rest of the people in the dungeon. For if they receive such, they would surely break their minds and fall into the endless abyss of darkness, just like what was happening to the warden.


    "D-demon!" The warden''s knees finally gave up as he pathetically fell to the ground. He was no longer able to think straight as in his mind, he saw Leon as an extremely devious creature.


    "How insulting! My abilities directly came from the heavens... In this room, who is the real demon among us?" Leon''s crystal blue eyes became much colder upon hearing the warden''s remarks.


    He unsheathed his sword and casually pointed it towards the warden''s neck, creating a thin line of wound as if it was nothing.


    "Death is a mercy for people like you¡­" Leon announced, he scanned the whole room looking at the faces of the captives.


    Some of them became sober, some of them still lifeless. He also saw the poor woman who was casted aside earlier by the warden, she was already attended to by the female knight as soon as he entered the dungeon. These women were young. As he remembered that Eli was once subjected to this danger as well, intense fury appeared in his heart.


    "But you do not deserve that mercy!!!!" He announced with an extremely ferocious manner. He took a pale green elixir in his space pouch and forcefully fed it on the warden.


    "This is an elixir made specially for the traitors of the Empire. With the power bestowed on me as a member of the Imperial Family, I bestow you the punishment of a thousand deaths!"


    "Arrrrgh!!!!" The warden''s body immediately convulsed in pain. Soul crushing screams could be heard in the dungeon jolting the captives awake. For every cry of agony from the warden, a drop of life was slowlying back on the captives eyes.


    "Aarrrhhhh! Third Prince, kill me instead!" The warden pleaded as his face was already stricken with tears, mucus and sweat.


    He felt like the bones of his body were slowly being broken inch by inch, slow and steady. His five senses were gradually fading and he wished that he could just faint from the extreme pain to escape.


    Leon put on a glove and effortlessly crushed his jaw, preventing him frommiting suicide. He looked towards the knight and asked, "I have released the signal earlier, any updates?"


    The knight respectfully nodded and reported, "Reporting to Your Highness! I just received a notification that they had already cleared the casino and barricaded the whole area."


    The knight had many questions towards Leon however, she held back. In fact, she was baffled by how fast the Third Prince corresponded to her situation. Did he barge hastily from the casino to the dungeon entrance? If so, how did he deal with the guards around that fast.


    But the answer was immediately revealed when she saw the scene outside the dungeon. The Prince had directly descended from the kitchen down to the pathway of the dungeon, as if he knew the undergroundyout very well.


    "Then let''s cleanup from here!" Leon said as he brandished his sword on his right hand and pulled the tormented warden like a carcass from a hunting session.


    "You start to free the captives, I''ll take care of the rest outside." He walked outside the entrance and proceeded to hunt the remaining minions mercilessly.


    Swosh!! The Spectre couldn''t even tell how they died in Leon''s hands. As soon as Leon swings his sword using only one hand, blood will stter in his face and clothes, lifeless bodies would surely fall to the ground.


    He dragged the warden out and cleared his minions along the way. Soon, he reached the area where the knights already engaged in fighting.


    Swiftly, he eliminated the remaining enemies and advanced forward like the angel of death. The local knights felt a mix of fear and awe upon seeing Leon''s image. The des looking at him with extreme pride in their hearts.


    Blood stained sword, face and body painted with crimson blood, cold and ferocious aura, effortless strength, decisive and merciless to the evil ones!


    This is their Master!


    The Wielder of the Crimson de, the sharpest de of the Empire!


    Leon Andrae de Seirende,


    The Barbaric Blood Prince!

 Chapter 128 Spectre Clearing Operations, First Wave! (3)

    ?"This is the Third Prince?"


    The local knights whispered amongst themselves with shaken hearts. Everyone knows that the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire was thrown away to the battlefield because of his low magic aptitude.


    But standing before them was a man, viciously strong and intimidating.


    A man, who even by standing in the battlefield would have a presence that will strike the hearts of both allies and the enemies in awe. A man, who as soon as he pointed his sword forward, would cause his soldiers to be calm and the enemies in disarray.


    How could he be this capable?!


    "Do not let your thoughts wander when you are on the battlefield! Why the shock? Do you think that after all these years, His Highness would stay as he is when he is but a child?" Another member of the des chastised the shocked knights.


    Upon hearing the him, the knights felt ashamed for he exposed their thoughts towards Leon. They obediently swallowed their questions and suppressed their desire to engage in a discussion. The mission at hand should be finished first.


    The fighting onlysted less than an hour, soon all the members of the Spectre, as well as their aplices in northtown were apprehended. The key people were temporarily spared for interrogation, of course, all of them had taken a sip of Leon''s thousand deaths elixir.


    "Release the signal." Seeing that the threats were already either eliminated or contained, Leon ordered the local knights captain.


    "Yes!" The captain obediently responded. He ordered the assigned knight and released the re in the dark sky.


    Boom!


    As soon as the red ball of light exploded, distant booming sounds were also heard in the various points of the whole Sev Territory.


    "Now to the next part of the n, lock the whole territory up and ensure that there would be no aplices roaming around the territory." Leon reiterated his orders to the crowd.


    During the nning week, Leon and the rest of the upper echelons of the Clearing Operations team coordinated with the target territories about the details of the operations. The leaders of these territories would then be responsible to brief their forces and carry out the n as soon as the Clearing Operations Team ordered.


    "Yes sir!" The rest of the knights replied.


    The forces in the northtown are divided into five groups, each have a member of the des guiding them. The first four will go around the town in four directions and ensure that no one connected with the Spectre escapes.


    Thest group would stay in the casino to handle the matters of the captives. They have already called doctors and herbalists to check the physical conditions of the captives. There was also a team in charge of gathering information about their identities so that they would be able to send them back to their families.


    It was a busy night not only in the northtown but the whole territory of Sev.


    Intimidating knights riding horses roamed around the town, viges, forest and fields in search of suspicious people. These men knew that the people they were hunting were vile people that could potentially harm their immediate families, that is why, they were merciless and thorough in their search.


    The search and lockdownsted for three whole days.


    Although the people were startled at first, they became more cooperative as soon as they witnessed that the missing people who had been the talk of their viges and towns were slowlying back one by one.


    Baron Sev also did his duty to officially announce in the whole territory what really transpired after the three day search. He did so ording to Leon''s orders.


    Since there were still two remaining waves of operations, the suppression of the events happening on the targeted locations were also vital to the clearing operations.


    After a week, sixteen Spectre hideouts and territories were thoroughly cleansed from the vile threats. There were also a total of sixty five identified middlemen and aplices captured for interrogation. They were all executed in the za and had their bodies disyed at the gates of the territories.


    "Your Highness Third Prince, we deeply thank you and your team for helping us get rid of the Spectre!" Baron Sev gratefully bowed in front of Leon in his study.


    His aged eyes were filled with admiration and goodwill as he looked at Leon in a different light.


    "It''s my duty, all of this is for the betterment of our Empire." Leon responded camly.


    "Indeed! We will always be grateful for your mercy and kindness! By the way, Your Highness, what would be your next course of action, considering this information?" Baron Sev''s response was not filled with superficial ttering. Instead, he had genuine eyes and a thoughtful expression and he conversed with Leon.


    In the table, there was a stack of documents that were neatly arranged and given to Leon.


    Leon looked at the stack of documents with calmness in his eyes, he didn''t scan through the content of the documents as he appeared to already know what it was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''d like you to produce two original copies of this document. One would be sent directly to my Father Emperor, one would be taken by me to be sent to General Farauld."


    "As you wished, Your Highness!" Baron Sev replied obediently.


    "Uhn, Also, kindly indicate in the opening letter that the matter might involve the temple. As for the other matters, I have already briefed you but until Phase 1 ends, I rmend you to remain vignt. Keep your territory on guard. My team will have to go to the next territory immediately for the second wave." Leon added as his face looked grim.


    Knowing what Leon meant, the Baron also showed deep apprehension in his face. He nodded with a grave expression and respectfully exited the study.


    Leon was then left alone in the room. But his expression remained unrxed as there was a sense of uneasiness that was creeping in the back of his head. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t put a finger on what was wrong.


    He lingered for a while before he subconsciously held the ne resting in his neck. Immediately, a trace of fondness bloomed in his alluring yet dangerously cold face.


    "To Eli.." He mumbled as he fed a wisp of mana in the red stone pendant of the ne.


    The red stone shone in a bright red light, pulsating vigorously. After a few seconds it stopped pulsating and a steady faint red light remained in the gem.


    "Leon¡­" A calm and soft woman''s voice was hearding from the stone. Leon couldn''t help but smile tenderly upon hearing this voice, one week passed by so slowly.


    Although he had a choice to contact Eli on a daily basis, he was afraid that it would worry her more if he did so. Thus, he decided to contact her only when the mission finished, in this way, he could always bring good news to her and not leave her to worry.


    He was afraid that Eli would overthink, because he would not be around to calm her down if that happens.


    "How are you?" His low maic voice replied, it was as rxing as the sound of the rushing of water on the calmke.


    "We''re doing fine¡­ But Leon, it''s been days, how are you? Is everything back there alright? You are not injured are you? Please do not lie to me!"


    Eli''s voice sounded worried and agitated. Leon could actually imagine Eli''s scrunched face as she said these words.


    His future little wife was indeed a worrywart. Oh, how sweet this feeling is!


    "I am fine and well, the first wave progressed rather smoothly. In fact, the whole operation ended earlier than expected."


    "..." There was no reply from Eli''s side for a few seconds, but then Eli''s voice sounded again, this time with a bit of sternness and certainty, "But I can feel that something is troubling you."


    A helpless chuckle escaped from Leon''s mouth as he replied, "Ah.. I really couldn''t hide anything from you. How could you be so spot on?"


    "It''s a woman''s intuition. Never underestimate it." Eli said lightly, there was a tinge of pride in her tone.


    "Hahaha, well that really seemed to be the case¡­ But yes, although everything went smoothly, I couldn''t help but feel that it was uneasily smooth. It bothers me that the matter was resolved in our hands way under our control." Leon decided not to hide his troubles anymore.


    "Hmmm¡­ Maybe¡­ You can use that uneasiness as a reminder for you not to let your guard down¡­ Besides, it is too early for you to say that something''s wrong when it is only the first territory you inspected." Eli carefully chose her words. She was not well versed in the art of warfare so she could only express her opinions as a typical corporate woman.


    "If you saw that it was the same even after the second wave, then it''s time for you to deeply look into the matter. Of course, it would be better if you couldmunicate it with Godfather Eugine and His Majesty Emperor."


    "Umm, that''s true." Leon replied with a smile, what Eli told on thetter part made his mind clearer.


    If the first one was a fluke then he would take this worry as just him being overly vignt but if it still happened on the second wave¡­


    A sh of coldness appeared in his crystal blue eyes. "I''ll make sure to tell them." He replied to Eli with an understanding tone.


    "Uhn!! By the way, our Little Han will be a month old in two days~~~" Eli''s excited voice turned Leon''s gloomy mood into a happy one.


    "I feel like our child grew up really fast.." He said with an indulging tone, his eyes were filled with love and helplessness as he uttered in resignation,


    "Ah.. How I wish I could be there to celebrate with you two.."

 Chapter 129 Little Han Is A Month Old!!!

    ?From the other side of the stone, Eli could feel Leon''s longing and desire to be with the two of them on Little Han''s one month celebration.


    Her heart broke for Leon. This first month celebration not only meant Little Han''s one month existence, but also ELi and Leon''s first month of being real parents.


    In the past month, Eli clearly saw how Leon tried his best to be a great father for Little Han.


    From figuring out how to carry him properly, how to bathe and dress him, Leon was there with her. The sleepless nights and the days when she could not figure out Little Han''s mood, Leon was there, struggling with her.


    She is still uncertain whether Leon is the man destined for her, but she is absolutely sure that he is a good father to Little Han.


    To Little Han, he never held back his affections nor efforts.


    To Little Han, he never looked weary and frustrated.


    To Little Han, he never let them feel that he was a burden.


    "Don''t worry.. When youe back, let''s make up for all the lost time." No words could express Eli''s urge tofort him, so she could onlye up with these simple words.


    But these words, no matter how simple it may be, had a great effect on Leon''s heart. On the far side of the empire, the Third Prince bloomed with a beautiful smile as his heart was uplifted with fondness.


    "I will look forward to that day."


    Two dayster.


    "What''s happening to the Forgeworns and Faraulds again?" The onlookers couldn''t help but discuss among themselves as they witnessed multiple imposing carriages, bearing the prestigious Farauld Family seal, march their way in the Forgeworn estate.


    Just earlier this month, the two esteemed families catched the people''s interest for gathering so suddenly in the same high profile manner.


    "Is it a party?" They spected.


    "Highly unlikely, for the estate itselfcked the bustle of a celebration. Moreover, why is it only the Faraulds then?"


    "That''s right, although the Forgeworns and Faraulds have been close, it does not make sense to organize a banquet with just two families right?"


    "I agree, they would be too stingy to not invite other families or even their business partners!"


    "Maybe it''s just an ordinary catching up of the two families¡­"


    "That seems to be the case!"


    While the people were passionately specting the mysterious event inside the estate, Eli''s little cottage is as lively as ever.


    "Llla~~~" She sang a happy tune as she excitedly dressed Little Han for this special day.


    As his mommy sang, Little Han would wink and smile, wiggling his toes and fist in excitement.


    Eli carefully dressed Little Han with a fluffy onesie, furry socks and mittens, all in sky blue color. She topped it off with a knitted blue hat with bear ears. Little Han looked like a little fluffy cub with his one month celebration outfit!


    "My little boy is a month old~~~" Eli lovingly showered Little Han''s cheeks with kisses. After ying for a while, she held her ne and called Leon.


    This was the second time Eli initiated to call Leon. Unlike the initial uneasiness during her first time, she was much morefortable and natural this time.


    "Good morning Leon, are you well? Did you eat your breakfast already??" Eli asked enthusiastically.


    "Umm, I am doing fine. I had my breakfast earlier." Leon replied with an indulging tone.


    "That''s good to hear! Oh right, I have a surprise for you, in your space bag I hid something, look for the brown brocade box~~" Eli replied cheerfully.


    There was a brief pause on the other side of themunication stone but Eli could hear the clicking sound of the brocade box open.


    "This¡­" A trace of surprise could be heard in Leon''s voice.


    "I figured that you would greatly miss Little Han when you are out in the Empire, so I had one of Little Han''s swaddle cloth and a fresh jar of the baby powder I blended to let you have something to remember him by.." Eli sounded shy as she exined, she worried that Leon would find it cheesy or even silly.


    "I''m sorry if I just revealed it now, I really wanted to give it to you on Little Han''s first month celebration."


    "No.. It''s good¡­ Thank you." A slight cracking could be heard on Leon''s voice.


    He picked up the delicate swaddle cloth and took a light sniff. The swaddle cloth was filled with the scent of their wardrobe back in the cottage, which he was highly familiar with.


    The scent transported him to their bedroom where the three spent most of their family time.


    Right now, he and the des were travelling by a wagon in the barren wilderness for the second territory they had to visit. The road was deste and depressing, as the heat of the sun intensified the drought around the area.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Eli''s seemingly silly surprise directly took away the gloominess that invaded his surroundings. He felt like he was basking in the moist and cool breeze in Eli''s little garden.


    "It''s good that you like it¡­ You have to also celebrate on your side, alright? Come eat extra well today! Let''s celebrate together." Eli demanded with a lively tone, indeed Little Han''s milestone has to be celebrated, no matter where they are.


    "I will! I''ll have the des hunt with me the freshest meat and celebrate on this side of the empire." Leon agreed with a doting tone.


    Inside the wagon, the des couldn''t help but exchange surprised and meaningful nces as they saw how doting and gentle their master could be for the future madame and young master.


    "Alright! Then, we might have to go to the main hall, the Grandpas and the rest of the family are waiting. Oh, Her Highness and His Majesty will also sneak to celebrate with Little Han~"


    "Umm, enjoy yourself there."


    "Yes.. You too, don''t forget to prepare a special meal on your side. Be safe!"


    As soon as the call disconnected, Leon ordered the des, "Upon reaching the next town tonight, go to the most famous tavern and reserve it. Call the Roaming des in the area too. We will celebrate my son''s first month!"


    "Yes master!"


    The main hall of the Forgeworn Family was once again opened to celebrate Little Han''s first month. Everyone dressed in a simple yet elegant manner. Both the Faraulds and the Forgeworn were jubnt for this asion.


    Even the great grandchildren of the two grandpas surround Eli and Little Han with curious expressions.


    "Is tat baby brotha?" A chubby three year-old Farauld great granddaughter tiptoed on Eli''sp curiously peeking at Little Han''s sleeping face with bright watery eyes.


    "Yes, you can call him Little Han." Eli gently responded, she found the little Farauld cute.


    "Can ''te y with wittle Han??" she asked innocently.


    "No Este, babies can''t y yet." A five year old Forgeworn great grandson corrected the little Farauld thoughtfully.


    "Oh¡­ why can''t?" Este asked in disappointment.


    "Because baby is weak. Wittle Han needs many many sleep to be strong!"


    "Ohhhh!" Este replied with her round eyes shining brightly as she bumped her chubby fist in her small palm indicating that she understood.


    "Don''t worry, Benson will y with you today.." Benson, the Forgeworn great grandson dered with pride as if he was a reliable big brother.


    "Yay~~" Este pped her hands happily. She then looked at Eli with an adorable expression and asked, "Te will say bye bye to wittle Han¡­ Can ''te gib chiu chiu?"


    Eli chuckled as she couldn''t help but gently pinched Este''s chubby face and said, "Alright."


    Este tiptoed again on Eli''sp and cutely pouted her little lips to give Little Han a peck on the forehead.


    "Me too! Me too!" Benson also did the same, and so with the other great grandchildren.


    "Grow up fast little brotha!" They said longingly.


    The adults couldn''t help but be delighted seeing the youngest generation treat each other well.


    The banquet was rather simple, but it greatly emphasized the harmony of the two families.


    As a tradition, the adults took turns and carried Little Han gently in their arms and spoke their sincerest blessings. This was a tradition unique to the Seirende Empire.


    Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh also sneaked for a while to participate in this tradition. There was also Kayden, Chief Eirllon, Azayn and Koehthar. They are all transported via Eli''s teleportation array to attend Little Han''s celebration.


    After the ceremony, everyone proceeded to socialize with each other. Of course, the Faraulds and Forgeworns expressed their excitement to introduce Eli and Little Han as a member of their family.


    "I really look forward to seeing you visiting the Institute, the researchers were all curious about you!" Bramwell and Janine told Eli with pride in their eyes. "Just tell us when you are ready, we have already published your works and you are pretty well known now in the Institute."


    "This.. I feel honoured, God Uncle and God Auntie.." Eli replied gratefully.


    As discussed by Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi, Eli''s adoption would course through General Eugine and Tyce as adopted daughter, both of whom were the eldest sons. Thus Eli had to call Janine and Tyrel, along with their spouses as Uncle and Auntie. As soon as the adoption process was finalized, Eli would really be part of the Farauld and Forgeworn family.


    "Actually I am working on something these days, however, I am absolutelycking in terms ofpetency¡­" Elimunicated honestly.


    "Really? Tell us what troubles you?" Grandma Brygid and Grandpa Myrna replied in unison.


    "I think I need someone who is an expert in the field of optometry."

 Chapter 130 The Future To Look Forward To

    ?"Optometry?" The elder generation of the Faraulds and Forgeworns were curious. "Young Eli, are you going to dabble in thisplicated field?"


    "N-no.. not really. But rather, I wanted to consult the experts if the idea that I have could actually be feasible at this moment." Eli replied with uncertainty.


    She was actually nning on developing something that was a millennium ahead of this time.


    "Oh, I wonder if you could give us an idea about that.." The Grandpas and Grandmas became so excited upon hearing that Eli had another invention she wanted to work on. They looked at Eli with bright expectant eyes.


    "T-this.. It is something that could help me disguise the color of my eyes without using magic." Eli pointed at her dark midnight eyes and continued,


    "It is called contact lenses. It is a thin gel like film that could be ced in the eyes and could alter my eye color. But the main reason for contact lenses is to be a substitute for spectacles." She briefly exined as she took the proposal in her hands, she was actually ready to present this to them as soon as she entered the banquet.


    "A thin film that could change eye color?!"


    "A substitute for spectacles?!"


    The elder generations of the two families mumbled in disbelief. In this era, Eli''s idea was actually unimaginable. Even they, themselves, who were highly educated and deeply involved in research and development could not help but be taken aback at this concept.


    "But¡­ it''s actually just all theories. This time, I would even consider it a miracle if I could be sessful in producing this one¡­"


    What Eli said was actually true. In Prasinos, the concept of contact lenses could only be considered as a theoretical concept not actually something that could urge the researchers to synthesize.


    To create just one pair of these contact lenses Eli had to address countless problems due tock of technology.


    The very first obstacle would be the knowledge and the technology topletely know the characteristics of her eyes, from its size and condition, to the information such as refractive errors that the optician and the optometrist must obtain.


    Next would be theputer and the machine that she had to use in crafting and shaping the lenses. Then finally, the materials needed to create, hydrate, paint and maintain the lenses.


    Where in Prasinos could she find those chemical solutions and materials?


    Where could she find the precision machine?


    "This¡­" The elder generation had been silent for so long. It was Janine who took the initiative to continue the conversation with a thoughtful and careful tone.


    "Young Eli, there was no doubt that your idea is great, even excellent. But telling you that this would be hard to create was actually underestimating this idea''s difficulty. With the current knowledge that we have in the field of eye medicine, this ispletely way ahead of this era."


    "I figured¡­ It''s alright, Aunt. Thank you for informing me.." Eli sighed in disappointment. She actually expected this to happen yet she still couldn''t help but feel dejected.


    "Aiyooo, we can just stick to using disguise items for the meantime. It''s not like everyone could figure out that you are using one." Grandma Myrna advised Eli. She was simply sad for Eli who was ridden with problems just because of her appearance.


    "I guess I''d have to rely on disguise magic. Besides, theunch of the ck hair industry would also greatly decrease the issue of my appearance.'''' Eli didn''t let herself and everyone be in low spirits, instead she smiled and let everybody be reminded about the bright side.


    "Un!! You really did a good job in thinking about that. Whenever father would discuss how you nned to establish a whole new industry, I get goosebumps! How could you be so gifted in innovation and business at the same time?!" Tyrel eximed with great admiration in his eyes.


    The Forgeworn Twins, Tyce and Tyrel were as prominent as their father, Grandmaster Andvari.


    Tyce, the older twin, is gifted with the talents to craft and innovate. He actually helped their Forgeworn family to be stronger in the area of crafting magical items and weapons, to the point that their very own family name became the top brand in this industry.


    Tyrel, the younger twin, is a genius in business and trading. If his older twin brother created the weapons for sale, he was the one who enabled those weapons to reach arge market in and out of the Empire. Thus, he was more interested when he was informed of Eli''s approach in establishing a whole new industry.


    Moreover, the younger generations also had the aptitude belonging to these areas. Some focused on business while the others on crafting. For Eli to have a good aptitude in both areas made the two thank the Creator for allowing their father to meet the youngdy.


    "Do not be dejected, we won''t let you and Little Han be harmed by the Spectre. Besides, the Emperor would never allow it too." Tyce also gave a few words offort to Eli.


    "Yes, I couldn''t thank you enough for this!" Eli replied with a grateful expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hahaha, do not be so distant, we are family!! Now call me Pops!" Tyce, yfully demanded Eli.


    "Pops¡­" Eli obediently did as she was told.


    "Look! I have a daughter now! Hahahaha!" Tyce proudly announced with a pleased smile, while Tyrel pouted yfully.


    He wanted to also have a daughter, but he had to give in with his older brother who only had one son. Besides, Randel was also adopted under his name, so it really was his older brother''s turn to take in Eli to be fair. Sigh...


    Eli and the older generation discussed more of her ns in the future. Eli decided that she must take action to already expose herself in public after five months, when Little Han could already take solid food.


    For the next months, it was still inconvenient for Eli to be away with Little Han for longer periods because he still had to be breastfed, but upon reaching the sixth month, Eli could already start her ns to appear in public.


    In the meantime, she coborated with the Forgeworns in flourishing the ck hair industry. She estimated that the ck hair industry would need at least seven more months to reach the Seirende empire, but the most important thing was to make it not only a trend but a moresting fashion preference in theing years.


    She also nned to release two small projects in order to make her status as an inventor be more stable. First thing she had in mind was the production of stainless steel. She had already distributed the proposal to both the Forgeworns and Faraulds.


    She nned to introduce stainless steel as a material to be used in crafting precision and surgical equipment which made the two families be more excited than ever. Who wouldn''t want to use tools that don''t rust?


    The next one is to introduce a simple water purification equipment to make potable water easier to procure, especially during winter, where people save firewood for boiling drinkable water.


    Although the project team was already familiar with this because it was one of the features in Eli''s water pressure and heating system, Eli still wanted to release a standalone and portable version to help less developed viges.


    These ns gained the approval of the two families. They expressed their excitement and support for her ns in theing months. They couldn''t help but look forward to the future development of the fields that would be directly affected by her inventions.


    Finally, the first month celebration had ended smoothly and pleasantly. Almost reluctant to part, the two families had to send the mother and son off the carriage going to the little cottage.


    In the cottage, Rosea and the des also gave their simple presents and genuine wishes for Little Han. After that, everyone retired early after having a lively and busy day.


    Standing in the bedroom, coaxing Little Han to sleep, Eli couldn''t help but take a nce towards Leon''s empty bed. She was wondering if Leon is doing fine on his end. A sh of worry and longing appeared in her dark midnight eyes.


    "Hmmm~~~ missing your partner I see.." A familiar teasing voice suddenly jolted Eli awake from her daze.


    "Ah, Lord Sylvain, Great Guardians you are here!" Eli recovered fast and greeted the guardians with respect. A hint of being embarassed from being exposed appeared on her face.


    "Uhnn, we came here to greet Little Han of course!! Our godson is growing well~~~" Sylvain answered, immediately walking towards Little Han who was sleeping in his crystal shell cradle.


    "Here, allowance.." The ever serious Ignis gave Eli another big bag of supreme mana stones and hastily followed Sylvain, afraid that the other will monopolize his godson.


    "If you are missing that red head Prince,e and confess immediately. We can marry you on the spot!" Zale nonchntly teased Eli before proceeding to join the two guardians in adoring Little Han, after stuffing his gived to Eli''s hands.


    "I don''t mean to pressure you, but this time, Zale is right." Celeste who rarely supported Zale in his antics also added.


    "I''m happy Little Han grows well~" Amihan had a happy smile that made her cheeks puff adorably. The two female guardians also did the same, stuffing their gifts in Eli''s arms before proceeding to adore Little Han.


    Eli twitched upon realizing that she was once again taken by the raging waves created by the guardians. But what could she do? These are the beings assigned by the Great One to oversee everything in Prasinos.


    "I thank you foring here to visit Little Han." She replied respectfully before putting away the gifts the guardians dumped on Eli''s arms.


    While Eli was busy organizing the stuff they had gifted, she was not able to notice the agitated looks in the guardians eyes while surrounding Little Han.


    They each, discreetly pointed a finger towards Little Han and conjured a little ball light, each were colored ording to their elements. The balls of light slowly floated to Little Han''s chest and were slowly absorbed by his heart.


    Soon a faint ball of light, pale silver in color appeared. As it absorbed the balls of light from the guardians, its luster would also gradually intensify.

 Chapter 131 The Months Apart

    ?All of these things were oblivious to Eli who was busy taking care of Little Han''s belongings.


    Before the guardians leave, Celeste gave a few words for Eli, "Take care of Little Han, make sure to guide him properly. He is an extraordinary child after all."


    "I will, Great Guardians." Eli answered respectfully while looking at the five guardians disappear in sparkles of light.


    The lively room had now be quiet and serene. Eli even felt that the atmosphere became quite sad. She took a deep breath and moved towards the sleeping Little Han.


    Checking if he wasfortable, Eli couldn''t help but mumble words as if talking with him, "My baby, we still have a few months ahead of us. Let''s do our best until your daddyes home."


    Then she kissed him good night.


    --


    Five monthster.


    Tak! Boom! Whoosh!


    Outside the little cottage in the Forgeworn forest, there was quite a lively and exciting scene.


    There was an intense sparring between a woman with dark midnight hair and a man who was stall and bulky as a knight.


    Cheering and observing around them were another four men, a cute dwarf maid, an owl, and a panda carrying in its arms a lively little baby.


    The woman engaged with the sparing was Eli and her sparring partner was actually Neal.


    Rosea, the rest of the des, Wisey and Baobao, who was expertly carrying Little Han in his furry arms, watched excitedly at the scene.


    Eli was holding a wooden short sword, while Neal was only using his barehanded left arm. Even to a passerby, the match up would still be unfair to Eli, no matter if she was holding a short sword, Neal really had a mighty and imposing figure that one would never underestimate.


    "Go Madame! Hit Neal nice and clean!" Chad shouted excitedly.


    "Yeah! Madame, hit his head and make him bald!" Ron seconded.


    The des kept cheering the Madame while mocking theirrade and team leader. Yet it doesn''t look like Neal was affected by the mockery, in fact he had a proud look on his face.


    In only five months, their future Madame had already conditioned her body to engage in a light sparring session. She could execute a decent attack and even deliver it with intent.


    Although this was still far from holding it up against a trained knight, her progress would still be considered fast considering her age and physique.


    Boom!


    Eli tried tond a heavy blow on Neal''s shoulder, to which thetter easily evaded. Although Neal was a summoner, his fighting skills areparable to a D ss Devourer. After evading Eli''s blow, he nimbly took a sidestep andpletely shifted to Eli''s side covering her blind spot.


    In Eli''s vision, it looked like Neal disappeared in front of her and immediately teleported to her left side.


    But she didn''t get disappointed at all, rather, she had a determined expression. She knew that Neal was way beyond her in terms of fighting skills, however, in the future the enemies they had to face would be way more scary.


    As Eli was right handed, her left side was actually weaker in defense. She increased her rhythm and breathing, and immediately retreated on a safe distance, evading Neal''s hand attack.


    "Wooohooo! Look at that! That''s our Madame!"


    Genos had a proud expression on his face. As a devourer, he couldn''t help but be amazed by Eli''s improvement. "Look how she applied the footwork I taught her!!! She''s a genius!"


    "Madame''s hardwork really paid off." nc who was silent also had a glow in his eyes as he saw Eli''s footwork.


    Not letting the time waste, Eli stabilized her footing and quickly charged towards Neal in a frontal attack.


    The focus of the training during these five months was actually developing her body to withstand exhaustion and improve her agility. Thus, the purpose of this sparring session was to test Eli''s endurance and movement speed.


    Genos was incharge of teaching her the footwork for the movement speed since he was a devourer specializing on agility.


    Neal was in charge of her body condition and endurance training, as a fellow summoner, he had a clear understanding of a summoner''s weaknesses in the battlefield.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He also started to teach her the basics of swordbat a week ago. However, Eli could only learn slowly as she would be hurt if she tried to take many training sses at once. Thus, she could only execute a frontal attack.


    Armed with the footwork and frontal attack, Eli tried to hold against the handicapped Neal for a few more minutes. The rules of the sparring was simple, it would end if Neal was able tond a feint blow on her body or if Eli felt like she was already at her limit.


    "Whew!! Neal, I think this should be enough for today." Eli, drenched in sweat and dust, exhaustedly sat on the ground.


    She looked at her hands which were red and shaking from doing her best not to lose the grip of her wooden short sword.


    "Madame, You did well today, yousted for five minutes!" Neal had a happy look on his face. Madame''s improvement was really beyond his expectations.


    "But I still have a long way to go.." Eli replied with a defeated smile. She thought that she could hold more than five minutes, but her body had limits.


    ''If I open my devourer''s path, would it make mest longer in a fight?'' She thought to herself.


    "Madame, let me check your condition!" Rosea dutifully walked in the sparring ground with a clean towel and followed Eli as she was carefully guided by Neal to sit in the log chair on a tree shade.


    "Sigh.. Mdy, your palms are wounded¡­" Rosea worriedly uttered.


    These days, her madam tends to push herself so hard that she would forget to take care of her own condition. That''s why it became Rosea''s priority to look after Madame''s well being while Baobao and Wisey assist on looking after Little Han.


    "Ehehehe, I have sweaty hands so.. I held the sword too hard to stabilize my grip." Eli replied guiltily.


    "Oh no! This won''t do Madame! Tell us if you are in pain. We will not allow you to be hurt needlessly during training!!" The des surround Eli immediately upon hearing her injury.


    "Not good! Madame, these next two weeks, we must hold your swordbat training until your injury is healed!" Neal decisively dered with a straightface.


    "No.. I''m actually fine. This small wound should not affect my training." Eli protested with a serious expression.


    nc immediately knelt and shook his head, while saying the longest sentence the other des heard from him in one breath,


    "Madame, please take your rest. Your hands are not even meant to hold a sword, nothing wille if you train in haste. Besides, if you destroy your hands, how will you hold Little Master? How will you y good music from the piano and the violin? How will you hold your pen to write your research? Madame, we plead with you to consider these things."


    The rest of the bunch also nodded and looked at Eli with a worried expression.


    Eli gave a sigh after realizing that everybody was thinking the same for her. "Alright then. I''ll rest for the next few days."


    Although Azayn gave her an ointment to instantly heal light wounds, she couldn''t deny the fact that the strenuous training she had been taking would take a toll on her hands. This would be dangerous to Eli, who was also a musician. Infact, these kinds of activities could even be considered as prohibited for her.


    But she had already decided. She had to at least increase her fighting skills to ease the burden of the people around her.


    After cleaning herself and tending her wounds, Eli proceeded to the living room where Little Han, Baobao and Wisey were ying.


    "Kyaaa!!!" Little Han could already recognize Eli''s face. He excitedly squealed upon seeing her enter the room. He wiggled vigorously in Baobao''s arms.


    "Aw, are you happy to see mommy? Come,e let''s y!" Eli took Little Han in her arms and carefully ced him to sit with Baobao as his support.


    Little Han has grown bigger and heavier, he has also developed his motor skills more. His blood red hair had grown thicker and his crystal blue eyes could already see and recognize objects.


    Now, he could sit with Baobao''s support and hold light toys in his little chubby hands. During this time Eli also introduced solid food for him. She slowly introduced new food for him starting from pureed squash and other vegetables.


    But the thing that made Eli be fascinated the most was Little Han''s obvious interest in music.


    Whenever she yed a tune on the piano or the violin, Little Han would look at her silently with sparkling blue eyes and then after finishing the piece, Little Han would squeal and wiggle his limbs in happiness!


    This time of the day was actually Eli''smitment to bond with Little Han during the morning. She did this to ensure that Little Han would have a good environment in growing and developing. Of course, she would also have a session with him in the afternoon and evening.


    While it was lively and heartwarming on Eli''s little cottage, Leon''s side was grave and serious.


    He had just finished the third wave of raiding the Spectre hideouts and he could definitely confirm that,


    The enemy lies not on the far away territories¡­ but was actually residing in the capital!!!

 Chapter 132 Calling Her Papi

    ?The second wave confirmed Leon''s doubt that everything happened too easy for them.


    They were unable to apprehend any key person that could be detrimental to obtain information about the upper echelons of the Spectre. Even the aptitudes of the raided men were surprisingly so low that it didn''t even pose a threat to the local knights.


    Leon had a nagging feeling that the matter of the operations clearly alerted the Spectre and managed to prepare themselves to save their key men and safeguard important assets to their sinister organization.


    Immediately elevating this concern to General Farauld and his Father Emperor, the team was forced to be more vignt and stringent in sweeping the territories.


    Thus, the interval between the second and third wave became significantly longer. The team became more desperate in searching for any key men who were left roaming around the territories, but to no avail.


    The third wave ended without mishaps but with an utterly disappointing oue. It was like winning the prize but losing the battle for Leon and the rest of the clearing operations team.


    Leon believed that this matter only meant one thing, there''s a traitor in the Empire.


    "I believe that our ns have been revealed to the enemy that made them prepare to minimize damage on their side." Holding themunication stone, Leon told General Farauld with an extremely cold tone.


    "It would be impossible for the exhibition team to do that, even the nobles who cooperated with us during the raid couldn''t because of the oath of secrecy." General Farauld knitted his brows in distress. He was utterly disappointed to know that their victory was actually something that the enemy mockingly gave to them.


    "I had my men verify the wardens and the other persons we apprehended in my assigned territories. Most of them had simr backgrounds - they were hired mercenaries taken to do the dirty job."


    Leon''s voice turned cold as he tightened his fist in anger. "No one in the kill list was even a bonafide member of the Spectre!"


    He could hear General Farauld''s heavy sigh and disappointment from themunication stone. Although they had taken down the hideouts, they also obtained no leads about the inner core of the sinister organization that they could take as a starting point to truly bring the organization down.


    "Teacher, I believe that the one who did this was not involved in the operations themselves. They must be someone with a position high enough to know the existence of the raid yet not directly involved with the details." Leon added with certainty.


    "What made you think of this?" General Farauld asked.


    "The situation in the hideouts were one and the same, all of them only carried their works in status quo without even a hint of vignce to their surroundings. This could lead us to conclude that the people left in the hideouts were people of no importance to the Spectre."


    "Moreover, there was little to no information found in their hideouts. It was clearly an indication that the Spectre only intended to save their own people and leave no traces behind, not really viewing the abandonment of their posts as a loss."


    General Farauld then figured out what Leon was actually saying, "Abandoning their post only meant that they were confident enough to resume their operations within the Empire in a matter of time. This means.."


    "Yes, the traitor of the Empire is powerful enough to smuggle them again inside the Empire." Leon confirmed General Farauld''s deduction.


    Boom!


    The sound of a table being pulverized to smithereens was heard on General Farauld''s side. Leon could imagine that apart from the poor table being pulverized into dust, the floor or ground underneath would be unable to hold its form and copse.


    Even if he was already an S ss mage, he still couldn''t deny that this teacher, General Farauld, was a hundred times scarier than him when angry.


    "Alright, this will bring a great change of ns!" General Farauld''s booming voice could be heard resonating in themunication stone.


    "You lot will get ready to sweep every nook and cranny of this Empire, while I''ll teleport to the pce directly to seek permission with the Emperor right now!" He dered with resolve.


    "We will wait for your orders, Teacher." Leon didn''t try to stop General Farauld. He too would not want all the time he spent separated from Little Han and Eli be futile.


    After hearing Leon''s reply, General Farauld immediately ended the call. Leon on the other hand let out a heavy sigh while resting his exhausted body on the couch, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    His face became a bit tan from the prolonged exposure of the harsh elements within the territories he visited. He also clearly lost a lot of weight and his skin was visibly dry and dehydrated. He also had grown a bit of stubble from being unable to stay in a decent dwelling for so long.


    The most time consuming and gruelling part of the operations was travelling from one territory to another. Thus, they spent more days in the wilderness than in towns where the raid happened.


    Apart from keeping their food and drink suppliesst for the journey, they also had to guard themselves up for any bandits roaming around the area.


    Now that the third wave was done, he was utterly exhausted and drained. He mustered his remaining energy to drag his body in the washing room to clean himself up.


    After that, he took the des to eat for a while then ordered them to restock their food supplies and recuperate for the next orders from General Farauld.


    After that, Leon''s body copsed on the inn''s coarse bed. Suddenly, he started to miss the scent of his bed back in the cottage. Without dying, he called Eli while his exhausted body lie on the bed.


    "Leon! How are you?" Eli enthusiastically responded to Leon''s call.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the background, Leon could also hear Little Han''s squealing and some rattling noise from baby toys. Adding to hearing Eli''s cheerful voice, the stress and exhaustion from almost a half year journey were instantly washed away.


    "We just finished the third wave. We are fine, no one''s hurt.." He said with a hoarse voice. But even with his weary tone, Eli could actually feel that Leon was smiling on the other side.


    "I think you should take a break first. You sounded so weary¡­" Eli''s voice had a tinge of worry upon hearing his voice. "Do not worry about us, infact, Little Han could already sit and eat solid food!"


    "So feel assured about our well being. Look after yourself instead. Little Han and I will wait for you patiently." Eli convinced Leon with a soft yet determined voice.


    "Hmmm.." Leon started to grow sleepy upon hearing Eli''s words, however he still tried to squeeze a few more words to give Eli a head''s up.


    "Eli.. the operations might extend for a little more.. Teacher immediately traveled back to the capital to ask Father''s permission for us to do an all out sweep in the Empire. This will take more time¡­I''m sorry."


    "I understand. It''s fine, do not be sorry. You are doing all of this not only for us but to the people of the Empire. To you and the rest of the army, we only have gratitude in our hearts."


    "So do not feel anxious about those for the meantime, but seize the opportunity to rest and recharge."


    "Hmm.." Leon could not hold the exhaustion anymore.


    Eli could only hear the steady breathing from the other side of themunication stone. "Sleep well, Leon.." She mumbled softly as she terminated the call.


    As soon as she ended the call, she called out for Rosea and the rest of the des. "We need to prepare another batch of food and rations for Godfather Eugine and Leon. I need you to gather the ingredients and materials needed, we''ll work faster this time!"


    "???" There was a big question mark on their faces upon hearing Eli''s sudden orders. However they need not to ask for further questions, instead they immediately move to carry out their tasks.


    Eli on the other hand immediately contacted General Farauld. "Godfather, how are you?" She asked in a genuine tone. She had a feeling that General Farauld would be in a bad mood from the hints given by Leon earlier.


    "Hmm, call me father. I heard you called Tyce ''Pops'', why not call me the same also?" General Farauld had a stern yet sulky aged voice.


    "Then I shall call you Papi?" Eli replied yfully. She didn''t know but she could feel that General Farauld was not really someone who is hard to talk to.


    "Hmm, good daughter!" General Farauld was pleased with Eli''s call of endearment.


    "I guess that kid called you to inform me about my whereabouts, right?"


    "Yes, Papi. Is the situation grave?"


    "It would be, if we do not sacrifice more time and manpower to rectify our ns." General Farauld had an exhausted reply.


    "I see, Papi. Well¡­ I am about to go and pack food rations for you and Leon in theing extension of your expedition¡­ If you don''t mind?" Eli tried to sound General Farauld out.


    "You''ll cook us food?" A hint of excitement could be detected in General Farauld''s tone.


    "Yes, you can drop by the cottage tomorrow, but I would be able to finish all these by that time. Is it alright for you to be dyed by that long?"


    "No no no! I can wait until tomorrow! Infact, I might be staying for a few more days so take your time. Oh, why not I call your Mami to spend dinner time with you and Little Hanter?" General Farauld replied with obvious enthusiasm.


    "That''s good too!"


    "Then! I look forward to your cooking!"


    "Alright, take care Papi, I''ll start to work with it." Eli then ended the call.


    In the pce, inside the Emperor''s study room, General Farauld''s smug face continued to look at Emperor Valentin''s dark expression with a hint of mocking.


    "Aiyooo, it''s really good to have such a great daughter~~~ The heavens blessed this old bones!" He taunted as flicked hismunication stone back to his pocket.


    It turned out that his conversation with Eli was all heard by the Emperor!


    "Hmmf! Do not be so smug! Soon, my son will snatch your daughter and will be my daughter inw instead!" Emperor Valentin barked furiously as if someone had ruffled his fur.

 Chapter 133 Scheming With The Papis (1)

    ?"Well that depends on the brat''s charm!" General Farauld harrumphed as he replied to his old buddy.


    But after some bickering, the two men immediately went back to business, "Now, what to do? How do you n on redeeming this issue?"


    Emperor Valentin frowned in distress, "It seems that I have to issue a decree for an Empire-wide search and lockdown for a few months. However, this will greatly impede the interactions we do with the nearby territories and allied kingdoms. I am afraid that we will lose a lot in this area."


    The two men stayed silent for a while. The lookdown was not only to attempt to search the remaining forces of the Spectre on the rest of the territories, but also a way to disrupt the synergy between the traitor and the Spectre.


    The sudden change will definitely catch them off guard and it would take them a significant amount of time to reinstate themselves within the Empire. Furthermore, the only solution for this was to change the reigning monarch.


    This way, the Emperor could immediately pinpoint who among the nobles were the most agitated to this change.


    However, there are risks that have to be considered, greatest among them were the damage it would give to the economy and diplomatic rtions of the Empire.


    If the Empire attempted to close their doors, even for a temporary measure, the nearby territories would surely be curious about what was happening inside.


    Of course there would be spies inside the Empire, but that was the most crucial thing, the powers who sent them would immediately be paranoid and may lead them to view the Empire with animosity.


    Furthermore, they may actually interpret this matter as a sign that the Seirende Empire was looking down on them. Dering that the Empire would continue to exisit even without engaging with the transactions from the other kingdoms.


    Overall, the entire n was like disturbing the beehive while cutting down a nuisance tree, attracting a lot of angry bees.


    "The cost is too much for the Empire to bear." Emperor Valentin rubbed his forehead in distress.


    General Farauld also greatly understood where his old buddy wasing from.


    It was not like the Empire was too weak to retaliate, it was just because of the fact that the enemies were inside the Empire themselves. This matter could greatly be used to shake the Empire''s foundations.


    "Sigh, it''s no use to hastily think about it now. I still have a few days before going back to the territories to issue your orders. Take your time to think about it." General Farauld chose not to pressure Valentin.


    "Hah¡­" Emperor Valentin also let out a heavy sigh, "I think I should visit my grandson for a while to ease this bad mood."


    "Ehh, are you inviting yourself to my dinner date with my daughter?" General Farauld now regretted worrying for his friend.


    "No no! You old stingy man! You''ve been here for a while and could visit Eli and my grandson anytime! Why must youpete with me this time!!!"


    "Hahaha, when we are kids we aren''t used to sharing whatever little we have. Howe you are so stingy now that we are old?!" Emperor Valentin ignored General Farauld''s protest and immediately dragged his friend to teleport in Eli''s cottage.


    "Wait! I still have to fetch my lovely wife! I haven''t seen her for so long! Aaahhhh!" Poor General Farauld found himself unable to resist Emperor Valentin''s fast teleportation schemes.


    They immediately found themselves inside Eli''s living room, where they immediately noticed the bustling noise around the cottage.


    "Madame, the marinate is ready!"


    "I have sterilized the ss jars!"


    "Good, let''s start packing!"


    They found Eli and the rest in the kitchen busily preparing for arge batch of pickled food rations in the kitchen. There were also more than ten servants from the Forgeworn estate outside prepping arge haul of dried goods.


    "Eh, Eugine, Your Majesty! What brings you here?"


    Tyce was actually free this time, when he heard that Eli was working to prepare arge batch of food ration for General Farauld and Leon, he volunteered to help by bringing some of his servants and supervising the work. One must know that it would be hard for Eli to prepare all these by herself and her little team.


    "We actually came to visit Eli and my little grandson." General Farauld answered awkwardly, how could he exin to Tyce that he was dragged by his old buddy and made him attend the appointed dinner time way ahead of schedule.


    "I see, I see, well Eli might not be able to entertain you properly. But why don''t you just sit in the gazebo while I''ll call her? Look, my cute grandson is happily ying there~" Tyce then pointed at the little gazebo, where it wasfortably set up to amodate Little Han''s y time with his furry nannies, Baobao and Wisey.


    Without replying to Tyce, the two old men scurried towards the gazebo as if on a race, fighting over who would be able to hold Little Han first.


    "Stingy man, don''t look so creepy like that, you''ll scare my grandson!"


    "You are the one who should look at your face! It''s severely burnt by the sun! I am afraid that Little Han will see you as a monster!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hearing the bickering of the two, Tyce could only helplessly shake his head and ask the servants to inform Eli of the old men''s arrival.


    Very soon, Eli, sporting a neat and clean look with her hair tied in a bun, she guided them back to the living room for some peace and had a servant arrive with a tray of tea and refreshments.


    "Papi! Your Majesty! Apologies for not amodating you right away." She greeted the two and immediately served them tea.


    "No worries my child, this one dragged me to the cottage because he was in a bad mood." General Farauld obviously held a grudge towards Emperor Valentin and directly badmouthed him to his daughter.


    "It''s true that I am in a bad mood, young Eli, would you be offended because I just went here without warning to clear my mind?" Emperor Valentin did not feel threatened towards General Farauld''s scheme. He was pretty confident of the rtionship that he was able to establish with Eli.


    "Well, I don''t mind. Feel free to rx around, although you may find our hospitalitycking." Eli respectfully replied.


    Emperor Valentin casted General Farauld a smug face as if saying, ''See I am this close to YOUR daughter~''


    "By the way, pardon me for being intrusive and impudent, but does your ill mood have a connection to the operation''s matter?" Of course, the nosy Eli couldn''t help but involve herself in the matter regarding the Spectre.


    As long as it was about the well being of Little Han, she would not be embarrassed to involve herself in the picture.


    "It''s like this.." Emperor Valentin didn''t hesitate to ry Eli their predicament, after all it was not the first time for him to consult with her regarding the matters of the pce.


    "I understand.." Eli nodded with a serious expression on her face. After thinking for a while she voiced out her idea.


    "I have a few ideas on how to properly address this." Eli calmly looked at the two men releasing her corporate woman aura.


    "Let''s hear it." The two replied with great focus.


    "First, you do not need to deny entry or exit of the citizens and visitors in the Empire, you just need to ensure that their identities are verified and their movements are monitored. I will introduce you to the concept of Passport."


    "Passport?" The two raised their brows in interest upon hearing a foreign word.


    "It''s basically proof of the citizenship of a certain individual while also recording their traveling information whenever they cross any boundaries..." Eli then went to further exin how a passport works in a way that it would be understood in this time period.


    "So you''re saying that each of the Seirende citizens wishing to travel across each boundary should be issued with Passport verified by the pce themselves? But I am afraid that this could easily be falsified." After hearing Eli''s lengthy exnation, Emperor Valentin immediately raised his concern based on his understanding of the concept of passport.


    "Well, aren''t you already implementing the same mechanism for years already?" Eli replied with aposed expression.


    "??" The two were baffled, what does Eli mean?


    Seeing the puzzled expression of the old men, Eli gave a light chuckle and patiently exined, "The crystal card issued by the Seirende Central Bank, as well as the Emblem issued by the Empire for the entry to the SilverDew forest. Aren''t they working exactly the same as the concept I have introduced?"


    "This!" Finally getting Eli''s point, the two almost got up from their seats and startled Little Han who was ying on his yground in the living room.


    The mechanism to issue the emblem and the Seirende Central Bank was actually too stringent. One could not duplicate nor fake their identity as the individual needed to seal their registrations by blood. Just what they exactly needed!


    Through Eli''s fervent research of finding a way toe up with something close to aputer, she stumbled upon the mechanisms used by the Seirende Central Bank and the Silver Dew Emblem.


    The key to this mechanism was the Memory stone and the Memory Lake.


    The crystal card issued to the individual was activated through blood and was actually made of memory stone.


    Once the details were engraved in the memory stone by a special pen made from the mana of an authorized person from the issuing institute, it would store this data to the memoryke, where the memory stones came from. A drop of blood would then identify the owner of the information.


    There was also one more crucial thing that made Eli convinced that it was best to rely on the Memory Stone and Memory Lake, it was because there were only two individuals in the Empire, whom the memoryke recognizes.


    It was Leon and Emperor Valentin.


    This means that without using their mana, the memory stone and the memoryke would not recognize the transaction no matter how the initiator forces. It was because, unknown to people, the memoryke -


    Was actually a sentient artifact!

 Chapter 134 Scheming With The Papis (2)

    ?The Memory Lake was discovered by thete Emperor Idelfonso during his reign. Upon bonding with its consciousness, he discovered that the being chooses its own master.


    Knowing this, Emperor Idelfonso tried if Emperor Valentin could also be recognized as the next master, fortunately, the Memory Lake recognized Emperor Valentin as it''s next master.


    Soon, when Emperor Idelfonso died, Emperor Valentin had all his sons submit a drop of blood for him to offer to the Memory Lake. Out of the three princes, only Leon''s blood was absorbed by the memoryke and was recognized as its next master.


    When Emperor Valentin asked the spirit of theke, why he chose the weakest son out of three to be its master, theke simply said, "He has the capability to maximize my abilities the most."


    True enough, at Leon''sing of age, he issued the special mana pens that greatly eased the burden of his father in approving the transactions for the memoryke. With the pens, his trusted representatives could use it on his behalf without him personally doing all the signing.


    The pens were created to approve a certain level of transactions starting from the lowest transaction tier to the highest. In this way no one can haphazardly take advantage of its equivalent authority.


    Furthermore, all the holders of the pens swore a bold oath to the owners of the memoryke, only them can hold the pens and use its features.


    "So you are saying that we can use the Memory Lake to create another mechanism for the Passport? And we can already use the verified information stored in theke to immediately issue to the current bank holders?" Emperor Valentin confirmed Eli''s conjecture.


    "Yes, aside from this being faster than starting from scratch, there''s also one thing." Eli squinted her midnight eyes in a scheming manner, "It will force the nobles to verify the citizenships of their servants and trading partners."


    "That''s true! However, my biggest worry about that would be the diplomatic treaties that we have with the other kingdoms." In truth, this was the heaviest burden Emperor Valentin was most worried in the first ce.


    "What do the other kingdoms need from us the most?" Eli replied calmly.


    "If we are to think about it, then that would be the medicinal herbs and potions from our Empire." General Farauld answered after contemting for a while.


    "Then¡­" Eli paused for a while and thought for a moment, looking back at the two old men she said, "We cannot afford to please everyone, however, think of how many diplomatic treaties would the Empire be most hesitant to let go of."


    "That would roughly be around fifteen contracts." The Emperor answered with a dark expression, "These contracts would hurt our Empire''s economy and diplomatic rtions should it be dissolved so suddenly because of the surprise scheme."


    "Then I offer you one solution, that is to offer thempensation for cooperation with our new scheme."


    "We will not let things be difficult for them, if the trading partners woulde here to deliver goods or services they just had to present their proof of citizenship and an atestation of legitimate trade approved by the monarch or leader of that kingdom."


    "As for thepensation, it will be two fold, first was topensate the trading partner themselves and the kingdom they belonged to, all for the fact that we suddenly imposed a new regtion without consulting them." Eli filled them in patiently with her ideas.


    "But what could we offer them? The trading partners are easy to settle, but the monarchs are not. They do notck money and treasures." The two men asked helplessly.


    "Well, Isn''t the most enticingpensation would be a short term entry pass to the Silver Dew Forest? As for how you will ask the cooperation of the Silver Dew Elves for this matter, of course it will be all depend on you."


    "Another alternative is to allow them to have privileged trading contracts to the inventions that I released. I wouldn''t mind that, though Your Majesty and Papi still need to get the opinions of Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben on this matter." Eli answered steadily with a hint of nonchnce, as if saying to the old men, ''Up to you if you believe!''


    All throughout the conversation, she didn''t feign ignorance but only adviced on her own capacity. Her manner of speech was confident and calm, exuding the intelligence of a corporate woman, defending her business proposals excellently.


    Although she gave lots of ideas, she could only do this much. It will depend on Emperor Valentin on how he will decide and sort out matters at his side. It was no longer her problem if they rejected her ideas, after all, leaders would have a wider perspective on things. Just like what usually happens in the modern world.


    "This!!!" The old men widened their eyes in disbelief.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    How could they not think of this matter? Undeniably, Eli''s suggestions really made sense. Although Eli didn''t emphasize it in her exnations, these ideas will bring about two effects for the neighboring kingdom and countless benefits to the Empire.


    The first effect would be dering to the kingdoms the Empire''s seriousness in apprehending the Spectre - they wouldn''t hesitate to cripple themselves just to ensure that theirnd is safe from the sinister organization''s threats.


    This would cause the kingdoms to adopt the same attitude and would also start activities to drive away the Spectre from their own territories. They will look at how the Empire dealt with the Spectre decisively and mimic their strategies.


    Following Seirende''s example, it will cause a wave of change to the Prasinonnds that will also greatly shake the Spectre''s foundations!


    The next effect was a tant disy of Seirende''s might and a generous attitude they show to the kingdoms who will understand their situation and support them willingly. For those who support them, they will not hesitate to share with them the benefits the Empire had to offer!


    Be it ess to medicinal resources or technological inventions, this was truly something that would strengthen diplomatic rtionships rather than destroy!


    "Hahaha! I really didn''t waste my time visiting you, young Eli!" The Emperorughed happily as if all his gloominess were washed away upon realizing the pros and cons of Eli''s ideas.


    "With this, not only will we shake the traitor to the core, we will also disrupt the Spectre''s momentum greatly!" General Farauld seconded, although upon remembering the countless months they spent on the clearing operations he felt that it was a great waste of time.


    Eli''s suggestion only addressed how they could salvage the issue with the Spectre but not ease his agitation upon falling into the traitor and Spectre''s mockery of their efforts.


    "Papi, the results of the clearing operations are of big help. Do not look down on your hard work. All of my ideas would not effectively work if we do not take advantage of the results of the clearing operations!" Eli understood General Farauld''s gloominess.


    "Really? How could that help? Shall we announce the existence of the operations? But wouldn''t that cause more rm to people?" General Farauld understood that Eli wanted tofort him, but still, announcing the clearing operations may lead to negative results.


    "We need a valid reason why we have to impose these restrictions both internally and externally. I advise that you do not report the clearing operations'' matters haphazardly for it will surely affect the people negatively as you suspected." Eli patiently answered.


    "In revealing this matter within and outside the Empire, I suggest you highlight three points."


    "The number of victims both murdered and rescued, the apprehended criminals and their background, and most of all, our victory. We will not emphasize the lingering dangers still roaming in the empire, nor the existence of the traitor. But our underlying message would be - even though the ''Spectre''s were apprehended'' it had hurt our empire so deeply and we will not allow it to happen again."


    "Hmm.. If that''s how you put it then I think we could use the situation to our advantage!" General Farauld''s doubts were cleared up and he was no longer showing dejection.


    "Alright! Now that it''s all settled, young Eli, I apologize in advance, but I and the General have to move to work with these things that we discussed right away! I could only say thank you for today, but I''ll make it up to you when these matters are all done." Emperor Valentin, then dragged his old buddy and rushed to the teleportation array in the living room to who knows where.


    "Wait.. how about our dinner!!! Ahhhhhh!" General Farauld was again victimized by the Emperor''s fast teleportation scheme.


    Eli started nkly at the empty couch in front of her, after blinking a few times, she let out a helpless chuckle and mumbled, "I guess the dinner date would be postponed for a little while."


    She immediately got up and checked on Little Han who was already fast asleep after ying for so long. Leaving him to the furry nannies, she hesitated for a while and called Leon to exin the earlier matters.


    Fortunately, Leon was already awake from his nap and answered Eli''s call right away. He expressed his understanding and agreement to most of the matters discussed and ended the call to immediately conver his views and ideas to further ensure that Eli''s ideas would be more effective.


    The nobles, the traitors and even the Spectre would never know what''s ahead of them in theing days. All because of the spontaneous discussion that happened in the little cottage!

 Chapter 135 Little Han’s Hard Working Mommy

    ?In the span of one month, waves of news kept shaking the Empire, especially the capital.


    The biggest among all these news was about the new decree of the Emperor announcing the wrongdoings of the Spectre, the issuance of passports and the restriction of travels in and out of the Empire. The nobles were visibly shaken because of this sudden news, it took them off guard.


    This was because the Emperor clearlyid the damages incurred from the sinister activities of the Spectre out in the open. It was irrefutable and undeniable that they couldn''t help but gulp and nod in submission to the new policies after considering the possible damages should the Spectre keep existing in the territory.


    Although there was an initial resistance, it was surprisingly easy getting the higher nobles to support the decree with the help of thepensation schemesid out for their business partners.


    After hearing that the pce will provide assistance to help the nobles engaged with external trading contracts, they no longer protested. Even the Astaze March openly expressed their position to submit to the Emperor''s decree.


    Surprisingly, the ever prominent Ves Duchy seemed to beying low, neither expressing their protest nor support.


    People thought that the Ves n didn''t care because the decree would more or less not hurt their family because of their connection with the Empress. But little did the people know that this decree hurt them the most.


    The Empress, who was still bedridden, and Duke Ves were caught off guard that they couldn''t even make necessary preparations to circumvent the new decree to their favor.


    This was mainly because before Emperor Valentin raised the new decree to the council, he alreadyid out everything. The only thing that he needed from the council was their vote if they would support or oppose the decree.


    Everytime Duke Ves remembered that moment, he bes intensely frustrated. Why did he not see thising? Is it because his sister had been bedridden that she was not able to get a wind of the Emperor''s sudden move?


    He didn''t even have time to gather his faction members and persuade them to oppose!


    "Whatever! It is not as if we rely heavily on the ck market and Spectre''s abilities to obtain our power!" He thought as he crushed his cigar into the ashtray very slowly but with great force that cracks appeared on the poor ashtray.


    The Vess already established its foundation, they can still hold on for a while even without the organization''s support. But the Duke knew that they had lost a lot because of this.


    "Send a message to the Empress not to panic about this matter. Until such time that we are able to create a hole in this new system, we can still rely on our own power. The most important thing for her now is to recover." Duke Ves ordered his aide.


    The second most shocking news was the release of an innovative invention by a mysterious inventor named ''Eli''. The mysterious inventor created something that will make the citizens'' lives easier when ites to using water - the water pressure and heating system!


    What''s more, in order to bring this invention to reality, the mysterious inventor gathered the most prominent names in the field of magical research and crafting! Everyone''s hair stood on end as they read out the members of the project team.


    Zeke Bartholomew Gifford - the youngest dean for Magical Research at the Farauld Magic Institute!


    Bramwell Merill Lewis - the vice chairman of the Farauld Magic Institute!


    Meredith Lavachin - the master engineer of the Forgeworn Merchant Group!


    Randel Forgeworn - the direct craftsmanship disciple of the Legendary S ss Grandmaster Andvari Forgeworn!


    The project sponsors, Grandmaster Reuben Farauld of the Farauld Magic Institute and Grandmaster Andvari Forgeworn of the Forgeworn Merchant Group!


    Her name became more prominent when the news of her releasing her new inventions, Stainless Steel and Portable Water Filtration Device were announced by the two giant institutes of the Faraulds and Forgeworns.


    Who is this mysterious inventor ''Eli''??? What is her background? How formidable was she to even mobilize the biggest names in the research and innovation world?


    Thest of the news that created waves especially to the capital, was the emergence of the ck hair fashion. This fashion preference wasunched from the Belizia Kingdom, a new fashion trend poprized by Madame Kari, the legendary fashion designer of Prasinos.


    Madame Kari specifically released a whole line of dresses and outfits that will visibly go well for people who have ck hair.


    With the tag, "ck is Mystery, ck is Beauty", the trend became so popr that the queens and nobledies of the nearby kingdom immediately joined the trend.


    It spread so fast that in roughly six months the trend reached the Seirende Empire so strong, without signs of dwindling out. Just like how Eli visualized, it became like an epidemic, swiftly creating waves throughout thends of Prasinos.


    Eli reckoned that in no time, people with ck hair will be normalized and she will no longer have it hard to always stay vignt about her unusual appearance.


    But only a few people know that the source of these big waves of changes was due to one person, who was also the mysterious inventor, Eli.


    Through her innovative ideas and suggestions, the Seirende Empire experienced drastic changes that even themon people couldn''t keep up with. However, this was just a start for Eli.


    What she wanted was a ce for Little Han to freely and safely live. Because of that, she wouldn''t mind stepping out of herfort zone and expressing her ideas to the world. Establishing a name for herself was only the first step.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Making herself stronger was the next.


    "Madame! The strength of your frontal sword attack has greatly improved!" Neal praised Eli sincerely as he bowed his head signaling the end of another sparring session outside the cottage.


    "Thanks for thepliment, I still have a long way to go!" Eli replied as she reached for the clean towel given by Rosea to wipe her sweat.


    "Judging from your progress, we can already teach you other moves so that you can engage in a battle more fluidly." Neal added after contemtion.


    "Really? What kind of moves shall I learn?" Eli''s eyes brimmed with excitement when she heard Neal''s evaluation.


    "Madame, as a humble devourer, I suggest that you focus on martial arts specializing in foot work and kicks." Ron enthusiastically suggested.


    "Madame, as a lover of your music, I humbly second the motion!" Chadically raised his hands and dered the words with great conviction.


    "Why can''t I engage in a full body martial arts?" Eli asked curiously.


    "Madame, you should protect your hands from damage due to the strenuous force needed to engage in weapon and fistbats. We also saw that your grasp of the footwork technique taught by Genos was much better than the short swordbat." Neal patiently exined.


    "Hmm, I see, I see." Eli contemted and agreed when she carefully weighed the des'' evaluation. "If you think that this is the way for me to go, then let''s have it your way. I''ll be in your care."


    "Thank you Madame!" The des replied in unison as they bowed. Their hearts felt warm because they felt valued upon seeing that Eli epted their opinion.


    In the past months, they saw how intelligent and gifted their Madame was.


    Everyday, they would discover amazing things, especially when they realized how deep Madame''s wisdom was. As such, they were actually afraid that Madame would reject their opinions since she was a person now highly regarded for her eloquence and wisdom.


    "I''ll be off to check Little Han then." Oblivious to the evolving view of the des towards her, she dismissed everyone and went to the cottage to check Little Han.


    "Then, we will call on Baobao and Wisey for their training." Neal and the rest of the des bid their goodbyes to Eli. It turns out that Baobao and Wisey continued their training with the help of the des.


    Baobao trained under Genos and Ron because his gift was devourer in nature. Wisey, on the other hand, trained with nc and Chad because her gifts were simr to a caster. Neal used his contracted familiars to engage with a spar for the two furries.


    "Oh, such a lovely day here in the little cottage, I see!" Suddenly, there was a happy voice resounding from the pavement''s entrance.


    It was a charming male dwarf that looked like a man in his early twenties. Although he was short in height, only three fourths the height of Eli, he looked as handsome as a noble man.


    "Greetings, Sir Devondre!" The des respectfully greeted upon realizing who he was.


    "Good morning! I''m just here to deliver some things to Eli, is she free today?" Devondre answered with a cheery smile.


    "She just finished her sparring session, Sir Devondre. Let nc lead you inside first." Immediately, they assigned nc to respectfully escort him in the cottage.


    This young dwarf Devondre was a member of the third generation of the Forgeworn n. He greatly took after his father, Tyrel, in his aptitude inmerce and business. Aside from Orion, Meredith''s husband, he was the person whom Eli interacted the most from the third generation.


    Von was led to the living room where Eli was leisurely sitting at the sofa, reading some documents on one hand while the other gently rocked Little Han''s cradle.


    "Von! What brings you here? Come and sit first. nc, please have Rosea prepare some tea." Eli was pleasantly surprised as soon as she heard Devondre enter the room.


    "Sshh, my Little Nephew is sleeping¡­ I just came here to deliver the thing you requested us to make." Devondre immediately replied in a hushed and panicked voice upon realizing that Little Han was actually sleeping.


    Eli let out a light chuckle, "It''s fine! See? His cradle had a sound barrier so you can be rest assured!" She pointed at the faint bubble surrounding the cradle.


    "I see, thene quickly check the goods I have prepared!" Relieved that his presence wouldn''t affect his dear nephew''s sleep, he immediately talked in his usual cheery manner.


    He took out a box and ced it on the coffee table. As he smiled, his eyes formed two little crescents.


    Carefully opening the box, Eli leaned her head forward to peek at its contents.


    It was a wig made with human hair. It was shiny pale brown and was neatly ced on a faceless mannequin sculpture.

 Chapter 136 Welcome To Farauld Magic Institute!

    ?"Wow, it was nicely done!" Eli gently brushed her fingers on the wig as she praised its craftsmanship.


    "Of course! It was made by big brother Orion, he has the most artistic hands!" Von replied in a delighted tone as he heard Eli''s praise. He had a look of pride for being part of the Forgeworn Family.


    "Thank you for this, I wonder how could I pay the two of you?" Although she was already interacting with her god siblings, she was still particr when ites to owing money.


    "Nah, you know what we really like!" Von had a drooling smile on his face while he rubbed his palms together as if scheming for something.


    "Hmm, oh well I have a new recipe. Would you care to try it first?" Eli replied, obviously understanding Von''s request.


    "Really?! Then let''s do it for today''s lunch!" Von almost destroyed his noble image when he drooled in excitement. "I can''t wait to taste the food you make! That vored fried chicken before was phenomenal!"


    "No can do. I could only prepare the meal for dinner. If you really insist, then let''s do it like this, why not invite Meredith and Orion to dinnerter for dinner, so we can all taste my new recipe?" Eli suggested.


    "That also works! I''ll invite them along!" Von replied with an excited face.


    The two caught up for a while until Von proceeded to discuss another matter.


    "Then, Eli, what''s your next n? You more or less achieved your initial goals for the past few months. Are you ready now to reveal yourself?"


    Carefully putting down her teacup, Eli paused and gently answered, "I n to first appear in the Farauld Magic Institute. I wanted to join their magic research team to know more about the secrets of magical energy in Prasinos."


    "Oh, I see! I can''t wait for the world to see you! You do not know how angry I was whenever I see my business partners boast about how wonderful it was to have brilliant daughters in the family! Gah! If they see you, my little sister, they would surely have their faces pped!" Von passionately dered.


    It was actually too bizarre hearing him call Eli ''little sister'' when he was literally shorter than her.


    "Ahhh! It''s nice to finally be able to boast a little sister in the family~~" He said ecstatically as he sipped his tea with great pleasure.


    Eli could only helplessly smile at Von''s excited behavior.


    For three generations, they have been waiting for a female member of the family but to no avail. Luckily, the sons of the Forgeworn n were very good at choosing their spouses.


    All the Forgeworn daughters-inws were extremely dotted upon by the family. Nevertheless, the third generation daughter inws were equally ted seeing Eli joining the family as they know that their spouses longed for a sister.


    "I n to discuss this matter with Auntie Janine and Grandpa Ben. So that they could arrange everything at their side. Of course, I also n to get the elder''s permission for this." Elimented.


    "Hmm! Whatever it is, know that we fully support you on your ns! I wish you all the best!" Von sincerely replied.


    --


    Three weekster, an imposing horse carriage bearing the golden insignia of the Farauld Family entered the bronze gates of the Farauld Magic Institute.


    The carriage drew a lot of attention as it was seldom for the Faraulds to enter the Institute in this manner. They would always use teleportation arrays or beast mounts when they arrive at the institute''s grounds.


    The students around were d in navy blue and dark green school gowns as they curiously crowded near the main building''s entrance. These two colors represent two of the three main schools inside the institute.


    The students wearing dark green gowns represent the School of Magic. The School of Magic educates students who would want to develop their magical aptitude whether as a caster, summoner, or devourer.


    The students d in navy blue represent the School of Academics. This branch of the school focused more on cultivating their knowledge of sciences, mathematics, economics, history, and so on, rather than magic.


    The third main school of magic was the School of Magical Research, which was headed by Zeke, one of Eli''s project team members. This institute wees students who have the desire tobine their strength in magic and knowledge in academics through magical research.


    Unfortunately, the students who are willing to devote themselves to this study were very fewpared to the first two schools. This was because one has to be talented in both aspects, not to mention the level ofmitment needed to survive in the school.


    It was also the reason why there were almost no students walking around wearing a red student gown - they confined themselves in theboratories!


    The carriage soon stopped in front of the main hall.


    The main hall was a three-story building designed in a style that Eli could identify as the earth''s French Baroque Architecture - uniform, powerful and majestic! The structure was made of a mix of marble, brick, and te. Its gigantic columns added an imposing effect to its grandeur.


    Upon seeing the opening of the carriage door, the onlookers unanimously kept silent as they craned their necks to see who the visitor would be.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were also shocked to see that the vice-chairman, Bramwell, and the deans of the three main schools immediately went out from the main hall to wee the people on the carriage.


    The first person to get out of the carriage was Grand Master Reuben.


    Everyone gasped in shock as they were really surprised that he showed himself personally after being in seclusion for almost five years.


    "Greetings Headmaster!" Everyone greeted Grandpa Ben respectfully.


    Grandpa Ben answered with a nod, then immediately turned his attention back to the carriage, where a youngdy, wearing a simple yet elegant dress, gracefully went off the carriage.


    As the youngdy stood, everyone was captivated by her calm beauty and dignified aura. Her face cannot be described as a beauty that could destroy cities, but the aura she exudes is sharp and shrewd, tranquil yet intimidating at the same time. Her hair was shiny pale brownplimented her lively chestnut eyes.


    "I wonder who that could be?"


    "Maybe a rtive of the Farauld Family?


    "But the current Farauld Family only had one branch!"


    "Then who could she be?"


    "She looks so sharp and intelligent, I feel intimidated!"


    Upon her entrance, the onlookers couldn''t help but discuss among themselves her identity. They kept on guessing her background and how she was powerful enough to make the Headmaster escort her personally and the Vice-chairman along with the deans wee her upon arrival.


    "Ah! Finally, Young Eli, you are here!!!" Bramwell eximed in delight.


    He immediately beckoned Eli and introduced her to the two deans. "You already know Zeke, so let me introduce you to Simonne, the dean for the School of Magic, and Athena, the dean for the School of Academics!"


    "Greetings, Dean Simonne and Dean Athena! My name is Eli, it''s a pleasure to meet you!" Eli immediately introduced herself.


    Since she was about to be a member of the renowned Forgeworn and Farauld families, she no longer referred to herself as the ''humble one'' to people below the status of the Imperial family.


    "It is nice to finally meet you, Eli! Who would have known that the mysterious inventor who shook the magical research world would be this young and beautiful! Ah~ I look forward to exchanging opinions with you in the future! I am sure we will get along!" Dean Athena replied in an excited tone.


    She was a woman already in her forties, yet her appearance and carefree attitude made people assume that she was still in her thirties. She looked with great anticipation knowing beforehand that Eli would soon join the Institute. Surely, she will learn a lot by interacting with her.


    Even if she was already in her forties, she still yearned to learn more, as learning knows no age!


    "I still feel regretful that I was not able to have a chance to join you in that legendary project... Sigh! If not for Zeke begging me to give the spot, I would have had the chance to work with you earlier!" Simonne also expressed his approving view of Eli, there was a tinge of regret in his eyes, yet he also had a hint of doting towards Zeke, his disciple now turned colleague.


    "Aiyoo, now let use inside so that you can all properly converse with Eli! The day is long, so please do not startle her so eagerly!" Grandpa Ben reminded the bunch as theypletely forgot that they were still outside the hall.


    "Ah, my mistake! Comee, let us continue our conversation inside!" Bramwell immediately responded to Grandpa Ben''sment and led the group inside the office.


    Meanwhile, the crowd left outside instantly engaged in a fervent discussion.


    "Did I hear it correctly, the young woman was the great inventor Eli?"


    "Oh my goodness! I just met the mysterious inventor!"


    "Ahmon, p me awake! I am afraid I''m just dreaming!"


    "Who would have known that she''s just a few years older than us! Sigh, I feel like I wasted my time all these years!"


    "Ahhh, I hope she came here to be a teacher! If she does, I promise to go to the temple to pray every day for this blessing!"


    Eli had no idea that with only three released inventions, she managed to be an epitome of excellence to the students of the Farauld Magic Institute!

 Chapter 137 Eli’s Tour On The Campus!

    ?Eli was enthusiastically led inside the main hall.


    The interior of the main hall made Eli feel the excitement of entering the school for the first time, as the high-painted marble ceiling and the lively hallways surrounded by students brought a lively atmosphere. The surroundings were brightly lit and one could even appreciate the naturally colored granite floors.


    Along the way, Bramwell and the rest exined the sections and areas they went through with great pride and enthusiasm before entering the faculty conference area.


    They entered a spaciousrge room that was elegantly styled with maple brown velvet walls and gold-painted wood ents. Aside from the captivating impressionist paintings fastened on the walls, the only furniture present was an extremely long table and wooden chairs with tall backrests.


    Conspicuously ced at the center of the room, the first thing that Eli noticed was that same long table upied by people whose eyes were set on her.


    Eli stood at the entrance, calmly not giving anyone a hint of the uneasiness, even if she felt the gazes of the people sitting at the long table.


    "Greetings Headmaster!" The people waiting at the long table unanimously greeted Grandpa Ben and the rest as they entered the hall.


    Although they were addressing Grandpa Ben and the rest, their eyes were actually focused on the young woman behind the group, Eli.


    As soon as she entered the room, she was weed with different kinds of gazes.


    Some had the look of admiration, others with scrutiny. Some looked with surprise, the others looked with doubt and curiosity. Some looked at her with approval, while the others¡­ with contempt.


    Eli, being a corporate woman in her previous life, was no longer surprised by this situation.


    She understood really well that one cannot please everyone.


    Hence, she continued to stand tall and confident as she waited for Grandpa Ben and Bramwell to address everyone and lead her to where she will be sitting.


    Eli deduced that the identity of the people in the room are the faculty members of the Farauld Magic Institute.


    "All at ease and settle down!" Grandpa Ben ceremoniously nodded and acknowledged the crowd, then with Eli and the rest in tow, he proceeded to the centermost seat, followed by the others. Bramwell assigned Eli to sitfortably beside him and Athena.


    "This meeting won''t be long and winding as I have always hated formalities. You all have known that I have been missing in the past few months because of working on something that brought a groundbreaking change in the innovation field.


    I have been supporting and will continue to support, the person behind all the sessful inventions released in the past months. Everyone, I would like to formally introduce to all of you, the inventor of the Integrated Water Pressure System, Stainless Steel, and Portable Water Filtration Device, Eli!"


    Everyone pped afterward, although some with genuine intentions while others were out of obligation.


    Eli stood and greeted the crowd. "Greetings everyone! My name is Eli, I look forward to working with you all should there be a chance!"


    The crowd, wearing ck schrly gowns lined with either blue, green or red, exchanged pleasantries towards Eli until everyone settled down at Grandpa Ben''s cue.


    "She will be joining our Magical Research School as the Honorary Innovation Counselor, reporting to Dean Zeke. She will be using her vast knowledge to help and guide our school''s researchers to aplish their goals. She will also asionally visit the other schools to be familiar with other knowledge areas that could facilitate research advancement."


    "Eli''s creations had once again intensified the Institute''s vision - Discover and apply knowledge to make the Prasinon''s lives better! I encourage everyone to reignite your desire to pursue knowledge and discover innovations like what Eli had done."


    "Yes Headmaster!" The faculty members replied in unison. "Again, wee Eli!"


    "Thank you, everyone!" Eli calmly replied.


    After Eli''s introduction, Bramwell immediately took over the meeting, while Eli used the opportunity to observe the way the faculty conducted their activities.


    Although the faculty members were divided into three schools, the teachers belonged to other schools in order to provide the students with basic knowledge for the rest of the study areas.


    Eli also learned that the Magical Research School was actually at a different level from the two other schools. Its students were more advanced both in qualifications and age group.


    If Eli would think of her previous world, the Magical Research School was equivalent to the modern earth''s graduate school for master''s and doctorate degrees. On the other hand, the Schools of Magic and Academics were equivalent to primary to university-level institutions.


    She felt a little flustered deep inside, knowing this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She would soon be interacting with researchers who were actually masters and doctoral students! However, she sighed in relief after remembering that she had already interacted with Zeke and Bramwell, who even directly reported to her in the project team.


    Her confidence came back in an instant.


    After all the agenda was finished, Eli did not immediately proceed to the Magical Research Branch, as she still needed to tour the campus with Zeke as her guide.


    With Zeke''s agreement, she will be formally appearing after a week at the branch and officially starting her role.


    The Farauld Magic Institute was like a little world inside the campus grounds. Each of the schools boasted top-ss facilities that lived up to its renown in the entire Prasinonnds.


    Known as one of the top three schools in the whole Prasinos, the Farauld Magic Institute freely epts studentsing from thends beyond the Empire as long as they are properly sponsored and verified by their origin countries.


    Roaming around the campus, Eli felt amazed by howplete and well-maintained the institute was.


    From the clean and serene dormitory halls, the wide and spacious practice grounds, the amazing open amphitheater, to the vast forest andgoon area, everything that the students needed for their learning and growth was all inside the campus. Not to mention the top-grade ssrooms and specialized halls for each of the student''s categories.


    Eli couldn''t help but wonder how much would a student pay in order to study at this institute.


    In her previous life, she was not able to attend a university of the same caliber as the Farauld Magic Institute and could only avail of an open slot at a provincial state university.


    But now that she had a chance to enter this campus, she decided to maximize her allotted time to learn and improve herself here while helping the researchers in return.


    She continued to follow Zeke up until lunchtime when they proceeded to the cafeteria hall. The cafeteria was bustling and lively, filled with students and faculty members taking their meals on their designated floors.


    The first and second floors were meant for the students regardless of the branch they belonged to. This was because Grandpa Ben believed that giving the children enough avenues to interact with students of different backgrounds and specializations will also hone and prepare them for the real world.


    The top floor belonged to the Institute''s faculty and honorary guests.


    Unlike the first and second floors where the students had to orderly line up for their turn to get food, the third floor operates in a fine dining setting. The menu was already neatly prepared on each table.


    Eli only had to touch the name of the food she wanted to order with her fingertips and the dish she pointed to will light up and notify the chef in the kitchen.


    ''It was like a touch screen!'' Eli was surprised to see a simr technology but with the use of magic.


    True enough, the institute really pursued innovation and other ways to better use magic in their daily lives. This made Eli excited about what other things she could make with the people on the research team.


    As it was already lunchtime, the two of them were eventually joined by Bramwell and Grandpa Ben, along with Athena and Simone. In a blink of an eye, Eli''s table became extremely high profile!


    The faculty members from the other table couldn''t help but steal nces at their area and engage in a hushed discussion.


    "I still couldn''t help but be shocked that the mysterious inventor was actually such a young woman, she was even years younger than Dean Zeke!"


    "If she ever gets an official faculty identity, she would undeniably be the youngest teacher in the history of the institute!"


    "I wonder how the Headmaster discovered her talents? Heavens! I could not help but feel thankful that our Headmaster was the very first to discover her talents! If not, I could already imagine how smug the rival schools would be!!"


    "I know right! Now we shall all have the time to be smug during the educators'' convention in theing years! Hahahaha!"


    The majority of the faculty members expressed their positive feeling about Eli joining the Farauld Institute albeit with an honorary status.


    However, there were still some people who didn''t feel happy about her joining out of nowhere.


    "What is there to be happy about her joining our ranks? Could you all be alright to see another Zeke to trample you over?!" A female faculty member wearing a ck gown with blue stripesmented with contempt, she didn''t bother to hide her displeasure as she spoke the words.


    "I guess you all were satisfied to rot underneath the ranks!" She continued when the other faculty members chose to awkwardly stay silent to her harsh remarks.

 Chapter 138 Alicia

    ?The female teacher did not even bother to lower her voice. Even if the table she was a few tables away from Eli, with the caliber of the people in the third floor, they could hear her words clearly because of their enhanced senses.


    "Professor Alicia, would you mind to calm down? I know you are frustrated with how you have lost to Zeke but then, why should you vent your anger to Lady Eli?"


    A haggard-looking professor from the next table immediately reprimanded the female professor, Alice. He was wearing a ck gown with red stripes symbolizing that he belonged to the magical research school.


    "You¡­" Professor Alicia was speechless as she didn''t expect that someone would reprimand her publicly. Her eyes were zing with irritation as she clenched her fist to hold back exploding from being insulted.


    Aside from being a professor of the renowned institute, she was also the precious daughter of the Cross family, another aristocratic family of casters. It was also known that her aunt was married to the Duke of Ves, and the sister inw of the Empress.


    Thus, she always enjoyed the special treatment her fellow professors gave her.


    They avoid opposing her especially publicly so as to not offend the Cross family. However, there were known exceptions and that was the entric professors under the magical research institute.


    "What? If you don''t like losing, then work double the effort you are currently giving. Perhaps, you would one day attain the qualification to finally be a dean!" the entric professor didn''t let go of the chance to let her permanently shut-up.


    There was an awkward silence on the third floor.


    Almost all the professors knew that Alicia and Zeke actuallypeted for the position of deputy dean under training with Vice Chairman Bramwell. They also trained under the seasoned deans and went through a tedious and extremelypetitive selection process.


    After battling head to head with each other, Zeke turned out to be the one who was chosen to hold the position as the deputy dean for Magical Research School.


    Back then, Alicia was not able to take her loss with grace.


    She could not believe that she was beaten by a teacher with amoner background. What''s more, in only five years, he skillfully led the research team to attain phenomenal achievements such as the enhanced function of themunication stone - the invention of notification papers!


    His achievements as a deputy dean, enabled him to be the full-fledged dean he was known today, even more as the youngest dean ever conferred in the history of Prasinos at the age of thirty one.


    There was also an unusual atmosphere around Eli''s table.


    That was because it was only Eli who was visibly worried when she heard the discussions about Zeke. The rest of the people at her table all had uncaring expressions as they proceeded with their meal.


    "Do not bother about the discussions, this is already a normal scene in the Institute." Zekeforted Eli as he apologetically nced at her.


    Raising her brows in surprise, Eli looked at Bramwell and Grandpa Ben with an inquiring expression, as if saying, ''I could understand if it was Zeke''s choice not to resolve this matter, but why do you not address this issue as the people of the highest rank in the campus?''


    "Leaders see things differently." Grandpa Ben crypticallymented, as if answering Eli''s inquiring look.


    Eli decided not to dive into the question further since Grandpa Ben already gave her the hint. She could always ask him in the future anyways.


    And so, the eventful lunch was done so quickly. After finishing the second half of the tour, Eli bid her goodbye to Dean Zeke.


    "Thank you so much for giving me your precious time to guide me around the campus, Dean Zeke. I had a pleasant time!"


    "I am d to hear it! I couldn''t wait to see you next week and introduce you to the junior and senior research teams!"


    "I look forward to it too!" Eli replied with a smile. She also said her goodbyes to Dean Athena and Simone before leaving the campus with Bramwell and Grandpa Ben.


    "So.. how do you find the institute?" Bramwell excitedly asked Eli as they traveled back to the Farauld estate.


    "Although I already knew that the institute was prestigious, I still feel amazed seeing it in person! Truly it was one of the best!" Eli gave her honest evaluation. "Uncle, I really had a great day today, seeing the institute you and Grandpa Ben preciously cared for!"


    The two men were touched at Eli''s words as they tried to avert their gaze towards the carriage windows while awkwardly clearing their throat. "Well.. it''s good that you like it."


    "If you don''t mind, I would like to ask for an answer about Zeke''s situation earlier." Eli couldn''t let go of Alicia and Zeke''s matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well, actually¡­ It was Zeke who pleaded to us and the other deans to let the matter go." Bramwell exined.


    "It was because he was worried that the Cross Family would use their influence to damage the reputation of the academy just because he was amoner."


    "Since the Cross Family had deep connections with the Empress, Zeke didn''t want to cause trouble for the academy and disrupt the students'' learning just because of Alicia''s attitude. He said that at the end of the day, Alicia was still considered one of the strongest contenders for the dean position. She had abilities and it would be a great loss for the academy to lose a teacher like her."


    "Hmm, I see.. But knowing Grandpa Ben''s personality, would you really don''t care?" Eli asked Grandpa Ben straightforwardly, as if she already knew the answer.


    "Of course! Such a small Cross family? I wouldn''t care. If I am in the mood, I can fire Alicia anytime of the day!" Grandpa Ben replied proudly.


    "Then why listen to Zeke''s request then?" Eli was now utterly confused. Grandpa Ben was not really someone who would be afraid of status and turn a blind eye to the wrong.


    "That was simply because we wanted Zeke to learn from this predicament. We wanted to see how he handles the situation with his capacity as dean. He was still too young and soft hearted. Although his qualifications were already more than enough for his position, his guts were reallycking big time!"


    "As a normal educator, one is required to handle and manage the youth of tomorrow. But as a dean, you have to learn to keep the institute that enables it! Matters such as reputation, politics and so on must be handled decisively. There''s no room for uncertainties, because one move not taken will affect the future of the students."


    "In Zeke''s case, his sense of inferiority due to his background made him deeply believe that it would actually be for the greater good of the academy for him to sacrifice. He did not even consider who his superiors were, that they were the kind of people who would not care to offend big names. Because if we are afraid to do that, then we should have long banned giving students a failing grade!"


    "True enough!" Eli understood Grandpa Ben and Bramwell''s line of thought.


    "So that was why we chose to watch from the sidelines and carefully let Zeke look at the situation with a renewed mind. Of course, we cannot make a good leader overnight, so we are being patient with the situation!"


    Meanwhile, Alicia was on her way to the pce to apany her aunt, Madame Ves to visit the Empress.


    In Empress Carolina''s Pce, the two gracefully curtsied to greet the regal looking woman on the wheel chair.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty, Empress!"


    "Hmm, sit down, it''s been a while since I shared tea time with you. Finally after many months, I was allowed to receive visitors. I immediately had you in my mind to share tea with." Empress Carolina smilingly replied.


    Her appearance was quite surprising for someone who was well cared for in the pce.


    Unlike her usual graceful and regal appearance as the Empress, she was pale white and frail looking as she sat on the wheel chair. If not for her requesting her servants to put rouge on her face, she would definitely look like a vampire exposed in the sunlight.


    "Your Majesty, how are you feeling right now? Please don''t push yourself too much!" Alicia attentively replied.


    "Compared to thest few months, I am feeling much better. It was only because I could only eat and drink what ws prescribed that made me look like Ick energy." Empress Carolina replied.


    She had already recovered her ruptured receptors so she was already free from pain. But because of being immobile for so long, the doctor opted to let her move around with a wheelchair until she finished her rehab.


    "I have been really bored these days. I would really like to hear from you what was happening outside the pce walls." She straightforwardly asked the two.


    "Well, I am sure you know about the sudden changes that happened because of the Emperor''s decree. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing these days, surprisingly. There was really minimal resistance from the nobles¡­" Madame Ves helplessly sighed.


    "I heard that one of the reasons why the matter was smooth sailing was because of the release of the new inventions from the institute?" Empress Carolina then looked towards Alicia.


    Seeing the Empress''s nce, Alicia finally understood why she was called so suddenly for this meeting.


    The Empress wanted to get insider information about who the inventor was. Lucky for her, today was also the day Eli visited the institute.


    "Well the matter is like this, the Faraulds and Forgeworns sponsored the mysterious inventor to create new innovations to mass release for the people. Although I am not aware as to when the Emperor caught wind of this information so fast, fret not Empress!"


    "For the mysterious inventor Eli, had already appeared today in the institute. She will be staying there as an honorary councilor!" Alicia proudly dered with delight. It waspletely the opposite of her sour face back in the academy upon meeting Eli.

 Chapter 139 Little Black Sheep!

    ?There was a sh of delight and interest in Empress Carolina''s face as soon as she heard Alicia''s words.


    Finally, after so many months of suffering from the painful bacsh, there''s something that gave her hope.


    Ever since the discovery of the Spectre''s abduction activity, not one of her schemes went well!


    From scheming against Teh during the renewal of treaty, to cursing her in the temple, she gained nothing!


    Even the hope she had for the subject of the oracle was a fruitless n.


    After the Emperor''s visit to the temple, the news about the oracle mysteriously died down. She waited everyday from her bed for any news about the movements of the temple, but not one expedition was sent to search for the new priest candidate.


    Because of the unknown ident, she was rendered immobile for more than six months. She was not able to fully exert her efforts in scheming as she could not handle the extreme pain whenever her body was moved.


    The only thing she was able to do was to contact the Spectre and warn them about the clearing operations. She thought that she would actually see the Emperor''s minions make a fool of themselves, but never did she expect that Valentin would swiftly retaliate fast and strong!


    Also, she really wondered who came up with this irritating scheme that really caught her, the Vess and the Spectre, off guard.


    The moment she was finally free from the pain, she immediately worked to analyze what really happened that led to the announcement and implementation of the decree.


    She found out that the legendary grandmasters openly gave their support towards the Emperor, by giving their consent to partner with the inventor they had recently sponsored, Eli!


    Knowing this, Carolina became worried. She has beenying down everything smoothly because she knew that the grandmasters were really abstaining themselves from the matters of the pce. But now that they did, it will be harder for her to deal with them.


    She should find a way to contact the Spectre and warn them about this development.


    The next thing she needed to do was to get acquainted with the inventor.


    It would really give them so much benefit if she was able to let Eli join their camps! This mysterious inventor was able to shake the whole empire with her creation on a random day! Her abilities proved to be formidable.


    Carolina knew that having Eli as an ally would bring her and Kazimir priceless benefits!


    "That''s good to hear! What is her background? I want to know more about her!" She asked Alicia, demanding for an answer.


    "This¡­ actually all I know about her today, was her given name and the role she is about to take in the institute. The meeting with her was rather brief and Grandmaster did not even give any additional information about her origins." Alicia replied with a careful tone, afraid that she would disappoint the Empress.


    "But I checked earlier, I found out that she was currently staying in the Farauld estate because she arrived and took off using the Farauld''s official carriage." She desperately continued when the Empress showed no sign of emotions.


    She prayed that she would not lose the Empress'' favor when she was not able to satisfy her with the little information she had.


    "I see, she might be temporarily staying for a while until the matters are settled down on the institute''s side." She excitedly looked towards Alicia and continued, "It would be nice if Alicia could befriend her and invite her for a tea time with us soon!"


    "I''ll try my best, Your Majesty." Alicia replied stiffly.


    Although she knew that it was definitely the Empress'' order, she couldn''t help but feel unpleasant because she viewed Eli unfavorably for being close with Zeke.


    "Good!" Empress Carolina happily squinted her eyes. Finally, the hope to salvage the situation appeared!


    After catching up, the tea time with the Empress ended uneventfully. Aside from the matter with Eli, the Empress only had them share the recent happenings in the capital.


    "Why do you look so gloomy when the meeting we had with the Empress was smooth?" Madame Ves noticed Alicia''s downcasted face as soon as they boarded the carriage.


    "Aunt, you wouldn''t know! That Eli was actually close to my nemesis Zeke! How could I find motivation to befriend her? I also deeply believe that she is a person of no background! Why would I lower myself for her?" Alicia started to vent her frustration the moment Madame Ves asked her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Besides, she was just someone who was lucky to invent something that made the Grandmasters sponsor her work! Without the Grandmasters, her invention would not even be renowned so highly!"


    "Sigh, my dear niece... How many times should I say to you that your explosive attitude would definitely be your weakness in the high society!" Madame Ves gracefully closed her bejeweled fan and stared at Alicia in a stern manner.


    Judging from Alicia''s behavior, Madame Ves could already deduce that her niece was not able to stop herself from running her mouth on her first day of meeting the famous inventor.


    "How many times do I have to teach you to hold your disdain in! Alicia, there are so many ways to uphold our noble''s pride, but that attitude of yours is the veryst in the list. You will lose a lot because of that!"


    "I know my mistake now Aunt. I apologize!" Seeing that her aunt would start a nagging barrage, Alicia chose to immediately ept her mistake to stop her aunt from the endless sermon. Instead, she diverted her Aunt''s attention to the next topic.


    "Aunt, seeing that the Empress wanted me to get close with the inventor, do you have any suggestions on how I could do that?" She asked.


    "Hmm, it''s too early to be thinking about how to approach her. You can never be wrong with observing what kind of person she is at first. Then you can go on nning what you have in mind." Madame Ves answered.


    "You can also try to take advantage of being in the field of education earlier than her. If the opportunity arises, you can befriend her by helping her around the campus, so that she could get used to your presence easier." She continued, afraid that Alicia will not be patient enough with her first proposal, she rmended a way she can do safely and immediately.


    "I see! Thanks Aunt! I''ll do what you have suggested next week when she officially starts." After getting her aunt''s advice, Alicia became happy.


    "Hmm, do your best in getting this task right. Should the Empress be pleased, she might rmend you to be the program head at the Vanderford Institute in the future!" Madame Ves''s expression softened upon seeing Alicia''s submissive attitude.


    "Vanderford Institute!!" Alicia''s eyes glistened in delight.


    Vanderford Institute was one of the few institutions who could rival the prestige and renown of the Farauld Magic Institute. Getting a program head position in the Vanderford Institute would be equivalent to a dean position in the Farauld Magical Institute!


    She couldn''t help but to feel excited upon hearing her Aunt''s words, her heart kept pounding so hard as her blood boiled with excitement and desire to defeat Zeke.


    Meanwhile, Eli was already in her cottage,pletely transforming from her corporate woman aura to being Little Han''s mother.


    She felt so surreal as she didn''t expect that she would also experience the feeling of being a working mommy! Only in this life did she have a chance!


    It was only a visitation day, but Eli couldn''t help but feel worried about stepping into this new chapter of her life as a working mom. Fortunately, Grandpa Ben and Zeke allowed her to render only a minimum of 4 hour consultation session each week.


    With this, she can spend time with Little Han more, especially in his crucial period. Besides, Eli''s main goal to enter the institute was to strengthen her background. She need not to exhaust her time for serious work.


    "Baaa!" Little Han clumsily crawled into the cushioned carpet in the living room upon seeing Eli appearing in the teleportation array.


    Smiling with his toothless gums and with his pinkish cheeks puffing so cutely, he looked like a little ck sheep in his sheep themed onesie. His hoodie had a cute pair of little white ears.


    Eli couldn''t help but find it funny seeing the crawling Little Han in ck and white onesie and Baobao in the background. They looked like siblings due to the monotonous color!"


    "Baaa! Baaa!" Little Han still kept smiling as he tried his best to crawl to his mommy''s side.


    "Little Han! Mommy''s back!" She knelt on the floor a few inches away from Little Han and stretched her hand out, patiently waiting for her baby to finish hisps.


    "Baaa! Baaa!!!" Finally reaching Eli''s palms, Little Hanid on his tummy and used his chubby little hand to hold Eli''s hands.


    Eli''s heart melted. She immediately scooped Little Han in her arms in a warm embrace and showered him with kisses.


    All the weariness from today''s matters were immediately washed away by her baby Little Han!

 Chapter 140 Getting Ready For The Institute

    ?"Kyaaa~" Little Han giggled as he snuggled in Eli''s arms.


    The days when she sees Little Han grow more livelier and lovable is what makes Eli feel fulfilled in life.


    However, as he grows, so do Eli''s worry that one day, Little Han would lose his smile should she and Leon fail to settle everything before his existence was discovered.


    Thus, Eli could not afford to dy her ns to show up in the society.


    With her background as a renowned inventor and a research counselor in the Farauld Magic Institute, she ns to use this as the foundation of her status.


    Next, would be the uing adoption ceremony in the Farauld and Forgeworn n. This would reinforce her identity strongly so that Little Han will not be bullied in the future.


    On Leon''s side, he was going to the far ends of the Empire to give Little Han a safe ce. After shooing away the Spectre, he can finally announce his and Eli''s existence in the capital.


    Although the threat from the Empress, his brothers and the other nobles still lingered, Eli and Leon decided to face this matter head on by improving themselves, even when they were far apart.


    Eli couldn''t help but sigh upon remembering Leon.


    ording to her Papi, General Farauld, there''s still about two months needed for them toplete the assignment. The acknowledgement ceremony was actually scheduled three months from now, which was coincidentally her and Elise''s birthday.


    She prayed that Leon and Papi woulde back to the capital by that time.


    Eli also had developed a habit of staring subconsciously on Leon''s bed and spot in the cottage. She was like under a spell, the longer they were far apart.


    She thought that this habit was just because she was used to his presence during her first months of being a mom.


    But more than six monthster, she still wasn''t able to keep herself from looking nkly on where he usually sits in the living room, in the kitchen and his bed.


    "I really must be missing him.." Eli uttered with a defeated tone.


    She started to realize that Leon really took a ce in her heart. However, she was still too afraid to admit that it is love.


    "Well.. I''ll just wait until I see him again. Maybe by that time, I''ll be sure!" She thought while getting Little Han to his cradle to sleep.


    Then she beckoned Baobao and Wisey to talk to them regarding her eventual work in the Farauld Magic Institute.


    "Master!"


    "Eli chan!"


    "Soon, I''ll be reporting to the institute at a minimum of four hours a week. I n to take Wisey with me first." She exined to her two furry buddies.


    "Baobao, would you mind being with Little Han for the meantime?" She asked Baobao''s opinion because she wanted to know what''s his decision.


    "Master, I want to take care of Little Master while you are out." Baobao gently answered, he knew that his master would feel more at ease to have him by Little Han''s side.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to see the world outside?" Eli asked him for thest time.


    Unlike Wisey who became her contracted spirit because she was already given by the Great One, Baobao came from this world.


    Eli wanted to know that although she was Baobao''s master, he was still free to do what he wanted.


    "Master, I don''t like being with a lot of people¡­ I only like Master and Master''s Family¡­" Baobao shyly replied with his paws fidgeting in front of his fluffy stomach.


    "However, if you are in danger, I will appear immediately no matter how many people are around you!" He continued with determination.


    "Alright. If that''s what you want. I''ll let you stay with Little Han." Eli nodded with a smile.


    "Weeee¡­ I''ll see the academy!!" Wisey on the other hand childishly flew around the living room in excitement.


    She was not worried about leaving Baobao alone because the two of them canmunicate telepathically.


    Wisey and Baobao casted a meaningful look with each other.


    In truth, the arrangement today has already been decided by the two while Eli was at the institute. They knew that Eli had to go out from time to time and expose herself to the capital, however, they also had to protect Little Han.


    That was why Baobao chose to stay with Little Han, while Wisey will be with Eli as she reports to the academy.


    Wisey will be spotting malicious people hovering around Eli in the institute. She will immediately report it to Baobao and they will set out to ''scare'' this person.


    "Wisey, buddy. Do not get caught with the excitement of seeing a new world, alright? You have to spot bad people who want to harm Master." Baobao gently reminded Wisey telepathically.


    "I know, I know, I won''t repeat the same mistakes again. I don''t want to feel the guilt of bringing danger to Eli ever again¡­" Wisey replied in a serious tone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright, let''s go prepare dinner!" Oblivious to their conversation, Eli beckoned the two to prepare their dinner.


    --


    The day of Eli''s reporting to the Magical Research Institute came.


    She teleported to the Farauld''s Estate with a big entourage.


    In her arms, was the ever lively Little Han who was happily flinging his chubby limbs up and down as he saw the colorful lights from the teleportation array.


    Today, Eli dressed him with a cute baby blue miniature sailor uniform paired with a matching sailor hat.


    Baobao and Wisey also tagged along dutifully pushing Little Han''s stroller, while Rosea brought a bag, carrying Little Han''s baby needs for the day. The des on duty also tagged along but they were in stealth mode to ensure Eli''s safety outside.


    "Finally you''re here!" An excited Grandma Myrna weed them as soon as they appeared from the teleportation array. With her was Grandpa Ben and Aqu, General Farauld''s wife and soon to be Eli''s adopted mother.


    "Ahhhh~ My great grandchild is so cute! Look at his outfit, isn''t it nice?" She squealed in delight as soon as sheid her eyes on Little Han.


    "Who''s our little sailor???~~" She held out her hand indicating that she wanted to carry Little Han in her arms.


    "Auuuu!" Little Han, as if conversing properly with his Great Grandma Myrna, let out a reply, seriously pouting his lips and raising his brows in an adorable manner.


    Everyone chuckled in amusement.


    "Eli, are you all prepared for today? Just tell me when you are nervous, I''ll ask Zeke and Bramwell to assist you there." Grandpa Ben asked Eli with worry.


    The school who held the highest count of entric students was actually the magical research branch. He was afraid that Eli would be shocked at how entric people there could be.


    "No worries Grandpa Ben, I''ll take it easy for today." Eli replied with assurance.


    "Do not hesitate tomunicate with us whenever you need something, alright?" Aqu gently patted Eli''s shoulder in worry. Although Eli had not interacted that much with her Mami and Papi, she could feel that they cared for her a lot, just like now.


    She had a stature that is strong and sharp, as she was once a well known knight in her prime. Thus, Eli couldn''t help but be in a daze as she looked towards her Mami with admiration.


    ''If I train more, will I be as cool as her?'' She wondered. The way her Mami Aqu stands, walks and even smiles shouts the word ''Badass'' everytime!


    "I will, Mami.." Eli replied smilingly.


    "Sigh, too bad, your brother was still out training with his maternal grandfather. If he was here I could very well assign him to guard you inside." She added with regret.


    "It''s alright Mami, besides I am still nervous about what he would feel about me." Upon mentioning her soon to be brother, Eli became shy.


    She had met all the members of the Farauld main family except for him who was still having his training. She was afraid that her ''brother'' would not wee her because she just appeared out of nowhere.


    "Aiyoo, do not bother about that child! Although he took after me and your Papi''s love of battle and sword, he is still a sensible child. He had been wanting a sister all along, so I am sure that he will like you!" Aqu waved her hands nonchntly and eased Eli''s worries.


    While conversing, they reached the hall where the carriage was already waiting for Eli to board into.


    The hall was very much like the Forgeworns, low key yet elegant. With the simplest and modest furnitures and embellishments, one would have the impression that the Faraulds have sophisticated taste that would perfectly suit a schrly and knightly family.


    "Eli, this will be your uniform and here is your identification badge." Grandpa Ben beckoned the servant to give Eli her white schrly gown and identification badge.


    "My gown is white? Like the deans?" Eli was surprised and she immediately felt pressured.


    The ck gowns represent the faculty members of the institute, while the white gowns represent the higher echelons, like the deans.


    Making her wear the white gown would give an impression that Eli was a rank above all the faculty members who had been with the institute for years or even decades.


    "Your position as a counselor was somewhere in between. I do not want the other faculty to treat you the same." Grandpa Ben exined in a righteous manner.


    "But I feel troubled.. This may cause a stir in the institute. I do not want to bring you trouble Grandpa." Eli replied with a meek tone.


    "Sigh¡­ I knew you would say that.. Well alright. I''ll have Bramwell prepare you a ck gown. However, you are not to deny the gown the second time alright?" Grandpa Benpromised with a pout.


    "I will Grandpa, thank you for listening to my concern!" Eli smiled sweetly in return.


    "Alright off you go!" Grandpa Ben reminded Eli.


    "Goodbye Grandpa, Grandma, Mami! I''ll leave Little Han to you for today!"


    "Do not worry, good luck on your first day!" Grandpa Ben, Grandma Myrna and Aqu said in unison.

 Chapter 141 Zekes Predicament

    ?Riding in the Farauld Family official carriage, Eli reported directly to the Magical Research Branch.


    The branch was totally different from the lively and bustling atmosphere of the Magic and Academic branches. The first two branches fit well to the description of a modern day school, brimming with energy and youth!


    On the otherhand, the Magical Research school gives a cold and secluded atmosphere. Eli could not see any students wandering around the campus grounds. There was only silence and istion.


    Even the facade of the building gives the vibe of a solemn ce, the most unruly students would shut their mouths whenever they pass through the infront of this campus.


    It was also because of the entricity of the people belonging to this school, they were known to be scary and maniacs when ites to research.


    Thus, the students from the other two schools immediately avoid anyone belonging to the magical research institute.


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the campus. Eli quietly went off, with Wisey gracefully perched on her shoulders.


    Because she didn''t want to wear the white gown given by Grandpa Ben, she wore something that would make everydy raise their eyebrows with interest and every gentleman turn their head in surprise.


    She wore a sleek ck long trench coat that was cut in a way that fits with Eli''s naturally curved waist and a pure white blouse underneath, it was paired with slim cut pants and heeled ck leather knee boots.


    She affixed her pale brown wig securely today because she styled her hair with a high ponytail.


    The long trench coat and her high ponytail gave her a strong and cold vibe that would make people think twice before attempting to approach her. Her confident and dignified posture was highlighted due to her choice to wear a ponytail.


    Elipletely transformed herself to a modern corporate woman in the world where this kind of fashion was still deemed unusual.


    Stern and sharp! Not to be trifled with!


    Unlike the lively and warm wee she experienced during her first arrival here in institute, today she is alone. Not even Zeke could be seen anywhere, much to her confusion.


    Zeke mentioned that he will be with her as she enters the branch, to help her get acquainted with the people. But the designated time came and he was still nowhere to be found.


    Therefore, she decided to enter the campus by herself, as she assumed that Zeke may have been held by his matters as the branch dean.


    Calmly stepping towards the stairway of the hall entrance, all Eli could hear was the echoing sound produced by her heeled boots.


    When she finally went through the massive door, she quietly took out her identification badge and held it in front of the lion head as instructed by Grandpa Ben.


    Almost immediately, the eyes of the bronze lion head lit up and the massive door slowly opened with a creaking sound.


    She expected to see a brightly lit interior, just like all the other halls in the campus. However, all that weed her was a gloomy and creepy entrance hall.


    "What a creepy hall! It''s giving me goosebumps!" Wiseymented as her feathers raised in alert.


    "There''s a seat over there.." Eli pointed towards a chair located at the center. It was the first thing that caught her attention.


    She focused her vision well to realize that there was a person bound in the chair. "There was someone in the chair!" She eximed.


    "Eh.. could it be a ghost?" Wiseymented with a scared voice, she sidewards stepped to squeeze under Eli''s neck.


    "Really??? Aren''t you from up there? Why must you be afraid of ghosts?" Eli looked at Wisey with a side nce.


    Eli knew from the onset that this was just a prank from the entric people from the branch.


    "Tsss! I''m just making the atmosphere more intense, why not ride on my joke??" Wisey sulkily replied.


    "Sigh, alright enough, stay alert and let''s check who the person is." Eli replied with a serious tone.


    She was actuallymenting inside about how entric the people of the research branch could be. She thought that she was prepared enough mentally for their unusual antics, but this prank was really beyond her imagination.


    "Aiyoo. You are so fearless!" Wiseymented. But she stayed still on her shoulder in case there was some kind of a trap set for them as soon as they got near.


    They soon realized that it was Zeke who was bound in the chair, to their surprise! The young dean was peacefully sleeping even with the ufortable posture.


    "Zeke.. Dean Zeke¡­" Eli gently shook his shoulder in an attempt to wake him up.


    Soon, Zeke began to flutter his long greyshes and woke up in a groggy state. "Urgh¡­ What is happening?"


    "Zeke, I should be the one asking what happened to you! Why are you in this state?" Eli replied with a helpless and worried tone.


    She now kind of understood why her Uncle Bramwell and Grandpa Ben wanted Zeke to be tougher. Looks like he had a hard time dealing with the people of the branch. She wondered how Zeke was troubled by the research branch.


    Are they a group of delinquents or problem children?


    Eli couldn''t help but frown in disconnect.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The branch was supposedly a group of people who were only crazy about their research work. Why must she encounter the young dean being bullied in his own branch?


    Besides, if the faculty and researchers do not respect him as the dean, then why must Zeke stay in the branch to be bullied by them?


    "Now tell me what happened?" Eli asked in a serious tone.


    Zeke was once under her supervision during the water system project, so Zeke was already familiar with this side of Eli right now.


    "It''s like this¡­ someone must have put a sleeping pill in my morning coffee!" Zeke meekly replied with an aggrieved tone.


    From an outsider''s perspective, one would find it bizarre to see the thirty-ish dean being submissive with Eli who was just twenty four.


    "Who did this? Do you have any idea?" Eli inquired, she intentionally raised her cold voice.


    "I don''t know.." He helplessly replied.


    "..." There was a silent pause for a long time. This situation was making Eli bring out her authoritarian attitude back in her corporate days, in dealing with non performing subordinates.


    This situation is a direct challenge to Zeke and her abilities.


    Her thunderous voice echoed through the hall, "You lot who hid in the shadows, shall I serve you some biscuits and tea to make you feelfortable watching the show??!" She dered in a piercingly sarcastic tone.


    Zeke couldn''t help but gulp in nervousness. Although he was familiar with Eli being wittingly sharp and serious, it was the first time he saw her explode like this.


    As he was near Eli, the impact of her voice immediately shook the depths of his soul, effectively making his mind quiver in fear.


    Oblivious to Zeke''s visible fear, Eli''s hands were already moving to unfasten the rope that was binding Zeke. She also asked Zeke if he sustained any wounds.


    She then mentallymunicated with Wisey to pinpoint where the onlookers were hiding and how many they were.


    She pointed at a random direction on the second floor and shouted,


    "Three of you with the ck gowns,e out! I told you that you should get some snacks if you chose to just watch! Yet not one of you dared to breathe to keep me from finding you? Hah! I can see your greasy noses scrunching down here!"


    Then in another direction, "Have the five of you seen enough? I''d like to see what your record crystal managed to capture! I''ll give it to the headmaster and vice chairman, for sure they will also find it entertaining to watch!"


    "You, behind the statue, do you think your lousy stealth device is even worthy to be called an invention? I can even see your unkempt gown out in the open! Get off your high horse and show yourself!"


    "What are the two of you on the far left being smug about? Are you the ones who spiked Dean Zeke''s coffee? Come here and let me see your audacious faces!! Are they even good looking?"


    "Zeke, can you catch those four researchers on the third floor who wanted to escape? I thought all the people here are brave enough to spike your coffee? Why are they showing their shivering butts to me now??!"


    Eli immediately transformed into a tiger mom as she pinpointed all the faculty members and researchers hiding in the hall.


    Wisey and Zeke were actually shocked to see how scary Eli could be when provoked.


    They worry about Little Han in the future, "Oh, Little Han, please grow to be an obedient little boy, don''t make your mommy angry because she''s so scary!"


    Fully exposed by the neer and the renowned inventor, all the members of the research branch slowly revealed themselves in the open.


    They hung their heads low in guilt and shame, faculty and researchers alike.


    They were really embarrassed by how Eli exposed them one by one. She even hurt their ego by spewing powerfully sarcastic remarks.


    It was the first time they were treated like this as they were used to being left alone without a care.


    The faculty members and students from the other schools avoided them, so they were prettyfortable enough in their own little bubble inside the research branch.


    "You lot were finally out."


    Eli felt her throat sting in pain as she had never shouted with that kind of intensity for such a long time.


    However, she did not dare to show any signs of pain until she was done dealing with the unruly people.


    She swept a nce on everyone''s faces.


    An eerie silence dominated through the hall.


    The anxiety levels of Zeke and the rest intensified as they could still feel the cold and authoritative aura gushing out of Eli''s tall figure.

 Chapter 142 Eccentric Research Branch (1)

    ?The members of the research branch were formed by a diverse set of people with a wide span of age group. From ages twenty to even sixty, the members of the research branch were divided not ording to their age but their area of interest.


    As this branch was actually called a school, it was more urate to say that it was a research facility. The faculty members were actually not teachers but the appointed head of each research group.


    To date, there were six research teams, each supervised by a faculty member. All in all there were only forty five people belonging to the research branch, excluding Eli and Zeke.


    These people were now meekly standing in front of Eli and the nervous Zeke. Their backs running cold from the drops of perspiration from the unexinable pressure emitted by Eli''s figure.


    They couldn''tprehend how the youngdy was able to emit such bone chilling pressure with just a few remarks and a silent stare.


    Is it because of her renowned achievement? Is it because of her words earlier?


    They didn''t know.


    The only thing they knew right now is the feeling of being exposed out in the open, as if they were forced to stand on the campus quadrangle wearing only their underwear.


    Eli was just simply standing tall with her heels, crossing her arms like a boss, scrutinizing her workers.


    "Do you recognize who this man was?" Finally breaking the scary silence, Eli asked the team with the same scary tone while she gestured her thumb pointing towards the speechless Zeke beside her.


    No one was able to answer.


    To be precise, no one dared to answer!


    Because they knew that the moment they answered Eli''s question, they were doomed!


    "Do not think that you can escape doom for choosing not to answer the question! The moment you tied this man in that chair, all of you were already doomed!" Eli dered, perfectly reading what was on their minds.


    Eli felt stressed.


    They looked like children caught red handed from making trouble. Is it really true that extremely intelligent people would somehow becking in social and emotional skills? Is that why they were this brazen?


    "Zeke, what''s the punishment for assaulting a faculty member or an official in the institute?" Eli purposely asked for them to hear.


    Immediately, she could see their bodies stiffen in nervousness. Guessing from their reaction, Eli knew that the people were already aware of the corresponding punishment for their offense.


    "Spiking my drink, although only sleeping pills, is still a major offense. They will be immediately kicked out in the institute, their entire schstic records will be revoked and be punished under thews of the Seirende Empire."


    "Is this the first time they did this to you?" Eli asked without any emotion. She looked at Zeke sternly, clearly saying, ''If you dare to sugar coat it, I''ll roast you too!''


    Getting the hint, Zeke gulped and honestly answered, "This was the second time, the first time was back when it was my first day as the deputy dean."


    Eli then casted a meaningful nce to the people in front of her. As they were sneaking nces to check Zeke''s and her reaction, Eli managed to catch them looking.


    Like startled animals, their bodies stood straight and stared nkly at a distance as if they didn''t notice Eli''s stare.


    "If it is no longer their first offense¡­ Then why are they still here at the academy??" Eli''s words went down like a cruel verdict from the judge.


    "This¡­ Because, I think it is a shame to expel them at that time only for a... little prank." As Zeke was exining, his voice became softer and softer as he slowly realized what was wrong in his statement.


    "Is it a shame to expel them? Are they so brilliant that it would be a great loss to discipline them?" Eli again asked sarcastically, "From the moment you became the deputy dean to this date, how many sessful projects were they able to release without you directly supervising them?"


    "This.. they were able to release two. Within five years they were able to sessfully release two new inventions." Zeke answered.


    "Oh, if they were that brilliant, then what about me? I was able to release three new technologies in less than a year. So what am I, a genius?" Eli asked in a haughty tone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She was someone who would never boast her achievement. But in this situation, she needed to use what she had to straighten up the mindset of the research branch. They needed a little p of reality to clear their muddle headedness and pride.


    "Zeke, I was able to carry the four of you, who didn''t have any background on the principles I introduced during the water system project. I do think that I could do that again by picking a few hard working yet sensible students from the Magic and Academic schools. Oh, I am also confident that I could even find someone that bright on the streets!"


    "But I would never waste my time on people who think they know everything on the onset. Who challenges anyone who is able to go ahead of them. I would never offer what I have to them. Because I know that they will never see its value!!!" Eli dered righteously.


    By this time, the members of the research team werepletely defeated. They bowed their heads low in shame and guilt.


    Although they were admittedly prideful people, nothing torments them more than losing the opportunity to learn new knowledge and apply it on their research.


    When Eli expressed that she was unwilling to help them, they immediately panicked. They also saw how Eli viewed them, and they were finally reminded who she was, who Zeke was and who they really are.


    Zeke was able to stand in front of them because he was capable enough to lead the entire branch produce multiple and sessful projects.


    Eli was even more formidable, as everyone knew that she was able to lead their school''s dean and the entire institute''s vice chairman as her subordinate in the legendary water system project.


    Whether it was Zeke or Eli, both have the achievements and qualifications higher than them. The two had more to offer to the institute and to the branch, yet they dared to y a prank on them and treat them with disrespect!


    How foolish!


    How shameful!


    "Dean, Counselor! We know our mistakes! Please have mercy on us!" One by one they started to plead for leniency.


    "We only did this because the Dean said that you would only be here for four hours a week. That is not enough time for us to learn from you at all! But the dean stayed firm with his decision, he wouldn''t budge!" A researcher finally exined.


    "Yes! How could he deprive us of interacting with you! We finally had someone who could help us achieve more valuable results, yet we can only see you for four hours a week!"


    "Yeah! Yeah!" The others joined the protest.


    "But we now know our mistakes, We won''t do it again." They pleaded.


    "Yeah, yeah!" The rest seconded.


    Eli felt her temples throb in pain. These people were really childish! How could they do that just because of her 4-hour service?


    Zeke also felt helpless, a tinge of embarrassment appeared on his face as he apologetically nced at Eli. "I didn''t know they were this childish, believe me."


    "Sigh, you people. It was my condition with the headmaster to report only for a minimum of 4 hours. But that does not mean that I would really just render that little amount of time every week!" Eli exined helplessly.


    "Besides, if you feel deprived, then how about the household I am managing? Will I have to starve them just to stay with you until you are satisfied?" Eli dared not to divulge Little Han''s existence so she could only tell it in a roundabout way.


    "Eh? This¡­ Ah.. Noo!! We didn''t know about the counselor''s situation!"


    The faculty members and the research fellows were flustered as they realized that they tried topete with the counselor''s family. They actually forgot that the counselor still had a family to manage.


    However, they were not to be med because most of them totally never went back to their families and stayed here to research until they were satisfied. It had long slipped their minds about the word family.


    From Eli''s words they assumed that she came from a family with a great background bearing high responsibilities to keep their house going. They immediately assumed that Eli was this brilliant because of her extraordinary background.


    Of course, they were not exactly wrong to assume this, because in the months toe, Eli will announce her official identity in the Capital!


    The moment Eli announces that she is a member of the Farauld and Forgeworn Family, they will be nodding their heads in deep intensity and say, "True enough! With her brilliance, it is only her who has the ability to rightfully belong to the two great families!"

 Chapter 143 Eccentric Research Branch (2)

    ?"We apologize!"


    "We sincerely apologize!"


    "We will ept whatever punishment you will give to us. We beseech the dean and the counselor to have mercy on us! Please do not expel us from the institute!"


    The members of the research institute started their barrage of apologies and pleading for mercy, as they finally realized that they went overboard.


    "It is my first day in this institute, I don''t know what the procedure is here. I am also just a counselor. Your punishment will depend on the dean''s decision. He is the one who has the power in the first ce." Eli shook her head and nonchntly replied.


    Now that she already achieved her desired effect, it''s now time for Zeke to step up.


    She knew her boundaries and if she pushed too hard, the effect on these entric people might reverse.


    That''s why she chose to step back and handed the decision rightfully to Zeke, the dean of the institute.


    But, she didn''t forget to cast a warning nce at Zeke whispering, "You dare to be lenient to them? Then just you wait, next time your coffee would be spiked withxatives!"


    Zeke took another gulp upon hearing Eli''s warning. He immediately cleared his throat and recovered hisposure.


    With the coldest voice he could ever deliver, he announced in a firm tone. "For the meantime, return to yourboratory offices while I decide your punishment. Also, prepare a summary of your ongoing research and meet us here in an hour!"


    "Yes Dean!" The members submissively replied. They awkwardly dispersed like startled animals until it was only Eli, Wisey and Zeke who remained at the hall.


    "Lady Eli, I really apologize for thismotion. Thank you for helping me smooth out things. I really didn''t mean to show you this embarrassing situation." Zeke turned towards Eli to give a stiff bow.


    "It''s no problem Dean. Raise your head! Inside the institute, you are the dean and I am just an honorary counselor. Let''s work together to improve the research branch!" Eli held out a hand towards Zeke for a hand shake, reminding him that he should not treat her as a superior.


    Seeing Eli didn''t mind, Zeke also held out his hand and gave out a silly smile. He was already in his thirties yet he was still shy and carefree as a teenage boy. His long greyshes fluttered as his eyes wrinkled into a line when he smiled.


    "Oh, let me lead you to the office where you will be staying while you are here!" Remembering his duties, Zeke immediately led Eli to her working office.


    "The headmaster, vice chair and I prepared this room for you as your office, I hope you like it!"


    Eli''s office was neat and spacious. What was distinct in her room was that there was a corner dedicated for arge supply of nk papers for Eli to use.


    On the wall just beside the main entrance was a huge board where she could write or disy her ideas whenever she had to exin something to the researchers she would receive in her office.


    There was also an empty bookshelf and scroll racks for her future use.


    Finally, there was a long and spacious study table strategically ced on the far end of the room, to the area naturally lit by the tall ss windows.


    In the future, when Eli would like to refresh her tired eyes she can just lean on her chair and look out the window that showcased the serene and peaceful greeneries outside.


    The study table was designed exactly as the table she had in the cottage, albeitrger. The table top can also be converted to a drawing table in case Eli had to draw and design her inventions.


    Her room was also secured with an array ensuring the utmost secrecy and protection for her and the files she would be leaving behind the office.


    From the table, to the papers, the bookshelves and even the furniture for receiving the visitors inside, they were all prepared specifically ording to how Zeke, Bramwell and Grandpa Ben knew her.


    "It''s very well prepared. Thank you for thinking of me so well!" Eli genuinely expressed her satisfaction. It was only through this that Eli could somehow reciprocate their feelings.


    "I''m d you like it! I''m sure the Headmaster and Vice-chairman would be happy knowing this!" Zeke beamed with a bright smile.


    "Lady Eli, what do you n to do this week? Will you check every team''s research or will you immediately conduct a lecture for them?" As soon as they settled down, Zeke and Eli went straight to business.


    "I don''t n on holding a lecture yet. I wanted to see where they are right now and how far have you all progressed from the basic knowledge I shared a few months ago." Eli replied calmly.


    Back in Silver Dew when they were working on the water pressure system project, Eli worked a lot with Zeke and the rest of the project team to be familiar with the basic principles of modern day science and mathematics.


    In the interest of time, Eli had only prepared learning materials for them that specifically covered the scientific and mathematical principles needed for the projects they had to aplish.


    Afterpleting the project, Eli took time to search and replicate the books and gave a set to each member.


    Now, Eli expected that Bramwell and Zeke would be able to at least start to introduce the basics to the institution for the students and faculty members to learn and follow.


    "We have already started nning on discussing thews of thermodynamics and basic algebra, however as I have only recently learned these principles too, the Vice Chairman and I were really struggling on how to exin the new concepts that we have just learned in a rush." Zeke exined with a pained expression. "Especially on how to exin negative numbers."


    "I see.." Eli nodded with understanding.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In Prasinos, the schrs have yet to associate the matters of their daily lives to modern day mathematics and sciences.


    For instance, they knew that the temperature of water could span from boiling hot to freezing cold. They were also able to deduce that the state of water can be turned from solid, liquid to gas.


    Yet they were not able to express its state in measurements as Celsius, Fahrenheit or Kelvin.


    Of course, as the people who invented this measurement system didn''t even exist in Prasinos, they wouldn''t even think of measuring temperature in these terms.


    However, as she had already stepped into the area of education, Eli have no ns to do a mediocre nor half assed job!


    She wanted to be prudent enough to introduce these systems to the institute, as well as the corresponding inventors who discovered them.


    She would not take credit for these things. But she could only insist that she was able to learn of the legendary sages through her mysterious master whom she fictionally created - Professor Earthling!


    "That was why I wanted to ask if you could consider conducting a lecture exining the basics of the basics." Zeke continued with a hint of pleading.


    "Hmmm, I see. Then let''s do it like this, I would still proceed with reading the research papers of each team. Then I''ll ask Uncle Bramwell to furnish me aplete curriculum of the academic subjects offered in the institute." Eli replied after a deep contemtion.


    It will be a long and tedious job for her.


    What she is attempting to do right now is to craft an education system that covers elementary to university level knowledge and shove it all up to the brains of the people who were actually at a level of masters and doctorates!


    "From there, let''s deliberate on a lesson n. Will that be alright with you?" Eli proposed with a serious expression.


    "Alright, let''s do that!" Zeke agreed. He knew very well the extent of Eli''s profound knowledge and that these could never be learnt overnight, even for him.


    "But I need the whole research branch not to pester me for the meantime." Remembering the entric group, Eli felt a headache.


    She was not yet sure if the group would behave only for a short period of time and bring chaos again.


    "This.." Zeke scratched his head apologetically, "I shall suspend them all for at least a month then." He finally decided.


    "Suspend? That would also suffice. However, where would they be staying during suspension? Still around the campus?" Eli felt that the group deserved to be suspended.


    But she wanted to ensure that the suspension would straighten out their minds, not make them be more entric and agitated.


    Furthermore, she wanted them to really be out of the campus for a while so as to be sure that they will not be bothering her until the time she is able toplete the lesson n.


    "Errrm¡­ They would still be staying in the dormitories within the campus." Zeke replied with embarrassment.


    He realized that a simple suspension would not make any difference to the branch members, at most they would only treat it as being temporarily banned from entering theboratories, but not the other areas of the school.


    True enough, while the two were conversing, all of the six research teams, headed by their equally entric faculty leaders were already causing a ruckus in their respectiveboratory offices.


    "Hey, do not forget to pack our prototypes properly, use the storage box and ensure that the temperature is right then store it on your space pouch!"


    "You! I''ll assign you to keep all our papers, make sure that we wouldn''t be leaving one behind so as to not be inconvenienced in the future!"


    "Hey! What are you spacing out for, go pack these equipment on your space bag! We will surely be suspended for at least a month, so we have to make a way to continue our research outside the main building!"


    "Professor, I get that we must be prepared for the worst, but, where can we create our makeshiftboratory?"


    "Why do you ask such a silly question? Our branch''s dormitory is always free! We''ll convert one of our rooms to be like that!"


    "Oh I see! Professor is brilliant!"


    "That was a nice idea!"


    "Of course! Now go get packing, one hour is almost up!"


    If Zeke witnesed the scene here, he would explode in anger.


    These people were already sweeping everything in theboratory rooms, not even one ss container was spared!


    Everything was packed up in their space bags, ready to be taken out once they were confined in the dorms!

 Chapter 144 Eccentric Research Branch (3)

    ?The designated time of the assembly came, everyone obediently convened in the main hall and waited for Eli and Zeke toe out.


    When Eli scanned through the faces of the branch members, she casted a meaningful nce towards Zeke as if telling, "See? I told you!"


    Zeke couldn''t help feeling utterly stressed, the research branch really was a handful! Looking at their smug and contented faces, Zeke felt like he was pped again and again!


    Eli chose to retreat three steps behind Zeke to let him announce his verdict to the crowd.


    "As everyone of you knowingly participated in an offense of disrespecting the school officials, I deliberated with the Vice Chairman for a rightful punishment for you. Although everyone here deserved to be expelled, I decided to be lenient onest time!"


    Hearing that they would no longer be expelled, the faces of the members of the research branch became bright and alive.


    Their faces were telling them, "If that''s the case we''re ready for your punishment! We don''t care if it is a suspension!"


    Zeke saw through the meaning behind this expression. Luckily, Lady Eli reminded him earlier about what could have happened if he simply announced a suspension.


    From the looks of it, these people have already prepared to evacuate into their dorms to continue their research in their sleeping quarters.


    His handsome schrly face showed a sly smile, as he subtly fixed the position of his silver rimmed spectacles. He then slowly announced, "I also decided not to suspend you either.."


    "Ehh?" The faces of the research branch members were now filled with confusion.


    With how the esteemed counselor was intensely fierce earlier, they mentally prepared to receive a serious punishment such as suspension.


    But upon hearing the Dean''s announcement, they became more confused. Since not only did they offend the dean but the legendary inventor who was also their counselor, why would they receive a punishment lighter than a suspension?


    Little did they know that they were not ready for the next part of the announcement!


    "All of you will be sentenced to domunity service!" Zeke finally announced with a dignified expression.


    "All of you will be sent to the temple for at least a month, depending on the temple administrator''s evaluation. Your attitude and conduct needs to be revisited and there is no more perfect ce to improve that but in the Holy Creator''s ce!"


    Dun dun!!!


    The faces of the researchers, as well as the faculty leads became deathly pale. They stared at Zeke''s chillingly smiling face with great disbelief.


    Who said that their punishment was lighter than a suspension?


    It was even graver than that! It was scarier, only next to the punishment of expulsion!


    For research maniacs like them, it was an extremely soul crushing torture to tear them away from their research! Never did they think that the Dean would be able to think of such a vicious punishment!


    What does it mean for them to enter the temple? It means that they will never touch anything that was connected to them in the outside world as long as they were within the temple!


    It means a month or more without research! Neither could they also review their theories and hypotheses!


    What''s more, the very first rule that they had to do before entering the temple was to enter without bringing anything, not even their coin purses.


    The only thing that they were allowed to bring were themselves and the clothing they were currently wearing!


    They would each be performing cleansing rites before entering the temple as servants. After that, all their needs, food or clothing wille from the temple.


    As such, it was not necessary for them to bring anything at all! They have no way to smuggle a single research file nor their prototypes for study!


    "Dean.. this¡­" The faculty members were the ones who gathered their courage to speak up and protest.


    "Expulsion or temple?" Zeke didn''t make any room for negotiations.


    He steeled his heart as he reminded himself of what had transpired earlier. He decided to be firm in his way of dealing with the unruly branch.


    He had to make use of this opportunity given by Eli to properly reinstate his position as the Dean of the Research School.


    If not now, would he still wait until these people spike his coffee withxatives?


    He had to save his poor butt and stomach!


    "..." The branch members hung their heads low as soon as they heard Zeke''s resolute voice.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were immediately reminded that their punishment should originally be expulsion, yet they wanted to take a mile after they were graciously given an inch.


    "We ept the dean''s punishment..." They weakly uttered, looking so dejected as if their souls all flew away to the heavenly gates.


    Zeke''s heart almost wavered when he saw how pitiful his branch members looked.


    However, Wisey intentionally whispered to Eli a question for Zeke to hear, "Eli chan, how does it feel to have your drink spiked withxatives?"


    "Your stomach will violently grumble in ufortable pain. You will sincerely wish for the world to end unless you see the shadow of the toilet bowl.." Eli replied in a low yet serious tone.


    "Oh, I see¡­ Whew I''d rather not experience it then. Especially here in this facility, there is no bidet spray like the ones we have in the house! So inconvenient!" Wisey replied with a hint of dissatisfaction.


    Chills ran down Zeke''s spine as he heard the two''s conversation. Their conversation was soft enough for only the three of them to hear, however it was impactful enough to refuel Zeke''s resolve.


    "This decision was already approved by the headmaster and the temple also epted our goodwill. Now prepare yourselves as you will be entering the templeter this afternoon!" He announced.


    "I trust that you will give your best in serving our homnd in the temple. Do not worry, while you are away, the counselor will be working with me and the rest of the deans for a big change in our curriculum."


    "If you do well, you will be evaluated earlier by the temple''s administrator ande back earlier. By then you will be free to enjoy learning the new curriculum carefully crafted by us!" After giving them punishment, Zeke then announced something that would make them look forward to.


    The famed carrot and stick approach was still the most reliable method in dealing with these people. Upon hearing thest piece of news, the life on their faces came back and they replied enthusiastically, expressing their will to do well inside the temple.


    "Alright, that''s all. Faculty members, go forward and submit your team''s papers. After that, all of you are dismissed!"


    "We thank the Dean and the Counselor for your leniency!" After the submission of their respective papers, the members gave their final words of gratitude and went on their way to prepare.


    Since they would be entering the temple, they helplessly went back to theirboratories and fixed everything they packed on their rightful ces. They also ensured that their prototypes and files were properly stored and secured.


    The afternoon came and six humble wagons from the temple lined up in front of the Farauld Institute''s gates in an orderly manner.


    The students from the other schools, along with the onlookers outside the institute were puzzled and curious as to why the temple sent many carriages to the famed school.


    As far as they know, the temple never publicly mingled with any institution other than their other branches.


    Yet their wagons were quietly parked in front of the school gates. What could have happened?


    Then they immediately saw all the members of the most avoided school in the whole institute, the Research School!


    The researchers, along with the faculty members marched in a quiet and solemn manner. It must be because of the other students'' reflexes to immediately avoid the group, or because of their unusually docile conduct, the onlookers shut their mouths and the whole surroundings became eerily silent.


    After the six teams marched, it was Bramwell, Zeke and Eli''s turn to step in front of them and respectfully greeted the man exiting the main wagon.


    He was a man d in pure white clothing, his hands were hidden under his cloak. His face was solemn and peaceful, as if nothing from the outside could create a ripple in his clear bronze eyes.


    If Leon was present, he would immediately recognize this person.


    It was Mort, the undercover roaming de inside the temple working alongside Julian!


    "Esteemed Administrator, thank you for epting our sudden request." Being the highest of rank among the people present on the institute''s side, Bramwell led the greetings toward the temple clergyman.


    "The temple always wees people with willing hearts." The administrator replied with a serene expression.


    He swept a look at all the members of the branch, scrutinizing everyone of them and nodding as if satisfied.


    As he did this, his peripheral vision also lingered towards Eli, his future madame.


    If not for him being officially part of this mission, he would have long broken his saintly character and cozied to the future Madame immediately!


    While his mind was filled with thoughts on how to curry favor with his future Madame, the minds of the research branch were feeling despondent and aggrieved.


    "Willing my ass! We are basically thrown out against our will!" The entric members protested in their hearts, however, knowing that the man in front of them would be the same person who would evaluate them in the future they didn''t dare to show displeasure.


    They must be obedient so that the administrator will free them earlier!

 Chapter 145 The Star Teacher Makes A Move!

    ?The meeting with Mort, the temple administrator, was rather brief. Bramwell only exchanged a few pleasantries before sending off the members of the research branch.


    As such, the onlookers were not able to fish out any information as to why there was this sudden move by the research branch. Even the faculty members do not have any information about this, as Dean Simone and Athena also didn''t announce a thing.


    Because of the mystery, the departure of the branch became the hot topic of the entire school in the next few days.


    "What''s happening to the research branch? Why did they suddenly submit themselves to volunteer for temple service?"


    "Maybe it is some kind of immersion education for the research branch?"


    "Fat hope! The researchers would not be willing to do anything like that if it does not benefit their own research!"


    "Maybe the temple finally opened their gates for the researchers to dive into more magic theories?"


    "That could be.. But why now, when Great Inventor Eli just entered the branch?"


    "I know right?! What could have happened? The day she entered the branch, she didn''t have students to teach!"


    "I''m thinking maybe it was one of her lessons."


    "Oh, by the way¡­ Have you heard that Dean Zeke and Great Inventor Eli have been working on a new curriculum for them these days?"


    "The research institute is so lucky!"


    "I know right! With the Great Inventor''s help, I''m sure they will improve by leaps and bounds!"


    "I am starting to think that after I graduate, I''ll join the research school just to see my Great Inventor!"


    Various spections rose up from countless discussions that made the students wonder whenever they had idle time.


    Of course, because it has been recently announced that Eli would be joining the research branch as an honorary counselor, they couldn''t help but include her name in the discussions.


    They also kept a close watch on whatever she was up to, which was why her name quickly spread throughout the campus.


    Some would specte rather neutral or positive deductions, while a certain someone couldn''t help but spread malice in this situation.


    Although Alicia had already epted the task to get close to the famous inventor Eli, she couldn''t help but frown in the past few days whenever she heard the discussions among her colleagues and students.


    Research Branch, Dean Zeke, Great Inventor Eli¡­


    These were the hot topics that made Alicia really annoyed big time. What''s great with the research branch? What''s so interesting about their departure? What''s so great about Zeke and Eli?


    Every time she heard her students express their desire to experience being Eli''s student, she would curse in her heart. Prior to Eli''s entrance, she was undoubtedly the most sought after teacher in the institute.


    To the students, she was a beautiful, intelligent, talented and magnanimous teacher. No one couldpete with her qualities, except for her sworn rival Zeke.


    But since Zeke was long promoted to the dean position, she became the sole contender among the teachers.


    Although not satisfied with Zeke defeating her, she felt that it was not bad to still be the top among her fellow teachers.


    However, this mysterious inventor came out of nowhere and became the apple of the eye of the entire campus.


    She couldn''t take the blow!


    The title of star teacher should only be given to her, who has already taught countless students through the years!


    Even if the Empress wanted her to get close to Eli, she couldn''t help but be resentful towards her for stealing the limelight.


    Alicia couldn''t just sit back and allow Eli to dominate the institute in terms of the teacher''s poprity! That was why she decided to make Eli experience a little setback.


    "For months you have been the talk of the whole empire, won''t you even not spare the campus?"


    "Since you have been on a victory streak, I think you wouldn''t mind encountering a hurdle this time..." She mumbled with disdain in her eyes.


    Having thought of what to do next, Alicia strutted towards her next ss with confidence.


    As she is the star teacher of the campus, as well as a former candidate for the deputy dean position, she is allowed to teach sses on both the Magic and the Academic ss.


    The Magic and Academic sses were majorly divided into Junior and Senior levels. Junior Level epts students from eleven to fifteen years old and is considered graduate after passing an evaluation.


    After finishing the junior level, they have the option to already go out of the institute to start their life ns or continue their education to Senior level, where they would study for another five years to graduate.


    Upon graduation, they are considered cream of the crop, distinguished among their peers.


    The ss Alicia would be teaching this time was a first year junior ss. She will be teaching politics to these kids and she decided to use this time to put an idea to the students.


    Entering the room, Alicia smiled gently towards the ss who was looking at her with respect and dependence.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She dutifully started the ss by discussing certain types of leadership styles, carefully picking historical icons who exemplified these principles.


    But upon discussing thest of the leadership styles, tyranny, her example became a little odd.


    "Although tyranny would surely bring fear towards the citizens within the jurisdiction, it was specifically effective to subdue rebellious subjects."


    "Like what had recently happened in the campus. Tyranny can be effectively used to contain unruly people. It is one of the best ways for a leader to ensure order in a territory infested by subjects who do not recognize authority¡­ Especially when you are a person newly appointed as the leader."


    Although the ss continued to be silent during Alicia''s lecture, upon saying these words, a ripple of confusion and curiosity appeared on the faces of her innocent students.


    However, so as to not be too obvious, she opted for the statements to remain cryptic. "Alright, that''s it for today. Let''s end this discussion and all of you enjoy your lunch! ss dismissed!"


    As soon as she exited the room, her lips contained a sinister smile. Surely these students would talk about thest example she just discussed. It was even timely as it was already lunch.


    These naive students would definitely discuss it out in the open and the topic will surely spread in the whole campus. She just needed to drop subtle hints, even without telling who the person was with her own mouth.


    These students are brilliant enough to be able to deduce for themselves.


    Alicia''s insight towards the deduction and reasoning ability of her ss was terrifyingly on point. Even her prediction that the students would not hold themselves back from such a sensitive topic out in the public, was spot on!


    Her years of teaching students proved to be an advantage in terms of understanding their behaviours and thought processes!


    Not long enough, these students passionately discussed the intriguing topic in the public cafeteria while eating lunch.


    "Hey guys , did you listen well to our lesson earlier?" A bothered student asked.


    "Yeah, what about it?" One of her friends replied.


    "That onest example that the teacher gave. It was so odd! She mentioned that it happened justtely on campus."


    "Tyranny on the campus? Now that you reminded me, she did mention that!"


    "Do you believe it though? In this renowned Farauld Institute, there''s someone who dared to implement tyranny?"


    "Hmm, the teacher didn''t give specifics about it. But if you could remember, she said that tyranny is effective for unruly people especially if you are a new leader¡­"


    "Unruly people¡­ New leader¡­ Inside the campus.."


    "Aha! The research school!"


    "Oh! Then the new leader.." The other student dared not to continue her sentence.


    "It was the Great Inventor Eli! No doubt." Another student who was not afraid of name dropping casually responded with a nod.


    "Are you sure about this?"


    "If they weren''t the ones whom the teacher pertained to, then who could these people be?"


    "This.."


    "You have no other answer right? Then we can only assume that it is the research school and Great Inventor Eli. We all know that the research school was a bunch of unruly and entric research maniacs. I could just imagine how hard it is for the Great Inventor to mingle with them."


    "It''s true¡­ But I don''t think that the Great Inventor would resort to tyranny just because of that¡­"


    "Ehh.. did you forget? The research institute suddenly subjected themselves to temple service exactly on the first day of the Great Inventor Eli''s reporting in the institute! If that isn''t tyranny, then I don''t know what it is!"


    "Erm.. I don''t think it was right to discuss this topic. What if the officials heard this?"


    "They might also send us to the temple to serve!"


    "Noo.. we better stop then!"


    "Yeah, let''s stop talking about this.."


    However, these students realized it toote. Most of the students who were still interested in the sudden departure of the research school, perked their ears open and heard the entire conversation!


    At that moment, the rumor began to spread, one rumor led to another until everyone in the institute sang the same tune.


    The Great Inventor Eli was a tyrant! She didn''t even consider the researchers'' well-being.


    Because of a simple case of disrespect, they were all mercilessly sent to the temple!


    The Great Inventor was too vicious!!!

 Chapter 146 Only Be A Child Once

    ?Meanwhile, the tyrant great inventor had no idea about all these rumors and was happily watching the ying Little Han, who was growing livelier and more active day by day.


    Although Eli knew that she really had a tendency to dive into work without a care, in this life, she promised to herself that no matter how necessary her work was, she had to spend time with Little Han.


    She had to see Little Han grow up. If possible, she wanted to be there the moment he first walked and the moment he said his first word.


    She couldn''t let Little Han be alone for a long time, especially when Leon was also not around.


    The favorite moment Eli liked to share with Little Han is everytime she dressed him.


    Back in the modern earth, on the rare times she was free to browse social media, she would always stumble on parents who would dress their babies so cutely!


    That was why she conveniently used the Forgeworn seamstress and designer to coborate with them and design Little Han''s clothes.


    Of course, the Forgeworns wouldn''t mind, because everytime Eli creates a design, it is guaranteed to be cute and loveable!


    Whenever the Forgeworn daughter inws see Little Han in his cute outfits, they would coyly beg their husbands to make another baby so that they could dress them like Little Han too!


    Eli also used this way to get close to the Forgeworns and Farauld family.


    Whenever she was creating a design for Little Han, she would always remember the adorable kids who liked to hang around the baby Little Han during family gatherings, especially Este and Benson.


    She would also think of a design specifically for them and have the designer draw and create it.


    As such, the kids of the two familiespletely adored her and called her "Auntie Fairy" because she would always give them cute clothes.


    Just like today, the living room was filled with heart melting giggles and childish conversations.


    Eli designated a spot for Little Han to y and called it ''Plushie yground''. With the help of Baobao and the bunch, theyid out a white soft carpet on an area in the living room.


    The des also created a mini fence and painted it with alternating pastel colours so that Little Han wouldn''t wander around the rest of the area in the living room.


    nc, who was the strongest caster in the group, used his superb skills to cast a protection spell in the fence. Afraid that any ident would happen and injure Little Han, he installed an array that would detect any signs of Little Han violently bumping within the perimeter.


    Eli, and Rosea took out all the plushies and toys given by Queen Teh back in Silvertown and neatly arranged it within the plushie yground. Eli also ensured that the toys around would not cause the curious Little Han to choke.


    She remembered many tragic idents for infants in the modern world, because of unknowingly swallowing little toys. She repeatedly warned the bunch to look out for those things around Little Han to protect him.


    The plushie yground is just six square meters, however, to Little Han it''s as big as the world. He would wander freely around the yground and happily greet the plushies that were lined neatly along the fence.


    As the winter season approaches, Eli decided to dress Little Han a little warmer.


    She chose a chocte brown onesie that was patterned on a moose. The onesie also had a hood with a pair of tiny antlers. His socks and mittens were colored dark brown, as if mimicking moose hooves.


    Little Han really looked like a little moose crawling around the plushie yground.


    "Wittle Han, slow down! Wittle Han, you''ll get lost!" Another adorable childish voice rang in the living room. She was frantically chasing Little Han with her wobbly feet.


    It was Este, a great grandchild from the Farauld Family. Wearing a pink woolen sweater with little ribbon adornments also made with wool, paired with a pink skirt on top of a white tight pants made of cotton.


    She looked like a little fluffy princess as she cutely chased the ever active Little Han with a pure white bunny plushie in tow.


    "Calm down Este, Little Han is a man, he would not be lost on the journey!" Another childish voice rang from the plushie yground, however, this voice tried his best to sound more manly and reliable.


    It was Benson, who was holding a plushie sword and shield. Unlike Este and Little Han who dressed rather fluffily, Benson wore a dark green cotton sweater and a scarf. It was paired with dark brown pants and leather boots, although the boots were rightfully taken off before he could enter the plushie yground.


    He looked like a big brother watching out for the two little fluffies circling around the plushie yground.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Eli, I thank you again for the outfits you have gifted Este, she really liked them so much!" A gentle looking woman sitting gracefully on the sofa while peacefully sipping tea uttered.


    "Yeah, my Benson liked it too! He was really happy receiving your gifts. He even went out and bragged to my husband, Orion, saying that he couldn''t make these kinds of outfits!" Meredith, who was also in the living room, happily uttered.


    "You all tter me¡­ But I am really happy that the kids liked it. I was actually afraid that you would find the designs a little unusual to the current fashion." Eli replied earnestly.


    It turns out that Este and Benson''s, mothers paid a visit to the cottage to bond with Little Han and to share a tea time with their new sister inw, Eli.


    "No.. no! Actually, your designs were more adorable and convenient! I''d really want these designs to keep it within the Farauld and Forgeworn families, but these days the other nobles also noticed the kids'' outfits!" Charlotte, Este''s mum replied.


    It was not only Este and Benson who epted an outfit from Eli, but all the members of the younger generation of the two families.


    It was Eli''s sincerity to spend extra time thinking of what style each kid would wear. She wanted for the parents to feel that just as they epted Eli and Little Han, she also epted them and their children as her family.


    As such, Eli and Little Hanpletely integrated into the Farauld and Forgeworn families.


    "Sigh! Now that you mentioned it, the kids'' fashion was just so stiff and tight fashioned. It was almost urate to say that they were just a child version of what the adults wear these days." Meredith ranted.


    "The kids will only be a child once. I''d like Little Han and them to really enjoy being children. Even if it is just through clothing, I want them to experience a wonderful childhood, which they would dearly treasure in the future..." Eli said softly as she lovingly nced at the three children ying.


    The two mothers were in a daze upon hearing Eli''s statement. They too experienced being children like Este, Little Han and Benson. However, it was totally different for them.


    They grew up already knowing etiquette and manners in order to be prepared for society. Although they have warm and loving families, moments as enjoyable as wearing a dress you genuinely love was seldom, as if it was not expected of them to act as such in the society they belong.


    The kids will only be a child once.


    If their parents missed the opportunity, it would be lost forever.


    Eli, who just became a full fledged mother for only more than six months reminded them of this fact. It was the parent''s duty to give and protect their offspring''s childhood.


    Because their childhood would greatly shape the kind of person they would be in the future.


    "Although, even until now, I still feel afraid that I will not be enough to keep Little Han away from the dangers of the world. What could my two hands do?" Eli continued showing her weak side to her fellow mothers.


    "Although these frail looking hands could not do much, Eli, we can use it to guide our children by the hand." Charlotte felt sympathy over Eli''s anxiety, so she held out her hands and said these words to encourage her.


    "Uhn.. and also don''t forget that our children could not only depend on our hands! There''s still our husbands!" Meredith alsoforted Eli, then immediately continued with a hint of teasing, "Your soon to be husband too, he is quite reliable!"


    "My.. my.." Charlotte chuckled, holding out her fair hands over her mouth to further tease Eli.


    "Errr.. it''s ratherplicated.. Uhmm.." Eli was speechless. Meredith brought up Leon in the conversation so fast that she was caught off guard.


    "Are you still worrying about whether the two of you would work out?" Meredith asked straightforwardly.


    "¡­" Eli was again speechless, Meredith was spot on.


    "Why would you be afraid? We are already here to watch your back! If the Third Prince dares to neglect you and Little Han, the entire Forgeworn and Farauld ns would hold the imperial family responsible!"


    "Indeed! Eli, I see that your rtionship with the Third Prince is rather harmonious. Eli, oh, Eli, you haven''t seen who he was before, but I can guarantee you that he is now a totally different person in front of you and Little Han! What I am saying is, the third prince is a good catch!" Charlotte had long dropped her motherly demeanor and joined Meredith in teasing Eli.


    "Well.. In truth, I am this close to epting him fully.." Blushing, Eli held out her hand and gestured her index finger and thumb an inch apart.


    "Ohhhhh¡­" The two mothers raised their brows with great interest as theyically sipped their tea upon listening to Eli. "What would fill that little gap then?"


    "I.. wanted to confirm my feelings the moment hees back¡­" Eli exined embarrassedly.

 Chapter 147 Revamping The Research Branch (1)

    ?The conversation with Meredith and Charlotte lingered in Eli''s mind for days. The fact that she said it out loud, just like that, also confirmed what she felt towards Leon.


    If it was before Leon went to his mission, Eli could always argue that her interest towards Leon was only due to her dependence on him as a co parent.


    However, she didn''t have any alibi now.


    More than six months apart, but Eli could feel her heart yearning for his presence day by day.


    Eli could still remember that before, Leon''s presence was one that she would prefer to avoid at all cost.


    But how ironic! Leon was the one she longed desperately to see now!


    Eli knew in her heart that what she desired for was more than just his presence, but amitted rtionship with him and him alone.


    However¡­ would Leon still feel the same? What if the time they were apart caused him to realize that he was not really in love with her at all?


    What now?


    "Guuuuuu!" Eli felt Little Han snuggle on her shoulders as she was rocking him to sleep, which jolted her awake from her daze.


    ''Whatever it would be, I just have to be ready. I will just leave it to the Great Father to decide if we are really meant to be. Besides, he would still be Little Han''s father and I would still be Little Han''s mum.''


    After pondering for so long, Eli entrusted her and Leon''s rtionship to the Great One''s hands.


    Before she settled the matters of heart, she had to settle the matters at hand first.


    After putting Little Han to his afternoon nap, she continued working on the files at her study table.


    It was the files she requested from Zeke - the institute''s curriculum, the research team''s papers and the summary of academic records of the members of the branch.


    It would take a few weeks for Eli to read through these files if she didn''t know how to speed read.


    Luckily, it was the skill she was best at, as she always needed this to scan through the reports of her juniors back in her previous life.


    As she read through the files, Eli felt seriously helpless.


    There were only minor problems with the curriculum and it could be addressed through adding additional subjects that could fill the gap.


    However, the major problem was on their papers. It needs a major revamp!


    Eli found out that their research topics do not coincide with the researchers area of expertise. Their papers were only based on the area they were currently interested in.


    As such, their talents and abilities were not optimized even if they spend their entire lifetime researching.


    What''s more, if they see that the research wasn''t fruitful, they would just drop the research and jump to another one.


    The next problem she had was that the faculty members actually did not point out the problem from their topics.


    Back in the modern world, before a group of students start working all out for their research papers, they would go through a process called title defense.


    In this process, the teacher and the students would spend time scrutinizing the research proposal, assessing if the topic was actually relevant in the present and the future days toe. They have to determine if the study was worth giving their precious time.


    However, in the Magical Research Branch, this process was not stringent.


    As long as the researchers exin their goals for their proposal, it would be approved for further study. As such, the cases of dropped research was surprisingly numerous.


    Eli deduced that this was the main reason why it was so hard for the research branch to create new inventions after so many years of efforts.


    Deeply thinking, she continued to scribble in her main file and listed down her proposal and analysis for the team.


    In just a few moments, she waspletely immersed in her writing. She took her role seriously, not only for Little Han but for the research branch.


    Although it may look like they were fickle minded due to the number of dropped research topics they had in the record, Eli knew how heart broken these people would be while deciding to abandon their research.


    During the initial stage, they have high hopes that their research would one day be sessful.


    They spent so many sleepless nights, drank gallons of tea and coffee to make themselves awake, forgot their families and practically neglected their health just to see their research seed, only to find out that it was all fruitless effort.


    All was in vain because everything was wrong.


    How heartbroken could they be?


    Eli remembered her ssmates before, they cried in despair when they failed their final defense and marked their papers as rejected.


    What more of these true researchers?


    Eli decided to implement the policies she experienced in the academe to organize the way the research teams select and proceed to their topics.


    After two weeks of working up until night time, Elipletely finished her proposal for the enhancement of the curriculum and the research branch.


    Travelling towards the Farauld Magic Institute, while leaving Little Han and the rest to Aqu''s care, Eli looked forward to exining her proposals to the deans, Grandpa Ben and Uncle Bramwell.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As she was meeting the higher ups of the institute, she proceeded directly to the main hall of the institute instead of the secluded Magical Research Branch.


    Getting off the carriage, she was weed by countless unusual stares and murmurs from the students lurking nearby.


    "The tyrant inventor is back.."


    "Shh.. aren''t you afraid that she will hear you!"


    "Yeah! Keep your mouth shut if you don''t want to be sent to the temple for punishment!"


    The students discussed in a hushed manner as they observed Eli entering the main hall.


    Although intrigued by the disparity of the time when she first entered through the main hall and now, Eli decided to keep her head up with her imposing business woman aura and proceeded to the designated meeting room.


    Not minding the discussions around, she took out her papers before entering the meeting room.


    Waiting inside were the three deans, all with troubled faces, and Uncle Bramwell with a dark expression. The other faculty members were also in the room with terrified and downcast faces.


    Eli was taken aback, she was supposed to only meet the three deans, Uncle Bramwell and Grandpa Ben today, but why are the teachers also around?


    "Greetings Vice Chairman, Greetings Esteemed Deans and fellow teachers!" Eli, although puzzled, still cordially greeted the people inside, to which they all responded with a polite nod.


    "Did the institute run into a big trouble? Why is everyone in a bad mood?" To break the ice, Eli decided to address the tension at hand.


    "Sigh¡­" The three deans all simultaneously let out helpless sighs upon hearing Eli ask the question.


    "Well, it indeed was a trouble. There was a rumour spreading around the campus saying that you are a tyrant and caused the research team to be exiled in the temple for a month." Seeing that the three deans do not know how to exin the matter, Bramwell straightforwardly exined.


    "It''s a rumour about me?" Eli was slightly taken aback.


    She did expect that the sudden departure of the research team to the temple would cause a hugemotion in the campus. But she was caught off guard to know that she was the rumored culprit of the event.


    "Lady Eli, we apologize, we tried our best to resolve these rumours in the past week however, we weren''t able to get a hold of what really happened." Zeke also further exined.


    "We also tried to trace who was the source of the rumor, but it was a bit tricky because the rumour spread in the canteen from the students.


    As such, the students can no longer identify to whom they had first heard the spections."


    "We sincerely apologize!" The deans bowed their heads in distress. The faculty members followed too.


    The deans, as part of the higher ups, all knew what really happened that led to the punishment.


    Although Eli yed a big role, she was not the one who suggested the temple exile. It was a unanimous decision of the deans and approved by the vice chairman and the headmaster.


    While the deans were busy exining the matter to Eli, on the teacher''s side, Alicia couldn''t help but sneak a mocking smile towards the scene she was witnessing.


    She was curious what Eli''s reaction would be, so she wiped the smile off her face before raising her head with an expression filled with worry towards Eli.


    But Eli''s face remained unchanged, her business woman demeanor dominated her countenance.


    After assessing the situation, Eli replied, "Do not bother tracing the source of the rumours, the students of the institute were already brilliant to start with. With just a few hints or clues it was a no-brainer for them toe up with such a conclusion."


    "Besides, the rumor will automatically die down unless it was intentionally done." Eli coldly added, sweeping a nce towards everyone in the room.


    If it was just a rumour because of an innocent spection, it will soon die down especially when the researcherse back from their service.


    But, if the rumours show no signs of declining and intensified even after the return of the researchers, then it was certain that someone was bent on giving her a hard time.


    Alicia''s heart skipped a beat when she heard Eli''s words. Although she was sure that there was no way the students would be courageous enough to sell her out, she still couldn''t help but be frightened by how sharp Eli''s intuition is.


    "But.. your reputation.." Bramwell protested unwillingly.


    He knew that Eli joined the institute to build a name for herself. If her reputation was destroyed with these rumors then it wouldpletely defeat her purpose!


    "Vice Chairman, do not worry¡­" Eli gently replied, looking at her Uncle Bramwell with assurance.


    "I am an inventor right? Did I get my renown because of my character? NO!" This time, her gentle demeanor was changed into a sassy one.


    "As an inventor, my magnanimity could never be manifested through my pleasing personality nor a prim attitude!"


    She sat straight and confident as she delivered the next statement to the crowd of educators with great conviction.


    "My benevolence could only be disyed through the impact created by my inventions!"


    "So why would I, Eli, the inventor, be afraid of people ruining my reputation through soiling my character?" She squinted her eyes as she said in a dangerous and provoking tone.


    "If they have the ability and the brains, let them try ruining my reputation through dissing my inventions instead!"

 Chapter 148 Revamping The Research Branch (2)

    ?The room had a deafening silence after Eli uttered these words.


    Except for Zeke and Bramwell who already had a good idea of Eli''s stern character, everyone else was shocked to see the youngdy dere such domineering words.


    However, thinking about what she had just said, they all agreed silently.


    Eli entered the institute as a counselor with her identity as an inventor. She didn''t enter here as an ordinary teacher nor a saint.


    If they could ept those aggressive old fogeys and lethargic young maniacs from the research institute, why would they single out Eli who was the epitome of a sessful inventor?


    Eli swept a nce at the crowd who kept pondering about her words, seeing that they were in deep daze she added as a closing statement,


    "Besides, the rumor was not even true at all. I have a strong sense of self-awareness. I know more than anybody else that if I had a role to y on my first day in the institute¡­ bestowing mass punishment would never be a part of it! So go easy on the children, they are young. If any, it is not punishment that they need right now, what they need the most is guidance."


    "Sigh.. Alright.. Now that you said it. Let''s leave the matter at hand first." Bramwell helplessly closed the issue when he saw that Eli really didn''t want them to pressure the students about the rumours.


    He looked toward the bunch of teachers and sternly said, "Now that you know what really had transpired, I hold you ountable for educating the students!"


    "Yes, Vice Chairman!" The teachers obediently responded.


    Eli and Bramwell sung the same tune. What the students really need right now is guidance.


    The Vice Chairman gave his word to hold them ountable for properly guiding the students in terms of their conduct, so they mustply.


    "Alright. All of you are dismissed." Bramwell finally released the tensed teachers.


    With a relieved expression they silently exited the meeting room in an orderly manner.


    Outside the room, Alicia couldn''t help but frown in dissatisfaction. She did not see the results she expected on Eli''s conduct. She felt like she had underestimated the great inventor.


    She thought that Eli would immediately explode upon hearing the rumours and would act unreasonable to the deans and Vice Chairman for all to see.


    Who would have thought that she would act so dignified and domineering? There was even an air of nonchnce when she acted as if she doesn''t really care if people nder her character!


    Not getting the results she wanted she was extremely not satisfied!


    She tried to calm herself down and re-evaluated her position. Now that she thought it through, she realized that there was a bright side in this situation.


    Since Eli has an inclination to dismiss it as just the students'' idle chat, Alicia could still use this chance to get close to her! If she didn''t do anything to intervene with the rumour it will really eventually die down.


    But that also means that Eli would not assume that it was deliberately done by someone to attack her!


    If that''s the case, she can use this opportunity to now act ording to Empress Carolina''s orders and get in Eli''s good books!


    Alicia''s mood quickly improved by the thought of it. Remembering the opportunity she would get if she seeded in roping Eli into Empress Carolina''s faction, she couldn''t help but be excited.


    She decided to temporarily drop her ns to attack Eli and started to n on how to interact with her more.


    Back in the meeting room, the deans and Bramwell readjusted their moods for the next agenda of their meeting.


    Their eyes now looked at Eli who was calmly waiting for them to signal her to start her report.


    "Alright, Young Eli, may we hear from your proposal?" Bramwell finally started the second meeting.


    "Okay," Immediately Eli stood up straight and took out clean sheets of paper and distributed it to the four, "I''d like you to first take a look at this proposal that I have prepared."


    She gave them enough time to read through the sheets before starting her presentation.


    "For the next six months, there were two major problems of the research branch that I''d like to help on addressing.


    The first one, was the high drop rate of the research topics the branch has experienced for thest three years. The second one, was the disparity of the research topics and the researchers'' academic specialties.


    "Mmm.. go on.." Bramwell responded, clearly interested in the details Eli prepared in the proposal.


    He couldn''t help but be amazed that Eli took the effort to present this matter to them with data and analytical evidence, which was to this point, only a few from the research team could do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "As you had already seen in this proposal, I would like to rmend a whole new structure of conceptualizing, approving, testing and presenting the future research and studies for the branch!" Eli exined intelligently how the modern research process worked.


    Her words were sinct yet totally easy to understand. Eli exined each and every step of the process, along with the reason why it has to be done in the first ce, from conceptualization to final defense.


    She would asionally see the four nod in agreement and only ask questions that would further deepen their understanding of the process, not to challenge it.


    "Although, this would really be a big change on the way the Magical Research Branch would do things, I firmly believe that with these extra steps taken, we are able to help our researchers save their precious time and have them use it for their well being."


    Of course, Eli didn''t forget to emphasize how it is important to have rest and well being even for the researchers.


    As one who was also a workaholic she had many regrets in life the moment she died. Fortunately for her, the Great One chose her to take on a new life.


    But not all could experience the grace she just had.


    For most of the researchers, they only had one lifetime. She wanted to atleast give them time to do the things they like beyond the four walls of theboratory!


    "What do you think?" Although the look of satisfaction and pride appeared in Bramwell''s eyes, he still asked the three deans for their opinions.


    He wanted the three to also step up and express their ideas. He hoped that they would also grow as the future leaders of the institute by letting them experience interacting with Eli in this environment.


    "I am confident about the Counselor''s proposal. If any, I would also like to suggest how to further integrate this in the current situation¡­" It was Athena who first voiced out her ideas and rmendations.


    Soon, Eli and the deans immersed themselves in a deep discussion on how to further enhance Eli''s proposal. Eli didn''t mind them offering inputs to further improve her ideas.


    In fact she was beyond happy to see them suggest and rmend.


    For her, it means that they recognized the benefits of her ideas and were concerned on how to make it be sessful upon implementation.


    Moreover, she wasl learning from them too!


    Bramwell couldn''t help but smile upon seeing the four engage into a healthy brainstorming session. It was really a good decision to persuade Eli to propose this matter in the presence of the deans.


    After wrapping up with the first matter, Eli then proceeded on exining the second problem.


    "The second matter is a bit trickier to solve. I must say, I am not really confident that the researchers would want to consider doing this proposal that I have."


    "My only hope is that they would have a clearer mind from consecrating themselves to the temple activities." Eli exined with a big disimer, a sh of worry also appeared on her face.


    "Do not worry, just tell us your idea and we''ll work together from it." Simone, who now looked at Eli in a new light gently encouraged her.


    "It''s like this.. If you could look into the data I have presented on the fifth page, you can see the disparity of the research topics that the members had taken, over the proven talents they have on the records."


    "Just like the team who was working on an enhanced magical sword that could be converted into kitchen and cutting tools¡­"


    "For the members of this research team, one of them are well versed in agriculture while the other two were experts in casting magic. Another one disyed a high aptitude in making potions and only one actually had a background in design."


    Remembering the information she found about these researchers, Eli couldn''t help but feel helpless.


    "But looking at the justification of their research, their motivation was purely because they were all foodies. They wanted to have a portable tool that is convenient for cooking, cultivating food and defending their lives."


    "However, since theyck the right expertise on this matter. They were already stuck in this research for two and a half years!"


    "Analyzing from how they approached their research, they focused more on the properties of a magical iron sword to shape shift itself."


    "If only they focused more on reengineering the design of the battle tool, they could have progressed much faster, taking out ''magic'' in the picture."


    Eli wanted to tell them that in the modern world, there was a tool called swiss army knife, which already long evolved to not just contain des and tools but also led lights and even USBs!


    This tool didn''t even need magic to be created. One just has to be imaginative and an expert in their own craft, like Karl Elsener[1]!


    However, she chose to shut her mouth and remain lowkey.


    She was just a consultant in the institute, she must only give some hints and guidance, but not answer the problems directly.

 Chapter 149 Revamping The Research Branch (3)

    ?"This¡­" Hearing Eli''s exnation, there were tinge of embarrassment from Bramwell and the deans'' faces.


    It was especially so with Zeke who was the head of the branch.


    They knew that they had freely allowed their researchers to pursue any topic they liked as long as they could exin very well the benefits of the research. It was also the same whenever they tried to justify the discontinuance of the subject.


    Admittedly, they failed to connect the teams'' abilities to their research topics. They failed to be mindful of the researchers ability and think of a way to help them achieve the results more efficiently.


    They really did neglect them big time.


    Eli pointing out this problem was actually a harsh awakening for them, especially for Zeke. He was downcast and dejected as he slowly realized his shoring to his branch.


    "Vice Chairman, Esteemed Deans, do not me yourself for this matter. Everyone has room for improvement. I am saying this not because I want to put the me on any one of you, but to tell you that there are ways to make our research branch better than before."


    Eli addressed the discouraged group, she looked at them gently and genuinely, as she knew very well how these findings would impact the deans, especially Zeke.


    "Dean Zeke¡­ I want you to know that you are doing well. You have led them for many years now and didn''t they have sessful projects under your leadership? Please do not me yourself for all these things. Instead, view it as something that would make the branch even more sessful!"


    Eli then addressed Zeke with her encouraging words.


    "In this academy, we can only improve. Being stagnant is problematic. For the years toe, even after the changes we decided to implement, we will still see some areas we need to improve along the way, and that is normal."


    "What''s not normal is us thinking that we don''t need to change for the better."


    She was actually not giving him empty words, for Eli knew that it was very true.


    As she had already lived in a world where technology kept on upgrading, cell phones evolve as frequently as year on year, change became the status quo.


    It was the people who had to keep up on the fast changing environment, may it be on business, medicine, education and even government.


    Everyone has to keep up or atleast understand the changesing their way, or else, they would be lost in the void of stagnation.


    "That''s right, let''s take this opportunity to reevaluate our way of doing things in the institute! This time, we will start in the research branch. Then in the future, on the magic and academic branches. Because if we do not have the will to improve, then are we saying that our institute is already perfect?"


    Bramwell calmly supported Eli in her words. He could also see the remorse on Zeke''s face as well as the dejection of Simone and Athena.


    He too, realized a lot. He too saw his shorings.


    If any, he was the guiltiest among the four.


    He was, after all, the Vice Chairman of the Institute. On top of that, he was also Grandmaster Reuben''s protege, whom he was grooming to take over the leadership of the institute.


    He felt that he let his father inw, his teacher, down. Knowing that there were so many weak areas he failed to detect through the years, he felt greatly concerned and pressured.


    However, he calmly took in Eli''s words. He knew that Eli was not only consoling them but telling the truth. As such, he had to take a stand and make Eli''s point sink into the deans'' minds.


    Upon hearing Eli and Bramwell''s words, everyone felt warm from the encouragement. They were thankful that the two reminded them of what their mindset should be in this situation.


    It is not wrong to improve! It is not wrong to realize shorings!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What''s wrong is not recognizing it and not doing anything to address it at all!


    With that, Zeke, with a new light in his face, determinedly asked Eli, "Then Counselor, do you have any idea how we will address this problem?"


    "Mmm.. My n is to reevaluate their groupings and topic of interests." Eli dered to the group with a rxed expression. She was relieved to see the four gain confidence for themselves.


    "However, there would be two phases of this n. Their first phase was to hasten the resolution of their current topics. What I mean here is, we have to guide them by giving key hints in order for them to finish their current project within or earlier than four months." Eli calmly exined.


    Meanwhile, astonishment filled the deans and Bramwell''s faces, they already read this solution on Eli''s paper yet they couldn''t help but be shocked that Eli was really serious in letting the teams finish it within a few months.


    First of all, the six teams had already spent years to progress in their research, yet they still couldn''t see the conclusions. But now, Eli was telling them that they could in fact help the teams to close their research within four months!


    "Yes.. There are six ongoing projects that the research branch is working on. I roughly have an idea how to solve the first five. But I need Dean Zeke who is an expert in the magic field to assist thest team."


    "The first five projects can be resolved even without the help of magic. Just like the convertible tool I had exined earlier.. It can be solved by revisiting the overall design of the tool itself." Eli was actually nning to help them invent the first swiss army knife in Prasinos.


    "For the next project, the team wanted to have a carriage that was not driven by horse or any animal, which can be used in short and mid distance transportation. I also have ideas that could be used by the teams toe up with solutions to this problem too." This time she was pertaining to bicycles and tricycles.


    "Another group also wanted to improve the current version of our carriages by inventing an incantation or array that would improve the ride experience on a bumpy road. I can help them to reengineer the carriage suspensions for the meantime." Eli yet again addressed another project by guiding them to replicate the steel spring suspension for the carriage wheels.


    "On the fourth project, they were thinking of an array that could help the farmers hasten the tedious threshing process of their crops. This could also be solved through using mechanical techniques!" In this project, Eli was nning to help them invent a primitive version of the threshing machine.


    "The fifth project wanted to improve the way that our Empire prints our books and texts. They tried to integrate projection and mana stones into a machine that could replicate the process."


    "Although in the future, this could be possible if our institute hadpletely understood the properties of the projection stone. But since we haven''t studied it enough, I can only guide them toe up with something that could do the job mechanically."


    The technology that Eli had in mind, should they fully understand the properties of the projection stones, was the modern day photocopy machine. But since they are pressed for time, she nned to only help the teame up with a Prasinon version of a mimeograph.


    "As for thest project, I wonder if Dean Zeke could help this team. They wanted to invent something that could store things as big as a building and transfer it to another spot. Remembering the sessful ck box project that you have where you were able to store temporary quarters on a tiny box, I believe it is best for you to guide this team."


    Eli knew that thest project was already feasible because it was actually done by Leon, by transferring the entire cottage, but she wanted the research team to discover it on their own. As such, the best person to guide them was Zeke, who had vast knowledge in spatial magic maniption.


    It was also the same for the first five teams.


    Although Eli has already identified the counterpart technology from the modern world to rmend to the teams, she would only give them clues to enable the teams toe up with such.


    She wanted to also let the researchers feel a sense of pride as they discover what Eli would lead them to. Spoon feeding will not help them in any way!


    Moreover, if she would really be serious in leading them thoroughly, she would be busier and her time with Little Han would bepromised!


    Hearing Eli''s extensive exnation and alternatives, the four were again left speechless for a good few minutes.


    Eli really thought things through!!


    They never expected that Eli would even propose the ideas she had on their minds and give the researchers the opportunity to interpret and execute her ideas!


    To them, although Eli never imed that her ideas weren''t her inventions, they all knew that Eli would have made it herself, if she was not tasked to be a counselor!

 Chapter 150 The Eccentric Research Branch Is Back!

    ?"Eherm!" Clearing his throat to break the long silence, Zeke took the responsibility to continue the conversation. "Counselor, I think this will be feasible. However, if this bes sessful, how are we going to execute the next step?"


    "This is the hard part.." Eli frowned, still feeling uncertain with the appropriateness of the next step she had in mind.


    "If you also see fit.. I n to create two main specializations for the branch. As you already know, research is not only limited to topics which require our teams to create some new inventions."


    "Proving and disproving theories, publishing of well defended discoveries were also possible too. Infact, it is equally important that we put resources to the research teams interested in theories."


    "The more we discover, the more it can help us create new inventions and creations. As such, the main specializations I have in mind would be the Discovery and Invention Departments."


    "These divisions would still be headed by the respective faculties carrying the same expertise. However, this will not limit the coboration with each other...


    "What I want to suggest for us to try now, is to refocus the researchers on their field of expertise first, before jumping on integrated projects that would require the help of other branches."


    "Based on the profiles, there are researchers and faculty members who had higher aptitude in design and creation, while others were really talented in analysis and critical thinking... That is why, I thought it would be best to group them ording to my proposed divisions."


    Eli exined with nervousness, she didn''t know what the deans and her Uncle Bramwell would think of her suggestion, as it would surely be drastic.


    "This¡­" Zeke and the others contemted for a good few minutes.


    As good as Eli''s proposal may sound, all of them, including Eli, knew that it would be hard for the branch to take this great change.


    It was pretty easy for the higher ups to nod their heads. However, the researchers and faculty members, who were the reason for the branch''s existence, would be the problem.


    Now that Eli had given them the whole picture, from her first proposal to the next, the biggest change that they would do was to take away the researchers'' freedom to choose their own topics to pursue.


    Of course, with Eli''s exnation, backed up with irrefutable data, taking away an extent of this freedom would be beneficial for the researchers.


    But the researchers and faculty members may not look at this situation the same way as them.


    They were entric people, willful and prideful especially on the work they have been doing.


    Also taking into consideration the mass punishment given to them, it would be hard for Eli and the rest to convince the branch to do such.


    "Sigh.. as expected, you also find that this would be hard." Eli knew the answers from their reaction. Although a little bit sad, she also knew that it was a hard change to swallow.


    "I apologize... I would like to support you in this, but based on the research branch''s personalities, they would surely give you a hard time." Zeke replied in an apologetic and concerned tone.


    "It''s alright, I guess, we take things slow. With the new way of approving research topics, coupled with the lesson ns I prepared to aid them for their research, the branch would still improve." Eli tried to console everyone, who were as helpless as her.


    "Let''s not be discouraged and hasty. It would also be hard to make everything change in a short period of time. The creation of two separate divisions can still be revisited after some time. As for everything else, we can proceed on doing that!" Bramwell advised as the most senior among the group.


    He didn''t think that Eli''s idea was wrong, however, it is just that the time may be inappropriate for now.


    Eli also understood Bramwell''s intention, she nodded and joined the rest in replying, "Understood, Vice Chairman."


    "Hmm¡­ the research branch would likelye back in a week''s time. Young Eli, do you need assistance in order to prepare the lesson ns for the new subjects of the curriculum? Please do not hesitate to tell us what you need." Bramwell asked Eli in a thoughtful tone.


    "I have prepared the learning materials¡­" Eli took her space pouch again and showed another stack of papers.


    This time, this was way more thicker than the proposal paper she distributed earlier.


    "These materials were actually targeted on helping the researchers in hastening the aplishment of their ongoing works. It isposed of multiple subjects, cramming principles from basic to advanced level. What I need is the assistance to reproduce these copies for the use of the branch." Eli exined.


    Although her book of knowledge had a print function, it was too inconvenient for her to use it to mass produce copies. She would die of exhaustion if she insisted on making a copy for the entire branch!


    Besides, creating this one set of learning materials literally fried her brains!


    At the end of the day, she only took adderized engineering course because she could no longer pursue music, due to her Mum''s circumstances and the great financial constraint.


    Without the help of the book of knowledge, providing her endless information, she really didn''t know how to aplish these tasks.


    Other than music, the only strength she had was her workaholic habit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This honed her to be someone who was strong enough to survive in the middle realm of the corporate world - tempered by the pressure from the higher management and the stress in managing her subordinates at the rank and file level.


    Without it, Eli would never have a motivation to even take the role of an ''inventor'' much more an educator.


    But who would have known?


    Her experiences in her past life, which mainly includes her sufferings in the corporate world would enable her to do things beyond her imagination in this world.


    What''s better this time was that, she had people to rely on, like Zeke and the rest.


    "That''s easy! Let me help you arrange for this to be done!" Zeke enthusiastically volunteered.


    He had an intense sparkle in his eyes as he eyed the stack of papers on the table. It was as if he was looking at a piece of decadent cake!


    Bramwell, Simone and Athena couldn''t help but twitch, as they could see that Zeke almost failed to stop himself from drooling.


    However, they could understand why. Because they too were tempted to take the stacks of papers and confine themselves in their bedroom to read its contents!


    It came from Eli, the famous inventor afterall!


    "Eherm.. Counselor Eli, would you mind letting me have the honor to obtain a copy of this too?" Simone shyly requested a copy.


    "Me too! Me too!" Athena also dropped the facade of a respectable dean and shamelessly clung to Eli''s arms with pleading in her eyes.


    "Erm.. I really nned to give a copy for you all too¡­" Eli was helpless when she saw the two deans begging. She looked at her Uncle Bramwell asking for help.


    "Alright.. All of you. Young Eli has given her words. However, I trust that you don''t let this material go public recklessly. Three of you, I task you to prepare the necessary documents to officially publish this book under Young Eli''s name." Bramwell will not let Eli be short changed for everything that she did.


    Now that Eli was also his godniece he would give her the treatment she deserved.


    "Thank you, Vice Chairman." Fully understanding her Uncle Bramwell''s order, warmth enveloped her heart.


    In Prasinos, not one of the people around her had any blood ties with her, but they treated her so well, like a true blood rted family!


    That was also why she didn''t want to do any half assed job as long as she knew it would help the people she cared for, may it be the Faraulds, the Forgeworns, the Silver Dew Elves and Leon''s side of the Imperial family.


    The meeting had consumed two hours of Eli''s weeklymitted quota, however, she knew that this time was well spent.


    After the meeting, she coborated with Zeke through the rest of the week for the preparations.


    During this time, the rumours about Eli was still a popr topic, but slowly died down probably because Alicia didn''t do anything to fan the mes or the faculty members also obeyed Bramwell''s order to handle the students.


    It was not long before the expected time of the research branch to return came.


    Calmly descending from the steps of the majestic main hall, Eli walked alongside Bramwell and the three deans as they weed Mort and the research branch.


    The temple wagons slowly lined up on the institute''s gates and everyone watched as Mort and the research branch mounted off the wagons.


    Mort was still the same, with his serene and holy aura, d in a simple white robe and an unworldly expression.


    Except when his eyes sweep a look towards Eli''s direction, his eyes would look like he was disinterested in the mundane things of the world.


    What was different this time was the appearance and expression of the ever entric members of the research branch.


    They left the institute with submissive and aggrieved expressions a month ago, yet now¡­


    Apart from their prim and proper look, which was already far from their usual panda eyes and unkempt facial hairs, their eyes were filled with an incredible fire!


    Especially when they looked towards Eli. They seemed like they were holding themselves back to kneel in front of her!


    Eli and the rest became really curious, why does it seem like these research maniacs became much more aggressive than before?

 Chapter 151 The Way Of A Researcher

    ?The students also gathered around upon noticing themotion. They craned their necks and engaged in hushed discussions as soon as they saw the research team.


    "Woah, that''s the research branch?!"


    "I never knew there were also good looking people in that branch! Oh my, even the old faculty members looked so dignified!"


    "I always thought that they were scary people who always neglect hygiene and appearance for research!"


    "Looks like their exile to the temple made them be so prim and proper!"


    "Now that you mentioned it, it seemed like the punishment was quite effective to the research branch!"


    "Yeah look at how orderly and submissive they are now!"


    "I know right?"


    The onlookers couldn''t help butment on how different the research branch looked aspared to the time before they were punished.


    However, they failed to notice what Eli and the deans saw on the eyes of the members of the research branch.


    They felt like the researchers have be more aggressive than before, which made their hearts dispirited.


    ''The temple exile had most likely affected them negatively, as expected.'' they couldn''t help but sigh in their hearts, the more they contemted this situation.


    But because they were out in the open, they kept their thoughts in their minds and maintained their diplomatic expressions, as they assisted Bramwell in exchanging pleasantries to the Temple Administrator, Mort.


    "Temple Administrator Mort, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks for amodating our research branch for the temple service. We would like to invite you and your crew toe inside for some refreshment." Bramwell led his team in weing the temple representatives.


    "No need, Vice Chairman Bramwell, we are only here to send the volunteers back. It is us who want to thank you for allowing them to serve in the temple, for they really have be a big help." Mort respectfully declined Bramwell''s offer.


    "Alright, I shan''t hold you off then, Temple Administrator. The institute will always be here should the temple need assistance."


    Bramwell did not insist on letting them stay longer, for he knew that the temple really avoided socializing with any official or establishment. One could only arrange a visit if they needed to talk to someone from the temple.


    "Alright then, may the Creator bless you and everyone in this institute. May He grant the desires of your hearts ording to His will." After the benediction, Mort and his crew solemnly boarded the wagons and left.


    Everyone waited until the temple wagons could no longer be seen. After that, there was a long awkward silence in the entire open grounds.


    For Eli and the deans, they were actually worried about the attitude of the research branch.


    For the onlookers, they were actually just silently waiting for something interesting to unfold.


    But for the research branch they actually had a different thought in mind.


    Contrary to what Eli and the others think, what they felt was great remorse and guilt. However, as awkward people who prioritized researching over socializing skills, they really didn''t know how to deal with the emotions they were feeling.


    "Alright, research branch, it''s been a long time since Ist saw all of you. As the Vice Chairman of this Institute, I warmly wee you back to the campus." Bramwell addressed everyone to break the uneasy atmosphere.


    "Many thanks, Vice Chairman! Many thanks, Dean Zeke, Dean Simone, Dean Athena. Many thanks, Counselor Eli!" Finally given a breather, the research branch replied in chorus.


    After hearing their reply, Zeke stepped forward and also said his piece to address the research branch. "For now, let us return to our headquarters. There will be some announcements regarding the promise I have given before you all went to the temple.


    "While you are out, we worked with the Counselor in order to think of better ways to make our branch improve. But that can wait until tomorrow. For now, give yourselves a good rest as you prepare toe back to your respective research!" With that, Zeke beckoned the research team to start moving towards the branch''s headquarters.


    However, the research teams remained in their position with contorted faces. They were obviously struggling to figure out something they wanted to convey. But they seem to not really know how to do it.


    Eli, who didn''t stop in observing their behaviour, immediately stood near the troubled researchers and faculty members, "Is there something wrong?" She softly asked. "You all looked troubled.."


    She used a tone that always made her subordinates let their guards down. Making them feel it is safe to share what''s on their minds without the fear of receiving contempt.


    Her technique had disyed its formidableness, when a familiar looking faculty member took a step forward and knelt like a knight in front of Eli.


    Eli was surprised with this sudden gesture, and so were the others around.


    She saw the face of the kneeling faculty member and remembered that it was the teacher who stood up for her and Zeke back in the cafeteria.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She remembered Zeke mentioning his name as Professor Rufus who had great talent in crafting and inventing magical weapons and items. However, he had an extremely aloof personality and a terrible temper.


    "This.. Professor Rufus! What are you doing?" Eli panicked and stepped forward to beckon him to stand up.


    "No, Counselor! Let me stay like this until I say my piece!" The entric professor dered loudly, but there was no hostility in his tone, only nervousness, awkwardness and a sense of urgency.


    Seeing Professor Rufus'' action, the rest of the research branch also followed suit, unanimously thinking that what he did was a bright idea.


    "Dean Zeke.. first of all I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve in the temple." Professor Rufus loudly expressed with a shaky voice.


    "Because of that , I would never know that there are many things our Empirecked. I also saw things the citizens desperately need and things that would definitely help mankind!"


    "Without seeing it with my own eyes, I would never realize that instead of cooping up in the four walls of theboratory, thinking that my research would be so amazing that people would love it, I have to put the people''s needs in consideration to the research that I would do!"


    "I never thought whether my research would help the citizens. All I thought was that, the sess of my research would give me immeasurable happiness."


    "That is why, from the bottom of my heart. I thank the Dean for your wise decision!"


    Professor Rufus delivered his heartfelt monologue.


    "We also think the same way and would like to thank the Dean!" The rest of the members also echoed Professor Rufus'' words


    Dean Zeke and the rest were left frozen in surprise. Only Eli had an amused smile on her face.


    ''It turns out that the expression on their faces wasn''t actually aggressiveness but determination to express their feelings.'' Eli pondered, truly studious people would find it hard to socialize andmunicate their true emotions to others.


    "Eherm! It''s alright. I am more than happy to see you all reflect and feel that way. Use what you have experienced outside to fuel your motivation for doing your research! I believe that you will all seed as long as you put your heart and the right attitude into it!" Zeke stiffly replied to Rufus'' words.


    He was feeling a bit shy as it was the first time he interacted with the entric group like this.


    Feeling unsure if he chose the correct approach, he gave an uncertain look to Bramwell and the two other deans, who in turn just gave him an assuring nod.


    "Alright, if there''s nothing. Let us proceed to the branch so that you could already rest."


    "Dean! There''s one more thing.." Professor Rufus hurriedly said.


    "Go ahead." Zeke magnanimously allowed them to speak, this was a rare change for him to see the branch so genuinely outspoken, apart from discussing their research.


    Receiving his Dean''s go signal, Professor Rufus and the rest looked towards Eli respectfully and dered,


    "Counselor, during our service in the temple, we went to the remote areas just outside the borders of the capital. The situation there.. is so heartbreaking."


    "It was the first time I felt helpless. It was the first time I felt that I didn''t know anything at all."


    "But while I was brooding over my shorings, I saw your invention, the portable water purifier making the lives of the poor vigers better in their current situation."


    "As the winter was already approaching they couldn''t afford to waste firewood to boil drinking water. As such, they would go for days drinking only one ss and use the rest for cooking. This made eveyone in the vige extremely malnourished and dehydrated."


    "Without your invention, everyone in the vige, may it be the elderly, the women or children, had to walk for the entire a day to fetch water to the next vige who had a well."


    He looked at Eli with admiration, and it was as if the rest of the research branch were sharing the same minds as him, they also did the same.


    "Counselor, no.. Great Inventor, help us be like you, who poured your talents to help the people in need through your creations."


    "Help us be like you, who made creations that would reach even the poorest among the poor, the weakest among the weak!


    "Help us be like you, who was able to make both the simplest and mostplicated set of things bring hope to the hopeless."


    "Just like how you helped a certain vige who didn''t have ess to sufficient drinkable water."


    "With your invention, they could finally use the little stream nearby and drink without worrying whether the water was safe to drink nor whether they have to spend more firewood for boiling."


    "We want to be like you, Great Inventor Eli! Teach us your way of being a researcher!" Professor Rufus and the rest dered in unison.

 Chapter 152 Eli F3

    ?"This¡­ Everyone, you do not need to do this! Raise your head and stand tall!" Eli was overwhelmed by the members'' confession.


    She never expected that her project would be viewed by the research branch that way.


    Although her motive was to make herself known, it was also true that she had in mind the well being of the people first ining up with what invention to create.


    It was more than enough for her to know that her invention was actually helping the people in need. At that thought, she thanked the Forgeworns and the Faraulds.


    They stayed true to their words the first time they supported Eli to create the very first project she had.


    Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben first thought of the F-ss or the non magic people when she revealed the blueprint of the water heater and pressure system.


    They did the same with the rest of her inventions, prioritizing the people in need.


    No wonder, despite not being aristocratic in nature, the Forgeworns and the Faraulds became as respectable as a higher noble n even without the Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben''s ss S reputation.


    "You do not need to plead to me for this. The reason I am here was to help you in the first ce! So rise up! Take a rest and see you tomorrow. We will have many things to do in theing months. So we need all the energy you can exert!"


    Eli swept a thoughtful nce through the crowd.


    Although she was the youngest amongst the officials lined up in front, the aura she exudes didn''t lose to any of the deans.


    She was like a tree that grew so strong and steady, her branches extended far wide and the leaves were lush green.


    The birds were attracted to the shade she gave and were inclined to stay with her in dependence.


    This was how the entire branch looked at her, a person who could generously provide the thing they needed the most - guidance.


    Watching the scene, Bramwell and Zeke couldn''t help but feel proud of Eli. That was the person they look up too, next to the headmaster.


    If not for the new identity of Eli as Bramwell''s god niece and Zeke''s honorary subordinate, they would be openly addressing her as Great Teacher Eli, just like the days they spent in the Silver Dew Forest.


    "We thank Great Inventor Eli from the bottom of our hearts!" Professor Rufus and the rest shouted as loud as they could, their eyes reddened as tears threatened to fall from their eyes.


    It was because as soon as they realized how honorable Eli''s works were outside the campus, the first thing that came to their minds was the disrespect theymitted towards her.


    They were actually afraid that Eli would keep a grudge on them and just allow them to rot in their research, not progressing anymore.


    But clearly, they failed to understand Eli''s character.


    If her inventions address the well being of the people, then so must be her character.


    Thinking that she would bear a grudge just because of that, made them ashamed yet again.


    However, they promised in their hearts that they would never disrespect Eli and Dean Zeke ever again.


    "Alright, I''m sure you already missed your dorms. Now let''se home to our research branch." Zeke announced as he felt Eli''s cue to disperse the crowd.


    As such, after the awkward public deration of the research branch, they all merrily followed Dean Zeke and Eli toe to their home - the research branch.


    Bramwell, Simone and Athena also followed with a contented and helpless smile on their faces. The members of the research branch, in the end, were just like kids.


    They were a handful, but were sincere.


    Only the onlookers stayed where they were. Shocked on the spot, dealing with mixed emotions.


    In the past month, they participated in various discussions specting about the truth behind the research branch''s exile. In the midst of that discussion, the name that was damaged the most was the Great Inventor''s name, Eli.


    But they heard everything loud and clear and from the conversation, they saw what Eli''s character was like.


    That was why most of them were taken aback and felt guilty. Because they indiscriminately discredited her works by actively believing about her tyrant character.


    They saw in their own eyes how she conducted herself.


    They also understood the underlying message on the research branch''s words.


    The Great Inventor Eli had a magnanimous character and the strongest evidence to this im was the impact on every invention she released.


    The onlookers, who were mostly younger students, hung their heads low in shame and remorse. They scolded themselves and reminded their hearts not to love gossip.


    For if they happen to believe in the wrong one, who knows what kind of disaster would befall on them, especially outside the bounds of the institute''s walls.


    After settling down with the research branch members, Eli went with Bramwell back to the Farauld Estate to go home.


    Tomorrow will be a busy day for her and she has to prepare mentally and physically for the activities ahead.


    Not forgetting to take care and spend quality time with Little Han, Eli''s day ended just like that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The faculty members and the researchers convened in the research branch hall way earlier than the assembly time.


    Apart from curiosity, excitement filled their hearts and minds.


    As they thought about the announcement the Dean and the Counselor would deliver, they couldn''t help but engage in discussions, specting the changes Eli would bring to the branch.


    When the assembly time finally came, they all stood obediently not letting a single noise out.


    They were surprised to see not only the other two deans, but the Headmaster and Vice Chairman.


    The researchers and faculty members felt their hearts pound in nervousness and excitement upon realizing that what was about to go down involved the higher ups of the Institute.


    However, in truth, Grandpa Ben just wanted to witness the big change that happened in the personalities of the research branch.


    Last night, he couldn''t believe Bramwell''s report about how the entric group of people voluntarily showed a humble attitude and apologized to Zeke.


    Bramwell and the other two deans were also helpless. Since the Grandmaster attended this assembly, they had to show their faces too.


    "A pleasant morning to everyone!" Zeke didn''t dy any further and stepped forward for the announcement.


    "Today, as you all came back from the temple service, we have to announce several changes that will happen in our very own research branch!"


    "The first change was the process of carrying out our research in the future. Our honorary counselor will conduct a lecture to everyone regarding this new change in theing days!"


    "The new process will be very different from what we are used to. But as it was unanimously decided by all the deans, the Vice Chairman and the Headmaster, we believe that it will make our research drop rate significantly decrease and sess rate increase."


    The first announcement led the members to cheer.


    They knew very well how heartbreaking it was to drop a research they had worked on with immeasurable efforts. Hearing that the Great Inventor had a way to diminish it, they were excited.


    "We hope that you fully ept the new policies we would implement." Zeke continued.


    The crowd gave a silent nod.


    "The next change would be the series of crash courses Counselor Eli developed for the entire branch to help you all finish your current projects within the next four months!"


    "Woahhh¡­ for real!"


    "Four months! That''s so unbelievable!"


    "If it is the Great Inventor, that is possible!"


    "But with our numbers, how would the Great Inventor manage helping everyone?"


    The second announcement made the research branch discuss among themselves. The announcement was too shocking, as they all spent years working on their current research topics!


    "I believe the counselor would be the best to exin this part to you, seeing that you all had many questions." Zeke then rightfully turned to Eli for the next part of the announcement.


    Eli had already prepared for her speech. She went forward on the tform and delivered her part with a steady and excellent tone.


    "We have studied the profile and data of the entire branch. We have noticed that the main culprit of the slow progress and the high drop rate of our research were two things."


    "One, was the relevance of the topic. Two, was the disparity of the research team''spetence against the topic."


    "The first culprit will be addressed by the first announcement Dean Zeke said earlier. While the second one could be addressed by revisiting your groupings."


    "But before we do all of that, we have to finish your current research first. That is why, I , along with the institute''s officials, worked to develop these learning materials to help you finish your projects in the next four months." Eli waved her hands and had Zeke reveal the materials stored in his space pouch.


    The eyes of the research members lit up as they saw therge mountain of books disyed in front of them.


    The looks they have was as if they finally stumbled in a treasure trove!


    New books!!! New Knowledge!!!


    "Now, everyone! Line up in an orderly manner and get a set each. Everyone was ounted for, so no need to panic." Zeke beckoned the researchers and faculty members to get their learning materials.


    Although they could almost not hold themselves back from running to get a hand of the materials first, they still followed the instruction with zing eyes.


    As soon as everyone got their own set, they noticed that the books were officially published under the author name - Eli F3.


    Hmmm.. They know who Eli is, but who is F3?


    Is it a code?


    Puzzlement shed on everyone''s faces.

 Chapter 153 The Trios Request

    ?How obvious their curiosity was, Eli didn''t exin what F3 stands for.


    Anyways, they will all know what it stands for in theing month during the adoption ceremony.


    What''s important today was to ensure that the research branch gets back on track again with their work.


    "Now that you have your books, you can browse it all in your free time. These books contain non magic fundamentals that would help most of you in your existing research. Our sses will start tomorrow." Eli then addressed the excited crowd.


    "As these lessons would contain fundamentals, the sses will run for two straight weeks. This will be called a boot camp. Everyone, may it be faculty members or researchers, will attend the same ss."


    "The bootcamp will contain two sessions, the first session will be the lecture proper, which will be conducted by yours truly. The second session will be the reinforcement session, which will be facilitated by Dean Zeke and Vice Chairman Bramwell."


    The bootcamp would be an extremely tedious job for Eli to do alone. As such, she asked Zeke and Bramwell''s help in conducting all these. In fact it was already a bigpromise for her to conduct a lesson everyday.


    How she wished that Leon would go home and take turns in looking after Little Han!


    Sigh, being a career woman sure is hard!


    But she had to finish this activity as fast as she could, because she would be officially announcing her identity a month from now. She still needs to allot time to prepare for the ceremony.


    And she still needs to have a good talk with Leon for the future of their family.


    Because surely, whates after her debut would be Little Han''s acknowledgement. With the remaining time, the two of them had to pave the way for a safe and smooth entry of Little Han in the Imperial Family.


    "Erm.. Great Inventor, I have a request.." A faculty member politely and awkwardly raised his hands and voiced his concern.


    "Go ahead, speak." Eli gave a nod and allowed the faculty member tomunicate her concern.


    "Uh.. I have a friend in the other school branch who was also interested in your works. Since these are fundamental knowledge, will it be fine to invite her as well to listen atleast in the lecture?" The professor nervously requested.


    The more she talked, the more shaky and weak her voice was. She was afraid that the Great Inventor and the school officials would ridicule her selfish request.


    However, other faculty members also hoped that their colleagues would be given a chance to hear Eli''s lessons. As entric they may be, they still built quite a few friendships with the teachers from other schools.


    "Hmm.. I do not have the authority to decide for this thing." Eli turned slightly, asking for the deans, Uncle Bramwell and Grandpa Ben''s help.


    However, there was an awkward atmosphere in their area. It was because the Headmaster was present.


    Although they have their own opinions, they still had to acknowledge his opinion and assess whether his opinion will be better or they had to do some convincing for the headmaster to approve their ideas.


    "Hmmm.." Grandpa Ben, who was d in a majestic royal blue schr robe embroidered with gold linings, brushed his long grey beard while deeply contemting.


    Everyone was silent, patiently waiting for him to decide.


    But when they had expected to open his mouth tomunicate his decision, he instead, looked at Eli with a trusting nce and asked, "Well, if you have the authority to answer what would be your decision?"


    This startled the entire hall. Because the Headmaster''s word meant that he highly valued Eli''s opinion.


    "This bootcamp is designed to cater specifically to the entire research branch¡­ We cannot afford to entertain interference from the listen-ins because your number is already beyond my capacity. Besides, the lecture may coincide with the other teacher''s lesson time." Eli didn''t hesitate to share her opinion.


    Hearing Eli''s reply, the faculty members became dejected. Although Eli''s words made sense, they still couldn''t help but feel that it was a great loss for their fellow colleagues.


    "However, these books have been officially published and the deans also find it necessary for all teachers to learn these things. That is why, Deans Simone and Athena will officially join in the training to learn the fundamentals. They would in turn be the ones responsible for training the rest of the teachers." Eli continued her exnation.


    As she had already exined, the deans have already discussed the future ns for the lessons. She only needed Grandpa Ben and Bramwell''s go signal to proceed with the n.


    "Hmm, that works too. Go ahead." Grandpa Ben gave a satisfied nod. "I hope you are all satisfied with the Counselor and my answer." He carefreely addressed the research branch.


    "We thank the Headmaster and the Counselor!" The faculty members replied gratefully upon learning that the rest of the faculty members also had the opportunity to learn at ater time.


    "Alright, if there''s no other concerns left, you are all dismissed! Dedicate your time today to browse through these books, note all your questions and they will be answered in the next two weeks!" Zeke then dismissed the assembly.


    The researchers and faculty members happily dispersed and their excited exmations filled the entire hall.


    Meanwhile, the institute officials along with Eli, proceeded to their office. However, they were stopped by three young researchers who were panting from chasing them.


    "Headmaster, Dean Zeke, Counselor!" They greeted nervously.


    "Is there any problem?" Zeke addressed the three young researchers.


    The three of them were in their twenties almost the same age as Eli. They had a fresh and energetic appearance as they had already gotten rid of the panda eyes they had before the temple exile.


    "We.. We have something to say. It''s regarding the next research.." The most level headed among the team took the lead andmunicated their agenda.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmm? Didn''t we already agree to finish your current projects first? The discussions for the next research will happen after all these." Zeke replied in a stern manner.


    "Dean.. It''s like this, we know all about it. But we also can feel that even after the revisiting of the groupings, our topic will never be catered unless we plead to you this early¡­" The leader exined.


    The deans and the rest raised their eyebrows in concern. They were curious about what the three had to say which imed that can never be addressed by the new revisiting of groupings.


    "Tell us then and let''s see.." This time it was Bramwell who asked.


    "We.. we want to do medical research!" The trio dered in unison.


    "Medical research?" The deans, Bramwell and Grandpa Ben were taken aback.


    "Yes, we know that the institute never had any team dedicated for medical research ever since Doctor Kayden disappeared. However, we saw the situation during our temple service and realized that our Empire is far behind the medical field."


    "There are many injuries and conditions that cannot be treated by healing magic and potions. We need to continue Dr. Kayden''s legacy!"


    "That is our purpose foring before you in this manner. Although we have the determination, we know that we currently do not have someone who can guide us in this mission. So we would like to ask for the Headmaster and the vice chairman, the deans and counselor, to think of us and consider this matter." The trio bowed solemnly, keeping their posture and waited until someone answered them.


    Eli was surprised by this information. It actually slipped her mind that the research branch really did not have a medical research team, and never thought that it was because of Kayden''s ''disappearance''.


    She remembered that Kayden was actually forced to take on a new identity, Eins, because his identity as Kayden was so high profile and attracted the attention of the Spectres.


    After his disappearance, there was no more development that happened in both the education and practice of the medical field.


    If one wants to be a doctor, they wouldn''t go to school. Instead, they would have to seek direct apprenticeship to a certified doctor, for instance, the imperial doctors.


    "Alright, we already heard you. But we still have to deliberate what we will do. For now, concentrate on the uing bootcamp and finishing your project." Grandpa Ben dismissed the trio.


    "Thank you Headmaster!" Although they didn''t receive an answer, they still respectfully said their goodbyes and left the hall.


    Eli and the rest finally had quiet and peace, however the trio''s request lingered in their minds.


    Sitting in the Headmaster''s receiving area, they discussed the matter with frowns in their faces.


    "Their request, Master, what do you think of it?" Bramwell asked.


    "Well, it is a good opportunity, but the greatest concern is who will guide them. You all know that doctors who are willing to even take an apprentice are scarce! Who could we recruit then? It is not as if we can also ask the elves to teach in our institute." Grandpa Ben replied, massaging his head.


    He too found that the trio had to be given an opportunity. However, who among them could guide the young ones properly? Even Eli couldn''t do so.


    "The worst case that could happen was to send them to another institute." He continued with a dark expression, who would want to have their students go to another institute?!


    The discussion ended without any conclusions.


    On the way home, there was a gloomy expression inside the carriage.


    Eli, who had observed the sullen expression of Grandpa Ben and Bramwell finally opened her mouth after staying silent throughout the discussion.


    "If this burdens you so much, why not ask Kayden himself about it? Maybe he had someone to rmend?" Eli suggested.


    She remembered that under Eins'' identity, he had two doctorpanions who werepetent. Maybe Eins could rmend one of them to teach.


    "I can give him a call to ask.. If Grandpa and Uncle wants to¡­"


    ¨C


    The sky was already dark when Kayden finally reached his vi at Riverfort.


    Going straight to the lounge, he saw the now tan skinned, red haired man who wore the same cold blooded expression as before.


    "You are finally back from your seclusion.." The man expressionlesslymented to Kayden.


    He was calmly sitting on a couch in aid back manner.


    Signs of exhaustion and exposure to extreme elements were evident in his face and entire body.


    It was obvious that the man spent so much time in the wilderness. He was also exuding a bloodlust aura, clearly showing that he just came from an arduous battle.


    "Uhn.. Leon, have you discovered something while sweeping the Spectres?" Kayden replied in a straightforward manner.

 Chapter 154 Did Eli Call?

    ?Leon didn''t answer right away.


    Instead, he leaned forward as his face showed a frustrated expression.


    "Finding the person rted to Elise''s death was harder than I thought. I also tried to stay as long as I could in the mystic woods to find any clue on Elise''s killer. But nothing valuable really came." Leon answered with a rough and exhausted voice.


    He purposely made Riverfort and Mystic woods thest destination he had to take in order for him to have more time to investigate.


    The sweeping operations gave him a chance to extensively investigate the truth behind Elise''s drugging and death.


    Because he and Kayden believed that the mystery behind her curse and death was closely tied with the Spectre. There''s also the possible link with the Vess that he had to find out.


    However, even after employing the help of the roaming des, who were already conducting the investigations beforehand, and the opportune mission that he had, there were still no clues about who the culprits were and what were their motives in targeting Elise.


    "Whatever help you may need, I''ll be here. I will do my best to find out who was the one who killed my little sister. It is my way of making up with her." Kayden replied with determination.


    "I think Elise would also like it if you help me look after her son." Leon said as a matter of factly.


    Theplication between Elise and Eli didn''t hinder the two men from distinguishing their duties to bothpersonalities.


    For Elise, they had to give justice and find out who caused her untimely death. For Eli, they had to also do their best to help and support her in raising Little Han.


    But both two identities greatly linked their existence to one person - that is Little Han. May it be unraveling the truth about Elise''s killer or helping Eli in her motherhood, it both helped Little Han ultimately.


    "Oh, speaking of my nephew! I visited him along with my big sister Azayn before I went back here." Upon mentioning Little Han, the gloomy expression in Kayden''s face turned into a warm and happy one.


    Taking out a recording stone, he injected some mana and proudly showed to his best friend the precious footage of Little Han, his adorable nephew.


    "I know that you missed him so much. I had this recorded so that you can see how big he is right now! Look! The little boy can now crawl so fast!"


    The grave look on Leon''s eyes also softened.


    He silently watched the recording projected on the wall and lovingly looked at the little baby who was crawling around the plushie yground as if the dangers regarding his identity never existed at all.


    In the recording, Little Han was wearing thick white pajamas and a cream coloured bo with two dangling big fuzzy yarn balls.


    As he crawled in a carefree manner all around the yground, the two fluff balls wiggled cutely making him look more adorable than ever.


    Hearing his tiny squeaks and gibberish, seeing his smile and happy mood, all of Leon''s exhaustion waspletely washed away.


    He even had the urge to go back to the cottage on the spot and hug his little son.


    While watching, Kayden enthusiastically exined how Eli came up with the plushie yground and Little Han''s adorable outfit. He also told Leon how Eli designed outfits for the other kids of the two ns.


    "Look, that''s the plushie yground Eli and the des made for Little Han!"


    "Who would have known that the quiet nc would be so thoughtful to bombard the fence with protection arrays to ensure that Little Han can y safely in the yground?"


    "Look, that''s your boy, he''s so big now.. I still feel very emotional whenever I remember the time I first carried him.. He was so weak, vulnerable and tiny, as if he would breathe hisst breath any time! But now.. Look at how lovely he smiles!"


    "Younger Sister Eli also was doing well in taking care of Little Han. I still feel worried though. I think she has a tendency to overwork and take many things on her te¡­"


    Of course, Kayden didn''t forget to mention what Eli was up to.


    How she caused amotion in the entire capital with her inventions. How she took an honorary counselor position in the Farauld Magic Institute as a prelude to her official debut in the capital, and how she dived herself in developing lesson ns for the entire research branch.


    Upon hearing how much activities Eli had been doing apart from raising Little Han, Leon frowned again.


    He knew too well why Eli was doing this, but he still couldn''t help but feel ufortable knowing that Eli had to do these all alone.


    Raising a baby is already a hard job. But it was another level if the baby you are raising is a descendant of both the Imperial Family and Asani!


    Seeing the usually expressionless face of his dear friend disy different emotions multiple times in less than five minutes, Kayden was greatly amused.


    From frustration, to gentleness, to longing, then finally, to worry.


    His best friend was finally able to disy such vivid emotions because of Eli and Little Han. "Leon, you truly are a changed man¡­" He couldn''t help but tease.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Have a girl you like and also have children, then you will understand¡­" Leon retorted with pride.


    Kayden''s smiling expression went stiff, looking at Leon''s face who was disying a victorious smirk he replied with an aggrieved tone, "Hmf, I have someone I like! I am certain she likes me too!"


    He dered with his chin lifted high in the air.


    "Which of your identities did she like, is it Kayden''s or Eins''?" Leon pointed out without holding back.


    "Must you hurt me this way, Leon?? Are you really my sworn brother?!" Kayden couldn''t help but explode.


    He knows that Leon was just teasing him, but this friend of his was so stiff and clueless! Leon''s so-called teasing was actually attacking him without mercy!


    "Just you wait! I''ll let you meet the girl I like and she would love both my identities!!!" Kayden dered while pouting.


    "Whatever suits you.." Leon waived his hands nonchntly.


    "Hmf!! You talk like that, yet you haven''t even settled your rtionship with younger sister Eli!" Kayden used.


    "That''s why I need to finish this task cleanly and quickly so that I can chase your younger sister and marry her right away." Leon didn''t take Kayden''s vicious verbal attack, but even tossed the ball back at him coolly.


    "You!!!" Kayden was so annoyed and was about to retort when he felt hismunication stone vibrate from his bracelet.


    Inspecting the bracelet, he then looked smugly at Leon while answering in a triumphant tone in an attempt to annoy his friend, "Younger Sister Eli! How are you? Is everything alright on your side?"


    Eli''s steady yet soft voice was heard from the other side, "Big Brother Kayden, I''m doing great! I just came back from the Institute¡­ I called you today because of what happened in the institute."


    Leon suddenly sat straight on his chair in an attentive manner.


    His expression became alert, thinking that Eli might have some problem on the other side. Without a word, he allowed the two to have their conversation.


    Eli then proceeded to talk about the trio''s request and the discussion among the school officials. "However, I still find it better to ask what your opinion is about this matter."


    "My papers as Kayden were already dered as public documents. It means it was actually free for all to continue my research as long as they publicly dered their intent."


    "You said that they are young ones? I am sure that the enemies will no longer target them just because of my link to the Spectre.." Kayden answered in a serious manner, thinking thoroughly about the situation Eli had exined.


    "But the problem was the one who can guide them.." Kayden mumbled with a troubled expression.


    "My initial intent was to ask you if you could rmend one from the Riverfort crew¡­If that would be alright? But it is totally fine if you think it was not a good idea." Eli asked with a shy tone.


    She didn''t know these people personally yet.


    She only knew them from Elise''s memories, so she dared not to address them as intimately as Elise did. She could only refer to them from an outsider''s perspective.


    "Sofia and Thomas? Hmmm¡­ I better look at the situation first. Allow me to think of a solution for a few days. Anyways, we still have four months to settle the issue." Kayden sensed the awkwardness in Eli''s tone, however he didn''t point it out.


    This character of Eli was the one which made it easier for him to ept her as the one who now lived in Elise''s body.


    She had full respect for the rtionship Elise had before. She never dared to take advantage of the fact that she was now in Elise''s body just to get what she needed.


    Instead, she was willing to ask respectfully until the person gave her the favor. Just like how Eli waited for him to tell her to address him as Big Brother.


    But this is only true to him and Leon, who were the only ones Elise knew before, and at the same time, who also knows about Eli''s transmigration.


    For the sake of everyone''s safety, Leon and Kayden decided to keep the truth only to the two of them and the Grandmasters. Not even Leon''s parents had the right to know about it!


    "Alright, thank you for listening to me. It''s gettingte, Big Brother, you must rest early and do not forget to eat dinner!" Eli replied on the other side, there was no hint of disappointment in her voice.


    "Hmm! I''ll be sure to have dinner and an early rest! You too take care." Kayden replied rather happily.


    Of course he didn''t forget to cast a proud nce towards the pitiful friend in front of him.


    After disconnecting the call, Kayden didn''t let Leon off and smugly said, "Did Eli call you today?????"

 Chapter 155 Winter Butterfly

    ?After hearing Kayden''s question and seeing his mocking expression, Leon''s face became extremely dark.


    Instead of answering Kayden''s question, he stood up coldy and walked towards the door, "It''s gettingte, I''ll go upstairs."


    Just like that Leon walked out the lounge with an extremely frigid look stered on his face. He didn''t even bother to wait for his friend''s reply.


    Kayden couldn''t help but let out an amused chuckle, his dear friend was throwing tantrums in his very own vi.


    Going upstairs, Leon''s feet led him to absentmindedly enter a familiar room. Although it was kept clean and proper, nothing changed in the room''s overall appearance.


    That familiar white quilt which was stained in red from Elise''s innocence, was still there.


    There was also the familiar bed where she weaklyid down, not knowing that in order for her to live, both her and Leon had to give up something precious.


    After Elise ran away, Leon was ridden with guilt and uneasiness. He promised to himself to never step in this room again. Kayden also followed suit, equally guilty and shameful.


    Because this room was the ce containing the guilt and memories Kayden and Leon wanted to seal.


    Although theypletely respect Elise''s decision, they still both felt remorse and guilt from stepping beyond their bottomline.


    Leon never thought that he would willinglye back to this room after more than a year.


    He thought that the overwhelming waves of guilt and shame would wee him whenever he takes a step inside.


    But then mysteriously, he didn''t. Instead there were mixed waves of helplessness, nostalgia and even a mystical feeling of being freed.


    He stood on the same spot where he helplessly looked at the weak Elise being infected by the curse. It was as if he saw Elise''s image peacefully sleeping in the wide bed as he stared at it nkly.


    He stood stiffly at the empty bed and muttered words as if he was sincerely conversing with someone, letting his heart out of his sleeves.


    "Elise¡­are you alright up there?"


    "Your son, our son.. He is growing well and healthy."


    "Elise¡­ did you have a hard time struggling alone?"


    "How afraid were you when you first knew that you were pregnant?"


    "How much have you suffered under the hands of your killer?"


    "If you could hear me from heaven, guide all of us."


    "Although you are no longer around, we didn''t forget about you."


    "Wherever you are, I pray that you will finally be happy and forever see beauty."


    "No more pain, no more suffering."


    "No more anguish, no more tears."


    "Eli and I, we will do our best for Little Han. You do not have to worry."


    "Elise, I¡­ want to thank you."


    "For letting me save you two times."


    "For being firm towards your decision to keep Little Han."


    "Because of it, I was able to meet him. I was able to be a father."


    "Because of it, I was able to meet Eli too."


    "But I also want to say sorry onest time."


    "Because I was not there when you struggled."


    "Because I¡­"


    By this time Leon''s valiant body trembled uncontrobly. Drops of shiny tears rolled on his usually expressionless face.


    "Failed to save you the third time¡­"


    "Because I was not there when you were killed."


    "And because I found that I am not as righteous as I think I''d be."


    "I have to let go of my guilt towards you and move forward."


    "I will be a good father for Little Han."


    "I will seek justice for you."


    "Watch us from heaven."


    Kayden was silently leaning on his back outside the bedroom.


    His eyes were also moist in tears. He was listening to his friend''s mumbles and couldn''t help but die inside too, as Leon''s words echoed the deepest thoughts haunting his heart.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Elise died just like a bubble, without any trace.


    It was terrible that they couldn''t even mourn for her properly because Eli continued her life for Little Han to be given birth.


    After that, there were many things they had to do, because Little Han had to have a safe ce to grow. As such, not only did they feel grief, but also they felt like a failure as Elise''s closest persons.


    It was only tonight, that they again had the time to confront these unsettling emotions.


    For once, the two men let go of their bottled up feelings and mourned for Elise who had lived a pitiful short life.


    As tomorrow arrives, they have to work on moving forward, to take care of the only thing that proves Elise''s existence - Little Han.


    Leon woke up kneeling on the cold bed as the warmth of the sun gently kissed his cheeks. He carefully stood up and staggered from his feet being dead from his unusual sleeping position.


    He stood up and opened the window.


    The winter was already here, the snow was already falling gently around the vi and clumps of pure white snow had already covered the greenery around.


    However, there was a colorful butterfly fluttering around the garden in a carefree manner.


    It caught Leon''s attention.


    As if sensing Leon''s stare, the butterfly started to flutter its rainbow colored wings towards his deste face. It gently hovered in front of him andnded on his nose in a second before flying away.


    Startled, Leon''s crystal blue eyes stared nkly on the butterfly which was already fluttering away to who knows where.


    He knew well that he was not hallucinating when he heard a familiar voice as the butterflynded on the tip of his nose."


    "Thank you for everything Leon. I leave Eli and Johann to you."


    His eyes became red again as he shed a smile that contained so manyplex emotions.


    "Thank you too... Elise. Be happy out there..."


    Kayden was also woken up by something ticklish. Sluggishly fluttering his sleepy eyelids, he found out that there was a rainbow colored butterfly resting on his arms.


    "Big bro.. Be happy." There was a still small voice gently reaching to the depths of his aching heart. It was very familiar to him.


    However, when he was fully awakened, he didn''t see anyone and only realized that he spent the night sleeping outside that particr bedroom in a squatting position.


    Sighing helplessly he stood up and patted away his clothes. He nced at the open window at the end of the hallway, where his eyes caught the butterfly already flying away.


    "You too.. Little Sister." Kayden trembled as he bit his lip in an attempt to control his raging emotions.


    After calming down for a while, the two men started to proceed to the things they have decided to do.


    Wearing both the disguise of Eins and the Silver haired man, they went towards the Riverfort Hospital, the ce where Elise spent her brightest years.


    While in the identity of Eins, Kayden was a gentle looking yet handsome man.


    His hair was shining copper brown that was long and straight with charming side bangs. His reddish brown eyes are captivating yet his entire face speaks of nothing but gentleness and wisdom.


    The aura he exudes is schrly and magnanimous, perfect for the identity of a humble doctor from a remote vige.


    When he was in his original appearance as Kayden, his eyes were as green as the forest and his long pointed ears signified his elven blood. He also had long hair but it was golden yellow, almost as if one would be looking at the child of the sun.


    The aura he exuded is otherworldly, with an unfathomable sense of intelligence of an elf and cunningness of a human.


    Leon, on the other hand, was dangerously alluring with his fine silver hair.


    With the exception of Elise and Eli who could see through his crystal blue eyes, to others his eyes were deep brown. The aura he exudes was of the purest nobility, unparalleled and revered!


    The two men, may it be their original or disguise personas, couldn''t mask the beauty they innately possessed. That was why their appearance would always have people turn their heads towards their direction.


    Even so, the two went off a humble carriage and silently walked inside a simple two story building.


    Although the building was simple looking, the surrounding area around it was vast and full of precious looking nts and herbs.


    The building had a simple gate that could allow the carriages and wagons to enter easily and immediately.


    As this was a small town, the security was not that tight, however one would definitely conclude that this building would not attract people with bad intentions because of its humble facade.


    Entering the lobby of the building the two were weed by seven people with excited expressions on their faces.


    Two of them were wearing white ropes, and four of them were wearing neat white nursing suits. There was also an old man who wore a humble gardening outfit.


    As they saw the one who entered the door, they stopped whatever tasks they were doing and went forward with a wide grin on their faces.


    They lined up orderly and rushed to wee the men, especially the one in front, Kayden.


    "Doctor Eins! Finally you are here!!!" They all eximed in relief.


    "Wee back to Riverfort Hospital!!!" They shouted with emotions.

 Chapter 156 Who Touched Her???!

    ?Kayden gave a warm and gentle smile to the crew and replied, "I''m back! How have you been, everyone?"


    While he was saying this, everyone proceeded in his office, two of the nurses immediately prepared warm tea for everyone while listening to the conversation.


    "The hospital has been as peaceful as ever. It just became busy a few weeks ago, in preparation for the winter." The elderly man wearing a winter garden outfit answered thoughtfully.


    Although he was the one who had the most humble appearance among the seven, everyone including Kayden, looked at him with deep respect and reverence.


    "Elder Oscar, thank you for always looking out for the crew." Kayden sincerely looked at him with gratefulness in his tone.


    Letting out a chuckle, he replied warmly, "I am just an old man wanting to spend the rest of my life in the herb garden. You and the crew in this hospital have just made me have a more lively retirement life."


    Then he let out a dejected sigh and continued, "If only that little girl didn''t run away. She could have enjoyed the lively winter preparation for this year. She loved that time of the year the most."


    Hearing the old man''s words, the rest of the crew showed worried and dejected faces. It showed that Elise''s disappearance carried a heavy weight in their hearts.


    Kayden and Leon also couldn''t help feeling down as they were greatly affected by the crew.


    Leon also knew the crew personally, they were the ones who took care of Elise the night she was rescued from the madman.


    They were Kayden''s assistants he found along the way in his exile as Eins. They stumbled in Riverfort, where they met the vige retired potion master, Elder Oscar.


    Deeply interested in his craft, Eins approached the Elder, who was posing as an herb keeper, and studied under him the know-how of medicine and potion making. Elder Oscar was also shocked of Eins talents and took him in, along with his small crew.


    When the borders of Seirende became chaotic, theck of medical facilities near the borders became a great concern.


    Thus with the support of Leon and General Farauld, Elder Oscar, Eins and the crew established a small hospital to treat the wounded around the borders - the Riverfort Hospital.


    "Doctor Eins.. on your trip just now¡­ Have you found any clue on Elise''s whereabouts?" A fair lookingdy, wearing a doctor''s robe, with her facial features as pure as a freshly bloomed lily, anxiously asked Kayden.


    "Regarding that, I already found Eli.." Kayden straightforwardly replied, he couldn''t bear to see them dejected and he also promised to live on, keeping Elise''s memories in his heart.


    "Really?!!!"


    "Oh thank heavens!!"


    "How is she? Is she doing well?"


    "She didn''t get kidnapped, did she?"


    Series of relief and questions were thrown at Kayden the moment the crew heard the news of Elise being found.


    Prior toing here, Kayden met with Eli and extensively discussed what information they would be telling to the Riverfort Crew, regarding her life up until now.


    As such, Kayden has already prepared the things he had to say.


    Letting out a helpless smile, he started to exin the story he had agreed with Eli.


    "She was doing well and good, actually she didn''t have the face to see us all because.. She initially felt that she had let us down."


    "Why would she feel that???"


    "We love her truly!"


    Another series of exmations roared in Kayden''s office.


    "Sigh¡­ that was because she became pregnant." Kayden just dropped the bomb to cut the story short.


    This crew of his were really a lively bunch. So he had to save his energy or else he would be exhausted if he carelessly amodated them in the conversation.


    "¡­"


    True enough, dropping the bomb made their bright minds short circuit. They were dazed in shock.


    Finally rendering them speechless, Kayden took the opportunity to finish the story once and for all, otherwise they will start to go nuts again.


    "She ran away precisely because of that."


    "However, along the way someone attempted to hurt her, almost causing her death."


    "Two great people from the capital rescued her and took her in as god granddaughter."


    "The reason my trip has been prolonged was because I also stayed by her side until she gave birth."


    "She gave birth to a lovely little boy, we call him Little Han!"


    "Oh, by the way, because she was taken in by the great people, she learned a lot of things and caused her to achieve a few things in the capital."


    "I reckon that the news about her will reach us in a few days, considering our distance from the capital."


    "As for how she specifically lived in the past months, I''ll let her be the one to tell you once the time is right."


    Kayden told them all this information in one breath that he couldn''t help but pant after saying all these things.


    "P-pregnant¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "B-baby¡­"


    "L-little Han.."


    The seven still continued to freeze in a daze, looking like they were struck by lightning.


    It was the gentle looking doctor who finally broke down and eximed, "Waaaaaah our little bun was already a mom!!!"


    She was finally followed by the others, also going hysterical.


    "Aaaaah¡­. Our little innocent sister took over us and went ahead in being a mom!"


    "I think I will die a virgin... Little Eli even beat me to ''that''!!!"


    "Say, did she get curious when we taught her the difference between a man and a woman?"


    "I regret telling her about that!!! Whaaah!!"


    "Why¡­ When.. How!!!"


    "WHO WAS THE BASTARD WHO TOUCHED HER????" Elder Oscar roared in anger.


    Kayden and Leon, the ''bastard who touched her'', listened awkwardly at the crew who were getting worked up about the revtions that happened.


    Sensing Leon''s uneasiness, Kayden cleared his throat and tried to calm them down, "''Would it really matter right now, I mean Little Eli is very happy right now."


    "Oh.. Is she?"


    "She was not having a hard time, wasn''t she?


    Upon mentioning Eli''s well being, the crew started to calm down, looking at Kyden with skeptic looks.


    "Believe me! Here, I have even secured a recording of my cute nephew for all of you to see!" Kayden immediately took out a projection stone and activated its contents.


    The recording was quite different from what he made Leon watch, because it was for the seven to see. It was a short recording of Eli and Little Han greeting everyone.


    In this video, the quality is obviously lower to distort Little Han''s obvious featuresing from his father Leon. But that didn''t mask his overflowing lovableness and cuddliness.


    After that, the recording shutdown.


    "That''s our nephew?"


    "Oh my, how could he be so charming!"


    "Hmmm, that bastard is sensible enough to contribute some good genes, making my grandson look more handsome and adorable.." Elder Oscar gave a satisfied nod.


    Leon, the bastard: ¡­


    "Sigh, I really thank the heavens that she is alright and that we have a little healthy baby to dote on!"


    "But the problem is, we are far from the capital! Sigh.."


    "Now that you mentioned it.."


    "Doctor Eins, when will Elise visit Riverfort?" This time it was the other man wearing a doctor''s robe who asked.


    "About this, I really need to tell this to you right now." Kayden then pointed his hand towards the disguised Leon who up until now, made his presence almost invisible that the seven forgot that Kayden actually had apanion.


    Finally seeing Leon, the crew were extremely startled because they really didn''t realize that there was another person in the room.


    "This is Inspector Andre, he is here to conduct some investigation regarding Eli''s attack." Kayden exined.


    "Greetings everyone. Just as Doctor Eins exined, I will be here to handle the investigations about the attack." Leon tactfully cooperated with Kayden and immediately conducted himself as a stern and mysterious detective. "Nice to meet you all."


    "Because of the near death experience, Lady Elise couldn''t be rest assured to go out and travel up until we get into the bottom of the mysterious person who intentionally attacked her while she was on the run. I hope that you all could help me in solving this case, for Lady Elise''s peace."


    As soon as Kayden and Leon mentioned the matter, the crew was also reminded about the attack that was mentioned, frowns appeared on their faces.


    Fully understanding the implications of letting the culprit run around, Elder Oscar responded, "Rest assured, we will cooperate with you in this investigation. We must apprehend the culprit as soon as possible, lest he will discover that she is still alive!"


    "Wemit to help too!" The other responded.


    "Thank you everyone!" Leon replied in a cordial manner.


    "The first thing I needed was to retrieve the entry and exit records in the vige one year ago, just a few weeks before she ran away." Leon didn''t stand ceremony andmunicated the things he needed.


    He proceeded to interview them one by one until the rest of the day to also get information first hand.


    While Leon was doing this, Kayden, who was working on the documents left behind because of his journey, heard a knock on the door.


    "Doctor Eins, it''s me Sofia.." A gentle yet confident voice rang after three soft knocks.


    Taking off his gold rimmed spectacles, Kayden stared at the direction of the door and replied, "Come in.."

 Chapter 157 Who Wants To Come To The Capital?

    ?"You called me chief?" Sofia didn''t stand the ceremony and obediently waited in the receiving area.


    "Let''s wait for Thomas for a minute, I have something to tell the both of you." Kayden replied while he continued to take care of the pending documents.


    Sofia nodded and waited calmly. Silence ensued in Kayden''s office, but there was no air of awkwardness nor uneasiness among the two.


    The silence mysteriously sang harmony. Two quiet people, one busy flipping document through document, other was patiently waiting, yet everything was calm and serene.


    Knock knock knock..


    "Chief, did you call for me?" A slightly mischievous yet manly voice sounded on the door, breaking the harmonic silence shared by the two.


    "Thomas,e in!" Knowing that the other person had finallye, Kayden let go of the files and stood to talk to the two doctors in front of him.


    He sat opposite the two doctors. One gentle as lily, Sofia, another emitting a yful aura, Thomas.


    They weren''t far from Kayden in age. He was only at most three years older than them, yet the two had an look of respect towards him.


    It was not the kind of respect from a master to a student, but from a senior to junior colleague.


    Kayden met these two doctors on his way to hide from the Spectre.


    He met Thomas, who was back then a temperamental doctor, who only learned medicine on a whim. He only treats the people whose condition catches his attention. Sometimes, if he is in the mood, he would also heal people randomly.


    He stumbled upon Kayden on the road who was busy resuscitating a wounded merchant who was robbed by the bandits.


    At first he ridiculed Kayden, saying that it was impossible to save the man, because he had already lost too much blood.


    However, he was stunned after he witnessed Kayden''s prowess in treating the gravely wounded.


    Since then, he followed Kayden like a child, admiring his work and pestering him to teach him his ways.


    Sofia, on the other hand, was a mysteriousdy they met where Kayden and Thomas traveled. She was from a little vige famous for being quiet yet good at making medicine. She ran a little clinic along with two twin nurses Lan and Jan.


    However the bandits abducted her and the twins because they wanted to force her to be the bandit leader''s wife and doctor on the side.


    Kayden and Thomas conveniently saved them.


    Knowing that they couldn''t go back to the vige in fear of implicating the townsmen, the trio joined Kayden and Thomas.


    Whether it was a coincidence or a work of fate, these people, who were well versed in the medical field, gathered together and helped the nearby viges from time to time.


    They continued their aimless journery until they met thest three members of the Riverfort Hospital and settled down in this town for about seven years already.


    "I have something to tell the both of you." Kayden calmly looked towards his twopanions.


    The two wore attentive and serious expressions as they listened to what Kayden wanted to say.


    "As you know, Younger Sister Eli was residing in the capital right now. She was adopted by great people and learned a lot from them. Now, she was already a renowned person in the capital and was able to be an honorary person in the Farauld Magic Institute." Kayden started with the made up story he and Eli thought of to exin her current situation to the Riverfort crew.


    "Wow Farauld Magic Institute! Heavens! I know our little Eli is talented!" Thomas eximed in delight, there was a heavy hint of doting in his tone.


    Although in real life, ''Elise'' was actually only a few years younger than them, everyone in the Riverfort Crew treated her like a child because she really only started learning everything about this world at twenty years old!


    "She has always been a fast learner, she was able to learn many things in the span of four years! It''s no wonder that she would learn a lot from her benefactors!!!" Thomas continued fanatically.


    "I feel so happy for her!!!" Sofia who was always quiet and gentle disyed an expression brimming with pride. She was like a mother listening to the praises given to her daughter.


    "Un! She was invited there to help the research branch improve. Justst night she called me for something that needs our help." Kayden let the two express themselves patiently before continuing his words.


    Hearing that Eli needs their help, the two disyed enthusiastic expressions and replied, "What help does our little sister need?"


    "As she worked on implementing some changes in the institute, a group of young researchers expressed their intent to continue Doctor Kayden''s medical papers. Although it was possible to allow them to start the research, the main problem was who will guide and mentor this group of researchers."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "As you all know, ever since Doctor Kayden''s disappearance, the education and improvement in the medical field became restrained and covert. As such, not even the Farauld Magic Institute managed to get a doctor to enter as a faculty member."


    "Younger Sister felt burdened and pitied the young ones who just wanted to improve the current medical proficiency of our Empire. Thus, she wanted to find a way for the research to still push through somehow."


    "The people that came to her mind to ask for help were the three of us." Kayden looked at them intently, carefully watching their expressions.


    Hearing Kayden''s exnation the two were touched about Eli''s concern and affection for thinking about them.


    "Now I want us to talk about this. Who would want to go to the capital and take the position to help the students continue Doctor Kayden''s research?" Finally, Kayden asked the main question.


    "I won''t talk about the mary benefits, as we all have the same view about it. I just want to ask your opinion about this matter. All these years, we have been together and pretty much what I know has already been learned by you as well. I feel like it is also time for the two of you to consider seeking the next steps on your path."


    There was a long silence in the room.


    Although it was indeed touching to know that Eli thought of them in times of need and continuing research would bring great benefits to their profession, it was still a big matter to consider, especially that they were running a hospital.


    The two frowned, clearly troubled. However they remained silent, deeply contemting everything about this matter.


    Kayden also didn''t let them decide right away. Seeing their troubled faces, he gently waved his hands and said,


    "You do not need me to hear your answer right now. You can think of it for a few weeks, until Inspector Andre finishes his investigation and goes back to the capital. By then, one of us will travel with him back to the capital to enter the Institute."


    The investigation Kayden pertained to was the truth behind Elise''s death, whom He and Leon covered up as only something that attempted to hurt Eli''s life.


    "Alright.. Doctor, we''ll think through this carefully." The two replied. After catching up on some hospital matters, the two bid their farewell towards Kayden.


    It was already deep in the night when Kayden and Leon managed to go home, it was truly a busy day for the two of them.


    Leon, after interviewing the entire crew, immediately seeked Elder Oscar''s help in obtaining a copy of the entry and exit registers a year ago.


    He then immersed himself in examining the documents, carefully ensuring that he missed no crucial information among them. Because of this, he had only managed to scan through a fourth of the avable information.


    Kayden, on the other hand, proceeded to catch up with the piled up matters in the hospital.


    Although the hospital was simple and remote, it was still a hospital built by him and the crew to help Leon and General Farauld on war matters.


    It could also be said that this hospital is a military medical facility.


    As such, they received appropriate funds straight from the military budget and intricate management of the funds and the entire hospital operations needed to be documented in ck and white form.


    Since he left the hospital for more than five months, the paperwork piled up like a small mountain in his office. Even after extending up until it waspletely dark, he also barely finished a third of his paperworks.


    "How was the first day of the investigation?" Kayden asked with concern as the two took their evening meals.


    Hearing the question, Leon paused with a deep look in his eyes. "Just like what happened in Mystic woods, it is as if there were no traces left behind by suspicious people. Tomorrow, I''ll try to check for any clues from the mercenaries, but as of now¡­ Sigh.. who are we going against?"


    It was rare for Leon to let out a sigh, and with that, Kayden was surprised. Leon was a person who was sent to the battlefield before he was even ten years old.


    Since then, he was already eating hardships for breakfast, setbacks for lunch, assasination for snacks and ambushes for dinner.


    From childhood up until now that he became a brilliant adult, he had conquered every adversary that came his way.


    Kayden had long concluded that nothing could render his best friend helpless and powerless, until he met Eli and Little Han.


    "If there''s nothing abnormal about that particr period of time, maybe we are missing something here¡­" Desperate to also help his friend to bring the light out of this mystery, Kayden used what was left of his mental energy and thought of ideas for Leon to consider.


    "What if we were wrong in the first ce.. What if the culprit didn''te only in that particr year.." As if being enlightened, Kayden looked at Leon with anxiousness in his eyes, it was obvious that even he himself got totally scared of the idea that he was thinking at the moment.


    "What if the culprit was already targeting her since the time you saved Eli from her captor?!"

 Chapter 158 Frustration And Vexation

    ?Leon frowned, if that was the case, then the matter had be moreplicated.


    "If that started five years ago¡­ Could it be that there was someone who had already set eyes on her from the day she was rescued?" he replied with a dark expression.


    "That''s not necessary.. We''d have to know when exactly it happened, is it really upon the time you took her out of the mad doctor''s den or upon the time you left her to us? Sigh... If we only know the motive¡­" Kayden replied, he was uncertain, but he knew that they had to look for another angle for the investigation.


    "Then I''d have to talk to Eli again to know particr details from Elise''s memories." Leon replied with a serious tone.


    He had already talked to Eli for the details that night of Elise''s death, however, the memory of the festival was rather blurred.


    As such, there was a missing chunk of information that could have been helpful in case Elise had a clear memory during that time, but unfortunately, she was drugged.


    Nevertheless, they already had a new angle to dig into, this was already a good sign.


    --


    Meanwhile, back in the capital, Eli had already started the boot camp for the research branch.


    As the ss was held on a massive scale, Bramwell decided to hold the lecture in the grand amphitheater, where the official awarding ceremonies and graduation rites were traditionally held in the Farauld Magic Institute.


    Although the boot camp was only exclusive for the research branch, except for Dean Simone and Athena, the news of Eli conducting a lecture still caused an uproar in the entire campus.


    Many young studentsmented that the research branch was fortunate to even be listening to the lecture by the Great Inventor.


    What''s more, some people actually emphasized that the Great Inventor Eli would actually be teaching her own knowledge that was detrimental in the creation process of her inventions!


    How generous could the Great Inventor be?


    Of course, this news didn''t stay inside the campus.


    No matter how Grandpa Ben and Bramwell emphasized the confidentiality of this matter, it still managed to be leaked in the entire capital, even reaching the other rival campuses outside the empire as well.


    Farauld Magic Institute had several rivals in the nearby empires and was equally on the lookout for talented individuals to finally suppress the Farauld Magic Institute for years.


    One of those rivals was the Vanderford Institute, who was famous for nurturing the most talented and cunning mages in the Guirard Empire.


    The Seirende Empire and the Guirard Empire had been in a discreet rivalry for decades, and so were their frontrunner institutes, Farauld Magic Institute and Vanderford Institute.


    This Vanderford institute was the closest to trampling down the Farauld Magic Institute because it was really famous in making the students upgrade a ss level no matter what constitution they have.


    It was said that the historical number of ss A alumni from Vanderford Institute was six percent higher than that of Farauld Magic Institute since their establishment.


    They only fell short on the strength of their research branch. As it was their weak point, inventions and innovations were really rare in their institute, much less in the entire Guirard Empire.


    Another rival was the secluded Green Wave Institute. It was located at the Green Wave Continent, way far than the territories of Seirende and Guirard. One needs to embark on a voyage for at least six months, if you are lucky, just to reach this continent.


    Green Wave Institute was a league of their own, that is because this institute was actually famous for nurturing Prasinons of other races! That meant, the dragons, elves, dwarves, mermaids and so on! It was the safest haven for non-human creatures that are stronger, if not equally strong, than their human peers!


    However, just like the Vanderford Institute, they also longed to strengthen their intellectual knowledge, hoping that their research teams would progress a lot.


    As such, the Vanderford and Green Wave institutes, including all other rivals, always had an eye on Farauld Institute''s every move.


    Also add it to the fact that the Seirende Empire had caused a grand move just more than a month ago, these institutes had already set their eyes to the maker of the inventions mentioned in Emperor Valentin''s decree.


    As such, they had long activated their spywork to gather intelligence about the inventor, Eli.


    Unfortunately, the Great Inventor kept herself well hidden, and by the time they were able to gather clues about her affiliations, she had already entered the Farauld Magic Institute as a counselor!


    What kind of luck does the Farauld Magic Institute have to get Eli to teach in their campus?


    The officials of the rival institute couldn''t help but feel unsettled upon knowing this information. So they went as far as trying to infiltrate the Farauld Magic Institute by bribing some faculty members.


    However, after a month of trying to do that, no faculty member has ever agreed to their bribing.


    Because who among the faculty members would be so stupid to sell out the opportunity to be Eli''s colleague for a measly money?!


    Besides, the Great Inventor had already expressed her intent to share her teachings to the rest of the faculty members at ater time.. So why will they help other the schools in poaching her?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They aren''t that stupid to let her go!


    However, not all faculty members view the Great Inventor as someone indispensable.


    A faculty member couldn''t help but resent Eli''s very existence in the Institute.


    It was none other than the self proimed star teacher of the Farauld Magic Institute, Alicia!


    Although Alicia, initially decided to cozy up to Eli''s side, the chances to interact with the inventor was as small as the chances of finding a needle on a haystack!


    When the research branch was still on the temple exile, she thought that Eli would be idle for a few weeks and she would have more time to try to get closer to her but who would have known¡­


    "What the heck?! She would only report in the institute for four hours?!! That meant she would not be obligated to report to school every weekday!" Alicia couldn''t help but m the flower vases in her room, extremely vexed.


    The special treatment for her is too much!


    Even her nemesis Dean Zeke, who was the youngest dean in the institute''s history didn''t receive special treatment!


    "Mdy! Calm down!" her personal maid was frightened out of her wits.


    Her Lady has never acted like this since she was defeated by the current dean of the Farauld Magic Institute. Who managed to provoke her so badly that she had to run back in the estate to throw tantrums!


    "Who is Eli really? How could she convince the Headmaster and the Vice Chairman to let her hold a counselor position with a clear intention of cking off?"


    "Four hours a week?! Argg!!" Alicia''s face was so contorted because of extreme frustration. She couldn''t help but clench her fist so tightly that veins almost popped out of her fair hands.


    She had worked for several years in the institute and had even given her all during the selection for the deputy dean position.


    For her to win, she rejected all the summons from her family to be married off, up until she gets her dream position. She even went for months with barely four hours of sleep just to read the books that they have to master for thepetition.


    But even after all that, she still fell short.


    She wasn''t chosen, how could she even hope to receive a tad bit of special treatment?


    But this Great Inventor Eli??


    Just mere three projects made her entitled to act like this? What''s more, the entire institute still had to act grateful for her to be teaching for a few hours?!


    "Cheh! Even the second generation of the Faraulds didn''t even receive this kind of treatment!"


    "Mdy, please calm down¡­ Master and Madame will be worried that you will be hurt from all these." Her personal maid pleaded.


    Alicia''s eyes turned fiery red, as if she was suddenly possessed by a malevolent spirit, making the maid shudder in fear.


    However, if she allowed her Missus to continue throwing a fit, her Master and Madame would hold her ountable if thedy suffered an injury.


    She could only grit her teeth and do her best to stop her Missus from hurting herself.


    "Shut up!" Alicia, who had long destroyed all the flower vases nearby, took the ss pitcher and threw it towards the maid''s direction.


    She didn''t even blink when she saw that the ss pitcher directly hit the maid''s head.


    Crash!


    "Aaaaah! Have mercy young miss!"


    The ss shards immediately fell on the carpeted floor, along with the flowing water and blood from the maid''s wounded forehead.


    Because of the impact of the pitcher, the maid''s vision began to blur and her head was dominated by a wave of dizziness.


    However, as a servant, she had no right to copse on the floor and hope for medical help. For whether she stays conscious or not, her life will be at the mercy of the angrydy in front of her.


    "What''s with thismotion?! Alicia, how could you act like this!" Suddenly a mature woman''s voice was heard from the door, which was forcibly opened.

 Chapter 159 Coaxing And Reminding

    ?The woman was around her early fifties. However her graceful aura couldn''t be masked by her age at all. She had a slight frown on her face, but her eyes still showed traces of panic and worry.


    Beside her was an aged noble man who had a dark expression on his face. It was obvious that he was displeased by the scene he was witnessing.


    "Alicia Micha! Stop this farce at once!" His thundering voice echoed in Alicia''s chaotic bedroom, even resonating in the corridor.


    It was so loud that everyone who was in the room shuddered in fear and shock.


    Even Alicia who was already emboldened by her raging angst and irritation couldn''t help but freeze, obviously startled by the angry roar.


    She slowly looked towards the direction of the room and saw her parents, Count Cross and Madame Cross, standing worriedly.


    Realizing that she startled her aged parents, her anger and urge to break everything at sight immediately subsided. What remained after was her aggrieved expression.


    Her body shuddered as her eyes formed beads of tears as she stared at her parents, deeply hurt and frustrated.


    "Alicia, what happened? How could you act like this?" Madame Cross slowly approached her daughter with a gentle and concerned tone.


    Although she was initially angry, she still could not let her daughter be miserable like this. She gently stretched out her arms and embraced the crying Alicia, soothing thedy''s back to make her calm down.


    As she did this, Madame Cross didn''t forget to cast a threatening nce towards her husband, who was still bearing an angry expression, obviously wanting to reprimand Alicia from throwing tantrums.


    Getting his wife''s message, he helplessly sighed and gestured to the butler and maids waiting in the corridor, "Go and clean up. Someone send this maid to the physician and do not forget to bring my daughter some calming tea to help her ease her bad mood!"


    "Yes Master!" The butler and the servants replied, immediately executing the orders given.


    Madame Cross led Alicia to the balcony, and let her sit on the tea area.


    The view from the balcony was absolutely serene and rxing, with the scent of thevender flower pots surrounding the area and the green expanse of the Cross estate garden.


    Immediately, the change in scenery influenced Alicia''s mood. She became calmer, although still dejected.


    But the old couple was already sure that their daughter had already cleared her mind from her muddle-headedness due to intense anger.


    "Now, my dear daughter, tell me what caused you to be in a bad mood?" Madame Cross continued to probe her daughter.


    "It was because of the mysterious inventor Eli! She couldn''t help but get on my nerves!" Alicia remembered the reason for her negative emotions and couldn''t help but scrunch her eyebrows.


    "The Great Inventor? Alicia, didn''t we already discussed that you are to establish a good rtionship with her as the Empress requested?" Count Cross immediately reacted with a voice that carried a hint of reprimand.


    "Why are you suddenly getting angry at her instead of being friendly with her?! Alicia, are you out of your mind?!" Obviously, he was displeased because of Alicia''s tantrums. Now, he was even more displeased to know her reason!


    "What can I do! Would I actually kneel at her feet just because she was able to cause a fewmotions in the capital?!" Alicia retaliated very quickly.


    It was one thing to reprimand her for her actions, but it was another thing for her father to side with the person whom she despised at the moment!


    "Just because she was an inventor, she actually dared to ept the honorary position only to render four hours of service in a week? Even so, she was still not obligated to exhaust those four hours by purely teaching?"


    "Who does she think she is?? I spent my entire youth! The prime of my womanhood just to get the prestige I had today, but for what????"


    "To witness a twenty four year old inventor pop up in the Institute like a mushroom to take a position that is higher than mine?"


    "How did she even get the qualifications to have the senior deans attend as a listen-in participant at her lecture? How could she act like that?! Just who is she!!!"


    Triggered by theck of sympathy from her father, Alicia became more and more agitated as these words of frustration went out from her mouth.


    "Alicia, calm down. Father would just like to know what really happened.. You know your father, he always talked like he was angry at the world.." Madame Cross tried to soothe her daughter''s mood again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Looking at Count Cross with a piercing cold nce, Madame Cross continued, "Do not take your father''s tone to heart."


    Her voice was extremely gentle however, the look in her eyes clearly warned her husband not to waste her efforts in coaxing their daughter.


    Rendered powerless by his wife''s cold stare, Count Cross could only sigh and awkwardly change the tone of his voice, "Your mother is right. I''m sorry to startle you. But I am just worried. Haven''t you always dreamt of getting the dean position?"


    Holding his daughter''s hands he continued with a concerned expression, "I panicked because of your words. I thought that you were willing to forgo the chance of getting the dean position in the Vanderford Institute and disobey the Empress, just because of your enmity towards that inventor."


    "Understand your dad this once. I was just worried that you would lose your direction because of your emotions." He coaxed his irritated daughter at his wife''s order.


    At her father''s reminders, Alicia''s body jolted. Her intense vexation towards Eli actually made her forget the Empress''s offer.


    However, she couldn''t help but feel apprehensive towards the thought that she had to act so friendly to Eli, which she despised.


    Obviously, she didn''t want to associate herself to people she didn''t like.


    Just like Zeke, even if he didn''t do anything to annoy her, just seeing the shadow of his clothes will make her furious for the whole day!


    She gritted her teeth. Choosing between her deepest wish and denial of her very own behaviour, she would still choose her dream!


    "I know dad.. I haven''t forgotten the Empress''s request. Just let me vent my anger for a while. I''ll be fine once I go back to the campus."


    "Besides, I really can''t make a move right now, she is extremely mysterious! Apart from having a right to report for only four hours, she was currently staying in the Farauld Estate, deeply guarded." She exined, deeply frowning.


    "Once she entered the estate, it was like she disappeared, and would only appear when she needed to report."


    "Also add to the fact that she was actually busy from conducting a great reform for the research branch. Even the researchers could only meet her during the designated time of lecture. After that, she will disappear like a bubble and leave everything to Vice Chairman Bramwell and that guy Zeke!"


    "Tell me, how could I even introduce myself with the current situation?!" She looked at her parents as if sincerely asking for their guidance, but deep inside she only said these words to convince the old couple.


    "This.. It''s really hard for you my dear.." Madame Cross replied, her eyes formed ayer of mist, deeply hurt after knowing her daughter''s struggle.


    "Sigh¡­ It''s not that we are forcing you to have results already. It''s just that the Empress has been asking for your progress. In fact, it was not only you who have been working hard to contact that inventor, the entire duchy and county, including our vassals have been mobilized."


    "Their sons and daughters studying in the Institute were already given an order simr to yours. I am just afraid that you would lose favor in the Empress''s eyes if you continue to let her wait. You know how she is. She is a very impatient person." Count Cross exined in a voice that still carried a coaxing tone.


    "I''m rather helpless at my side too. I can already guess that even the vassal''s sons and daughters were not able to approach her at 10 meter radius." Alicia replied with a tone of certainty.


    "Father, Mother, help me exin the situation to the Empress and ask for a little more time. In around two weeks, that Eli''s so called bootcamp would already finish. Do not worry, for the time being, I will just prepare things that would help me build my rtionship with her!" She asked with a coquettish tone.


    Although she was already approaching her thirties, she knew that in the eyes of her parents, she was still their precious baby.


    "Alright, alright! Just promise me to calm down and do not forget the reward inpleting the Empress tasks, even if you despise the inventor to the core. You just only have to let her meet the Empress once and the dean position would be all yours!" Her father immediately relented.


    Many people may find it ridiculous, to know that the Cross Family actually supported their daughter to go to a rival empire just to take a dean position.


    However, the old couple didn''t mind.


    Because they all knew the moment Zeke was chosen, Alicia will never have a chance to be promoted even if they assassinated Zeke right now.


    As a person who belonged to the senior generation, they had a clear understanding towards the Grandmaster of the Farauld Family.


    Once he had already determined the best among the rest, he would never pick the second best even if that person was the only one left in the world. He would rather pick none at all!

 Chapter 160 The Black Robe And The Blue Dress

    ?As parents, how could they let their only daughter continue to wait for nothing andpletely forget her life as a dignifieddy of Cross County?


    They knew that this was the only thing that was holding back Alicia to happily settle down. So they would like her to get the position as early as possible.


    They have had enough of seeing Alicia waste away the prime of her youth for this thing. They genuinely just wanted to see their daughter happy and seed.


    With that in their hearts, Count and Madame Cross went all out in supporting her inpleting the Empress''s orders.


    "Why not go to the treasury and take a few pieces of low grade mana stones that have been freshly mined from one of our properties. I''m sure she will not resist the temptation of free mana stones! All researchers love it because it is an importantponent for their creations!" Count Cross confidently suggested.


    Hearing this, Alicia''s eyes brightened up, "Father! You are truly brilliant! With this, I''m sure that I''ll leave a good impression on her!"


    But after a second of rejoicing, Alicia felt a heartache over her parents'' sacrifice.


    She felt that giving mana stones are too much for a person she despised, "But I feel like it is too much of a waste for her."


    Although their family had a few mines that could actually gather some low grade mana stones, it only yields for less than 10 pieces each year.


    This was because mana stones were so rare and the Seirende Empire actually did not have an abundant deposit of such stones. In the whole continent, only the gemnd, Rubino Kingdom had the capacity to producerge amounts of mana stones.


    If not for the other precious gems they managed to gather along the mining process, the Cross Family would have long abandoned these mines.


    Alicia knew that her family would lose a great amount of money if she really gave these stones to Eli for free.


    Just thinking about that, Alicia felt a nauseating feeling in her heart.


    "What are you thinking, daughter? It is just half a million shinies! What is thatpared to seeing you finally reach your dream to be a dean!" Madame stroke Alicia''s head, she was deeply touched seeing Alicia''s heart worry for them.


    "Just treat it as an investment for us to help you reach your dream!" Count Cross was also equally pleased.


    Although he knew that his daughter was willful, in his eyes she was still a daughter that loves them the most.


    "Mother... Father.." Seeing her parents support her, not even batting an eye upon sacrificing precious mana stones, her eyes couldn''t help but tear up.


    Embracing her parents, she replied in a determined voice, "Do not worry, Mother, Father. I will surely seed! I will not disappoint you!"


    After the conversation with her parents, Alicia stayed for the night to bond with them.


    Her younger brother, who was the heir to the Cross County was not around as he was part of First Prince Kazimir''s knights under the Amethyst Warlocks.


    With her younger brother not around, she knew that the old couple have been lonely in the past few months. So she guiltily spent time with them before going back to the campus the morning after.


    Wearing her ck schrly gown that signifies her status as a faculty member of the prestigious Farauld Magic Institute, she boarded the Cross Family carriage and headed towards the campus.


    Alicia''s mind was still filled with the thought of how to create a superficial connection with Eli.


    While at the carriage, she nkly stared at the window which was exposing the bustling city along the way.


    Even though the winter already started, the city was still brimming with so much energy as it was a high season for the aristocraticdies to buy things for the uing new year.


    Although her parents knew how devoted she was in her career, Alicia also felt that she wasn''t enjoying her life properly and had already wasted her time on teaching and teaching.


    As she looked at the lively view outside the carriage, the young nobledies wearing pretty winter dresses, walking carefreely with happy smiles on their faces, Alicia felt that she hadn''t enjoyed shopping in the city for a long time.


    Knowing that she only had a sste in the afternoon, she asked her family''s coachman to stop for a little shopping before proceeding to enter the school.


    The coachman expressed his understanding. In fact, he was really ted to hear that the young miss was in the mood to shop.


    The whole estate knows that she had been so engrossed in her teaching career that she had long stopped doing activities like this, which should have been what a normal aristocraticdy would do!


    What''s more she was already almost thirty, but was not yet betrothed.


    She had long passed the most appropriate age to get married, as such, not only her family, but the loyal servants of the Cross county was genuinely worried for her.


    The young miss of the Cross family was an extremely talented caster and a highly intelligentdy. She deserved to be doing these things too!


    The coachman enthusiastically stopped at the most prestigious clothing shop in the capital. Alicia''s escorts also excitedly assisted her getting off the carriage and entering the shop.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Their eyes shed a look of happiness, surely the Old Master and Madame would be jumping happily when they reported these thingster on.


    Alicia was oblivious to the jubnt expression of her coachman and escorts. She absentmindedly entered the shop and perfunctorily nodded when she was warmly weed by the shop assistants.


    "I''d like to see your newest dresses." She said with an elegant tone.


    The shop assistant didn''t need to check which family''s carriage Alicia went off. Just based on Alicia''s manner of carrying herself, the assistant knew that she came from an aristocratic family.


    Also adding to the fact that she was currently wearing the conspicuous ck schrly gown with the mark of the Farauld Magic Institute, the assistant didn''t dy and offered her the highest quality of service.


    "Sure, mdy! Come follow me to the private lounge. In a while I''ll show you thetest creation from this season''s series!" The shop assistant respectfully led her to the VIP lounge at the second floor.


    It was a luxurious room that was adequately warmed by the brick firece. The lounge was painted with golden yellow and brown ent walls while it was brightly lit by the floor to ceiling ss windows.


    Alicia gave a satisfied nod and patiently waited for the assistant to bring the dresses up, while another assistant amodated her with the finest refreshments.


    The assistant had long decided to provide her with the highest form of service, that''s why the newest collection of winter dresses, which the store was currently most proud of, were immediately lined up in front of Alicia.


    Every dress that was carried out in a mannequin was followed by a handler and the seamstress assigned to each masterpiece.


    "Mdy, these are the selection of winter dresses I have specifically brought for you! Pardon me for impolitely getting ahead of you, as I have pre-selected these dresses based on the aura you are exuding..." The assistant briefly exined.


    The assistant then proceeded to masterfully introduce the dresses. She was so professional, as if she knew each dress like the back of her hand.


    Unlike the normal shops, this particr clothing store became the most prestigious not only because of the quality and beauty of the dresses they managed to make.


    It was also because of this special service.


    Every assistant in this store was at least a bonafied junior stylist. One look at a customer and they were already putting them a dress in their minds from their catalog in a hundred ways.


    What can you expect from an establishment managed by the Forgeworn n?! Their stores and merchandise always shout two things - superb craftsmanship and one of a kind service!


    Alicia didn''t mind as she already knew how the store operates.


    In fact, she had long forgotten the feeling of trying a dress for herself. As such, she could only rely on a professional stylist to guide her in choosing a dress.


    Seeing the dresses in front of her, she was not disappointed. Every creation was pleasing to the eye and perfectly fitted on Alicia''s aesthetic taste.


    Especially the light blue winter dress at the center.


    It was a beautiful blue velvet dress that had an ample amount of thickness for the winter and was also properly lined with the purest white fur from the North territory.


    The dress didn''t need Alicia to wear an inconvenient petticoat as the skirt part was delicately assembled with multipleyers of the softest tulle fabric, making it look puff and warm.


    Immediately, she gestured to the assistant to help her try the dress.


    Entering the ensuite changing room, Alicia was weed by a three way mirror and her stern image of a professor, wearing the ck schrly gown.


    She looked at the dress she selected beside her and the ck gown she was wearing.


    A resigned smile appeared on her face, as she looked at the mirror, what reflected in front of her was her self-mocking expression.


    She had long forgotten how to dress fashionably because she was so ustomed to wearing this ck schrly gown.


    The main reason was because this was the dress that gave her the highest sense of pride and satisfaction. It was a symbol of her abilities, gifts and hardwork.


    Another thing was that because it was so convenient.


    This gown had an ability to keep the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer.


    That''s why she was so used to wearing her set of ck gowns regardless of the season.


    So used to it that apart from the three to six dresses for obligatory tea parties and banquets, these ck gowns were the obvious things that upied her wardrobe.

 Chapter 161 Getting Approached By A Man

    ?These ck gowns were actually especially made with the Forgeworn Fabric, which only the immediate family of the Forgeworns and a few close friends such as the Faraulds, had the right to wear.


    Even the Imperial family could not freely ess this fabric, unless it was directly gifted by the Forgeworn family.


    It was said that in order to make Grandmaster Andvari of the Forgeworn n approve of using the fabric for the Farauld Institute''s uniform, Headmaster Reuben actually pestered him nonstop for months and also gave up around twenty percent of the precious mines under their management.


    Thus, Alicia felt a sense of pride every time she wore this ck robe. However, right now she felt that she had given too much for this ck robe.


    A blue dress would be great for a change. Especially for the winterbreak. Maybe she could attend some gatherings and banquets on the winter too.


    Without dy, she tried the blue winter dress and saw her reflection on the three way mirror. She was stunned.


    "Mdy, this blue dress is perfect for you! Your noble countenance and natural charm became more prominent. Itpletely changed your aura from an educator to a true aristocraticdy!" The assistantplimented her.


    Alicia nodded and a shy smile appeared on her face. It was not that the assistant was ttering her, she also felt the great change from the mirror.


    She felt a strong sense of satisfaction she hadn''t been able to feel for a long time. Her natural curves were greatly highlighted in this dress, the charm and allure she had long hidden under the ck robe.


    Right now, she felt just like a normal nobledy. "This is fine."


    "I''ll get this. Let''s try a few more before sending this all to the Cross Estate." She replied. There was an obvious hint of happiness and liveliness from her smile and tone.


    While this side of the room was having a warm and happy atmosphere, the private room in a restaurant directly across the street was gloomy.


    "How many days has it been? We''re really running out of time! How are we going to exin this with the headmaster?!" A stern looking man in his forties was clenching his fist in anger.


    "I am out of options too. We really do not have any choice but hope to convince a faculty member in leaking the Great Inventor''s whereabouts." Hispanion also carried a dark expression.


    Although he was also a middle aged man, it was obvious that he looked at the former as his senior.


    Although the two men wear a low key merchant outfit, their sharp and uptight demeanor was eye-catching. A passerby would know that they were not ordinary people and they were in the restaurant for real business.


    "What if we really failed to get even a little bit of information regarding the Great Inventor?"


    "Then we will have to brace ourselves from the headmaster''s reprimand. We only have two weeks before our travel document expires." The man coldly replied.


    "The most frustrating part is that the whole capital was filled with the news of her lectures but we could not even get a chance to see her face!"


    The two were getting more and more irritated as they continued to rant.


    In truth, they could have stayed in the capital and continued to lurk around until they get a chance to meet Eli.


    However, because of the stringent policy of the Seirende Empire about the travelers, they could only stay for a definite period of time.


    What''s more, they were actually from a rival empire.


    If not because there were actually no explicit threats of war between the two empires, they would not even be able to step on Seirende''s borders.


    This restriction and theck of progress in their task made the two extremely gloomy and frustrated.


    "The students were also extremely loyal to their institute! They wouldn''t give even a drop of information! What''s more, these youngsters do not actually see the value of the ''bribes'' we offer. Let''s just try to look for a few more faculty members to convince onest time. " The senior man rubbed his grey hair in frustration.


    "Maybe we can increase the stakes of our offer for the faculty members¡­ Who knows? If our offer is enticing enough, maybe we could meet someone who would ede to our request." Hispanion suggested.


    "Alright, I''ll think about this." The senior nkly stared at the window, his gloom was even affected by the cold and snowy winter outside.


    This time, Alicia was already finished trying the dresses she fancied. While waiting for the assistant to settle the bill, she stepped towards the floor to ceiling window and cheerfully watched the view outside the shop.


    Coincidentally, the senior managed to be attracted to her ck schrly gown. His eyes shed a hint of excitement as he uttered, "The luck is on our side!"


    "Senior, shall I go across to invite her for a discussion?" The junior also noticed Alicia and immediately identified her as a faculty member of the Farauld Magic Institute.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, do not be hasty, let''s apply your suggestion earlier." The senior shook his head as he dared not to be careless this time. If they didn''te up with a good strategy, they would have to really go home with nothing.


    "Investigate her identity, and if possible her interests. Notify me when you have some good information. I''ll watch here for a while." The senior''s eyes squinted. A cunning smile appeared in his face.


    "Alright Senior, I''ll investigate right away." The junior immediately stood up and went to carry out his task.


    It didn''t take that long for the junior to find out Alicia''s identity due to the conversations the he heard in the ground floor of the restaurant.


    "Have you seen the carriage across the street? That belongs to the Cross Family, they were also a prominent caster n!"


    "Seeing their carriage stop at the Forgeworn Fashion Boutique, I guess it''s thedy of the Cross Family who was shopping inside?"


    "Yes, most probably. Tskk, that youngdy is pitiful, she was already past her marriageable age and yet still devoted herself to teaching."


    "That''s too much of a waste! She is a talented and dignifieddy, but she still had to spend her days in the institution! For what reason really?"


    "I heard from the servants that she was still devastated from losing her chance to be a deputy dean in the institute.


    The junior perked up his ears to gather more information. Of course, as an educator, he was not inclined to just believe everything. He still had to double check.


    As such, he took a pouch of shinies and asked people for more information. After that he immediately notified his senior, who was already tailing Alicia in another store.


    Upon receiving the information, the senior contemted for a while. He carefully analyzed Alicia''s information and pretty much knew what would entice her the most.


    "A frustrated deputy dean.. Hmm¡­ You won''t be satisfied with only a measly teaching position in the institute. Then¡­" He need not to continue mumbling, he had already decided what to do next.


    He ordered his junior to meet him at a nearby restaurant while he decided to approach Alicia on the spot. He was afraid that once she entered the institute, their time would be up by the moment she coulde out again.


    Carefully, he adjusted his countenance. From a stern appearance, his personality changed into an approachable yet intelligent looking business man.


    He wore a polite smile as he approached Alicia, who was actually skimming a book in the bookstore.


    "I see, Mdy had a deep interest in Imperial Economics.." He said gently.


    Alicia was startled, however, seeing a polite middle aged man engaging in a conversation with her, she didn''t show any sign of disdain.


    Instead, she reciprocated the polite smile and chose to observe the man in front of her. She judged that the man was involved in business that was why she caught his attention.


    "I need to get fresh new ideas. It would be nice to have new materials to refer to and incorporate it in my lessons." As her status need not be exined because of her uniform, she just straightforwardly replied.


    A hint of joy shed on the senior''s face, with another smile, he replied, "I just happen to have a lot of ideas in mind. I would like to invite you briefly for a healthy discussion of these ideas over tea."


    Alicia raised her brows upon hearing that the man wants to ask her out. The business man was rather straightforward yet he forgot his manners of introducing himself first before asking ady for a tea.


    Realizing his mistake, the senior let out a light chuckle. He immediately introduced himself while shing a badge in a way that only Alicia could see.


    "Oh my... Pardon myck of manners, Mdy. You can call me Collins."


    She was about to reject his offer because of their age gap, but the man immediately showed something that made her heart skip a beat.


    Her face couldn''t help but be stiff as she intensely looked at the bronze badge in front of her, thinking that what she saw was just an illusion.


    However, she was close enough to see every detail and intricate design of the badge.


    The sound of her heart rang loudly on her ears as she concluded in her mind.


    ''Vanderford identity badge! It''s the Vanderford identity badge!''

 Chapter 162 Negotiation And Compromise

    ?Trying hard to hide her excitement and agitation, she just simply nodded and replied, "Lead the way."


    The man from the Vanderford Institute named Collins gave a knowing smile and led her to a nearby cafe, where his junior had been waiting after reserving a private room.


    "Again, let me properly introduce ourselves." As soon as he let Alicia sit in the cafe''s private room, Collins went down straight to business.


    "My name is Collins, the personal aide of the Vanderford Institute''s headmaster, Ruther Vanderford. Along with me is a junior aide, Fred."


    "Alicia Micha Cross." Alicia briefly introduced herself.


    "Pleased to meet you, Lady Alicia. As you could already guess, we are here in Seirende''s capital because something from the Farauld Magic Institute caught the attention of the officials of the Vanderford Institute." Collins exined their intent.


    "The Great Inventor Eli.." Alicia mumbled with understanding.


    However, her heart couldn''t help but feel sour, in the end, it''s only for someone as ''conspicuous'' as the Great Inventor would make the scouts of the Vanderford Institute suddenly approach her in this manner.


    "Indeed, we have been here for a few weeks already. However, we were not able to get any information and contact with the Great Inventor. That''s why we have invited you to inquire about her whereabouts and other important information."


    Collins carefully exined, trying to test Alicia''s attitude towards the matter.


    "Do not worry, cooperating with us will also be rewarded handsomely. I knew you are from a respected aristocratic family, so you wouldn''t want money aspensation. That''s why we are thinking of offering you a senior educator position in the Vanderford Institute."


    Hearing Collins'' exnation Alicia didn''t immediately show any reaction, even though she was actually surprised that they had outrightly offered a tempting position.


    Instead, she kept an aloof expression as she carefully digested Collin''s words.


    "Tell me, what''s your intention in approaching me? Is it just to simply inquire information about her or more than that?" Alicia replied in a cold manner.


    Even if the cause of their approach was Eli, she wanted topletely understand their intention.


    If it is just for inquiry, then she would be obliged to cooperate with them as long as they had a good offer. However, if their intention was to poach Eli, then...


    "It''s like this, we may have said that we needed information, but ultimately, what we wanted is to recruit the Great Inventor on our side. That''s why we needed more information to craft a n to entice-" Before Collins was able to finish his exnation, Alicia immediately stood and prepared to exit the room.


    She was extremely vexed. All the good mood she umted from her shopping trip earlier has been washed away by the coldness in her heart.


    She knew more than anything else that if she wanted to advance her career as an educator, she could only seek a higher position in another institute.


    Vanderford Institute was her target.


    But hearing that the institute she has been eyeing would like to poach Eli, she immediately became angry.


    Zeke has already dominated the Farauld Magic Institute as the youngest dean! Now these people are thinking of using her to let Eli dominate the Vanderford Institute? No way!


    "Mdy, please hear us out!!" Seeing Alicia''s decisive move to walk away, Collins immediately panicked.


    In his heart he was deeply surprised to realize that Alicia would not bat an eye to decline cooperation, despite offering her an obviously higher position. It seemed that he miscalcted about Alicia''s attitude towards this matter.


    Where did he go wrong?


    Fred had a high reflex, he immediately blocked the exit to buy some time for his senior to convince thedy in front of them.


    "Move!" Alicia''s eyes squinted in a dangerous glint.


    Although she is an educator, she still came from a family of casters and was trained from a young age in magicalbat. She would not have any problems fighting the two men with her aptitude in casting.


    "Mdy, please calm down, we have no intention to detain nor harm you. Just give us a chance to hear our request and offer." Fred pleaded in a quivering tone. As he was the one who faced Alicia head on, he could feel the dangerous aura surrounding Alicia.


    "If your goal is to poach the Great Inventor, then sorry, I won''tpromise with this matter." She turned and threw a cold nce towards Collins.


    "Although you''ve done quite a good job to investigate me, you missed a crucial point. That is, my hostility towards Zeke and the people close to him." She sneered and gave a smile that seemed to be mocking the two.


    "That includes that Great Inventor that you desperately liked to poach, Eli."


    This time, the two representatives from Vanderford Institute were stunned. It turns out that thedy in front of them was hostile towards the person they wanted to poach.


    This time they werepletely caught off guard, not knowing what to do.


    Alicia didn''t need to borate her concerns here, as the men all knew that her future move was to go to their Institute to seek a higher position. They also knew that based on her background and qualifications, she would seed in doing that.


    That''s why theypletely understood why Alicia was unwilling to cooperate. She was preparing to leave for the Vanderford Institute, only to know that Eli would be there to suppress her again.


    If they were also in her ce, they would do the same!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing that the two didn''t have any reaction, Alicia turned towards the exit after she uttered, "I hate to break it to you, but you approached the wrong person."


    She had already touched the door knob when she heard Collin''s anxious voice.


    "Wait a moment.. I am willing topromise." Collins called out while gritting his teeth.


    Alicia raised her brows in curiosity, what could theypromise about this matter? She thinks both sides were in a stalemate. What is there to negotiate to?


    "We may not need to physically poach her. Remember that we only need her because of knowledge." Collins immediately exined in panic.


    Alicia then skeptically went back to her seat and ordered in a domineering manner, "Speak."


    Seeing that Alicia was finally willing to listen, the two heaved a sigh of relief. However, remembering that Collins had to greatlypromise on his side, he bit the bullet and stated his offer with grievance in his heart.


    "Since we only need her knowledge, could we just ask you to help us smuggle the Great Inventor''s published learning materials?" He said nervously.


    He knew that his request was far more dangerous on both his and Alicia''s side, but he simply had no other choice. They really had no time.


    Actually, if Alicia immediately agreed to provide information and help them poach Eli, it would be both a safe and win-win situation for both sides. However, since Alicia was not willing to give in, he could only propose such a tricky n.


    "You are asking me, ady of the prestigious Cross Family, the star teacher of the Farauld Magic Institute, to steal some set of books? Are you for real?!" Alicia''s explosive attitude was then again set on fire.


    Why do the people around her only want her to do so many ridiculous things just to get Eli?!


    From cozying up to her, to recruiting her to even stealing from her?!


    Has the world gone crazy just because of an inventor?! Ridiculous!


    "Program Head Position of the Junior Caster Division! That''s my highestpromise. If you can give us the books, you no longer need to go through the senior educator position and wait until the program head selection process start next year." Collinsid out all his cards.


    Although he was technically just a personal aide to the headmaster of the Vanderford Institute, he still had some extent of authority. Choosing a program head was just an easy feat for him as the most trusted aide of the head master.


    The Farauld Institute had a t organization consisting of a professor, junior and senior dean, vice chairman and headmaster as positions in ascending order. This made the ascension of an educator''s career be slower than a turtle.


    However, the majority of the faculty members didn''t mind, because the qualification for a higher position was crazily hard and almost unreachable to most of them.


    Especially, knowing the headmaster, Grandmaster Reuben''s high standard in selection.


    However, Vanderford Institute had a tall organization, aside from the multiple level positions, it was still subsequently divided into the officials overseeing the junior students and the senior students. Therefore, they offer more career ascension opportunities which Alicia wanted.


    A higher position title is still a higher position. It''s better than staying as a normal professor for the rest of her life.


    That''s what Alicia was thinking at this moment.


    She needs not to deny herself and act fawningly towards a person she doesn''t like.


    Although dangerous, the rewards are enticing enough for her to ept.


    "I need assurance that the position is set on stone. I still have to test your sincerity on this matter." Not immediately saying that she agreed, Alicia responded.


    It''s better to be vignt after all. She was asked tomit something out of the educator''s ethics.


    "This badge represents my decision for this matter." Collins took out the badge he had shown earlier, he let Alicia verify the authenticity.


    "How much time do I have?"


    "Less than two weeks."


    "Alright, I''ll try my best. However, I want you to not hold me responsible for this. If I do notplete the task, I don''t want any entanglements." Alicia replied, as she pushed the badge back.


    She didn''t want any physical evidence that would point to her in case of a mishap.


    So even though having the badge would be her greatest assurance for the reward, she could only give it back.


    They had to choose another way to finalize this matter.


    Understanding her meaning, Collins nodded and replied, "Let''s make an oath of mana instead then."


    "Alright." Alicia finally nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 163 I Don’t Have Any Entanglements

    ?Without dying any further, Alicia and Collins engaged in a mana oath.


    Fred, who stood as the witness, drew a small array in the air using a pale green mana. After finishing the array Alicia and Collins both touched the tip of the array and let their mana flow, fully lighting up the pale green array, making it glow into deep green.


    Mana oath is amon way to carry out vows between two parties.


    It requires less mana to the both parties and also the bacsh is not as deadly as an oath overseen by the Guardians, like the oath of secrecy.


    The bacsh for the breaching of the oath would be decided by both parties. It could be any kind of stiption other than the death of either parties or anyone rted to them.


    "I look forward to our cooperation." Collins held out his hands towards Alicia. In his palm, a miniature mark of the same array that Fred has drawn earlier.


    "The task is hard, but of course, I''ll do my best." Alicia gave a prudent smile as she shook Collins'' hands, her palms also containing the same mark as the array earlier.


    The moment they broke their handshake, the marks had already disappeared. Seemingly absorbed by their palms.


    Collins and Fred politely sent Alicia to her family carriage, as she still had to report for her lecture in a few hours.


    As all these were happening, Eli had long finished her lecture and already rushed back to the Farauld estate carrying Little Han in her arms.


    "Kyaaaa!" Little Han, upon seeing Elie back from the institute, became excessively excited.


    In Aqui''s hands, he wiggled his chubby limbs and disyed his toothless gums in a wide heart melting smile, while his crystal blue eyes would capture all the people in the Farauld Estate in a daze.


    As soon as he could determine that Eli was already near, he leaned his body forward while excitedly kicking his little legs and stretched out his wobbly arms.


    Eli then reached out lovingly and hug him warmly in her embrace.


    Little Han would giggle so happily and would try to reach his mommy''s face with his little palms, then he would lean with his face nudging against hers.


    Aqu, Janine, Grandpa Ben and Grandma Myrna, who were having an afternoon tea time in the living room, couldn''t help but smile warmly upon watching the mother and son''s interaction.


    "Sigh¡­ It''s really a joy seeing a little one in the house." Grandpa Myrna smiled from ear to ear as she sipped her tea.


    "I wonder when our sons will go back from their missions? They have to give birth to more children so that Little Han, Este and the others would have more ymates!" Aqumented while Janine also nodded.


    Both of them think that the Farauld Estate should have more children around. After Little Han, they felt that they couldn''t have enough.


    "Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, Mami, I couldn''t thank you enough for always looking after Little Han." Eli joined the elder''s conversation with a grateful expression on her face.


    "Don''t mind! As I have always told you, it is really a joy to have Little Han with us, old folks!" Grandpa Ben replied with a happy smile.


    "Besides, Dad has been in a good mood upon knowing the great progress you are making for the research branch! Sigh, I have been the dean for several years in that entric branch and had no idea how to make those people be obedient¡­ I am really grateful that you are here with us, even helping the research branch get back on their feet!" Janine replied as she looked at Eli with a bright smile and a tone of approval.


    "I''ll do my best to help, we are family." Eli answered with a genuine smile. In the past few months, Eli''s interaction with the two families became deeper and deeper.


    She no longer felt like an outsider nor a benefactor, but a legitimate part of their family. So she didn''t think that she was giving a favor to Janine and Grandpa Ben for taking the tricky position in the Farauld Magic Institute.


    Instead she viewed it as something naturally should do as part of the family.


    This was also the same with the Forgeworns.


    If Eli''s weekdays were spent on the matters of the Faraulds, the weekends was the time for Eli to interact with the members of the Forgeworn family.


    She didn''t hold back in sharing her business strategy to her god siblings and other members of the family.


    It didn''t take a long time before Eli''s little cottage became a ce for the Forgeworn''s second and third generations to spend their afternoon tea and the plushie yground to be the mini kindergarten.


    While the parents are busy discussing their concerns to Eli, the Forgeworn children would join Baobao and Wisey to be Little Han''s babysitters.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although it may seem that Eli was giving so much for the Faraulds and Forgeworns, Eli fully knew what kind of dangers andplications the two families faced everyday just by simply being connected to her.


    Everyone could guess that Eli, as the Great Inventor, had a deep connection with the two legendary families because it was only through them would her works emerge.


    Because of this, although the two families aren''t saying anything, Eli knows that they are constantly being exposed to pressure by interested forces in disclosing her identity, either subtly or directly.


    That''s why Eli didn''t let her guard down. As she built her reputation, she was also slowly building her own strength.


    With the de''s arrangement, she would have scheduled training sessions under their careful guidance. Soon Eli could already hold for an hour against five armed men, alone. With Baobao and Wisey''s assistance, she would take on a dozen!


    Even the des couldn''t help but feel shocked! Their Madame was really talented, she could learnbat skills that fast!


    As for her casting abilities, Leon strictly forbade her to attempt to practice such. After uttering blessings to the entire Crimson des, Leon confirmed Eli''s aptitude before he went to his mission.


    After determining that Eli had really opened up her second path, Leon gravely advised her to keep her second path hidden until he came back. Of course, Eli obedientlyplied.


    Even after staying in Prasinos for so long, Eli''s opinion for having an open path was still full of reservation. This constitution is a hot potato for her. So she actually wasn''t eager to use her caster ability.


    Yes, she would have more weapons on her sleeves but that would bring her more disasters than safety instead!


    For now she only concentrated on increasing her chances of protecting herself through the means that are within her abilities and of course, do her very best to raise Little Han lovingly!


    Eli couldn''t help but feel a sweet sensation of happiness as she looked at hers and Little Han''s daily lives.


    The only one thing that would make their happinessplete was the presence of Leon.


    That night, Eli was humming a melodic luby tune to coax Little Han to sleep. These days Little Han has been having a hard time going to sleep as he was already suffering difort due to teething.


    Everyday, Eli examines Little Han''s gums and she could already faintly see two little white lines slowly emerging from his lower gum.


    She discovered that Little Han would have an easier time sleeping whenever he hears music. So she could only hum nightly in order to ensure Little Han would have a good sleep quality.


    Finally seeing Little Han asleep, Eli let out a warm smile and gently ced him beside her.


    She finds it convenient to let Little Han sleep beside her instead of his cradle since it would take her a lot of time to stand up and go to him whenever he wakes in the middle of the night.


    Of course, she wouldn''t mind it if Leon was there, as he moves so fast that he would already be on Little Han''s side whenever he hears even a little rustle from his cradle. But now, she could only rely on herself.


    Just as she was about to ready herself for sleep, she felt hermunication stone vibrate.


    Her eyes showed surprise, as she felt that it had been so long since she had heard the voice of the caller. Without dy, she answered in a gentle and soft tone, so as to not startle Little Han beside her.


    "Leon."


    "Eli.." The voice on the other side was like a bass note of a cello, low and striking, tugging Eli''s heartstrings, causing waves of ripples in her heart.


    "Is Little Han asleep?" As if sensing Eli''s unusual volume, Leon guessed what Eli had been up to.


    "Hmm.. I just finished coaxing him to sleep..." Eli replied with a faint smile on her face. She couldn''t help but feel moved on Leon''s asking of Little Han. Leon indeed is a good father.


    "That''s good¡­" Leon replied gently, also having a faint smile on his ever expressionless face.


    "It''ste. Are you out in the wilderness? Do you have a ce to sleep? Are you eating well? Are you doing well in taking care of yourself?" Eli took the initiative to inquire about Leon''s well-being.


    "I am staying in the vige right now, do not worry. I am eating well and sleeping well these days." Leon answered like an obedient husband.


    Clearly sensing Eli''s worry through the tone of her voice, Leon also added with a tinge of pride, "Rest assured, I have been good¡­ I didn''t have any entanglements with other women either!"

 Chapter 164 First Appearance

    ?Eli was taken aback at Leon''s sudden teasing.


    She let out a helpless chuckle, "Then that''s good to hear.."


    Back then, this man was so shy to even say her name directly. But now, he could do and say things that would make her heart pound so heavy.


    Eli''s chuckle was like a soft feather teasing Leon''s ears. Light and fluttery, but powerful enough to break his ice cold face.


    The two then engaged in talking about their daily lives. How they have been doing in the past days and things about Little Han.


    asionally, both sides would let out soft chuckles and hushed exmations. Each deeply engrossed in their seemingly shallow conversations.


    They didn''t even know that half of the night was already finished, yet they were still up and lively, as if they never ran out of stories to tell.


    The first one to notice this thing was Leon.


    However, instead of pointing it out, he just let everything fall into ce while conversing with Eli with a gentle smile on his face.


    It is a mystery how an exchange of simple words would make his heart so full of warmth and longing. The more Leon enjoyed this feeling, the more he yearned for more.


    "You can contact me more often like this¡­ really." He uttered with an obvious hint of pleading.


    "But¡­" Eli was a bit hesitant.


    The reason why Eli didn''t take initiative to call Leon all these months was because she was afraid that she would be calling him at a bad timing.


    She knew that Leon was out in the battlefield, so she didn''t dare to disturb him and indirectly cause him danger.


    Besides, she knew that the des also diligently reported their whereabouts. That''s why she was not really worried that Leon would be worried about her and Little Han.


    She could only wait for Leon to take initiative to contact her whenever it is convenient on his side, to which Leon ensured to contact her at least once a week.


    "It''s fine.. If it isn''t inconvenient, I can always terminate the call, that way I could give you a hint on my side. Then I''ll call you back as soon as I can." Leon calmly suggested, fully understanding what was on Eli''s mind.


    Actually, he just wanted to experience Eli initiating the call.


    Only the Creator knows how envious he was when he witnessed Eli initiate a call with Kayden as if it was the most natural thing in the world!


    How infuriating was Kayden''s smug face when he picked up Eli''s call back then! Every time he remembers Kayden''s face, Leon''s crystal blue eyes would be as sharp as ice des!


    "Alright then.." Eli hesitantly agreed.


    It was fortunate that she was not facing Leon right now, as she was actually wearing a shy expression while desperately covering her chest, trying to stop her heart from thumping so loud.


    "By the way.. How was your mission? Are you able to go back here this month?" Eli immediately changed the topic, in order to force herself from feeling the strange feeling in her heart.


    However, she wasn''t aware that the tone she used sounded like a wife demanding her husband toe home and take care of her!


    "I''ll go back for sure.." Leon replied however, there was an obvious trace of anxiety in his tone. "I''ll be there on your important day. I can always go back to continue to investigate, after I apany you and Little Han."


    The reason why Leon insisted oning back was actually because of Eli''s acknowledgement ceremony and the new year. The two agreed to spend the new year as a whole family in the cottage just a few days after the ceremony.


    Eli and Leon both hoped to be with Little Han while they weed a new year ahead.


    So Leon decided that even if he was not able to achieve satisfactory progress in his investigation about Elise, he would make time to go back to the capital and be with his little family.


    "Is the investigation going well? Where do you think I could help?" Eli asked with a worried tone.


    At the moment, she already knew that Leon was actually long done on the Phase two of the clean up operation and was spending the excess time he had in investigating the matter on Elise''s death and curse.


    "Actually, I haven''t gotten anywhere even after visiting the Misty Woods, the forest you mentioned before." Leon exined.


    It was through Eli narrating the memory of Elise that he opted to visit the forest where she met her demise, as part of the investigation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "There were no traces of suspicious people, even the mercenaries were properly ounted for, much more a knight under the noble houses." Leon couldn''t help but express his troubles.


    "I thought that I could make some progress upon having a new angle of the investigation; however, it was as if everything had been buried in the fog. I couldn''t see clearly. I couldn''t even think of a viable motive in the first ce."


    It was really rare for Leon to express his vulnerable side to someone. However, towards Eli, he couldfortablymunicate even his deepest insecurities.


    "A new angle?" Eli curiously asked.


    "Uhn, it''s all thanks to Kayden. He actually mentioned that there is a possibility that the thing didn''t start on the night when Elise was cursed. That it may also have started as soon as she was rescued from her captor." Leon exined.


    "However, we are trying to figure out what could be the most probable motive. If it was the Spectre, why would they use a curse that would attempt to kill Elise. As far as we all know, the Spectre would want to keep her alive."


    "Also, why go as far as to ruin her dignity? If it was only to kill her, why go with that route of ruthlessly ruining her? There''s also the question if the incident of cursing was actuallypletely connected to Elise''s murder."


    "..." Eli also couldn''t figure it out.


    Eli is forced to remember what she has learned through Elise''s memory.


    "On the night of rescue from her captor, Elise has no recollection of the rescue process. She fainted on the stone bed and woke up in the hospital right after. Her life in the hospital only revolved with the hospital crew. Since she was still aversed with interacting with people, she didn''t even interact with the hospital patients."


    "We all know that she only had courage to finally go out alone that fateful night."


    "The only reliable memory from Elise at the festival night was the moment before she was drugged. However, Elise''s memory has no recollection of how the man who offered the drink looked like. After that, only the fragmented memories followed."


    "Then there was the struggle she had while she was on the run. Even when she was in another vige, her interactions were limited."


    "Then came the day of her murder, when a tracking knight suddenly appeared in front of her and attacked her without any clear exnation."


    "As I have already told you initially, from the words of the tracking night, the culprit is a woman, which I initially thought to be connected to the Silver Haired man who was actually you. However, you fervently assured that you have never been entangled with anydy since childhood."


    Eli then suddenly paused, her brows couldn''t help but furrow and asked Leon with a heavy expression, "Are you sure you really don''t have anydy fancying you? Or at least your disguised persona?"


    "No, absolutely none. Also, I only use the disguised persona whenever I enter towns undercover." Leon immediately replied, shaking his head vigoriously as if Eli was actually with him in his room.


    "While using that persona I didn''t even interact with a female shopkeeper. How could I end up having ambiguous connections with a woman?" Leon fervently denied, he used so many words at once, unconsciously.


    However, Eli doesn''t seem to be convinced, her tone became colder,


    "Are you sure? How about during your childhood? Who knows if you had a childhood sweetheart from a noble family? Perhaps even your alleged ''downfall'' didn''t stop her from loving you from afar and persisted to know your whereabouts after you were sent to the battlefield. If that really happened, it would be normal for her to know your alternate persona.. And what happened between you and Elise.."


    Shivers crept through Leon''s spine as she heard Eli''s cold and determined voice. Her tone was actually akin to someone who was obsessed in unraveling a conspiracy.


    "I solemnly promise! I''ve been sent to the battlefield since childhood. My ymates were even old burly men who have been on the battlefield for years. How could I even have a childhood sweetheart..." Leon was actually surprised by how imaginative Eli could be in this area.


    Her imaginations were so ridiculous, yet the way she said it could easily make anyone feel that it made sense.


    Even with his deep conviction and if not for his strong mental fortitude, he would have also started to doubt himself.


    --


    Meanwhile back in Silvertown, a mysterious pair wearing a hood covering their face and appearance calmlynded through a flying beast in front of the Seirende Central Bank.


    "Mdy we are here. ording to the information I have gathered, he was sighted here around spring time. After that, there were no traces of him left." One of the hooded figures exined with a hoarse voice.


    If Eli and Elise were here, they would both shudder upon hearing the man''s voice.


    It was the voice of a man, who brought death to Elise - and started it all!


    Elise''s murderer! The Tracking Knight!

 Chapter 165 Uncovered Possibilities

    ?The woman beside the tracking knight didn''t react and kept her hood secure to make sure that no one could figure out her identity.


    Only after she candidly examined the surroundings did she reply with a detached voice, "Hmm. Let''s try to investigate for a while, also keep an eye for any news in the usual cities.."


    "Yes mdy." The tracking knight replied obediently. The two then walked towards the most luxurious inn to retire for the night.


    While they were preparing to end the night, Eli and Leon were still wide awake from figuring out the mystery.


    "I can''t help it, Leon. Aside from you, only the Riverfort crew had a close interaction with Elise. There were also no memories of any nobledy around her nor anyone from the crew¡­ So up until now, I could only think that it came from your side." Hearing Leon''s determined answer, Eli replied in an apologetic tone.


    "It''s alright. But let''s just say that your theory was really the reason of Elise''s murder, then it most likely be not connected with the cursing. Because Elise was already drugged before I stepped in the boundaries of Riverfort that night."


    "Then if that''s the case, if it is not you then¡­" Eli and Leon both had widened eyes as they followed each other''s thoughts.


    "The key is the men in Riverfort!" they concluded in unison.


    So many circling conjectures and discussions but it all points out to two conclusive routes, Leon''s side and the Riverfort''s side!


    At this moment, Leon immediately became agitated. Luckily after Eli''s reminder, he still took a few hours of sleep before summarizing everything that they had processed for the investigation the next morning.


    Before they ended the call, Leon reminded Eli to stay vignt until he is able toe back to the capital.


    This was actually another reason for Eli''s elusive schedule at the Farauld Magic Institute. Aside from her prioritizing Little Han''s growth, it was also for her safety. Anydy from the capital could be Eli''s potential killer.


    As such, she could only let the people know that she was under Farauld''s care while the most vignt and mysterious des protected her from the shadows whenever she was in the institute.


    Since she would only stay for more or less an hour each day, there would be less time frame for the culprit to make a move on her.


    Even during her travel time, she would be apanied by either Bramwell, Zeke or Grandpa Ben, which were all not to be triffled with.


    However, as Leon always said, you''ll lose nothing if you are a little more vignt. To which Eli obediently agreed.


    Finally, the two agreed to retire for the night because there are still a lot of things they have to face tomorrow.


    Eli started the day a little bit early. Since she needs to arrange for Little Han''s essentials for the day and prepare herself for the lecture.


    She proceeded dressing Little Han in a woolen jumpsuit and knitted gloves and socks.


    As it was already winter, Eli was still afraid that he would catch cold and be sick. Thus she particrly researched and asked her fellow mothers from the Farauld and Forgeworn ns on how to take care of infants during winter time.


    What can she do?


    She lived in Southeast Asia in her previous life, where there were only rainy and sunny seasons!


    She didn''t even experienced winter in her previous life.


    After ensuring that Little Han was warmly dressed and that she had already packed everything he would eventually need, she then left with Baobao, Wisey and Rosea to teleport straight to the Farauld Estate.


    As for the des, they have their own mysterious way of going to the ce and watch them in the shadows, which Eli didn''t attempt to uncover.


    "Wittle Han!!! Baobao!! Wisey!!!" Este and two other little cousins excitedly shouted upon seeing Eli, Little Han and the bunch.


    "Good morning Auntie Fairy! Today, we will y with Little Han!" They politely greeted Eli while shing silly bright smiles and shining dewy eyes.


    The atmosphere in the Farauld Estate''s living room became happy with the presence of the adorable kids.


    "Good morning Este, Gillie, Johnny." Eli gently smiled and greeted the kids warmly, she then looked at Grandpa Ben and the rest who were already busy assembling their own plushie yground.


    At Este''s insistence, the elders of the Farauld Family took action to replicate Eli''s plushie yground in the Farauld Estate.


    Since Little Han had been spending time with them daily and the kids were also fond of Little Han, they opted to foster the younger generations'' rtionships this early.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With them growing with each other''s presence, guiding them along the way, it will also ensure that the Farauld Family would be stable and no family drama would happen because of one being left out.


    Every child would be treated equally, regardless of gender nor seniority.


    They hope that the plushie yground would be the most cherished memory the little cousins and Little Han would have.


    Eli weed the questions thrown at her by her god parents and siblings regarding the assembly of the plushie yground. After that, she immediately traveled with Uncle Bramwell to the Farauld Magic Institute.


    "Good morning Vice Chairman! Good Morning Counselor!" In just a span of a month, Eli was already recognized by everyone in the institute.


    Since she had also started to carry out her duties as an honorary counselor, the people started to address her as such, instead of the title ''Great Inventor''.


    Eli politely reciprocated their greetings, asionally with an acknowledging nod.


    She decided to carry herself with her usual business woman personality.


    This was because she did not n to pretend to be an amiable person nor someone who looks like a pushover at the first nce.


    This was because she was preparing to be the person who would be soon recognized as Farauld and Forgeworns adopted daughter and the mother of Little Han, a prince of the Imperial Family.


    If she insisted on carrying herself as a soft persimmon which people liked to squeeze, then she would have to start dealing with open and sneak attacks on day one of her official debut in the high society.


    Carrying herself like this would actually buy her time, making potential enemies think twice before making a move on her.


    She walked with confidence, with a hint of coldness and sharpness in her eyes. She also talked in a well modted voice and eloquent artiction. Making everyone feel that she was here for business not for mundane conversation.


    At first, people especially the students from other schools were intimidated by her, however, they soon came to understand her demeanor. The initial feeling of intimidation was reced by respect thereafter.


    Wearing her customized ck gown that is lined with white, which neither indicates that she belongs to any of the three schools, she immediately proceeded to the grand amphitheater.


    As soon as Eli entered the entrance of the amphitheater, she could already see that almost every member of the research branch was waiting excitedly for her to start the lecture.


    Eli didn''t dy and silently stepped on the podium located in the center end of the amphitheater.


    "Greetings Counselor!" Everyone greeted her with genuine enthusiasm.


    "Greetings everyone! Today, we''ll go straight to the first page of the second material. We will tackle these subjects heavily in the next few days." Eli was famous for going straight to business as soon as she started her lecture.


    She swept a nce at her audience who all had focused looks on their faces. Although the lecture venue was an open air amphitheater, the winter didn''t hinder the learning ambience of the ce.


    How could the Farauld Magic Institute hold back in making their amphitheater warm in winter?


    That''s just a piece of cake to them!


    With the protective transparent dome protecting the entire structure, the people inside enjoyed the view of the winter snow while not being affected by the cold it brought outside.


    Even the snowfall had a rxing look as it only magically fades upon touching the protective transparent dome.


    "I''d like you all to pay attention to the topic for today. In the past three days, I have basicallyid out to all of you the essential mathematical concepts which covered algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Now we go to study sciences."


    "Of course, these topics are not all that you could possibly know about the field of science, however these would be essential to your current research as well as in the future!"


    The entire amphitheater became deafeningly silent as they heard that the topic would surely help them in their current research. Their ears perked up as they held their pens firmly and readied their notebooks.


    Some even nned to secure a recording of the lecture, however, the headmaster strongly prohibited such. This is to prevent the immature dissemination of information within and outside the institute regarding Eli.


    "The very first concept of science that I''d like you to have a deep understanding of basic physics!" Eli slowly introduced the topic to everyone.

 Chapter 166 Accidentally Bumped

    ?Eli started her one hour discussion of the fundamental concepts of physics.


    Today, she nned to extensively exin the concepts of Force, Energy and Work. She carefully walked through the forms and rules that included the Newton Laws and Laws of Thermodynamics.


    While she was exining these things to them, she also exined thoroughly how the algebraic and calculus concepts could be applied to derive the necessary forms in order to apply these in physics.


    She also carefully paid attention towards the facial expressions of her listeners, gauging if they are able to grasp so much information in a short span of an hour.


    But judging on their reactions, those sparkling eyes and dropped jaw which made them look like they finally saw the light, Eli could only conclude that the research branch was indeed full of maniac geniuses.


    On the other hand, this gave her a sense of relief and affirmation about how she crafted the entire lesson n.


    The main driver for her to arrange mathematics as the first learning area for the boot camp was actually because of her personal experience when she was a student.


    Back then, she couldn''t understand why the teachers exined how the cartesian coordinate ne works, how algebra works, how calculus works and so on.


    In the ssroom''s four walls, the main goal was to memorize the concepts and forms for the uing exams.


    But that''s all. The teacher''s job would end there as soon as the students got the passing grade.


    Not one of her teachers exined why she and her fellow ssmates have to memorize countless of functions and forms. Are they even used in real life?!


    But when she entered college, taking up adderized engineering course, she finally understood why mathematics was taught so extensively in elementary and high school.


    It was actually because it ismonly applied to sciences such as physics and chemistry. Even the business subjects like ounting, financial management and marketing viewed these mathematical concepts as essential!


    The Great One knows how frustrated she was when she realized these things at the height of her studies, because she had very limited time to study to find jobs and side hustles.


    Not clearly having a good foundation in these areas meant that she had to force herself to sacrifice her time in earning money toe back and re-learn these concepts.


    If she knew these things beforehand, she would never sleep during mathematics ss, not even a second!


    Fully remembering this experience, Eli ensured that the research branch would never suffer the same way. That''s why, her ns were crafted with great considerations on the things she didn''t like to suffer again back when she was still a student.


    Typically, her lecture would finish at the forty five minute mark and allot the remaining few minutes to answer the audience''s questions.


    After that she ended the lesson on time and handed over the next part of the bootcamp to Zeke and Bramwell who would be facilitating the reinforcement sessions.


    These sessions are just the time for the research branch to be divided into two groups, the researchers and the faculty members. Together, they will be answering a set of questions prepared by Eli which was also included in their learning set.


    With Zeke leading the researchers and Bramwell leading the faculty members, with the addition of Athena and Simone, the entire day would be spent in doing intense exercises and mini tests in order to reinforce theprehension of the listeners.


    While this was happening, Alicia was already on the look out for an opportunity to snatch a copy of the learning materials.


    As she already tacitly agreed with Collins, the trusted aide of the Vanderford Institute, she had to start nning and executing her part of the deal.


    Although she was actually nervous about what she was asked to do, it was better than having to suck up with the Empress and Eli.


    One was someone she couldn''t afford to offend, the other was someone whom she despised because of having some unexinable standing in the institute.


    Also, it was obviously easier for her to smuggle the learning sets instead of roping in Eli on the Empress''s side.


    Before the lecture started, she subtly looked around the amphitheater to fish out information from the nearby students as well as the faculty members whom she had pretty good rtions with.


    She didn''t dare to ask anyone from the research branch because she was actually famous for her long standing grudge with Zeke!


    This also made her task a lot moreplicated as she had such a high profile around the school and her moves would be easily noticed by anyone if she was not careful enough.


    So she didn''t dare to make a move until she gets a good grasp of the entire routine of the research branch boot camp.


    Just as she was about to take another round of ''information gathering'', she gently bumped on a thin figure while she wasn''t paying attention.


    "Ouch!" She eximed with a hint of ridicule. Right after, she could hear a ssh of some kind of a liquid in her robe. Her body was jolted awake.


    "I am really sorry. I was not able to see you approaching earlier." Alicia then heard an apologetic female voice.


    Alicia was about to exim in anger as her dignity as a nobledy kicked in, but hearing the other party''s genuine apology, her irritation subsided a little.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, when she turned to look at the person who identally bumped her, she was not able to hold her brows from furrowing.


    The person who bumped her was actually Eli, who was holding a tall cup of coffee.


    She just actually went out the exit when Alicia suddenly came from her side and bumped her. As the thing was too sudden, the impact of the ident actually caused her to spill the coffee on Alicia''s robe.


    "I really didn''t mean to spill my coffee on you." Eli exined in a calm yet apologetic manner.


    Although she was the one who had caused the damage, she knew who the other party was. It was sensible to be on the apologetic side so as to not blow the matter out of proportion.


    Besides in this era, coffee was supposed to be enjoyed as cozy as how everyone enjoyed tea. At home on the designated tea ce!


    However, Eli''s modern day habits led her in this situation.


    "Would you like to go to the office first to change your robe?" Eli suggested.


    The office Eli was pertaining to was the designated waiting area for the faculty teachers inside the amphitheater.


    Since the amphitheater is a venue to hold the major events of the institute, the amphitheater itself had many mini offices to entertain guests and faculty members during the said events. These rooms haveplete facilities, including changing robes for the faculty.


    "Alright, I think we should." Alicia replied with a reluctant face.


    However deep inside, she is rejoicing in her heart.


    In a normal situation, Alicia could not be even bothered to notice nor nce towards the other person. But now, she had something she needed from her, so why waste this spectacr opportunity.


    In any case, even if she was not able to actually steal the learning set, she could fish out even more valuable information inside the amphitheater herself.


    She could even sneak in the rooms in case there are absentminded researchers uncareful enough to leave their things unattended!


    That would be the perfect scenario!


    "Alright, the other rooms were not really tidied, I''ll lead you to my designated room instead." Eli carefully led her to her temporary office while she was at the amphitheater.


    She took the initiative to lead her to the room because she remembered Alicia''s aristocratic background.


    With her way of emphasizing her noble origins, Eli could only imagine how much disdain would Alicia disy if ever she was led into a generic waiting room.


    So to avoid unnecessary trouble and to be able to go to Little Han early, she decided to lead Alicia to her room instead.


    Anyways, there were no important documents lying in that room to be taken.


    Hearing that she was about to be led into Eli''s designated room, Alicia''s heart became excited. Although her face was showing an unperturbed expression, she was rejoicing deep inside.


    She was actually expecting that Eli''s room would rather contain the lesson ns and important notes pertaining to the ongoing discussions. If that''s the case, that could also be valuable information for her to obtain!


    Of course, she won''t expect Eli to have any copy of the main learning material herself, because that office was just temporary. Eli would be an idiot to actually keep things there. But as for the notes, it is highly possible!


    The room was neat and ssy, perfect for the faculty members of Alicia''s standing. There were modest furnitures around the room that would help the faculty members and theirpanions rx while the event was on going.


    There were also those scribbles and notes she had so excitedly expected. It was a stack of notes neatly arranged on Eli''s long study table.


    She was led by Eli to sit for a while, while she went to the ensuite stockroom to get a change of robe. This gave Alicia a few seconds to sneak a nce at the notes left on the study table.


    However, all that was written there were random numbers and letters as if she was looking into a set of codes. There were also symbols that she failed to recognize.


    ''Is this the so-called knowledge from the great inventor?''


    ''What on earth are these scribbles? Are they even part of the humannguage?''


    ''What is this E=mc2????"


    ",

 Chapter 167 Alicia Made A Move

    ?Just as she was about to attempt to steal the notes on the table, Eli was already walking out of the ensuite stockroom.


    "Here you go, a clean set of your robe." Eli gave a fresh set of ck robe to Alicia.


    Alicia bobbed her head with unease and reached out for the robe. An awkward silence dominated the room.


    "Let me take the soiled robe to the wash bin.." Eli initiated with a polite tone.


    Alicia then quietly proceeded to take off the robe revealing a simple dress underneath. It was not the blue velvet dress that she had fancied earlier, but it is one of the dresses she bought during her shopping trip in the Forgeworn Boutique.


    It was a lc A-line puff sleeve dress with an off-white puff fabric waist belt.


    Eli could say that this dresspletely masked Alicia''s explosive aura, she now looked like a demure and dainty nobledy. This didn''t make Alicia''s appearance awkward nor unnatural.


    In fact, seeing Alicia like this was really refreshing and pleasing in the eyes.


    "Your dress looks good on you! It''s such a shame that you have to hide it in your robe¡­" Eli gentlyplimented with a gentle smile.


    Alicia was actually taken aback from receiving such random praise. It also gave her an awkward feeling because as far as she knew, she was still annoyed at the person in front of her.


    "T-thanks.." Alicia unnaturally replied, however her annoyance towards Eli lessened for a little bit. "I just bought it a few days ago at the Forgeworn Boutique."


    "It really looks good on you. You should wear dresses like this more often. You are a prettydy." Continued to throwpliments at Alicia, making the other person scrunch her brows and blush uncontrobly.


    "Y-you don''t need to tell the obvious! I know I look nice." She retaliated, but she was utterly defeated by the conflicting feelings she had right now.


    She was here to scheme towards the girl in front of her however, what she had received so far was fair treatment and a sudden ambush ofpliments.


    As she was known to have a haughty personality, Alicia was actually shunned in high society as the standards for being a nobledy should be gentle, graceful and meek. They weren''t supposed to be acting all knowing and opinionated like her.


    No no! She must not be swayed by a merepliment!


    She was here to get a chance to steal her learning materials, not to receive Eli''spliments! At the thought of her initial goal, Alicia''s chaotic emotions slowly settled down.


    Eli on the other hand shrugged. She was genuine when she gave her thepliment, she meant nothing else.


    She didn''t take it to heart when Alicia didn''t seem to receive her words wholeheartedly. She also knew that Alicia really acts like this, it is in her personality.


    "A-are you done with your lecture?" Alicia tried to change the topic to her favor.


    "Uhn.. Dean Zeke and Vice Chairman Bramwell were the ones in charge to facilitate the rest of the day." Eli replied with a matter of factly tone.


    "How many days will the bootcamp go from today? Are you going to do the same for us, the remaining faculty members?" Alicia tried to probe information by disguising her real intent as being concerned that she would be left out with learning the new knowledge.


    "The boot camp willst until the third school day next week. Do not worry, Dean Athena and Dean Simone would be the ones to organize your turn on the bootcamp. The reason why they participated with the research branch was for the same reason. Because unfortunately, I can only do this much." Eli didn''t suspect anything and patiently exined the situation to the curious Alicia.


    Upon hearing the reply, Alicia''s eyes showed a glint of interest. It was so subtle that Eli didn''t notice the change in Alicia''s mood.


    "I see, then I only wish that you finish the bootcamp sessfully, so that we can also have the chance to be taught of the new concepts you offered¡­ Counselor." Alicia replied with a stiff expression, it took her a lot of self control to squeeze out the word ''Counselor'' as a way to address Eli.


    This is also so that she can have a civil, if not amicable rtionship with Eli. This is in case she failed to steal a copy of the book set, at least she can still attempt to obey the Empress.


    Finally, she looked at Eli with a seemingly honest expression and asked, "Are we going to receive our own copy of the materials? To be honest, I am quite excited and curious about the boot camp¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This is thest string of hope for Alicia, she wanted to try if she could get what she wanted without technically stealing. That way she would not be charged as a thief outright. She thought.


    "I''m sorry, because the boot camp was organized on rather a tight schedule, we only managed to print the exact number of copies. But do not worry, after the boot camp, the Vice Chairman will be starting to organize the next batch of printing." Eli then again replied without suspecting anything.


    She thought that it was rather normal for someone to ask about these things as it was not the first time she received such inquiries. Typically every faculty member of the institute was enthusiastic about the bootcamp.


    "I see, I look forward to it!" Alicia was slightly disappointed that she was not able to aplish the task the easy way. But sheforted her heart that at least she knew how many days she had to attempt stealing one book set.


    After exchanging a few awkward pleasantries Alicia bid goodbye to Eli under the pretense of having a ss.


    Eli didn''t hold her back but instead went with her on the way outside. Which Alicia didn''t like at all!


    How could she sneak around the interior of the amphitheater if Eli would be going with her?


    However she could only hold her grudge and go with Eli on the way to the exit. At least she didn''t wet her robe for nothing!


    With that in mind, Alicia then proceeded with her duties as a faculty member and decided to continue her attempts on the suceeding days.


    Alicia roamed and investigated for another three school days before she was able to see an opening to finally make a move.


    During her investigation she determined that the only time that the research branch take their books out in the open was on the lecture venue and their dorms, both of which Alicia was not allowed to ess because of the rules.


    Thus, Alicia came up with a scheming n. She would target the most timid researcher and do something to ''rece'' him while the real one was absent.


    Then, she thought of a way to create a scenario for that researcher to be missing. After thinking for so long, she found that the best and the most subtle way to do it would be through the canteen!


    As for her n, she would just simply put a covert spell on the target researcher''s food and activate it at the right time.


    As for what kind of spell it is, it was something that would make the victim suffer from an uncontroble urge to go to the toilet no matter what the situation was!


    In other words, Alicia, the nobledy from the Cross aristocratic family, will be spiking somexative spell on the food of an innocent researcher!


    However, Alicia didn''t mind, she only had three days to execute her n or else the boot camp would already end.


    It was Monday morning when she decided to move.


    Alicia covertly stationed around the canteen, looking for any researcher who regrly takes breakfast in the canteen.


    Soon, a young researcher with panda eyes and lethargic appearance walked inside the canteen.


    She had already observed this timid researcher for two days and determined that he would stay sluggish until he got his morning coffee.


    Alicia quietly observed the young researcher and waited until he fully ordered his food.


    The moment he sat on his usual seat, Alicia immediately walked behind him while she secretly prepared her spell underneath the sleeves of her robe.


    Since the researcher was still sluggish because of theck of coffee, it was the best time for Alicia to cast the spell just before the victim took a sip to his coffee.


    Taking advantage of the chaotic and lively atmosphere of the canteen, as well as her innate talent to engage in stealth magicbat as part of the Cross Family, Alicia was able to sessfully cast the spell on the victim''s cup of coffee.


    She didn''t dare to let the researcher notice her presence in case the person realized that she had a connection on the future problem he was about to face - losing his learning materials!

 Chapter 168 Stealing The Books (1)

    ?After casting thexative spell on the unfortunate researcher''s food, Alicia walked in a natural manner and proceeded to go to the third floor.


    This was not because she wanted to eat, but to go to a spot where she could observe the researcher to ensure that he would really ingest the coffeeced with axative spell.


    Sure enough, the unsuspecting researcher calmly finished his entire meal. He immediately tidied up his food tray with a satisfied smile, clearly he had been energized by his ''hearty'' breakfast and coffee.


    Alicia couldn''t help but disy a victorious smirk on her face. Carefully tailing the researcher who was already heading excitedly towards the grand amphitheater, Alicia diminished her presence to the minimum that even a passerby would only notice a researcher heading towards the area, their brains would automatically discard Alicia, who was discreetly following from behind.


    Another reason why he tailed this researcher particrly was because of his habit to be one of the earliest people to wait diligently for the lecture to start.


    This fact,bined with the fact that she was already on stealth, made it easy for her to sneak inside the amphitheater without anyone noticing.


    After that, she proceeded to wait in an unattended room nearest to the entrance of the main lecture area, until the ss was about to start. She closed her eyes and concentrated on listening to the bustle of the excited research branch.


    At the same time, she opened her left palm while mouthing a certain spell. Instantly a magic circle of brown color floated in her hands.


    After about ten minutes, Alicia determined that there were already enough people around the area and they had already started to put out their books in preparation for Eli''s lecture.


    By her observation, Eli would always start and end her lectures on time. As such, even the listeners gained a habit of preparing their things beforehand to eliminate themotion created by frantically taking out their books just as she started the lecture.


    As soon as Eli stepped on the podium, the entire audience would be silent and focused on her who would be teaching them for an hour.


    To Alicia, the five minute window before the lecture was the perfect time for her to activate the spell. It was the time where the listeners were most busy in preparing and discussing their opinions and thoughts regarding the past and the uing lecture sessions.


    True enough, as soon as she went out of the room, she discreetly sneaked a look towards the researcher she had targeted. He had already taken out his learning materials and had excitedly discussed his thoughts to the person next to him.


    ''It''s time.'' Alicia muttered, seeing that this was the perfect moment to ''eliminate'' the researcher and take his ce. Of course, because it is very easy for the researcher to report the matter of his book being stolen, Alicia had carefully nned out the situation.


    The researcher would hurriedly excuse himself to head towards the toilet and would be immediately reced by Alicia, disguising as him. Then, Alicia would take the ss for the whole day while the researcher would be agonizing until Alicia deactivates the spell.


    There was also another thing she had to do. After the researcher runs to the toilet, she had to go there and cast another spell on the researcher.


    The effect of this spell would make the researcher muddleheaded. He would only care how ufortable he was and would head back immediately to his dorm. He would forget to pack his things properly and would not be able to remember the existence of the book until the morninges.


    By the time he realized that his books were gone, he would totally have no idea how it happened. Even if it was investigated, he will not even remember if he took his breakfast or not.


    As soon as she activated the spell on her left palm, she could clearly see the instant change in the expression of her target researcher. She knew how horrible he was feeling at the moment, as she patiently waited for him to frantically excuse himself and run to the toilet.


    She waited for a few minutes after ensuring that the effects of thexative spell would already break the researcher''s mental state before casting the spell to make him more muddleheaded.


    After that she proceeded to change her appearance from her robe to her face, then to the timbre of the researcher''s voice. After checking her new appearance on the men''s toilet room mirror, she didn''t dy and walked out the toilet room with her entire body shivering in disgust.


    She would never forget this day. For the sake of getting a better career for herself, she, a nobledy of the Cross Family stepped inside a men''s toilet and schemed against a poor young researcher!


    As her heart was still raging with emotions from realizing the extent of her actions, she didn''t immediately go back until she was sure that shepletely calmed herself down.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Only when it was around two minutes before the start of the lecture did shee back. Now, she was wearing the same expression as the young researcher would typically have, perfectly posing with the victim''s identity.


    She obediently sat on his seat and quietly waited for Eli appear to start the lecture. Although she had no idea what she would witness from here on, she had to grit her teeth and persist until the entire day was over.


    Luckily, she didn''t have any scheduled lectures for today, or else, it would give her a hard time in changing this n of hers.


    Even though she was not really interested to see how Eli worked, much less how Zeke worked as a facilitator, she had to stay here lest it would be too obvious if the ''researcher'' would suddenly disappear.


    At exactly two minutes, Eli appeared on the podium and straightforwardly started her lessons after exchanging greetings to everyone.


    "Now let''s continue where we left off, turn your materials on the 50th page of your learning materials." Eli instructed calmly.


    "This will be thest three days of the bootcamp. As promised, every concept that has been taught the entire time would be highly essential to your current research." Eli''s clear and crisp voice echoed on the entire amphitheater.


    "Thesest three days will be special as I will be demonstrating to you the entire application of concepts we will be and have been discussing so far!" Eli then dered with confidence in her voice, then the curtained stage behind her opened, revealing Zeke and Simone, each carefully pushing arge set of equipment, that in the eyes of the listeners were somewhat mystifying and interesting.


    Eli scanned the entire crowd, clearly seeing their curious and excited faces, she gave a knowing smile and continued, "Some of you may have already guessed, the thing in front of you right now are the simplified prototypes of the invention I created with a team of experts, the water pressure and heating system!"


    "Heavens!"


    "Goodness! I''m so lucky!"


    Waves of exmations and cheering spread in the entire amphitheater. Even Alicia, who was actually just waiting to watch the show, stood up with great interest and craned her neck to try to figure out the things disyed in front of them.


    The entire research branch was only less than fifty people, as such, it was easier for them to have a good look at the prototype in front of them.


    "Alright, settle down. Everyone will get a chance to examine these prototypes in the next sessionster on. We have two prototypes anyways, so the researchers and the faculty members would have their own prototype to observe."


    Eli had already seen through this scenario while she was nning the lesson, where the research branch would wonder how the concepts were applied in real life. She found it best that at the end part of the bootcamp, a demonstration should be conducted.


    So during the time of the temple exile, she, along with her original project team gathered for the second time to create two prototypes of the water pressure and heating system. This was already an easy task for them, as the water system was already in the process of being mass produced.


    She just needed to give something that the research branch can use to carefully observe.


    Soon, the students settled down and listened to Eli as she eloquently exined the concepts of heat transfer, entropy and pressure.


    She used a phase that was neither slow nor fast.


    She also didn''t forget to stop discussing the theoretical part from time to time and chose to demonstrate them by operating the prototype so that the listeners could see how the concepts were applied in real life.


    "Now, I am done exining and demonstrating the concept of pressure. Can someone exin how much water pressure we need to push the water to flow through our upward pipes, for instance, to distribute water on the highest floor of your house? Consider these values I have written on the board." Eli then wrote certain values on the ck board and asked someone from her listeners to answer her question.


    Alicia, who was unaware that she had already be too absorbed of the new knowledge, subconsciously raised her hand along with the other research members!

 Chapter 169 Stealing The Book (2)

    ?It was only when a researcher from the other side of the amphitheater was called to answer Eli''s question, did Alicia realize that she had been too absorbed with the entire lesson.


    As soon as she realized this, shivers crept throughout her entire body. She now had seen the terrifying effects of Eli''s knowledge in the entire educational and research fields.


    Alicia realized that whatever knowledge Eli offered to the research branch and the entire Farauld Institute, it wouldn''t be discovered for the next few decades!


    And that was on ount that one thinks without consideration of magical power, in which even Alicia knew that it would be a rare case.


    Dumbfounded and amazed, she looked at Eli who was earnestly guiding the volunteer researcher in answering the questions.


    She looked at the way Eli stood straight, brimming with confidence and knowledge, without a hint of arrogance. Alicia could dere at a nce that Eli was a true master of her own field.


    She knew her lessons like the back of her hands, she knew how to capture her audience properly and keep them interested and focused. She knew how to maximize her listeners'' time and to stir their desire for growth and learning.


    This time, Alicia finally understood why Eli was revered and respected by the entire research branch. The special treatment she received didn''t fall like a pie in the sky. It was all backed up with her irrefutable qualification, talents and achievement.


    Besides that, Alicia could clearly see that Eli takes her position seriously.


    Realizing all these, she felt a stifling feeling inside. "Am I doing the right thing?"


    Betweenmitting something that''s against her ethical standard as an educator and Eli''s genuine desire to impart knowledge so generously.


    Between getting her most desired post and letting go of her dignity.


    Is she picking the right choice by staying in her victim''s stead?


    As Alicia''s thoughts kept going deep on her chosen position, Eli''s voice rang through the entire amphitheater, "Alright, my discussion ends here, are there any questions you would like me to address before officially closing today''s lesson?"


    Alicia raised her hands and asked in a soft manner, "By teaching all these things, what would you like to see for us fellow researchers to discover in the future?"


    Her voice was soft, yet it was audible enough to let the rest hear her question. "I mean, all these things, it''ll be all extremely beneficial to us, but I''d like to know, what hopes have you set for us?"


    Eli was pleasantly surprised by the peculiar yet genuine question. She smiled and looked at the disguised Alicia and said without a hint of restraint,


    "My hope is for you to surpass me, may it be by knowledge, or inventions. My hope is for you to grow and be excellent on the paths you have chosen."


    Eli swept a nce at the entire crowd, with the same gentle smile, she continued, "Some of you here would be destined to create an invention that will shake the entire Prasinos. Others may even discover the secret behind the source of magical power in our mothend."


    "Some of you may even be like me, teaching the next generation with the same, or even better knowledge as I have."


    "But my hope is for you to all see the paths you wanted to take after I have done everything I could to equip you on your journey ahead." Eli closed her words intently looking at the disguised Alicia.


    "How amazing would it be to see you all bring breakthrough after breakthrough in your respective fields!"


    The entire amphitheater fell into a deep and serene silence.


    They have heard these lines countless times through their own teachers and masters, yet these same words hit differently when it was Eli who said it.


    Perhaps, it was because everyone knew that she was an inventor before she was an educator, that she need not to share her secrets so generously like this.


    Perhaps, it was because they all knew the impact of every knowledge point she had been sharing up to this moment.


    Perhaps, it is just because she is Eli, the Great Inventor.


    Yet these words sparked a raging me on every listener present in the grand amphitheater, including Alicia. This same me gave birth into a strong hope for their own future ahead.


    Eli''s dedication to equip them well, paired with their tenacity to finish their research goals, what awaits them is endless possibilities of growth and creation!


    "Any more questions?" Oblivious to the fire she ignited within her listeners'' hearts, Eli once again asked the crowd for any questions.


    After a few more questions, Eli ended the ss with a smile, leaving the rest of the day on Zeke and Bramwell''s hands.


    Alicia, on the other hand, stared dazedly on Eli''s receding back. Feeling conflicted and guilty, unable to calm the torrents disturbing her heart and mind.


    Feeling lost, she intently looked at the learning books of the researcher she targeted. She noticed that the researcher was diligent in his notes as it was written alongside the texts printed in the learning books.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because she was equally absorbed in the lessons, she also had unknowingly written her own notes during the lecture. In fact, her notes were even more insightful and enthusiasticpared to the original owner of the book.


    She took a nce at every member of the research branch, carefully looking at their excited and exhrated faces. She gave a defeated smile.


    She never had seen this unruly branch act like this, humble and hungry. Everyone would always see them obsessed and high almighty.


    No one, not even Zeke could make them act nor change their minds like this. With that, Alicia fully recognized Eli''s abilities and qualities.


    ''Eli indeed deserves the respect of all.'' Alicia told these words in her heart.


    She gently stood with a heavy heart as she took a final look towards the books that have been in her hand for an hour.


    She sighed in her heart, not forgetting to look at herself with self contempt.


    She turned her back at the books in front of her and stepped towards the exit without looking back. Hardening her heart, gritting her teeth, as she gets near the exit with every heavy step she takes.


    One turn, just one turn, she would aplish her task.


    Yet Alicia balled her fists to harden her decision, "No turning back.."


    She continued to do that until she found herself standing in a daze in the park near the amphitheater.


    That''s when she turned back, with tears rolling in her eyes.


    "I am defeated once again.." She muttered, full of heartbreak and sadness.


    In her palms, the array for the disguise,xative and muddle headed spell werepletely discontinued. Instead, it was shivering as a response to Alicia''s heavy emotions.


    She cried and cried, washing her frustration and defeat. Her tears drowned her sorrows and weariness from all the work she had done.


    Since when did she even decide to walk this path? Since when did she find herself unsatisfied with what she has and her achievements?


    Since when was she trapped in this endless cycle of chasing who knows what?


    It was only now that she felt she was really tired. She was really really tired.


    So tired that she felt the emptiness of the things she relentlessly pursued for years and years.


    So tired that by the time she decided to take the short cut, she was pped by a reality of boundless possibilities to genuinely passionate people, to people who had clear vivid goals.


    What had she been chasing for?


    So much that she lost herself along the way.


    She genuinely loved teaching.


    But why and how she was put into such a pitiful state.


    "It''s time now, Alicia, to rest and go back. To go back on what you really love." She told herself in a soft whisper. It was carried gently by the wind, far from the east.


    "Professor Alicia, are you all right?" Suddenly, she heard a concerned voice from her back. This voice was all familiar, to her. It was Eli''s voice.


    "I-''m fine, I''m just having a bad day..." Since she was caught in the act of crying, she didn''t try to hide it and just yed things down.


    "Wanna have some coffee and cake with me?" Eli asked.


    She was actually worried about the girl in front of her. Although this girl was haughty and prideful because of her status, Eli saw a part of her previous self in Alicia.


    That was also the main reason why she treated her with fairness, even though Alicia had once shown her hostility because of her connection with Zeke.


    To be precise, she saw herself in Alicia during the time that she had already lost her will to live her life fully, when her mum died.


    "There''s a nice cafe in town, it was rmended to me by a friend¡­ by an important person in my life. Lilibeth''s cafe makes delicious cakes!" She gently dragged Alicia by arm and led her to go to Lilibeth''s cafe with the Farauld Family carriage.

 Chapter 170 A Date With Eli

    ?Alicia was swept away like the wind. She was deeply in a daze as she allowed Eli to drag her towards the carriage.


    She was already sitting on the other side of the carriage when she realized that she was abducted by the strange girl in front of her.


    She found Eli strange. As far as she knew, she didn''t have any significant interaction with her. Yet this girl has been treating her friendly.


    Just like now, her tears were yet to dry when Eli dragged her to apany to go to a girly cafe.


    Eli, on the other hand, carefully observed Alicia.


    From her conjecture, the girl seemed heartbroken. Although she was concerned about her, she did not need to know the entire reason why she was crying.


    What''s important was to cheer the girl up in her own way.


    If she says it then she could listen with her ranting away her heartache. But if not, she would respect her decision and just apany her until she is feeling fine.


    "We are getting close, I''m not sure if you like sweets, but their tea is good too. It''ll help you improve your mood!" She cheerfully said.


    "Ok.." Alicia awkwardly replied.


    Soon they arrived in a frilly looking cafe. Everything about it speaks of the things a pampered little girl would like, leaving both Eli and Alicia, who were both mature old souls, twitching in distaste.


    Aside from their actual ages, they were the type of women who didn''t appreciate pink and pastel colors, much more if it is used to design in an extremely girly manner.


    Eli awkwardly looked at Alicia and said with an apologetic smile, "Erm.. In truth this is my first time going here.. I didn''t know that the cafe''s appearance was soo¡­"


    "Girly.." Alicia finished Eli''s statement with a matter of factly tone.


    "Yes¡­ so girly.." Eli scratched her head in embarrassment.


    "Pfft!" Alicia found Eli''s expression silly.


    The way she was dragged by Eli was as if she was definitely sure that going to this cafe would cheer her up. Yet why was she as startled as her when they arrived in front of the cafe.


    Her honesty was also hriouslyughable!


    "Pfft! Hahahaha!" Eli couldn''t help butugh with Alicia upon realizing the awkward situation.


    The two women had a goodughing session until their eyes both teared up and their tummies hurt from being tense.


    "Since you have graciously invited me here, let''s go and try their food. It''s nice to act girly for once, after all." Alicia then reminded Eli of their purpose here.


    "Oh, yes.. Come, let''s go!"


    Entering the cafe, they were weed with cheerful pastel colors as well as the delightful scent of sweets, coffee and tea.


    They were led by the cafe host to a vacant private room which boasted a view of the town from a floor to ceiling window.


    "Since it''s winter, I''ll have hot chocte topped with nutmeg spice and cinnamon bun with sweet cream cheese and caramel drizzle. Oh, please add some madeleines and a lemon torte cake!" Eli ordered her food with delight.


    "..." Alicia was left speechless by the amount of food Eli had ordered.


    Aside from their variety, her orders were also extremely sweet! She casted an using nce towards Eli saying, "Am I the one who needed to be cheered up or you?"


    Eli felt Alicia''s contempt and shyly retorted, "Erm.. I ordered for us to taste together¡­ Believe me, it''s not for myself alone.."


    Alicia rolled her eyes saying, ''whatever''.


    "I''ll have coffee, keep it ck. Then add one chocte fudge cake. That''s all." Alicia told her orders, not forgetting to emphasize thest sentence.


    "Hehe.." Eli awkwardly chuckled. "So.. how are you doing these days?"


    "Ermm.. it''s not that you have to tell me anything. I just want you to know that if you need someone who would listen to you, I''ll be here." Eli immediately followed up her question.


    Alicia kept silent, not saying a word for a while. Her eyes drifted to the snowy winter outside the cafe and stayed dazed for a long time.


    Eli patiently waited for her, her eyes also silently watching the snow outside.


    The two women kept quiet and apanied each other through the still silence. Even after they had received their orders, they just stayed silent, wordlessly enjoying their hot drinks under the winter weather.


    "Well.. I thought I was fine. Buttely, I found myself not good at all¡­" Alicia muttered these words after some time. "I felt like reality pped me for thinking highly of myself and losing the real me along the way."


    "All along I hate the feeling of being defeated." Alicia''s eyes drooped with sadness.


    "But I discovered that I abhor the feeling of losing myself more.."


    She tightened her grip on the coffee mug. Her eyes were going red as she remembered the aching she felt outside the amphitheater.


    "Tell me.. How do you win without losing yourself, Eli?"


    "How do I achieve victory without losing more than what I have won?"


    "How do I even win at all?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alicia told Eli these things slowly. The more she ranted, the more heartbroken her tone was. The more she let her feelings out in the open, the more tears rolled in her fair face.


    "I thought because of my background, winning will always be easy."


    "I had a headstart over all mypetitors."


    "I started way earlier than them. I worked way more harder than them."


    "Yet, why must I lose to people who are more talented than me?"


    "Is my hard work not enough?"


    "Is my sincerity not enough? What do they have that I don''t?


    "I worked hard.. I really worked hard.."


    "So hard that I am so goddamn tired.."


    Alicia vented out her frustration, brushing her slender hands on her hair, as she cried in grief.


    Eli stood up silently and sat beside her, patting her back gently, while listening to her take out everything that weighs her heart.


    Although Alicia did not reveal the entire context, Eli more or less knew what she was pertaining to. From a fellow career woman, she fully understood what stressed out Alicia.


    What made her feel tired, what made her feel empty.


    The only difference that she had was Eli had worked tirelessly, not minding if she was in apetition or not.


    "I am tired, but I can''t ept that I kept on losing! Boohoo!" Alicia wailed everything, pouring out all her hurt and woes.


    Finally, Eli told her some words after seeing that Alicia was slowly calming down.


    "Even I don''t know how to win¡­"


    "But you are not destined to lose forever."


    "Alicia, what is winning and losing to you?"


    "For me winning is a prize and losing is a lesson."


    "Both brought me benefits, both created the person that I am now."


    "When I win, I look forward to what lies ahead after winning. When I lose, I look forward to the next battle ahead, thinking this time I might win."


    "Both things, I look forward to, because I know both of them will shape myself."


    "So even if you lose, Alicia, do not let a piece of you be buried along with that loss. Take it with you until you win."


    "And one day, when you are standing on top of the mountain of victory, you will look back with a smile saying ''Here are my battle scars, they are beautiful and brought me victory!''"


    "So cry it out now, then tomorrow, face your battle head on!"


    "Hmm.." Alicia heard each and every word Eli uttered.


    It didn''t answer her worries nor self doubts, it didn''t take away the unwillingness in her heart.


    But Eli''s words encouraged her to face herself and her battles head on.


    She need not to care about winning nor losing. She had to just go through the journey until she recognize that she was walking to the right path.


    The path she chose to thread without fear.


    Soon, the crying session ended and the two women engaged in a sweet tasting event. Eachmenting on how the cakes and pastry tastes and how pleasing it is to their palette.


    Both of them never knew that this seemingly spontaneous travel at Lilibeth''s cafe, would be a start of many more heart to heart talks in this girly cafe.


    ¡ª


    Back in the far end of the Seirende Empire - Riverfort Hospital.


    Two gloomy men sat facing each other, their hands on top of the table supporting their heads in a serious manner.


    One with a blood red hair looking intently towards the man in front of him with an usatory look. These two men were none other than Leon and Kayden.


    "So it''s because of you after all.." Leon said in a low cryptic voice.


    "I swear in the name of the sky guardian that I have no idea who that woman is!" Kayden retorted with a heavy voice.


    "I know.. We all do not know about this thing." Leon replied in an attempt tofort Kayden. "What''s important now is to go back to the capital as soon as possible."


    "Eli will soon be in danger!"

 Chapter 171 The Mysterious Admirer

    ?"We can''t wait for the end of the month¡­" Leon reminded Kayden with a grave expression.


    "Alright, I''ll talk to Sofia and Thomas first thing in the morning." Kayden answered with understanding.


    "I''ll contact the Crimson and Roaming des to mobilize in tightening the security around Eli and Little Han." Leon nodded and informed his friend.


    Kayden, upon remembering the impending danger around Eli and Little Han became visibly guilty and panicked.


    Leon had dived into such intensive investigation to uncover the truth about Elise''s murder.


    Following Eli''s suggestion of adopting the motive of ''jealousy'', Leon started to investigate the women around him and the Riverfort crew.


    He worked relentlessly, carefully checking which among the members most likely had an ambiguous connection outside the hospital.


    However, three days after investigating using this angle, Leon and Kayden still did not have any clue who among them had a jealous admirer.


    They were on the verge of giving up looking through that angle when an old woman was sent to the hospital as a patient.


    While being attended for the recuperation, the old woman asked Kayden a surprising question.


    "Doctor, how are you and your beloved? It''s been years, are you not going to announce your wedding and birth to an offspring?" The old woman teasingly asked.


    "Pardon? A Beloved?" Kayden thought that he had heard the question wrong, or it was because the old woman was already senile. Raising his brows with great interest, he asked the old woman once again.


    "Yes! Your beloved! The one with the deep purple eyes. She has waited for you at that spot every day for more than four years now. In your vi, I also see her around it sometimes." The old woman enthusiastically replied, pointing on a certain distance outside the window.


    "Why are the both of you so shy? When I encouraged her to get inside your office, she would immediately be shy and would always attempt to run away. Aiyooo! You young people!"


    "Then you on the other hand would act like you have no idea. Oh, Sir Doctor, she''s been chasing you for years now. I thought that the both of you would already let yourselves be free and unrestrained!"


    The old woman continued to talk about how ''long winding'' Kayden and the mysterious woman''s rtionship was.


    From her, he knew that the mysteriousdy would stalk her from a specific spot outside the hospital, which had the best view inside his office.


    It was also the same for his vi, which only the disguised Leon could enter freely and publicly. Based on the old woman''s recollection, it had been that way since about four to five years ago, just a little bit ahead of the timing of Eli''s rescue from the mad doctor.


    Too bothered by the peculiar information, Kayden immediately told everything to Leon.


    Although in disbelief, Leon took Kayden''s information seriously and looked into it during the investigation.


    It was only this night that the two discussed the results of the investigation and found out that Kayden really did have a stalker.


    She is far more than a normaldy, not even someone who could be considered as a random admirer in the Capital or the Riverfort town.


    Thisdy admirer was none other than the second daughter of Duke Ves - Arabe Liv Ves.


    Not many people knew of the second daughter of Duke Maxim Ves. Many thought that the second daughter was sickly. That was why she was always missing the major banquets and gatherings organized for the high society.


    Others thought that the second daughter of the Ves Duchy was an entricdy who chose to live inside the library and read books to increase her knowledge other than attend a gathering.


    But all of the people knew that the children of the Ves were simply willful and unruly. They weren''t someone who could be easily trifled with, in fact, they are someone who likes to dominate every event they attend.


    The children from other noble families tend to only act in two different ways whenever they encounter the children of the Ves.


    First was to endure everything and suck up with them. The next one was to avoid them at all costs.


    Either way, never be the one to annoy them, for you and your entire family will definitely be doomed!


    With this conjecture, Leon and Kayden was convinced that the cursing incident and the murder were both the schemes of the Second Daughter of the Ves n.


    Most probably because Arabe Ves thought that the neer was a potential rival in love, to which Leon and Kayden both fell at a loss.


    Regardless of Arabe''s reason, her actions are seriously evil and grave. It is not something that could be dismissed by just a mere misunderstanding.


    That was because both attempts of hurting and murdering Elise involved curses! The biggest and the most abominable act in the entirend of Prasinos!


    Discovering Arabe''s connection with Elise''s case, Leon and Kayden also thought that there is a big possibility that the Vess were dabbling with the taboo of curses as well as a possibility of being in cahoots with the Spectre.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Knowing this, Leon and Kayden both felt the panic and unsettling feeling that the danger was only lurking around the capital, ready to strike the moment they had let their guards down.


    "Let''s use the teleportation arrays to dash back to the capital. I will also exin everything to Father Emperor and Teacher." Leon said hisstment and encouraged Kayden toy the matter aside for the mean time and rest.


    He knew that Kayden would need to sort out his feelings now that he knew about the possibility of Arabe hurting and murdering Elise because of him.


    "Alright¡­" Kayden replied, however he didn''t move from his chair. He was visibly shaken and stressed out.


    "I''ll retire for the night." Leon stood and walked slowly to exit in Kayden''s office room.


    But just before he stepped outside the room, Leon turned back to look at Kayden''s agonizing expression and said,


    "Kayden, remember the oracle we immediately received back then when we first knew of Elise''s demise?" He looked at his friend in a sincere manner and recited the oracle they received through Wisey,


    "Halt you all grieving men in this room¡­


    The matter of Elise''s passing was not a matter to be med to you,


    but to the evil that resides in this world.


    Grieve, let your heart grieve!


    Yet the Great One here says,


    The me isn''t for you to take!"


    Kayden listened as Leon''s voice rang in the silent office. He silently nodded and casted an assuring nce towards Leon, as if saying, ''I hear you, but I need to deal with these feelings of mine alone.''


    Seeing that his friend understood, Leon proceeded to inform Emperor Valentin, Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Andi and General Farauld of their findings.


    In any case, since most of the elders were in the capital, they must be given a heads up so that they would be able to increase the security around Eli.


    Moreover, even if they rushed back tonight and used all avable teleportation arrays, they would still be traveling for three straight days.


    Early in the morning, Kayden summoned Sofia and Thomas for the matter.


    "Just as I have asked earlier, have you already decided who would go to the capital?" Kayden asked intently.


    Thomas was the first one to answer, "I found the thing that satisfies me the most here. Besides, you know that I abhor seeing those noble people, so I chose to stay."


    He seemed to be yful and nonchnt. But Kayden knew Thomas''s personality, all the words he said were serious and definite.


    "Alright, I respect your decision." Kayden replied looking at Thomas with understanding. He then looked at Sofia''s direction.


    "I did want to go out again and explore. But now, I am not ready yet to go out there. So Doctor, I apologize but I''d have to stay." Sofia told Kayden straightforwardly.


    "I understand. In fact there''s another reason why I called you two today." Kayden immediately epted their answers.


    Although a bit disappointed in his heart, the changes due to the investigation would also affect the two of them should they want to go to the Capital.


    "The progress for the investigation would require the Inspector and I to immediately go back to the capital. In fact, the trip that I will be doing now mayst longer than the previous one. It may even take a few years." Kayden started to exin.


    "So I''d have to tap you two once again to take over the Riverfort Hospital in my absence. What do you say about it?"


    Sofia and Thomas replied sincerely without batting an eye, "We will do as you have said, Doctor!"


    Even if Kayden nor Leon didn''t exin the things regarding the current investigation, they still were the ones who took care of Elise when she was rescued.


    The entire Riverfort Crew knew what kind of ruthless things were done to Elise prior to her rescue, they knew the extent of damage it had done to Elise''s poor body.


    They also knew that the power behind her captivity was not simple and extremely sinister!


    As such, hearing Kayden say these things, they all want to express their support for their little sister Elise and the peace of mind for their chief, Kayden.

 Chapter 172 Confessions

    ?"Thank you for understanding the situation." Kayden looked at the two of them sincerely. "May I ask one of you to go and call the others as I announce my leaving."


    "I''ll go, Doctor Eins." Thomas volunteered to go and call the others.


    Soon, only Sofia and Kayden were left in the office.


    Kayden looked at Sofia with an inquiring gaze while asking, "Sofia, are you sure that you will not go with us to the Capital? I am confident that you have the ability to lead the Farauld Medical Research team."


    Although Thomas and Sofia were doctors under Kayden, Sofia was a few years older and more experienced than Thomas, in terms of imparting medical knowledge to someone. Sofia''s personality would fit more should she volunteer to be the professor in charge for the new research team.


    While Thomas was considered a young medical genius, extremely talented and gifted in the field of medicine, his yful personality would not be a fit for the role of guiding the medical research team. Most probably, Thomas would join the researchers in fan boying/girling Kayden''s works.


    Nevertheless, the two doctors were extremely capable and trustworthy.


    Sofia smiled gently and shook her head, she looked at Kayden with a knowing smile and softly said, "Doctor, it is you who would fit most to continue Kayden''s research. Who would be the best to do that but you, the author.."


    Kayden''s eyes widened in shock, even if he doesn''t usually show many emotions on his face, hearing Sofia''s words were enough to create a crack on his calm face.


    "Y-you know?"


    "Uhmm.." Sofia nodded, however, due to the current situation, she has no ns to exin how she knew Kayden''s true identity. "Let''s just say that I knew it from the start."


    "Alright.. Then this matter.." Kayden was still in shock, how was Sofia able to know his true identity.


    "Rest assured, I will keep your identity safe." She gave Kayden a look of assurance.


    "Thank you." Kayden gave her his sincerest thanks.


    Soon, the rest of the Riverfort Crew assembled in Kayden''s office. He slowly announced the matter of his departure, briefly exining the implications of the investigation results on Eli and Little Han.


    Although the crew was initially saddened by their Chief''s departure, they expressed their support for Eli''s matter and Kayden''s decision, just like how Sofia and Thomas viewed the matter earlier.


    Kayden and Leon were set to depart in the afternoon, to be able to reach the nearest teleportation array first thing in the morning.


    The crew immediately mobilized in gathering gifts, herbal medicine and tonics for Eli and Little Han. Although they very much wanted to see Little Han and Eli personally, the entire thing was not feasible and safe at the moment.


    They also expressed their hopes to see them soon, when the enemies were already defeated and it was already safe for them toe and visit.


    After stowing the mountain of gifts for Eli and Little Han, Leon and Kayden bid their goodbyes to the Riverfort Crew and started their three day journey to the capital.


    Meanwhile, in a private room in a certain restaurant, Alicia wore a brave face and calmly faced Collins and Fred who were the representatives of the Vanderford Institute.


    The two wore excited expressions as they thought that Alicia summoned them for some good news. "Lady Alicia, we still have more or less three days for the deadline. What is the purpose of summoning us at this time?"


    "I apologize for calling you here this early, but I''d like you to know that I will no longer fulfill my part of the contract." She said in a straightforward manner. She heightened her senses and carefully observed the expressions of the two representatives.


    Upon hearing Alicia''s reply, Collin''s face immediately turned dark, while Fred became anxious.


    With a low cold voice, visibly restraining his anger, Collins slowly confirmed if he heard Alicia''s words right, "Lady Alicia, am I hearing things right? You want to abort the agreement? You know very well the consequences of aborting and failing to carry out your part of the contract."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, I''ll be eternally cklisted in applying for any faculty nor student position in the Vanderford Institute. This consequence, I fully understand and ept." Alicia decisively proimed without batting an eyelid.


    She sat straight and firm, showing no sense of wavering and room forpromise. Her words and actions were all clearly seen by Collins and Fred. At this moment, they didn''t mask their disappointment and disdain towards Alicia.


    "Good.. good! Then I would not bother to persuade you anymore." Collins gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in extreme anger. If not because he was in a foreignnd, he would have already attacked Alicia and strangled her to death.


    "Then I shall not hold you any longer. Goodbye gentlemen." Alicia nodded and strutted out of the room. She did not bother to appease them as there was really no way to salvage the situation.


    Since she decided to quit her attempt to be used by them, she would not care of what her rtionship to the Vanderford Institute would be.


    Stepping out of the restaurant, she looked up in the cloudy sky, with a smile on her face. The sky was gloomy because it was gently snowing, yet in her heart, the sky was beautiful as it was during spring.


    "I already cut ties with the Vanderford representatives. Now what to do?" She asked herself while her eyes wandered around the town which was gently coated by a fluffyyer of whitest snow.


    "Let''se clean to the headmaster. After that, to Eli." She mumbled to herself.


    As soon as she finished these words, her lone figure started to walk towards the ce where she parked her carriage and asked the coachman to go to the Farauld Estate. She prayed that her sudden request for audience to the Headmaster Farauld would be granted.


    Only when shepletely came clean with the people whom she wronged, will she be totally liberated. Alicia knew this in her heart, so she chose to take action right away.


    Arriving in front of the massive yet low key Farauld Estate, Alicia politely lifted the carriage window and stated her intent to the gatekeeper. "Greetings, Alicia Micha Cross, requesting an emergency audience to Grandmaster Reuben."


    "Greetings Mdy, would you mind to proceed first to the receiving area while I''ll send someone to ry your request to the Grandmaster." The gatekeeper politely responded.


    "Alright, thanks." She replied with a smile. She was then led by the servants to the visitor''s lounge to wait for the Headmaster''s response.


    While she waited with patience, she couldn''t help but nervously sip her tea at the thought of how she woulde clean to the Headmaster. Although her decision was already firm, she still could not suppress the fear of knowing that her confession might spark the anger of the headmaster and the revered Grandmaster mage of the Empire.


    Sitting silently on the lounge, which boasted a rxing atmosphere of floor to ceiling walls and a wide array of indoor shrubs and flowering nts, Alicia couldn''t help but let her mind drift idly. It was really refreshing to see indoor greenery when everything outside was covered with snow.


    She remembered that upon stepping on the Farauld Estate''s main hall, she heard a cheerful wave of childish voices and squeals. She wondered, since when did the Farauld n have so many children in the main hall?


    She remembered that the youngest generation of the Faraulds where not staying at the main estates but to the their designated vis within the vastnd of the Farauld estate.


    However, she immediately dismissed this thing as something that the Faraulds decided since the winter holiday was already approaching.


    She didn''t stay idle and nervous for long, as the butler politely informed her that Grandmaster Reuben granted her an audience.


    She immediately calmed her emotions down and readied her mind of the things that were about to happen.


    Not long after the announcement, an elderly figure, that exudes an aura of wisdom and energy, entered the lounge.


    Grandpa Ben looked at Alicia with an intrigued expression, as he sat on the opposite couch, facing her. Smilingly, he asked her to state her cause, "Young Professor Alicia, what brings you here so suddenly?"


    "Headmaster, I am here to confess my wrongs and toe clean to you." Alicia breathed heavily and exined everything in one breath to avoid running away from what she intended to do.


    "A week ago, I was contacted by two representatives of the Vanderford Institute, to try to poach Great Inventor Eli. After a long winding discussion, I, with a muddlehead, epted to try and steal the Great Inventor''s published book for their use. In turn, they would give me a position of higher level in the Vanderford Institute. However, in the midst of attempting to do so, I saw how the Great Inventor takes her task seriously and I on the other hand had utterly disgraced my profession as an educator andmitted such atrocity!"

 Chapter 173 Coming Clean

    ?Alicia looked at Grandmaster Reuben''s reaction and subconsciously took a nervous gulp.


    However the Headmaster''s expression was not discernable, which left her no choice but to continue exining.


    "Upon realizing the gravity of my sin, I immediately turned back and terminated my agreement with the two representatives of the Vanderford Institute. After that, I have decided to ask for you and Great Inventor Eli''s apology."


    "I was wrong. Headmaster, I am willing to ept the punishment you may impose to me." Alicia looked at Grandpa Ben with an apologetic and sincere look.


    "Hmmm.." Thinking deeply while brushing his long gray beard, Grandmaster Ben looked at Alicia and replied, "Young one, Imend you for turning back and choosing to right your wrongs."


    "However, what you have involved yourself into was a serious matter. I''d have to impose a certain level of punishment for you in order to let you know the consequences of your actions. As an educator, one must always uphold utmost importance of moral conduct at all times." Grandmaster Ben told Alicia with a tinge of sternness and reprimand on his tone and expression.


    "I understand Headmaster. I have no objections to your decision." Alicia submissively looked at Grandmaster Ben.


    She looked at him with a troubled expression and continued, "But I also opted tomunicate this matter to you because of how aggressive the Vanderford Institute is in attempting to get information about the Great Inventor''s whereabouts. I am afraid that I was not the first one they had contacted from the faculty members."


    Hearing this made Grandmaster Ben pause in deep contemtion.


    "Alright, I''ll keep this matter in mind and have the officers investigate. As for the punishment, I''ll give my decision in a few days. Young Alicia, what do you n to do next?" Grandmaster Ben didn''t make the conversation hard for Alicia.


    In fact he apuded Alicia in his heart for being courageous enough to own her wrong doings. It was alreadymendable for her as a preciousdy of a prestigious aristocratic family and a notorious prideful person.


    He was satisfied to see her improve her character this way. Yet he still had to be fair as the headmaster of the institute. Grandmaster Ben had a hope that this would be the start of Alicia''s amazing improvement as an educator.


    "I will be asking Great Inventor Eli''s apology for this matter." Alicia answered straightforwardly.


    "Do you like me to help you summon her today?" Grandmaster Ben asked with a sincere tone. It was not a secret to everyone in the institute that Eli was under their care.


    "There''s no need to bother Headmaster, I will be the one toe to her, just like how I approached you." Alicia replied decisively.


    "Alright as you wish." Grandmaster Ben nodded in understanding.


    "Thank you for hearing me out, Headmaster." Once again, Alicia expressed her gratitude and bade goodbye.


    She was greatly relieved that Grandmaster Ben didn''t show any tant disdain or contempt on her confession. Instead, he heard her in an objective manner.


    After this, Alicia went back to the faculty dormitories with a heart that was significantly lighter than when she entered the estate.


    "Tomorrow, I''ll talk to Great Inventor Eli, then I''ll be finally relieved of my guilt." She said in her heart full of hope.


    Grandpa Ben on the other hand summoned Bramwell and the three deans immediately to discuss the matter of the Vanderford Institute attempting to get a hold of Eli.


    "This matter may be out of hand if we keep on turning a blind eye and act like it''s nothing." Grandpa Ben dered to everyone with a dark expression.


    With how things escted in Alicia''s case, the Vanderford Institute seemed to be desperate enough tomit things such as bribery.


    Even if he was confident that Eli would choose to stay in the Farauld Magic Institute''s side, the desperate attempts of the Vanderford Institute and otherpetitors would cause a great disturbance and turmoil in the campus.


    The officials needed to think of a way to contain these things once and for all.


    "What to do? The matter of the institute spies is very tricky to handle, because not only the faculty members might be involved, who knows if the students were also contacted by these people?" Dean Simone was also equally bothered by this incident.


    It is not because of the fact that the person involved was Eli, but it was because of the fact that if they couldn''t handle the situation well, they would never be able to handle simr things in the future, may it be Eli or another budding talent.


    As a prestigious institute, they have to learn to protect and retain their talents.


    "What I suggest is for us to clearly investigate the extent of the contacts done with the people within the campus. Only then we would be able to think of a better countermeasure." Bramwell suggested.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I agree with the Vice Chairman. I''ll immediately mobilize my team to investigate this matter at our institute." Athena immediately volunteered.


    The others nodded in agreement.


    "As for the books, I suggest incorporating an array to ensure that the books were only used by the faculty members and students through their identity badge. Although it will not fully prevent thepetitors from knowing what''s inside the book, at least we can eliminate the threat of the books being stolen by outsiders directly." Zeke also suggested.


    "I also agree with that." Simone and Athena replied in unison.


    "Alright, since the books were only distributed in the research institute, Zeke, I''ll have you handle the instation of the restriction arrays in two days at most. Simone and Athena you will be responsible for your own books. Bramwell, have it arranged for the next batch of printing." Headmaster Reuben summarized all agreements and started to delegate tasks to the officials.


    "We will meet after Athena''s investigation is done and we will all think of a long term countermeasure."


    "Yes, Headmaster!" They responded attentively.


    Eli was oblivious of these things that were happening around her. It was only until the next day that she was able to learn about the matter with the Vanderford Institute.


    Stepping out of the amphitheater, Eli was weed by the lone figure of Alicia, who was patiently waiting at a nearby winter shed near the exit.


    "Alicia, why are you outside? It''s already winter, why are you staying out in the cold?" Eli asked with a trace of concern. Although they were wearing ck robes made from the Forgeworn fabric, staying for too long would still let the wearer feel the cold of the winter season.


    "I have been waiting for you to finish your lecture. Come, apany me to coffee again, I''m shivering from waiting for you to finish." Alicia answered in a straightforward and stiff manner. There was even a hint of being aggrieved in her tone.


    In truth, Eli actually finished her lecture half an hourter than usual. This is because it was already thest day of her bootcamp.


    She allowed everyone to freelymunicate their questions and troubles from the topics discussed, in order to properly wrap up her bootcamp lessons. As such, Alicia actually waited for half an hour more.


    "Alright, let''s go at once!" Eli immediately moved to go with Alicia to Lilibeth''s cafe.


    The two booked the same private room they had been in before. After receiving their orders, Eli looked at Alicia and finally asked, "Why are you looking for me, Alicia? Do you need me for something?"


    After sipping her ck coffee several times, Alicia put down her cup and slowly nced towards the waiting Eli, "I am actually here to apologize to you."


    "Huh??? Apologize?" Eli was extremely confused.


    She didn''t remember any offense Alicia made towards her that warrants her personal apology. Even that one time of expressing her frustration at the canteen was too petty for Eli to be asking Alicia an apology.


    Looking at Eli''s confused expression, Alicia couldn''t help but let out a heavy sigh andment for Eli''s naivety.


    "You may not know but I wronged you many times already." Alicia slowly exined.


    "First was that time when I expressed my contempt towards you and Zeke. You must know that even until now, I still feel salty about that man..."


    Upon uttering Zeke''s name, Alicia had an extremely annoyed face, clearly indicating her animosity towards the man.


    "Then, I was also the one who triggered the spread of rumors in the campus about you being a tyrant."


    "Lastly, did you know that I have been attempting to steal your book sets? That time when you encountered me, I was in the process of nning how to do it. Then two days ago, I sessfully infiltrated your lesson hall, however, I backed out right after hearing your lectures." Alicia exined these things in detail with a serious look on her face.


    "I will no longer justify myself as to why I havemitted these things to you. You know very well that I have been struggling in dealing with my own struggles at that moment in this same ce. But you know, encountering you made me realize a lot."


    "I finally have decided to face everything head on, may it be wins or losses. I will ept them with open arms."


    "But in order for me to begin this new adventure, I need toe clean to you first. I ask for your apology, I am sorry for doing you wrong repeatedly. I hope that you ept my sincerest apology." Alicia looked at Eli earnestly.


    There was no pretense in her tone, nor her expression. It was all remorse and longing to make up with Eli.

 Chapter 174 Makeover

    ?Eli, who had been nonchntly enjoying her blueberry cheesecake, immediately froze and looked at Alicia with a shocked expression.


    She was shocked for two reasons.


    The first one was the fact that Alicia bore hostility towards her. Following that fact, she concluded that she was the reason why Alicia cried heavily a few days ago. Knowing this, she had no idea how to react.


    Will she feel angry or guilty?


    The second reason was the fact that Alicia, the extremely proud nobledy from the Cross Family was now making amends to her.


    Even if she only knew of Alicia for a good few months, it was enough for Eli to understand her prideful and haughty personality.


    Yet here she is, saying sorry to her with sincere eyes.


    Eli let out a heavy sigh and replied, "I see.. Then I ept your apology. But of course I will very much like that there will no longer be tant nor hidden hostility between us."


    Deep inside, Eli was really helpless in the situation.


    This was the first time she had known these things were directed towards her. By the time she came to learn this matter, she no longer had time to digest everything, much less get angry towards Alicia.


    "But to trust is a different matter." Eli continued with a low and serious expression.


    Looking at the other side of things, both her and Alicia couldn''t really be considered as friends. Eli could even dismiss their encounters as a random act of kindness toward a stranger.


    Trust is as fragile as a ss.


    It''s easier to build it than to restore it.


    Once broken, it could be painstakingly fixed, yes.


    But it will no longer be the same as it was before.


    With this, she felt relieved that the two of them were not yet at the point where Eli had already built a certain level of trust towards Alicia.


    "Fair enough." Alicia replied with an expression of understanding.


    She too was deeply relieved that Eli was only someone with whom she didn''t have any significant rtionship at the moment.


    However, there was a piercing pain in her heart, a little sense of loss as if saying that she regretted losing a chance to gain a good friend.


    After this brief and sinct exchange, the two were left in an awkward silence, not knowing how to continue the conversation. They just silently ate and drank their orders as they looked at the winter scenery through the floor to ceiling window.


    "I''m really sorry.." Alicia mumbled, clearly regretful about the situation.


    "Let the past be past. Move forward and look at the path ahead." Eli replied in a consoling manner. "Besides, there''s still days ahead. You are still free to abduct me for a trip to this cafe." She added in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere around the two of them.


    "Can I keep your word for that?" Alicia asked. Her eyes showed an uncertain expression, like a child unwilling to believe her parent''s coaxing words.


    "Uhuh.. Of course, whoever initiates should pay the bills!" Eli reminded with a stern face, yet her tone was as light as a friend throwing a joke or a teasing.


    "Hmm, I''m good with that! I can''t have anyone challenge my pockets!" Alicia the daughter of a renowned count family raised her chin with pride.


    "Alright, I''ll depend on you for my cake allowance in the future!" Eli, the secret millionaire and tycoon of a sack of supreme quality mana stones nodded wearing a money grubber expression. Who doesn''t want free things?


    The two exchanged light chuckles as they realized that the awkwardness between them was slowly fading away.


    Before the two ended their visit to the cafe, a thought came to Alicia''s mind.


    "I also almost forgot, I believe that you already know my connection to the Empress of the Empire." Alicia said in a tone that was soft enough that only the two of them could hear.


    "Yes I do.." Eli nodded, curious as to why Alicia brought up the Empress so suddenly.


    Leaning closer to Eli, her other hand ced on the side of her mouth in an expression of ady gossiping, Alicia said,


    "It''s like this, not only the Vanderfords were looking for your whereabouts and trying to get you on their side. In truth, the Empress also asked me to get close to you for the same reason and reward!"


    "But of course, since you know my involvement with the Vanderfords, you can rest assured that I do not n to grant the Empress''s request. I only want to remind you to be aware of these things. You''re in a moreplicated situation than what you really think!"


    Hearing this, Eli''s brows furrowed, thinking deeply.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although they had already anticipated that the Empress would make her move anytime, she still couldn''t help but feel nervous knowing that the enemy had already set her eyes on her.


    However, she looked at Alicia with an earnest expression, "I see, do not worry. In terms of this matter, I will consult the headmaster. With that I will know how to handle these things properly."


    "Good! Good!" Seeing that Eli listened to her warning sincerely, Alicia''s mood rose up. She was happy that Eli believed her even though she had wronged her initially.


    Besides, she was also relieved upon hearing that Eli will consult this to the Headmaster, for she also knew that this was the best action to take whenever a matter involved a member of the Imperial Family.


    Although Alicia didn''t know, soon Eli, and the two families were about to publicly announce her identity to the entire capital.


    Sooner orter, Eli, Leon and the rest must be prepared enough to contain the consequences of announcing her official entry on the Forgeworn and Farauld families.


    "Oh, do you want to apany me to the Forgeworn Boutique & Salon? I''ve been nning whether to color my hair to join the ck hair trend!" The oblivious Alicia asked Eli, like how someone''s bestie would persuade the other to go and cut their hair at the salon.


    "Umm, well I can apany you for a while." Eli didn''t reject it upon hearing that Alicia would want to join the ck hair trend. This would be extremely beneficial for her and Little Han''s future safety.


    ''I''ll treat this as Alicia''s way ofpensating for the wrong doings she just did then¡­ Let her be one of the trendsetters!'' Eli thought in her mind.


    "Then let''s go!" Alicia immediately settled the bill and dragged Eli to the Forgeworn Boutique and Salon.


    The ck hair trend was steadily spreading throughout the Empire. Upon the ck hair fashion official entry in the capital, Eli and her Forgeworn Business Division brainstormed about how they would market the trend.


    Their goal was not to make it a temporary trend but a permanent option for all women in the Empire.


    Eli''s first strategy was to market it as someone who would make the older noble women look years younger than they really were.


    In the first few months of applying this strategy, they visibly saw the increase in preference of the older women about these things.


    However, they have no ns to stop at that point. What Eli needed was to make it a preferred fashion choice at her own market segment - the young women.


    As such, Eli adopted a modern advertising and marketing tactic - utilizing influencers!


    Eli and the Forgeworn Business Division were on the lookout for noble women who were famous enough to spread the trend on younger women of the Capital.


    They have already engaged several daughters of the noble families in the capital and instantly saw the effectiveness of this strategy.


    Soon, it became a hot topic during tea parties and conversations of the young nobledies. Whenever one would attend with a ck hair, every nobledy would gather around and ask the person about her overall experience and satisfaction.


    This created the trend within Eli''s age group. However, Eli wouldn''t reject Alicia who would help to establish the trend more!


    Entering the boutique they were greeted by the shop stylist and were politely asked what service they would want to avail.


    "I''d like to have my hair be colored ck." Alicia enthusiastically replied.


    "Right away Mdy!" The stylist led them to a cozy salon room.


    It was a simple carpet walled room with one side ridden withrge mirrors. Eli designed the room to particrly look appealing to those who would want to avail of the hair coloring service.


    She got this inspiration from the modern day salons back in her previous life.


    The process of the coloring hair with henna would normally be two to four hours.


    However, the Forgeworns improved the formtion along the way until they were able to create a concoction that would allow the process to be shortened by an hour or two depending on the hair color.


    "Stay with me and tell me if I look good on ck hair.." Alicia pleaded with Eli.


    "Alright." Eli nodded with a calm expression.


    Soon the process of coloring started. While waiting for Alicia, Eli sat beside her, reading the newspaper for today''s issue.


    Alicia was feeling extremely nervous because of the drastic change she would be doing on her hair. To ease her nervousness, the stylist took initiative to converse with her of thetest news in the Capital.


    "Mdy, your hair makeover, would definitely be in time for the uing winter banquet!"


    "Winter banquet?" Alicia asked the stylist with interest.


    "Yes! The winter banquet would be held by the Forgeworn and Farauld ns! Everyone is going crazy!"

 Chapter 175 News About The Winter Banquet

    ?Alicia raised her brows with interest, "Hmm, I get that the Forgeworns and Faraulds were hosting this banquet, but what makes everyone so crazy about this?"


    From Alicia''s point of view, the two families hosting a banquet weren''t anything special. It''s not something a person like her could be excited about. Every year, there would be one or two aristocratic families who would be holding a grandiose winter banquet and it was never new.


    Their conversation also caught Eli''s attention. Although she knew very well what would happen in the winter banquet, she was still curious about how the people viewed the uing banquet.


    "Mdy, the banquet isn''t a normal one! For it was the Emperor himself who offered the Moonlight Hall as the venue of the winter banquet! Everyone was really surprised to hear about this! We all know that the Emperor never showed direct support to any influential family in the capital. This is the first time and yet he didn''t hold back at all! It''s the Moonlight Hall! Thergest banquet hall in the pce!" The stylist exined these things in a lively tone, her eyes were brightly shining. She was excited and proud as an employee of the Forgeworn family.


    "Hmm, that really sounds so interesting." Alicia also agreed after she heard the exnation.


    She grew up knowing the Emperor''s background. When he ascended as the young Emperor of the Seirende Empire, he almost fell short due to the pressure of the noble men.


    When he was able to stabilize his power, he showed that he would be the kind of leader who would never curry favors for the aristocrats in order to consolidate his power.


    Yes, he was still constantly pressured by these nobles, just like how he helplessly sent his third son on the battlefield at an early age.


    But he also never showed favor to any of them, no matter how influential they were.


    This was the reason why the Vess and the Astazes were forever on a stalemate, no matter how much they schemed at each other in the council. They couldn''t get ahead of one another because the Emperor never showed any biases towards any of them.


    Even though their sisters were the Emperor''s wives.


    Even though their nephews were the Emperor''s sons.


    Hearing that the Emperor showed favor to two of the most influential families in the capital, the nobles and themon folks were in an uproar. They all had divided opinions.


    Some believed that the Emperor was finally using his brain and used the two families as his strongest backing to suppress the haughty nobles. Others would just nonchntly assume that the Emperor was just giving face to thete Emperor''s sworn brothers and should not take this matter to heart.


    Afterall, Grandmasters Reuben and Andvari are people worthy of respect for everyone in the Empire, as legendary S ss grandmasters and also as the Empire''s strong foundation during the war of the Blood Valley.


    "I know right, Mdy?! So this time, Mdy''s hair would very much be in time for the winter banquet! That is for sure!" The stylist answered proudly, while carefully putting the coloring concoction to Alicia''s hair.


    Alicia looked at Eli''s reflection in the mirror and asked curiously, "Are you attending the banquet too?"


    Eli looked back and calmly nodded, "Yes, I will be there too¡­ I guess."


    "Hmm, I see... Then I''d have to prepare for it too! It''s boring to attend a banquet without knowing someone out there." Alicia looked satisfied at Eli''s answer, she started to look forward to the banquet too.


    Eli didn''t reply any word and just gave Alicia a profound and assuring smile. She didn''t voice out the question in her heart about Alicia saying that she would not know anyone in the banquet if she didn''t attend.


    Perhaps, she really was so haughty that otherdies would prefer to avoid her?


    Thinking about this, she decided to shut her mouth and not hurt Alicia''s pride.


    It will take one hour to ensure that the colors were deposited in Alicia''s hair properly. During this time, they never became bored as the stylist kept on entertaining them with countless news, rumors and gossip around the capital.


    Other than the news of the winter banquet, the stylist divulged the news of the homing of the three princes which would also be held soon. Ever since the decree was announced, everyone knew that the Emperor sent all his sons to sweep the Empire clean of the sinister terrorists.


    Knowing that the mission will be finallyplete, everyone was looking forward to their homing. It meant that the Empire was also finally free of the threats from the Spectre!


    "The homing and recognition ceremony would also be held on the day of the Winter Banquet!His Majesty nned to reward the entire army who were involved with the cleaning operations of the terrorists! Oh! There''s also a portion where the Great Inventor and her project team would appear in public and receive recognition!" The stylist enthusiastically continued.


    Upon hearing the news, both Alicia and Eli felt a surge of excitement in their hearts.


    For Alicia, she looked forward to his little brothering back after more than half a year of not seeing each other. She was sure that her parents would be ted with this news too.


    For Eli, she was looking forward to seeing her Papie home along with the rest of the des too.


    Of course, she was also looking forward to Leon''sing. There''s also the thing where she would appear publicly to face all people.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I guess, His Majesty would want that particr day to be really festive! Everyone in the capital would celebate morning ''till night¡­" Alicia replied with a nod, casting a meaningful nce towards Eli, the Great Inventor.


    "Indeed!"


    Soon Alicia''s hair was ready. The stylist carefully brushed Alicia''s now silky long ck hair and styled it ording to her facial features.


    "Wow!" Eli couldn''t help but exim in shock, astonishment filled her eyes.


    "Is this really m-me?" Staring at therge salon mirror dazedly, Alicia looked at her reflection with her mouth agape.


    "You really look good!" Eli and the stylist praised her in unison.


    Prior to coloring her hair, it could be said that Alicia looked like ady with fair and delicate features, if she decided to simply stand on a corner and not open her mouth. The moment she did, everyone would be shocked at the stark contrast of her personality and appearance.


    However, right now, when she colored her hair ck, she looked like a fierce femme fatale. Her delicate features were now alluring and dangerous. Her aura changed into ady with a strong yet captivating presence. Following Alicia''s haughty and prideful personality, her new look was perfect!


    Alicia was stunned at the sight she saw, she looked at Eli with disbelief in her eyes, as if asking if it was an illusion that she was actually seeing.


    "No, Alicia, it''s you! You look beautiful!" Eli smiled sincerely while giving her an assuring look.


    Alicia looked at the mirror once again, this was the first time she discovered this side of herself. The Alicia she saw in the mirror was something she never expected to see.


    However, her heart feels so satisfied. With misty eyes, she smiled deeply while saying, "I''m d that I did this¡­"


    "Uhn! It''s very worth it!" Eli supported her with praise.


    The two women went home with a light and happy feeling. They even forgot the awkwardness of Alicia''s confession of her hostility towards Eli earlier.


    All that the two had in mind was how amazing the effect of coloring Alicia''s hair was in her appearance.


    Alicia excitedly went home to the Cross Estate. She couldn''t wait to meet her mother and father to let them see her new look.


    As soon as she reached the estate, she immediately inquired the whereabouts of her parents. She didn''t even notice the shocked and astonished gazes of the servants around her.


    "M-mdy, Master and Madame are in the lounge having tea." A butler tried his best not to stammer in answering Alicia''s question. He was clearly distracted by her new look.


    "Alright, I''ll head there right away!" She immediately replied and dashed to her parents'' location.


    The butler was too helpless to stop her from running through the estate. However, there was a relieved smile on his face, along with the other servants of the house, "Finally, young miss looked truly happy¡­"


    In the Cross Family lounge which was warmly lit by firewood, an old couple was silently having their afternoon tea in the cold winter weather.


    Although the couple looked silent and calm, there was an air of worry and longing in their eyes.


    Perhaps it was because of their old age or perhaps because there were only the two of them in the seeminglyrge estate.


    Bang!


    The tranquility enjoyed by the old couple was shockingly disrupted by the sudden opening of the lounge door.


    After that, a ''figure with silky ck hair'' suddenly pounced in their direction.


    "Kyaaa!" The old couple was too startled, they yelped in distress at the figure speedilying towards them.


    They even lost grip of the tea cup they were currently enjoying.

 Chapter 176 When Women Decide

    ?"Mother, Father! It''s me!!" Alicia realized that she had startled the old couple and shocked them with her rushing figure. She immediately stopped her approach at a certain distance and introduced herself in an apologetic tone.


    She looked guiltily at the old couple who were still shaking in shock and surprise.


    Poor elderlies, their hearts couldn''t take the scare!


    "Mother, Father. Breathe slowly.." Alicia tried to calm them down by reminding them to breathe.


    "Heavens Alicia! How many times do I have to say that you are no longer a child! Ady should not run around like that!!!" Count Cross eximed aggrievedly and started to reprimand Alicia while his eyes were on his beloved wife, who was still taking deep breaths.


    "Aiyooo! Please next time, go easy on your mother! She couldn''t take the scare anymore.. Eh, who are you? Where''s my daughter??!"


    Just as he was about to continue his sermon, he was shocked to see a person with a different hair color than his daughter. His hands froze in the air as he pointed in Alicia''s direction with great confusion.


    "You¡­ Alicia? My daughter??" Madame Cross had just recovered when she was yet again shocked at the person before them.


    "Yes... Mother, Father... I visited the salon today and had my hair colored. I''m sorry. I was so excited to let you see the new appearance that I had startled you to this extent." Alicia replied rather awkwardly. She was indeed excited earlier, but now she felt guilty for scaring the old couple.


    "..." The two paused for a long while slowly taking in the information they received.


    The first one to recover was Alicia''s mother. She was actually shocked to see Alicia''s transformation.


    "My daughter! Your new look really made you into a different person! You''ve be more dazzling and captivating!" She eximed in a proud tone while she stretched out her arms and hugged Alicia warmly.


    "Indeed! I didn''t know that my daughter hides this much beauty! I like this look of yours! I like that you are finally spending time on yourself!" Count Cross supported his wife and daughter.


    "Uhn... I realized that there''s more for me than being cooped up in the academy. I love teaching, but I also have to love myself more. Mother, Father... I no longer desire to advance in my career by doing favors for the Empress or to anyone. I want to stay here in the capital and not go to the Vanderford Institute. I''ll take whateveres my way." Alicia said in one breath.


    The old couple was then again startled. They knew their daughter well, she was someone who won''t give up on her career advancement. That was why they were constantly racking their brains and wagging their tails to the Vess and the Empress in order to get an opportunity for their daughter.


    Yet now, their daughter was actually dering that she would stop pursuing her dream of getting a higher position. This worried them to the extreme. How can she be happy now if she would give up?


    "Mother, Father¡­ Don''t think too much. I ampletely happy with my decision. Lately, I realized that I kept on pursuing something that made me lose myself. I don''t want that kind of journey! So this time, I''ll take it slow and enjoy the road!" Alicia could clearly see the thoughts behind her parents'' worried expression.


    "I will still continue to teach. Only this time, I would spend more time taking care of myself, meeting new friends, and maybe I''ll get a husband too.." Alicia carefreely exined. However, her eyes were filled with hope for the journey ahead.


    Alicia''s persuasive words finally made the old couple awake. They realized that Alicia was determined to take a pause and start her life anew. They let out a helpless sigh and held Alicia''s hands.


    "All we want is to see you happy." They said, full of love in their eyes.


    Yes, they loved their daughter dearly. But as a parent, they regret spoiling her so much that she became unprepared in taking on the hardships of life. They know that this was the biggest parenting mistake they hadmitted, and that is why they decided to support her until they can.


    "Now that you have figured out what would really make you happy, then we will also support you as long as we can. Alicia, mother and father love you dearly." They continued, looking at Alicia with teary eyes.


    "I love you dearly too.. Mother... Father!! I love Little Brother too." Alicia couldn''t help but quiver as she said these words.


    Her heart was so moved as she remembered all the things they did for her. Yet she kept on giving them trouble despite knowing that they were already getting old.


    Now that she was already clear-headed, it was time for her to properly love them back.


    "Oh, speaking of your little brother! They''ll being back soon! I''d like the two of you to attend the winter banquet alright?" Madame Cross took out a golden envelope that was addressed to the Cross Family.


    Looking at the envelope with understanding, Alicia nodded and expressed her willingness to join.


    The trio then enjoyed tea time together. Although the winter was cold, the warmth around the three of them has made the usually deste and solemn estate turn into a loving one.


    At the same time on Eli''s side, while on the way to the Farauld Estate, she was absentmindedly looking at the winter snow.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her mind kept on thinking about when Leon woulde back.


    Eli spent months going back and forth figuring out her feelings towards Leon.


    She kept on stalling time in order to dy confronting her feelings towards him, only to finally conclude one thing - Leon had long taken a special ce in her heart.


    What she was actually worried about was just her way of denying things, being the overthinker that she is.


    It wasn''t even the case of being helpless because she was living in Elise''s stead. It was the case of her running away because she was too scared to admit it. Too scared to enter into something she never had any knowledge about.


    However, the past few days when the two agreed to frequently call each other, made her heart finally surrender.


    Yes, she was finally willing to act like a youngdy coquettishly in love.


    Although deeply embarrassed, she couldn''t hide the fact that she would now always look forward to Leon''s call at the end of every day. Like two young people in love, they would talk untilte at night about things that sometimes weren''t even important.


    Yet even those things would not even make them grow tired of hearing each other''s voices.


    Eli felt really helpless about this matter. It was her first time being in love, it was also her first time discovering this side of herself.


    She never thought that she, a twenty-seven-year-old soul from modern earth would act like a teenage girl by just exchanging a call from Leon. It seems like being in love would really make you into a different person.


    This time, Eli felt that hiding and worrying no longer hold any meaning to her, Leon, and Little Han.


    Whether she gets together with Leon or not, theplications around her would still be the same, she would still need to solve it anyway.


    So whenever she looked back at the past months when she mundanely scared herself from entering a rtionship with Leon, she would always shake her head reprimanding her past self.


    Why was she so indecisive when it came to the matter with Leon?


    Didn''t she promise to herself and to the Great One that she will be living her life fully?


    Why did she allow her worries and thinking to hold back her life?


    Now that her mind is clear, she is no longer worried.


    She decided in her heart that it was time!


    She will answer Leon''s feelings properly and personally. She would face him head-on.


    She would no longer deny herself. Nor would she overthink things.


    She would no longer waste time worrying about theplication of things, she had already wasted the past few months.


    This time, since they are a family, Leon, Little Han, and her.


    She will make it true to the highest level!


    A true family filled with love!


    While she was fueling her desire to finally ept Leon''s feelings, the teleportation in the cottage suddenly activated.


    Two good-looking young men appeared on the cottage with travel-worn expressions. One of them with golden hair and deep green eyes - it was Kayden in his original appearance.


    The second one, was a man with blood-red hair and cold crystal blue eyes, the man whom Eli longs for deeply at the moment. The one whom Eli was preparing to confess to - Leon!

 Chapter 177 Leons Home

    ?The moment Leon ran his crystal blue eyes to the cottage he had not seen for a long time, his body instantly rxed.


    That familiar couch, the rustic log walls, even the musky scent of the wood screamed home in his heart.


    The biggest change he saw in the living room was the plushie yground, which would have totally ruined the rustic theme of the living room.


    But to Leon''s eyes, it was the most adorable corner of the room.


    He could actually imagine his little son cutely rolling and crawling around the fenced perimeter. Just thinking about this made Leon smile like the first bloom of spring.


    Kayden beside him could only helplessly shake his head with a smile. Seeing his friend like this made him feel relieved and envious at the same time.


    Two of them had been friends since they were young and they both had to run for their lives for many reasons. They grew up never even thinking that they would one day feel this kind of warmth.


    The warmth of loving someone, the warmth of having an offspring.


    Kayden seeing his friend lost in longing and love also made him look forward to his time to experience the same too.


    One day, with his own love. One day with his own family.


    "Are we going to notify Little Sister Eli of your arrival?" He thoughtfully asked his friend.


    "No not yet, I''ll stay in the kitchen and prepare for dinner. I have already notified the des to think of a way to dy Eli''s going home. I have time to prepare for her meal." Leon quickly ran in the kitchen and rummaged with great sense of familiarity around it.


    Very naturally, he tied the white frilly apron around his tall muscr body and tied a rubber band to his neck long red blood hair. Despite the stark contrast of the apron and his handsome figure, Leon''s appearance was extremely manly and seductive.


    So seductive that someone would blush like a tomato and feel her throat dry every time she would see him dressed like this in the future.


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when they arrived, Leon smiled as he deduced that the des were sessful in stalling time for Eli toe home.


    "Nice, I''ll prepare her a good and hearty dinner!" Leon said while he carefully folded his sleeves in his muscr arms and stared at the ingredients he took form the space bag.


    "Let me help you then." Kayden also wanted to give his Little Sister a nice dinner so he joined Leon in the kitchen.


    Staring at the ingredients, his eyes fixed on a particr ingredient they took out and excitedly said, "For sure, she would very much like our dinner today!"


    Meanwhile, Eli was already in the Farauld estate having a serious conversation with Grandpa Ben and the rest of the elders of the Farauld family.


    In reality, the des need not to think of a gimmick to stall time for Eli, because she already had the intention to have a good talk with Grandpa Ben and the rest regarding the earlier conversation she had with Alicia.


    "The girl had already confessed to me prior to going to you. She was determined to exin everything to you face to face and ask for your forgiveness sincerely. So I let her be." Grandpa Ben exined.


    "Well, it is no use for me to even hold a grudge at her. She had already decided to own her mistakes and live for the better. Who am I to take that right away from her? That would be cruel. Besides, I could ept it easier because she was not able to bring me real harm." Elimented rather rationally.


    "Hmm. Fair enough." Grandpa Ben nodded in approval. This littledy in front of her is magnanimous and rational. One that can forgive, yet not blindly.


    "But let this be a lesson for you to realize not to trust anyone that easily, nor let your guard down because you are in a seemingly safe ce." Grandma Myrna worriedly reminded her.


    "Yes Grandma, this was really a lesson for me. Perhaps it was because everyone around me was able to ept me so kindly that I had forgotten howplicated the things around me were. I got a hard reality check, especially when Alicia mentioned that the Empress also had her eyes on me now¡­" Eli obediently listened to the elder''s advice.


    "As a matter of fact, the Empress wanted Alicia to get close to me and recruit me under her faction."


    There was a deep silence in the room. Everyone couldn''t help but bearplicated expressions on their faces upon hearing the matter about the Empress.


    "We need not to think so hard about this matter." Aqu, who was once a strong knight in her prime reminded everyone.


    "During the winter banquet, our dear Eli''s identity would be announced. I estimate that the Empress, along with the aristocrats, would not be able to make a move on her that easily upon knowing that she has Father and Grandmaster Andi''s backing."


    Although the announcement of Faraulds and Forgeworns taking in Eli would put a lot of pressure on them against those who are interested in Eli''s inventor identity, it was also a way to protect her and Little Han for a considerable amount of time.


    They live in a society where talents such as inventing could be easily killed because of the suppression of people with power.


    So Eli being part of the two biggest authorities in the Empire is also a form of protection against those who wanted to take advantage of her abilities, while she builds her reputation for Little Han''s future.


    "Uhn, there''s no need to be worried. What we really need to prepare for now is the winter banquet! We have to let everyone know that we are taking in Eli genuinely, not just for formality! We have to show them how important she is in our Farauld Family!" Grandpa Ben reminded everyone excitedly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hearing this also lightened up the mood of everyone.


    "As for those sneaky Vanderfords, I''ve sent them a little ''gift'' to make them go home happily! Bahahahaha!" Grandpa Benughed heartily upon remembering his little prank.


    Grandma Myrna could only helplessly shake her head, while Bramwell, Janine and Aqu could only wear stiff faces. Eli on the other hand was clueless about the ''gift'' Grandpa Ben was talking about.


    Eli and the Elders talked for a while, before letting her and Little Han go home to the cottage. Strangely, the elders didn''t insist that she take dinner in the estate as they usually do.


    They just asked her to return safely and rest early.


    The sky was already dark orange when she managed to step in the teleportation array connected to her little home.


    "Ayee!!!!" Hugging the excited Little Han in her arms she traveled to the teleportation array, mentally calcting how much time she had to spend in making dinner before she could prepare for sleep.


    Appearing from the teleportation array what first assaulted her nose was a very familiar fragrance that she was not able to catch even a whiff for almost a year already.


    "Aye!!! Ayeee!!!!" Little Han wiggled excitedly in her arms as soon as they materialized in the cottage living room.


    It is as if he was excited about something that was in their little house.


    "Ayee!!!!" He continued to wiggle his body up and down, his chubby arms wiggling with joy as he bared his two little milk teeths so adorably.


    "Shhhh son calm down.." Eli tried to calm the excited Little Han down, she immediately paid attention to the active Little Han, afraid that she could not hold his weight and let him fall due to his extreme excitement.


    "Let me hold him for you." Suddenly, a familiar maic voice rang behind her.


    The voice was so familiar to Eli because she heard of this voice almost every night in the past few days. Now it sounded so amazingly near her.


    "Kya!!!!" It was Little Han who first saw the man behind his mommy and eximed in excitement.


    His crystal eyes shined like jewels while he proudly showcased his two little milk teeth towards the man behind! "Kyaaa! Ayeeee!!!"


    Eli immediately turned around upon hearing the voice and saw the man whom she had been longing toe home in the past few months.


    "Leon!" She called out softly under her surprised breath. Seeing him, she couldn''t stop her eyes from moistening. Tears were already threatening to fall.


    She looked at Leon as if the time paused.


    Although he had already stayed in the Riverfort for a considerable amount of time, she could still find traces of the harsh environment he lived in the past few months.


    His previously fair skin was slightly tanned, yet it didn''t even lessened his charm, not even a bit.


    He is still tall and muscr, however, there were signs of battle in his strong pair of hands who was now used in lovingly holding their little one.


    His weight visibly reduced, Eli could just imagine what kind of hardships he experienced in the far ends of the Empire.


    Knowing this, Eli couldn''t help but tremble in heartbreak. For the sake of her and Little Han''s safety, He spent countless nights under the stars in the open wilderness and raided countless hideouts.


    Her shaking hands subconsciously reached out to Leon who was already carrying Little Han in his arms.


    She reached out to feel his warmth.


    She reached out to make him feel that he was already safe in her seemingly frail arms.


    "You are finally home¡­" She mumbled under her tears.


    Leon smiled sweetly while looking at the woman who was a head shorter than him, hugging him with trembling arms.


    He could feel his heart leap up in the sky as he saw her way of showing affection.


    He secured Little Han on one of his arms and used the other to secure Eli in his embrace.


    "Hmnn I''m home." He softly uttered as he gently kissed the top of Eli''s head, calmly allowing his nose to get a whiff of her scent.

 Chapter 178 I Am Having A Good Life!

    ?There were no other sounds in the living room other than the muffled sniffles from Eli. Leon allowed to let out her emotions and kept still for a while.


    On one hand, he securely held Little Han, while the other was soothing the sobbing Eli.


    "Awoooo.." Little Han felt that Eli was emotional. He suddenly bent down and tried to reach out with his little chubby paws to fort'' his mommy.


    When he reached out his little paws, he realized that he couldn''t reach even the top of Eli''s head. "Uummpph!" He huffed and puffed his round cheeks and bent down a little more, trying to reach the top of his mummy''s head.


    Afraid that Little Han would injure his young body because of the action, Leon slightly lowered his arm. Finally, Little Han was able to reach the top of Eli''s head.


    Little Han clumsily iled his two paws as if trying to caress Eli''s head. "Awuuuu..." Then his next action gave Leon a big surprise!


    He bent his head down and ''kissed'' the top of Eli''s head just like how Leon did it earlier!


    Seeing this, Leon let out a helpless chuckle and said, "You sure learn so fast!"


    Eli also felt Little Han''s gesture and lifted her head with a smile. Her eyes were still moist and a little bit red, but she didn''t forget to reciprocate Little Han''s ''kiss''.


    Realizing that she became too forward with her reactions, she shyly let go of Leon and turned away her face on a guise of wiping it.


    Seeing this, Leon felt stifled, ''What about me? I was the first one to ''kiss'' you. Where is my kiss back?''


    But of course, he wouldn''t directly ask that because he didn''t want to scare away Eli because of his aggressiveness. He could just patiently wait for Eli to reciprocate his feelings for her.


    Besides, this too is not bad. At least, he knew that Eli cared for him deeply.


    "Kayden is also here, let''s wait for the others to go home. Dinner is ready." Leon then helped Eli carry Little Han to the kitchen, while they waited for a few more minutes for the other bunch to ''appear''.


    Entering the kitchen, Eli was greeted with the very familiar smell. She also noticed Kayden, who was busy setting up the long table while wearing a simple white apron.


    "Big Brother!" Eli greeted Kayden affectionately. Her frequent interactions with him regarding the c-section research also made the two close enough to really treat each other as siblings.


    "You are finally here! Come, your big bro helped Leon prepare this dinner!" Kayden smiled gently while he gracefully took off his apron and washed his hands.


    He then wore a fawning smile and approached Little Han who was carried away by his daddy, "Oh, my little cute nephew!!! Come to uncle~~~ I miss you so much~~"


    Leon seeing Kayden like this immediately felt goosebumps all over his body.


    He casted a disdainful nce towards his friend who looked particrly creepy right now and was about to step back to distance Little Han away from him.


    "Awoooo!" Little Han leaned forward and smiled in a silly manner while he reached out his two little hands towards Kayden. He didn''t forget to sh his two little milk teeth as if it was a proud achievement that he attained.


    "Ohh!! You did very well in growing fast! Now you have two little teeth! Soon you can eat more solid foods like uncle!" Kayden proudly praised his little nephew as he carried him in his arms.


    He didn''t forget to cast a triumphant nce towards Leon who was suddenly ignored by Little Han for him.


    ''Hmf! You''ve been away for too long! Little Han loves me more than you!'' He looked at Leon smuggly.


    Helpless, Leon could only begrudgingly let Kayden carry his son.


    s, his little son was too adorable and approachable. When he grows up, Leon promised himself to ''train'' Little Han to be vignt to everyone except mommy and daddy! Hmpf!


    Seeing the somewhatical interaction of the three, Eli let out a chuckle. Her heart was full, seeing them right in front of her, safe and well.


    After bickering for a while, Leon proceeded to notify the des immediately through the notification paper.


    In order to ensure that the little family would have their very own ''moment''. Rosea, the des, Baobao and Wisey chose to e homete'' in order to give time for the family to reunite.


    Now that Leon had achieved his goal, he immediately called for the rest, who showed up excitedly in less than a minute. All looked at Leon with expectant and proud nces.


    Especially the des, they saw from the window as they hid from ''afar'' how their Madame took the initiative to hug their Master!


    Oh, it was such a beautiful scene!!!


    It seems that it would not take that long for them to witness another little prince or princess in the little cottage!


    However, they all held back their excitement lest they scare their lovely Madame away. Obediently, they greeted Leon and the rest, then sat in the kitchen in an orderly manner.


    Rosea helped Kayden, who was extremely excited, to serve the food on the table. On the other hand, Leon took Little Han on hisp and strictly reminded Eli to rest and just concentrate on eating for a while.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, Eli, we worked hard for the food today. So we have to make sure that you can focus on enjoying everything we prepared!" Kayden shot Eli a lively nce.


    When he was not fawning over Little Han, his expression would not be far from Leon''s ever serious face. Only that it was gentler and a few degrees warmer than Leon''s frigid face.


    "Alright!" Eli replied eagerly. Actually when she catched a whiff of the fragrance earlier, her heart was already leaping in excitement.


    However, she tried to calm herself down because her guess might be wrong. She would be disappointed if she expected too much. She could only anticipate the food that was about to be served at the table.


    Her agony didn''tst long as Kayden beamed with excitement as he carried a steaming pot of white rice on the table just in front of Eli.


    The steam of the freshly cooked rice assaulted Eli''s nose and face directly. She couldn''t believe what''s in front of her!


    Rice!!!


    Hot Steaming RICE!!!


    Oh, Great Heavens!!!!!


    Oh, Great One!!!!!


    She had been longing for rice ever since she was pregnant with Little Han!!! She thought that she would never ever taste that guilty mountain of starch and carbs in this lifetime!


    Her eyes widened in excitement and surprise. She looked at Kayden and Leon in disbelief, only to see them smiling at her warmly. "It''s for you.."


    "Rice¡­" Her eyes glistened emotionally yet again. She was so blessed today.


    First, Leon came home safely.


    Next, she was able to eat rice in this lifetime!


    Oh, I am having such a good life!!! She eximed in her heart.


    "Eat it while it''s hot." Leon reminded her.


    Only then did she look at everyone who also looked back at her with a smile. Then she looked up high in the heavens and uttered her most heartfelt graces ever since she descended in Prasinos.


    "Oh, You, Great One, showered the rain on thisnd.


    Blessed the fruit of the farmer''sbor at the wave of Your hand!


    Now his work and Your grace fell upon our table,


    Oh Heavenly Father we thank you for this great favor!"


    "Amen!!" Everyone shouted unison as they started to dig in the food on the table. Leon, Kayden and the rest were also curious about the taste of rice on their hand.


    Luckily, they asked the des beforehand what kind of dishes would go well with rice. It was because Eli would often tell them tales about the mystifying rice whenever she introduced good food to them during meals.


    The des never failed to report these little things to their Master. Leon, on the other hand, took note of everything in his notebook and made sure that he would find a way to get a hand of this legendary rice!


    The easiest dish to partner with rice, based on Leon and Kayden''s limited time in the kitchen, was the vored fried chicken. They strictly followed the recipe passed by Ron and the rest, as they were the ones who frequently assisted Eli in the kitchen.


    They had learned several ''Asian'' dishes, as what Eli would call it, and passed it on for Leon to study.


    Leon, on the other hand, spent his free time in Riverfort practicing making these dishes along with Kayden.


    Their hard work seemed to pay off at this moment!


    Seeing Eli''s ted expression as she happily ate the rice with the honey garlic zed chicken on the side!


    Eli was really on cloud nine right now, she could feel every inch of starch assaulting her taste buds as it was perfectlyplemented by the sweet and fragrant honey garlic chicken.


    The juice from the chicken meat and the honey coating perfectly coated the rice, all magically happening in her spoon!


    As she took this spoonful in her mouth, she couldn''t help but grunt in satisfaction.


    Oh, I am living such a good life!!!

 Chapter 179 You

    ?The dinner proceeded in a lively and festive manner.


    Aside from Eli who was extremely enjoying the rice, the des were also particrly excited because of Leon''s arrival.


    Kayden, on the other hand, enjoyed his time carrying Little Han on hisp and feeding him his special food.


    One time, Little Han became so enthusiastic that he reached out his two little hands wanting to carry the spoon on his own.


    Kayden, who was now a certified baby ve, smilingly spoiled Little Han and let him do what he wanted. Only for Little Han to overturn his food bowl because he couldn''t control his little hands that well.


    "Hahaha!" Everyone couldn''t help but burst into heartyughs.


    Meanwhile, the innocent Little Han also shed his two milk teeth and smiled along, "Jihihihi!"


    After the meal, everyone was still in a good mood and decided to rx for a little while.


    Because Leon missed Little Han so much, Eli let them bond with each other while she read some music sheets as part of her training.


    Leon bathed Little Han, sprinkled his little body with the fragrant baby powder and dressed him with a simple fleece onesie. Little Han looked like a little white sheep!


    Since it was still early evening, he yed with him on the plushie yground. Rolling around the cushioned floor, following Little Han wherever he went on his little kingdom, Leon lovingly spent quality time with him.


    Eli couldn''t help but watch the two with warmth in her eyes. Looking at the two sources of joy she had, Eli felt so full that she wanted a way to express those feelings.


    She had long decided to face her feelings for Leon, yet she realized that it was quite hard to say it right away.


    Many people could say ''I love you'' as if they only meant to please the person in front of them.


    However, for Eli, it was so hard to say because for her it was all her heart and soul was feeling right now, but somehow, these wouldn''te out from her mouth.


    Helpless, she carefully put away the music sheets and her eyes subconsciously wandered on the grand piano beside her, a modern popr song came from on her mind.


    ''I see the light'', a famous theme song from one of her favorite animated Disney movies, ''Tangled''.


    For her, the feelings she had right now perfectly fit the melody of this song. It wasn''t a ssical piece, yes, but the charm of this song was the lyrics perfectly fitted into the melody and the characters who sang the song in the movie.


    She took a deep breath and softly touched the keys. A gentle and melodic arpeggio ying of the C major chord filled the entire cottage.


    The intro of the song was simple with the familiar C family chord progression, yet in Eli''s heart she was singing the lyrics of the song.


    The song talked about how one spent the days and years being cooped up with her own world, until she met her ''light''.


    Just like Eli, she spent an entire lifetime in the dark and lonely society who only expected her to work and work and work.


    It took her another lifetime to meet the people who could be her light, Leon and Little Han.


    I''m where I''m meant to be¡­ On Leon and Little Han''s side, spending the days in this little cottage with the rest of the family.


    Leon and Little Han paused, deeply mesmerized at the enchanting melody Eli was creating. Leon was not hearing any words but he was somehow drawn to Eli''s music as if each of the notes were speaking to his heart.


    After one round of the verse and chorus part, the song would change key from C to E t. Eli skillfully did this by using dynamics to dramatically increase the emotions of the song as the key rises.


    This also perfectly captured Leon''s heart, as if it was lifted in the air and carried by the wind along with the harmony the piece created.


    Little Han sat on the plushie yground in a well behaved manner, cutely pping his hands as he cheered on his mommy. The way he sat was like how Baobao would fawningly sit on the floor and stare intently at Eli, marveling at the music she created.


    Eli continued to y the song with all her heart. She used this channel to let out the overwhelming feelings she had in her heart right now.


    Every inch of her soul was immersed in bringing out the emotions of the song through her way of ying, wishing that it would reach the two bright stars that made her lifeplete.


    Softly, thest lines of the melody were delivered. Strangely, the raging emotions inside her also calmed down. However, her soul still remained unsatisfied, it was screaming.


    Let it be known! Let him know!


    What''s the use of saying it tomorrow? Say it now!


    What''s the use of saving these words in your heart? Let him know with your very own voice!


    However, Eli knows what she was feeling couldn''t be fully captured by the three words, I love you.


    It''s more than that. It''s deeper than that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sumbing with the urge, she slowly stood from the stool beside the grand piano. She felt her body so tense and nervous, yet she knew that she had to confront everything right now.


    Or else, how will she sleepter on? How will she face Leon moving forward?


    She took slow steady steps, keeping her face as calm as she could. Eli approached the plushie yground where the two were wordlessly sitting, also intently looking at her.


    To ease her nervousness, she reached out for Little Han, who obediently snuggled in her arms in a rxed manner, as if absorbing all the nervousness she was bearing, making her calm down a little bit.


    For some reason, Leon was still in a trance even after the music had finished. He was battling in his heart about the sensation he felt while listening to the song.


    Somehow he wanted to decipher what the song meant for Eli.


    Would it be the same as what I have felt while listening to the song? Could it be that I was right? The song was meant tomunicate her feelings for me?


    That couldn''t possibly be true! He knew Eli, she would still treat her like a normal colleague and friend - a reliable partner in raising Little Han.


    But not a romantic partner.


    However, there was something screaming deep inside him. That''s not the case! That''s not it!


    Puzzled, he wrestled with this thought while still maintaining a calm expression. His eyes followed Eli''s every move.


    Eli mustered all of her courage. She sat close in front of Leon while hugging the silent Little Han, as if he was the source of her confidence.


    "The first time you saw me, you stubbornly insisted that we enter into a husband and wife rtionship, while I stubbornly refused." She said, looking deep into Leon''s eyes.


    "I can still remember your straight face saying how we should do a marriage with love and how easy you think it was." Eli couldn''t help but smile, "Then in contrast, how you appeared to be extremely embarrassed while I demanded you to call me by my nickname."


    Listening to Eli reminisce about the first interactions that they had, Leon also couldn''t help but smile shyly, he was indeed extremely shocked and embarrassed at that time.


    Rubbing his head in embarrassment, he softly muttered "It was my first time calling ady so intimately like that¡­" He tried to exin.


    "I know¡­" Eli replied with a smile, "I just couldn''t help but think, how you suddenly changed from a cold prince without any clue in love, to a shy bashful man to an aggressive and straight forward man along the way."


    Eli continued with an using look, "You even learned how to be flirtatious and cheeky with me."


    Leon let out a soft chuckle after hearing Eli''s usations.


    "Butpared to how fast you change, I am seemingly on the slower side." Eli muttered softly. "I kept on running away from your advances yet a part of me was slowly epting every drop of your presence."


    "Even at the day we became apart from each other, I still kept denying the fact that I have long epted you in my heart."


    "Unlike you, I have wasted so much time."


    "Unlike you, I ran and hid, instead of confronting my feelings. I even thought that the matters around us were more important than our state."


    "Unlike you, I held back, thinking that it was for our very own good."


    Eli couldn''t help but hang her head low, she lightly tightened her hug with the rxed Little Han.


    "But, Leon.. I think it''s bad for my heart¡­ I-"


    Eli was about to continue when she felt a strong pair of arms, gently securing her and Little Han safely in his arms.


    "Say no more¡­" She heard him say with a voice that was the gentless she had heard from him.


    "epting me is more than enough. My heart, my mind and my soul are now screaming with joy, even when you don''t say it. Everything in me could feel it. It''s more than enough." Leon tightened his embrace as if wanting his body to be one with Eli.


    "Uhn.." Eli snuggled in his embrace, she let her nose breath the scent of his body and buried it in her memories.


    "Leon, my soul longs for you." Closing her eyes she sweetly muttered.


    "My heart says I have found love. But my soul screamed. I have found whom my soul loves." Eli couldn''t help but remember the most romantic phrase in the Scripture. It was what Eli was exactly experiencing right now.


    "The one whom my soul deeply loves is You, Leon.."


    ",

 Chapter 180 Woes Of The Bright Daylight

    ?There were no words left unsaid and feelings left unveiled.


    Leon and Eli spent the warmest winter night confirming their feelings with each other.


    From this point forward, they will be together, not only by their responsibility as Little Han''s parents, but by themitment they had with each other.


    A family bound by love. A love strengthened by family.


    Leon couldn''t help but look up as if he was directly looking at the Great One above.


    How full his heart is right now, even though Eli and Little Han didn''te into his life as how a typical family would be.


    Eli and Him didn''t start like normal lovers do. Even Little Han came into this world before he was able to walk Eli to the altar.


    But still, they are here, warm and well in his arms. He loved them and they loved him back.


    What more could he wish for?


    ''The heavens had blessed me with people I didn''t know would make my heart burst in dness. With my two hands and all of my abilities, I will do my best to protect them.'' He solemnly swore in his heart.


    The night ended so full of love and contentment.


    Eli and Leon tucked Little Han in his sleep. After that, they proceeded in their own beds with their hearts pounding hard from all the things that happened.


    It was only then that Eli realized another problem.


    What now?


    The two of them had already confirmed their feelings with each other. Technically, Leon was now her boyfriend.


    Boyfriend!


    Oh my goodness! I have a boyfriend!


    Eli''s mind couldn''t help but buzz in embarrassment and nervousness.


    It is her first time to enter into a rtionship, but neither her knowledge in the modern world from reading shojo manga, watching anime and drama would do.


    First of all, even though they were already together, they already had a child. How backward could this situation be?


    Leon could also feel Eli''s confusion as he could observe her body bing stiff. He let out a chuckle and said in his heart, ''Now she''s starting to overthink again¡­''


    Facing Eli''s bed on the far side of the room, he let out a helpless smile and called out, "What are you thinking about?"


    Startled by the sudden question from Leon, Eli let out a flustered reply, "I''m thinking about what would happen now that we are considered lovers¡­"


    Gasp!


    Only after she fully said these words, she realized that she hadpletely blurted out what''s on her mind!


    "Don''t think too much. We''ll take it slow." Leon calmly said. However, only he knew how excited he was about their rtionship.


    If possible, he would immediately teleport with her to the temple and marry her on the spot!


    He was even nning to let the des buy arger bed so that it could fit the two of themfortably!


    However, things around them really couldn''t be forced that way. Everything has to fall into ce.


    "What matters most for me is how you and Little Han feel. As for the rest, we could work on it slowly until it''s time.." Leon continued. He was not only saying this for Eli but also to himself.


    "Uhn.. Thank you Leon." Relieved by hearing words of assurance from Leon, Eli instantly calmed down.


    He is right, they just have to take things slow. Forcing anything would be detrimental not only for the two of them, but to Little Han and the people around them.


    "Now go and rest. Tomorrow is another day." Leon gently reminded her, doing his best not to stand and give her a peck on the cheek for a goodnight kiss.


    Soon the cottage became a safe haven for the family to take their night''s slumber. From this moment on, this cottage would be the witness of their love and warmth.


    ¨C


    The morning felt brighter and livelier when Eli woke up. Everything was more colorful and warmer, even if it is winter time.


    It was a weekend and Eli didn''t have to scramble here and there for the institute.


    However, everyone was already up when she woke up.


    She could already hear the sound of the des doing their morning training, while she could already smell the tempting aroma of breakfast in the air.


    When she walked out, Rosea and Kayden were busy in the kitchen, Baobao and Wisey were already doing their nanny duties for Little Han, while Leon and the des trained.


    "Morning!" She greeted the two who were busy in the kitchen while she took her apron to join them in preparing the breakfast.


    "Good morning madame!"


    "Good morning Little Sister!" The two enthusiastically greeted her back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kayden couldn''t help but also stare at her with a knowing nce as if telling ''I know what happenedst night!''


    Deeply embarrassed, she just smiled even though she could feel her cheeks burning from the sudden scrutiny.


    Fortunately, Kayden wasn''t someone who would be nosy to dig into the matter. He could always wait for his friend and Little Sister to bring the topic up.


    Eventually, after everyone''s morning routine, everyone took breakfast and continued with their assignments for the day, while Leon, Eli and Kayden sat on the chair to discuss the things that they had discovered during the investigation.


    "So she is actually big brother''s admirer!" Eli eximed in shock.


    She had always thought that the motive of the killer was due to jealousy, but never had she expected that it would be because of Kayden rather than Leon!


    Remembering this, Kayden still couldn''t help but stay silent, deeply remorseful of the harm he brought to Elise, Little Han and even now, with Eli. "I never would have thought that I would be subjected to this kind of attention. If only I knew¡­ None of this would have happened¡­"


    "Please do not say that Brother.." Eli immediately replied with concern, "This is not your fault. Besides, you were not even aware of her existence until the two of you worked for months and weeks investigating."


    "I''m sure Elise wouldn''t me you also." She dered with certainty.


    Hearing the kind words, Kayden could feel that the knot in his heart was slightly loosened, he gave a gentle smile.


    "What''s more important is to think of a way on how to deal with this." Leon also chimed in. "The culprit is a Ves, someone whom we couldn''t deal with carelessly."


    Eli and Kayden''s faces turned grim.


    "The second daughter of Duke Ves¡­ could this case confirm that the Vess had connection with the sinister practice of curses?" Eli asked with a deep frown on her face.


    The two men shook their heads in disappointment.


    It was Leon who answered, "The information we had is not enough to prove anything but her murder attempt. As to the drugging and use of a sinister weapon that could injure the soul, one could always say that they had bought it from the ck market."


    "The only thing that we could assume from this information was that the Vess had close ties to the Spectre if even their youngest generation could obtain these resources from the organization. But there was no conclusive evidence to press this matter in the court."


    Eli clenched her fist hard and said, "So all we could do is to stay vignt from their attacks while we gather enough evidence to condemn them.."


    "Unfortunately yes.." Kayden also gritted his teeth in frustration.


    The culprit has already been identified yet they couldn''t do anything.


    One, if they forced to press this matter legally, Eli''s real identity and the mystery of her surviving even after being hurt by the sinister weapon, would greatly rm the enemies out in the open and lurking in the dark.


    Two, the culprit was too much of a personality in the Capital and the Empire. Touching her would also rm the Empress.


    They have not figured out the extent of the Empress''s influence and abilities, so even though they were unwilling, they have to leverage this information and patiently wait for the right time to deal with everything at once.


    One thing is for sure, Eli is now in grave danger!


    "I think we still have some time topletely confuse the enemy." Eli said in deep contemtion. "I could still hide with my current identity, my mononym Eli."


    As soon as Eli mentioned it, an epiphany struck the two men.


    "Right! How could I forget! Thomas always made sure that Elise would be casted with a disguise spell even inside the hospital!" Kayden''s eyes glimmered with hope as he continued.


    "Even after Elise ran away, there were no signs of the spell breaking down except on the 5th month of her disappearance. If the timing was right, that was when she was already killed by the assant."


    "Then that means that Lady Ves was not aware of my real face." Eli concluded.


    Kayden nodded, however his expression turned grave the next second, "That means the key to keep you safe was to deal with that tracking knight who assaulted Elise."


    The three looked at each other with understanding. Per Elise''s memory, the tracking knight was able to lock her location through her scent.


    It was Leon''s cold and dangerous voice that was heard the next second, "Sure¡­ we can''t deal with the Vess but we can deal with that tracking knight immediately."


    ¨C


    A weekter, everyone in the streets of the capital were bustling with excitement despite the winter cold.


    Many luxurious carriages from outside the capital were entering the premises one after the other.


    The nobledies andds of various aristocratic families were now slowlying to the capital to witness the most awaited grand winter banquet.


    Many of the prominent families summoned their sons and daughters toe back to the capital to prepare.


    Just like the Ducal house of the Ves.


    Stepping out of the imposing carriage bearing the Ves Insignia, a youngdy with bright amethyst eyes and delicate face stared at the assembly of servants weing her.


    Her features could be considered alluring and captivating, unfortunately she was giving off a sickly countenance.


    A tall, sturdy looking bulky knight followed her at a safe distance.


    Seeing thedy alight, the servants greeted in unison, "Wee back Young Miss!!"

 Chapter 181 Arabella

    ?Arabe Liv Ves.


    The precious second daughter of Duke Ves, who was one of the most powerful aristocrats in the Empire. Youngest of the three siblings, Arabe Liv Ves rather had a mysterious profile.


    Unlike her elder sister Marie Lei Ves, who was already wedded to a prominent aristocratic family outside the Empire, and the only young master of the Ves Duchy, Niki Kir Ves, who was one of the strongest members of the Amethyst Warlocks, Arabe had little to no information about her roaming around the Capital.


    That was aside from her sickly constitution, wherein she would often stay within the Ves territory, instead of making a name in the capital just like her elder siblings.


    However, unbeknownst to all, she was the most pampered offspring of the Vess. Whatever she wanted, may it be magical items, people or a privilege to go out, she would be indulged by his Father Duke Maxim Ves.


    Just like how she spent months going to the outskirts of their territory and eventually settled at the Riverfort, where she stayed to pursue ''love'' with a mysterious doctor named Einz.


    If not for her father persuading her to go to the winter banquet, which was supposed to be something that was organized by the Imperial Family along with the ss S Grandmasters Reuben Farauld and Andvari Forgeworn, she would still be in Silvertown searching for any trace of Einz, who suddenly disappeared a few months ago.


    She had already searched high and low in the nearby territories of Riverfort and almost mobilized the knights under her father''s territory just to look for Einz.


    It took her a few months before she received a tip from the mercenary taverns that a man matching her descriptions appeared in Silvertown along with another mysterious man.


    But after days of investigating, Arabe didn''t find any trace of the doctor!


    Thinking about this, she couldn''t help but divert her disdain towards her escort, the tracking knight Igor!


    If not for his inadequate talents in tracking Dr. Einz''s scent, they would have long found him!


    Just as she was about to sweep the Silverdew Forest, she was suddenly summoned by her father. Gritting her teeth, she had no choice but to make a trip to the Capital.


    Standing with a cold expression outside the majestic walkway, Arabe, who was just in her early twenties, finally came into the Ves Estate in the Capital to attend the winter banquet.


    Although the estate was smallpared to their main estate located in their territory, the Ves Estate in the Capital still showcased their status and grandeur in the Empire!


    She casted a perfunctory nce towards the lined up servants in the house and took slow dignified steps towards the entrance of the grand estate.


    But just as she was about to enter through the main door, she slowly turned back and looked without any affection towards the tall burly man behind her.


    "Disappear in my presence. I don''t need you while I am here. Wait for my summon." She ordered without any expression.


    The burly man didn''t show any shock nor anger, he knelt in one knee and saluted while responding, "As you wish mistress!"


    Without waiting for her acknowledgement, he turned into a blurry shadow and disappeared without a trace.


    Arabe didn''t bother anymore and entered the estate. The butler of the house escorted her to the bedroom for rest and left her with the servants attending to her needs.


    As she was being bathed and cared for, she casted a side nce towards one of the personal maids and asked, "Has my brother gone back?"


    "Mdy, it is said that the knights, along with the Princes, are set toe back two days from now." The maid didn''t dare to dy and answered with utmost diligence.


    "Hmm, alright. Is there anything I need to attend today? If not, can I sleep?" Arabezily said, her eyes were full of detachment.


    As if none of the things happening in the capital, not even the matter of her family, was interesting to her.


    Infact, her whole demeanor actually showed that she was extremely bored.


    "Young Miss, the Duke and Madame hope to share dinner with youter on. We can also postpone your meeting with the designer for the fitting of your dress for the banquet¡­" The maid replied.


    "Alright, arrange everything tomorrow. As for the dinner, I''ll have to show my face to my parents, shall I?" She nonchntly replied.


    The maid answered in acknowledgement and joined the rest to serve her with all their abilities.


    Outside the main building, the tall burly man looked intently at the direction of Arabe''s bedroom while perfectly hiding on a nearby tree.


    Unlike his expressionless and detached look earlier, he was looking in her direction with a hint of possessiveness and passion.


    Even after how cold and disdainful the mistress treated him earlier, there was no trace of grievance in his eyes. Instead, he took a little ss box in his space pouch.


    A handkerchief with the Ves Insignia and initials ALV delicately embroideredy neatly inside the ss pocket. Looking at the item inside, the gaze in his eyes became much more passionate.


    Afraid that it would be contaminated, he wore a sterile glove and carefully scooped the handkerchief in one hand. He brought it near him and allowed the scent of the handkerchief to attack his nose.


    For a tracking knight, even the faintest scent could not escape from their distinction. As long as someone had their scent attached on whatever item, they would lock on it right away.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He inhaled deeply, looking so intoxicated while breathlessly saying, "Ah, my mistress. My lovely mistress.."


    Seemingly not getting enough with the scent, he continued to smell the handkerchief until he reluctantly put away the item on his ss box.


    Only then did he stood up, looked at her bedroom''s direction again and vanished inside the Ves Estate. His shadow headed downtown, where the mercenary taverns are located.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile on a certain cottage, Leon was currently sparring with Eli in the front yard. There were sounds of wooden swords shing, fists and kicks swooshing in the air.


    Wild cheers wereing from every direction as if someone actually held a tournament on the humble cottage.


    Neal: "Madame you can do it!" (Show master what you got!)


    Chad: "Go go go Madame!" (I just want to see our master get hit once! Just once!)


    Ron: "Remember all the things we practiced!" (Make master''s eyeballs drop with your special move! Madame, I''m counting on you for my entertainment today!"


    Genos: "Go Madame, show your prowess in footwork!" (Madame c''mon! Spook master with your speed!)


    nc: "..." (When will I eat rice again?)


    On the side, Rosea, Baobao and Wisey couldn''t help but look with pity towards the five des who were cheering as if their lives depended on it.


    If not for them building a strong and good rtionship all these months, the trio would have long exposed what the des were thinking right now.


    It was because the des held a grudge towards their Master for taking away their duties to teach Madame immediately upon his arrival!


    Nowadays, not one of the des could get into Madames good books! Humff!!


    What''s more! Even their routine assignments in the kitchen werepletely taken over by their Master!


    Hepletely monopolized our precious Madame!!!!! So unfair!


    Aiyooo, what are we, des?


    Freeloaders? Watchdogs?


    We want to serve Madame!!!


    We demand our de-rights!!


    They have been so idle these days that they could just gloomily train all day long. Too bad, if they were even one bit good at handling children, they could have helped Babao, Wisey and Rosea in looking out for the little master.


    Sigh!


    At the sparring area, there was an intense fight going on between Leon and Eli. The mechanics of the sparring match is pretty simple, Leon is only allowed to defend, while Eli will do his best tond a clean shot on Leon''s body or if Leon was forced to use even a drop of his mana to avoid Eli''s attack.


    Even though the matchup was clearly not bnced, Eli took up the challenge. It was not only because she wanted to be stronger.


    She needs to be stronger!


    Now that the enemy has been identified. She has to somehow learn to defend herself.


    Thus, even with a busy schedule, she worked with the des to train regrly, while she unceasingly followed Leon''s previous training regiment.


    Using the footwork technique painstakingly passed down by Genos to Eli, she gave a feint kick effectively carrying a load of dust in the air to distract Leon. Then she expertly maneuvered to get behind Leon in a blink of an eye and attempted to sh her short wooden sword on his back.


    Leon''s eyes glimmered with a pleasant surprise, but it was only for a split second. He immediately strided forward and twisted his foot to immediately face Eli using the motion he just made.


    Shwosh!!! The distance Leon created was just enough for Eli''s sword to fall short.


    "Ya!! So close!!" The bunch eximed. Even Kayden couldn''t help but grunt in frustration.


    However there was a hint of excitement on their faces, even Leon had his heart beating fervently.


    Eli was showing shocking prowess in physicalbat!!!

 Chapter 182 Sparring Match

    ?Eli didn''t mind the failure she justmitted. She had long carried out countless attacks with the des yet her determination didn''t falter even a little bit.


    Her enemies may be much stronger than her, most of them had already even killed ruthlessly with their own hands. If she will not do everything to close the gap one step at a time, then she might as well hide in the cottage forever!


    As such, she readjusted herself and cautiously observed Leon''s movement. One hit just one hit! She can do this.


    While she was observing, she felt like she was inside one of the countless anime and action movies she watched during her precious freetime. She was now in a pinch! She needed to do something!


    Looking around her and analyzing the situation, she identified the things she had on hand.


    She had a short sword that only had a length of 15 inches, the dust around and herself. She could not hide on trees because the sparing area was just a small open ground.


    That''s all she had on hand and she must use everything to the best of her abilities.


    ''Use everything at hand?'' A thought suddenly appeared in her mind. A mischievous glint appeared on her deep ck eyes, but she made sure to hide it in front of her opponent, Leon.


    She lowered her stance and immediately charged at Leon, seemingly haphazardly.


    Casually defending, Leon''s eyes glinted with reprimand as he said, "You should never charge like that in a real battle."


    But Eli didn''t stop and instead put her weight forward in an attempt to tackle Leon.


    The way she charged forward would surely injure herself! Everyone couldn''t help but widen their eyes in rm.


    Seeing that Eli would definitely crash haphazardly towards him in a dangerous way, he used a little strength to dampen her momentum and direct her charge on the side to minimize the chances of injuring herself.


    This caused Eli to fall on the ground.


    However, at an angle no one could see, there was a smirk in her rosy lips, as she sneakily grabbed a little bit of dust from the hand that holds the short sword.


    Not minding the fall, she braced herself again. Eli stretched out her hands to execute a frontal attack, directing Leon''s attention towards the short sword.


    Leon prepared to defend however he immediately saw that Eli didn''t put strength on the attack - a feint!


    He casually waived his hand to defend, but he was shocked to realize that the sword was no longer on Eli''s hand.


    The speed of the sword increased, fastly approaching in front of his eyes. It turns out that Eli actually did an extra move to flick her wrist and propel the short sword to be thrown like a spear to surprise Leon!


    What made the attack more tricky was the little bit of dust that blurred his vision in a second.


    Although a thrown short sword didn''t really do much, the dust that came with it and the surprise of an opponent suddenly throwing their only weapon effectively distracted Leon and shocked the crowd.


    How could Madame be so cunning and reckless at the same time?


    Eli was not aware of this happening as she needed to use the few seconds of Leon''s distraction to her advantage.


    Maneuvering with her fast footwork she immediately went on Leon''s blind side while swinging her hand on an elbow attack between Leon''s shoulder and neck.


    Her swift footwork actually made her suspend mid air making her body more flexible in executing the elbow attack. However, Leon''s instinct for battle was still deeply ingrained to his bones that he managed to defend at thest second.


    However, who knew that it was not Eli''s target from the start?!


    Eli, who was in the zone, could actually now see the movements slow in her vision.


    As soon as she saw Leon raise his arm to defend, she used the remaining momentum mid air to lift her foot and strike the back of Leon''s knees!


    Bam!


    As Leon had already lost his center of gravity in defending the elbow attack, he was not able to prepare the sneak attack prepared by Eli.


    He felt a sudden strike at the back of his knees and immediately felt his feet lose strength to hold his upper body. His feet bent like a broken celery and he disgracefully fell on the ground!


    His knees suddenly felt like they turned into jelly!


    !!!


    There was a dead silence in the air. Everyone couldn''t react on time after witnessing how Leon was tricked into falling to his knees so suddenly!


    With a smug look on her face Eli pped away the dust in her hands and mischievously said, "I think that counts as my win?"


    ¡­<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The des were actually speechless after seeing their master fall from Madame''s trick. Of course they wanted to see their Master lose a round but not in this¡­ funny way!


    It was their first time seeing someone use that method to trick the opponent. However, as honorable warriors in the battlefield they would never even think of that kind of underhanded technique.


    Even Leon was left dumbstruck by his sudden fall. He never thought that he would fall for such a trick! What a disgrace!


    But seeing the proud look on Eli''s face he could only feel helpless and hide his grievances in his heart. How embarrassing was this!


    Little did they know that what Eli did was something that kids in the modern earth do almost on a daily basis to prank and pester their ssmates.


    When she was in elementary school, the boys in her ss would go around and strike the back of the knees of their buddies and teasingly shout, "Oh no your legs are so weak!!! You didn''t eat enough!"


    Who would have known that she would actually use this childish prank to a sparring match with a renowned warlord?!


    But who cares? She won anyway! Hmmf!


    "Yes it''s your win this round." Leon could only stiffly acknowledge her win. On the battlefield, no matter how underhanded the enemy is, if it makes them stay alive and win then it doesn''t matter.


    He dotingly rubbed Eli''s head while saying with a gentle look, "Good job!"


    "Yay!!!" Eli skipped like a happy kid while looking at the audience as if soliciting for praises.


    "Good job Madame!"


    "You did it!"


    "Your hardwork (trick) paid well this time!''


    The des could only follow their Master''s lead and praised Eli ordingly. After the short celebration the training session was put on a wrap up after listening to Leon''s instruction.


    "Now that you more or less know how to attack, your training will now focus on strengthening your abilities to defend. Remember, when you are on the weaker side, you will never have a chance to turn the battle around, much less execute a single attack when you don''t know how to defend and preserve your life at the crucial moment."


    "Roger that!" Eli answered like an obedient little soldier with excitement in her eyes. Learningbat waspletely new to her, and everything she learned made her eager to improve.


    After the training session, Eli proceeded to bond with Little Han while Leon and Kayden waited for uing information about the entries in the capital.


    As it was already announced that the clearing operations team woulde back in a few days, Leon didn''t announce his arrival officially. Only his Father Emperor and the Elders of the Forgeworn and Farauld families knew of his whereabouts.


    During the past few days, he also coordinated with the Roaming des around town to look out for the tracking knight and Arabe''s whereabouts. Now that they know who the target was, they had to n ahead to sneakily eliminate the threat.


    Without the tracking knight who could distinguish Elise''s bodily scent, Eli would be safe as Arabe would not target her. However, they had to execute everything before the tracking knight recognized Eli.


    Fortunately for them, it was already thest week of school as the winter break officially starts next week.


    After exining the situation to the two grandpas, Eli was no longer obligated to report and opted to stay within the Forgeworn estate for safety purposes.


    Now the team only had more or less a week before the day of the winter banquet, where Eli would officially appear. By that time, they had to ensure that the tracking knight was already apprehended.


    Leon was just about to create a message to raise an inquiry with the Roaming des when suddenly a notificationing from the other party beat him to it.


    "Master, target just entered the capital''s premises!" The message read.


    "I got it. Track him constantly. Prepare to set the trap." Leon replied. After sending the message Leon had a dangerous glint in his eyes. "No mercy."


    "Roger that master!" The other party replied.


    After reading the message, he calmly walked towards Kayden and the des to ry the information.


    "We must eliminate him now!" Kayden could feel his blood boil after hearing the news.


    "There''s no use to being careless. We need to prepare in advance." Leon tried to calm Kayden down. He understood what he felt, however, they couldn''t be careless.


    But one thing is for sure, the tracking knight must be hunted down!


    For Eli''s safety.


    For Elise''s justice!

 Chapter 183 Brothers

    ?Dawn, Outskirts of the Capital.


    Igor the tracking knight roamed with a cold look around the district. This area of the capital was dark and deste, but Igor didn''t care as he continued to walk around the district to look for an inn to stay before going down on a mercenary tavern to enjoy the night.


    Although the outskirts of the Capital does not look as revolting aspared to the outskirts of other towns, the ce was known as the hangout ce of mercenaries, knights and warriors. As such, many of the visitors of the area were cold blooded and strong men.


    This is also a good ce to exchange information. So even though a typical member of a noble family or the Imperial family would stand out here, it won''t stop them from exploring the ce for a good piece of information.


    These thingsbined, gave the area a dark and mysterious feel. Anyone can be hot blooded and aggressive, or wary and mysterious.


    He walked with an unperturbed expression on the stone pavement, looking at the dusty and moldy road. There''s the scent of alcohol and tobo permeating in the air. Igor could determine that the scent had already stayed around the area permanently.


    He went to several inns to inquire for a ce to stay, however he had already visited all of the major inns yet there were no vacant rooms around.


    It was due to the surge of mercenaries and armed mening to the Capital to guard distinguished people who would be attending the uing winter banquet.


    With a dark expression, Igor had no choice but to look for the smaller ones. He quickly got to the nearest run down inn and reserved a room.


    The rundown inn made his face frown, as it has been long since he was forced to stay in this kind of amodation due to apanying a revereddy of the Ves.


    Without a choice, he could only grit his teeth and ept his fate of staying in a small dusty room until his mistress decides to continue their search for the doctor.


    They have been chasing that particr doctor for many months, Igor could have long grown tired of the chase. But he didn''t feel any drop of weariness because his thoughts were only set on helping his mistress find happiness.


    Even that happiness is not and will never be him.


    To see his Mistress happy, he would kill anyone, poison anyone, scheme against anyone. It doesn''t matter as long as his Mistress is pleased.


    He will not even spare a pregnant woman to make his Mistress feel secure. Filling his hands with innocent blood is nothingpared to his Mistress''s smile.


    Igor stayed idle in his bedroom to rest until he felt hungry after some time. Seeing that the night had already started he immediately stood up and went down to the nearest pub in the area.


    The bustling sound of men toasting and drinking liquor rang on Igor''s ears. There''s also the business from the waiters and the other customers who ordered food and engaged in drinking games.


    Igor solemnly sat on an empty table and ordered his food. Starting from today, this will probably be his typical routine, unless there were sudden summons around.


    Unbeknownst to him, everything he did and every ce he went was actually captured by the innkeeper and several people in the pub.


    They were the Roaming des under disguise to monitor his movements.


    They were also the ones who pulled the strings to manipte Igor to stay on the run down inn he had chosen earlier so that the chances of going into this particr would increase.


    With this, Leon and Kayden would have an easier time apprehending him before the winter banquet approaches.


    The members of the Roaming des were perfectly blended in the pub, there was a disguised waiter, mercenary, cleaner and so on. Basically the pub is ridden with spies from the Roaming des.


    Igor never noticed that he was under surveince because there was a hard rule that the Roaming des strictly followed - Never ever look into the target''s eyes. Never ever let an ounce of interest be detected by the target!


    As such they were always sessful in gathering information without being detected. Just like how they were doing right now.


    They were just patiently watching Igor waiting for his food and talking to two burly men who came to his table after a few minutes.


    The way they talked was rather discreet and the des could determine that the trio knew each other. Perking their ears up, the des signal each other to eavesdrop their conversation.


    Getting the hint, the de disguised as a waiter very timely went to Igor''s table to deliver his food and to ask for the other two men''s order. Unbeknownst to them, the tter that the de served had a tiny array stuck under.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was an eavesdrop array invented by their master, Leon, to help them be more efficient in gathering information. This area does not even exist in any magical books, as everyone knew, only a devourer with enhanced hearing could do the same feat!


    The activation of the array was also barely noticeable; upon activation, the voices of the three men were already entering the waiter''s ears. He immediately disappeared in a corner and concentrated on transcribing the conversation he was hearing.


    "These days haven''t been good.." A low and rough voice was heard, there was a hint of frustration in his tone.


    "We are all alone for now¡­ Mistress was not in a good mood because of the clean up operations. All the men from the ''other branch'' were forced to flee outside the territory." The other continued.


    They didn''t drop any names in case someone identally hears.


    "We don''t need you to y bodyguard anymore, Master and Mistress could only use us seven right now for their ns."


    There was no response from Igor for a while. The other two sensed his stubbornness and continued to persuade him, "You must tell Master that you are more needed in the capital than guarding the young mistress. Time is crucial."


    "We have been trained to be at the disposal of the Mistress and Master, now that it is a crucial time for them to have us as a source of power why not reunite with us, your brothers."


    Finally, there was a response on Igor''s side, " I know, just let me finish this onest task, and I''ll go with you brothers to be at our leader''s disposal."


    The other man grunted, he couldn''t understand why his brother insisted to continue to apany the young miss. "Igor, remember who raised us all to be the powerful warriors that we are now. We were even able to obtain power that is beyond our abilities."


    "Remember who you really have to serve, brother." They reminded him with a cold and dangerous tone.


    Without waiting for Igor''s response, the two were extremely vexed that they left the food they just ordered and exited the pub. Igor was left alone with an expressionless face, it was as if he didn''t receive the reprimand of his twopanions earlier.


    He stubbornly resisted their persuasion and made them leave extremely irritated. But he didn''t care. He had a more important job to do - to help his Mistress, Arabe.


    In his heart, she was the one he wanted to serve, not her father, not her aunt - the Empress.


    The de calmly transcribed the entire conversation with trembling hands. He couldn''t help but shudder upon realizing the underlying meaning of the three men''s cryptic conversation.


    Immediately, he gave his colleagues a signal, informing them that the information must be reported immediately to their Master, Leon.


    He immediately used a notification paper and waited nervously for their Master''s reply.


    After a few minutes Leon answered. Only then that the de heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately proceeded to the rendezvous point Leon instructed.


    Leon dutifully informed Eli that he had to meet the de for information and immediately dragged Kayden towards the meeting point.


    Under the cover of the knight, Leon and Kayden, who was disguised, met the de in the forest far from the capital''s town.


    Greeting the two with respect, the de immediately reported everything that had transpired and immediately gave the written transcription for Leon and Kayden to read.


    Even under the dim moonlight, for mages on Leon and Kayden''s caliber, they could read the papers with ease without alerting anyone of using light.


    As they read the transcript, the de could observe how Leon and Kayden''s faces turn darker and darker the more they read.


    "So they were trained guards who might know curses and they were seven.." Kayden coldly uttered.


    "This would immediately exin why Elise would be involved with curses multiple times." Leon also started to piece everything together.


    "The problem here is that we are not even sure yet of how deep their use of curses were. Could they use it directly or could they only use this only through items."


    "One thing is for sure, we need my Father Emperor to know of this information!"

 Chapter 184 Pick Me! Pick Me!

    ?While Leon and Kayden think of a way to handle the situation with the tracking knight, Eli on the other hand was busy nning with the Faraulds and Forgeworns about what would happen in the winter banquet.


    The invitations for the attendees of the winter banquet were already distributed and the venue was already settled. But there was still the matter of the attire and the ceremony proper.


    "Eli, what do you think of this attire?" A daughter inw of the Forgeworn n asked her opinion while twirling excitedly in a circle of women in the dressing lounge.


    "I think this one will fit you more, this dress will create a nice silhouette for your body making the people think you are a few years younger than you really are!" Eli politelymunicated her opinion and pointed to a dress that was on the disyed mannequin.


    The Forgeworn daughter inw beamed in excitement, "Alright I''ll try this one then!"


    Eli was surrounded with women who were eager to try out the dresses they had preselected to be in the selection area. Although there were stylists around, they still went around Eli and asked for her opinion.


    It wasn''t because they weren''t confident with their stylists'' talents but because they wanted to bond with Eli more. As such, Eli and the stylists could only helplessly indulge them at the moment.


    The women of the two families also doted on Eli a lot, it was not only because of their excitement seeing a new female in the house but also her parenting ideas that made the children more loveable and happy ever since she officially joined the house.


    Theypletely forgot that Eli was also a first time mommy. She only shared what she had learned through her relentless searching through the book of knowledge. She willingly shared it to her fellow mothers as well because she knew that there were things that wouldn''t be discovered until a century passed in terms of motherhood and parenting.


    The women were grateful to her advice, most of the time, they would even drop their appointments whenever Eli would visit the main house to visit Grandma Brygid.


    But Eli was feeling far more grateful to them than what they really thought. It has been so long since she felt being sheltered and cared for by a family member, and everyone in the Forgeworn and Farauld Family treated her like a genuine member of the family.


    She couldn''t ask for more!


    The dress rehearsal actuallysted for half a day until the women were satisfied. But because it was seldom for them to convene at the same time, they decided to have a grand dinner ahead.


    "We still have time to try out your dishes Eli!"


    "Yeah let''s take over the kitchen and give ourselves a nice dinnerter!"


    "I agree! Eli, you have to go with us!"


    "Guide us in the kitchen please~~"


    "Alright then, let''s prepare for dinner then." Eli replied with a helpless expression, however she couldn''t resist the aunties and sisters around her. Their eyes were sparkling with anticipation as they asked her.


    Before getting into the kitchen, Eli and the women checked the kids who were chilling in the plushie yground on the main hall. The plushie yground was also built in the main estate for Little Han and the kids to y with.


    Ever since the women of the two families saw Eli''s plushie yground, they also did the same. After building the yground, they could see the psychological and physical benefits of the yground on their young children.


    They became more sociable and adaptable in terms of interacting with other people. Their creativity was also stimted. Moreover, they have be more loveable and closer to their parents, as Eli encouraged them to y with their children from time to time.


    This made the atmosphere of the two families more warm and family oriented, unlike the tense and pressuring environment on most of the aristocratic households.


    With the supervision of the Grandmas, Baobao, Wisey and the assigned servants of the two families she heaved a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen.


    Before they started, the women didn''t forget to inform their husbands of the dinner gathering, and boasted that every dish to be prepared was all Eli''s recipe.


    The women of the Farauld and Forgeworn family obediently followed Eli''s instruction in preparing the food in the kitchen. She divided the tasks in an organized manner and oriented them of the dishes they would need to prepare.


    Some were tasked in cooking, some in preparing the ingredients. The women were also divided ording to the dishes they had to cook.


    Fortunately the kitchen of the Forgeworn Estate was big enough to amodate them. It was also spacious and well equipped, allowing them to prepare and cook multiple dishes at the same time.


    Cooking in the kitchen is a heavy and strenuous task. But none of the women, including Eli, felt weary even after preparingrge amounts of food in the family. In fact they really enjoyed the work they were currently doing.


    After ensuring that everything is prepared, the women took a break to freshen up themselves for dinner time.


    Eli also did the same. After doing so she immediately proceeded to where Little Han was and checked if he was doing well.


    "Jihihi!" Little Han couldn''t help but giggle infectiously the moment he saw Eli carry him in her arms. He then snuggled right into Eli''s shoulders and wrapped his two little hands on her neck.


    Eli could feel Little Han slowly rx. She let Little Han drift to sleep for a little while as there was still some time before the dinner would start.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Soon, the other members of the two families arrived in the estate one by one. Even Grandpa Ben and Grandma Myrna enthusiastically attended the dinner gathering.


    Seeing so many people, they decided to open therge hall and set up the dinner there. With the servant''s help, everything was all set up and ready.


    The family members enthusiastically spend the dinner night with each other''s presence. Looking at the unusual yet appetizing array of food in the tables, they couldn''t help but feel hungry.


    After the prayer before meals, they immediately reached out to the food and tried everything they could get their hands too.


    Waves of praises and exmations rang in the hall. Everyone was satisfied and were in high spirits when they tasted the food. Even the children expressed their excitement by asking for second servings.


    Leon and Kayden also joined the meal and were sharing a table with Randel and the rest of the young men of the family. Although Leon was part of the imperial family, he firmly insisted to sit at the same table with them because he was now together with Eli.


    Moreover, as much as Leon wanted to join Eli''s table, he couldn''t do so because she had been helplessly monopolized by the women.


    "Oh now that I remember¡­" A daughter inw suddenly looked at Eli and asked with deep curiosity. "Have you decided who would be escorting you to your grand entrance for the winter banquet?"


    "Oh, now that you have mentioned that! I am quite curious too!" Another one followed.


    The other women''s ears were perked up too, who would Eli choose to be her escort during the winter banquet?


    "Errmm, I haven''t really thought of this one yet." Eli was clearly taken back on the sudden question and couldn''t really give a good answer for the matter.


    "Why not let His Highness Third Prince escort you?" Someone chimed in with a hint of teasing on her tone.


    "Yeah that would be good to see!"


    "Our Third Prince is reallypatible with our Eli~~" The women couldn''t help but tease Eli more and more.


    "Ermm, I do not think it would be appropriate for His Highness," Eli exined patiently. "The noble families would immediately think that he is seeking some backing by appearing alongside me."


    Eli needed not to exin everything in detail as the women of the family were already aware of Leon''s status in the Imperial Family. He was forcefully suppressed by the aristocratic faction.


    Aside from that, everyone would think that it is suspicious for Leon to suddenly appear close to Eli when he just came from a long duration mission out of the capital.


    "Aww.. that''s too bad!"


    "I really want to see you two up there!"


    "Yeah.. too bad~~"


    Even though the womenpletely understood the situation, they simply felt disappointed, because they really liked the chemistry between the young couple. Besides, they have long announced to the family about their decision to formally be in a rtionship and eventually be husband and wife.


    "Why are you nervous about who will escort young Eli." the Grandpas and Grandmas suddenly joined the conversation.


    "Let us, Grandpas, do that for her!"


    "Noooo! Let us the fathers be the ones to escort her!" Pops and Papi immediately objected with a hint of possessiveness in their tone.


    Usually, in an acknowledgement ceremony, it would be the father who would escort their children in the grand entrance. However in Eli''s case, two families would be officially taking her in. It would not look appropriate to have two father''s escorting you to your entrance!


    "We object! The brothers should be the one to do such honor!" The younger generation also retaliated.


    "No it must be us,the Grandpas!


    "No it must be us, the Fathers!"


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense as the three grounds didn''t show any sign of giving way. Upon realizing this the involved parties shifted their gazes towards the shocked and confused Eli.


    Eli could feel their anticipation as she met their bright and shining eyes.


    All were saying, "Pick me, Pick me!!"

 Chapter 185 Solving The Problem

    ?While there was a tense atmosphere emanating from the adults of the Farauld and Forgeworn families, the kids were oblivious of the things going around and just looked at their elders with bright round eyes.


    Their smiles were so bright as they happily took a bite of their crispy fried chicken.


    Little Han, on his customized baby chair, was also minding his own business frowning his little face to concentrate on holding the spoon properly and scooping his baby food in the little bowl that he had.


    "Mlem... mlem..." He nibbled the baby food that sessfully stuck into his spoon with a cute and proud expression.


    His face clearly had an air of praising himself for doing such a feat - feeding himself sessfully!


    "Wittle Han is good! He can yeet (eat) the food on his own!" Este saw Little Han''s action and praised him like an elder sister.


    "Hmmm, hmm.. Little Han is a grown man.. Very good!" Benson who was eating with them also nodded with a proud expression. His little brother is so talented like his fairy auntie!


    Gillie, Johnny and the other kids from the two families also looked at Little Han with praise. Their youngest cousin was very talented, he could already eat by himself without a nanny!


    Oh yes, he could also catch up to them even though he couldn''t even walk yet! He could crawl so fast and then catch up to them on the plushie yground!


    "Youngest brother is the best!!!" The little kids put down their utensils and carefully went down on their chairs.


    With their little bodies, they tiptoed and surrounded Little Han to either pat his head in acknowledgement or kiss his cheeks in an attempt to affirm his achievements.


    "Jihihi!" Little Han giggled as he looked at his elder brothers and sisters.


    He also dropped his spoon and put his hand on his lips, his cheeks puffed out air as he simultaneously swung his chubby arm, "Umwhua!" He threw a flying kiss to everyone. "Umhwua umhwua!"


    Seeing Little Han''s action the kids'' affection for Little Han immediately increased by leaps and bounds again. The children kept on giggling as they enjoyed the meal prepared for them along with Little Han.


    Kayden saw this adorable scene and couldn''t help but sigh. His nephew already knows how to catch people''s hearts at a very young age!


    What more if he had already be a grown man? Oh, the entire Empire might be ending up in chaos just imagining how many youngdies and mother inws would try to snatch him into their families!!!


    Back to the adult''s area Eli was actually feeling a wave of headacheing because of the sudden matter that arised.


    Everyone was not relenting to the other, the elders of the family also equally expressed their insistence to the one to escort her on the grand entrance.


    Not knowing what to do, Eli threw a pleading nce towards Leon as if saying, "Please help me out here.."


    Leon understood Eli''s signal. Straightening his back, he cleared his throat to draw everyone''s attention to him.


    He also released his kingly aura to let the people be reminded of order in his presence. As much as possible, he didn''t want to use his power nor background to impose something on Eli''s family.


    But as her man, he had to rescue hisdy in trouble. He had no choice but to use the power at his hand.


    "Well it seems like the matter won''t be solved by just talking it out. Why not decide who would escort Eli through the lottery? It will all depend on someone''s luck and no one would have to fight for the position."


    He suggested in a calm yet authoritative manner, one that would subconsciously make people nod in agreement and see him as their leader.


    The adults went into a sudden pause and contemted.


    "Hmm I think that would also work."


    "Yeah, I''m fine with it."


    "Me too¡­"


    One by one, the adults agreed to decide the matter through drawing lots. Immediately, their names were written and ced on a big hollow bowl.


    After everything was ready, Leon beckoned Eli toe in front and draw the name of the person that would escort her.


    A piece of paper was chosen and everyone had a sour expression on their faces as Leon and Eli announced who would be the person going with her to the winter banquet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Just like that, the problem was solved and the dinner still continued even though the men of the two families were feeling salty about the results.


    Fortunately, their mood slowly returned to normal when they went back and ate the food Eli and their wives had prepared.


    After the busy day, everyone in the family went home with smiles on their faces. Leon''s little family also went home and proceeded to prepare for the night.


    Somehow, it was still awkward around the two especially during night time when they had to face each other so ambiguously. But neither of them found the situation irritable nor annoying.


    They know that they have to take it slow in being morefortable and honest with each other.


    This day would be a hug, but in the future¡­ who knows?


    While lulling Little Han to sleep, Leon informed Eli of the things that had transpired regarding the tracking knight.


    "It is now highly suspected that the Ves had something to do with the curses and we have confirmed that there were at least seven men around them who had ess to such sinister methods." Leon informed her with a grave expression on his face.


    Dealing with the men was something he could handle on his own, however, the men could do something at any point in time, which would put Leon''s side on a disadvantage.


    They didn''t know anything yet about the reason why the Vess raised these men in the first ce.


    Is it to usurp the throne? Is it for revenge? Is it just to cause chaos within the Empire?


    Even his Father Emperor couldn''t determine the most probable reason.


    That was because the Empress could have moved earlier when Emperor Valentin''s power was weak and unstable. They could have even moved to kill off Leon and Antoine when they were young?


    But why didn''t they move?


    Why wait until the three princes were already adults and all of them had their own families to protect. What''s stopping them? Who or what are they waiting for?


    To Leon, the behavior of the Vess didn''t make any sense. It was something that made them uneasy and reluctant to even make a move.


    Because knowing the reason for this matter would give them enough advantage to stop and defeat the other party.


    Hearing Leon''s concern, Eli was also equally disturbed. She thought deeply for a while before she carefully blurted out, "There has to be someone or something that stops them¡­ Could it be the Grandpas?"


    "That would have made sense too but¡­ During myte grandfather''s time, they still schemed against our family, pushing my father to take the throne immaturely and marry women other than my mother." Leon frowned in confusion and uncertainty.


    "The attempt to kill me or harm my mother has never stopped even after I was sent to the battlefield. From time to time, Teacher and I would deal with the assassinsing after my life while also dealing with the rebels.."


    "After I seemed to be fully suppressed, the attempts suddenly came to a stop until my name was brought up again during the renewal of the treaty. This matter gives me so much doubt and confusion." There was a hint of anxiousness in Leon''s tone.


    "If that''s the case we can only assume for now that they weren''t moving because they were confident that you are no threat to the throne. The Creator up above would surely guide us to the right answer. Please do not exhaust yourself because of worry." Eli tried to calm Leon down.


    Although she uttered these words, Eli knew very well that the matter of not targeting Leon because he was not a threat to the throne was ame excuse, because Antoine has an equally strong backing aspared to Kazimir.


    Why didn''t the Vess target Antoine then?


    However, just as she said, the matter would unravel soon. There''s no need to brood over something that do not have any means to be solved at this moment. All they have to do is do their best to buy time for their own safety.


    And to do that, they had to apprehend the tracking knight before the winter banquet.


    Leon hummed in acknowledgement after listening to Eli''s reply. Who knows? They may find some clues after catching the tracking knight.


    By that time, they would have a clearer view of the matters hiding in the dark.


    "We will move in the middle of the night tomorrow. The princes would supposedly arrive the morning after that." Leon reminded Eli with a serious expression.


    "I would like to go with you.." Eli asked. She wanted to see in flesh, the person who started it all, Elise''s murderer - The tracking knight!

 Chapter 186 Capturing Igor

    ?"Eli.. I don''t want to put you in danger." Leon shook his head and replied to Eli in a gentle tone.


    He understood what Eli wanted to do. But now that the tracking knight had deeper connections to the enemy, Leon would never dare to be careless and expose that ''Elise'' was actually alive.


    "But-" Eli actually wanted to retaliate, but she froze after seeing the determination in Leon''s eyes. That one seemingly gentle look was speaking a thousand words. However, her face still showed intense unwillingness over the matter.


    Just as she was about to reply to express her unwillingness of the matter, she heard his patient voice saying, "I don''t want you to be hurt, so I''m sorry for not giving in to your request."


    Leon knew that Eli had a mind of her own. Most of the time, her words and opinions would be heard and followed clearly. But he knew well that in this situation, he had to be firm in his decision.


    He reached out to cup Eli''s slender hand, bringing it towards his heart while looking at her in an earnest manner. Eli could clearly see Leon''s intention in his eyes, it was full of care and worry.


    "I know you want justice for Elise but would you stay here and entrust this matter into my hands? Little Han needs you too..." Leon continued to coax her, his voice sounded like a gentle wave in the ocean causing her heart to sway.


    Eli couldn''t resist anymore as Leon mentioned Little Han. Coupled with his irresistible coaxing, she could only nod with a heart beating so fast.


    The hands that had been held by Leon as if it was the greatest treasure he had in his life felt like they were on fire. The fire rapidly crept into her face as she felt like it was already burning of embarrassment and self consciousness.


    She desperately needed something to calm the raging fire, she wanted to pull her hands off and cover her face as she could imagine how red it would be, but Leon''s hand was firmly holding hers.


    Out of options, she bent her head to and ced it on top of Leon''s broad shoulders, hiding her face that was obviously blushing.


    Leon on the other hand felt his body go stiff upon feeling Eli''s head lean on his shoulders. From his point of view he could actually visualize Eli as a little turtle desperate toe back in her shell after being startled.


    He tried not to let out the chuckle that was threatening toe out of his mouth. He could only tell in his heart how Little Han was able to inherit her mother''s cuteness.


    Of course, Leon would never let this rare moment go. In a very natural way, he stretched out his arms and enveloped Eli into his embrace.


    Eli''s heart jumped in shock as she felt Leon pull her closer to his body but she didn''t reject his actions. Leon''s embrace was warm yet contrastingly it was the breeze she exactly needed to calm the fire she was feeling.


    She leaned closer and let her body rx as she breathed the faint scent of baby powder into his body.


    The night was not young, so Leon had to reluctantly let go of her and remind her to rest. As soon as their bodies left in each other''s presence a faint urge of longing sprang in the depths of their hearts.


    ¨C


    Leon spent the day coordinating with the rest of the des to set up everything for Igor''s capture. They carefullyid out everything, from the people that surrounded Igor to the traps and spell arrays that had to be installed in the rundown inn they secretly invaded.


    The past two days, Igor would only stay in his room and lovingly stare at a certain artifact he had carefully stowed on his space pouch. He would only go out with his meals and stay inside the inn all day long.


    During this time, he was visited by his two ''brothers'' once.


    Even so, by observing and eavesdropping in their conversation, Leon was able to discover the identities of four of Igor''s ''brothers''.


    Visam and Hasta were installed in the Ves estate as knights. They perfectly blended as one of the ordained knights under the Ves household, so much that even Leon, who had some interaction with the knights of the Vess, was driven into shock.


    Das and Orel, posed as the exclusive coach men for the Duke and the Empress, respectively. This fact was what made Leon''s party uneasy; this discovery proved that the enemy was closer to them than they had imagined.


    Although this information had clearly shaken Leon''s side, the matter motivated them to settle the target as soon as possible. Besides, if they let the other brothers know of Igor''s stay in the area, the situation would be more chaotic.


    What they n to do is to capture Igor and remove the traces swiftly and effectively.


    Now that they know that he hadpanions who could investigate the aftermath of his capture, should it be sessful, they must also confuse the enemies by misleading them with traces strategically left behind.


    Never would they point it on any member of the des nor on Leon''s forces. Their n is to make it look like Igor left on his own ord and mysteriously disappeared. That was why they spent the past two days setting up arrays and people into the inn.


    The time of the operation came.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Surrounded by the cold and harsh gale of the winter, a lone mysterious figure stood on top of the rooftop of a certain building in the Capital''s outskirts.


    Under the faint moonlight, the figure had fine silver hair and a slender yet ripped body. This was Leon in his typical disguised persona.


    Although he was standing on top of the roof in the winter cold, he was actually floating a few inches above the bed of snowying on top of the roof. In this way, his footprints couldn''t be found.


    With his sharp eyes, he coldly observed the run down inn that was only a few meters away from him. Like an eagle locking up into his prey, he watched as Igor reclusively entered the inn without noticing the trap he was just about to step into.


    Leon didn''t move even after seeing Igor step inside the inn, he still had to wait for the signal to be released before officially starting the operation.


    After a few minutes, the innkeeper went out and ced two empty bottles of wine in the door post without letting out a hint of being unusual. Leon''s eyes saw his action and immediately raised his hands as a sign.


    The operation to capture the tracking knight has begun!


    As soon as he released the signal, several ck figures appeared surrounding the rundown inn. As if they have rehearsed, these men soon performed a series of hand seals covertly.


    As they did this, the rundown inn glowed with a faint pink light, but only Leon''s party could see everything that was happening in the target building.


    Meanwhile, inside the room, Igor was still oblivious that had already fallen into a trap.


    He was still sitting idly as he was about to take out his most treasured item on his space pouch. However, just when the faint glowing pink light dimmed outside, he suddenly catched a whiff that he was most familiar with.


    The scent he loved the most, Arabe, his mistress''s scent.


    His eyes went dark as he realized that he was on the outskirts. Why would his mistress go near this dangerous area? Without dying a single second, he took all of his items and followed his mistress''s scent.


    Filled with worry and a sense of panic, he opened the window and jumped out of it without an drop of hesitation. He ran into the direction of the scent which was coincidentally the ce where Leon had set for him to be captured.


    The array that they installed was an borate illusion spell that would trigger the target''s deepest desire and keep him under control. In Igor''s case the illusion triggered his desire towards his mistress, Arabe.


    Using this, he waspletely taken under control, acting ording to the caster''s wishes.


    True enough, Igor didn''t even notice that on every roof he jumped into, there was a roaming de keeping an eye on him. However, under the spell, his brain would ignore everything and would only focus on following Arabe''s scent.


    Very smoothly, he was slowly approaching the forest where Leon''s entrapment spell was set up. This entrapment spell was the same powerful spell he and Olivier used during the attack on the Silver Dew Forest.


    Getting deeper into the woods Igor''s mind was just filled with anxiety as he was wondering why his mistress would appear in this dangerous woods.


    Soon, he saw a delicate figure with luscious purple hair, wearing a flowy satin princess nightgown standing barefoot in the middle of the forest filled with the winter snow.


    Igor''s heart immediately panicked, why would the mistress appear in this manner in the middle of the woods? His mistress was weak in body and couldn''t stand this much exposure to the winter!


    Why would she suddenlye here without even wearing the bare minimum protection in the harsh cold?


    This time, his mind immediately jolted, this isn''t my mistress!


    It was as if his eyes suddenly became clear and his perception with the surroundings shuttered.


    He stopped just a few meters away form the spell entrapment and turned around with a cold glint in his eyes.


    "Show yourselves!"


    His sinister growl rang in the middle of the forest, like an angry lion extremely provoked in his own territory.

 Chapter 187 The Tracking Knight And The Mad Dog

    ?But even after his hostile growl, he heard no response from the dark. The only thing that he could hear was the bare silence in the deep cold forest.


    On Leon''s side, no one panicked. They have long prepared for this kind of scenario.


    The many battles they have gotten into have trained their mindset to never underestimate the enemy, nor let their guards down just because everything is going ording to n.


    In fact, the smoother the operation is, the more they have to stay vignt.


    They knew very well that their opponent was a tracking knight, he identifies the enemies through smell. That is why they had everyone take the scent dispelling potion, which was exclusively made by Kayden.


    Unfortunately, he could only support from the sidelines. That was because the chances of him captured by the tracking night is still high.


    It was also imperative in every operation that they wear their disguised personas so as to notpromise their real identities as des.


    Going against this bunch of experts, Igor''s face turned darker and darker as no matter what he did, he couldn''t recognize any scent of humans around. It was as if he was purposely lured outside for nothing!


    The matter made him extremely uneasy and a great sense of danger arose from his body. Making up his mind, he decided to go all out. He reached in his pocket and took out a peculiar looking dagger.


    It had a dull bronze handle and a sharp ck de. There was also a series of runes meticulously carved at the thick center of the sharp de, all the way to the tip of the dagger.


    When the moonlight shined on the mysterious weapon, the runes would glow into a deep purple light!


    Upon seeing the weapon, Leon''s already cold expression became intensely dangerous. This dagger was familiar to him after all.


    Through Eli''s description and rough sketch, he had an idea of what the cursed weapon that injured Elise''s soul looked like. It''s appearance was very simr to the dagger Igor was holding!


    Without dy, he quietly pulled out a high grade notification paper and wrote, "I order everyone to disengage! At all costs don''t get wounded by the dagger."


    He had to warn his men, because he knew very well the effects of the dagger. Although Elise did not die due to this dagger, her soul was doomed to be injured. He didn''t want the same thing happening to his men.


    He didn''t have any confidence that his men would be safe fighting against the tracking knight with a cursed weapon.


    Aside from having their souls damaged, Leon hasn''t figured out how the curses work nor how injured souls could be healed.


    ording to Eli''s recount, even the guardians could do nothing to rescue a damaged soul. As such, he could only step out and face him head on.


    Although he knew that the roaming des could match Igor in terms of raw strength, the appearance of the cursed de made everythingplicated.


    They knew nothing at the moment in countering curse magic!


    However, him facing the tracking knight may also force Leon to reveal a crucial information - his open path constitution.


    None of the Roaming des nor the rest of the Crimson des knew the extent of his abilities. The only thing they knew was his devourer magic had already long improved to a level beyond the A ss.


    But now, knowing that hiding his abilities may cause him more damage, he had to go all out to ensure the sess of the operation! This sacrifice would be worth it if it means apprehending a threat to mankind!


    Trusting his subordinates to stay still and not intervene, Leon dashed like a panther and shed in front of Igor. He stood on top of a withered tree, tortured by the winter, the moon on his back looked like a halo enhancing his ethereal aura.


    When Igor saw Leon, his senses immediately heightened. A man with silver hair and brown eyes, none of his features register on him. He could also not identify his scent at all.


    Could he be a nonhuman creature? An elf? Perhaps a werewolf?


    "Who are you? Speak!" He shouted in an attempt to intimidate the mysterious enemy.


    But Igor was destined to receive no reply from the mysterious man. He only just received a piercing nce. There was a sharp cold glint in his eyes that seemed as if Igor murdered his entire n.


    This man is dangerous!


    He tried his best not to show any signs of fear, immediately tightening his grip on the dagger. With his cold vicious eyes, he let his vision scrutinize the opponent, keeping himself alert.


    Leon could tell that Igor would not initiate a fight by himself. In this situation, his party was the one who had limited time as the marching of the three princes must happen when the morning light came.


    He decisively propelled his body to descend down on the spot where Igor was standing. Raising his sword, he immediately pointed it towards the opponent''s neck, looking like he was attempting to finish Igor once and for all.


    ng!


    Leon''s sword and Igor''s dagger created thin sparks of light, as they violently met each other''s sharpness. Igor could feel his ears ringing due to the harsh crashing sound.


    The first blow was a test of each other''s strength and Igor suddenly felt frustrated as he knew from the first move that the person he was facing was strong. He had to focus on his survival.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Leon didn''t treat the first blow as an opportunity to test the waters. Growing up in the battlefield, the madman reputation that he earned came from his ruthless ways in the warzone.


    His men knew that he would always execute an attack to finish the enemy, not to gauge the other''s strength! Leon was never the one who would prolong the fight in order to indulge himself in bloodshed.


    As soon as Igor met his de, Leon used the pushing force to let his body bounce up to the air and swing his leg to brutally kick him towards the spot where the entrapment spell was installed.


    Igor waspletely caught off guard with his sudden actions. He didn''t expect that Leon would do such a merciless follow-up attack. He felt the air around thin out as his chest weed the full force of Leon''s attack.


    What he didn''t know was that Leon had grown to such a heartless environment where second chances are only for destined people.


    Once you lose your chance to survive, you can only pray that the Creator favors you and gives you a way out. But if the heavens aren''t merciful, that one mistake would cost your life.


    As such, Leon and his team grew up grasping every chance of survival, not caring of frivolous warrior''s honor nor chivalry.


    In the warzone, life is life, and life is only one.


    "Cough, cough!" Trying his best to stabilize his stance, Igor tried to catch his breath. He felt that few of his ribs were broken from the opponent''s kick.


    He gritted his teeth and promised to himself that he would not fall into his scheme again.


    But how could his body easily recover from the attack of an S ss Devourer? Not only was his lungs badly damaged, his head was also dizzy from the sudden loss of oxygen, making his vision blurry.


    Leon on the other hand squinted his eyes seeing the ce where Igor fell, it was exactly at the ce where he needed him to be!


    Immediately, he activated the entrapment spell as every second matters in this operation. They intend to assassinate Igor to eliminate the threat however, they have to extract information from him about the Vess and the curses.


    In this way, he could equip not only his men but the most trusted armies of the Empire to counter this sinister power. They have to think of a way to fight against them without sacrificing too much.


    Vwooong!


    The S-ss level entrapment spellpletely locked Igor''s surroundings in a split second, making him surprised yet again. His heart skipped a beat remembering what had happened since entering the inn.


    This man had set everything up! His target was him! But what was the reason? What does this man need from him?


    Now highly desperate, he struggled to raise his dagger and hit a heavy blow on the invisible wall.


    ng! ng! Skkk! sh!


    Igor hit aggressively using the cursed weapon with all the strength he could muster. Beads of cold sweats appeared all over his back and temples, as he was slowly getting eaten away by panic and despair.


    The entrapment was imprable!


    As Igor struggled, Leon on the other hand did not feel any sense of relief.


    As the one who activated the entrapment spell, he could feel his body pumping up more mana than usual just to repair itself to its optimal defense.


    His heart immediately sank knowing this.


    Leon assumed that the caliber of the weapon was low to mid rank, yet it had already caused so much trouble for an S ss mage like him.


    Fortunately, due to his open paths, he could storerge amounts of mana, but keeping Igor in the entrapment spell could onlyst for four hours in his calction.


    If this is the case, how would the mages of lower rank face these people wielding these magic-ignoring weapons?


    A great sense of insecurity and worry crept into his heart. He had to do something to counter this!


    Being the mad dog that he is, Leon stepped into the entrapment spell and viciously threw a heavy punch on Igor who had already mentally broken down in panic.


    Skkkk!!!


    The weapon was flung away from Igor''s hands, and with a sh, Leon took a spare space pouch and immediately seized the dagger.


    He immediately knocked the weakened Igor out with a blow on his nape. Without any expression he stepped out of the entrapment spell and touched its walls to shrink it into a small bird cage.


    But just as he was about to start uttering the enchantments, he felt a sharp gust of the wind fastly approaching the back of his head.


    Immediately turning around, Leon saw a de glowing with dark purple, ready to sh his crystal blue eyes!

 Chapter 188 One Wound, Just One Wound

    ?Visam and Hasta had a big argument.


    These two men were the brothers who visited Igor in the pub. Their intent was to persuade him ining back to the dark knights to carry out missions solely for the Master and the Empress - the most revered people in the Ves n.


    The homing of the three princes of the Seirende Empire would be tomorrow. But they still couldn''t convince Igor to abandon his post in guarding the little miss of the Ves family.


    They have already talked to him two times, but to no avail.


    Igor was firm in his decision toplete hisst mission for the youngdy, to the men''s dismay.


    Visam, who was older than the three,pletely lost his temper and cursed not to bother the unloyal Igor. He was no longer interested in persuading Igor and left Hasta do to it if he still insisted.


    Hasta on the other hand was closer to Igor''s age.


    During training, the two would often be together, facing the hardships they had to endure in order to be the dark knights that they were today. Besides, they both have tracking knight abilities, which were highly crucial to their operations.


    This was also the reason why Visam and Hasta wanted Igor back. It was to ease the burden of investigation assignments from Hasta, who selflessly covered for Igor''s part.


    As the one who was closest to Igor, Hasta knew that he had feelings for the seconddy of the Ves.


    However, in order not to allow Igor to sumb to such emotions, he straightforwardly told him that it was impossible for knights like them to be together with the nobles.


    For if they weren''t even chosen to be the dark knights, they would still be ves sold as amodity in the ck market. It was already a miracle for them to have such a life turnaround.


    Igor harboring feelings for the young nobledy was already asking for too much.


    However, he saw how crestfallen Igor was upon realizing that fact. Helpless, he supported Igor''s initiative to guard Lady Arabe on her journey to explore the territory.


    With his support and Duke''s confidence with the dark knights, Igor managed to get the post of being her guard.


    But now that things were starting to go against the masters that they serve, the dark knights really couldn''t afford to have one less person in the group. With their allies driven away and their supporters all arrested, the undergroundwork of the Vess werepletely paralyzed.


    Seeing that Visam was no longer interested in persuading Igor, Hasta could only sigh and go by himself. Seeing that it is already a bitte, he deduced that Igor was already at the inn preparing to retire for the night.


    Heading towards the direction of the inn, he immediately felt something was off.


    Igor''s scent was scattered in the air, as if he had just rushed out from the inn.


    To check if his conjecture was right, Hasta immediately jumped at Igor''s floor and noticed that his window was open. His eyes frowned as he nkly looked at the empty room.


    Where could he go at this time?


    Hasta could only stare at the direction where Igor''s scent lingered. As he calmly followed the trail, he noticed a pair of footprints along the roof. Fortunately the snowfall was still gentle, and the footprints could still be visibly inspected.


    Igor scent could be detected on these footprints. They were heavy and rushed.


    Hasta could tell that Igor was in a hurry when he went in a certain direction. He calmly inspected any foreign footprints but he didn''t find any.


    "There was no sign of being chased after¡­ what could have happened to make Igor flee like this?" Full of confusion, Hasta could only mutter to himself, as he calmly followed Igor''s traces.


    After some time, Hasta realized that the direction that Igor went into was in a deep remote forest. A great sense of uneasiness rose in his heart. What would Igor do in a remote forest in the middle of the night?


    He knew Igor, he was a one track minded person, other than his duties with Lady Arabe, he wouldn''t have anything that could be called his hobby.


    Feeling that these things were not simple as it seemed, Hasta immediately rushed towards the forest with all the speed he could muster.


    His heart showed a little bit of relief, when he realized that Igor''s scent became stronger as he went deep in the forest. It meant that Igor was still in the area and nothing was going wrong with him.


    "There was no scent of blood, it meant that he was not injured." He thought to himself.


    But little did he know that at this moment, Igor was already caged in the entrapment spell. The scent of blood from his injuries did not escape in the entrapment.


    Nheless, Hasta still did his best to get to where Igor was as fast as possible. Soon, he finally saw the center of the forest and all of his emotions surged as he saw a mysterious man mercilessly strike a heavy blow on Igor''s head.


    He saw the man unceremoniously step out of the entrapment spell and move as if he was about to do something on Igor''s body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hasta''s eyes turned red as he saw his brother fall into the hands of a mysterious enemy.


    While still dashing through the air in a rush, Hasta didn''t hesitate to take out his cursed sword and charged towards the man who was not yet aware of his arrival.


    Shiook!


    Thanks to his S level devourer abilities, Leon managed to react on time by immediately using a sh step to teleport a few meters away from the attacker.


    Still, to encounter such a sneak attack, Leon had to take a good look at the enemy and try to figure out what happened.


    Looking at the weapon he was wielding and the bloodshot fiery eyes that were ring at him, Leon deduced that the attacker was one of Igor''s brothers.


    "Who are you?! Release my brother right now!" Leon heard the other party angrily roar like a mother tiger who had lost her cub.


    Hasta was not bothered that the opponent was able to calmly dodge his sneak attack, the most important thing right now was to rescue Igor. He didn''t have to think of anything else but defeat the opponent in front of him.


    Without waiting for Leon to reply, Hasta immediately charged and crossed swords with Leon.


    But who was Leon? He was a strong devourer of the ss S level! How long could Hastast lpng against him, who grew up in the battlefield?


    All his anger was immediately shaken as he met Leon''s fierce and heavy strike.


    The enemy''s appearance was like an angel that had descended to the mortalnds and captivated people. But his strikes were like the merciless attack of the evil who only wanted death in front of him.


    Hasta could barely manage to hold his ground towards Leon''s heavy blows. His pride and sense of responsibility towards Igor were the only things that protected his state of mind from breaking down facing the battle monster in front of him.


    Beads of sweats appeared all over his body, his lungs couldn''t keep up with the barrage of offense thrown by the enemy.


    But Hasta was slowly losing his confidence as he could clearly see the expression on the man''s face.


    It was as if he didn''t care at all. There were no signs of exhaustion nor struggle. It was as if he knew what would be the oue of this fight!


    "Damn!" Hasta could only retreat using his fast steps in order to catch his breath. He cursed in his heart as he slowly realized how unfavorable their situation was.


    But he had no choice but to face this. He reprimanded himself, why did he not lower his pride and beg Visam to go along with him?


    It could have been a different situation if Visam was around, as he was one of the brothers who could directly use curse spells.


    Wait curse spells?


    A sudden thought came into Hasta''s mind. Why was he using the weapon in his hands like a normal weapon? It wasn''t a normal one, as it was a cursed weapon!


    And so are the other weapons in his space bag!


    "One wound. Just one wound¡­" He thought to himself with a sinister smile creeping up into his face. "One wound will turn everything around."


    With a renewed state of mind Hasta immediately charged at Leon. But this time, Leon could feel that he was up to something.


    Hasta became more aggressive and reckless with his blows. It was as if he was not afraid that Leon would slice his arms in one strike.


    Instead Hasta''s movements be erratic and unpredictable. On one exchange, he would try to get close range and escape on another.


    When he was at close range, a small dagger would appear on his other hand and try to wound him in a hurry.


    When he escaped he would throw several small daggers towards Leon to throw off his attacks. He was clearly trying to destroy Leon''s rhythm!


    Thissted for a few minutes until Leon suddenly felt several hostile objects flying towards him. His eyes grew dim as he recognized these objects.


    They were flying cursed daggers that were seemingly thrown haphazardly by Hasta earlier!


    The daggers hovered in the air as if they had their own wills, surrounding Leon in all directions.


    At Hasta''smand, the daggers fastly approached Leon''s defenseless body!

 Chapter 189 Who Is He?!

    ?The des around who have hidden their presence, couldn''t help but clench their fists in an attempt not to disobey their Master''smands.


    They have long wanted to shout about Hasta appearing out of nowhere but they tried their best not to. Because doing so would actually show theirck of faith towards Leon''s abilities.


    Such a sneak attack would not even pose a threat on their master.


    But this time, their master was surrounded by countless des in every direction. Even if he managed to deflect the majority of these daggers, he would still be injured.


    They remembered the order they received from Leon''s words earlier. At all costs, do not get wounded by the weapon.


    After observing for a long time, the des had long recognized that Hasta''s weapon was simr to Igor''s. As such, getting wounded by them would also be as dangerous as what Leon implied from his orders.


    But how about their master? How was he going to deflect each and every daggering mercilessly in his way?


    They have long wanted to rush to help their master deflect these attacks, but they gritted their teeth and stayed on their respective spots.


    Going there would only burden their master.


    Going there would also disobey him.


    Going there would mean that they do not believe that he can ovee this attack from a sinister enemy.


    With bloodshot eyes, they looked at Leon with determination. Their hearts were all praying that the Creator would protect their leader.


    Leon on the other hand, didn''t waste any second and swished his sword with all his might, creating a strong gale around his body. He also didn''t forget to embed a wind spell to make it grow stronger.


    The gale made the snow arround dance along with the gale and make the surroundings blurry.


    This way, they daggers whom Hasta was sure would wound Leon all flew in disarray. Losing their target they all stuck on the ground.


    However, how could such failure discourage the desperate Hasta?


    He called the daggers again, but this time he increased the number of the daggers under his control.


    Now that Leon was able to guard against the daggers, he was now able to analyze how his opponent was able to use the daggers. With his eyes he could see thin lines of purple threads attached to Hasta''s hands and connected to the daggers.


    His intuition said that this wasn''t mana strings, the strings that a puppet summoner uses to control his medium.


    Could it be curse power? He asked himself.


    However, seeing that Hasta could freely use the attack again, Leon decided to surrender to the fact that he now had to reveal his other powers other than his devourer abilities to the des.


    With his caster abilities, he could easily end this battle after all.


    Besides, Eli was waiting with worry in the cottage. He didn''t want his future wife to be sleep deprived just because he was holding back and dragging the fight long. He had toe back right away to ease her worries.


    Oblivious to Leon''s nonchnce, Hasta maneuvered the daggers once again and this time the attack was meant to be much fiercer and faster.


    The daggers were ced strategically, there were also a few daggers arranged on Leon''s blind spots. Hasta also pumped some of his life essence to stabilize his control of the daggers.


    He let out a sinister smile, with only one wound, all the essence he would spend from controlling the dagger would be replenished by the opponent''s body!


    What''s more, the stronger the other party was, the more essence he could extract!


    Realizing this, Hasta looked at Leon as if he was the main dish served on a feast. Without hesitating any further, Hasta ordered the daggers to mercilessly approach Leon.


    His excitement peaked when the daggers prated the wind gale made by Leon.


    "This is it! Hahahaha!!! You can no longer evade!" Hasta shouted in triumph as soon as he saw his dagger continued to enter into the wind gale as if it was nothing.


    Thump!!


    The sound of the dagger prating on a surface rang in the deep forest.


    To Hasta''s ears this was the sound of triumph. The sound of arge supply of life essenceing in his way.


    To the des, this was a sound of despair. The sound of not being able to be powerful enough to stand alongside their master as a reliable subordinate, not a bunch of people to protect.


    Deep remorse invaded their shaken hearts. They realized how powerless they were right now facing just a single person from a sinister organization.


    How pathetic!


    They were the des!


    They swore to fight alongside their master and get revenge on the Spectre!


    Yet they couldn''t even share the burden with their master in facing an opponent who could not even be considered a member of the Spectre but only a potential aplice!


    How pathetic!


    How powerless!


    How useless were they, the des!


    Now they were feeling nothing but mockery on their names, what des?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were dull powerless des that could not even be used to apprehend a puny aplice.


    Hasta was staring towards Leon''s side with greedy anticipation in his eyes. ''Once he is wounded he will gradually be weakened. Everything will be easier.'' He thought in his heart.


    The des clenched their teeth, they looked at each other to get ready in case they needed to intervene to rescue their master.


    They didn''t know what would be the exact effect of the dagger, but they knew that it would put their Master in great danger and disadvantage.


    Slowly, the strong gale was starting to weaken and the blurry scene covering Leon was starting toe clear.


    Everyone looked with their breaths held back when they finally saw the man behind the turbulent gale.


    A man with silver hair unscathed and not even disheveled.


    He survived!!! Their master survived! He was even uninjured.


    But the next moment, their hearts leaped in the air and the hairs on their bodies stood when they finally realized what surrounded their Master.


    Each and every dagger was stuck on a piece of earth shield.


    Their eyes were widened as they realized that no mage could do this kind of feat - deploying scattered pieces of shield to deflect each and every attacking his way.


    Who could predict multiple trajectories and put on protection against each of those in a split second?


    Wait, earth shields? Since when was our master able to use this kind of spell? The des were caught in a daze because of confusion.


    But Leon didn''t give them time to think of things and so was Hasta.


    As soon as the surroundings cleared up, Leon charged Hasta to apprehend him once and for all.


    Hasta on the other hand was driven into grave panic! All along his opponent was a strong mage, he thought that he was just a slightly stronger devourer.


    "Not good!" He cried and ran away in panic. Without thinking further, he reached out to his space pouch and took an item that would give him a little bit of hope.


    As Leon charged towards the fleeing Hasta, he clearly saw his actions.


    His face darkened as he realized the item that he took out from his space pouch, a re!


    "Biggie!!!" He shouted and immediately a giant golem that was as tall as two fully grown men suddenly emerged in front of the running Hasta.


    Because the giant golem appeared too fast, Hasta was not able to stop his momentum and violently crashed at the giant earth creature.


    Growl!


    Biggie, the giant golem with two glowing eyes, did not seem to mind that a human crashed his body.


    He looked cluelessly towards Hasta who was grunting in extreme pain all over his body. Remembering Leon''s order, he used his giant hands to take away the re in Hasta''s hands.


    "Who are you!!" Hasta tried to squeeze out the words as he was unwilling to believe what he was actually seeing at this moment.


    A man with strong devourer powers, with extraordinary prowess in controlling casting abilities and with a terrifying contracted familiar!


    Just who is this man? Why did they never hear of someone with great abilities like him? He couldn''t understand.


    "You have no right to know who I am." Leon coldy said.


    To Hasta the man''s voice was like the guardian of hell telling him that he had reached the end of the road, the next thing he knew was everything in his world turned dark.


    Now that Hasta lost his consciousness. Leon told Biggie to drag Hasta''s body to the entrapment spell after disarming his body.


    Biggie''s eyes glowed in an adorable manner. To express his understanding, he nodded fiercely with his round head.


    Then, he quickly shrunk into a size as little as a kid and cutely dragged the unconsious Hasta towards the entrapment spell without any signs of struggle.


    His eyes looked at the des who all stood stiffly in shock.


    What did they just witnessed? Where am I? Who am I?


    Leon was not surprised at their expression. Instead, he used his authoritative voice tomand, "Clean up the area, collect all the cursed weapons and remember not to get yourself hurt, not a single cut!"


    "We have to wrap up within five minutes and bring the captives stealthily to the base! As for your questions, I will exin it to you once we secure these two in the dungeon." He continued.


    The des were all jolted awake by his instructions. Since their master issued hismands, they set aside the questions they have on their minds and immediately got into action.


    The clean up didn''t take very long, they left the forest without a single trace. No one would suspect that a fight happened in the area at all!


    While Leon and des proceeded to secure in the dungeon, Eli on the other hand, was nervously pacing around the living room with Kayden who was also equally nervous.


    Little Han had long been put to sleep, but Eli couldn''t get a wink of sleep knowing the tricky operations Leon had to carry out.


    Soon Eli noticed hermunication stone ring, without even waiting for a second she answered with a shaking voice clearly anxious, "Leon.. how are you? Are you safe? Is everything fine?"

 Chapter 190 Secret Base

    ?Leon couldn''t help but stretch his tense lips into a subtle smile.


    As soon as he heard Eli''s voice, the mess in his heart started to settle down and his mind became clear.


    "Uhn, I''m fine. We are able to do the operations sessfully. But there''s just something unexpected that happened along the way. But we are alright." Leon replied with an assuring tone.


    "That''s good to hear!" He could hear the relief in Eli''s tone. "Are you going home then?" He then heard her say with a gentle tone.


    Leon felt his heart get pinched upon hearing Eli''s question. However, he had to ensure that the captives were secured first before going home. As much as he wanted to say that he would go home, he had to do otherwise.


    "I still have to settle the aftermath. Eli everything''s fine now, please calm your mind and take some rest." He answered in a coaxing tone.


    On the cottage, Eli was still wearing an unwilling expression but it was Kayden who intervened and convinced her.


    "Leon''s right, Little Sister, you need to get some rest. I''ll go standby for Leon''s matter." He said, nodding at Eli as a sign of assurance.


    "You heard him, Eli, please take a rest." Leon seized Kayden''s assistance and immediately followed up.


    "... alright¡­ Just keep safe, hopefully you still have time to rest too.." Although Eli could feel that Leon would not have time for rest because of the operations and the homing tomorrow, she still hoped that Leon wouldn''t neglect his health.


    "I''ll do my best." He replied.


    After the call, Kayden ensured that Eli had alreadye back to the bedroom with Little Han before contacting Leon.


    Initially, Kayden wanted to go to the de''s hidden base to see the captives and help in the investigation on site. But Leon insisted on setting aside the matter first.


    Leon and the des still had to ensure the security within the dungeon where they ced Hasta and Igor. They also had to ensure that whoever would visit the dungeon in the future should have their identities protected.


    The matter about Igor and Hasta was no longer limited to Kayden, Eli, and Leon. Emperor Valentin, the Grandpas, and even the Temple were all interested in this case. As such, Leon had to take additional precautions in case there would be any mishaps.


    The de''s hidden base was located in an area significantly far from the Crimson de''s barracks and even the pce. It was located in the boundary of the capital towards the north.


    One could say that the northern part of Seirende was the most peaceful and neutral part of the Empire. This was because there were several mysterious forces located there, one of the most well-known was the Silver Dew Elves.


    Leon chose to capitalize on the reputation of this ce to establish his secret base for the entirework of the des.


    He chose the deepest part of the Gullfoss Mountain Range, which physically sets the boundary between the northern territory and the capital.


    The dense and reclusive Gullfoss Mountain Range became a major danger zone for travelers and merchants wanting to cross between the two territories. It was filled with hidden dangers such as poison haze, deadly quicksand, and countless beasts.


    There were only two ways to safely pass through the northern range, first was to use the nearest teleportation arrays to go to the territories.


    Another one was to use the official trail linking the capital and the north. This way, there would be sentries strategically ced along the road that would guard against danger and rescue those in need.


    Leon used these facts in order to naturally hide his base away from the enemy''s radar. No one would risk their lives exploring this mountain range that no one has been able to decipher for thousands of years.


    With his team in tow, Leon used the ess portal from the Crimson de''s barracks to immediately teleport to the secret base. Now that Leon was a tycoon in supreme mana stones, they could easily power these teleportation portals!


    Immediately, the portal brought them into a mossy cave that has been hidden on the edge of the mountain cliff. A de used a drop of his blood to activate the mechanism for the hideout entrance.


    This was one of the security features Leon installed in his base. Only Leon and the members of the Crimson and Roaming des could activate the mechanism.


    A magic circle appeared in front of them and suddenly revealed a staircase leading further down. Leon and the others proceeded to thread the hallway which was brightly lit by moonstones.


    After some time, the heart of the base was revealed. It was arge open area that was naturally formed by the rock formation of the mountain range.


    Leon''s team preserved the stctite and stgmite formations in the entire area through a powerful seclusion array. This will also ensure the stability of the mountain range.


    The less modification in the cave, the safer it would be for them.


    In the open area, there were buildings made of brick and stones that could serve the needs of the des, it was like a mini-city inside the hideout.


    There''s a central office, dungeon, library,boratory and even forge rooms for the creation of the de''s weapons.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Let''s take the captives to the solitary confinement area." Leon immediately mobilized the team and divided the work amongst the men.


    Some came with Leon in securing the two captives, some did the work in keeping each and every confiscated weapon and items safe for further study. Some were even tasked to do the inventory and recording of these items.


    Everyone worked efficiently without questioning their assignments.


    Leon, on the other hand, had Igor and Hastapletely naked and inspected in case there were also hidden mechanisms on their body.


    Not holding back, he openly used his S level optical spells such as the Bypass Spell to scan every nook and cranny of the captives'' body.


    He didn''t want any idents to happen to them, any attempts for them to contact theirrades nor to suicide must be apprehended. After that, he had his men dress the two in in clothes.


    As they still couldn''t start the interrogation, Leon ordered his men to ensure that they would stay unconscious within the next six hours.


    Leon calcted the remaining time, he only needed to appear for the homing. This was also to ensure that he would not be suspected of the sudden disappearance of the two knights.


    If they get lucky, the enemies could only notice their disappearance after two days. But if not, he didn''t care because he knew that he had done all the things he could to protect his side''s interest.


    After ensuring everything had been carried out, gathered the des and exined himself to all of them.


    "I know you all have been confused by what you all saw earlier." He started to address his subordinate''s concerns. With a serious look in his eyes he nced at the shining eyes of his subordinates and continued.


    "As you all have witnessed, I am not only a person with devourer abilities, I can also use caster and summoner magic. To make the long story short, I have inherited myte grandfather''s gift, the Open Paths Constitution!"


    Although the des tried to prepare their minds and hearts for this confession, they couldn''t help but feel their throats dry and get agitated upon learning the true abilities of their master.


    A Legendary Open Path Mage!!! Living! Alive in front of them!


    What''s more, it was their very own Leader! Their Master, the Wielder of the des!


    There''s a great sense of reverence and pride swelling up from their hearts!


    Sniff!


    No one knew who started to create sounds of muffled cries, but once they heard it, the valiant looking men all started to cry.


    It was not just simple tears of joy, but a cry of relief and sorrow upon learning the truth.


    The Creator knows how much they saw their Master stay low and get ridiculed by almost everyone in the Empire.


    They heard them nder his name viciously. They even called him a trash prince.


    They called him ipetent and too unvaluable to be even called a prince of the Empire, just because of this low assessment.


    They even rejoiced when he was always sent away from the capital as if he was a gue that everybody had to avoid.


    Even when he brought countless victories in the Empire, he never experienced the people cheering him nor even thanking him whenever he came home.


    The Creator also knows how much they struggled to swallow the heartbreak they witnessed, Crimson and Roaming des alike.


    They have long wanted to retaliate to these people and show them what kind of person their Master really is.


    They felt like it was all unfair.


    Unfair that their Master genuinely loves the Empire even though the people don''t love him back.


    Unfair that he had to sacrifice his childhood, his youth, his very own flesh and blood for the sake of these ungrateful people.


    Unfair because he had to go through all this. Going even as far as to hide his abilities to protect himself and the people he deemed as important.


    Unfair that even if they already know the truth, they know that they couldn''t get out there and shout outside the world, how powerful their master is!

 Chapter 191 March Towards The Capital (1)

    ?Leon looked at theplicated faces of the des who were still weeping their hearts out.


    His eyes also reddened as he could understand the men that had been with him in times where he had to make a name for himself.


    He understood their frustration and their relief. He understood their joy andmentation at the same time.


    He knew that these people needed to process their pent up feelings and let them start the process of healing their pain.


    He owed these guys too much. He also felt guilty for hiding this truth from them for too long.


    However, the reason he couldn''t give them the truth they deserve was because he had always felt like his abilities were more of a curse that would expose his men to greater danger. There''s a part of him that always carried the thought that his abilities were actually a curse not a blessing.


    The more Leon looked at the de''s weeping, the more remorse he felt in his heart. He started to realize that his thinking was wrong from the start.


    He could let the enemies think that he was trash for as long as he wanted. But to the men who wholeheartedly believed in him, it was a great insult not to give them the equal amount of trust in return.


    With a quivering yet still dignified voice he told the des, "I owe you men this truth. I, Leon the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, asks for your forgiveness. I have hidden this truth from you for too long, for I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn''t realize that it was something that would bring you pain. I sincerely apologize for not thinking things through."


    "However, I do not n to tell the world yet of this matter, for we have a much bigger enemy to face. These abilities are not yet enough to take them on, so I could only ask you to protect this secret with me."


    "I don''t mind people''s ridicule. I don''t need them to validate my identity."


    "What I wanted to uphold and take care of right now is the people who believed in me. My men who believed in me."


    "The people whom I can entrust my life with."


    Leon looked at them, clenched his fist and brought it over his chests. He gave a sincere salute towards the men he cherished and deeply considered as brothers.


    "Master!!"


    "Leader! You don''t need to do this¡­"


    The des were startled by Leon''s gesture. However, they couldn''t stop him from doing so and they could only helplessly face his salute with dignity. This is their Leader!


    After the tearful event, Leon had the troupe leaders of the two branches of des disseminate this information to the entirework.


    As they were still on the different parts of the Empire, they could only send the message through a series of notification papers, rying Leon''s words.


    That night, the entirework of des celebrated and cried in relief at the same time.


    The time for Leon to assemble the des came. They had to leave the tasks of keeping an eye on the captives and protecting the base to the Roaming des and Neil''s team.


    When they all departed, the sun was already about to shine.


    Leon''s entire crew decided to meet in the third town away from the Capital towards the south. Through a teleportation array, he went with the Crimson des that are with him to regroup with rest.


    Together, they will march towards the Capital with their heads held high and their hearts full of pride.


    General Eugine and his crew also decided to march together with them. He had been well informed of Leon''s advanced operations and his appearance with him will definitely help him in masking the tracks of the enemies who might try to investigate the matter.


    From the third town of the south, the men still had to teleport to the nearest vige for the capital before proceeding to march forward for roughly three hours.


    The men started to march towards the capital without dying further. The heart-raising galloping of the army horses and the earthy scent of the dust carried away by the wind made the appearance of their group heroic and gant under the kiss of the golden morning light.


    When they reached the gigantic and imposing gates of the Capital, the sun was already shining brightly. There were separate gates for the ordinary citizens and for the soldiers. The one Leon and the rest would take would be this conspicuous gate in front of them.


    "Greetings, His Highness, Third Prince! Greetings, Great General Farauld!"


    "We thank the heavens for your safe return!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The soldiers stationed in the city gates all shouted in unison. They saluted at the men with fervent expressions, it was clear that they have gratitude and respect towards the men in front of them.


    The civilians also bowed in reverence because of the presence of someone from the Imperial family. They looked like they were sincere in showing respect to Leon however, they masked their fear towards him and directed their respect to the legendary general in their hearts.


    They even assumed that the soldiers were also showing their respect to General Farauld in their hearts and taking advantage of that to put on a show for Leon.


    However, to these knights who weren''t affiliated with any of the first and second prince''s factions, they looked up to Leon like he was their idol. To them, Leon was a symbol of the truest honor of a warrior, constantly striving for victory against life''s obstacles.


    They marveled in his tenacity to survive in the battlefield even though he possessed the weakest assessment amongst all the well known people of his age.


    Unfortunately, it was an unspoken rule amongst the knights to be subjected to ridicule once you showed signs of looking up to the Third Prince. It had been a cause of bullying within the circle of the low ranked and junior knights.


    That was why this moment was a rare opportunity for them to show their appreciation of the Third Prince who silently brought the Empire countless of victories.


    Victories that are even more notable than the victories of the two other princesbined.


    "At ease!" Being the one with the highest status present, Leon took the initiative to ept the pleasantries.


    "Have we been the first to arrive?" He calmly asked the sentries.


    "Permission to reply, Your Highness! The troops under the First and Second Prince have already arrived about two hours ago. Your Highness''s party was thest to arrive." The captain of the city guards answered sinctly and respectfully.


    "I see, then let''s proceed." Leon didn''t react much, he was already used to his two elder brothers leaving him out when ites to things like these.


    The captain of the city guard felt sorry for the Third Prince, however, he didn''t dare to express it in his face. He just acknowledged Leon''s orders and had his men open the gates for them. To obey his orders with respect, that''s the biggest help that he can do for him right now.


    Meanwhile, the two princes were already at their very own organized wee parties. Although they were not together, both of them had a satisfied smirk on their faces. The townspeople had weed them so grandly that the road was still decorated with celebratory gs and banners.


    But they knew that their youngest brother would never experience that kind of reception.


    Thinking about the traces of wee on the road where they have to march home, the two couldn''t help but mock Leon.


    As the two expected, as soon as the gates opened they were weed by such a heartbreaking sight. The troops with Leon and General Farauld couldn''t help butment in pity for the Third Prince.


    The feeling was like going to a party that has long ended, because the organizers deliberately told you the wrong time.


    There were colorful gs in the air, banners of victory and even the fragrant petals scattered on the ground. The surroundings looked festive and lively, but there''s just one thing that was missing - the people.


    Leon and General Farauld marched without even bothering the scene in front of them. Even the men behind them didn''t show any fluctuation in their expressions and kept a straight face. They held their heads high and kept their posture dignified as they thread the lonely road.


    They do not need these people''s affirmation. They just wanted to do their duties to keep their loved ones safe. Repeatedly they convinced themselves.


    Soon, they were about to pass by the street where the Farauld Magic Institute was located. They looked at each other when they saw a swarm of people waiting for them in anticipation.


    As soon as the people saw their party, they shouted with all their might, and sounded the drums, cymbals and trumpet.


    They yed victorious music to honor the men. There was also a group whounched an air spell in the air, it was akin to fireworks, yet visible in the daylight.


    As the troop reached the crowd they heard this chant that shook their frozen hearts.


    "Your sweat, blood and tears are all ounted for!"


    "We keep them in our hearts."


    "Dear soldiers for our Empire, we thank you for your victory!"


    "Because of you we are safe!"

 Chapter 192 March Towards The Capital (2)

    ?Leon and the men were shocked by this scene suddenly ying in front of them, they could not process what was happening right away.


    It was only when they reached the crowd that they realized the people had gathered to wee them, like heroes going home from a victorious battle.


    Most of them were wearing the gowns of the Farauld Magic Institute - ck, red, blue and green. They all represented the three branches of the school as well as the faculty members.


    The academic school was in charge of the music and chanting. The magic school and research school used their beasts and caster abilities to release a barrage of booming air spells.


    They also saw the Farauld and Forgeworn members and workers waving gs of victory. The rtives of the soldiers were also present.


    The men also carriedrge banners withrge words conveying their gratitude and cheers. The children and the women threw fragrant flower petals as a sign of gratitude as the knights marched.


    "Father! Wee back!"


    "Grandpa! We are proud of you!"


    "My love, thank heavens for keeping you all safe!"


    "Brother! I miss you!"


    Everyone conveyed their thoughts and cheered as the crew dignifiedly marched on the road.


    Witnessing all this, the men, especially Leon and General Farauld''s subordinates, could feel the stinging sensation on their eyes and started to tremble in deep emotions. These brave men held their heads down and bitterly wiped the warm tears flowing on their faces.


    Months and months in the wilderness, tracking and fighting the Spectre''s men were not in vain.


    All those monthsying their head not on afortable pillow but a cold and dusty boulder or rock.


    All those times when they resisted hunger and thirst just to ensure that they would survive in the midst of the barrennds.


    When the first people they saw were their loved ones, who all weed them so warmly.


    When there was someone in the Empire who didn''t take their efforts for granted.


    When there were people who would not choose to warm their chairs at home but to go out and faithfully anticipate their return.


    All the pain and suffering was worth it!


    Leon and General Farauld also felt surprised by this scene. They have been in the capital secretly ahead of time yet they didn''t know that their loved ones would still organize this heart warming wee for their crew.


    Their hearts were overflowing with gratitude and relief.


    They looked at the men who were moved to tears by this scene. After all, this moment was actually for them.


    Their men deserved to be treated like this. They deserved to receive honor and glory for every sacrifice they made for the Empire.


    Just as they thought that the crowd was finished, there were two women who stepped forward and approached Leon and General Farauld.


    It was Eli and Mami Aquilia, each holding several stalks of diolus flower on their hands.


    In the midst of a joyous crowd, the two slowly approached Leon and Papi Eugine, smiling gently as they gave these stalks to the two leaders.


    "We thank the heavens for your safe return." They two women uttered softly.


    As it was in public, the two men tried their best to stop themselves from pulling their respective beloved in their arms lovingly. However, they maintained a polite demeanor and expressed gratitude as they epted their gifts.


    diolus, to their country, is a symbol of strength. But these two pairs of lovey dovey couple also knew the second meaning of gifting the flower to each other, ''You pierced my heart''. It symbolizes deep affection for the receiving end.


    They only subtly answered each other with a smile before letting them go and see them continue their march to the castle, where they have to present themselves to the Emperor.


    Themotion created by these seemingly small number of people actually managed to attract the people''s attention. That was also mainly because of the grand surprise made by the Farauld Magical Institute.


    No one could mobilize these elusive and revered mages to waste their mana for casting air spells! Even the ever entric Research Branch participated with the crowd.


    There was also arge discussion about who was the woman with Dame Aqu who gave the diolus stalks to the third prince.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    People started to specte and gather information, but none of the people belonging to the crowd took the initiative to divulge information regarding Eli.


    Eventually, the news reached the ears of the First Prince Kazimir and Second Prince Antoine. Their eyes only flickered due to surprise and shrugged the news off.


    "For sure, that was organized because he was with General Farauld. It would be a big shame if the Farauld family wouldn''t pull some strings to let Esteemed General arrive here in such a shameful manner."


    The others also thought the same and didn''t bother to look into the matter differently.


    But little did they know that it was Eli who came up with all these things and actually started to organize everything behind Papi and Leon''s backs.


    First, shemunicated her idea to the elders who naturally became ted to execute her suggestions. Aunt Janine also nagged Uncle Bramwell and asked if he could gather some volunteers from the institute for the grand wee.


    Who knew that when the research branch heard the news, they would volunteer themselves willingly especially when they heard that everything was Eli''s idea.


    Even though it was winter break and the majority of the students were in their respective homes, the research team were still the same, staying perpetually at the dorms.


    They immediately set their research works aside and formed a team to organize everything. When the remaining faculties and students, who decided to stay on campus for the winter break heard of themotion, they cautiously asked what''s happening.


    "We will be organizing a grand wee for General Farauld and His Highness Third Prince! This was Great Inventor Eli''s idea! We want to make sure that they wille back in a glorious way!" The people from the research branch answered with excited eyes.


    Hearing that it was for a good cause and most especially it was from the renowned inventor, the remaining members from the magic and academic schools also joined the fun.


    Mami Aqu was also a renowned female knight during her prime days and was famously known as Dame Aqu.


    She pulled some strings and managed to get the full roster of the members of Leon and her husband''s crew. Then she sent men to contact their respective families to join the surprise.


    Lastly, how would the Forgeworns who were closely tied with the Faraulds be missing this happening? They couldn''t let this matter be used by the Faraulds to monopolize Eli more! They had to also be present!


    As such, the Forgeworns also invited themselves and even provided for the decorative gs and banners that were vigorously waved by their mighty men.


    When the crowd could no longer see the marching men with their own sight, they looked at each other with contentment on their faces. Even the research team looked at their counterparts from the magic and academic schools and gave each one a high five.


    The joyous situation also pleased Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi. With a wide grin on their faces they announced to the crowd,


    "Everyone, thank you all for your cooperation! To express our appreciation to everyone, we have organized a wee party just here in the main hall. For the glorious and safe return of General Farauld and the Third Prince of the Empire, let''s celebrate with an array of refreshments inside!"


    The crowd cheered upon hearing the announcement. It was seldom for the Farauld Magic Institute to open their gates to the public. They didn''t expect that they would be fortunate to experience this rare opportunity!


    As such on this particr day, there were three wee parties organized for the three princes of the Empire. Oddly enough, they were conducted separately, not minding each other''s business.


    After reporting to the Emperor, Leon and General Farauld also attended the party. With thepany of everyone and their loyal men, they spent the day celebrating their sessful missions.


    Leon took Eli home at the middle of the party. It was because Leon had to immediately go back to the secret base to continue their investigation.


    Eli adamantly protested against this as she knew that Leon hadn''t had any wink of sleep sincest night.


    "Please, just rest even for an hour¡­" Eli pleaded with worry in her eyes.


    "I promise to do so after I check on the captives, I only made them unconscious for six hours, we still do not know what kind of trouble they would bring once they wake up." Leon gently coaxed Eli, brushing the top of her head in a loving manner.


    Although still unwilling, Eli didn''t want to make difficult things for Leon. She had to fully support him in this matter, not hinder it. Because they knew what it means to have these two captives on their side.


    In Leon and Eli''s heart, they felt relief as they knew that the clean up mission would buy them time to prepare for the unknown dangers in the future.


    They have to spend this time wisely.


    With the dark knights under their watch, it would give them more opportunity to prepare and conquer what lies ahead.


    Knowing this, they understood that they have to take the matter seriously. Moreover, Eli and Leon still had to face the eventsing two days from now - the awarding ceremony and the winter banquet!


    These events would be the official debut of Eli''s to high society and would eventually pave the way to the Imperial pce along with Little Han!

 Chapter 193 Preliminary Investigation

    ?After coaxing Eli, Leon immediately went with Kayden to receive the instruction from the Emperor about the course of the investigation.


    As the matter had already caught the attention of the Temple, Emperor Valentin instructed that the interrogation could only start after the Winter Banquet.


    This was due to the fact that the Temple wanted to also participate in the case involving the curse.


    Initially, the Temple insisted on taking over the case because the curse magic was no longer a concern limited to the Empire but of the entire Prasinos. Since the Temple''s jurisdiction not only covers the Seriende Empire, they could exercise their authority based on the gravity of the matter.


    However, Emperor Valentin convinced the High Priest not to let this case be known to many people, even on the other branches of the Temple. Atleast until they were done with the investigations.


    He told the High Priest that there was likely a traitor within the Empire and the connection of the captives with the aristocratic Ves Family.


    Because of these reasons, the Emperor believed that it would be best that the matter would be handled by Leon, who also was the one who exerted the efforts to capture the two men.


    As such the two parties agreed to apromise, the interrogation and investigation would be led by Leon''s party under two conditions.


    First, the captives must be under the Temple''s custody.


    At first, the Emperor strongly objected to this request. It was mainly because he knew that Empress Carolina stayed in the Temple for a year. This would mean that she may have established some connections within the temple during that time.


    However, the High Priest assured that the matter would only remain inside the Higher Courts - a ce that Empress Carolina could not even step into during her volunteer years.


    Upon receiving the assurance from the High Priest, the Emperor relented. He knew that the Temple would never allow these captives to go.


    Besides, it would also be easier for Leon if the investigation would be within the Capital, especially because of the second condition.


    The second condition was that the Temple would send someone on his side to join Leon''s investigation team. This would ensure that whatever information they receive about the curse would be recorded by the Temple entirely.


    Although Leon wanted to start the investigation right away, he still had to abide by these arrangements. Thus, he had to prepare for the transfer of the two captives to the Temple.


    Due to this, he had to think of ways to smoothly transfer all the paraphernalias and the captives themselves. He had to think of a way to ensure that the captives would never create trouble during the transfer.


    The best way to do this was to make them unconscious again for a period of time. However, Leon was already helpless with this matter because he had already knocked the men too many times already.


    What if he really knocked them for good? Then they would die without Leon extracting information from them!


    Too dangerous! Too dangerous!


    With this, he could only rely on Kayden''s medical prowess to achieve the goal.


    Arriving at the secret base, the two immediately proceeded in the dungeons to check the situation with the captives.


    They arrived at the dungeons with Igor and Hasta still unconscious because they were again hit by Leon''s men an hour ago.


    Upon hearing this, Kayden looked at Leon angrily, "Are you serious?! What if they lose memories because of being hit too much in the head!"


    "Eherm.. It''s not that I have many choices, my sleeping spell could onlyst for a few hours, and we came inte. At most, they have only been hit three times." Leon guiltily replied.


    "Sigh, whatever.. Let me check their conditions first." Kayden let his friend go and proceeded to examine Igor and Hasta''s condition.


    He closed his eyes and directed his focus on examining their bodies through a magic spell. This was also the same spell that Leon did when he examined the Hell Wolves captured by Olivier''s team.


    However, Leon could not perform the spell onplicated beings such as humans. He could only do so with beasts and animals. Because of Kayden''s high affinity with healing magic, he was able to do this easily.


    The dungeon was silent throughout the course of the inspection. Leon waited for Kayden to finish his examination before asking him of the results.


    "Peculiar, very peculiar." Kayden had a look of interest on his eyes.


    "The first captive, named Igor, was entirely normal. His body contained the receptors meant for a tracking knight which proves that he has devourer abilities. He didn''t seem to have anything suspicious in his body that could be identified as something rted to curses. Finally, aside from the damage you dealt with the blows on his head and chest, this person seemed to be healthy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kayden started to exin his discoveries to Leon in a slow yet serious phase.


    "However, the peculiarities were found on this second captive, named Hasta. His body also contained receptors of a tracking knight which proves that he was a devourer. But ording to your recount, he was able to disy abilities akin to puppet control."


    "Yes, he was able to control multiple des at once. This ability could only be performed by a summoner." Leon replied.


    "Well apparently, there was really no trace of summoner mana receptors in his body. He only had devourer receptors, no more no less. I can also confirm that he was not an open path since there were no signs of the receptor being shapeshifted nor modified."


    Kayden affirmed his findings with great interest. "That makes me think that what you and the des had witnessed was the manifestation of the cursed magic."


    "That''s what I thought too. However, have we identified something in his body that could be a trace of sinister curse?" Leon frowned with uneasiness.


    "There was none. Hepletely looked like a normal person, a normal devourer, nothing more."


    "How could this be? So you mean there was no way for us to determine if a person could use curses or not?" Leon couldn''t help but feel dejected upon hearing this information.


    Kayden shook his head and patted Leon''s shoulder, "It''s too early to say that. Perhaps, this method would not allow us to do so. But maybe in the future, we would be able to think of a way to detect them."


    "Besides there is another mystery that I discovered in his body."


    Leon looked at Kayden, waiting for his findings.


    "As you have recorded on their initial condition, this guy only sustained average physical injuries due to crashing against Biggie and you hitting his head. But why did this guy show signs that his organs were failing and that he basically only had a month to live?"


    Leon was taken aback by Kayden''s words, "I swear that the first captive was even more injured than this second one. Could it be that the second captive was already terminally ill?"


    Kayden vigorously shook his head and said,


    "No, there were no signs of heavy medications in his bloodstream. That would mean that this man doesn''t have this grievous condition prior to encountering you guys. Besides, if he was able to cross swords with you for a long time, then that would be impossible to do if he had this wretched condition in the first ce¡­"


    "It was like¡­ his condition only happened just now.. Out of nowhere.." He looked at Hasta''s body with a puzzled look on his face. "Could this be connected with the curse?"


    "That would be highly possible, after listening to your words." Leon was also convinced that this was possible.


    The two men could only pray that they would find the answer by interrogating them.


    "Alright, enough of this. I''ll have to borrow yourboratory for a while to prepare the knockout potions. Also, since we didn''t know whether you would be able to extract information on the second captive within a month, I highly suggest that you request the higher ups the permission to treat his condition at least at the bare minimum. I can only create a medicine for now to stabilize his condition."


    "I''ll entrust them to you then, I''ll inform Father Emperor of these matters." Leon nodded and took Kayden to theboratory room of the secret base.


    Theboratory area was clean and sterile which was absolutely ording to Kayden''s standards.


    After ensuring that his friend had everything he needed for the task, Leon finally went to his office and took a look at the reports written by himself, his men and Kayden.


    He immediately started to work through the narratives to consolidate all the information. After an hour, he could already feel the fatigue and sleepiness from staying awake since the start of the operations.


    Seeing that his body was already screaming for rest, he decided to speed up in finishing this task. As soon as he finished thest sentence, his body gave away and immediately shut down to sleep.


    While he was in deep sleep, the door to his office slowly opened.


    Kayden and Olivier slowly tiptoed and checked the sleeping Leon. The two lifted his body on the resting couch to let him sleep more soundly.


    After ensuring that he had a good sleeping condition, the two noiselessly stepped out of his room.


    Kayden took hismunication stone immediately and reported, "Little Sister! Yes.. Yess.. I used my special incense to safely induce his sleep but his will is so stubborn!!! But it''s ok now¡­ He is finally asleep, you can be rest assured!"

 Chapter 194 The Transfer

    ?When Leon woke up, he was surprised that the des were already busy preparing for dinner.


    It was only then that he realized Kayden may have done something to induce him to sleep heavily.


    He had slept until the evening was already at sight.


    Shaking his head, he went towards theboratory area and saw Kayden examining a drop of liquid in a ss te.


    He was busy recording the properties while a group of des wearing the sameboratory coat assisted him in his activity.


    This drop of liquid was the one Olivier, Baobao and Wisey confiscated from the remains of the Spectre forces back in Silverdew Forest. Leon had gotten Emperor Valentin''s permission to take the hell wolves and the rest of the items for study.


    Since they ced the investigation and clearing of the Spectre forces in the Empire on top of their priority list, they had to postpone the investigation of the matters on the Silver Dew forest.


    The Hell wolves, the trigger and calming potions as well as the rest of the artifacts gathered from the sinister group were all ced here in the secret base for safe keeping.


    It was also a blessing in disguise that Kayden decided to go with him to the capital.


    If not for this situation, the Roaming des who were assigned for this study will have to do everything on their own.


    With Kayden leading the team, there was a great chance that the answers would be discovered earlier than expected.


    Leon observed everything from the ss partition and waited for Kayden to finish his examination before ringing the bell to announce his presence.


    When Kayden and the rest saw Leon, they immediately wrapped up. They knew that Leon would have to talk to Kayden regarding the investigations, so they hastened their tasks and left theboratory at once.


    "You pulled tricks on me."


    Leon coldly told Kayden, who was already keeping away hisb coat and sanitizing his way out of the sterile area of theboratory. He crossed his arms while throwing an using look towards his friend.


    Kayden only shrugged while saying in an unperturbed manner, "It''s your fault for worrying my Little Sister. She asked me to remind you to take a rest you deserve, but knowing you¡­"


    The gentle looking half-elf doctor looked at the cold blooding prince while shaking his head, "I know that you would only say yes and go on with your tasks until you have finished them all."


    "Take out your anger with me for all I care, but Leon.." Kayden took a step closer to Leon while cing his hand over his shoulders. He had a very serious expression as he said the next few words with a stern cold tone.


    "You are a man with a family now. You were no longer the cold blooded bachelor prince who could waste away your life recklessly."


    "Whether you are hurt or happy. Whether you are in pain or delight. Whether you are sick or you are healthy. There will now be someone who has to go through the same seasons with you."


    "Don''t forget that. Be sensitive enough."


    Leon kept silent and had a deep contemting look in his blue jewel eyes. As Kayden reminded him, his mind couldn''t help but think of Eli''s worried and pleading face. He had to admit that Kayden was right.


    It was not the first time he had heard these words. It was only now that he fully understood what it truly meant.


    To think of his well being was not a selfish act but an act of cherishing the care others had given for him.


    To care for himself is to respond to the love he receives from people.


    To love himself also meant that he wanted to stay well so that he could be with the person he truly loves.


    "I understand." He uttered rather guiltily after a few moments.


    It was his long standing habit after all, he really had to try and remind himself to be ountable for his well being.


    Slightly taken aback by Leon''s submissive response, Kayden could just let out an startled "O-oh.."


    After that, the men spent the evening with the des as they waited for the designated time to transfer the captives under the cover of the night.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While Leon was sleeping, ze and Olivier took over the preparations to ensure that everything will be all set on the transfer of captives.


    On the side, they also checked if the remaining identified dark knights, Das, Orel and Visam had already made a move to look for the two captives.


    Fortunately, no one had noticed yet that the two tracking knights were missing. This also made their transfer easier as there would be less eyes to avoid.


    The time of the transfer was around 3 am in the morning.


    Holding the bird cage spell entrapment, Leon, Kayden and the selected des took the scent dispelling potion. They also have already put their disguises at hand.


    The operation was pretty straight forward. Only five of them would participate in the transport. They would disguise themselves as errand men delivering the food supplies before the time for the breakfastes.


    Teleporting themselves to the barracks, the five men immediately proceeded to travel on foot towards the agreed rendezvous location to the temple.


    Reaching the rendezvous point, they already saw a familiar ''temple servant''. It was none other than the undercover roaming de, Julian, who previously helped Leon in infiltrating the Temple''s restricted section.


    Seeing the people, Julian knew that these were hisrades under disguise.


    He still remained in a restrained manner but the excitement in his eyes couldn''t be masked as it twinkled so brightly under the faint glow of the moonlight.


    Leon nodded at Julian in acknowledgement as they immediately set off as errand men for the temple. In the wee hours of the night, six unsuspecting men dragged a wagon of flour and other ''goods'' towards the temple.


    No one would ever suspect that these men were actually holding two captives that would be detrimental for the safety of the entire Prasinos.


    Soon, they reached the temple. But as soon as they entered the vicinity, the group didn''t go into the warehouse.


    Instead, Julian led them in another passageway.


    Triggering a mechanism, the men saw a dark underground passageway. Julian who was leading the team beckoned the rest to follow while exining everything.


    "This passageway leads to the dungeons, you may all have been wondering why there would be a dungeon on a temple, yeah?" Without waiting for their response he continued.


    "That was because the temple still had people who have turned away from the heavens and chose evil. As such, the temple had this dungeon to contain the people until their designated punishments were already decided by the trial of the Higher Courts."


    Leon knew of this thing as part of the Imperial family, so he only nodded and followed Julian to where the designated ce would be.


    Julian continued exining details about the history of the Higher Courts, as if he was dutifully orienting the team. The men knew that this was Julian''s way to subtly pass them information regarding the higher courts.


    They listened to him exining things while asionally nodding in acknowledgement.


    It did not took them long to reach the deepest part of the underground passageway. They entered into a row of dungeons that were protected by arrays on top of the steel bars and thick walls.


    "As we have already been given the preliminary profile of these people, the temple had already prepared a designated dungeon for the two of them." Julian didn''t let them stop on the normal looking dungeons, instead they continued until they stumbled upon a stone wall that seemed to be a dead end.


    Julian then touched several bricks and overturned them ording to a sequence. After that, there was a slight buzzing sound from the wall.


    On the next moment, an entrance appeared on sight. As they entered inside, they realized that it was a massive chamber.


    There were no enclosures akin to the dungeon prepared. Instead, the center of the chamber was ridden withplicated drawn arrays and runes that made it look so intimidating and dangerous.


    "This is a maximum security chamber for the temple sinners of the highest ranks. We have prepared two of these for the captives. Once the array was activated in these chambers, the people here would no longer be able to gather nor utilize mana from their bodies."


    Leon took a good look at the chamber and an expression of skepticism shed on his frigid face. He looked at Julian and asked, "How about someone who uses the curse?"


    "These arrays not only detect and deter any mana activity on the entire chamber, it also disrupts any malicious activity. This pertain to any thoughts like suicide, self harm and the like. I cannot guarantee that the curses could be stopped here though¡­"


    "ording to my superior, these chambers were used to contain people who were suspected of using curses and highly malicious sins in the entire history of the temple. However, as the temple does not have enough information about curses, this chamber can''t guarantee anything about the curses either."

 Chapter 195 A Message

    ?Julian''s answer did not surprise Leon as he had infiltrated the restricted section of the Temple.


    He knew the extent of the Temple''s information about the curses.


    In fact, he was already impressed at the extent of the security features of the chamber. It had basically addressed half of their worries about containing the two time bombs.


    "I see.." With a serious tone, he nodded while signaling his men to proceed in transferring Igor and Hasta to their respective chambers.


    As soon as their unconscious bodies were ced in the chamber,yers andyers of multicolored geometrical arrays were activated.


    The men couldn''t hide the surprise in their eyes as this was the first time that they saw such a highlyplicated array.


    Even Leon was unsure if he could solve this array with his S Level Bypass spell!


    After ensuring that the matters regarding the transfer were settled, Julian tactfully led the men out of the temple''s vicinity. They were led on another passageway and eventually got out to a remote area away from the Temple.


    Prior to parting, Julian reached out to his chest pocket and gave a sealed letter to Leon and the team, "Kindly let your ''boss'' take this."


    He knew that one of them must be Leon in disguise, so Julian used these words to convey that the letter was for him.


    Leon quickly understood and reached out for the letter.


    He scanned it briefly and noticed that the letter was sealed through mana and an insignia from the High Priest was printed on the face of the envelope.


    "Third," was the only indicator of the addressee. But Leon understood that this letter was for him.


    Seeing the way the letter was concealed, he knew that the letter had to be opened in a safe ce.


    With that, he quickly kept in on his space pouch and thanked Julian cooly.


    Not dying any further, they parted ways. After instructing his men, he went with Kayden toe home in the cottage.


    While traveling home, Kayden was obviously relieved as he knew that the matter was temporarily settled. However, Leon was uneasy at the moment.


    Remembering the letter in his hands and the fact that it was Julian who escorted them in and out of the temple, Leon could not help but think that the High Priest was up to something.


    Is choosing Julian merely a coincidence? Or is it deliberate?


    Have they been found out? He didn''t know, but he must stay vignt at least.


    He quickly sent a warning to Mort and Julian, who were the nted spies in the temple to be on guard, before proceeding on teleporting to the cottage.


    When they reached the cottage, Eli and the rest were already up doing their morning training and routine.


    Eli immediately checked Leon and Kayden''s well being and ensured that they had not sustained any injuries at all. It took them a while before they managed to calm down the little worrieddy.


    Helplessly moved, Kayden even managed to tease Eli.


    "Hey Little Sister, day by day you are really transforming into a worrywart mother! Look! I can already see the fine lines and wrinkles on your frowning face!"


    "It''s because of you guys who were constantly in danger! I couldn''t even get a wink of sleepst night!"


    Eli immediately retaliated with sass, even putting her hand on her hips like a typical asian mother reprimanding her full grown sons.


    "If you guys were really afraid I would get wrinkles, then better ensure that you go home safe and uninjured!"


    "Yes Ma''am." Leon responded like an obedient soldier, afraid of agitating hismander.


    "Pfft!" Kayden was not able to hold it in andughed amusedly at his little nagging sister and his cold blooded friend who suddenly turned into a wife ve.


    Eli let out a superficial harumph but her eyes already reflected her relief and happiness seeing Leon and Kayden alright. "Breakfast is ready,e and replenish your lost energy first."


    The two men did not want to worry Eli anymore so they obediently followed and took their breakfast with the rest.


    After that, Kayden and Leon were forced by Eli to sleep for a while before going back to the pce to report their findings to the Emperor.


    The two didn''t object because they have to report to the Emperor secretly. Reporting during the court hours would not be good for them at all.


    Besides, tomorrow would be another eventful day for all of them as the awarding ceremony and the winter banquet would be held.


    They still had to mentally prepare for that particr day.


    Before Leon proceeded on sleeping, he took the letter and read it in his and Eli''s bedroom.


    Opening the letter, he inserted a bit of mana to verify his identity as the addressee of the letter.


    A string of faint red mana flowed and traced the seal in the envelope. It slowly covered the seal until the envelope floated in Leon''s hand and unveiled the letter inside.


    The words on the letter were written in an elegant cursive manner. Looking at the strokes, Leon could feel that the writer was a gentle yet authoritative person.


    The first thing that Leon read was not the body of the letter. Instead, his eyes immediately went on the sender of the letter.


    Indeed, it was the High Priest who wrote the letter for him.


    His heart couldn''t help but beat furiously after knowing this, what reason could the High Priest have to personally write a letter for him?


    Leon immediately moved his eyes towards the content of the letter and started to read it in full attention.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "To the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire,


    Greetings young man! Or should I say, Greetings to you and your little family!"


    The opening sentence already made Leon''s forehead scrunch with wariness. The High Priest really couldn''t be underestimated!


    In one statement, he already revealed what he knew about Leon''s situation with regards to Eli.


    "I know that the things from your side were already hectic andplicated. However, this old servant still has to reluctantly make things a little hard for you.


    After the acknowledgement ceremony, think of a way to let me see you and yourdy. There are many highly important things I have to say to the two of you.


    I apologize for not expounding everything in this letter, for the eyes of the enemy can be anywhere.


    I hope you and the youngdy do not mind this old servant''s request.


    Sincerely,


    Enoch, the 18th High Priest of the Seirende Temple.


    PS: Please keep in mind that I mean no harm. We are working towards one goal, and that is to eradicate the evil in this Empire."


    After reading the letter, Leon couldn''t help but stay still in a daze. He did not know how to process the contents of the letter he had just read.


    He was also surprised that the High Priest specifically asked for Eli. His mind wondered, what was the High Priest''s intention in summoning her?


    Could it be that the High Priest already knew of her priestly abilities?


    Leon couldn''t help but frown. If the High Priest knew of Eli''s abilities, then he was sure that the temple would do everything to take Eli inside the temple walls.


    No way!


    He didn''t want Eli to be separated from him and Little Han! They had to stay together as a family! No one, not even the High Priest can make him do that!


    As soon as the thought of Eli being forcefully taken in by the temple invaded his thoughts, Leon''s cold and dangerous aura seeped in his body and immediately made the bedroom colder by several degrees.


    Little Han sensed his father''s agitation. In the plushie yground, he desperately looked for his mommy and cried out loud.


    "Waaaaah! Aaaaahhh!" Little Han cried desperately, he even tried to pounce on the yground''s little fence in an attempt to crawl towards their bedroom.


    Fortunately, nc''s safety array kicked in and made sure that Little Han would not be hurt from the impact.


    Eli, who was busy coordinating with the rest of the family for the winter banquet, was startled.


    She immediately excused herself in the call and went towards Little Han.


    Little Han saw his mommy approaching, with his big crystal blue eyes shining with pitiful tears, he let out a wail and stretched out his hands towards Eli.


    "Awuuuuuu.." His heartbreaking cries made Eli immensely worried.


    Eli was also puzzled by Little Han''s sudden tantrums. This was the first time Little Han cried like this for no obvious reason.


    Usually, he would cry if he was extremely ufortable or sick.


    However, Eli checked a few times but still couldn''t find Little Han''s reason at all. She checked his diapers, as well as his body if there were any signs of irritation or being hurt.


    He didn''t have a fever, there was no set of milk teeth growing in his gums. Could it be another sickness that doesn''t have any visible symptoms?


    Eli immediately became worried.


    Little Han seemed to have sensed that his mother was not able to figure out his concern. He wiggled vigorously while intensifying his cries.


    "AAAAAAhhh, Waaaaah!"


    He leaned his body towards the direction of their bedroom, reaching out as if he wanted someone from the room to carry him instead.


    Eli thought that Little Han wanted to sleep, so she carried him towards the bedroom with great care.


    "Susssh, my son, we''re going to the bedroom.." She uttered as she tried to appease Little Han as they walked towards the room.


    But upon entering, a wave of cold shivers ran down her spine.


    The bedroom which was constantly warmed by the firece was even colder than the snowy winter outside!


    "Waaaaah!!!" Little Han saw his daddy and reached out with all his might.


    It was only then that Leon and Eli snapped out from the thoughts that were upying their minds.


    Eli looked at Leon who was sporting a cold and agitated look.


    However, she didn''t feel any trace of fear in her body, instead she followed Little Han''s urging and sat beside Leon.


    The two sat closely with each other. Eli tried to calm Little Han down and asked Leon softly, "Leon, what''s wrong?"

 Chapter 196 Ah, Love!

    ?Seeing the two sources of joy, Leon''s tensed expression turned gentler. The worry in Eli''s eyes immediately washed away the dangerous aura he was emitting.


    He reached out to carry Little Han and gave the High Priest''s letter to Eli.


    Little Han seemed to be appeased, as he snuggled in his Daddy''s embrace and started to sleep.


    He allowed Eli to read and understand the letter for a while as he tucked the fast asleep Little Han on his crib.


    "This.." Eli read the contents of the letter and looked at Leon, seemingly understanding the situation.


    "Is this the reason why you were agitated earlier?"


    "Uhn.." Leon did not hide the troubled and unwilling expression in his face.


    He sat beside Eli and exined, "I couldn''t help but suspect that he knew about your priestly abilities. I am afraid that he would force you to stay in the temple if that was the case."


    Eli looked at the letter once again and contemted for a while, Leon''s worries were not unfounded.


    However, there was something in the letter that made her feel at peace instead. There''s a still small voice in her heart that says that she had to meet the High Priest no matter what.


    What if that the key to knowing more about her priestly powers be answered through meeting the High Priest?


    Could it be something that would help her protect her family?


    If yes, she definitely has to try. There was no time for her to hesitate in the face of something that can make her family safe!


    With the decision in her heart, Eli looked at Leon earnestly while saying, "Let''s meet him. I need to know what he knows about our situation."


    "He also guaranteed that he was not our enemy. As the Temple''s High Priest, I believe that he will not betray the One that he serves."


    Eli convinced Leon and tried to soothe his worries. She showed her strong determination to face the High Priest to let Leon know that she was not afraid.


    True enough, when Leon heard Eli''s decision, although unwilling and worried, he no longer objected, "Alright, I''ll arrange for us to meet him after the winter banquet."


    "Thank you, Leon." Eli was d that Leon allowed her to face the High Priest.


    A warm andfortable feeling started to spring out of her heart that made her heart flutter from excitement.


    Her dark midnight eyes lovingly looked at Leon who was obviously unwilling, yet chose to support her fully upon knowing her decision.


    How beautiful was this feeling, how lovely was the person she loved!


    Without thinking, she leaned closer to Leon and looked up to his eyes. Even while sitting, Leon was still a head taller than her.


    Eli lifted her body slightly and softly pressed her lips on his slightly tanned yet fine cheek. Her soft moist lipsnded on his face like a drop of the morning dew delicately falling on a vibrant leaf.


    Instantly, she felt that her body was suddenly electrocuted.


    A hot indescribable feeling crept up from the depths of her stomach, going up to her chest, making her breathing slightly tensed and her heartbeat pounding heavily like the drums on a marching band.


    Butterflies in the stomach, she usually heard this phrase from the girls in her ss when talking about their crushes back then. But it was only now that she finally understood what it feels.


    It was exceptionally pleasing!


    Especially, as she experienced it with the person whom she truly loved.


    Ah, Love!


    Fluttery as the gentle wind,


    Violent as the waves of the raging sea!


    On the other hand, Leon''s mind suddenly short circuited. His sharp and scheming mind seemed to be unable to function properly as he tried to process what just happened.


    Eli kissed him!!!


    She actually did!!!


    Oh, Heavens!!! How could you catch me off guard like this!!!


    "Ah.. D-dont mention it." Leon was totally overwhelmed by the fact that Eli surprised him with a kiss. In the end hemented, why was she the one who first made the move!


    H-he should be the one to do that¡­ Ah¡­ why!!


    Leon couldn''t determine if it was the fact that Eli was the one who first stole his tofu,


    Or if it was because just like Eli, it was the first time he experienced this kind of intimacy.


    He could not help but reprimand his heart,


    ''Leon! You are so embarrassing! How could you make Eli advance like this?''


    ''Well, aren''t you boasting earlier, on how you want to do this and that with Eli??!''''


    ''D-don''t mention it? Don''t mention it?!! Is all that you can say? Why are you feeling so shy and embarrassed right now?! You coward!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While Leon was fighting with himself, Eli was actually enjoying the sight of Leon''s burning cheeks and reddish ears.


    "Cute.." She chuckled in amusement.


    These days, it has always been Leon who was teasing her and initiating advances with regards to their rtionship.


    Today, Eli was just fueled by the mood so she suddenly had the courage to kiss him. She had to make use of this rare moment after all.


    ''Just a little bit more, his blushing face could alreadypete with his blood red hair!'' She continued to giggle as she thought of this.


    Leon realized that Eli was alreadyughing at his embarrassing state, "You.."


    "Me what?" Eli slightly raised her brow. Looking at the blushing Leon, she said with a teasing tone, "Want more?"


    Leon immediately choked after hearing Eli''s question. He gulped and thinked twice before replying to her teasing.


    ''Hmm, I was too surprised earlier that I didn''t get to savor the feeling properly¡­''


    ''Maybe I can ask for one more¡­ Eli may be unwilling to initiate in the future, I have to take advantage of this moment!'' He tried to convince in his heart.


    But as he looked at Eli''s two crescent eyes and foxy smile, the wave of embarrassment defeated him again.


    It rendered him unable to speak, but his inner self was already ridiculing him for suddenly cowering at the moment!


    ''Ohmon Leon! War Lord Leon! Cold blooded and decisive...''


    ''But too scared to ask for a kiss!''


    Seeing that Leon was still not able to recover with the conflicted emotions reflected in his face, Eli decided to stop teasing him.


    She leaned over again but this time, there was no longer a hint of teasing in her eyes. It was only full of love and affection for Leon.


    Eli''s face inched slowly at Leon''s nervous face. His adam''s apple bobbed up and down as the rate of his heartbeat increased by leaps and bounds.


    He felt his throat dry. Little Han was already asleep and they were already in their bedroom, just the two of them...


    Nobody can see...


    Gulp¡­


    But soon his thoughts were overwhelmed by the feeling of Eli''s moist lipsnding on his cheek.


    Her lips were soft and supple, but why does it have the power to strike his heart like a sword?


    He looked at Eli again. Her fair, striking face was a few inches closer to his.


    He just had to pull her a little bit closer to his body andnd his lips slowly on to hers.


    He just had to do that.


    First step was to stretch out his hands and gently lock Eli to his embrace, then she could no longer run.


    Next step was to slowly cup Eli''s face in a way that she could no longer escape.


    Last step was to slowly inch his lips towards Eli''s and vo¡­ let the love begin!


    These three steps were so easy, just thinking about it had already made Leon feel like his body was on fire!


    Finally deciding what to do, Leon steeled his heart as his arms started to do what he had nned on his mind.


    Knock knock knock!


    ''Oh Great One! Am I not allowed to kiss her today?!'' Leon couldn''t help but feel aggrieved towards the one above.


    The knocks on the door made the ambiguous air around the bedroom immediately dissipate.


    Eli saw the subtle hint of frustration in Leon''s eyes. To not make it awkward for him, she held his handfortingly while responding to the person behind the door. "What''s the matter?"


    "Madame, the Grandmasters and the rest of the Elders are here.." It was Ron who had interrupted their lovey dovey moment.


    "Alright, we''ll being right away." Eli quickly got up and looked at Leon, "It seems like you had to postpone your sleep for a little while.."


    Leon only nodded and said, "It''s fine, we must greet the Grandmasters and the Elders."


    However his heart shouted frustratingly, ''I don''t care about my postponed sleep! I care about my postponed kiss!''


    Opening the door, Leon did not forget to throw a sharp look at the clueless Ron. ''If only this guy dyed it in just a few minutes!''


    Ron suddenly felt a cold chill running down his spine. He immediately rubbed his arms with his palms to calm his shivering body.


    ''Hmm, I feel like someone is plotting against me¡­ Could it be that my brothers wanted to pull a prank on me again?"

 Chapter 197 Awarding Ceremony (1)

    ?Although Leon was full of discontent in his heart because of the sudden interruption, he did not direct his frustration to the Grandmasters.


    Instead, he med it all towards his indecisiveness.


    He should have done it swiftly earlier. Why did he have to dilly dally until there was no more time?


    But sadly, there was no use in regretting the past events. Without dying any further, Leon and Eli got up and greeted the Elders in the gazebo.


    In an instant, a certain little garden on a simple cottage was suddenly filled with the most prominent personalities in the Empire.


    The Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben with their spouses Grandma Brygid and Myrna were already sipping their tea while enjoying the serene and simplistic surroundings of the cottage.


    The second generation Elders, Tyce and his wife, Maya, as well as General Farauld and Dame Aqu were also already busy catching up with each other.


    As soon as they saw Eli and Leon, they immediately exchanged greetings and got into the purpose of their visit.


    "Your Highness Third Prince, as you may already know, tomorrow is the day of Eli''s debut in the high society." Grandpa Ben looked at the young couple with a serious expression in his face.


    The rest of the elders also looked at them intently, it was apparent that there was unease and anxiety in their eyes.


    "Young Eli, as soon as you are formally introduced to the world as our family member, the people that will be interested in you. They will be even more than the ones we are already dealing with as the Great Inventor."


    The two nodded, they also know what the winter banquet means. Eli will be finally seen in the open, with many people watching her.


    She had to be on guard at all sides. She had to be wary on who to interact with.


    "All we wanted to say was you two must be mentally prepared from this point forward. Especially you, young Eli."


    Grandpa Andi stepped forward and took Eli''s hand. His eyes were filled with worry and unease as he said his part.


    "Also, Your Highness, I''d like for you to think on how you will have Eli and Little Han be recognized appropriately ahead of time." Grandpa Ben now addressed the concern to Leon.


    "We have a lot to do after this banquet, Your Highness." General Farauld seconded his father, "I''ll have a nice talk with you and His Majesty regarding this."


    "I understand Grandmaster, Teacher." Leon nodded, vignce also appeared in his heart.


    From the way Grandpa Ben and General Farauld brought up the matter, he could already guess that there were many families inquiring about Eli as a potential spouse only from her identity as the Great Inventor.


    What more if she was announced as an adopted daughter of the Forgeworn and Farauld Family?


    What more if they saw Eli''s beautiful face and eloquent manner of speaking?


    How many leecherous men would he have to guard against?


    Just thinking about this made his mood turned sour. As sour as a vinegar!


    Although the Farauld and the Forgeworns didn''t say the matter out loud, the two knew how the families did their best to shield Eli away from any interested forces. However, there''s an extent of their protection.


    They still have to deal with these matters in the future.


    "We just want to remind you of this matter so you can be mentally prepared. From tomorrow onwards, there will be a battle ahead. I want you, young people to always remember that you have to stay strong for Little Han."


    "We understand Grandpa/Grandmaster.." Leon and Eli replied tactfully, keeping their warnings in mind.


    After the conversation, the Elders then talked about the things that Eli needed to do during the awarding ceremony and winter banquet.


    These days, Eli has been studying and researching all the prominent people in the capital whom she might encounter tomorrow.


    The Forgeworn and Farauld families also sent her information about their profiles.


    With the help of the book of knowledge, she was also able to get to know crucial information that couldn''t be found by simply investigating everyone. This gave her a rough idea who were the people she must be wary of.


    Tomorrow is a big day, she must be as prepared as possible!


    The elders did not stay that long in the cottage as they still have to ensure the progress of the events tomorrow.


    They reluctantly left, after knowing that they couldn''t cuddle Little Han who was still asleep.


    Eli and Leon also didn''t mention the High Priest''s invitation as they were still unsure of his motive. It was best not to worry the elders of this matter.


    ¨C


    The day of the winter banquet.


    It was a joyous day for the capital of the Seirende Empire. The three princes of the Imperial family were now back bringing victory towards their mission to drive away from the sinister Spectre.


    The Emperor also organized an awarding ceremony for the contributions of the mysterious inventor Eli, who allowed the diplomatic rtions of the Empire with the foreign nations to be stable, even after imposing a drastic travel policy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Finally, to cap the entire year, the two most legendary ns of the Empire organized a grand banquet.


    It was done on such a big scale that the Emperor opened the Moonlight Hall, thergest banquet hall in the Empire!


    Everyone in the Empire was in high spirits, as they also joined the celebration. They hung celebratory gs on the streets and even enjoyed the parade of the knights going around the city.


    There were cheers and praises heard as the knights marched towards the pce grand square, where the awarding ceremony would take ce.


    Although it was winter, the grand square was cleaned and protected by a transparent dome array to protect everyone from the harsh cold.


    Men and women, of different ages and gender, gathered in the square to witness the appearance of the awardees that would be honored on this day.


    What they are most curious to see was the legendary inventor who caused several waves in the Empire in the past few months.


    "They said that she joined the Farauld Magic Institute, I wonder what she would look like!"


    "I am more interested in her demeanor and attitude, it ismon for geniuses to be kind of weird.."


    "Maybe her appearance would look like the scary members of the research branch in the institute!"


    "Who cares about her appearance? I wanted to know how she was able to think of all those magnificent ideas!"


    "Yes! When I have a child in the future, I''ll do my best to get him or her in the institute so that my child would have a chance to learn from her!"


    Series of discussions were continuously ringing in the entire square.


    Meanwhile, spectating everything from the other side of the square, Princes Kazimir, and Antoine''s crew also couldn''t help but be curious about who Eli was.


    "What do you think of the mysterious inventor?"


    "To be able to get the Farauld n to shelter her personally, I reckon that she really has undeniable abilities."


    "I heard that she was still young."


    "Any info if she was still single?"


    "Well ask Young Master Cross over there, apparently his sister, Lady Alicia was able to hang out with the legendary inventor multiple times already!"


    One of Prince Kazimir''s knights pointed at a valiant handsome man that was around twenty-five years old. He dutifully stood among the crowd of knights, not engaging in any idle conversation.


    If one would take a good look at him, one would immediately find simrities between him and Alicia''s facial features.


    Feeling the attention directed at him, Young Master Cross retaliated with a stern voice, "I will not be such a busy body to ask my dear sister about who she befriends."


    The knights shut their mouths as they heard the Young Master''s answer. They didn''t want to anger the First Prince''s rtive after all.


    They could only continue their conversation in a secretive manner and made sure to not touch Young Master Cross''s family in the conversation.


    "But really, if she was still unmarried, many noble men might start to line up to ask for her hand."


    "Well, that still ultimately depends on her appearance. After all, who would be willing to marry someone as entric as the people in the famed research branch?"


    As knights, they spent a significant time honing their abilities in the Farauld Magical School Branch prior to formally entering the knighthood training. They know the reputation of the people in the research branch.


    "You have a point there."


    "Hopefully, she attends the winter banquet."


    As soon as someone mentioned this, their enthusiasm about Eli diminished. All of this was seen by the silent Young Master Cross.


    His eyes shed a trace of disdain towards these superficial men.


    The moment he came back to the Cross Estate, he had already heard various praises and stories about the mysterious inventor Eli from his dearest elder sister.


    He was actually surprised to see his sister be enthusiastic about a fellowdy.


    He knew very well how haughty and unruly his sister was. It disgusts her to mingle with delicate, weak, and pretentiousdies in high society.


    To go home and discover that his sister finally had someone to hang out with and even praise, he actually became curious about who she was.


    Most especially, how was she able to make his dear sister change her mindset and finally choose to pursue her own happiness outside of work?


    "Mysterious Inventor Eli, I wonder what kind of person you really are¡­"

 Chapter 198 Awarding Ceremony (2)

    ?The sound of the trumpets rang in the entire square, signifying that the awarding ceremony will now officially start.


    One by one, the First and Second Prince''s respective spouses and children entered the square and sat on their seats as the aide announced their presence.


    They were then followed by the entrance of Empress Carolina, First Queen Lucia, and Second Queen Teh.


    Finally, it was the Emperor''s turn to enter. The sound of the trumpet became more majestic and glorious as the aide announced his presence with all his might.


    "The Emperor of the Seirende Empire, Valentin De Seirende enters!"


    "Long live the Emperor!" Everyone bowed and greeted Emperor Valentin with reverence.


    "At ease!" Emperor Valentin, who was d in a blood-red cape embroidered with intricate threads made of gold, stood imposingly on his throne and addressed the excited crowd.


    "Today is a very remarkable day for me and the entire Empire!" He looked at everyone and nced at their fervent expectant eyes.


    "It may be the winter season, but it will not stop our Empire from recognizing the efforts of the people who have brought us glory and victory against the forces who wanted us down!"


    "Starting from our valiant men, who braved themselves to sweep our Empire clean and get rid of the malicious Spectre, all the way to our brilliant citizens, who didn''t hold back in bringing their innovative ideas to life."


    "Their efforts, blood, sweat and tears all brought immeasurable benefits to our Empire and even showed how blessed our territory is!"


    "As the one who stands in the forefront, I, too, shall not hold back in giving them honor and appreciation for all their efforts and works!"


    "Their background doesn''t matter, all that matters is these people did everything they could to give us such a peaceful and safe winter ahead!"


    "As such, I encourage each and every citizen to remember the names of the distinguished men and women honored today. Treat them with respect in the future! They are the heroes of this Empire!"


    The people were moved by Emperor Valentin''s speech, so much that they continued to cheer even when the awarding rites was already starting.


    The first people to be awarded were the knights involved with the clearing operations of the Spectre.


    One by one, the knights from the lowest ss and rank came up on the tform. They received the blessings and reward from the Emperor. They also received an honorary insignia ording to the rewards bestowed upon them.


    Thest to be bestowed with honor was the three princes and General Farauld. All the three princes received the equal value of honor and rewards, to which the sensible citizens in the crowd couldn''t help but agree.


    Their Emperor was never biased, he still gave the same honor to the Third Prince even though his older brothers'' statuses were higher than him.


    Although they had some reserved thoughts towards the shunned third prince, they still had to show respect in the presence of the Imperial family.


    Leon didn''t mind whether the crowd was sincere or not. All he was thinking right now was how Eli would face the people who would disturb her from this point forward.


    She will officially reveal her face in public at this moment! He could not help but feel anxious and worried for her.


    The next people to be recognized were Eli''s project team. All wearing the insignia of their affiliated ns, they all marched with their heads held high as they slowly approached the tform.


    The people couldn''t help but gasp in awe as they saw them finally appear after months of causing waves in the capital. Their hearts also couldn''t help but beat wildly as the aide announced the identities of each of Eli''s project team members.


    "Zeke Bartholomew Gifford, Dean for Magical Research at the Farauld Magic Institute!"


    "Bramwell Merill Lewis, Vice Chairman of the Farauld Magic Institute!"


    "Meredith Lavachin-Forgeworn, Master Engineer of the Forgeworn Merchant Group!"


    "Randel Forgeworn, Master Craftsman of the Forgeworn Merchant Group!"


    "Finally¡­"


    There was a silent yet solemn pause in the entire square.


    Everyone looked at the certain direction of where thest person would be appearing from. Their hearts could not help but feel a sense of anticipation towards her.


    Soon, a young woman, donning a custom made female suit all colored in white, blue and silver stepped up on the stage.


    Her appearance was immensely remarkable even with her long brown hair dolled up in a high ponytail. Her boots were also custom made as they were designed with heels.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her suit resembled that of a female equestrian uniform. However, it was specifically designed for this asion. No one felt that her attire was out of ce.


    She does not have the beauty that would make every man fall to their knees in surrender, but her face and aura was so striking that everyone will have to turn their heads to take a good look at her again.


    Eli walked steadily, unbothered by the countless pairs of eyes glued on her at the moment.


    With her unshakeable business woman aura and innate confidence that was honed in the brutal corporate world, she showed herself to the Empire for the first time.


    "The Great Inventor, Eli! The Honorary Research Consultant of the Farauld Magic Institute!


    "The brain behind the groundbreaking inventions Water Heater and Pressure System, Stainless steel and so on!"


    A thunderous wave of ps and cheers immediately invaded the square. Atst!, they had the honor to see the Renowned Inventor, Eli!


    Emperor Valentin could not hide the overflowing pride in his heart. He was so satisfied and so thankful to have his son meet Eli in his life.


    The moment she showed her face in the Empire, it was of the highest honor. It could not be evenpared with the jovial announcement of any other daughter inw entering the pce.


    Her entrance was of pure victory, backed up by her unquestionable abilities.


    His heart became at peace, now that he saw how well she was received by the Empire. This will also be beneficial to Leon and Little Han in the future, he couldn''t help but think.


    As to his son, Leon, it was his greatest regret to put him in such a pitiful situation.


    Now, he could only put his hopes towards Eli in making sure that Leon would live happily in the future, for he had already let him suffer so much as his son.


    "I look forward to seeing more of you in the future.. Young Eli." As Emperor Valentin bestowed her the highest honor, he couldn''t help but say a few words to express his excitement.


    "It''s my fortune to be of help, Your Majesty. I will continue to do my best moving forward." Eli perfectly responded to Emperor Valentin in a way that was humble yet not pretentious.


    This again earned the praise and nod of the people around, especially the nobles and members of the Imperial family.


    Back in the Imperial seats, the rest of the members of the Imperial Family couldn''t help but be stunned by Eli''s appearance.


    First Queen Lucia, had an interested look in her eyes. There was a glow that showed a hint of approval and anticipation in the way she stared at Eli.


    Her son Antoine, also did not miss her expression. He couldn''t help but be puzzled. His mom, who had always been uninterested with the matters of the Empire suddenly showed a hint of interest towards the great inventor.


    What was in his Queen Mother''s mind?


    Empress Carolina also couldn''t help but examine Eli repeatedly. She tried to guess what kind of person Eli was. The way she conducted herself was out of Empress Carolina''s expectations.


    She thought that Eli would be like a typical research maniac, acting entric on any other situations other than research. However,when she saw Eli''s dignified and graceful entrance, she was taken aback.


    ''The Great Inventor indeed had a great mind.'' She thought.


    After that, she tried to figure out what kind ofdy she was.


    Is she someone interested in attention or splendor?


    Or is she someone who just wanted to earn honor in exchange for mary benefit?


    Either way, Empress Carolina was set to get Eli under her control. Looking at how well she was received by the people, it would be beneficial for her son to get her by his side.


    Speaking of which, she couldn''t help but feel disdain at the thought of the woman beside Kazimir. She was long dissatisfied with this daughter inw of hers.


    No matter how she looked at her, there''s no way that this woman would be fit to be the future empress of the Empire. No, a woman as incapable and timid as her will never be able to run the empire alongside her son!


    Looks like she had to make a move to get rid of this daughter inw of hers. But first, she had to do something to make sure that Eli would be joining her faction more than anything else.


    She will not let such a big influencer go away.

 Chapter 199 Inside The Imperial Family

    ?The awarding ceremony ended gloriously without any kind of mishaps.


    Everyone was still in high spirits as they still have something to look forward to - The Winter Banquet!


    There was still half a day before the Moonlight Hall opened its door for the attendees of the most awaited ball.


    As such, everyone was so excited that they came to their respective homes early and started to prepare their appearances and outfits at the ball.


    The people were also excited to see the most prominent men and women attending the banquet.


    This banquet was also the hope of many in meeting some prospective spouses in the future.


    Because of this, the young people couldn''t help but be hopeful especially for the well known bachelors and youngdies that were now of marriageable ages.


    The most prominent ones are the Young Masters of the Cross, Farauld, Ves and Astaze family. Even Randel, who was an adopted son to the Forgeworn n were on the list.


    There''s also Leon, however, because of the tension between the First Prince and the Second Prince''s factions, he was somehow thrown under the shadows.


    However, many youngdies still couldn''t help but covet his cold yet ravishingly handsome face.


    It was their desire to conquer him and make him fall to their beauties that makes them somehow adamant to get close to the renowned Blood Prince.


    For the youngdies, Alicia and Eli were among the list of women that were highly anticipated at the winter banquet. Especially now that Eli had made her stunning appearance at the pce square.


    This time though, there would be someone who would join the ranks after shunning several social gatherings in the past year, the ever mysterious Second Young Lady of the Ves n, Arabe.


    But on the side of the prominent leaders of the aristocrats and other influential families, this event would be like a warzone to achieve their own political agenda.


    Just like how the Empress was now looking meaningfully towards her son, Kazimir in the sun room of her very own Empress''s ce.


    "Son, what do you think of the renowned inventor?" She asked in a light tone but her manner of speaking carried a lot of weight.


    During thest few months, she had alreadypleted her recuperation period. Now she was able to walk around without the help of a wheelchair.


    "I think she''s quite good. It''ll be nice to get to know her. I heard that she was able to make the unruly research branch obedient to her in just a few months."


    Kazimir took a long sip in his tea cup and had a deep unfathomable look in his eyes.


    Seeing Kazimir''s reaction, Empress Carolina nodded in approval, she was sure that her son was also at the same page as her in thinking of getting Eli into their side.


    "How do you n to do that then?"


    "There were still some vassals under the Ves Duchy whom we could matchmake with her.." Kazimir thought.


    Even though he thought approvingly of Eli and her renown could never be defeated by any of the young nobledies in the Empire, she was still of an unknown background.


    Being raised by Empress Carolina, his heart still believed that status mattered more than real abilities.


    Her status would not be enough to be married with his maternal cousin, Niki.


    So he instinctively thought to match make Eli to one of the lower ranked nobles under their faction.


    "Hmm.." Although a bit startled about her son''s idea, Empress Carolina did not reject Kazimir''s thought right away.


    She thought that it was better for Kazimir to keep Eli closer to his side, and by that she meant to suggest that her son take Eli as her secret lover.


    Like Kazimir, she also knew that Eli''s status was not enough to match up with her son and even her nephew. But taking her as Kazimir''s secret lover would let him control Eli and keep him close at the same time.


    For people of her status, it was already great that she was able to catch Kazimir''s eyes. A status would be just a fleeting daydream.


    However, Empress Carolina didn''t bring up this thought towards Kazimir.


    If she would always have Kazimir depend on him for everything, then his son would not be able to hold the Empire together after they sessfully seize the throne.


    She decided to let him go with his own idea in order for him to be prepared in the future. For she couldn''t wait anymore.


    Valentin has been posponing the session process for a long time already, but he will not be able to prolong the matter any longer.


    For both the Vess and Astazes have been pressuring him, especially with the ''victorious'' ending of the matter with the Spectre.


    Valentin will no longer have any reason to dy the matter.


    Meanwhile, it was seldom for Antoine to visit her Queen Mother.


    Her reaction towards Eli bothered him so much that he dragged his little family all the way to the Lily Pce, First Queen Lucia''s ce.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Queen Lucia was pleasantly startled by their visit. Everyone knew that the Second Prince Antoine had an estranged rtionship with her mother for unknown reasons.


    Somehow, he was even closer to the Empress rather than his biological mother.


    This followed even during the time he married and had his own family. He seldom allowed his family to visit his queen mother, so as to not feel frustrated about her.


    But now, holding his wife''s hand and his young son on the other, he took the initiative to bring them to meet the first queen.


    "Oh, my son, Evelyn, my little Zion¡­." Queen Lucia''s eyes were moistened with tears as she saw them waiting in her lounge. She gave warm and affectionate hugs towards the three.


    Evelyn, Antoine''s young wife and Zion, their son, also longingly hugged Queen Lucia back. The two didn''t understand why Antoine didn''t want them to have a close rtionship with Queen Lucia.


    But behind Antoine''s nose, the two would always find time to visit the lonely Queen in her pce and spend time with her.


    Contrary to Antoine''s aversion to his mother, the two were drawn to her pure and serene demeanor.


    Although they have received fair and amiable affection from the Emperor, there was something in the Imperial Family''s shadows that made them feel suffocated. Especially, at the Empress''s side.


    Queen Lucia was like an oasis in the bloody cruel dessert - the Imperial Family.


    She was someone who didn''t mind theplexities happening in the pce, nor would she be one who initiates the toxicity inside the monarchy.


    "I have been out on the battlefield for so long, I just wanted to know how you have been." Antoine awkwardly thought of an exnation on why he suddenly visited his mother without any prior notice.


    Queen Lucia was happy that she got to see the family of three and didn''t mind the unnatural behavior of her son. She beckoned them toe over and enjoy tea time with her, while ordering the servants to prepare a meal for all of them.


    Lily''s ce had been silent ever since Queen Lucia entered the pce. Antoine thought that with the most anticipated winter banquet ahead, he would finally see his queen mother get busy socializing again.


    However, the stillness of the pce made his heart disappointed.


    "Mother, are you not going to attend the winter banquet?" Antoine couldn''t help but ask, he was actually confused.


    He clearly saw Queen Lucia''s interest towards Eli, yet why will she not attend the winter banquet?


    Everyone knows that Eli would join the winter banquet as she was under Farauld''s care in the past few months.


    Queen Lucia shook her head gently and answered, "The banquet is for you, young people. Go on and enjoy the event, I''m sure that the Grandmaster will not hold back organizing such arge scale banquet."


    "But mother, aren''t you getting bored of this silent and deserted ce?" Antoine immediately red up and slightly raised his voice.


    What could he expect from his mother, who was unwilling to even make an appearance and help him raise his influence in high society!


    "Antoine.." Evelyn tried to calm her husband down. However, she could feel that he was already frustrated.


    As her wife, she vaugely understood why Antoine immediately red up upon knowing that Queen Lucia refused to attend the banquet to socialize. Her husband also wanted to vye for the throne.


    Queen Lucia moving to extend her influence, would help Antoine gain a lot of supporters after all.


    Trying to calm the tense situation down and also so as to not scare little Zion, she tried to mediate between the two.


    "Queen Mother, I would love to have you apany me at the banquet." She took Queen Lucia''s hand and sincerely asked her a favor,


    "I''ve been raising little Zion for two years now. I have long forgotten how to mingle with the women in the social circle¡­ I n to make aeback in the high society through the winter banquet. Can I ask Queen Mother to apany me just this once?"


    Queen Lucia looked at Evelyn''s earnest and pleading eyes. She actually felt guilty for not being a good mother inw for her.


    As such, Evelyn''s plea became effective to Queen Lucia, the family of three saw her finally nod in consent.


    Seeing her mother''s approval, the tension in Antione''s body tensed up a little. He looked at his wife, Evelyn with gratefulness.


    Evelyn was a sensible woman, she just smiled and told the queen that she would arrange the servants in preparation of hering to the banquet.


    With little Prince Zion in tow, she exited calmly in the lounge and left the mother and son to talk for a while.


    "Queen Mother, I just have one thing to ask." He said in a rather cautious manner.


    "What is it son?" Queen Lucia curiously replied, there was some feeling of estrangement between the two.


    "I saw your reaction toward the Great Inventor earlier, tell me, is there something in her that you find interesting?"


    Queen Lucia was startled by Antione''s question. She was also surprised at how Antoine was able to catch that subtle reaction she had the moment she saw Eli''s face.

 Chapter 200 Winter Banquet Officially Starts!

    ?Little did she know that Antoine spent his entire childhood looking closely at her.


    He spent years trying to figure out why his mother queen has been living this way for years and years.


    In more than thirty years of silently watching his entric mother, Antoine could already determine even the slightest change in her emotions.


    "So you found something in her." Antoine dered with certainty.


    Seeing that she could no longer cover her thoughts from her son, Queen Lucia sighed and nodded in acknowledgement.


    "I cannot say much right now. But all I can tell you is never go against her." She answered in a rather cryptic manner.


    She must not say what she knew about Eli. For saying too much may even harm her son whom she wanted most to protect.


    Hearing the familiar yet heartbreaking statement from his mother, a disappointed glint shed in Antoine''s eyes. "Right. That again.. Of course."


    Queen Lucia saw Antoine''s angry and despondent expression however she didn''t try to exin.


    Due to the watchful eyes and attentive ears of the pce, Lucia knew that she could not divulge information carelessly. That was because it would surely bring out certain dangers to the people close to her, especially her family.


    So she could only stay like this, having a damaged rtionship with her son while she protected him from the shadows. It''s better like this than to see him in a dangerous situation.


    She could only pray that things would stay as it is and not be even more worse.


    Antoine couldn''t help but re up seeing that his mother does not want to exin things to him again. He was getting tired of his mother''s unfathomable conduct.


    He never understands anything she says and does!


    That phrase, ''do not go against him or her'', really irked him the most!


    That was because he once heard his mother tell him the same thing when he was a child,


    "Son, no matter when you are still young, nor when you get old, heed this warning I have. Never go against your younger brother Leon.."


    That phrase triggered the reluctant Antoine to fully decide that he would no longer treat Leon as his younger brother, to which he still does even today.


    Hearing his mother say the same thing for another person again, it really made him angry. What kind of person does his mother think he is?


    Is he someone who would haphazardly go against everybody like a brainless maniac?


    How outrageous would that be!


    "Son, I am not saying this because I think that you are a person who would go against others that easily. I am saying this for you to remember when you stumble upon a situation that you have to choose to go against her or not in the future."


    Seeing her son getting more agitated, Queen Lucia tried to take away a bit of the misunderstanding, "What I am trying to say is that, when a certain timees that you have to choose to be her foe or friend, I''d like you to always choose her as an ally rather than an enemy."


    Hearing his mother''s exnation, Antoine was somehow appeased. Could it be that this was also her meaning during the time she said this about Leon?


    But who cares about that? Whether it''s a misunderstanding or not, Leon and him had already been out of their brotherly rtionship.


    "Is she that capable?" Not minding the thought about Leon, Antoine couldn''t help but ask her mother curiously. Why was she so confident about the great inventor?


    If he was not mistaken, it was only their first time to see the inventor earlier in the awarding ceremony. But why would he hear his mother talk like this?


    Did she know something about the mysterious inventor?


    "You will have some answerster at the winter banquet." Queen Lucia could no longer divulge any information, so she could only give Antoine a hint and divert his attention towards the uing winter banquet.


    "Alright, I''ll see that for myself then." Antoine finally dropped the topic. For once, he decided to listen to his mother and watch the winter banquet carefully.


    It was a pleasant evening in the Capital of the Seirende Empire.


    Minutes before the official start of the banquet, there was an enchanting disy of fireworks in front of the moonlight hall.


    Everyone, may it be the nobles or themon people, peeked at their windows, balconies and even at their open grounds, to watch the colorful shower of light spells in the air.


    It was as if the stars hade closer to them and danced so freely at the on top of the Moonlight Hall!


    Soon the respective carriages of the famous noble houses lined up to the grand entrance of the Moonlight Hall, it was like a medieval version of the Hollywood red carpet walk!


    Young men and women, dressed so meticulously to impress everyone in the hall were going around socializing.


    There were also people from the middle men who could afford to keep up with the dress code and mingle with the aristocrats. Most of them were businessmen, prominent artisans, renowned knights and schrs.


    The Moonlight Hall was brightly lit up with sophisticated chandeliers glowing in golden warm light.


    As soon as the guests entered the hall, they couldn''t help but widen their eyes in amazement as they could not get enough of the famedrgest hall in the Empire.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Moonlight Hall had arge open area, where the guests could move around, dance and socialize with each other. It also had a red carpetden with golden tassels which ran from the main door up to the center stage.


    The hall also had three stories with the banquet tables carefullyid out for the guests who wanted to enjoy the feast while watching the ball at the center of the hall.


    Although the entire setup would really make one wonder how much money was spent to decorate and fill the entire hall with enough food and seats for all the guests, the overall atmosphere never shouted for extravagance.


    Instead, it shouted for sophistication and royalty. Elegant and ssy, but not mboyant.


    This made the guests approve of the job well done by the hosts of the banquet, the Farauld and Forgeworn ns.


    It was not long until all of the highest ranking officials and members of the Imperial Family arrived.


    With their presence appropriately announced, everyone became excited as they never thought that the Imperial Family would be attending.


    Even the First Queen attended the winter banquet! Too bad though, the Emperor and Empress, as well as the Second Queen didn''t show themselves.


    However, the presence of the First Queen and all of the three Princes had given the Forgeworn and Farauld ns enough face.


    With every prominent personality present in the hall, the anticipation had already peaked. They couldn''t wait for the hosts of the banquet to officially start the long awaited winter banquet!


    "I have seen some of the members of the host families, but howe I did not see the main members of the Forgeworns and Faraulds?"


    "Now that you mentioned it, they sure were not around yet!"


    "Even their sons and spouses were not even around!"


    "What''s with your anxiousness, they will surelye. Most probably they wille hand in hand with the legendary grandmasters!"


    "What you said makes sense!"


    "I can''t wait for them to officially start this banquet!"


    As the people energetically discussed what would happen at the winter banquet, the music began to kick in.


    With the full ensemble orchestra ying lively and exciting music, everyone turned their heads and looked at the curved twin staircase at the other end of the hall.


    The music yed as a grand introduction to the hosts of the banquet. Hand in hand, the legendary Grandmasters gracefully descended in the staircase with their respective spouses, Myrna and Brygid.


    The two couples were d in custom made dresses and tuxedos that were perfectly matched with their own partners.


    Each highlighted the couple''s personalities being, the Forgeworn couple lively and carefree, the Farauld couple, schrly and reserved.


    Everyone was in awe as they looked intently towards the most respected people in the Empire next to the Emperor, the legendary Grandmasters!


    Despite their age, their briming vitality and countenance that had been tested by time made the people around wonder if the two legendary men have been drinking some kind of a youth potion!


    Shortly after their entrance were the march of their respective sons, along with their descendants. The mini parade gave the people a good view of how prosperous and impressive the two ns were now.


    People couldn''t help but praise the next generations of the two great families, they have done a good job to stand by themselves and not only depend on the status of their grandfathers!


    When all the members of the Forgeworn and Farauld families were already lined up, Grandpa Ben and Grandpa Andi stood elegantly in the hall, with Tyce and General Farauld behind them.


    At Grandpa Ben''s queue, the music faded out as he started to address the guests of the banquet. He then addressed the present members of the Imperial Family as a sign of courtesy.


    "To our distinguished guests, friends, partners,dies and gentlemen, a pleasant evening to you all!"


    "As you have all known the two families joined together to organize a year-end banquet for everyone. We hope to share with you the victories and joys that our humble families experienced for the entire year¡­"


    "But above all the blessings and joyous moments that our families obtained, there was one moment we all have been most thankful of." Grandpa Ben looked at Grandpa Andi to queue his part of the speech.


    "Around seven months ago, I, Andvari Forgeworn, along with my sworn brother and long time friend Reuben Farauld, decided something that has been the happiest decision we have made for the year."


    "Together, we have decided to take a very important person to be under the protection of our respective families!" Grandpa Andi announced excitedly, making sure that his voice reached every nook and cranny of the Moonlight Hall.


    "The Forgewon n decided to take her as our adopted daughter, under my eldest son Tyce."


    "The Farauld n decided to take her as our goddaughter under my son Eugine."


    There were already shocked gaspes and murmurs around, but the two grandpas could not be stopped in enthusiastically delivering their well rehearsed speech.


    Together they announced to the entire Moonlight hall,


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! We would like to introduce to you all, the newest granddaughter of the Forgeworn and Farauld Family!!!


    "The Great Inventor under the name ''Eli''. Our dearest granddaughter, Elise Fayre!

 Chapter 201 L.O.D.B.

    ?As soon as the Grandpas finished introducing Eli, a melodic symphony started to y as the lights dimmed.


    The only ce that was brightly lit was the curved twin stairs, where all of the Forgeworn and Farauld family members looked excitedly.


    With the atmosphere suddenly changing and the initial shock that the guests had because of the sudden revtion, everyone also looked towards the brightly lit staircase.


    Their eyes stared dazedly towards the figure who first appeared on the stairs, he was a tall, aloof, handsome man, wearing a suit with subtle undertones of purple and white, perfectlyplementing his frosty demeanor.


    His grey eyes were deeply enchanting like the glow of the moonlight and his shoulder length pale brown hair was neatly tied, seductively showing his chiseled jaw and neckline which made thedies gulp in intoxicating charm.


    Everyone knew who this man was, it was Randel Forgeworn, Grandmaster Andvari''s disciple and adopted son of Tyrel, the second master of the Forgeworn n.


    He was also one of the most sought after bachelors in the capital despite being aloof and being firm in staying beside the Legendary Grandmaster as a butler rather than a proper son of the Forgeworn family.


    He was known to act distantly with thedies and seldom appeared at socializing events such as these types of banquets. Moreover, whenever he appeared, he would always appear as Grandmaster Andvari''s aide.


    But, every eye that had been glued to the staircase could see the gentleness in his eyes as he held out his hands and looked towards thedy who was about to descend to the staircase.


    He looked towards her direction with a hint of doting and pride, as if he was weing her as part of the family.


    Because of Randel''s gesture, the people now directed their stares towards thedy who had already reached out on his hand.


    It was none other than Eli, d in a soft purple ball gown with a fitted bodice that perfectly entuated her curves.


    The purple ball gown was embroidered with silver threads and glittered with tiny beads of crystals all the way to the hem of the gown which was designed to have a sweep trail finish.


    She was still wearing her pale brown hair wig, but it was styled in half up - half down braided updo. The rest of her hair was curled in a flowy manner as itplemented the head dress made of tiny crystal flowers generously affixed on the back of her head.


    With the stunning design of the ball gown, coupled with the ensemble of the jewelry and head dress that she wore, she looked shining like a goddess descending to the earth as the light of the hall shined on her body.


    Breathtaking! Truly breathtaking!!!


    The people in the hall could help but exim praises at the pleasant scenery they were witnessing. Eli and Randel, gracefully walked down the staircase, like a pair of siblings out to go and make people submit to their beauty.


    Eli''s sweep trail was also causing a scene, as it was like an extension of Eli''s shadow, which was not dark but instead bright!


    "I never knew that the Great Inventor was such a beautifuldy!"


    "Oh my goodness! Where did she get that ball gown! It was so beautiful!"


    "She looked like a fairy that descended to ournds!"


    "Have you noticed how she and Sir Randel looked alike? Look! Except for their different eye colors, they have the same regal yet calm demeanor, they have the same hair color too!"


    "Could it be that she was Sir Randel''s biological sister all along? Or maybe a distant rtive!"


    "I think that''s possible! They look simr and both of them were talented!"


    "If that was the case, then these two were lucky because the legendary ns treasured their talents well!"


    Hearing the discussion, the adult members of the Forgeworn and Farauld Family were extremely satisfied.


    In their hearts they also felt grateful towards Randel. It was credited to him that this kind of effect could be achieved.


    During the time when Eli was coborating with Orion in creating the human hair wig, Randel firmly insisted to donate his hair instead.


    Eli was hesitant to do this as she felt great regret that Randel had to sacrifice his long luscious brown hair just for her cause.


    However, Randel told them, "When the timees that you have to show yourself to other people, with us wearing the same hair, coupled with a little bit of acting.. We might even fool the people of you being my rtive."


    Hearing this, the Grandpas and the rest of the Elders supported Randel''s idea. Without no one to side with her, Eli could only reluctantly nod, looking at Randel with gratefulness in her eyes.


    Looking back now, Eli couldn''t help but whisper to Randel, as the two slowly marched their way to the stage, "Thank you, Big brother."


    Although they are of the same physical age, Randel was a few months older than her.


    Hearing her soft acknowledgement, Randel''s lips curved slightly as he dotingly replied, "You are always wee, my dear sister."


    It was magical how their rtionship evolved from being strangers to a level as close to siblings.


    From "Sir" to "Big Brother".<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    From "Mdy" to "Dear Sister".


    Eli, who had already lived a lifetime being loved by someone who was not her biological mother, still couldn''t help but feel amazed by the magic of the word family in this second life.


    Family that was not defined by blood rtions, but of mutual trust and understanding.


    As she looked from the staircase, down to the Grandpas, her Pops and Papi, and the rest of her now family, she could not stop her eyes from getting moist upon seeing their warm and loving eyes.


    "This is my family." She engraved these words in her heart.


    At the same moment, Leon''s patience and self control has been tested to the limits.


    Upon seeing the lovely and radiant Eli, his heart felt a strong sense of desire and possession towards her.


    How badly did he want to run up and snatch hisdy off of Randel''s hands! He also wanted to take Eli away and only let her stay in the cottage forever.


    His heart couldn''t help but feel sour, everyone was marveling at hisdy''s brilliance and beauty, but he couldn''t announce his rtionship to her.


    Looking at the interested and shocked eyes of the men in the moonlight hall, he couldn''t help but feel indignant!


    ''Look at the men who were nning to covet mydy!''


    ''Hmf! You can only look but not touch!! Only see but not possess!''


    ''You all perverse men were toote! I have already seeded!''


    ''My trophy is Little Han!''


    ''Stay away from my future wife, you lecherous people!''


    Olivier, who was attending as the third young master of the Astaze n, saw Leon''s sour expression and almost choked the wine he had been leisurely sipping as he watched his Madame''s grand entry unfold!


    He involuntarily let out muffled coughs to clear the pain in his throat.


    The noise that he caused, of course, caught Leon''s attention.


    Soon, poor Olivier could feel the stinging stare from his master. One look and he already knew what his master wanted.


    "Olivier, Greets the Third Prince¡­ Master." He submissively greeted.


    "I have a mission for you." Leon ordered with a cold and low tone, it was so low that only Olivier could hear his words.


    "What is it, master?" Olivier gulped and listened.


    "Keep your two brothers busy, do not let them bother Eli during the entire duration of the banquet!"


    "P-pardon?" Olivier was so shocked that he thought that he was talking with another person.


    Leon looked at him with a warning nce, reminding Oliver that his master hated saying his orders more than once.


    "Roger, master!" Olivier could only nervously say.


    "Remember, no one from your brothers could go near her within a 10 meter radius!" Leon sharply reminded.


    "Yes, master!" Olivier immediately acknowledged the order and was about to say something, when he suddenly remembered a thought.


    "But master, how about the others? I''m sure that it would not only be my brothers who would want to go near Madame?" He worriedly asked.


    Leon looked at Olivier as if looking at a clueless puppy, but seeing that he really had no idea, he signaled him to look towards a certain direction.


    It was the area where the Forgeworn and Farauld League of Doting Brothers were camped. Their eyes were like wolf hunters, calmly looking at their preys, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.


    Feeling Leon''s nce, the League of Doting Brothers looked back at him, signaling that they were ready for some ''operation''. Leon also nodded in acknowledgement.


    Olivier then realized that Eli''s adoptive cousins and brothers were also thinking the same as Leon.


    "Do you think Eli''s brothers would let her be touched by those stinking men?"


    Leon then looked at the enlightened Olivier. "Your mission is just an attempt to ease our burden. Heaven knows how many men could not wait to get close to Eli at this moment!"

 Chapter 202 The Doting Brothers Strike!

    ?Meanwhile, the scene at the center of the hall reached its peak as Eli finally stood beside the elders of the two ns.


    "Distinguished guests,dies and gentlemen, our daughter, Elise Fayre!" Tyce and Eugine unanimously introduced Eli to the stunned people in the hall.


    As the debutante, all eyes were already on Eli, waiting for her to speak. Some have the look of anticipation, while others of subtle scrutiny.


    But how could Eli, a seasoned corporate woman, be intimidated by such gazes?


    She had defended countless business proposals and received hostile criticism from the big bosses of thepany in her previous lifetime!


    Holding the ss of wine that was gently given by Grandma Brygid, Eli elegantly stepped at the center of the tform and met the gazes of the people her eyes could reach.


    She exuded a unique demeanor that neither belongs to a person of low nor high social status. It was a kind of aura that would make people be slightly intimidated, rethinking how they would be dealing with her at the moment.


    With a calm, steady and well modted voice, she gave a few words as the main person of the night.


    "Greetings to our esteemed guests! My heart is full to see you all join this winter banquet and celebrate the blessed year that hase to pass, not only to my family but to our Empire. I am d to meet you all, and I wish for a pleasant evening to everyone in this Moonlight hall! Cheers!"


    "Cheers!" The majority of the guests were impressed on how Eli delivered her greetings and have been giving her a thumbs up in their hearts.


    Of course, aside from the thought of approval, they had long started to think of how to get on her good books.


    Although she was an adopted daughter, she alone was a renowned inventor who had received recognition from the Emperor.


    Apart from that, she had the two legendary families on her back!


    This was more than enough for her position to be elevated to be one of the most sought after daughter inw in the capital! The rose of high society!


    The music immediately kicked in as the lights were turned back on to brighten up the mood of the entire hall. The banquet had officially started!


    And so was the battle for the League of Doting Brothers and Leon! As if they have long nned their operations, the group of protective men was divided into two teams.


    The first team was going around the hall in the guise of socializing. Their target was of course the men who tantly showed the intent to get close to their dear sister Eli!


    The second team was in charge of staying around an imaginary perimeter, ready to intercept any attempts done by lecherous men.


    At first the gentlemen didn''t notice their n until the time of the dance had already officially started.


    There was not one gentleman outside of the Forgeworn and Farauld family that sessfully came near her, not even to exchange some greetings!


    All that have ever been near Eli were their parents and some of the youngdies of the noble houses!


    But the gentlemen were not allowed! How frustrating was that!


    During the dance, the gentlemen could only frustratingly watch as the cousins and brothers of the two families line up towards Eli to ask for a dance!


    They could not even steal a chance to get near her!


    After a brother finished dancing, there would be another brother from the Forgeworn family who woulde near her and converse with her.


    Then after the current waltz was yed, there would be another one who would volunteer to dance with her!


    How meticulous these brothers were!


    Although their n was to keep Eli upied, they also made sure that Eli would not get tired of dancing as they would always let her rest with one or two waltzes!


    The Grandpas and the Papis watch with great satisfaction and amusement from their respective tables. They didn''t raise their boys to be timid! They did a job well done in protecting their sister!


    The bachelors could only aggrievedly watch from afar with a sour sensation on their throat! They looked at the pulse watches and saw that the banquet had already been run half way, yet there were still many brothers lining up for a dance with Eli!


    Just how many brothers are there in the Forgeworn and Farauld family?!!!


    They reckoned that if they waited for all these brothers to finish, they would never get a chance to dance with her in this winter banquet!


    As such, one of the brave men from the knights under Kazimir, puffed up his chest and courageously walked towards Eli as fast as he could.


    He came from a branch family of the Ves and he believed that his background would be enough for the Forgeworns and Faraulds to give him some face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mdy, it was a pleasure to meet you. My name is Howard from the Ves family." He confidently introduced himself to Eli, ignoring Devondre, who was currently the one that was guarding Eli.


    "I have been watching you from afar and I just can''t help going near to see your beauty." Howard dered without batting an eyelid.


    His voice was so gentle and charming as if whispering some kind of spell that would make ady''s knees go jelly.


    Devondre looked at Howard irritatingly.


    He was enjoying a highly intellectual discussion with Eli about the most innovative business strategies that he could apply in the Forgeworn Merchant group.


    Eli, who has also been equally absorbed with the conversation, still managed to remain calm.


    All eyes were on her and she could not afford to show any signs of being weak or a push over, lest the beese to bully her indiscriminately.


    As if he had only noticed Devondre at the moment, Howard showed a shocked reaction and perfunctory apologize, "Oh, Mr. Devondre, it''s nice to see you here. I hope you didn''t mind me not noticing you immediately, from this position, I really couldn''t help!"


    Devondre''s mood instantly became cold, this annoying random guy in front of him had tantly mocked his height, being three fourths the height of a normal person.


    That was also tantamount to mocking his race - the Dwarven race.


    Eli on the other hand had an imperceptible glint on her eyes. She also figured out the meaning of Howard''s words.


    Her heart became immediately cold. Now that she was officially part of the family, she will never allow anyone to look down to any of her loved ones!


    She calmly looked at Devondre and eloquently continued the conversation that has been interrupted by Howard,


    "So as I was saying, analyzing the bnce between the customer''s demand and the supply of the raw materials is essential to making a certain product line profitable and sustainable in the long run¡­"


    Devondre, was initially shocked, but since Eli had initiated, he went with Eli''s conversation. Soon, the two went back to their own bubbles and exchanged insights and thoughts that were too foreign to Howard and even to the eavesdroppers.


    By this time, Howard immediately realized that he had been ignored. His situation could be clearly seen by all and he could feel the mocking stares from the crowd.


    Deeply humiliated and embarrassed, he tried to call Eli out again, now with a dark face, "Lady Eli, I reckon that I have just introduced myself to you. Would you be sensible to acknowledge my presence?"


    Eli was waiting for this moment to strike back. Like a feeble and innocent youngdy, she looked at Howard with surprise as she replied.


    "Oh, this good Sir here. Who do you say you are again? Pardon me, for I am an entric inventor and I couldn''t help but be absorbed only in highly intellectual conversations."


    Her tone had no trace of mocking, instead it was as gentle as ady would be. However, her words were all painfully sharp.


    "From my standpoint, I was not able to notice that you have the desire to join our conversation. Come and sit here¡­"


    "We are currently discussing the statistical and mathematical methods to interpret the sales data and forecast the profit at a five percent confidence rate."


    Howard was utterly dumbfounded by Eli''s reply. What statistical and mathematical methods? What interpretation? What forecast? Confidence rate, could it be even calcted?


    He was so lost that he stood at Devondre and Eli''s presence with his jaw dropping with confusion. He never expected that ady that has been randomly brought up by the two legendary families be so¡­ so unconventional in dealing with the opposite sex.


    "Pfft!" Seeing Eli vent his anger at his stead by tantly mocking Howard''s intelligence, Devondre could not hold back hisughter.


    How could he not? He clearly saw Howard who came in as proud as a peacock suddenly turned into a lost chicken with just a few words from Eli!


    "Yes, pardon us, Sir Howard. Come and sit. Seeing that you are so adamant in joining our conversation, I am sure that you have a bunch of insights for us to hear!" Devondre benevolently ''invited'' Howard to join them like a real gentleman.


    "I-i¡­ You! Just you wait!" Devondre''sughter made Howard finally realize what happened. These two were mocking his intelligence!


    If not for his perseverance training as a knight, he would have long thrown verbal curses at the two.


    With no way to retaliate, he could only retreat in shame. But his unwillingness to retreat without fighting back made him say thesest few words, "Who wants to engage in a conversation with you! I see who in the hall was intelligent enough to match your intellect, huh, genius Lady Eli?"


    "I would be d to do that!" Howard was not even able to fully retreat when a cold low voice rang behind his back.


    The way he heard the voice made Howard''s hair stand on end as he very well knew who the owner of the voice was. With his awkward position, he had no choice but to turn and acknowledge the owner of the voice.


    "T-this servant greets, his Highness Third Prince.."

 Chapter 203 The Doting Hubby Asked For A Dance

    ?"Greetings, Your Highness Third Prince!" Devondre and Eli were not surprised to see Leon. The duo very naturally bowed and greeted the Prince.


    "At ease, I was just particrly interested in the topic you are currently discussing." Leon asked with a straight face, however only Eli could see the trace of cunningness in his eyes.


    Howard was waiting for Eli and Devondre to reject the Prince and ridicule his intellectual abilities. Who in the Capital knew that the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire was the trash prince?


    His only talent was killing people! How could he have the capability to sustain a conversation with the renowned inventor?


    ''Leon wants to y, it seems.'' Eli thought to herself as she scanned the entire situation.


    Without showing any kind of uneasiness, she invited Leon to sit with them, to Howard''s and the crowd''s surprise! "It''s our pleasure to have you in our conversation, Your Highness!"


    Without any hint of struggle, Leon naturally exchanged his ideas to the group. He eloquently shared his insights and carefully pointed out the key points on Eli and Von''s ideas.


    The people watching the show were amazed on how Leon could keep up with the two!


    How could this be! The Third Prince could level with the duo''s prowess in exchanging ideas! As far as they know the Prince did not receive the same quality of education as the First and Second Prince!


    General Eugine who was also watching the scene unfold couldn''t help but let out a cold snort as he saw the surprised mob. "Hmff! Didn''t these bunch of people forget that I was that brat''s teacher? Who do they think I am? Just a war maniac? I am a Farauld too!"


    He was deeply aggrieved! Why did it look like the people forget that he was born and raised by the top educator not only in the Seirende Empire but the whole Prasinos?


    "Sush¡­ Stop sulking Old Man! Just let His Highness Third Prince and Eli handle the matter." Dame Aqu yfully pinched General Farauld''s waist to remind her husband who was visibly irritated at the way people looked down on his precious student.


    Back on Eli''s side, the trio continued to absorb themselves in the conversation without minding the awkwardness of the people around.


    It wasn''t until a beautiful and gentle waltz was yed by the orchestra that Leon looked at Eli with a polite yet doting eyes.


    "Lady Eli, the music was as beautiful as this night. Would you mind apanying me to a dance?" Leon stood and bowed as he held out his hands in a gentlemanly manner- a gesture to respectfully ask Eli''s permission.


    Gasp!


    Once again the crowd was stunned! The cold blooded Third Prince asked ady to dance for the first time!


    They cautiously looked at Eli and started specting.


    What would the great inventor''s reaction be?


    Would she oblige? Would she reject it?


    Although they couldn''t wait to see her reaction, the people unconsciously stepped backward for they feared that the Blood Prince would berserk upon Eli''s rejection.


    However, they were once again thrown at the edge of their seats when Eli''s pleasing voice melodically rang at the center of the Moonlight hall.


    "To have the Third Prince grant me this honor, I would dly oblige!"


    With a smile that was as lovely as the bloom of the roses, she held out her hand and allowed Leon to hold it as he led her towards the dance floor.


    As soon as they reached the dance floor, it was like they entered in their very own world, with just the two of them.


    With great care and tenderness, Leon''s hand enveloped Eli''s waist and held her other hand as he led her to dance slowly yet beautifully.


    Their eyes locked with each other, not saying a single word, yet their hearts knew what they meant. In the moment where their bodies were as close as they could ever be, the two savored the rare moment andpletely forgot the people around them.


    Far from the existingplications that they were currently dealing with.


    Far from the impending challenges that they will be facing in the future.


    This moment was something that they mutually decided to enjoy.


    Just two simple human beings in love with each other.


    Their bodies swayed as the melody of the music yed, reacting beautifully to every note that was delivered by the orchestra.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Like a pair of star crossed lovers, they created an image of a couple who was fated by the heavens. Drawing the people around, the Moonlight Hall seemed to freeze as if the only living beings were the two of them.


    Such a romantic scene¡­it left the people in trance.


    Meanwhile at the designated balcony on the third floor, Kazimir looked at Eli intently and could not help but tighten the grip of his champagne close to snapping.


    There was a trace of frustration and vexation in his face, so much that the veins had long bulged on his forehead.


    He had miscalcted.


    The appearance of this ''great inventor'' was not as simple and random as the Forgeworns and Faraulds seemed to im!


    "General Eugine¡­ You got us good! Leon you got me so good!" he coldly mumbled as a creepy smile appeared on his sullen face.


    How could he not understand what these two families mean? The timing of which Eli''s name spread in the empire was amazingly ''coincidental'' and beneficial to his trash brother Leon.


    As the First Prince of the Great Seirende Empire, his thinking could never be trifled with. Especially when he was raised to be the next Emperor so painstakingly by his mother Empress!


    How could he not see that General Farauld had done all this to help his beloved student build a faction of his own? How could he not see what they were all thinking in the future?!


    Looking at the pair who were beautifully dancing in the hall, like a couple match made by heaven, how could he not figure out that General Farauld had long nned to raise up a capable woman for Leon!


    The moment the Grandmasters announced Eli''s identity his eyes immediately brightened up. With the Forgeworns and Faraulds standing on Eli''s back, she would undeniably be the most eligible and capable woman in the Empire!


    What''s more, he clearly saw how the rest of the family supported her wholeheartedly. He could clearly see that the two families did not just adopt Eli by name but with sincerity.


    To Kazimir, this also meant that even if the Grandmasters were already at the end of their lives, the Forgeworns and Faraulds would continue to support Eli in the future!


    But just as he was already nning how to pull Eli to his side, this scene where Leon approached Eli and disyed his capabilities immediately struck Kazimir so hard.


    "Bunch of desperate people!" He mouthed mockingly. He was so incensed that he could not stay watching the scene any longer!


    Throwing the ss of champagne around, he rudely stood up and walked away to the moonlight hall.


    "Mother had to know this!" He mumbled, deciding to go straight to his mother''s ce rather than to go home to his castle.


    On the other hand, Antoine looked at his mother with surprise. He was shocked at how urate and insightful her mother''s advice was.


    Indeed, no one would want to make this great inventor an enemy. Who would want to go against the strongest people of the empire?!


    Not even him would dare to do that!


    Antoine''s view to the world was renewed the more that he realized that his mother''s words made sense! His heart was softened as he thought of this.


    Could it be that his mother was actually a spy? She was well informed of the matters in and outside the castle.


    Is she just posing as someone who doesn''t care about the fight for the throne but was secretly paving a way for him to seed?


    He once again looked at his mother, who was still as distant to the matters of the world as before, he dejectedly shook his head.


    That was not possible, her mother was so timid andzy to even say a few good words for her very own son!


    However, he made a note in his heart to value his queen mother''s words in the future. Who knows, following her seemingly weird instructions might save him from a lot of trouble?


    As the music of the hall came to the softest end, the people continued to go about their own agendas and enjoy the night.


    While the others started to rethink their ns in the future after witnessing how big the impact of Eli''s appearance in the empire was.


    This was also the same for Leon and Eli. The two knew that after this sessful event, there would be waves and waves of changes, both good and bad, that they had to deal with.


    That is, apart from the investigation about the dark knights, the matter of meeting the High Priest which needed to be dealt with immediately.

 Chapter 204 The Banquet Ends

    ?After the dance, Leon led Eli back to her seat with great care. His manner of treating Eli made the women around feel giddy and envious as they never saw the Third Prince treat anydy like that.


    Leon could have stayed with Eli on her table. But he knew that monopolizing her would gather more watchful eyes. With a reluctant look, he bowed, thanked Eli and moved to go to where Olivier and ze were.


    Meanwhile as soon as Eli reached her seat, a ss of wine slowly appeared in front of her. Startled, she looked towards the owner of the hand who handed her the wine, it was Alicia.


    Alicia, dressed in a navy blue ball gown with silver ents smiled at Eli with a hint of teasing. With her now ck hair, she looked like an alluringdy who was brimming with confidence and sophistication.


    Standing beside Eli only made the two girls look like they were a pair of women whom men would have to feel intimidated. Two schrly women, with beauty, brains and background!


    "Having a great time I see¡­" Alicia softly said as Eli took the wine and initiated a toast to her.


    "Well, yes but I am not really sure if I have been doing well." Eli responded with a hint of uncertainty.


    Overtime, Alicia and her becamefortable with each other, so Eli was actually relieved to see her in the banquet where almost everyone who strikes up a conversation with her were unfamiliar people.


    Alicia let out a light chuckle and replied,"I think you asked the wrong person, everyone knows that I am not really good at socializing in this circle!"


    "Then that makes it the two of us." Eli smiled.


    "But at least you''ve been a good flower! You even managed to attract a great bee~" Alicia retaliated with a teasing tone.


    Eli immediately blushed at Alicia''s teasing. Although she and Leon had already confirmed their feelings with each other, she still feels shy when being teased by other people that way.


    "Erm.." She ran out of words to say. "I-it''s just a dance!" Eli blurted out with great difficulty.


    Alicia was fascinated by Eli''s blushing and panicking face, she never expected that the stern and sharp inventor would act like a little bashful girl. She let out an unrestrainedugh, greatly amused.


    Herugh made Eli blush even more, however, she couldn''t stop thisdy infront of her. Helpless, she just sighed and looked as she continued to sip her wine in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.


    The otherdy had such a good time that her eyes moistened fromughing too much. After that, she took a deep breath and decided to stop teasing the main girl of the night, "Alright alright."


    "Kidding aside, you really looked wonderful today! I mean, I always see you in our ck schr gowns and I never realized that you would be so stunning in this attire!" Alicia now tried to appease Eli after teasing her so much.


    "Well, thank you for that. You look amazing too! How are you enjoying the night by the way?" Eli replied sincerely.


    "I thought that this banquet would be boring, you know.. But because of that surprise you gave earlier, I suddenly felt like going here was not a waste of time after all! Say, you are so good at keeping everyone in the dark!" Alicia replied energetically, upon remembering Eli''s entrance earlier she couldn''t help but recount it in a lively manner.


    "Who would have known that the winter banquet was organized for you in the first ce!" She said looking at Eli slightly usingly but in a way that was how friends bicker.


    "Well.. of course I can''t spoil anyone you know. It''s grandpa''s orders." Eli immediately used the Grandpas as an escape goat.


    True enough, after hearing their names, Alicia didn''tin anymore.


    However, she still looked at Eli with a trace of regret in her eyes, "You would have looked even better if you went with me to cken your hair!"


    "Really?" Eli''s reaction came out naturally. But in truth she was actually looking for a good time to ''dye'' her hair ck.


    Before Alicia could reply, a delicate and seemingly feeble voice interrupted their conversation, "I also think the great inventor would look even better with ck hair!"


    The two women were startled by the sudden interjection. Curious as to who the owner of the voice was, Eli and Alicia slowly turned their heads towards the direction of the voice.


    The owner of the voice had brilliant purple hair and amethyst eyes. She had a smile that gave off a vibe of a young magnanimousdy that would make any gentleman feel the urge to protect her unconditionally.


    "Cousin.." Alicia immediately recognized thedy. It was none other than Arabe Ves.


    "Cousin.." Arabe greeted Alicia while apologetically saying, "Pardon me for intruding, but I was really drawn by your conversation. My name is Arabe Liv Ves, it''s my pleasure to meet you, Lady Elise."


    Arabe, Eli''s heart thumped wildly upon hearing the name. The mastermind for Elise''s murder!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The person who caused the separation of Elise and Little Han. Would she recognize that the person she was greeting right now was the same body as the person whom she ordered to be killed?


    There was a part of Eli that wanted to stand and confront the seemingly weakdy in front of her, but her mind was very clear to know that this is not yet the time for this.


    Anger, Rage, Wrath! Her heart was screaming for justice for Elise who had her fate stolen!


    She tried hard to contain the burning emotions that had been brewing in her heart by clenching her fists as hard as she could. ''Rx, she had no way of knowing who I am... This is just the first time we have met¡­''


    Heaven knows how unwilling she was to let out even a little smile for this person in front of her, but she pushed herself to do it.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Lady Arabe. I don''t mind you joining.." She finally replied after calming her heart down. But her throat feels as if she just drank the most bitter wine in the world after saying those words.


    When Arabe saw Eli''s polite smile and kind reception, she immediately beamed and joined Eli''s table. She then continued on to the topic. She repeatedlyplimented Eli''s looks and how she will look better in ck hair.


    Eli didn''t know how she managed to navigate the conversation as she was filled with the thought of keeping her emotions from spilling.


    Fortunately, seeing how lively her table was, the other youngdies also went near and engaged in a conversation with Eli.


    "Lady Eli, I really think that having ck hair would be nice."


    "Yes~I think so too, Lady Eli, do you think it will look good on me too?" Thedies kept bbering about the ck hair trend.


    This somehow pulled Eli to the light, it perfectly distracted her from her negative feelings. "I''ll have my hair dyed soon actually." She replied.


    "Really?"


    "Then I''ll have to set a date to dye my hair too!"


    "Me too!"


    Eli''s table was filled with giggles anddyughs. It was quite a pleasing sight to see as there was no hint of scheming or tension in their circle.


    As the night deepened, the winter banquet also reached its end. Every guest went home with marvel and excitement in their hearts. Clearly, they did not manage to get over the things that had transpired in the banquet.


    The events that happened continued to be a hot topic for a few weeks around the Capital. This also brought Eli further to the limelight with anotherpanion in tow - the Third Prince.


    After showcasing his eloquence in keeping up with Devondre and Eli''s conversation, as well as his manliness when he danced with Eli during the winter banquet, Leon''s poprity improved significantly.


    Manydies changed their opinions about him being the mad dog and cold-blooded prince. They also started to think that he wasn''t as incapable as the rumors turned him to be.


    In just one night, Leon became every youngdy''s fantasy in life - a Prince who is good-looking, intelligent, gentle, brave, and most of all¡­ Single!


    In contrast, the nobles were immediately alerted upon witnessing the sudden change in opinions from the public. The development of the people''s perception of Leon became an immediate threat to the factions of the First and Second Princes.


    Just like what was happening right now in the Ves Estate. A group of noblemen sat in Duke Ves''s presence, engaging in a discussion about how to immediately kill the fire that Leon started.


    "We cannot let the Third Prince have his own source of support!"


    "What can we do?! If he was that close with the Faraulds, then there would be a high chance that he would be supported by the two ns."


    "That''s not really guaranteed, it has been years since the Grandmasters kept mum about which of the three princes they would support!" Some skeptics calmly pointed out.


    "That''s where you are wrong! Have you seen the way the Prince easily managed to get close to the great inventor at the winter banquet? With all the protective cousins and brothers around thedy, only he was the sessful gentleman to do that! That meant that there was a tacit eptance from the two ns!"


    "Then what do we do?"


    Duke Ves who was just silently listening to their conversation suddenly ordered, "Gather the rest of the nobles! Let''s figure out how to control the situation with the Great Inventor!"

 Chapter 205 Father And Daughter

    ?Duke Ves looked at his butler and ordered. "Send a notification to the Empress, I may have to talk to her personally regarding this matter."


    "Right away Duke!" The butler bowed and moved to immediately follow his orders.


    Moments after the butler left the Duke alone in the study, a soft knock was heard on his door.


    "Father, it''s Be." A sweet gentle voice rang behind the door.


    Hearing the voice, Duke Ves''s tense mood became much lighter, "Come, Be! Let Father see you." His tone carried indulgence for his youngest daughter.


    Arabe entered Duke Ves''s study, she walked gracefully like a gentle pampered princess she had been to her father.


    Letting out a warm smile, paired with her delicateplexion, she walked near to her father and locked arms with him - a gesture she always did to her parents ever since she was a child.


    Seeing her do this, Duke Ves''s heart immediately melted. He knew very well that whenever his dearest daughter did this, Be would have something to request of him.


    Caressing his daughter''s head he helplessly asked with a heavy hint of doting, "Say it, Be. What do you want from Father?"


    Arabe sweetly giggled seeing that her Father knew her purpose right away, she coquettishly replied, "Be wants to continue her journey now that the Winter Banquet is over."


    Hearing that his daughter wanted to go away again, Duke Ves''s mood immediately darkened, he very wanted to scold his daughter but couldn''t do so.


    He just loved his daughter very much as she was the only one that they have since the two older children had their own lives to pursue already.


    "Why can''t you just stay in the estate? Is it not fun here in the Capital?" Duke Ves could only say with an aggrieved tone.


    "It''s not like that, Father¡­ I do miss you and Mother all the time, but it''s just that¡­" Arabe knew that her father was extremely sad upon hearing her request.


    Although she had been out roaming around the Empire for some time, she still missed being doted upon by her family.


    "It''s just that I was chasing the man I love." She blushed as she exined the matter further to her dad.


    "Love?" Duke Ves''s tone became colder. Who is this man trying to snatch his daughter, causing him to be separated from her? "Who is this man?!"


    Arabe chuckled as she saw her father act like his cabbage was stolen by someone, "Father, rx! Haven''t you and Mother always been worried about me being unmarried yet in this age? Now that I have someone I fancied, could you bear to be harsh on the man I like?"


    "But¡­" Duke Ves choked upon hearing Arabe''s reply. It was true that they have been worried for their young daughter''s future. But still, for this mysterious man to suddenly snatch his daughter''s affection¡­ he couldn''t help but feel bitter in his heart.


    "Then tell me, who is this man? I''ll see for myself if he is worthy of you.." He still insisted.


    "No.. He has not known me yet. I have yet to introduce myself to him." Arabe shyly exined.


    "Besides, he suddenly disappeared! My guard and I have been looking for his trace for months now. I just temporarily halted my search because of the winter banquet.." There was sadness and longing in the way Arabe spoke these words.


    Duke Ves hated to see his daughter aggrieved, although he didn''t like the idea of his precious daughter pursuing a man, seeing his daughter feel lost and sad made his stance soft. "What could have happened? Do you need my help in searching for this person? It would be easier if you use our forces."


    Arabe shook her head and said, "Father, I wish not to use our Ves''s forces so as to not make this person wary of my identity. I don''t want him to run away because he became intimidated by my powerful background!"


    Then she looked at Duke Ves in a pleading expression. Her colorful amethyst eyes were sparkling with tears threatening to fall from her lovely face.


    "Father, promise me not to do something that will startle this person. I have been watching him from afar and I am convinced that he is the only man for me!"


    "He is humble, gentle and most of all a talented doctor! I am sure that even you would feel at peace because I am sure that he will know how to take care of me in the future!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Sigh!" Duke Ves couldn''t resist his daughter''s pleading.


    He was still unsure of letting his daughter go out again but he could not bear to take away his little baby''s source of joy.


    With an unwilling yet defeated look, he cupped his youngest daughter''s pale cheeks and softly wiped the tears in her eyes, "I promise, but on one condition. You have to use our private information guild to hasten the process of searching for that love of yours."


    "I cannot bear to let you suffer outside for so long! You must use any way to cut your search time. In this way, you won''t have to go out that early. Look, it''s still in the middle of the winter. With the work being done by our investigators you would not risk your health in this harsh season."


    "Really Father?!" Arabe was ted to hear Duke Ves''s consent. She squealed in delight while she jumped and hugged her father like a little child.


    Duke Ves couldn''t help but let out a chuckle, "Yes! Besides, I might need your special guard for your aunt''s matter. You may have known what happened during the clearing operations. Some of our forces were paralyzed because of this."


    Remembering the current situation in the Empire, Duke Ves''s face immediately filled with worry.


    "Sure Father. Is there something I can help you with regarding this matter?" Arabe was also vaguely aware of her Father and Aunt''s ambition.


    She knew that they hoped to let her cousin, Kazimir, be the crown prince of the Empire and eventually ascend to the throne.


    "Well, for now I can only use the special guards to do some work under the dark. Our side still cannot fully understand the impact of the great inventor joining the two ns. It might be the best situation to have her on our side."


    "But now with the Faraulds, I am afraid that they have long nned to do this for the Third Prince." Arabe followed her father''s line of thought and managed to understand his side.


    Duke Ves nodded to confirm Arabe''s thoughts. "That''s why I wanted to mobilize our special forces to figure out the Prince''s next move and also try to think of a way to find the great inventor''s weakness. Who knows, we could use something to let her be pulled on our side."


    "Hmm, why not use Elder cousin?" Arabe remembered how Alicia appeared to be friendly to Eli, "It seems like Elder cousin was close to the great inventor."


    "Well, it has been a month since your cousin suddenly refrained from having anything connected to the Empress. Your mother tried to persuade her parents but to no avail." Duke Ves rubbed his temples, feeling perplexed over this matter.


    "They really did that?" Arabe was shocked to learn about the matter. It was known that the Count of Cross Household was adamant to get the favor of the Empress to ensure the future of their daughter, Alicia.


    Hearing them refuse to do the Empress''s requests would mean that they were no longer concerned with Alicia''s future.


    "They really did. Even though your Aunt had already confirmed to give Alicia the good position to the Vanderford Institute, they still refused to do it. If they were not your mother''s family, I would have long punished them!" The irritation in Duke Ves''s face became apparent upon remembering them.


    "Don''t worry Father. Everything will be fine." Arabe appeased her Father. "I think the great inventor was not even that hard to get close to. I even managed to engage in a light hearted conversation with her."


    "If you want, I can try to get closer to her while I am here." She suggested.


    "My good daughter, are you willing to do that?" Duke Ves was pleasantly surprised by his daughter''s suggestion.


    "Yes! I would have nothing to do anyways, so I could use the time waiting for the investigations to try to sound out the great inventor." Arabe confidently replied, "Besides, it has been a long time since I hosted a social gathering."


    "Hahahaha! Do as you wish my good daughter! You make me extremely proud!" Duke Ves''s mood became happy upon hearing Arabe''s suggestion.


    After this, the father and daughter duo spent more time catching up and exchanging ideas. Before Arabe retired to her room she was reminded, "I''ll have to summon my special knight and have him report to you right after."


    However, even after sending six precious notifications on Igor''s side, Arabe didn''t receive any reply.


    "What''s happening? Before, it would only take him a minute to appear after one summon, but why has he not been responding after so many calls?!"

 Chapter 206 Dukes Fury

    ?The irritation in Arabe''s face deepened as her patience ran out. "Why isn''t he responding!!!!"


    Duke Ves saw that his daughter was going to lose it. As such, he asked her to calm down while doing his part to summon Visam and Hasta instead.


    A few momentster, Visam''s figure appeared like a phantom on Duke Ves''s balcony.


    With a pale and panic-stricken face, he knelt and addressed the duke, "Visam hears your summon, Lord."


    Raising his eyebrows in confusion as he only saw one of the two special knights he summoned, Duke Ves asked, "Where is Hasta?"


    "This servant seeks your forgiveness, Lord!" Visam lowered his head to the ground as if he had made a grave mistake.


    "Speak about what is happening!" Duke Ves could already figure out that something had gone wrong, but he still had to hear the details no matter how he wanted to punish the servant in front of him.


    "It was only now that I have noticed... Hasta and Igor have disappeared. Ist saw them two days ago and I only realized that the two hadn''t been around the Capitalst night." Visam bit his lip and clenched his fists in guilt and fear.


    He knew that he would never have a good ending after reporting the matter to the Master. But what can he do, he was bound by the oath with him.


    Nothing can make him willingly betray the trust of his master, even if it meant that he had to receive his inhuman punishment.


    Crash!


    A 300-year-old ceramic vase was viciously thrown at Visam''s prostrating body. He felt the blunt pain assaulting the top of his head and the minuscule shards piercing his arms and hands.


    "Useless! Useless, Useless!" Duke Ves roared in a terrifying manner, his voice even reverberated in the hall.


    Even Arabe had to step back and shrink in the corner, not even breathing out loud, as she was really afraid of how her father looked right now. She was afraid that even the sound of her steps would direct her father''s wrath on her.


    The fury on her father''s face was as if he was a guard at the gates of hell, ready to im everyone''s life.


    Still, with intense anger on his face, he used another notification spell and summoned someone.


    The people he summoned did not even take a minute to arrive as they could already guess the graveness of the matter through the message on the paper.


    Four figures appeared on the balcony, seeing that a familiar person was already prostrating in front of their master with a bloodied head and trembling body, they also immediately knelt and did not dare to let out a single word.


    "Give me a good reason why you were not able to detect this anomaly earlier?" Duke Ves''s voice sounded cold in the study.


    It made the people in the room shudder in fear.


    "I-i¡­" Visam was lost for words.


    How could he exin to the master that he got into an argument with Hasta and Igor and basically shunned them after walking out during the time he failed to pursue Igor toe back to his old post?!


    "No good reason?" Duke Ves''s calm voice became the most terrifying sound to Visam and the four figure''s ears.


    "I am sorry Mast-"


    Before Visam couldplete his words he felt his body fly backward at the speed of light and crashed onto the stone railing of the balcony and eventually to the ground several meters from the balcony which was on the third floor.


    His body was filled with agony that even as he tried to curl in the fetal position to contain the pain, he felt like his bones were piercing into his flesh.


    "Bunch of useless fools! The enemy was already ying you under your nose and you still didn''t have any idea?!!"


    Now that Visam was already battered ck and blue, the four knights could only prostrate themselves and beg for the Duke''s forgiveness.


    It was true that they have no idea however, how could they know if they had their own posts which he personally assigned?


    Of course, Duke Ves knew that he too was included among the people who have no idea that has already been attacked in the dark without him knowing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He felt pathetic and humiliated. Just moments before, he was still smiling, feeling ted thinking that he had thought well of how to handle the matter with the Third Prince and the Great Inventor.


    But now, some unknown enemy had already started to make a move into his forces! What''s more, the two of his men were the ones whom he would supposedly depend on monitoring Leon and Eli!


    There was also a sense of panic and fear in his heart.


    Who was this enemy? How could they target his knights specifically? Do they know something about the movements of the Ves?


    He was feeling frustrated and angry at the same time. With nowhere to vent into, he took it all out toward the trembling useless knights in front of him!


    Soon, the five guards were beaten ck and blue. It was fortunate that their attire was mostly ck for it will surely be dyed crimson red should they happen to wear light-colored clothing.


    "Leave your posts immediately and get to the bottom of this matter! I''ll give you only one day to get back to me with certain answers!" He stepped onto the edge of the balcony and looked at the bloodied bodies of the five men on the ground with disdain in his eyes.


    "Y-yes.. Master." The men clutched their own stomachs and bowed to their master after acknowledging his orders.


    "Scram!" Duke Ves bellowed fiercely.


    Upon hearing the Duke, it was like they had finally escaped their death sentence.


    Hence even though their bodies were injured beyond recognition, they still dragged themselves with all their might and ensured that their master could not even see their shadows.


    Duke Ves watched the men with a shaken heart. He turned towards his daughter whom he knew was scared out of her wits. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to y a good father to her after learning of these things.


    "Sorry Be, could you let Father be alone at the moment.." He said in a tonecking affection. It was not even a question but an order for Arabe to get out of the study.


    Arabe didn''t mind and immediately nodded before hastily scooting out of the study as if she had to escape a great cmity.


    Finally alone in the study, Duke Ves slumped to his chair, extremely stressed. Hisplexion darkened as if he had to bear the world''s burden on his shoulders.


    He sighed in distress as he activated hismunication stone and contacted his sister, the Empress.


    "Brother.." Empress Carolina''s voice immediately rang from the other side of the stone. "What''s the matter?"


    "Sister.. We''ve been attacked." He exined without an ounce of energy in his voice.


    On the other side, Empress Carolina''s beautiful face was instantly shrouded with a deep frown upon hearing Maxim''s news.


    Her bright purple eyes dimmed as her tone became cold, "What happened, brother? Who''s behind this?"


    "We lost two of our dark nights. I still do not have any clue who was the enemy behind them. But I doubt that it was one of the two princes. They are too weak and irrelevant to even chance with the information about our special knights."


    "Then who could they be? Are you trying to say that it was done by the Emperor?" Empress Carolina''s heart leaped in fear upon realizing that it was not only a matter of losing the two knights but the danger of exposing the dark affairs of their family.


    "I still do not have any idea, our privatework did not even report any suspicious move from the Emperor even to any of the princes. Not even the legendary Grandmasters, for their efforts had long been centered on paving the way to the great inventor Eli." Duke Ves wracked his brain to analyze the situation.


    "If that''s the case, who might they be?! Are you saying that we have hidden enemies lurking inside the Empire?" Empress Carolina''s voice cracked as she was controlling the trembling of her body from the gravity of this matter.


    "I do not know... I could only wait for our men to return with the feedback about the known forces of the Empire. We never know, if such an unexpected thing happened on our side, then it would be possible to even think that there were some spies lurking on our faction."


    If Eli and Leon could hear their conversation, they surely would haveughed in ridicule. The siblings were so paranoid that they even started to suspect everyone, even their own people!


    Unfortunately, Leon and Eli could not be bothered to care about the chaos on Empress Carolina''s side.


    As they were now brainstorming on how to sessfully sneak into the temple to meet the High Priest!

 Chapter 207 A Father’s Devastation

    ?As easy as it may sound, all eyes were already locked to both Eli and Leon due to the recent events during the winter banquet.


    They have to think of a way to freely go into the Temple without catching the enemy''s eyes.


    "Shall we coordinate with the Temple then? Maybe a teleportation portal from the barracks would be more convenient. Besides, you would be frequenting the ce for the investigation anyways." Kayden, who was also with them sitting in the living room, calmly suggested.


    "I could ask that, but I am not really sure if the temple would be even open to the idea." Leon did not reject his friend''s suggestion outright.


    But he knew that the Temple was a ce secluded from the world, it would be a surprise if they would allow Leon to construct a portal connecting his barracks and the most restricted part of the Temple.


    Nevertheless, he had to give it a try. It would be much harder for him to move when the Vess were already rmed about the sudden disappearance of Igor and Hasta.


    With this, he spent the rest of the day crafting the proposal for entry to the Temple, while Kayden went back to the secret base to continue his research.


    Sure enough, the night after the trio''s conversation, Neil sought Leon''s presence to report the recent events in the Capital.


    "Master, there''s movement in the Ves estate!" There is excitement in Neil''s tone.


    "The spies inside the estate were able to witness the Dukeshing out at five knights! We have already identified them as Igor and Hasta''s brothers!"


    While saying this, Neil handed out the report containing the information about the happenings inside the Ves estate.


    The report also included sketches of the rest of the dark knights that may also have the ability to use curse magic. With this, they managed topletely list who were the members of the seven dark knights which Igor and Hasta refer to as brothers.


    Visam, a ''simple'' knight under the Ves Estate. Das and Orel, posed as the exclusive coachmen for the Duke and the Empress, respectively.


    What shocked Leon further was the identities of thest two knights. Because, unlike the first four knights, thest two have a much higher profile than the former.


    Can was a guard turned royal knight who was hailed as the champion during the hunting tournament done every five years.


    That time, he fought to represent Elvis County - one of the closest vassal territories of the Astaze n.


    When he won the tournament, he used this chance to request the Emperor a post to be an official knight of the Empire. He was now working as one of the royal knights under the Empress.


    The identity of thest knight was far more baffling. His name was Roman, and he posted neither as a royal knight, nor a servant under the Empress.


    He was, surprisingly, one of the royal aides handling the memorials of the Emperor himself!


    His origins were also traced as a talented schr from an orphanage funded by the Astaze March.


    This information made Leon''s brows furrow deeply.


    He could now clearly see how cunning and how the Ves''s roots run deep. Arranging knights to infiltrate the Imperial Pce, going as far as to divert their traces to the Astazes.


    If not for them having known their connection to the Vess in advance, they would be misled to think that these knights were spies from the Astazes!


    He nced deeply at the report, he was not sure if he would tell this to his Father Emperor immediately or just keep him in the dark for a little while. The Ves''s forces were closer to them as they had already anticipated.


    "Master, they were also on the move now. The spies also managed to learn that aside from the seven knights, the Vess were also running a private information guild. We still do not know how extensive theirworks were." Neil continued to report.


    Neil looked at Leon with a grave expression as he said thest portion of his report. "There''s also the earlier meeting with the noblemen, it seems that they would be starting the move to pressure His Majesty to choose who among you would be the crown prince."


    "Alright, I understand. Good work!" Leon dismissed Neil and immediately proceeded to the pce after briefly informing Eli.


    In the end, he still decided to exin this information to his Father carefully. He knew that his father would know how to manage everything without alerting the shadows.


    Besides, ording to the report, Can and Roman were immediately pulled out by the Duke to frantically search for Hasta and Igor. This may be an opportunity to discreetly assess how much of their backs were unknowingly exposed to the enemies.


    In the pce, the Emperor was startled by the sudden summon of his son. He was about to retire for the night when he immediately received Leon''s call.


    Groggily dragging his tired body, the Emperor immediately went to the secret chamber to see his son wordlessly sitting on the gazebo with the same cold, expressionless look.


    "Son.." Emperor Valentin called out. "What makes you go here at this hour?"


    "Father," Leon greeted with an apologetic tone, his crystal blue eyes not missing his Father''s exhaustedplexion.


    Immediately, he felt guilty for disturbing his father, and even bringing some grave news to him at this hour.


    "Apologies Father, but I just have to report to you immediately the movements from the enemy''s side." Guilty as he is, Leon immediately exined the matter concisely to this father.


    The Emperor''s aged face immediately went darker and darker as he listened to Leon''s report.


    "These hateful people! What did our Imperial family do for them to make chaos in this Empire painstakingly established by our forefathers!" Emperor Valentin hit the table angrily as his voice roared full of resentment.


    "Did I ask Carolina to offend my cousin?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Did I cause such a sinister plot that almost ruined my cousin and sparked a war between the two nations?


    Did I even convince their father to take the punishment in his daughter''s stead?!


    Have I done something that would make Carolina feel betrayed when I finally found the love of my life?


    For heaven''s sake!!! I didn''t even get close to any woman prior to meeting your mother!


    Just because of this suffocating ''love'' and ''jealousy'' that I never wanted nor needed! How much damage and hurt had it caused to me and my Imperial family?!


    How much disharmony, how much mockery, how much grievance will they cause to my innocent family for them to finally stop?


    They want the throne? They want Kazimir to get the throne? Hahahaha!"


    Emperor Valentin''s eyes reddened as he let out augh that broke Leon''s heart. It has been a long time since Leon witnessed his Father show such heavy emotions.


    "Do they have to push me so much as to make me have a biased opinion against my precious son?" Emperor Valentin''s voice cracked as he continued toment.


    His heartbreak could be felt with every word, "Kazimir is my son too... Do they have to push me to cruelly abhor my son?"


    "Have I not worked enough to atone for the sins of my youth?


    Have I not be as tolerant as I could just to make this messy family work?


    Tell me, Leon. Have I been wishfully thinking all along?" This time, Emperor Valentin, as if struck by an epiphany, finally broke down and cried.


    Hisst sentence pped him in the face so hard that the pain shot through every vein in his old body.


    Yes, how could he think that way for more than thirty years?


    Leading the Empire for so long, and he has only realized now that he was still as naive as he was during his youth?!


    How could he hope that his family would be peaceful when he has done nothing to eradicate the cause of it all?


    What did he do when Carolina schemed against his love? Even the innocent Lucia was brutally dragged along in this royal mess.


    Blind! Naive! Helpless! Weak!


    The reason why things had been like this all along was that he was not courageous enough to face all of this.


    He was caught up in the idea of atoning himself by tolerating the disharmony within his family as he worked hard to stabilize the Empire, thinking that this would help his sons in the future.


    He is now in his fifties, and his sons already have their own families, yet nothing has changed.


    If any, the only change was that someone had managed to bring back the smile on his third son''s face.


    This time he finally understood.


    Yes...


    After thirty vain years of wishful thinking, the mess in the family will never be resolved nor will the harmony ever be restored.


    He had to ept the fact that his three sons would one day point their swords at each other, especially when the timees that he would be finally saying who would seed in his steps.


    Most importantly, he had to mentally prepare himself for the worst.


    He could only pray in his heart that after all these things they discovered from the Vess, they would spare Kazimir from the matter with the curse magic.


    Because once Kazimir was involved with the curses, he might have had to be the first emperor in the entire Seirende history to kill his very own son.


    "I understand what to do now.." Emperor Valentin mumbled, his face seemed to have aged for a few more years.


    Emperor Valentin looked at his son, this time he had a calm yet soulless expression as he instructed,


    "As for the matter with the Temple, I give you the full permission to do as you see fit. I only hope for you to finish this matter as early as possible."


    "Father.." Leon called out worriedly.


    This was what made him hesitant earlier, he knew that this information would break thest straw his Father had been clinging to.


    He knew that this news would devastate him so much.


    He knew that his news would p his Father''s face to see the reality he refused to see for many years now.

 Chapter 208 Meeting The High Priest

    ?Seeing the worry in his youngest son''s eyes, Emperor Valentin stretched out his hands and patted Leon''s shoulders.


    With a defeated look that very much wanted to give Leon assurance, Emperor Valentin mumbled, "Do not worry about me, son. Instead try to think of a way to settle yourplications in bringing Eli and Little Han to the pce. I am afraid that I cannot hold out for two full years as I have previously promised to you before.."


    Leon was not surprised by his Father''s decision.


    He too knew that he had to hasten resolving the problems at hand. They do not know how the Vess would create chaos in the Empire.


    At the very least, they have to get a way to know how to counter the curse magic in order to get a little bit of confidence that they can withstand whatever sinister ns the enemy had instored for them.


    "You may only have less than a year to do all these things. But rest assured, I will hold our ground as long as possible until all three of you are ready." Emperor Valentin emphasized once again.


    "I understand Father." Leon couldn''t afford to increase his Father''s burden anymore.


    If it was before he knew about the truth of his older brothers'' births, he may still have not understood the depth of his father''s guilt and struggle.


    He may still have carried a grudge towards the scars of his youth.


    But now, it seemed like the Great One from above had orchestrated everything for Leon to know these things at the perfect moment.


    Perhaps, because he already became a father, he could now understand the pain and the dilemma Emperor Valentin was in.


    The conversation ended in a heavy manner.


    Leon watched his father''s lonely back as he walked towards the portal to his bedroom.


    Such a heavy load was ced on his father''s aged body, yet he still had to carry it a bit little longer for his sons.


    Clenching his fist with his heart filled with determination, Leon abruptly stood up and went on his way.


    Instead of going back to the cottage, he teleported his way to the barracks and assembled some of the des to construct an array, calcting the approximate coordinates of the Temple.


    With this, he would take less time in setting up the array once he managed to persuade the Temple to connect the portal to his ce.


    He prepared everything before reluctantly leaving the remaining activities for tomorrow, lest Eli would worry for his health.


    As soon as the morning came, Leon and Eli started their own matters early.


    Leon briefly exined his decision to hasten resolving the matter with the captives and the High Priest.


    Deciding not to dilly dally on the matter, the two prepare ahead for Little Han, in case they receive permission from the Temple.


    Hoping that the High Priest would permit, they would immediately use the portal in the barracks once the Temple permitted connection on their side.


    The two seemed to realize that the High Priest was as eager as them to meet because they immediately received the response from their side.


    Jumping from portal to portal, they soon reached the hidden dungeons that were previously visited by Leon for Igor and Hasta.


    In the dim and eerie underground dungeon, Julian was eagerly waiting for the two to appear. With shining eyes, he immediately ran and greeted them.


    "Greetings Your Highness Third Prince and Great Inventor, Eli!" Contrary to the zealous sparkle in his eyes, the way Julian greeted was rather reserved and restrained. "Let me lead you straight into the High Priest''s office."


    Leon and Eli nodded in acknowledgement. Leon held Eli''s hands as they followed Julian towards their destination.


    How could Julian not miss to witness this subtle disy of affection by his Master and Madame?!


    His eyes immediately widened and he tried to contain the shock he had in his heart as he saw how their cold blooded Master acted gently towards the Madame!


    ''Oh it was a sight to behold!!! I must live long enough to tell this to my descendants!'' Julian eximed in his heart.


    The two were oblivious of Julian''s fan-boying. They did not even notice that the young man was already dying inside from too much excitement.


    Unfortunately, their minds were filled with thoughts and theories on the reason why the High Priest wanted to meet them as soon as the winter banquet finished.


    The greatest fear they have right now is the possibility that the High Priest would insist Eli to stay in the temple and be separated from Leon and Little Han.


    Their son was too young, less than a year old, this time was the most crucial time for him to be closely cared for by his parents - especially his mommy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They prayed that the High Priest would not force Eli to be away from him.


    With their thoughts all over the ce, they just found themselves standing infront of an ancient looking wooden door, with the carvings of five deities prostrating to a Being of light.


    "This is the High Priest''s office¡­" Julian stepped forward, knocking the door to announce Leon and Eli''s presence. "Esteemed High Priest, the guests have arrived."


    "Let them in.." Leon and Eli heard a steady gentle voice,ced with the passage of time. The owner of the voice was undoubtedly the High Priest.


    Julian bowed and stepped backward before saying to the two, "This is where I could only apany you¡­"


    Leon and Eli took a deep breath and adjusted their state of mind. They found confidence and security with each other''s presence. Leon slowly pushed the door open and finally stepped inside the bright and sunny room.


    As it was dark along the underground corridor, the two were surprised to suddenly see sunlight in the High Priest''s office. It took them a few seconds for their visions to adjust before they finally saw what''s inside the room.


    They were greeted by a carefree looking old man who was wearing a pure white robe with a golden belt.


    He looked far from the typical priest Eli had in mind because he looked simple and clean as his long grey hair and beard werepletelyplementing his in clothes.


    The contrast also intensified as he was leisurely sipping his tea on the couch, with hisplexion slightly flushed by the golden morning light.


    "Herees the young couple¡­ You took too long to arrive here~" His ancient voice rang in the room, as he mumbled these words without looking at the two.


    "We greet the Esteemed High Priest!" The two greeted the High Priest with respect.


    The High Priest hummed in acknowledgement as he waved his hand to point towards the sofa across him, "Make yourselvesfortable, young ones.."


    Leon and Eli obediently walked towards the seat across the esteemed High Priest. "Thank you, Esteemed High Priest."


    The High Priest did not speak right away for he was still leisurely enjoying his cup of morning tea.


    The two were also not impatient to hear the High Priest. They calmly waited for him to initiate the conversation because they knew that he had to say something important.


    nk!


    After some time, the High Priest finally put down the teacup on the table. He looked at the two with a satisfied smile. Their attitudes made the High Priest obviously happy.


    Who does not delight in well mannered people?


    "Alright, let''s get down to business." After enjoying his sweet time to observe Leon and Eli, the High Priest finally talked to them.


    They straightened their backs and tightened the clenching of their fists to brace themselves for whatever information or request they would be hearing from this point onwards. "We are listening, Esteemed High Priest!"


    "Uhn. You already knew that I was already aware of your current situation where both of you already had a lovely son." The High Priest started.


    "Yes, Esteemed High Priest." the two nodded.


    "Then I am sure that you already know that the bells of the Temple rang loudly the moment your son was born. Consequently, are you also aware that an oracle was sent right after, as if to conceal the real reason why the bells sang joyfully?"


    Although the High Priest was asking, he had an expression showing that he was already certain of the answer.


    Leon and Eli were taken aback, they havepletely forgotten the fact about the ringing of the bells!


    Too much has happened and they have forgotten about how they even asked the help of the guardians to conceal the reason behind it by sending an oracle.


    Since the High Priest had already figured out everything, the two directly confirmed the answer.


    It was Leon who calmly answered his question. "Yes, Esteemed High Priest, we are aware of this happening at the time of our son''s birth."


    "Hmmm¡­" The High Prince nodded upon hearing the truth directly on Leon''s mouth.


    He looked at the two with an unfathomable expression and asked in a quizzical manner, "So when are you two getting married?"


    "P-pardon?"


    Leon and Eli wore shocked expressions upon hearing the High Priest''s question!

 Chapter 209 Gravity

    ?"Hmm? Why are you two so baffled? It''s only natural for the two of you to get married!" The High Priest looked at them with sternness in his eyes.


    "T-this¡­ The matter is much moreplicated than it looks. Esteemed High Priest, we have reasons for this¡­" Leon and Eli tried their best to reply even under the embarrassment and nervousness they felt from the High Priest''s questions.


    To Leon and Eli, the High Priest sounded like He was scolding them for birthing a baby prior to getting married. They were not to be med for this thinking because the man in front of them was the highest ranked representative of the Temple.


    However, little did they know that the High Priest was actually enjoying the expressions on their faces. ''Hahaha it''s really a joy to tease the young ones!''


    He raised his eyebrows and continued in a low, strict voice, "Do not tell me that you nned to stay like this even after having a child???"


    "By no means, we do not intend to let ourselves stay unmarried for long, Esteemed High Priest." Eli exined patiently, "It was just that we have to get prepared prior to stepping inside the Imperial family."


    "Indeed, Revered High Priest. We desire to enter there with a position that is stable and not easy to shake. We are working hard for that to happen. Besides, our son¡­ also carried the deepest red of the Seirende''s blood. " Leon also backed Eli up.


    He reminded the High Priest of the Seirende''s characteristics - the closer the red hair to the color of blood, the stronger the offspring''s capability. This fact was the very reason why his childhood became moreplicated and unhappy.


    Their tone was sincere and patient, as they did not want to offend the High Priest, so much that they looked like a young couple who had just eloped and decided to stick with each other through thick or thin.


    "Pftt!" The High Priest could no longer hold it up. He could see how serious and heartfelt their exnations were and felt a little bad for teasing them too much.


    He let out an amused chuckle and waved his hands in a gesture to not bother anymore. "I know, I know, I have only been teasing you for that.. You too may calm down."


    He repositioned himself to properly face them. Looking at their eyes with a serene expression, he continued without giving them enough time to react.


    "But I called you here to tell you that your marriage is an important part of what we will be discussing from this point onwards."


    The mood in the room immediately changed. If before it was as if they were children being reprimanded by an elder, now they were just three adults who were here to discuss business.


    "We are listening, Revered High Priest." The two responded attentively.


    Nodding softly, the High Priest started to state his case,


    "Hearing your reasons earlier, I now understand why the two of you were really hesitant to let the rest of the Imperial family know about your son at this moment.


    You two were very fortunate that the true reason for the ringing of bells was coincidentally concealed by an oracle.


    Now... I''ll ask the two of you, have you known the contents and the truth about the oracle?"


    Leon and Eli froze upon hearing the High Priest''s question. They have already stumbled upon this question during the time they consulted Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh.


    However, they wanted to deny Eli''s connection to the oracle, for they were really afraid of the consequences of her being the person of the Oracle. Even though they have their own answers to their hearts, they still won''t admit that it was really the case.


    The High Priest saw the hesitation and fear on the young couple''s eyes. He felt pity towards the two, for hepletely understood what were theplex matters on their side.


    He knew as much as the Emperor and the Grandmasters did.


    Unbeknownst to many, there was a hidden qualification for a person to be a high priest - one must possess at least one of the ''Gifts of Heaven''.


    In the case of Enoch, the 18th High Priest of the Seirende Temple, he possessed the gift of irvoyance. He could use the power of the heavens to know what was actually happening to a person, but it was only for a short period of time.


    Possessing the ''Gifts of Heaven'' was not like magical power who could be freely used by the Prasinons to an extent where they are capable of.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For the people with the Gift of Heaven, they were only allowed to peek into heaven''s secrets for a short period of time and never use it for their own purpose.


    Should the possessor be selfish and use his or her power for personal gain, using the power would have a cost, or rather, punishment.


    During the time where the High Priest was puzzled by the ringing of bells and the immediate arrival of an oracle, he decided to use his power to solve the mystery.


    This was the time he knew about Eli''s asani identity, as well as Little Han''s birth. This was also the reason why he had known everything in advance even before Emperor Valentin talked to him about Eli''s power.


    "You do not need to hesitate about saying anything. I serve the Great Creator who has caused the very oracle we''ve been talking about." He tried to ease theplicated feelings that the two have been struggling with.


    "Perhaps, talking about it would even make us see everything clearly. At least in this ce and with me, whose life has beenpletely dedicated to the Creator, everything will be kept safe." The High Priest continued.


    This statementpletely dispelled Leon and Eli''s worry. For the High Priest, dering his loyalty to the Great One was tantamount to an oath to the heavens - the highest form of oath in Prasinos.


    "Esteemed High Priest, as for the oracle¡­ We actually suspect that Eli here was the subject. But we are hesitant to really im this matter. For the contents of the oracle was such a heavy responsibility, we fear that we would be wrong about this matter." It was Leon who first responded.


    "All I am sure about was as of this time, I managed to trigger the divine blessing three times. Still, this doesn''t guarantee that I am the subject of the oracle." Eli exined.


    "Hmmm.." The High Priest nodded and pondered on this matter, "Well, as far as I have verified, young Eli, you are the Subject of the Oracle."


    Hiss! The two flinched upon hearing the heavy truth. It seems like they really can''t escape this matter anymore.


    "Have you not noticed why the temple has not been scrambling to sweep the Empire even after receiving such a clear oracle?" The High Priest exined everything to them calmly.


    He looked at Eli and continued, "Because we do not need to, for you are already around and within our reach."


    Eli did not respond immediately, she looked sternly on the floor, thinking deeply.


    Leon tried to give her support by gently caressing her back. He had known that Eli had a tendency to break down when she sumbed to her habit of overthinking.


    With Leon''s support, she took a big gulp and gathered all the courage she could muster before looking at the High Priest calmly, "Esteemed High Priest, would mind to let us understand what this matter means to me and my family."


    The High Priest had been waiting for this question. He looked at both Leon and Eli and slowly let them hear what he had to say.


    "As you have all been fearing, because you are the Subject of the Oracle, you will need to spend time inside the temple to train yourself to carry out the task.."


    Hearing this part made Leon and Eli feel dejected. Separation was indeed inevitable.


    "Sigh.." Seeing the two''s dejection the High Priest also couldn''t help butment, but he needed to bring them the news.


    "I want you to understand that Eli being the Subject of the Oracle and your son triggering the ringing of bells, just like you, Leon back then, was a bigger matter than you two have perceived.


    Just imagine, how would the two of you hold your ground when the enemies finally realize this matter? Are you two ready? Are you two fully equipped and trained? Have you already figured out how to counter the sinister curse magic?"


    Hearing the High Priest''s case, the two flinched yet again. The words of unwillingness and protest never came out of their lips.


    The words of the High Priest hit them right on the spot.


    "This is the very reason why you need to train inside the temple. Getting ready as early as you can may save you and even your child from a lot of trouble." The High Priest sternly reminded them.

 Chapter 210 The Kind Of Parents That We Are

    ?Leon and Eli lowered their heads in dejection as the High Priest gently knocked some sense of reality for them.


    "I have long heard the works that you''ve been doing for the past few months, and Imend you for that. However, with young Eli training for her priestly powers, it give you a mile ahead of the enemies." The High Priest continued to exin to them.


    At this point, he was not persuading them, but he was stating a fact.


    Eli clenched her fist, mulling over the decision to give up the chance to watch Little Han grow for a better chance to protect him in the future.


    "Do not worry, I''ll be supporting you." Leon held Eli''s tense hands andforted her.


    His mind had already decided to support Eli with her decision. What''s the use of him staying by her side when he would just let her carry the burden of being a parent for Little Han?


    While he had many ns on how he would be building this family of his, with the current situation that they were in, all those things would be fantasies. What''s the use of the n if they cannot even ensure that Little Han had a peaceful future?


    Eli also understood this point. This is part of the risk she had to take and ovee.


    Closing her eyes and heaving a deep breath, she looked at the High Priest and answered, "I understand, High Priest. I will subject myself to the temple''s training."


    The High Priest looked at the two with satisfaction. "Uhn! This Empire is fortunate to have people like the two of you."


    "But I would ask the two of you again. As parents of Little Han, are you sure that you agree on this matter?" He looked at the two in an astute manner.


    He wanted to hear from the two of them that the decision was something they both agreed upon.


    Leon and Eli looked at each other, both understanding what their own decisions were - for Little Han.


    They nodded with determination as they answered the High Priest with a resolute tone, "We agree on this matter, Revered High Priest!"


    The High Priest gently stood from his seat and went towards his table where some files had been neatly arranged. He took these files and went back to where Eli and Leon were patiently watching.


    The High Priest slowly sat down, his eyes never leaving the two, he ced the documents on the table and gently pushed it forward to the two. He gestured to them to take it as he continued to exin in a serious manner.


    "Your training will start today, however I don''t want you to think that I am inconsiderate. You are to divide your time to train secretly in the temple while fulfilling your duties as Eli the parent and Eli the inventor. Can you do that?" He asked Eli once again.


    "Yes, High Priest. Eli responded without hesitation. She was a workaholic in her previous life. Utilizing her 24 hours each day to the many things she had to manage in thepany was her specialty until the day she died.


    Eli and Leon then took the documents that the High Priest gave. They were baffled by the contents of the documents.


    "T-this¡­ Is it a training regimen?" Eli''s brows twitched as she realized why the form of the documents seemed to be so familiar to her.


    The way that the document was structured was just like how Leon crafted her Summoner Training Regiment back then.


    "Of course, I painstakingly crafted that for you! I''ll give you half a month toplete this set." The High Priest dered childishly, he stroke his grey beard and held his chin up, feeling proud of himself.


    "History of the temple, ounts of the Guardians Descent, Memoirs of the High Courts, Proverbs and the Holy Scripture¡­" Eli mouthed the contents of the so called training regiment and realized that these were subjects rted to the religious scripture of Prasinos.


    This is not a training regiment! This is more like a course sybus for theologians enrolling in a bible school!


    Books books and more books! Eli felt like having a headache just thinking about how much reading she would do yet again.


    Looking at Eli who was already getting dizzy from the contents of the document, the High Priest let out an awkward cough,


    "Erm, it''s not that I wanted to let you read more books than what you have been currently reading in the Farauld Magic Institute. It''s just that these are fundamentals for you to know the nature of priestly magic.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    These subjects all focused on the origin and nature of divine blessing which ispletely different from any other protective spells made from mana. Once you understand this, you may now go with Leon whenever he goes for the investigation to train inside the temple."


    "I see¡­" Although this would most likely overload her cognitive capacity, she had to still take on this challenge.


    She was already mentally nning how to prepare the institute to get used to her imposing the four hour weekly duty in the research branch. She was also patting herself for making this arrangement in the Farauld Magic Institute in advance.


    "Great! I look forward to seeing you back here after half a month!" The High Priest pped his hands in excitement. "Now let''s get to the next subject matter!"


    The two were taken aback, there''s another thing to discuss?


    "Now, let''s talk about the reason why you two must be married as early as possible." He continued.


    Eli and Leon listened intently and heard the High Priest''s words right after,


    "Getting married is actually getting the Creator''s permission to unite you as one. But people only thought that being one was only through flesh, meaning the act for the couples to you know¡­ then have an offspring." The High Priest blushed at this point as he still finds it difficult to exin in his almost a hundred of living in Prasinos.


    "However, there''s something that people do not know about. It was not just a simple case of the union between a man and a woman when one of the involved parties possessed priestly abilities!" He eximed in excitement.


    Leon and Eli became curious about this fact. They listened intently to what the High Priest would say, hoping that it would be something advantageous for their current situation.


    "Upon marriage, the person with priestly abilities can cast stronger divine blessings to her partner and child! This will be strong enough to counter a life-threatening attack not only once but three times! What''s more the caster would directly know how many times the divine blessing was used."


    Hearing this sent shivers to Eli and Leon''s spine. They know how powerful the divine blessings were in Randel''s case. They also have assumed that the protection was only one time use.


    Now hearing the effect of this marriage, the first thing that they thought of was not the benefit to themselves but to Little Han!


    With Little Han entering the Imperial Family, who knows how many dangers would happen to him. Having the exponential upgrade of the divide blessing would be good!


    "Hmm, want to get married now?" The High Priest asked teasingly.


    "Ermmm¡­" The two blushed in embarrassment, still they were not yet ready to step into the next stage.


    Seeing the conflicted face of the two, the High Priest let out a heartyugh. "Alright alright, I am not saying that you marry now, but I am saying that you should marry as early as possible because you cannot afford to hide your situation longer than you think you can."


    He turned serious as he warned in a cold manner, "Leon, having the two captives in here would also trigger the enemy from the other side. This would also let them be more agitated and adamant in bringing more chaos in the empire."


    "I understand, Esteemed High Priest." Leon answered with a grave expression in his face.


    "Now, that''s all I want to say to the two of you. Three priorities you have right now, first the investigation, next the training and finally the marriage. With the two of you deciding to go through this, I advise you to sit and talk to each other carefully.


    Your journey as parents will never be like the other parents out there. Nevertheless, these all does not stop you from being a good parent to your child. Please keep that in mind." The High Priest gave them these closing words.


    "We understand, High Priest." Leon and Eli, acknowledged the High Priest''s words.


    The conversation with the High Priest caused a great impact on Leon and Eli''s thinking as parents and as a couple.


    They realized that there were some things they had to deeply look into, some sacrifices they had to take and some privileges they had to give up only to ensure the future of their son.


    Although they did not realize, in these sacrifices and insights, they were also bing a better person than they were before.

 Chapter 211 Crystal Blue, Obsidian Black

    ?The winter break was still up ahead and Eli still had time to carefully finish the books passed by the High Priest for her to read.


    Due to its gravity, the High Priest made themmit to keep the matter of Eli being the Subject to the Oracle to anyone other than the Emperor, who had already known everything in advance.


    The High Priest also allowed Eli to officially be part of the investigation team for the captors, as this would allow her to gain lot of information about the curses.


    "The spiritual connection to the heavens could be cultivated by meditating the scriptures, reciting proverbs and psalms¡­" Eli studied the books while also verifying its contents from the book of knowledge.


    This was because she knew that the book of knowledge was better and more reliable than the books that were given. The magical book also helped her point out the misinformation on the books that were provided to her.


    This process of reading and counterchecking slowed her progress by three-fold. However, Eli did not mind because the better her grasp on the nature of her spiritual powers, the stronger she would be in resisting and fighting the curse magic.


    While she was buried on the pile of books and notes on her study table, she felt a whiff of a sweet decadent scenting from her side.


    "Take a break, Little Han misses you already.." Leon''s maic voice gently reached Eli''s ears. She looked up to see him holding a cup of hot cocoa, with a worried yet indulgent smile on his face.


    "I''m sorry, I was so engrossed in this study.." Eli reached to receive the hot cocoa and apologetically looked at Leon.


    She failed to notice that it was alreadyte in the evening, Leon had already arrived from his duty at the pce and even on his secret trip to the Temple''s dungeon.


    This also meant that she was not able to spend time with Little Han today. Apart from asionally breastfeeding him, she was no longer able to y with him during the day.


    "It has been going like this for a week already. Sigh¡­ I''ve really be a bad parent to Little Han." Eli dejectedly mumbled as she took a light sip on the hot cocoa.


    The sweetness and warmth traveled through her mouth, the subtle aroma of nutmeg enhanced the vor of the chocte. It gave her fatigued body some relief and rxation.


    Leon also pulled a chair beside Eli and enjoyed his very own cup of cocoa, this has been their habit for the past week.


    Both busy and working hard just to get a higher chance of countering the curse magic, the two could almost not be considered as lovers because they basically had no time to enjoy each other''s presence.


    In another perspective, their situation seemed to have temporarily reverted back to when they only considered each other as co-parents to Little Han.


    "I''m worried about our baby¡­" Elimented, guilt flowed from the very tone of her voice.


    "Our son has to grow like this too. He is a member of the Imperial Family, let''s just try our best to make up for him when we can." Leonforted Eli.


    As a member of the Imperial Family, the conditions he and his brothers grew up with were far more bleak and strict aspared to Little Han.


    In their infancy years, they would immediately be taken from their mother''s care and be raised by a royal wet nurse. That was because, unlike normal mothers, the nobles and the Imperial family ced great care on the mother''s recovery. So much that they would not allow them to do ''strenuous'' work like breastfeeding their child.


    Fortunately, Queen Teh insisted that she would personally care for Leon during his weaning period. However, Leon was still taken away immediately after that period to be raised in his own conferred castle.


    "But our son, he''s not like the others." Eli protested, but there was more helplessness rather than anger in her tone.


    "Yes, he''s not like the others¡­ However, we can''t divide ourselves into two." Leon reminded her. He paused to think of a solution to their predicament.


    "Let''s try again tomorrow, managing the small time that we have is a challenge¡­ But we''ll make it work!" He looked at Eli and held her hand. He gave her an assuring smile.


    "Uhn.. let''s make this work." Eli nodded in response.


    After finishing their cup of cocoa, Eli started to tidy up her study and prepare for the night, while Leon looked after the already sleeping Little Han.


    "Urghh.." Little Han whimpered in uneasiness.


    Little Han was already 8 months old and he could now sleep in his own crib. He wiggled on hisfortable bed, tossing and turning, seemingly trying to find out what position would befortable for him.


    "Sushhh.." Leon patted his tiny bum as he tried to ease Little Han''s difort through his presence. But Little Han seemed to be really ufortable in his crib.


    Suddenly thinking of an idea, he gently scooped his son out of the crib, along with his beddings.


    He walked slowly towards Eli''s bed, which was slightly wider than his because it was previously made to amodate the infant Little Han.


    Gentlyying him down on Eli''s bed, Leon looked at his son with a loving gaze.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His son was painstakingly brought to life by two incredible women.


    One tried her best to protect him with her own life, one traveled from another world to give him a chance to live.


    "Son.. you are blessed and special." He whispered as he soothed his son''s furrowed face.


    "We may fall short as parents, but know that we love you from the bottom of our hearts.


    Mommy and Daddy were just working hard to give you a safer ce.


    Please do not be angry at your Mommy ok? You can just be angry with me for not being capable enough to shield both of you and Mommy.."


    Eli witnessed this scene as she slowly came out of the shower.


    It was such a loving yet heartbreaking sight to behold. She couldn''t help but let her tears roll onto her face as she listened to Leon''s words.


    He continued to whisper loving and assuring words, professing his affection andmitment not only to Little Han but also to Eli.


    Seemingly hearing and fully understanding his father''s words, Little Han''s frowning face slowly rxed. His face became more peaceful, finally falling into his little dreand.


    Leon smiled as he saw his son cutely drifting away to his sleep. As he straightened his body to go to his own bed, he felt someone warmly hugging him from behind, albeit shivering from crying.


    He gently turned around to see Eli''s face, silently whimpering in tears.


    As she just came from the shower, Leon could smell the scent of rose water from her body, sparking a fire in his heart. However, he trembled upon seeing the tears rolling from her fair face.


    Eli, to other people, was a tough nut to crack and an intimidating woman to get along with because of her brilliance. But to the people dear to her, she was actually genuine, caring and happy go lucky.


    It was very rare for her to show this vulnerable side of her, but when she does, Leon''s heart would ache so much as if it would explode in any second.


    He lifted his hand and gently wiped away the tears in Eli''s eyes.


    Eli''s midnight eyes were so beautiful, especially under the glow of the moonlight. Like a beautiful piece of polished obsidian, dark, beautiful and shining.


    Everytime he looked at it closely, he would feel like his soul would be captured by it, making him unable to turn away from its charm.


    He pulled Eli''s body close, wrapping his arms over her trembling body, trying to absorb the emotions she had, kissing the top of her head whileforting her with words he would only say to her and no other woman.


    Eli let her body feel Leon''s warmth and assurance. She understood that in this world, only in Leon''s arms she would feel safe and protected.


    To Leon, she was very open in showing her vulnerabilities and weaknesses, this showed how deep her trust towards him was.


    To Leon, she was willing to tear down her walls and let him see the kind of person she really was no matter how ugly or messy it would be.


    For she knows that Leon had long loved her soul deeply. He loved her for who she is, not for what she is capable of.


    Finally calming down the emotions that invaded her being, she lifted her head and met Leon''s crystal blue eyes.


    The most captivating eyes she has ever seen, at the same time, it was the eyes that looked at her with love and kindness.


    "I love you, Leon." She dered, facing him without any signs of running away.


    Hearing those words, Leon''s mind was blown away. It was like something in him awakened!


    He could only witness his own body pulling Eli closer.


    Without letting his crystal blue eyes look away from her deep obsidian eyes,


    He leaned his head closer to her face and pressed his lips against hers.

 Chapter 212 My Lovely Family

    ?Eli did not reject Leon''s actions. Instead she faced it head on.


    However she could not help but tremble from the indescribable sensation she felt the moment Leon kissed her lips.


    She couldn''t help but marvel at the novels she had read before, the sensation was really akin to a wave of electricity, causing a great turmoil on her mind, soul and body.


    She closed her eyes, lifting her hands up to wrap it on Leon''s arms.


    Eli allowed Leon to invade her lips and show his love. She let herself get lost in the waves of affection and the heat of the moment, which she knew was something precious.


    This was the first time they kissed like this. It was sloppy and inexperienced, yet no one felt the awkwardness upon discovering this fact.


    It was only until Leon realized that Eli was out of breath that he dazedly parted her lips. It was a new experience for the two of them and he knew that he had to take it slow.


    However, upon seeing a clear view of Eli''s face, which was flushed with the tint of wine and her eyes moist with glimmering affection, he felt that his heart could get enough.


    Once again he invaded her lips, like an unsatiated beast seeking the taste of the sweetest fruit he had painstakingly found.


    He only paused to let Eli breathe for a while then he would go again, feeling addicted to the taste of her love.


    But as soon as he realized that his body would crave for more than this, he knew that he had to stop¡­ for now.


    He reluctantly departed her lips and gave Eli flurry kisses on her forehead, on her eyelids, on her cheeks on her nose, marking it all as his territory.


    With a raspy voice that would make any woman feel weak on their knees for its sultriness, he mumbled with unwillingness, "I''ll have to wait until we marry.."


    He had already gone past the conventional means with Elise''s body before. But now that he had a chance to start over, he wanted to treat her and Elise''s body with utmost respect. This is both his love and atonement.


    Only under the sacredness of marriage will he allow himself to take her like what normal couples do.


    "Uhn.." Eli, who was still enthralled in the moment, could only nod in agreement. But shepletely understood Leon''s way of thinking.


    In truth, she was pretty open minded about the fact that Leon did it before. That was because she came from the modern world, where even brokenhearts could find the best ending.


    Rustle rustle¡­


    The two were awakened by the rustlesing from Little Han''s direction. "Awmmp!" The little guy puffed his cheeks looking ufortable as his eyes fluttered open.


    "It seems like we disturbed his sleep." Eli let out a soft chuckle. "I think we really need to retire for the night."


    Leon could also only smile and scratch his head guiltily. He saw Eli scooting over the far side of her bed and pulled Little Han closer to her body.


    She patted Little Han to sleep again but the little guy continued to pout adorably while looking at his father who was awkwardly standing beside their bed.


    Two pairs of crystal blue eyes looking at each other, one with a gentle expression while the other with an innocent look of dependence.


    "Awumm.." Little Han bbered, as if saying something to his dad. He stretched out his little hand and tried to reach the hem of his father''s clothes.


    Leon leaned closer, curious as to what his son wanted to convey. But after letting his son touch the hem of his shirt, the little one pulled it with all his might repeatedly.


    "Huh?" Raising his brows in interest, Leon looked at Little Han inquisitively while darting his attention to Eli.


    Seeing Leon''s troubled face, Eli chuckled and said, "Take your pillow, I''ll make you a room on our bed."


    "P-pardon?" Leon was shocked. Is Eli inviting him to bed?


    "Little Han wants to sleep with the two of us, I think we will have to squeeze ourselves in my little bed." Eli exined with a nonchnt expression.


    She was amused to see Leon panic when she ''invited'' him to bed just after saying that he promised not to touch her until they married.


    ''This guy was so aggressive earlier but now he was like a shy boy..'' Eli once againughed softly.


    "O-oh¡­Then I''ll go over.." Leon replied absentmindedly, while he stiffly turned around and took his own pillow.


    There''s already a small space for him on Eli''s bed. Waiting for him were two people who brought joy in his heart.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    One looked at him with love and a hint of teasing, the other looked at him with an anticipating look. ''Eli and Little Han, my lovely family.''


    He was filled with excitement and joy upon knowing that he would share a bed with his most favorite people. However, he tried to contain his eagerness so as to not lose control, especially to Eli.


    Puffing up his pillow, he ced it carefully beside Little Han. Slowly yet awkwardly, he squeezed in their bed. He turned his body sidewards, where he could see both Eli and Little Han''s faces.


    Little Han was so cute and tiny, it sparked his instincts to indulge and protect him.


    His Lady, Eli, was lovely and captivating, he very much wanted to go out and let the whole world know how he loves her so much.


    "Jihihi.." Little Han''s little round head turned to look at his mommy and daddy sleeping beside him, then he shed his cute milk teeth and let out a satisfied giggle.


    "Haha, are you satisfied to see us beside you?" Eli found Little Han''s idea funny and adorable at the same time.


    His son''s giggle was so infectious that the two couldn''t help but also chuckle.


    "Ayeee!" Little Han responded with a sweet smile, squinting his eyes full of contentment. He held his Mommy and Daddy''s fingers and tried to ce it on top of his chubby tummy.


    The two smiled and gently ced their hands around their little son''s tummy, one humming a luby, the other rubbing his tummy to sleep.


    Still with a silly smile on his face, Little Han swiftly entered his dreand again.


    Eli and Leon''s hearts melted, gently nting a kiss on their baby as they mouthed, "Sleep tight our precious baby.."


    Then they looked at each other and said, "Good night Eli/Leon.."


    Thus, the night finally ended for this little family, and it was one of the sweetest nights they would never forget for the rest of their lives.


    The morning came thereafter, giving the much desired warmth ahead.


    Eli and Leon had been working hard for the past few days and were not able to wake up early. But someone was trying to wake them up with wet sluggish kisses from all over their faces.


    Leon sleepily opened his eyes, to see Little Han lying on his tummy, grinning at him happily. "Dadi¡­" He mumbled.


    Hearing the words, Leon''s mind was jolted awake and he scrambled like a panicked man on the little bed. He did not even care for his red blood hair which waspletely disheveled by Little Han''s ying.


    His eyes open wide, staring at Little Han in disbelief.


    "Uhhhh, what happened?" Eli was rmed by Leon''s drastic movement, she groggily sat up and asked what happened.


    "Mami!!!" Little Han happily called out.


    "Ehh?" Eli was also as surprised as Leon. She looked at Leon as if asking if she was still dreaming.


    Leon was also as baffled as Eli. In their minds, Little Han was still a month younger to speak words with this level of rity.


    "Dadi¡­ Mami¡­" Little Han crawled over and sat in the middle, he wiggled his hands and body while calling out the two excitedly.


    "Ahahaha!! My son''s first words!!!" Leon, still unaware that his appearance waspletely out of his image as a cold blooded prince, lifted Little Han up and swung him around happily.


    "Eli, Eli!!! My son, he called me daddy!! He called me daddy!!!"


    He shouted excitedly and happily kissed Little Han. It was obvious that he was exhrated upon realizing that he just heard Little Han''s first words.


    "Yes, I heard it, I heard it.. He called you daddy!" Eli was about toin why Little Han managed to call Leon ''daddy'' first, but seeing his excited expression, she chose to indulge him and replied with a happy smile.


    "Ahahaha! I''m blessed by the heavens!" He shouted before rushing out the bedroom, calling Kayden and the des, even Baobao and the rest to boast about Little Han''s achievement.


    Seeing Leon''s actions, Eli could only shake her head helplessly.


    But deep inside extreme joy was overflowing in her heart. "The heavens heard the prayer of my heart. I''m d to be here when Little Han said his first words."


    She lifted her eyes to the heavens and said, "Great One, Oh my Father.. Thank you for letting me witness this. Also, don''t forget to share this news to Elise up there. I am sure she would be very happy too!"

 Chapter 213 More Days Like This

    ?The little cottage became lively and festive as everyone praised Little Han for his achievement.


    Leon was extremely overjoyed that he called his parents, the Grandmasters and the rest just to announce that Little Han had already said his first word - and that first word was "Daddy!"


    Immediately, the cottage was swarmed with people who wanted to see if they could hear Little Han speak.


    The elders were so excited that Eli could only helplessly set up a yground in the gazebo as having everyone around could not fit them all in the living room.


    Even the Emperor and Queen Teh sneaked into the cottage to see Little Han.


    While Leon and Eli was busy preparing a celebratory feast for Little Han and the guests, the Elders swarmed around Little Han.


    "Little Han, let me hear you say ''Grandpa''. Comee.. Let me hear it, grand-pa.." Emperor Valentin, Tyce and General Eugine, squated around Little Han who was innocently giggling to see many people around.


    "Am..pa.." As his speech was not yet fully developed, he struggled to mimic the words he heard from the elders.


    But who would have thought that his little effort would make the grandpas feel ted! "Good! Good!!!"


    The grandmas also didn''t want to lose, they cuddled Little Han and tried to teach him to call them grandma.


    "Am¡­ma.." Little Han furrowed his brows trying to mimic their words. This action immediately melted the elders'' hearts, they showered him with praises and kisses.


    Although the Great Grandpas and Great Grandmas very much wanted to join the fun, they let the next generation enjoy the moment.


    It was because although their sons Tyce and Eugine were proimed as Eli''s adoptive fathers, they spent less time with Eli and Little Han than the rest of the family.


    Even the Farauld''s youngest granddaughter Estelle, managed to interact with Eli and Little Han more than their sons.


    On the far side of the gazebo there sat two gentlemen with handsome faces. One of them was only three fourths the height of the other, but the gentle look on his face could make people look at him with satisfaction.


    This was none other than Orion, Tyce''s only son and the husband of Meredith, who had been part of Eli''s project team.


    Sitting beside him was a man, little bit younger looking than him, one could determine that he was around the same age as the Third Prince.


    His looks could really be at par with Randel, Olivier and ze, who belong to the list of the most alluring and eligible bachelors in the capital.


    He had deep set eyes which would immediately bring you in with his golden hazel irises. His features were valiant and lovely, carrying both his mother''s beauty and his father''s charisma.


    The man was none other than Nathaniel Farauld, the one and only son of General Eugine and Dame Aqu, which was also Eli''s adoptive brother.


    He was staring longingly in Little Han''s direction, but he could only helplessly shake his head as he realized how his parents and uncles surrounded the little guy in an attempt to monopolize him.


    "Sigh¡­" Nathan sighed in surrender as he aggrievedly sip the tea on his hand.


    "Wanna carry our nephew?" Orion asked teasingly.


    He knew that this guy had been so excited to finally meet his new sister and nephew. But who would have known that this brawny guy would act like a shy teenage girl whenever a chance to interact with Eli and Little Han came.


    "I-i don''t know how to handle infants!" He replied with a rather prideful expression. But in front of his childhood friend Orion, his disguse could be easily exposed.


    "Pfttt!" Orion bursted into a heartyugh as he heard Nathan''s reply.


    "Hey, can''t you even think of a different reason this time? During the winter banquet you only protected Eli from afar and not even attempted to dance with her the entire night. Then you told me it''s because you ''don''t know how to handle little sisters''!" Orion exposed Nathan without any restraint.


    Hearing Orion''s words, Nathan flinched and a tinge of redness emerged from his nape and ears, "I-i just don''t know how to..I really don''t.."


    He tried to exin with all his might.


    Although he had cousins on his Aunt Janice''s side, they were far older than him because his mother and father settled down a little bitterpared to his Aunt.


    Then came his nieces and nephews, Estelle and the rest. But how unfortunate he was to be even sent outside for multiple missions and training in his maternal family''s estate before he was able to carry them in his arms!


    When he came back he could only stand stiffly with three to five year old children, clinging in a silly manner on both of his legs. He didn''t even dare to move lest he identaly kick them with his strength as a knight.


    ''I am really unfortunate! Really unfortunate!'' He looked at Orion with an aggrieved expression.


    Orion also knew Nathan''s predicament, he stopped teasing him and tiptoed to pat his shoulders instead, "Then you have to do it now, especially when Little Han is still young and Eli is still staying here in the estate. For if the Third Prince could finally settle the prerequisites of their marriage, you would have lesser to no chance in getting close to them!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nathan looked at Orion with a troubled expression. His expression was saying ''But how to do it? I don''t know how to start!''


    Orion''s eye brows twitched, no wonder this man remained a bachelor for a long time that even the famed Barbaric Blood Prince managed to get ahead of him in this area.


    It was so hard to ept the fact that the only son of the strongest general alive and the most famous female knight would be such a socially awkward person in actuality!


    "Sigh, alright,e with me.." Orion stood from his chair and pulled Nathan towards the direction of Little Han and the elders.


    "H-heyyy, stop it, Orion! It''s embarrassing!" He whispered in a panicked tone.


    Orion, who was known to be gentle and a henpecked husband, imitated his wife''s rolling eyes upon witnessing Nathan''s gesture.


    In his mind he couldn''t help but scold Nathan, ''Bro, you are a famous knight brought up by the strongest couple in the Empire and you are allowing yourself to be pulled by me, a weak artisan?! Can''t you polish your acting skills? C''mon!''


    With Orion''s effort in pulling Nathan, the elders also saw them approaching. They looked at them with smiling faces.


    "Oh, Nathan,e look at your nephew!" It was Tyce who invited them to join the circle of Little Han''s ''ymates''.


    These elders knew that Nathan had only arrived in the Capital and was not able to really interact with Eli and Little Han even after the winter banquet.


    Thus, they also understood why Orion somehow pulled him into their side.


    Queen Teh was actually the current person holding Little Han. She looked at Nathan and gestured to him to sit beside her.


    Nathan blushed shyly and was about to decline when the little guy on herp looked at him with his shiny crystal blue eyes and a smile so sweetly with his tiny milk teeth.


    Nathan''s heart melted, ''So cute..''


    His body mindlessly sat beside Queen Teh and reached out to hold Little Han''s body when the Queen handed him over.


    But being the inexperienced person that he is, his hand remained frozen in air with Little Han ''hanging'' between his arms like a lost child.


    Nathan was really in a bind, Little Han was handed over with his tiny body facing him. He wanted to mimic how Queen Teh made Little Han sit on herp facing everyone.


    How can he turn Little Han''s body now? He looked at the elders around not knowing what to do.


    Little Han also blinked at him in confusion. He tilted his head, observing Nathan''s expression then letting out an innocent giggle as he couldn''t understand that the person holding him was now having a big trouble on how to handle him carefully.


    He just shed his milk teeth cutely, making his Uncle Nathan flush red upon finding him extremely loveable.


    The elders also chuckled and somehow enjoyed watching one of the younger generations be troubled in taking care of children like Little Han.


    But seeing that Nathan was about to explode from embarrassment the women patiently instructed him how to safely carry Little Han in hisp.


    After the twist, turns and clumsy infant handling, Little Han was finally sitting on Nathan''sp. He was so happy to feel the ''ground'' after hanging in the air for so long. He happily lifted his body up and wiggled up and downughing heartily.


    Nathan was in panic for a while but soon he was able to get the knack of it and became morefortable in holding his nephew. A subtle and proud smile bloomed in his stiff face.


    "Alright, Little Han, call this boy uncle!" Aqu was so happy to see his son finally interacting with Little Han, therefore she moved to deepen his son''s rtionship with his little nephew.


    "Boi¡­ um..kle.." Little Han mimicked ording to Grandma Aqu''s instruction however, he mimicked "Boy Uncle" instead of just the word "Uncle"!


    "Pfttt! Hahaha!!! Boy Uncle!! Hahahaha Little Han you are so good!! So good!" Orion was the first one to realize what Little Han did, he wasughing so hard that his dwarf body almost rolled off the floor.


    The elders also realized what Little Han said and they also bursted outughing without holding back.


    Little Han thought that he did well after seeing the eldersugh so much, so he also shed his little milk teeth and smiled proudly.


    Nathan on the other hand was at a loss, he couldn''t get angry over what Little Han said, but he was aggrieved at how Orion used it to make fun of him. Now he was so embarrassed in front of the Imperial Family, the Grandmasters and his elders!


    The celebration day of Little Han''s first word was spent like this. Bonds were established and strengthened over warm interaction and good food!


    Eli and Leon, although helpless, allowed themselves to take a break and follow the suit.


    Tomorrow would be another battle for them in order to give Little Han more days like this.

 Chapter 214 General Farauld Recruits

    ?Half a month passed by so quickly, but Eli felt that it was the busiest two weeks she had in two lifetimes.


    What made Eli feel slightly better was the fact that she was able to finish the books lent to her by the High Priest a day early.


    She couldn''t wait to receive the High Priest''s summon after the two week deadline.


    Seeing that she still had some free time, she left her study table and took care of Little Han. She was happy that Little Han developed his speech skills a little earlier than expected.


    However, she was still worried that it would force Little Han to mature faster than his peers. Eli wanted him to have enough time to enjoy his childhood, which both her and Leon did not really have a chance to do.


    Little Han, who had no idea that his Mommy would be much busier in the next days ahead, was cheerfully crawling around the colorful plushie yground with Baobao and Wisey.


    Wisey was hovering around Little Han, cheering him to catch up to Baobao fast. "Go Little Master go!! Catch Baobao and you''ll have fluffly cuddles!"


    Baobao, on the other hand, shrunk himself into the size of a small teddy bear so that he could fit himself in the plushie yground.


    He crawled around in a phase that would keep Little Han from getting worked up too much.


    "Bao.. Baoooo!" Little Han crawled excitedly, finding Teddy Bao cute, he thought that he was one of his plushies who had turned to life to y with him.


    He called out Baobao with a bit of difficulty, but his round chubby face was still smilling without any care in the word.


    "Waaaah Little Master!!! Why are you only calling Baobao''s name?! Why not call mine? I''m Wisey! Wisey!"


    Full of grievance, Wisey fluttered her wings and sat on Baobao''s back while facing Little Han who was still chasing after Teddy Bao.


    Little Han sensed that the creature in front of him was somehow feeling hurt, he stopped crawling, blinked his big shiny blue eyes, and poked Wisey''s big heart shaped head.


    "shii.. shii.. " With his age, he was not able to articte well, but he still mumbled softly while continuing to poke Wisey''s head like he was addicted.


    Hearing Little Han''s cute way of calling her name, Wisey was actually pleased but she still lifted her head sideways and answered in a prideful manner, "I will forgive you this time¡­ Little Master."


    But Eli could see that Wisey''s big round eyes shed a glimmer of happiness over the matter. She decided not to expose Wisey this time. Instead, she joined the little one and her contracted familiars in the plushie yground.


    Unlike when Eli had to go to the Farauld Magic Institute to teach, the training in the temple this time would also require Baobao and Wisey''s participation.


    Thus, for the two furry buddies, this would also be thest day they would freely spend time looking after their Little Master.


    As such, Eli just allowed the two to bond with Little Han as much as they wanted, until she observed that Little Han was bing sleepy from all the ying.


    After changing Little Han''s clothes into a fluffy white tiger onesie, she let Little Han sleep on Baobao''s and Wisey''s side.


    The picture of a fluffy panda, a chubby barn owl, and a little white tiger sleeping closely with each other like they were not even aware of the dangers in the world, made Eli smile gently.


    She walked over the grand piano and yed a gentle and rxing melody to lull the trio deeper in their sleep.


    While doing this, she was thinking of ways on how to fast track her training so as to not leave Little Han alone for a long period.


    She better learn fast, she better get stronger immediately!


    --


    Back in the Farauld Estate, a sound of shing swords invaded the training area of which the members of the family oftene up to train.


    Two men were sparring against each other, standing under the heat of the sun and on the dusty ground.


    The first man was of old age, yet the vigor and strength from his rich battle experience would never make the opponent underestimate him for even a second.


    The opponent was a young man in histe twenties, looking appealing and crude with his ruffled hair. He bore simrities to his sparring partner, especially his thick brows that were rather charming and striking.


    His handsome face was shining with tiny beads of sweat. But he did not show any signs of exhaustion, rather, a strong sense of determination to win against his opponent.


    The pair was none other than General Eugine and his only son, Nathan.


    On the side, calmly sipping tea amidst the tense match between the two, was Dame Aqu.


    There was a proud smile on her lips, as she could see how her son was already growing closer and closer to herself and her husband in terms ofbat skills.


    However, what hecked was experience and exposure on how cruel the world could be.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As the son of the most powerful couple in the Empire, as well as the grandson of one of the Legendary Grandmasters, he grew in an environment where almost everyone around watched him grow and spected how he would eventually be as prominent as his parents and grandfather.


    Just that kind of pressure alone for a child like him was unbearable.


    Thinking of this, the Farauld couple decided to raise him away from their own profession.


    They thought that rather than being well versed with the sword, their only son could follow the Farauld''s schrly roots under his Aunt Janine''s care.


    Who would have thought that even after the academic education he had been into, this son of thiers would still choose the way of the sword when he reached eighteen years old?!


    Although worried that his training was toote for his age, the Farauld couple still let him do what he wanted.


    And so, Nathan grew up this way, skilled with both the sword and pen. Despite training toote, he was viewed as one of the most talented swordsmen of the next generation.


    Butpared to Leon who had practically grown in the battlefield with General Farauld''s guidance, he was still like a babe, not having experienced the reality of the cruel war zone.


    As such, General Farauld proposed this sparring match to find a way to somehow ensnare his son to work with Leon moving forward.


    He knew that with his student and his son, the Empire would be protected for the next generations toe. Knowing the situation now, building rapport between the two would be beneficial and helpful.


    The match went on for a full hour.


    The astonishment on General Farauld and Dame Aqu''s faces became more obvious the longer Nathan was able to hold his ground against his father.


    However, General Farauld knew that it''s time to end the match. If in the past hour, he was like an instructor patiently teaching his student, now he became an entirely different person.


    He released his bloodlust aura that has been umted in his more than forty years in the battlefield.


    His countenance bing much more intimidating and dangerous that even Dame Aqu suffered waves of goosebumps on the spectating area.


    What more of Nathan, who was standing right infront of his father?? His valiant honorable father suddenly became like the asura from hell!


    His heart shuddered as a cold wave crawled on his spine like pincers.


    His mind all saw red. There was horror, despair, and hopelessness in the battlefield which was painted in blood. He was caught unawares by his father''s move and could not believe what he was seeing right now.


    He was suddenly transported into a bloody warzone with a giant undefeatable enemy staring straight at him as if he was a lump of dead meat.


    His legs turned to jelly as his body fell on the ground butt first, with his hands unable to grip the sword.


    He felt like his body was drained of strength and his lungs suddenly were unable to gather enough air, making him difficult to breathe.


    Seeing that his son couldn''t take the mental attack anymore, General Farauld retracted his bloodlust and returned his countenance to normal.


    Almost immediately Nathan found himself in the bright sparring area again. His lungs were also able to function properly as his mind started to clear up and recognize the environment he was in.


    "W-what on earth.." Nathan was confused and terrified at the same time.


    He thought that he had already experienced enough being a knight under his maternal grandfather''s territory in the deste North, but the scene he saw during the battle¡­ it was far beyondpare!


    "What you have experienced right now was a verymon technique used by the rebels who had taken root in the blood valley. It targets the mental state of their opponents causing them to be unable to attack no matter how skilled they were." General Farauld patiently exined to his son.


    "How on earth, did you¡­" As Nathan was still shaking from the experience, he was unable to finish the words he wanted to say but General Farauld had already gotten his question.


    "Even after decades warding off those rebels from stepping past our borders, I could only find a way to resist this mental attack. At most, I can only train the rest of the knights on how to resist it on the battlefield. I have no ways to learn this by myself." General Farauld shook his head dejectedly while he was exining.


    "But there was one person who was able to surpass me and eventually discovered the secret behind this technique. He even enhanced this technique further and even made the target''s sense of smell and touch be tricked." He continued.


    "Who?" Nathan asked in trepidation.


    Who would be so talented to do this kind of thing that not even his father was able to do???


    "That person was none other than the ''trash'' Third Prince of this Empire, Leon Andrae the Seirende, my student." General Farauld mouthed these words slowly and with pride.


    ",

 Chapter 215 Investigation Commenced

    ?Hearing the Third Prince''s name, there was a bitter taste and aplicated feeling that came out of Nathan''s heart.


    Towards the Third Prince, his feelings were actually juggling between envy, because Leon spent more time with his father as his student, and curiosity because his father would only hear him praise whenever he talks about this student of his.


    "You know very well that he is not a ''trash'' that you speak of." He replied helplessly with an aggrieved expression. His father was flexing, not ridiculing the other party.


    "Yes, that''s what I wanted you to remember." General Farauld looked at his sulking son and nodded straightforwardly. "That being said, he was the only person who had the right to teach someone this technique. If you want to learn this technique, it could only be him who could teach you."


    Nathan looked at his father with an using look, "You just performed the technique earlier, why can''t you just be the one to teach me that?"


    "Simply because you are my son." General Farauld answered with a shrug.


    Hearing his father''s answer, Nathan''s heart felt like it was broken into pieces.


    Why can''t his father just act like a normal father? Why can he teach other people wholeheartedly but not his son?


    But just as he was about to sumb to the pain of disappointment, he heard his father''s next words, "As my son, you deserve the best, and I know that I am not the best person to teach you that technique."


    His father''s words were like a jar of honey being poured in his heart, washing all the bitterness away.


    "Well if you say so.." He answered, hiding the smirk he had in his lips with an awkward cough.


    "Good, so starting tomorrow, you''ll join the Third Prince in an investigation activity! The Prince needed a team to thoroughly investigate the matter of the sinister curses." General Farauld happily patted his son''s shoulders, his eyes forming two crescent moons.


    Realizing what he had agreed to, Nathan felt like he wanted to refund his feelings of sweetness earlier! Clearly his father had trapped him again!


    It was not long ago that he found himself falling into his father''s trap, making him spend a long time training hellishly in his maternal grandfather''s estate!


    Now his father is doing it again!


    Seeing that Nathan was about to explode, General Farauld continued to exin with an innocent and enthusiastic look on his face, "Of course, this would be a top secret operation dealing with highly ssified information. We need skilled, intelligent and trustworthy people like you to join the team!!!"


    ''Skilled? Intelligent? Trustworthy? Is that what my father thinks of me?'' Nathan thought to himself, he perked up upon hearing General Farauld''s exnation.


    "Besides, your sister Eli would join too.." General Farauld finally dropped the bomb, his face already reflected the expression that he had already won over his son.


    "What time will I have to meet with the team?" Nathan answered without hesitation upon hearing Eli''s name.


    There were no grievances nor usations in his eyes, rather he looked like a golden retriever happily wagging his tail upon learning his favorite person woulde.


    Aqu could only helplessly smile and shake her head. Granted that her husband was not the best father in the Empire, she knew that General Farauld thought deeply of his son.


    That''s why he appeared to sneakily entrap him in various circumstances, to ensure that his son would be equipped and prepared enough, when he no longer had the strength to wield the armor and sword.


    Having him join the investigation team might look like it would benefit the Third Prince the most, but the old couple knew that Leon and Eli could do this even without the help of Nathan.


    Infact, Nathan would gain more in this experience as it was a preparation for him when he decides to enter the inner core of the Imperial knights.


    "I''ll bring you over tomorrow before sunlight. Remember, the matters in this investigation were highly sensitive, only trusted people had the right to know the details." General Farauld ruffled his son''s hair before walking towards Dame Aqu who had already prepared the refreshments for the two men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The morning of the joint investigation came.


    ording to the arrangement with the temple, the two sides have two weeks to assemble their own investigation teams to ensure that the people who would handle the case of the dark knights were trustworthy and capable.


    However, for Leon, he had not stopped doing all the preparatory works this past two weeks, from going to the libraries, negotiating with the temple to go through the memoirs, he went to and fro just to enable the investigation team to start from a better vantage point. He also rallied the Roaming des to gather information about the crimes and sinsmitted by both Hasta and Igor.


    In the meeting room of the Crimson de''s barracks, Leon, Eli and Kayden were waiting patiently for the other participants from the Emperor''s investigation team.


    Soon, General Eugine and Nathan arrived not long after. Everyone exchanged greetings and immediately proceeded to the secret portal leading to the temple dungeons.


    The group did not engage in any discussions but instead prioritized going into the temple to meet the people sent by the High Priest for the investigation.


    Finally arriving at the underground dungeons, they were escorted by Julian again to enter into arge and simplistic meeting room where three people are already waiting.


    One of them was obviously the High Priest, and there were another two people, a man and a woman, wearing not a temple servant gown but rather a temple knight armor.


    "Greetings, Esteemed High Priest¡­" The two sides exchanged greetings before proceeding to sit on their designated positions ording to the party they belong to.


    However, as soon as they were seated, they saw Eli, who was assumed to be under Leon''s team walking towards the High Priest''s side instead.


    The two temple knights and the rest of Leon''s team were surprised to see this, even General Farauld had to look at Leon with a questioning look clearly shocked by the arrangements.


    Only the High Priest and Leon maintained a calm expression seeing Eli''s gesture. Seeing that they were not correcting Eli, the rest shut their mouths and waited for the two people to exin everything.


    The High Priest only started the meeting after everyone settled on their seats. His ancient eyes that are full of wisdom and benevolence swept on everyone present in the room.


    "As you all know, we gathered everyone here to represent the Temple and the Imperial Family in an investigation about the mystery of the curses. We have selected three representatives from each side to join hands in discovering the solution for the problem brought by these curses who had gued not only the Seirende Empire but the entire Prasinos for centuries now..." The High Priest briefly exined the purpose of the assembly, not forgetting to emphasize the gravity of the damages brought by the curses.


    "On the temple''s side, I''d like to introduce to you two of the Seirende Temple Knight''s vice captains Keren and Joab.


    Keren was also the lead for liaising research and intelligenceing from the main and other branches of the Temple. She will help you a lot especially on the known natures and effects of the curse magic.


    Joab was one of the most skilled knights in the temple, he can help you in gathering more information and intelligence on suspicious people that could be brought about in the interrogation.


    Finally, you all know very well the Great Inventor of the Seirende Empire, Eli. I enlisted her to study more about the curses and its effects. I believe that with her critical thinking, we can save a lot of time in discovering the secret of these curses." The High Priest pleasantly introduced each of the team members, highlighting their strengths and reason why they were chosen in the first ce.


    Leon also introduced his team members, Kayden, Nathan and General Farauld, all for appropriate reasons.


    General Farauld for his vast battle experience, which also included enemies that were too mystical and abnormal, just like the rebels of the blood valley.


    Kayden for his medical prowess. It will help a lot in figuring out how exactly the curse attacks and destroys a target''s body.


    Finally, Nathan, who was present for simr reasons as Eli, being a swordsman and schr at the same time, he was also a good addition to the team.


    The High Priest was satisfied with the team''sposition. He nodded with a soft smile and began to discuss the details of the investigation, while Leon gave each one a set of documents.


    "A few weeks ago, the Third Prince and his troops managed to capture two people who had been proven to use curse magic and curse weapons. He had also done the preliminary investigations about the two captives. Written on the reportid in front of you were the summary of crimes and wrongdoings these twomitted, all of them were conclusive evidence that they knowingly used sinister magic in their deeds. "

 Chapter 216 Chaos In The Council

    ?The group studied the document carefully.


    Little by little, their expressions turned darker as they read the description of Hasta and Igor''s case. What''s more, their association with the Ves n made the mattersplicated.


    The Imperial Family and even the Temple had significant interactions with Carolina Ves. The matters of her involvement with sinister curses came out as a big shock to the rest of the group.


    "How do we go about this investigation then? Shall we go straight to knowing more of the Vess?" Joab of the Temple Knights asked. His agitation was very evident, a great sense of justice was exuding in his expression.


    Nathan was also as hot blooded as Joab, as he also expressed his agreement on Joab''s idea.


    "As much as we want to go straight with the Vess, we are not ready for the things we may discover on their side. Even if we know that they have some ties with the sinister curses, how can we deal with them when we could not even defend ourselves against a curse attack?" It was General Farauld who poured cold water on the burning me of the two knights.


    Joab very much wanted to stand up and burst in anger, but he knew that the Great General had a point. Besides, out of all the people in the room, he was the one who encountered the most dangerous people the Empire has ever witnessed.


    But the sense of urgency made his heart unwilling, "But it''s been two weeks since we have the captives and the Vess surely know they were missing. Aren''t you all not worried about them making chaos in the Empire?"


    "Joab, we very much know that they were already agitated. In fact, we have been receiving reports that they were camping in the outskirts and thoroughly investigating the captive''s whereabouts under the Emperor''s nose." The High Priest looked at Joab reproachfully.


    "Now tell me Joab, why do you think that they were so brazen in raising up these kinds of knights and go as far as nt them within the pce ranks? Don''t you think that they were not even afraid of the Emperor, as if he could only do much against them if he chose to arrest them? Or was it because they know something that would make the Emperor step aside even if this was a direct insult to his name?" The High Priest continued.


    "What''s making them unafraid of the Emperor''s vast forces and close rtions to the two legendary S ss mages?"


    Joab flinched on the barrage of questions the High Priest threw at him. These questions somehow woke him up and made him unable to retaliate.


    "That''s right, even after liaising with the rest of the temples around Prasinos, we only knew much about curses. The most that the priests can do about it was to dy its inevitable effect, which is death." Keren patted Joab''s shoulder to calm him down, as she also agreed on General Farauld and High Priest''s point.


    "That''s why our first priority for this investigation is to know the secret about the curses. Interrogation of the captives must also definitely be done for us to understand its origins and effects. Then we can proceed to digging for information about the Vess, why are they able to have such people in their ranks in the first ce?" Leon exined to everyone.


    Silence invaded the meeting room. Although they were unwilling to carry out investigations like this, they really do not have much choice.


    "Alright, if there were no other concerns, let''s proceed in discussing how we should do this.." Seeing that there were no other objections regarding the flow of the investigation, the group proceeded to the next matters of the investigation.


    Meanwhile, there was a high tension in the council meeting hall.


    Duke Ves and Marquis Astaze were going against each other fiercely.


    The Astaze spies discovered that the Vess were conducting an unauthorized investigation in the outskirts of the Capital.


    This matter got into the other noble''s nerves and was now holding the Duke responsible for insulting the throne.


    Of course, it was a good opportunity for the Astazes to put Prince Antoine in an advantageous position while making the Ves''s stance awkward.


    The Vess, on the other hand, had justified that there was an attempt to attack Arabe and they were just doing the investigation in an abrupt way to chase the assassin.


    Unexpectedly, the ever rational Emperor Valentin wore a nonchnt expression on his face, watching the two sides fight like chickens in the council assembly.


    His eyes, which used to be full of vigor and rity were now filled with deste coldness and distance. His head was resting in his chin squinting his eyes while he was witnessing at his subjects make fun of each other.


    "This is a clear disrespect to His Majesty! How many times do I have to exin it to you, Duke Ves!" Marquis Astaze and his allies push for their side.


    "I have also exined that this investigation was done so promptly because there was someone who tried to assassinate my daughter in the Capital! The Ves Duchy have been with the Empire''s side for decades, and now that our kin is in danger, you all point your fingers at my family?!" Duke Ves yelled so much that the veins on his throat almost popped out in his neck.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He looked at the Emperor and the two princes who also attended the morning council. He was pretty much relieved to not see the Third Prince because he found that he was not relevant in this meeting.


    Besides, the Third Prince would be another person who would go against him in the council, that makes one less enemy for him.


    The two princes frowned upon seeing the chaos and their Father Emperor''s unconventional attitude. They felt like something was wrong with their father ever since the end of the winter banquet.


    Their father became cold and unfeeling like he was suddenly unable to disy any emotions. He also refrained from visiting his grandchildren like he was always doing at least once a week. He seemed to also be ringly quiet and buried with the Imperial duties.


    Most of all, he no longer looked at them, his sons, with the same helplessness and gentleness he had back then. The crystal blue eyes that were looking at them now were like someone who could see through everything in them, even their thoughts.


    "Do you know whose presence you are standing with??" Suddenly the Emperor''s cold and dangerous voice rang in the council meeting room.


    Everyone went silent and shocked.


    They have forgotten that he was the Emperor whom they had to bow to no matter how powerful they felt outside the pce.


    They have long forgotten how ruthless an Emperor could be for people who showed disrespect in his presence.


    "We apologize for our brazenness, Your Majesty!" Everyone, including Duke Ves and Marquis Astaze knelt down with fear in their hearts.


    "Settle down and shut your mouths. All of us here are raised knowing the highest standards! How could you act like chickens on a stinky pen!" Much to everyone''s disbelief, they heard the Emperor mocking their upbringings.


    The faces of the nobles around became red in shame and anger, but they did not dare to show their displeasure in the Emperor''s face.


    Their hearts were already shaken, ''What happened to the Emperor? Is he not in a good mood?''


    Sweeping his gaze through the silent crowd, his frigid crystal blue eyes stopped at his two sons, Kazimir and Antoine.


    "Tell me, two of you as the revered princes of this Empire, what is your opinion on this matter?" He asked the unprepared princes with an expression that was impossible to decipher.


    The Emperor first gestured at Kazimir, who was still in a daze upon suddenly being given the limelight for the assembly full of noble officials.


    "T-this.. His Majesty¡­ What this humble prince thinks is that there is no problem in allowing the Ves House to conduct a thorough investigation in the outskirts. This is to get over the matter of assassinating the Second Daughter of the Ves house. Let us remember the merits and contribution they made for the Empire now that their very own family is under threat. We have to give them a hand in this issue." Prince Kazimir calmly answered Emperor Valentin''s question.


    The nobles on the side of Duke Ves gave an approving expression to what Prince Kazimir conveyed. They thought that the prince spoke well and clearly sent the message they wanted to send to the Emperor. They are sure that the Emperor would look at the matter favorably towards them.


    But contrary to their expectation, the Emperor did not give any reactions but instead turned to Antoine with a serious expression, "Is that what you also think, Second Prince?"


    Knowing that it was already his turn, Antoine straightened up his back and answered calmly,


    "Your Majesty, this humble prince thinks otherwise. For it is imperative in ourws that whoever wants to conduct an investigation within the Capital must submit an application and seek the explicit approval of His Majesty. I understand the worry that the Duke has for his daughter, however, to tantly ignore the Empire''sws over their personal matters, isn''t this same as usurping the throne?!"


    "Your Highness!! The Ves n did not intend to do that at all!" Upon hearing the Second Prince Antoine''s statement, the Vess and their allies became angry and started to denounce the second prince''s usation.


    Even the Duke and Prince Kazimir''s expressions be dark after hearing Antoine''s opinion. They were unprepared for Antoine''s way of putting these things in a fearsome way.


    For them to be used of ignoring the throne would shake their faction to the core and would definitely incur the Emperor''s suspicion.

 Chapter 217 How Fickle Could Fortune Be?

    ?The atmosphere was again heated as the Ves faction reacted adversely toward Antoine''s words. They scanned their eyes in fear as they witnessed the neutral nobles looking at them with suspicion in their eyes.


    The rest of the nobles couldn''t believe that the matter escted to the Ves houseing out with the intention to insult the throne and disregard its authority.


    They were now reevaluating their stance on who to support in the race for the throne.


    Duke Ves also noticed this subtle change in the atmosphere. Gritting his teeth took a deep breath and spoke.


    "Second Prince, it is by no means that I intend to usurp the throne, not even a single drop. Please retract your words.." Duke Ves''s hoarse voice directed to Antoine.


    His body was trembling in anger as he tried topose himself from the unprecedented hostilitying toward him.


    Never did he expect that the Astazes would discover their men conducting the investigations. He also did not expect the seemingly frivolous prince to put his covert actions in this way.


    Although they were indeed nning to take control of the throne, they weren''t adamant about the nobles and the Emperor gaining suspicion towards their house this early! This would really put them at a disadvantage.


    "Have I, the Emperor of Seirende, allowed any of you to speak?! Open your mouth once more or I''ll have to throw you out in the pce, never to step here ever again!" Emperor Valentin''s voice roared in the entire room.


    His voice carried so much authority and aura as a leader, that all of the people present trembled in fear and shock.


    "We seek your mercy, Your Majesty¡­" Everyone knelt again in submission, they really couldn''t get used to the Emperor''s change in attitude.


    For them to be thrown out of the pce was an extremely shameful act. It would mean that the Empire no longer values the name they carried and basically, they would be considered fallen nobles, no different frommoners.


    Duke Ves almost turned into a tomato from being too red upon receiving the direct shaming of the Emperor. There was a huge sense of apprehension in his mind as he realized the great change in the attitude of the Emperor.


    However, he tried his best to keep his expression and emotion in check, for this is a tricky situation. He didn''t dare to add more fuel to the fire.


    Hemanded himself to calm down, even if he was starting to see that they were dealing with someone whom they were now unable to understand.


    The room was now filled with a dangerous silence, everyone held their breaths as they were afraid that even a little noise would make the Emperor explode again.


    As Emperor Valentin swept his gaze through the crowd, he called for his secretary and asked in a low, unfeeling manner, "What is the sanction for ignoring the restrictions on the investigation?"


    The secretary bowed and respectfully answered the Emperor''s inquiry:


    "Your Majesty, for any house to ignore the statutes in the matter of investigations, the vitor would be immediately punished by seizing 20% of their properties and 15% of their territories on the first offense. This would rise by the increments of 10% and 5%, respectively, for every warning ignored thereof!"


    Hiss!!


    The nobles flinched upon hearing the sanctions. The Astaze faction felt smug in their hearts for they know this matter firsthand and were sure that this would hurt the Vess a lot.


    True enough, upon hearing the sanctions the Duke of Ves started to be nervous and uneasy.


    He also knew of this policy, but never did he expect that the Emperor would really publicly reveal this in front of the council.


    It is one thing to have their properties seized, with the vast wealth that the Vess umted through the years, this will not really hurt them much.


    But that was different with the seizing of territory.


    For it ispletely under the Emperor''s hand on which territory he wanted to retract. That means that the Emperor can take away 15% of his territory and specifically choose the most prosperous or advantageous areas for political agenda!


    This would definitely cause a great disturbance in their ns for the throne!


    If it was before, he was still confident that the Emperor would give the Empress and his son some face and not fully impose these sanctions, but now¡­ He couldn''t really decipher the Emperor''s intention.


    "Then impose these sanctions as soon as possible. I''ll have the Second Prince lead this matter!" The Emperor finally gave the verdict to everyone''s horror!


    "Imperial Father!!! This is too much! I implore you to think of this matter carefully." Kazimir immediately pleaded for the Vess.


    He couldn''t believe it! This was the first time he saw his father disregard his blood ties with the Ves n and make the situation hard for his maternal family.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Emperor raised his brows towards Kazimir, looking at him with eyes full of intrigue."First Prince, I want to know, whose family are you pledging your loyalty to right now?"


    "I- my loyalty is in the Imperial Family... Imperial Father, why ask me this obvious question?" Kazimir was taken aback by the Emperor''s question.


    "Hmmm... Is it really?" The Emperor looked at Kazimir skeptically, he did not even mask the doubt on his face as he looked at the first prince. "But why am I hearing you, the eldest son of the Emperor of Seirende, plead on a vitor''s behalf?"


    It was at this point that everyone in the council, including the Duke of Ves and Kazimir, knew that the Emperor was now looking unfavorably towards the First Prince!


    "I-i¡­ have misspoken, Imperial Father. I sincerely apologize.." Kazimir didn''t know how he was still able to remain standing after realizing that his father was now looking at him negatively.


    Back then, they were always gloating on the sidelines whenever they saw their youngest brother get treated like this.


    But now, experiencing it firsthand, he felt like his chest was suffocated so much that he was unable to breathe properly. He was perspiring so much because he could feel the eyes of the nobles staring at him with mixed attitudes, some pity, others of gloating.


    He very much wanted to disappear like a bubble in his spot.


    His heart was in turmoil, there was a mixed sense of shock, anger, and frustration invading his heart, which made his expression turn crestfallen and ugly.


    "Hmm, prove that to me." The Emperor ignored his son''s stifled expression and looked at Antoine with a strict countenance. "I''ll leave the matter of seizing the properties to you, Second Prince, do not disappoint me."


    "I will carry out this duty perfectly, Imperial Father," Antoine answered solemnly.


    In fact, he was not gloating over his elder brother''s misfortune. Instead, he was somehow feeling ufortable witnessing him experience the same as what Leon had experienced before.


    It made him wonder, how was his youngest brother able to withstand this kind of atmosphere with his young body back then? They were now adults, but he could visibly notice the internal breakdown that was happening to his elder brother.


    It also dawned on him how fast the tables could turn on their side. Seeing the First Prince suffer because of this, has made him more anxious than victorious.


    This is how fast a favor could be lost inside the Imperial Family! This is how cruel the crown could be!


    Realizing this truth, how could the Second Prince of the Empire have the mood to be happy over one''s misfortune?!


    Who knows, it would be his turn to lose favor tomorrow!!! This is how fickle and fast the situation inside the pce could be.


    Prince Antoine realized that the three of them, starting today, would be walking on thin ice under the Emperor''s cold watch.


    The Emperor looked at his two sons and announced to the crowd his intentions:


    "Remember, I''ll be watching you. I have long set aside the matter of evaluating the three of you. Now that the immediate matters of the Empire have settled down, it''s time for me to watch you closely and see who deserves the title of the Crown Prince!"


    "I''ll send a formal decree as to which part of the territory must be seized by the Ves house within three days."


    He then addressed the matter at hand, "As for the investigation, I will impose its restriction until the application is finalized and approved on my end. I remind everyone, this is the Seirende Empire,ply with the policies and your house will not be suffering from the sanctions!"


    Emperor Valentin''s cold voice swept the entire room like it was a great blow of the harsh wind. It made the nobles feel fear and nervous about what their own houses have been doing.


    That day, all of the noble houses gathered around their vassals and officials for two things.


    The first was to check if their territories wereplying with the Empire''s policies and decrees. They swept through their businesses and dealings to ensure that even their taxes were rightfully remitted.


    The second was to disseminate the fact that they have to reevaluate their support amongst the possible heir to the throne.


    Now that the First Prince made a huge mistake, they have to check if the other two princes could make good allies in the future.


    Yes, their evaluations now included the Third Prince, who had been the most ignored for years now.


    For the Emperor explicitly said that he would be considering the three princes in choosing his sessor!

 Chapter 218 Investigations

    ?While the high society was scrambling to ensure that they would not suffer the same fate as the Vess, the investigation team was doing their best to progress quickly in their matters.


    General Farauld, Leon, and Joab tried their best to extract information from the captives, Hasta and Igor. But despite their efforts, the two dark knights refused to divulge any critical information.


    On the other hand, Kayden, Eli, Nathan, and Keren were burying themselves in a mountain of books and archives in the Temple and the Imperial Family collected. Every document contained records of cases rted to curses.


    Keren and Nathan teamed up to analyze all the historical archives, their main goal was to figure out the origin of the curse magic.


    Working alongside them were Kayden and Eli, who were focused on figuring out the effects of the curses on the body. Their tandem focused more on medical records in an attempt to also find a clue on how curses could be cured, avoided or countered.


    In the meeting room, the team gathered to report their progress before the day ended.


    Eight outstanding people facing each other with faces that were serious and focused. They sat solemnly in the meeting room where the fiery light of the dusk softly entered the ss windows.


    The High Priest opened a mechanism to turn on the flicking indoor lighting and looked at the rest signaling them to start the meeting.


    "There was no progress as to the interrogation of the captives. I request the High Priest''s permission to employ harsher methods of interrogation. So far, questioning and putting them to mental stress were not working for us." General Farauld spoke for the interrogation team.


    "What methods do you propose?" The High Priest asked with caution.


    Being the leader of the Temple, he was extremely against inhumane torture. He will not allow such methods to be carried out in the premises of the Temple. This was also why Leon''s team could only use questioning and psychological methods to induce the captives to talk.


    Even if a captive was up for execution, he would not allow any killing to be carried out within the Temple''s premises. At most, he will turn them over to the governing Emperor or the Temple Knights to be executed on the designated site.


    "I would propose the Imperial torture methods." General Farauld furrowed his brows saying his idea straightforwardly, regardless of the strong aversion of the High Priest against physical torture.


    "I disagree." The High Priest rejected tly.


    General Farauld could only sigh, he nodded at the High Priest helplessly, as if he already expected his answer. "Alright, but then keeping this method would really make us waste a lot of time. Do you have any ideas?" He then looked at the rest, asking for their opinions.


    The entire team contemted for a good moment.


    "Could we use something like a spell or potion to force them to tell the truth?" Eli asked, thinking that since magic and potions were prevalent in this world, it was not that impossible to have something like a truth potion, right?


    "I am afraid that would be impossible, Inventor Eli. For there was no sessful news yet for this particr potion. Nor was there any existing spell that forces the target to tell the truth." Joab and Keren coughed lightly and replied to Eli in a gentle manner.


    "Oh.. I see." Eli replied. If that was the case, they could only think of new tactics to interrogate the captives without the use of torture.


    But before they all could resign to the status quo, Kayden shyly raised his hands and responded, "Err, actually I have been working on this potion for quite some time¡­ It''s just that, I don''t intend to publish this in public."


    Aside from Leon, Eli and most probably the ever mysterious High Priest, everyone appeared to be shocked upon hearing Kayden''s words.


    It was because to the eyes of these people, Kayden was just a normal doctor in the name of Einz. They were not aware that the doctor in front of them was actually the legendary doctor Kayden who has been missing for a couple of years now.


    "Is it true?" General Farauld, Nathan and Joab asked with their bodies trembling in excitement.


    As knights, one of the most tedious tasks was to extract information from criminals and suspects. Having the potion was actually something that would save time and energy for people like them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, however¡­ The potion could only be used once and for a short span of three minutes. The main ingredient of this potion was the highly poisonous rock freesia of the mystic woods. The potion contains a non lethal dose but anything more than that would cause the person who ingested it imminent death..." Kayden exined, detailing everything that the team had to know about the truth potion.


    Hearing Kayden''s words, the group weighed the pros and cons of using Kayden''s truth potion.


    "Then, let us only use this as ast resort. It would be a waste to use it early on and realize that we have not prepared our questions carefully." Leon expressed his opinions, to which everybody agreed.


    "Alright, let me and Nathan search through the resources in the Farauld Institute to see if there''s any alternative way to induce a confession without inflicting physical damage." General Farauld also agreed and proposed.


    "We''ll do it on our side too." Keren also expressed her support.


    With the agreement on the interrogation it was the other team''s turn to report.


    "Based on our records, we have discovered three possible ways to deal with curses: First would be using magic that is far stronger than the damage capacity of the inflicted curse. This was true with the case of Queen Teh''s hand being inflicted by a malicious curse. With the presence of two S ss mages, the curse was forced to dissipate out of Queen Teh''s hands." Eli exined with a serious expression.


    Since this was the matter of the curse, the Emperor and the High Priest divulged the cases of curses that happened within the Imperial Family. That includes Emperor Valentin''s drugging incident and the attempt to disrupt the renewal of the treaty through Queen Teh.


    However, the two elders decided not to reveal the incident of Elise''s drugging that forced Leon to take her virginity and have Little Han. They see that this was no longer necessary for the investigations. They want to spare Little Han of the after effects of this truth being out in the investigation records.


    "The second method was to actually fulfill the conditions of the spell. However, all of the conditions were even far more damaging to the victim than death. This was true to the cases of the Emperor''s wedding night and three other known cases." Eli continued her exnation with a straight face.


    "The final method was to use the priest''s spiritual powers through spoken blessing. However, the records showed that this method could only alleviate the pain of the victim and dy the curse''s effect for quite some time. All recorded cases led to the death of the victim.


    Nevertheless, even after knowing these three ways, all of these were impractical and too hard to implement. One, we do not have many mages stronger than the A ss level. Two we do not have any methods to detect these curses from the body of the victims, much less know if this curse was a conditional curse. Lastly, the priest''s divine blessings were not strong enough to counter the curse."


    After hearing Eli''s report there was a gloomy expression looming on the group''s surroundings. Finding a solution to the curse seemed so tricky and almost impossible.


    The avable solutions did not also warrant peace of mind to them, for it was as Eli has said - impractical and hard to implement.


    Observing the helpless expression of the team, the High Priest let out a soft sigh and finally spoke,


    "Well in fact, there was one case that I, myself, and the Emperor had witnessed. This particr case showed how the curse could be directly dealt with. But, I had to impose all of you to increase your sworn oath to the heavens. For this one involved the truth about the Oracle."


    The group was shocked about this, especially Joab and Keren who belong to the Temple Knights.


    A case connected to the oracle? Could it be that an oracle has been fulfilled?


    "We swore to the heavens, let the guardian of the sky, earth, water, fire and air watch us maintain the secrecy of the matter that the High Priest has to reveal! May this oath remain until such time the beholder permits!" They all swore with a determined expression.


    The five guardians heard their call and a multicolored array appeared on top of their heads and immediately sank in their chests where the heart is located.


    Finally seeing the oath ceremonyplete, the High Priest nodded.


    The rest of the group looked at him with anticipation. For them to directly hear the news about the Oracle, was something that made their hearts nervous and fearful at the same time.

 Chapter 219 The Subject Of The Oracle

    ?The High Priest looked at them with a serious expression.


    Reaching out on his space pouch, a peculiar looking recording stone. He ced it carefully in the middle of the table so that everyone would have a clear view of what the stone contained.


    With a calm yet hair-raising voice, he announced,


    "This recording stone is not a typical one. This is a Temple Recording stone that has been modified to sense spiritual magic. This is typically used to observe candidates serving the Temple to assess if any of them had the potential to be a priest.


    Now, what I will be telling you is how the Subject of the Oracle sessfully protected a person from a deathly curse. Open your eyes and see what happened in this case!"


    The High Priest activated the temple recording stone and shed a scene on the air like it was a holographic projector.


    What the projection stone was actually ying was the cleansing rites that the Imperial Family performed during their recent visitation prior to themencement of the Spectre cleanup operations.


    The recording started on Empress Carolina''s turn. Their faces showed a trace of interest when they saw her face. However their expression turned normal as they have already known that the Vess had ties with the curses.


    The group watched closely as Empress Carolina rang the bell and saw that a tiny wisp of ck smoke appeared at the handle of the bell artifact!


    "What you are seeing right now is the curse being imnted on the artifact. Infact, with this recording alone, we could already assume that the curse magic was also a type of spiritual power as it could be detected by the Temple recording stone." The High Priestmented and exined the contents of the recording for everyone.


    Everyone''s expression darkened upon hearing this, however they all held their emotions in and silently watched how the situation would proceed.


    When it was First Queen Lucia''s turn, the wisp of ck smoke didn''t react at all. It stayed there until she finished her portion. Nothing happened and Queen Lucia was able to go back to her position without any signs of abnormalities.


    Then, Queen Teh appeared in the frame of the scene, a faint white light covering her whole body, even the hem of her clothes. She looked as ethereal as the angels while they watched her walk bathed in the faint light.


    But the moment she touched the artifact, something happened.


    Tsss!


    The ck smoke that was imnted in the artifact was being engulfed mercilessly by the white light!


    The white light attacked like an acid, indiscriminately wanting to dissolve the ck smoke''s existence!


    When the ck wisp knew that it was no match against the white light, it shot back to Empress Carolina''s heart as if it was fleeing!


    What''s more, as soon as the ck smoke entered the Empress, her expression suddenly became filled with pain and herplexion became pale.


    The rest could visibly see the contorting of Empress Carolina''s face as she tried to endure the pain. When her suffering reached its peak, she weakly copsed to the ground!


    "This!" The investigators, especially Joab, Keren and the Farauld Father-Son duo almost could not stay still on their seats from the shock of the revtion.


    There was actually a way to survive the curse! There was actually a person who had been able to resist it and not be damaged at all! That person was none other than their very own second queen!


    What''s more, what clearly happened on Empress Carolina was some type of a rebounding curse!


    "Esteemed High Priest! You mean to say the protection that made Second Queen Teh safe was actually because of the work of the Subject of the Oracle?" Joab, with his valiant brows looked at the High Priest with excitement and asked enthusiastically.


    It was his first time to witness an oracle be fulfilled, much more to witness his or her strength! He felt so fortunate that he got to witness this situation in his life!


    Rest of the investigators, aside from Eli, Leon and Kayden also showed the same level of excitement and hope.


    "Eherm¡­" The High Priest was overwhelmed by the energy and agitation of the group. It seemed like showing them that there''s hope for the battle against the curse was something that would really make them happy.


    "Yes¡­ and with the help of the Emperor, I was also able to obtain the results of the Empress''s medical records at that time. The rebounding of the curse ruptured twenty percent of her mana receptors and caused her to be bedridden for an entire half year." He continued.


    "No wonder!" The investigators were finally able to piece everything together.


    The matter of the Empress suddenly copsing inside the Temple and be ill for a long time was not a secret in the Capital and the Temple.


    "The Subject of the Oracle is powerful!" Keren mumbled full of hope and admiration.


    "Indeed!" The rest followed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Everyone became more excited upon learning the effects of the rebound curses and started discussing how it would be more damaging should the curse be stronger than what they have seen.


    "I get that you are excited, however, the problem is still there. The Subject of the Oracle was still one person and was not yet ready to take the fight head on. That is why whatever discoveries we have for this investigation would help a lot." The High Priest didn''t mean to dampen their high spirits but he had to tell this to the group.


    "Do not worry, High Priest! We will give our best to do our part!" Joab answered with a lively and resolute tone.


    "We will do that as well too, Esteemed High Priest!" Nathan also added. While the rest expressed their agreement.


    "Hmm!" The High Priest nodded and looked at Leon and Eli meaningfully.


    He knew that it was the couple''s first time knowing how powerful Eli''s ability was against the curse. As such, he also wanted to let them know this as an encouragement.


    "Err, High Priest, will we be able to meet the Subject of the Oracle?" Keren asked longingly. Her question also reflected the rest of the team.


    "You will, soon. Especially you and Joab, who would be primarily assigned in training the Subject of the Oracle with certain skills. However, that would depend on how fast you bring progress to the investigations." The High Priest said, while stealing a nce at the young couple again.


    The two understood. The High Priest''s words were not only for Joab and Keren but also to them. The earlier theyplete this matter, the more time they can prepare for themselves.


    With a little encouragement from the news of the Oracle, the investigation team''s morale was renewed and lifted. Evidently, this has also made them more productive for the next few days.


    On the contrary, the gloom continued to loom over the Vess, Empress Carolina and First Prince Kazimir''s ce.


    Especially First Prince Kazimir who immediately locked himself up in his pce, not wanting to see any of his family members, much more his mother and uncle!


    He has been staying in his chambers ever since the incident of him losing favor happened, trashing everything in his room.


    As of this moment, even the butler did not even dare toe near him as he had already sent tens of servants, who tried their best to serve him, to critical condition!


    "Your Highness Princess Consort, we plead you to talk to His Highness. He did not even take a single sip of water until now¡­" The butler and the prince''s aid knelt in pleading.


    The Princess Consort, Kazimir''s wife furrowed her brows in anxiousness. She was also afraid of her husband''s outburst as she saw how gruesome the conditions of the servants that entered his room were.


    She had no confidence that Kazimir would maintain his rational state of mind upon seeing her. However, as the madam of the house and as the princess consort she had to do this responsibility.


    She rubbed her temples gloomily as she instructed, "Alright, I heard you. Summon his vice captains to assist me in persuading the First Prince."


    She knows that the vice captains of the Amethyst Warlocks could protect her from Kazimir''s violent tendencies.


    They could also persuade him to think rationally before making any move. These two vice captains had so far contributed the most to her husband''s achievements.


    The two vice captains arrived shortly, they knelt in front of the Princess Consort and listened to her instructions submissively.


    With that, the trio proceeded to Prince Kazimir''s bedchambers.


    Even standing outside his door, they could already feel the darkness looming inside the room. However, they had to give the First Prince a good talk.


    The vice captains worked to forcefully open the door and check the situation inside the bedroom.


    Prince Kazimir''s bedchamber was so dark and gloomy.


    The revolting stench of alcohol and cigar immediately assaulted the Princess Consort''s nose, so much that she had the urge to step out of the room and vomit.


    However, as the dignified consort, she had to do her duties. She stepped into the dark gloomy room and tried to locate Kazimir inside.


    Crack nk, crash!


    As they roamed around the area, they couldn''t help but step on numerous debris scattered around the floor. The Princess Consort hastened her steps and moved towards the curtains to immediately light up the room.


    Swoosh!


    The dark gloomy room was immediately lightened up by the golden light of the dusk. Revealing Kazimir''s soulless body on the corner, staring at the nk space like a creepy puppet.

 Chapter 220 Princess Consort

    ?The Princess consort was startled upon looking at the state First Prince Kazimir was in.


    His red hair was disheveled and his face was greasy. However the paleness and stress were much more apparent with his dark circles.


    Kazimir just sat in the corner, not even bothering to turn his eyes towards the three people who invaded his room.


    She immediately took her coat and draped it on her husband''s head knowing that he woudn''t want this sight to be seen by others.


    The Princess Consort sighed, there was a trace of guilt and helplessness in her face. Her husband had taken a big blow recently and she herself was too timid to take on his wrath.


    Seeing his state right now, her heart ached that she was not able to be by his side tofort him and make him feel better. However, she knew that Kazimir would not appreciate her presence.


    With their three years being married, she could feel that the Empress and her husband were not satisfied with her.


    Thest time she had a good talk with her husband was during the time that she was able to sessfully give birth to their son. After that, they lived as if they were just cohabiting in the luxurious pce.


    "Help me get him up." Shemanded the two vice captains. Before she let herself drift into the struggles she had on her side, she had to take care of Kazimir first.


    She let them carefully put Kazimir in the bathroom area first while she systematically ordered the servants to prepare his dinner and clean up his room.


    She personally prepared the bath as she told the vice captains and servants, "Leave us be.."


    As she knew that Kazimir wouldn''t like his people seeing him in such a disgraceful appearance, she decided that she will be the one who would help him bathe and change clothes.


    She looked at the lifeless looking Kazimir who was still absentmindedly sitting on the stool.


    With her delicate hands, she tested the water''s temperature and took somevender flowers which scent could help calm down Kazimir''s chaotic mood.


    As Kazimir''s body was stressed and fatigued, she did not introduce him to the bath water right away. Instead, she took some of it in a basin and ced a bath towel in.


    She clumsily wrung the excess water in the bath towel and gently wiped Kazimir''s face.


    The Princess Consort pressed the fragrant warm towel on Kazimir''s face with great care and affection, while Kazimir just sat like an obedient boy allowing her to take off his outer garments without much resistance.


    This was the first time the princess consort served someone in her life, however she didn''t mind if it was Kazimir.


    Granted, they didn''t marry because of love but because of political agenda. But as his wife she believed that it was her duty to look after him.


    Besides, she could never forget that day, when his crystal blue eyes looked at her and announced, "I am choosing her."


    He chose her first, the timid and sickly princess of the Vanderford Empire and took her in as his wife out of all the eligible princesses of their family.


    Infact, it was precise to say that her affection for Kazimir was that of a benefactor to a savior.


    Back then, she was only so happy to know that she had a chance to get out of the empire away from her chaotic family. She didn''t even care if it was the first prince, second prince or amoner who took her out. As long as she was out of Vanderford''s ws, she would be happy.


    Her happiness had blinded her of the fact that she would be facing the Empress''s apathy. The Empress had always looked at her with dissatisfaction.


    "The least you can do is to bear a son for Kazimir.." She heard these words from her mother inw on her wedding day.


    On her wedding night, Kazimir was there to consummate their marriage but after that he distanced himself. Since then they were living separately within a big manor.


    The Princess Consort was able to sessfully take away Kazimir''s garments and clean the grease and dirt on his body initially.


    Now she had to take him in the bathtub, to thoroughly clean his entire body.


    "I''ll have to take you in the tub.." She told Kazimir in a gentle voice as she tried to pull him out of the stool.


    Fortunately, Kazimir reacted to her voice. He mechanically stood up, towering over the Princess Consort''s petite appearance. His crystal blue eyes were still unfocused, failing to see that the Princess consort''s garments were already damp and wet from all her hard work.


    Kazimirid down in the bathtub, letting his body be soaked by the fragrant and warm water. A great wave offort coursed through his body that made him rx significantly.


    "I''ll thoroughly brush your body.." He heard her say as if asking for his permission.


    After a while, he felt her hands working on his body to ensure that he was cleaned from all the stench of the alcohol and cigar.


    Her actions were very weak and clumsy. Sometimes she would pause as if she has been startled and shocked, but he could feel that she had no intention to give up with her task.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will now wash your hair¡­" He heard a soft and gentle voice beside her and soon felt a hand gently massaging his scalp with her soft fingertips.


    Kazimir stared nkly at the luxurious ceiling art as his wife tended to him calmly.


    His presence of mind started toe back again as he finally realized that he was already in the bathroom with his wife acting like a servant without any sign of grievance.


    His eyes moved as he observed the atmosphere between them.


    Kazimir was puzzled, didn''t his wife know that her husband had lost favor to his Emperor Father? Why is she here staying by his side?


    She should just scramble away and n for her and their son''s future because he had already failed.


    But why is she here? Didn''t she see the disappointing state that he was in? She had no future on his side.


    "Arielle¡­" He called out with a scratchy voice, it was at this moment that he realized that his throat was parched from not taking any fluid other than alcohol.


    "Hmm..?" Arielle, the princess consort responded with a voice as delicate as a sparrow.


    "Why are you here doing a servant''s task?" He asked in a tone that was borderline reproachful as he realized that his very own wife was doing the tasks that should have been done by the servants.


    He felt Arielle''s fingers pause yet she still continued to do her thing and replied, "I am not doing a servant''s task¡­ I am doing what a wife should do¡­ for her husband."


    Marielle''s words were like a spear that attacked Kazimir''s frozen heart.


    By far, her response was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his life.


    Yes, she was his wife and he was her husband.


    He thought that these were just mere words and that marriage was just a tool for him to get his goals. But the woman who stayed with him right now was causing a beautiful chaos in his crestfallen heart.


    His crystal blue eyes started to redden as he realized how disappointing he must have been from the very start.


    He thought that the matter of his father humiliating him to that extent in front of the council was the first time he had failed as a person.


    He was devastated and anxious. He was the First Prince, carefully raised in the pce by his mother to achieve glory to glory for the rest of his life.


    That moment when he was pped by the harsh lesson given by his Father Emperor made him feel so utterly disappointed in himself. So much, that he desperately found someone to me.


    That was his mother and uncle who had been the people he followed and trusted the most. He felt that because of their instigation, he had long lost the ability to think rationally and kingly like how his father did to be able to lead the Empire sessfully.


    That was when he realized that he had ced himself on his own throne,pletely blinded to see his weaknesses.


    But now, it dawned on him. This was not the first time that he had failed. He had long failed as a husband to his wife of three years!


    The friends and allies that he worked so hard to please and get loyalty to, have looked at him as if he was a gue to avoid during that time in the council.


    But his wife was here, tending him without an ounce of annoyance for his disgraceful state.


    Energy came to his body, he lifted his upper body to turn around with the intention to take a good look at his wife and talk to her.


    Arielle was startled, she found herself staring dumbfoundedly at Kazimir''s topless body. She had seen them earlier but the way it looked right now under the golden light of the dusk became much more different.


    Well toned shoulders and chest that looked so alluring with the dripping water and bubbles sliding off from his red hair.


    His hands were holding hers, like it was the most natural thing to do.


    Overwhelmed by such a scene she looked away feeling the heating off her nape.


    Kazimir on the other hand looked at Arielle''s state.


    His sickly wife was dripping wet from all the work she had done earlier, her silken sleeves were pulled up to her elbows like a wife doing all the manualbor.


    She did not look like the Princess of Vanderford at all, nor did she look like the Princess Consort, First Prince Kazimir''swfully wedded wife!

 Chapter 221 Husband And Wife

    ?Kazimir''s heart felt itchy upon seeing her pitiful yet moving state. Keeping herself faithful to their marriage, she had let down her royal dignity and served the pathetic him.


    His grip tightened as he finally realized how slender her hands were, it was pale and skinny, as if no strength woulde out of it even if she tried her best. His hands trembled at this thought, the very same weak looking hand had been working nonstop since she brought him to the bathroom.


    "I''m sorry you have to do this.. I''m sober now.." He gently muttered as he lifted her hand which was a little slippery with thethered shampoo. He carefully dipped it into the water and washed her hands clean.


    With the substance no longer around, his grip on her hands became much more easier. He stood up outside the bathtub and carried Arielle like he had not starved himself for days at all.


    The dazed Arielle only came to her senses when her body, which was now only covered with a pure white undergarment, was in the warm water.


    "First Prince¡­" She called out in protest, but she saw that Kazimir immediately followed after making sure that she was safely sitting in the tub.


    Her back was facing him, but she could feel that her body was getting burned by the touch of Kazimir''s skin. She wanted to run like a rabbit fleeing from the ws of the tiger.


    She had never found herself in a situation like this before. The one and only moment of intimacy she shared with Kazimir was during their wedding night. After that, she no longer experienced nor had even longed for it.


    But what could she do now? After three years of marriage, here she was, sharing a bath with him in his own tub.


    "First Prince, this shouldn''t be¡­" Her ears feel so hot, how could she be in such an embarrassing situation?


    She curled herself defensively, her timidity overtaking all of the other functions of her body.


    Kazimir was actually mesmerized to observe his wife so closely. He felt amused seeing her so timid and shy even after they had already given birth to a two year old son.


    He suddenly had the urge to tease her more as he said in a low maic voice, "What''s wrong in taking a bath together? Didn''t you say earlier that we are husband and wife!"


    "But.. this.. I," Arielle found herself trapped in her own words. But how could she just act like nothing was wrong with taking a bath with him? She was not ady with bold aspirations after all.


    Kazimir observed her for a little more as she tried to squirm away from him, she clearly wanted to run away however¡­ could she run around wet all over with nothing but ayer of undergarment?


    He knew she wouldn''t. He knew she couldn''t.


    His eyes squinted like a fox watching his prey struggle, enjoying the moment that gave him a different kind of satisfaction he hadn''t felt for a long time.


    He stopped teasing her when he knew that she was reaching her limits.


    He gently ced his huge palms on her shoulders as he said with a rare coaxing voice, "Now, now¡­ We can''t help it, if you stay out of the tub wet all over for too long, you will definitely get sick. It''s better to bathe instead¡­ Don''t worry about your garments."


    After he said this, he took the bell on the side of the bathtub, ordering the servants to immediately bring in a change of clothes for the Princess consort and obediently wait outside until he said so.


    He also didn''t linger for too long and started to gently bathe Arielle with his own hands. As he washed her body like a dutiful husband, he realized how frail looking and skinny his princess consort was.


    Kazimir''s brows furrowed in anger, has she been living well in the pce? Why was she still so skinny? Was she not being well taken care of in his own manor?


    His mood immediately turned dark, it seemed like he had been too focused on going around strengthening his power more that he did not even realize what was happening in his own house.


    He had to gather around the servants and discipline them, he decided.


    When he firstid his eyes on her, who was standing meekly along with her arrogant looking sisters, he was immediately enamored by how pure she looked.


    She was like a flower, blooming with all her might on a vast in, constantly whipped by the harshest blows of the wind.


    Frail yet resilient. Weak but not easily crushed.


    The moment his eyesnded on hers, he knew she was the one. Without hesitation he chose her, ignoring all the other princesses of the Vanderford family.


    Everyone was taken aback by his choice back then. It was unexpected after all, she was the unwanted timid princess of the Vanderfords. But he didn''t mind, as he saw her responding without hesitation to his call.


    Marrying her was the only time he acted willful and selfish, doing something against his Empress Mother''s wish.


    But the Creator knows that he never regretted his choice, not back then, not even now.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not everyone knew, but even after his marriage, his mother would insist him to take a new lover outside, one that is capable and powerful, for the sake of his future.


    But that thing never crossed his mind, he just calmy rejected his mother''s wish without any sign of aversion. Unknowingly, he made her mother think that he was notpletely against it, he just didn''t see the need at the moment.


    But deep inside he was thinking, what use would a capable woman be, if their motives weren''t as pure as hers.


    She never demanded anything. She never looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze like all other people did.


    However on the wedding night, he realized something surprising about himself and his feelings for her.


    Sharing such a magical moment with her on the matrimonial bed had made him thirst for more.


    No matter how disciplined he thought he was, he was not able to stop himself from taking her until he just found herying limply on the soft bed, without an ounce of energy. Her eyes tearing up as she whimpered from the pain of being deflowered by him.


    He was in great shock upon realizing how beastly he had acted. He looked at the mess he had created, it was like a bucket of ice water being poured on his entire body.


    That was especially so when he woke up the next day finding her burning with high fever. She was so close to convulsing when the doctor arrived.


    Although the doctor tried his best not to reprimand and embarrass him as the First Prince of the Empire, he immediately understood his diagnosis.


    His princess consort was sickly and her body was frail, she had been ''exercising'' for too long when her body was still not strong enough for these kinds of activities.


    He never knew that she was suffering from malnutrition and weak constitution. That, and the fact that she was ''not covered enough'' for almost the entire night, almost brought her to a vegetative state.


    It made him feel so guilty, that he promised himself to restrain whenever he is with her.


    But who would have thought that whenever he sees or hears her name, his body would instantly burn with desire to do all those things again?!


    And so, the First Prince started to avoid her like a poison lily, all her for her sake.


    He didn''t want to hurt her nor bring her to that pitiful state again. The only time he saw her again was during the time she was carrying their little son in her arms so warmly.


    He burned that scene to his mind and heart, as he continued to keep himself away from her.


    Don''t say that it was that easy for him, for that was never the case.


    He thought of her so badly every moment that he had to force himself get addicted again to ying as an awesome prince of the pce, going around socializing and reinforcing his influence in the noble society.


    Until such time that his body and mind were already used to not entertaining the thought of her presence, as if she never existed at all.


    But how could his heart be fooled? The moment he heard her words earlier in the bathtub, he had already long wanted to pull her in and take her again.


    With thest bit of rationality in his mind, he tried to calm himself down and for the very first time, he thought of someone other than himself.


    His wife would surely get sick if she stayed wet like that in the cold air.


    He''ll bathe her carefully, not even letting himself get consumed by the raging fire he was keeping in his heart at the moment.


    He''ll dry her hair, then clothe her warmly. He''ll dine with her, making sure that she eats a warm meal.


    He''ll thank her for staying by his side when he was unwell. Then he''ll apologize for letting her work so much.


    He''ll protect her with all his abilities. He''d let her and his son live happily in the future days toe.


    He knew he had too. That was why, he decided, he''ll rise for himself and not surrender.


    If the future is an inevitable battle he has to face, then he will take the sword up and bring forth a good fight!


    In the battle of favor, only those who don''t give up will surely have the right!

 Chapter 222 Have I Done A Good Job?

    ?The brightness of the day was not able to ovee the gloominess of the Empress Pce for over a week.


    Leaningfortably on a soft luxurious chesterfield sofa, Empress Carolina was immersed in deep contemtion as she sipped the ss of red wine in her hand.


    Her thoughts wandered deeply onto her son whom she was not able to contact for so long. The matter of being publicly questioned during the morning council was a great blow on her son''s status and power.


    She clearly saw how his influence wavered after the matter blew up.


    Equally helpless, she was not able to say anything when Kazimirshed out on her and her brother Maxim after the council meeting.


    All she could do was watch in shock upon hearing the news and the intense quarrel between her brother and son.


    Boom!


    The thundering sound of the table being heavily hit by Maxim''s hands reverberated in the Empress''s office. Duke Maxim''s eyes were glowing red as he looked at Prince Kazimir with a heavy and annoyed look.


    "You!!! How could you be such an ingrate to your Mother and Uncle!! How many times do we have to exin that the reason for the investigations was actually to detect the enemy who was trying to foil our ns!? This matter was done clearly for your sake, yet you go against us and me us mercilessly?!"


    Prince Kazimir was also fuming in anger as he stood and kicked the nearby wooden furniture. He growled like an agitated tiger whose tail had been stepped on.


    "How would I understand when you don''t exin why you have to do that without permission?! Tell me, what''s so dangerous about the situation that both of you scrambled in panic and moved without even considering the consequences? Did you even consider how it would impact me?! Tell me? Do you really believe that it was for my good???!"


    Kazimir looked at his mother and asked in a low yet scary voice, "Tell me¡­Mother.. Do you really have me in mind? Huh??? Tell me for whose sake were you and uncle''s ns where? Why not tell me so I could understand??"


    "¡­" Empress Carolina kept mum about Kazimir''s question. Duke Maxim also didn''t answer no matter how angry he was at the moment.


    Seeing the two didn''t have the intention to answer his questions, Kazimir looked at them and let out a dejected self mockingugh,


    "Hahaha, Father Emperor was really right¡­ I really had forgotten that I was a Seirende before I was a Ves. Why did I even have to plead on your behalf when you have no intention to be fair with me and let me understand? I brought this to myself¡­ Ahahaha!!!"


    Without waiting for their reply, he strode quickly out of the room and heavily closed the door.


    His words only ended at that but as Kazimir''s mother, how could Empress Carolina understand what he implied with his statement?


    ''Because I only listened to the two of you, I got in trouble. Now I wanted to just hear your exnation, but why can''t you give it to me?''


    The Ves Siblings were gloomily left in the hall, staying still in a daze.


    Forget about Kazimir doubting their intentions, the entire capital had already set their eyes on them, watching their every move.


    But the two had a tacit understanding that no matter how difficult it would be, they would never reveal the truth about the curses and the past of the Ves n to the current generation.


    This was to ensure that even if they fail in their time, there would be the next generation surviving until the victory is achieved.


    They learned this lesson through their father, who kept them in the dark until the day he died. He arranged everything that would happen after his death, ensuring that the Ves''s lineage will never be wiped out.


    As such, even how Kazimir pressured them into exining what really happened, he will not have any idea about the Ves''s connection to the sinister organization.


    That was also true with Duke Maxim''s son and daughters. All they knew was they had trained especially strong knights and established underground organizations, such as the ck market, which could umte money for their house.


    They would never associate these operations to the Vess cooperating with the Spectre, whose origins were actually from the Vess too!


    If this matter would be exposed in any way, the whole of Prasinos would target their family topletely destroy the Spectre and wipe out the Ves''s trace in the world.


    So afterforting each other and agreeing to stay out of the radar for a few months, the siblings parted ways with troubled states of mind.


    This is a great loss on their end - a chip of their power had been destroyed by the incident and its aftermath have forced them to dy their nsid down in the dark.


    When Empress Carolina remembered that particr day, she couldn''t help but sigh in regret and helplessness.


    She knew that Kazimir would not understand these things and it would be something that could turn into a seed of doubt in their rtionship.


    She''s clearly seeing it now.


    This matter managed to sessfully sow discord between their mother-son rtionship as well as Kazimir''s rtionship with his maternal family.


    But now that she had already spent some time pondering about what she would do to restore their rtionship, she decided to take it carefully, step by step.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Shadow.." She called out.


    A few secondster, a shadow appeared from her balcony and knelt to her in acknowledgement, "Empress.."


    His build and figure matched the characteristics of the dark knight assigned to Empress Carolina''s side, Can.


    "What''s the update on the First Prince?" She asked coldy.


    "Reporting to the Empress, the First Prince continued to stay in his pce until this moment however¡­" Can hesitated for a while. He was unsure if he would report the matter about the Princess Consort whom the Empress openly disliked.


    "What''s the matter? Continue.." Empresso Carolinamanded.


    "Yes! He has been staying in the pce, spending time with the Princess Consort and young prince¡­ These days, the news of the First Prince rekindling the rtionship with his estranged wife has been circting even in the Emperor''s ce. "


    Can exined as the Empress demanded, holding his breath to brace himself for the Empress'' s outburst.


    But contrary to Can''s expectation, Empress Carolina did not even show any traces of anger on her face.


    Sipping her wine she even smirked and said, "Hmmm.. continue to send someone to closely observe his situation. Let him do what he wants. Notify me if his mood has already been stabilized."


    She thought that her worthless daughter inw had some use. At least she managed to appease Kazimir earlier than expected. With that, she was sure that the reconciliation with her son would not be far off from now.


    Hearing some good news on Kazimir''s side, Empress Carolina''s mood improved as she gestured Can to continue reporting.


    This time she asked about the movements of the two other princes.


    "The Second Prince was busy leading the task of imposing the sanction while the Third Prince kept his usual routine whenever he was in the capital, going to the barracks and training the Crimson des."


    "Hmm.." Empress Carolina raised her brows upon hearing this news.


    If there was no suspicious movement from the two princes then who could the enemy be? Valentin? The two grandmasters?


    "How about the big wigs?" She anxiously asked.


    Can shook his head as he dutifully reported. "There were no movements from the Emperor, nor the two grandmasters and their family. The two families did not change that much, only that they were now extra enthusiastic because of Eli the great inventor joining their ranks."


    "Eli¡­ is she doing something suspicious?" The more she heard about the known threats being unsuspicious, the more her brows furrowed in anxiousness.


    "The great inventor has announced that she will be working with the research institute to fasten the progress of their inventions. She has been busy researching within the Farauld Institute Library and woulde home routinely in the Farauld Estate."


    Now hearing another piece of worthless info, Empress Carolina waved her hand, dismissing Can off.


    Her mind was more confused than ever, who could this enemy be?


    She was running out of candidates amongst the known ones who would likely be a threat to their ns. It was fine if she could get some small details that could lead her to someone suspicious, but there was not a single one!


    None of the people on their list showed any signs of going against them.


    ''This is bad.. With the investigation forcibly halted, our ns would be hampered even more! A great amount of time would inevitably be wasted!


    While she was extremely disturbed by these concerns, the Emperor had a calm and serious look on his face.


    He was holding a pair of gardening scissors as he worked to trim down the flowers that have withered on their secret chamber garden.


    Snip snip snip!


    The surroundings were still and quiet. Only the asional sounds of snipping and rustling of the nts could be heard in the chamber.


    Valentin, the Emperor of the Seirende Empire tended the flowering pots, dutifully pruning branches that would suck the life out of the peaceful thriving nts.


    Only when he had finished trimming down thest of withered parts did he raise his head to look at the sun''s rays gently prating the transparent ceiling of the chamber.


    "Have I done a good job?" He mumbled.

 Chapter 223 The Lonely Back

    ?Queen Teh painfully watched Emperor Valentin''s solitary back. She saw how disheartened the Emperor was in the past few days.


    She couldn''t think of anything to cheer him up other than to stay and watch over him.


    Watching him ept the painful truth about the inevitable conflict among his beloved sons was a heartbreaking experience for her too.


    Memories flooded her mind as she watched her beloved sumb again to a simr state he was in during his first years as an Emperor.


    Queen Teh knew more than anyone how devastating it was for Emperor Valentin to realize what abominable thing he did on his very own wedding night.


    That thing was something that he didn''t even have the will nor courage to do to others as the Crown Prince of the Empire back then.


    It took him years to even have the courage to show himself in front of her, whom he thought he betrayed.


    What''s more, he never intended to ruin any woman like that, may it be Lucia or even Carolina, who was the perpetrator.


    The disgust, remorse, guilt, and me weighed down on his battered body, which was still recovering after being in aa for a few months. Add to the fact that he cannot leave the throne vacant for too long.


    Queen Teh knew how Emperor Valentin dragged his body up and faced his responsibilities to revive the Empire that had been devastated by the war.


    He held on as long as he could, bearing all the sins he did, as well as the gravity of his position, not even having time to mourn for the fall of his father. He was not even able to go out to recover his father''s body!


    Slowly his health declined because he did not allow his body to fully recover when the curse damaged his body a lot.


    In just two months of holding the ground for the Empire, he finally copsed, dropping cold and shivering on the floor.


    Everyone in the Empire panicked and became uneasy.


    With the fall of thete Emperor and his declining health, chaos immediately ensued on who would be the one to be treated as an heir to the throne when the Empress and the First Queen were pregnant at the same time.


    This was also the start of the intense, never-ending power struggle between the Ves and Astaze.


    The equilibrium started to copse and no one could stand to lead the Empire because no one would allow the other to do so.


    But hope arrived when the news of Emperor Idelfonso surviving the war spread. Although severely injured, he was brought back with the help of his two friends Andvari and Reuben.


    With the sight of the grandmastersing back, the power-hungry nobles stepped back with tails between their legs.


    Queen Teh could not forget thete Emperor Idelfonso''s piercing blue eyes ring at the noblemen while shouting,


    "Bunch of fools! In the absence of the Emperor, none of the wives could take over even if they are bearing an heir! What made you think that it was easy to wipe the Imperial Family down? The fact that my son brought multiple wives invalidates ALL of them to the political struggle! Drill that on your brains!"


    This was when the noblemen, especially Maxim, realized how scheming Emperor Valentin was even though he had prematurely ascended to the throne.


    They did not know that the gravity of taking multiple wives would cripple their very chance to seize this rare moment and take advantage of the throne''s instability.


    What can they do? Even the Temple released the written Imperialw written back on the establishment of the Seirende Empire:


    "When the current Emperor failed to aplish his duties in any way and had an heir of age, the crown prince, or in his absence, the eldest child, would immediately take over. However, if he had multiple wives and offsprings, without a conferred crown prince, the role must be assumed by the eldest sibling or the closest ascendant of the current Emperor!"


    It was a great and unexpected move from Valentin at that time. When all the people thought that he was just pressured by the two big factions, he got back at them this way.


    Only then did everybody realize that his move was intended to buy himself enough time to establish his power andpensate for his inexperience. He knew that by the time his sessor grew, he had already established his power in the Empire.


    The only unnned thing for him was the incident on the wedding night. For he had long nned to only fulfill his duty as a husband with Queen Teh and no more. The only heir that he nned to bear was his beloved, Teh.


    But the schemes of Carolina took those away, thus creating this mess.


    In Emperor Valentin''s bedroom, Emperor Idelfonso stood at his bedside with a trembling body and bloodshot eyes as he listened to Queen Teh''s recount of everything that happened.


    "How brazen and disgusting! How could that kind of creature even stay here in the pce?! Drag her and I''ll kill her on the spot!" He shouted with a hoarse voice as he bellowed full of angst and injustice for his poor son.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ide, calm down! Even if you want to punish her now, she was already carrying the blood and flesh of the Seirende! Do not stain your hands that way!" Reuben held Idelfonso down as he knew his friend''s temper.


    "Old Ben is right, what your son needs now is a chance to get some peace to fully recover for the resumption of his responsibilities." Andi also helped the still gravely injured Idelfonso as he was escorted back to his seat.


    There was a long silence in the bedroom which was filled with a medicinal aroma that could aid Valentin''s recovery.


    Idelfonso was still unsatisfied as he clenched his fist really hard.


    He had just lost his wife a few months ago. He also watched as his men fell down one by one in a war that seemed to have no hope of winning.


    Now he crawled to the gates of hell as he was immediately rescued by his two good friends who were actually traveling around the Empire to live a carefree life.


    But who would have thought that he would go home to see both the Empire and his beloved son in a severely bad state?!


    "Just wait! She will get her retribution! She will surely get it!" He softly dered with a voice full of wrath. He was gritting his teeth to contain the overwhelming anger in his heart.


    However, in the past few days, there were no signs of hope in Valentin''s body. Signs of life being exhausted appeared rapidly, causing Idelfonso to panic and almost go crazy.


    He was full of grievance as to why the Creator who had blessed his family from generation to generation suddenly turned away at this moment.


    Kneeling on the bedside, he held his son, who could have been in his prime enjoying his young life but was slowly approaching his death.


    "Oh Creator, please¡­ You have taken away one¡­ Please do not take another¡­" He sobbed like a child who was ruthlessly abandoned by his parents.


    Queen Teh also sobbed on the side, as she was also as hopeless as her father-inw.


    Suddenly, a gentle and ancient voice sounded from the door of the bedroom. "There''s a way to save him.."


    "H-high Priest!" Queen Teh quickly greeted the High Priest.


    "Hmm.." He nodded in acknowledgment and looked at Emperor Idelfonso with a serious expression.


    Feeling the mood, Queen Teh excused herself and let the two elders converse in the room.


    She didn''t know what things the two esteemed men talked about. But since then, there has been a change in the situation.


    The current Emperor, Valentin, finally showed signs of recovery. While Emperor Idelfonso temporarily held the post, announcing that he would immediately retire once Valentin fully recovered.


    Only after three days, Valentin regained consciousness and was able to get back to his optimal condition after a week.


    Shortly after Valentin resumed his responsibilities, Emperor Idelfonso retired to the northern ins, intending to spend his life there until he died.


    He did not appear in the capital after doing so. In the future, the only thing that Emperor Valentin could do was to bring his three sons to visit him once in a while to pay respects.


    As for Valentin, although his health recovered, his heart and mind did not.


    He was greatly relieved to know that his father was alive.


    But the seed of self-hatred already took a deep root in his heart.


    There were moments when he was smiling at the people yet his eyes were full of despair. He was deeply trapped in the unending abyss of guilt, unwillingness, and shame.


    He found himself dirty, unworthy, and full of defects.


    He also hid away from his people, especially Teh. How could the two even see each other eye to eye now?


    Everythingpletely changed, their love was no longer as pretty as butterflies and as lovely as flowers.


    And with his young yet lonely back, he carried it all until a certain time arrived.

 Chapter 224 Emperor

    ?Back then, it was through the wise words of the retired Emperor Idelfonso and the timely birth of Kazimir and Antoine that somehow brought the light on Valentin''s face.


    Slowly, his heart, which he forcefully closed, obtained cracks that enabled his heart to warm up. It would just take a little push to help him open it again.


    That final blow was delivered by her, Teh, whom Emperor Valentin refused to confront.


    Now, she is going to do it again because she knows, a person cannot heal by themselves properly. There''s someone who had to step up to encourage and help him recover.


    Strengthening her heart, she took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the dazed Valentin.


    Seeing his back which carried burdens and sustained wounds of life, Queen Teh stretched her arms, hugging him from behind.


    She felt his body go still and rx upon realizing that it was her.


    "You''ve done well. My love¡­ you''ve done very well." She mumbled as she tried to put the warmth of her body, wishing that it would reach towards Emperor Valentin''s cold and deste heart.


    Valentin''s body trembled, his heartstrings were pulled, easily shattering the dam of emotions he had kept bottled for days.


    Hot tears of misery rolled on his aged face, wearing a wry smile. Soul stirring cries came out of a man who had spent so many years being the strong unshakeable pir that keeps the family and the Empire together.


    Queen Teh stayed quiet and just held his shaking body as he wailed with inaudible words. His tears flowed like a raging river, his chest heaved up and down, desperately searching for air to ease the pain in his heart.


    She repositioned herself and supported Valentin''s copsing posture. Caressing his head while keeping himforted with her warmth and presence, they spent the time until Emperor Valentin calmed down.


    The old couple stayed with each other until the night came. No one knows how much they struggled to keep themselves together while trying to stay strong for the people who rely on them in the Empire.


    Only the two of them knew how they depended on each other to survive on times when they were utterly breaking.


    --


    Meanwhile, there was a hopeful atmosphere on the investigators side.


    With the sleepless nights and restless days, their time in seclusion was finally showing signs of breakthrough.


    One would wonder how these investigators managed to stay inside their base of operation while there were versions of themselves outside?


    Of course, the answer was they engaged stand ins for them using the Roaming des, who were masters of disguise.


    They did this to divert the Empress and Duke Valentin''s suspicion away from any of them. Only the Emperor and the necessary people in the Forgeworn and Farauld Family knew of this.


    Inside their makeshift office in the dungeon, Joab straightened his stiff back while heaving a sigh of relief, "I am d that we already have a direction on how we will interrogate the captives."


    "Uhn¡­ The researching unit did a very good job. Thank you for your hard work!" General Farauld looked towards Nathan, Keren, Eli and Kayden who were looking a little bit lethargic because they had been buried in mountains of texts and documents for the research.


    "Uhnn, it''s fine, our progress is for the sake of everyone to begin with. The earlier we can finish this, the better it is for us!" Keren replied with a hint of relief, she did not forget to look at her teammates with a grateful look.


    She was actually amazed by how the three people in her team took everything seriously and didn''t mind the awkward differences between the temple and the secr people.


    They supported and treated each other fairly.


    Even in the discussion, the questions raised would be something that would make the discourse more interesting and dynamic. No one speaks their mind with the intention ofpeting with another nor attacking anyone.


    All the unnecessary tension was eliminated resulting in faster turnover of hypotheses and ideas!


    "Now it''s our time to consolidate this information with the results from the interrogation unit. Then we cane up with the final rosters of questions we had to ask for the three minute window once Dr. Einz''s truth potion is used." Leon exined. "The High Priest also suggested that we all take a one day break before resuming our investigations. With this, we would have time to recover to ensure that we are sound enough to go to the next phase!"


    The rest eximed in relief after hearing this announcement. They needed that time to rest and keep up with their personal lives.


    That was also true with Leon and Eli who had been missing Little Han for a few days now.


    The two of them had no choice but to entrust Little Han to Mami Aqu and take turns to sneak out to ensure that he sleeps well at night.


    It was also a great dilemma for Eli as she still preferred breastfeeding Little Han while slowly introducing solid food to his system.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mothers of these ages engaged wet nurses in case they were not able to breastfeed their babies themselves. However, she knew that this poses a lot of health risks to the infant.


    Although the modern world already has the technology to make breastfeeding convenient, safe and hygienic, the materials for storing milk and feeding was a generation advance in this age. They were materials that even she was hesitant to introduce to the world because it may introduce more harm to nature when mismanaged.


    Thus, Eli had no choice but to do everything by hand, keeping the extracted milk uncontaminated with a sterilized ss container. She will then store it in a freezer box with which she had the Forgeworns crafted ording to her design. This will allow Little Han be nourished for two days until she can sneak out and supply breast milk again.


    With the matters for the day getting settled, the team proceeded to enjoy their one day rest.


    Eli and the bunch immediately teleported to the Farauld Estate to meet Little Han and the rest. However they didn''t linger that long as they teleported back to the cottage whom they have not visited.


    Seeing that everything was still the same and good in the cottage, the two carried Little Han inside and bonded with him.


    "Mommy! Daddi!" Little Han seemed to be fascinated by his newfound talent. The cottage was immediately filled with his giggles and words whom he tries to perfect from time to time.


    "In about two months, he would be a year old." Eli softly told Leon with a light and loving tone.


    "Let''s try not to miss this big day for him?" She looked at Leon as if pleading, her dark obsidian eyes became a bit watery, as they looked straight to Leon''s crystal blue eyes.


    "Hmm, let''s do it.." Leon caressed Eli''s head, there was a trace of guilt in his heart.


    They have missed the new year celebration they agreed to do because of the investigation. Now they couldn''t afford to miss celebrating Little Han''s one year celebration!


    Seeing that Leon was as determined as her, she smiled gently and gave him and Little Han a hug.


    These days, they were so caught up with their own jobs and were not able to enjoy each other''spany.


    Leon also caught the two in his embrace, cherishing this precious moment that was given to him.


    How long do they have to work and do things this way? When can they spend time like a real family?


    "After the matter at hand, let''s think about our marriage?" Leon asked while he nted a soft yet lingering kiss on Eli''s forehead.


    "Uhnn let''s do that.." Eli didn''t resist.


    Because this was also emphasized by the High Priest, the matter of their marriage would also increase their leverage in dealing with the enemies as her protection spell for Little Han and Leon would be stronger.


    The High Priest also theorized thatplying with the marriage ceremony would also increase the connection she has with the spiritual realm which was the source of her priestly powers.


    In conclusion, marrying sooner would help her in dealing with the curse magic more effectively.


    "I also want you to brace yourself, Eli.." Leon continued, there was a hint of worry in his expression. "We have to deal with the hidden enemies inside the pce as Father Emperor had already expressed his intent to select the Crown Prince."


    Eli did not show any signs of uneasiness or anxiety in front of the nervous Leon, instead she looked at him and asked, "Do you want to be the next Emperor, Leon?"


    Leon did not answer this question right away. In fact he was hesitating, because his mind was now filled with worry for his family.


    If it was before, he would definitely answer yes because his bitter childhood had motivated him to rise above all that belittled him for being an untalented prince and a person of no noble background.


    Other than that, he grew up with a genuine care of the empire and its subjects.


    He was born to love the people - he believed that was ingrained in every fiber of his being.


    But he now had a family he really wanted to protect, no matter how much the cost is.


    Choosing to be the Emperor would ask him to forget being father and be a ruler.


    Choosing to be the Emperor would make him choose to stay with his wife, or go out and save the people''s lives.


    Choosing to be the Emperor would force you to make decisions that deviates the values that you adhere to and be ruthless or merciless to survive.


    This he knows very well, as he saw these things manifest in reality through his father.

 Chapter 225 Hastas Interrogation (1)

    ?Looking at Leon, who had a worried and confused expression, Eli immediately understood.


    The hesitation on Leon''s part waspletely reasonable, in her opinion. This is because the responsibility of the Emperor was too great for Leon at the moment.


    His hands were already full of looking for ways to make the Capital be a safe ce for her and Little Han. To add the Empire on top of his current burdens, Eli could also feel that this would not be easy for Leon to carry.


    She held Leon''s hand and looked at him with assurance in her eyes, "Whatever your decision is, I am here to support you. We''re in this together."


    Unsatisfied about how she expressed her heart out, she took his hands and ced it on her cheeks, transferring a little bit of warmth from her body.


    She wanted to let Leon feel that no matter what, she will do her best to help him and stay by his side.


    Leon nodded silently, noting in his heart that whatever decision he takes, there must be no hesitation on his part.


    To fight for the throne or not, his actions must be of good intentions. It is just that once he chooses the other, there will be no turning back.


    --


    In the past few weeks, the tension within the Capital kept rising and rising.


    This was the same in a certain underground dungeon where seven notable people were now preparing to conduct the final phase of the investigation with the captives.


    "The second captive Hasta is not doing well. As you already know, we have found out that this was the side effect of using the curse without replenishment. It is definite that after he takes this potion, his life will be lost because his body was already bad enough to even tolerate the non lethal dose of the rock freesia." Kayden exined to the team with a serious expression.


    Holding two crystal bottles of a yellow green potion, Kayden looked at Keren and Leon while confirming onest time, "Do we have enough clearance in using this to our captives?"


    Keren answered with a valiant and resolute tone, "The High Priest has given us the permission. The consequences for using the potion on the second captive will be taken as the corporal punishment for using a heretic curse."


    Leon also replied with a serious expression, "The Emperor also approves the use of this potion."


    "Alright." Kayden nodded and prepared to administer the potion to Hasta.


    Prior to this, the captives have already been transferred into a specialized investigation room that was ridden with security and istion arrays. Just like a modern interrogation roomyout, there''s an annexure that allows spectators to view and hear the proceedings inside the interrogation room while the activity is happening.


    Eli came up with thisyout, as she emphasized the modern psychological requirements in conducting investigation. She also suggested setting up multiple recording stones to ensure that everything that was happening could be kept for future use.


    The interrogation team would be General Farauld, Leon and Joab. But because they only had three minutes to conduct the interrogation, the team chose the most experienced General Farauld to ask everything under three minutes.


    Activating the light in the room, Eli and the others saw the suspended body of Hasta in a fetal position at the center of a fiery red magic circle.


    Lifting a bronze timer ss, Kayden looked at everyone and reminded, "Once you see me flip this hourss, your three minutes will start. For the second captive, there may be a few minutes of extension; however, that would already be unreliable information. Everything that is said after the sand in the ss was exhausted will no longer be the absolute truth."


    "Understood!" Everyone acknowledged.


    With that, Kayden and General Farauld entered the main interrogation room wearing face changing masks to ensure that their identities couldn''t be found out even at the captive''s death.


    Being suddenly exposed to the light, a weakened and confused Hasta opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. He looked at the two people who were also looking at him with undetectable expressions.


    After the fight in the forest, Hasta hardly ever remembered anything that happened. All he remembered was endless pain that was not even brought by torture of his captives, but of the after effects of the curse power devouring his body because he did not have his replenishment on time.


    Every minute he was awake, it was like there were a million ants devouring his flesh in a slow yet extremely painful way. But whenever he looked in his body, the confusion would strike him because his body waspletely intact and free from any superficial wounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The only relief he would taste was when his captor''s doctor would feed him some kind of a life extending potion. It contained a little bit of life essence that gave him an hour of relief.


    But during that peaceful hour, there were three people who would take turns in interrogating him, extracting information from his side. He tried to figure out who these three people were, but in the end, he was not able to associate him to any known person in the capital.


    Being bound by his loyalty with the Empress and the Duke, he held on and never gave any crucial information that would give out his master''s ns and intentions.


    He would have not cared that he would give them information; however, after staying in a cage full of arrays, he felt that the bond of the oath he had with the Empress and Duke was cut off.


    This would mean that if he ever vited his oath of loyalty to his masters, they will never detect them nor will the punishment reach his body.


    It was as if he was ced in a void that cuts off all kinds of connection he had outside!


    But he could feel that he would not hold on for long.


    It was only a few days ago that he realized that the pain he was feeling was actually his soul being eaten by the curse magic.


    Finally seeing that his end would not be long, somehow he felt that he would no longer have to care for these people who were about to interrogate him again.


    Even in his final days, they will never extract any information through him!


    Hasta looked at the two men with confidence in his heart. He could vaguely feel the control of his body much more than his consciousness, this would also mean that he may die soon.


    Knowing this, he let out a mocking smile and mumbled, "You will never get any information from me.."


    Kayden did not bother his taunt. Wearing a white coat and sterile gloves, he approached the weakened Hasta and replied with a challenging tone, "Hmmm, we can test that theory right now¡­"


    Without waiting for the other party''s reply, he expertly held Hasta''s jaw up and pressed a specific joint, making the other reflexively open his mouth.


    Then Kayden quickly flicked the crystal bottle open and poured out all of its contents into Hasta''s mouth. He held the captive''s jaw in an angle that the liquid would flow straight in his esophagus without a chance to reject the substance.


    With all the contents of the bottle ingested by Hasta, Kayden tapped his fingers on a nearby stand, counting five seconds. He did this while still holding Hasta''s jaw up with the other party figuring out how to resist the liquid he had just ingested.


    After five seconds, Kayden flipped the ss timer looking at General Farauld, "You canmence.."


    He let go of Hasta''s head and immediately exited the main interrogation room. He observed Hasta''s bodily reactions from the clear ss, not minding the his attempt to spit out the liquid frantically.


    "Are there more of your kind lurking in the Empire?" General Farauld did not even waste a second and started to ask the question.


    "We are only seven, trained to specially use curse magic, however there were many people under ourmand. There''s around a hundred in total that arepletely blended in the Empire." Hasta was panicking inside as he could not stop his mind and mouth in spilling out the truth that he knew.


    ''What kind of thing did the doctor feed to me?''


    ''How could this force me to spill things out of my control?!''


    There was a deep sense of terror welling up from the depths of his heart as he realized that he had no control even on his soul.


    "Tell us what extent of cursed weapons and powers they can utilize."

 Chapter 226 Hastas Interrogation (2)

    ?"Unlike the seven of us who are well versed in using advanced spells and weapons, they were only trained to use curse weapons." Hasta replied with bloodshot eyes as the hatred in his heart intensified with the information freely flowing from his mouth.


    "Why so? If you know how to use advanced curse spells, then why not teach the basic ones to others?" General Farauld asked with interest.


    This does not follow the normal course of logic.


    To any man who had obtained an unbelievable source of power, he would have greater feats to aspire to and that mainly includes expanding his power through getting more subordinates.


    "Of course, that would mean that thepetition to find curse replenishment will increase!" Hasta tried to bite his tongue to fight off the urge to spill the truth, however the self harm detecting array activated and stopped his act.


    Without hindrance, he could only continue;


    "Unlike mana which is avable in almost every part of Prasinos, curse magic is scarce. The easiest source for us to replenish our magic is to take away people''s lives. If we do not do it, the curse magic will try to get a means to survive on its own. That means devouring the nearest source of replenishment, which is the user''s life.


    If a hundred of us need to replenish our magic, then that would mean we have to kill at least a hundred people, depending on the scale of the curse magic we used. For an intermediate level spell, I have to kill at least ten people devouring their essence. Wouldn''t that raise the enemy''s attention if that''s the case?"


    With so much valuable informationing out from Hasta''s mouth, General Farauld wanted to ask a few more follow up questions but the time was not able to give him a chance. He had to stick to his roster of questions.


    General Farauld: "Are you under the Duke and Empress''s Orders?"


    Hasta: "Yes."


    General Farauld: "Who is the main chain ofmand and why?"


    Hasta: "The Empress, she is the real sessor of the Ves."


    General Farauld: "Real sessor of the Ves? What does that mean?"


    Hasta: "I am not privy to that information."


    General Farauld: "Does the Empress and Duke know how to use curse magic?"


    Hasta: "Yes, they were the ones who trained us personally."


    General Farauld: "Do you know how they are able to learn to use this magic."


    Hasta: "No.. not one of the seven dark knights knew of it. We only know that they were our teachers."


    General Farauld: "Do you know why the Duke and the Empress trained men like you?"


    Hasta: "I don''t know. Maybe to take the throne."


    General Farauld: "Tell the truth!"


    Deeply surprised that Hasta did not know the specifics of the Empress''s ns, General Farauld checked the ss timer and looked at Kayden with doubt. However Kayden only gave him an assuring nod.


    "Well didn''t you know if I am telling the truth or not?" Hasta replied in a mocking tone.


    General Farauld could only sigh briefly and continued, "Is the First prince aware of the Empress and Duke''s association with curses?"


    Hasta gritted his teeth, he figured out that the effect of the potion he ingested had a time limit from the way General Farauld was interrogating him. But his mind and body wouldn''t listen to him.


    He could only witness himself spill the truth like a free flowing fountain, "No... none of the second generation of the Vess nor the First Prince knew of these things. They only knew that the Vess had some forces underground, but not as deep as knowing that these powers had something to do with the curses."


    General Farauld: "Do you have connections with the Spectre."


    Hasta: "They are our closest partners."


    General Farauld: "Where are these people right now?"


    Hasta: "They are mysterious, after you guys had driven out their henchmen, we are having a hard time reestablishing our connection with them!! All we know is that they were spread out in the maind, having people in every jurisdiction of the continent."


    General Farauld nodded and asked another crucial question, "What are the ns that the Empress and the Duke want to implement inside the Empire?"


    "As far as I know, we are preparing to station our people strategically ross the Empire and cause some chaos. Of course, I am not yet aware of the specifics but I only know that this had to be done with the intention to increase the people''s trust on the Ves n and stabilize their status in the empire. Nothing more nothing less."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With Hasta''sst answer, the sand in the ss timer was fully consumed, signaling that the truth potion was no longer in effect.


    However, General Farauld did not rx nor showed a fluctuation in his demeanor. He tried to squeeze out a little more information by bluffing, letting Hasta think that he was still under the truth spell.


    He was able to extract more than three locations where the Empress and the Duke''s hidden people were stationed before Hasta realized that he was no longer under the truth potion.


    "D*mn!!!" Hasta angrily roared upon realizing that he was deceived. He was about to let out another bellow, when a mouthful of blood came out of his mouth.


    Right after the potion had lost its effect, the curse magic immediately kicked in and devoured thest of Hasta''s soul.


    "Ahhhhhrrrr!" Hasta could feel that his body was thrown on a fierce and demonic me.


    He felt that every bit of his body was being burnt mercilessly. The pain caused his senses to no longer function as the only thing that he could do to express his suffering was to let out a shrill sound and writhe in pain.


    The entire team felt a cold wave of goosebumps crawl all over their bodies while they witnessed the devastating effect of the curse on Hasta''s life. They could see how his life was spent under the fearsome torture of the curse.


    All of them were left in a daze for a good few seconds after Hasta''s struggle ended with silence.


    Even General Farauld and Leon, who had witnessed the most bloodcurdling kinds of deaths in the battlefield, stood still in a trance after realizing the horror of getting one''s soul be devoured by the curse magic.


    "Sigh¡­Joab, let''s clean this up." After some time, it was Keren who came out of the daze first.


    She patted Joab''s shoulder and reminded him that they have to take Hasta''s body out of the interrogation room. They have to start cleaning up before preparing it again for Igor''s interrogation the next day.


    The rest were also awakened by this, they started to wrap up with a shaken heart, ensuring that the transcription of the interrogation was well documented. Soon, everyone worked on their own tasks without one telling the other what to do.


    "Urrrrrr..Not.. Enough¡­" Suddenly, a weak eerie voice came out of nowhere.


    Eli was deeply bothered by the sound, "What was that?" She asked with a worried and surprised tone.


    But she was dumbfounded to see that everyone was absorbed with their own tasks and responded to her perfunctorily, "Is there a problem, Eli?"


    "Not Enough¡­." The eerie voice sounded again, this time it''s tone was more demanding.


    "Are you not hearing something?" Eli furrowed her brows while she looked around to see the team''s puzzled faces.


    Her eyes darted around the interrogation room, ignoring the puzzled faces of Leon and the rest. She frantically searched for the source of the voice until her gaze stopped at Hasta''s lifeless body.


    "Not enough, Not enough¡­ not enough.... NOT ENOUGH!!!" This time the voice was intensely angry and scarier. It directly came out from Hasta''s dead body.


    Finally knowing the source of the evil voice, a wave of terror rose in Eli''s heart.


    After hearing the bellow of the voice, she saw a ball of ck fire, asrge as the size of an adult fist, emerge from Hasta''s chest.


    The mes of the ck ball of fire wriggled like hungry tongues in search of something that could satiate their thirst.


    "Food¡­ Food¡­ FOOD!" The voice rang again, and Eli saw that the ball of fire approached the clueless General Farauld, who was busy organizing the files he had at hand.


    This all happened without any warning.


    "Papi!" Eli desperately called out.


    She used the shadow step that she had learned with the Crimson des and dashed through the mirror partition recklessly.


    She didn''t mind the ss shards wounding her body as the only thing in her mind was to ensure that the ball of me would not reach General Farauld.


    Crash!!!!


    The sound of the mirror breaking and Eli''s frantic scream took everyone by surprise.


    By the time they realized what happened, Eli was already in front of General Farauld, shielding him from the approaching sinister looking ball of ck mes without any form of protection.


    "Eli!!!" Leon and the rest cried in rm.

 Chapter 227 Spirit Fragment

    ?The reality told everyone that there was no longer room to react, so they could only helplessly watch Eli use herself as a shield against the ck ball of fire.


    But for Leon, no matter howte he was to notice everything, he stillmanded his body to dash toward Eli''s direction. He expended all the power in his body to move forward and reach Eli in time, regardless if he was a few secondste.


    Eli only had one thing in mind - to not let the ball of mes reach General Farauld or any of the people in the interrogation room. The ball of me was a dangerous thing and no one in the room had the ability to resist its power.


    However, it didn''t also cross her mind how she would deal with the thing herself. She could only feel the inner confidence not to be afraid of the thing and face it head-on. That is why even without a n, she felt that rushing toward this particr danger was not a reckless move for her.


    Her two obsidian eyes looked straight at the ominous creature without any signs of fear, a still small voice sounded deep in her heart instructing her, "Do not fear, hold your hand out¡­"


    She did as the still small voice instructed. Her right hand, which was wounded with little shards of mirror, was raised as if she was reaching out the ball of ck mes.


    The ball of ck fire showed no signs of stopping. Instead, the mes looked more excited as there was someone who wanted to volunteer to be its food. The tongues extended towards Eli''s hand which was stretched out defenselessly until it was only a few inches away from the surface of her skin.


    "Eli!!" She heard everyone crying in rm, the loudest one was the voice of her favorite person in the world - Leon.


    His voice was full of desperation, anxiousness, and begging. Begging for her not to get hurt, begging for her not to perish.


    Zooooooom!


    Just as Eli braced herself for the impact of the evil creature reaching her, she felt that everything around came to a stop.


    The tongues of mes remained frozen in the air exactly three inches away from her, not moving an inch.


    She turned her head to see everyone''s frantic expression, and a sh of guilt appeared in her heart from causing them to worry this much.


    The most agonizing part of this was when she saw Leon''s frozen figure. It was apparent that he ran with all his might just to reach her in time.


    His hand was stretched to its limit. However, he was destined to reach herte as he was one inch farther than the ball of mes!


    His expression will surely keep Eli haunted for days because she saw pure desperation, hopelessness, and panic on every part of his face in a futile attempt to keep her safe.


    It made Eli so guilty that she promised herself not to bring Leon to this state of panic, for this is the kind of face she didn''t want Leon to make ever again!


    "Sigh¡­ Eli chan.. Now you feel guilty huh? Do you realize now that you have been reckless?"


    Eli came to her senses and looked around to see Wisey in her ethereal form. She was still in the shape of an owl however,pared to her glorious presence before when she could shine brightly like the purest of gold, her aura visibly weakened.


    "Wisey.. I.." Eli realized what happened, Wisey used her mysterious power as a creature from the heavens to create this temporary pause.


    "I get that you do not feel afraid because you now know that you have the power to resist the power of the curse. But what you did was utterly reckless. Did you know that that thing was not really a curse? It was a fragment of a spirit!"


    "A fragment of a spirit?" Eli was shocked silly upon Wisey''s revtion.


    "Yes, this is a fragment of a malevolent spirit, it seemed that this was residing on that man''s body that enabled him to somehow use curses. It is like a seed, birthing fruits of its own nature." Wisey''s ethereal body hovered around the frozen spirit fragment while exining the things to Eli.


    "Now your n a while ago was to use your body as a shield right?" She usingly asked Eli with a stern tone.


    "Yes¡­ Because I feel like the curse would not damage me, like how Queen Teh was protected by the blessings I gave¡­" Eli felt the weight of Wisey''s admonishment.


    The more she exined herself, the more she realized the problem with her attitude, she became full of herself upon learning that she had the ability to resist the curse!


    "I¡­ I''m sorry.." She mumbled full of shame and self-reproach.


    Wisey felt helpless over Eli''s actions. Now she finally understood why The Great One sent her here. It was not to see the beauty of the Great One''s creations but to guide this child, Eli. "Now you realize.. Sigh.. anyways do you know what would happen when that thing reaches you now then?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If it was a spirit then. It may have the ability to possess one''s body¡­" Eli finally realized the difference in the situation when the ball of me was a cursed magic or a spirit fragment.


    "Yes and as of now, sorry, you are not strong enough to resist this kind of spirit fragment," Wiseymented without restraint.


    Eli looked at Wisey with confusion.


    If it was only a spirit fragment then somehow it would be weakerpared to a full spirit. Even if she was not yet trained, with the power of the heavens, she may have a chance to resist the fragment. With her question in mind, she was seeing a disconnect between her reasoning and Wisey''s worry.


    "I know what you are thinking, but you are not absolutely wrong about that. However, this spirit fragment is not ordinary... I could feel that this fragment belonged to someone that was far stronger than me in its original state." Wisey patiently exined.


    She reminded Eli that in the heavenly realm, there was an established hierarchy of heavenly beings, such as the seraphim, cherubims, archangels, and angels.


    Wisey was a cherubim, assigned to guard a book of knowledge that was gifted to Eli. The five guardians of Prasinos bear the ranks of Archangels, which mainly have the responsibility to oversee the people of Prasinos.


    The responsibility of the cherubim was much smallerpared with the angels and archangels.


    However, contrary to most people''s notion, cherubims were ranked higher than angels in the heavenly realm because they interact closer to the Great One while the angels and archangels interact more with The Great One''s creation.


    Thus, on earth, the angels and archangels had more power over the people of Prasinos,pared to cherubim like Wisey whose domain belonged to the heavenly realm.


    Wisey said that the owner of the fragment was stronger herself, which meant that it must at least belong to a spiritual being with the rank of an angel, who had more power of influence here on mankind.


    Eli immediately understood these things, she epted that she really had made a mistake that could have caused her life and the people she cared about. She looked at Wisey, who clearly sacrificed a lot of spiritual power to buy her time and exin these things.


    "Wisey.. How do I salvage this situation?" She asked humbly.


    "Look at the palm of the hand you just stretched out¡­" Wisey was satisfied to see that Eli learned her lesson.


    It was not that she would allow Eli and everyone to get hurt. She did not n to be idle either whether Eli made a move or not. It was just that, she had to make Eli understand that they were now fighting against a being of another realm, not a man of flesh and blood.


    Eli did as Wisey instructed, she looked at her palm and saw a pattern in it - it was the pattern that was printed on the cover of the book of knowledge.


    She looked at Wisey with understanding, while the other said,


    "Remember that the Great One sealed a fragment of His power in the book? Now exercise the authority that the Great One bestowed upon you and destroy that spirit. Just like how you prayed to the heavens and gave blessings."


    "Alright.." Eli nodded and stretched out her hand again, this time she was facing the enemy with a clear mind and a purpose.


    And with her voice that was full of authority and faith, she uttered the prayer that came forth from the depths of her soul.


    "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear?


    The Lord giveth me power and strength, what burden shall I not bear?


    No enemy would make me tremble,


    They shall be the ones to flee when the Lord made me His temple!


    Now with all the faith in me, I dere,


    That this enemy will fall into theke of despair!"


    ",

 Chapter 228 Revealed

    ?Rumble!!!


    There was a wave of trembling that jolted everyone awake after they all heard Eli dere these words.


    While she was saying these prayers, the pattern on her hand effectively stopped the spirit fragment into ce. It was as if the spirit fragment had no power against her seemingly weak hand.


    Without her knowing, everyone around her was already conscious when she was already reciting her prayers in an awe-striking way.


    Boom!


    A strong yet gentle wave of air and bright golden light came out of Eli''s body after she finished uttering her prayers.


    Leon and General Farauld, who were the people nearest her, were pushed further to the walls of the interrogation room and almost became blinded by the strong light that assaulted their vision!


    "Ahhhhhrrrr!!! Curse you! Curse you!!! Curse you!!!!"


    While everyone cannot see through the bright light, they could now hear the devilish voice screaming in despair and anger. They could even hear the voice gnashing its ''teeth'' in extreme wrath while suffering from the effects of Eli''s prayer.


    "Just you wait! Old man!! I''ll get your children all of them!!! ALL of THEM!!" It dered with hisst attempt to resist the power of the heavens.


    Eli could see that the spirit fragment was slowly being melted away by the Great One''s power on the palm of her hand.


    Her entire body was covered in bright golden light. It was so bright that it even canceled out the ckness of her hair!


    She could feel an overwhelming power channeling through her body - a power she knew that did note from her, but from the Great One.


    With her conversation with Wisey, her heart was now on the right track.


    Nothing of this came from her at all, it was freely given by her Father, the Great One. She should not cultivate the wrong attitude and thinking towards this power that she could not even fully control.


    Finally, thest wisp of the fragmented spirit had already been wiped out by the holy power. The breeze immediately slowed down and the light had also faded.


    The only thing that remained were the debris from all the mess created by the mysterious power that Eli disyed, as well as the investigators'' shocked expressions.


    As the surroundings became clearer and calmer, Eli saw Wisey''s spirit figure which was already so faint that she could no longer maintain her owl image.


    In a blink of an eye, Wisey immediately shrunk in a small ball of light and rested on Eli''s palm.


    "I''m going to sleep first." Her weakened voice rang while her spectral figure was absorbed inside Eli''s body.


    Eli immediately teared up as she realized what Wisey did for her.


    As her contracted spirit, Wisey acted more like a bystander and freeloader while Baobao did most of the work in guarding and assisting Eli in her daily life. But only now did Eli realize how important she was in her life.


    Wisey was her firstpanion in this world.


    She had been with her and Little Han from the first day she arrived in Prasinos. Now, she was so weak that she couldn''t even hold one more sentence to tell her that she did a good job in defeating the enemy.


    With her trembling voice and hot tears dripping to her empty palm, Eli answered while bringing her hand near her heart, "Uhmm rest well Wisey,e back soon¡­"


    She did not know how Wisey nned to recuperate. A deep sense of regret came to her the more she realized that she did not really exert an effort to know more about her, as her contracted spirit and as apanion.


    She promised to herself that after all these things, she would cherish Wisey and Baobao more.


    Knowing that she couldn''t do anything for Wisey now, Eli immediately adjusted her mood and faced the rest of the people in the dungeon.


    There was an awkward and unbreakable silence among the people in the room, the father and son, as well as the temple knight duo were still in a daze when they realized what Eli did in their presence.


    Leon immediately checked Eli''s body which was still wounded by the shards of ss. "Eli, are you alright? Let me see your injuries? Kay- Einz, please take a look at Eli''s wounds!"


    He frantically checked Eli''s wounds as he held her hands with great care. His deep worry almost let him spill Kayden''s true identity in the height of his emotions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I-im fine, Leon.." Eli answered meekly as she held back her emotions again.


    She could feel Leon''s hand trembling as he held her. His eyes contained an inexplicable fear for the fact that she could have perished a few seconds ago. No matter how good he was in making his expression calm, Eli could still see the traces of emotions in Leon''s face.


    Kayden was also helpless in the matter, although he was surprised about Eli''s power, he was already immune to the supernatural things happening around her. He could only sigh and shake his head while following Leon''s suit to check her condition. Besides, he was curious as to the state of her body after using divine powers.


    While they were checking Eli''s wounds, the door to the dungeon suddenly opened and they saw the High Priest rushing in.


    His ancient eyes swept through the messy interrogation room and stopped at Eli.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, he moved towards Eli while saying under his breath, "It seems like you have already revealed yourself to the crowd then, Subject of the Oracle?"


    "I¡­" Eli wanted to say that she didn''t mean it. However, the situation really called for it.


    "It''s fine.. You would have revealed yourself to themter on.." The High Priest patted her down cast head and gestured to Kayden to continue tending her wounds.


    As the one with the highest authority in the room, he was the one who took the responsibility to exin Eli''s identity to the rest while Leon and Kayden checked on Eli without surprise in their hearts.


    There was no convincing needed for the Faraulds and Temple knights because they saw with their own eyes how Eli destroyed the malevolent creature with the holy power.


    If any, they were really shocked that the Subject of Oracle has been interacting with them closely ever since they started to investigate.


    They didn''t know how to feel, are they excited or happy? Do they feel fear and reverence? Nevertheless one thing is for sure, this matter left them utterly speechless!


    --


    As the matters inside the dungeon happened,motions also ensued outside.


    In the Farauld estate, everyone became anxious as Little Han suddenly cried without restraint.


    "Waaaaaah!! Waaaaah!!! Sisi! Sisi!!!" Little Han wailed loudly.


    "Aiyooo, Little Han, what''s the matter? Hush.. my love¡­ please.." Aqu and the elders frantically scrambled tofort and stop him from crying.


    But Little Han seemed to have fallen into great sadness because his cries would even make the elders feel heartbroken and teary eyed.


    "Ahhh..Sisi.. Sisi¡­" Little Han bawled harder as Wisey''s presence seemed to have disappeared.


    --


    On the fands, hundreds of miles away from the Seirende Empire,


    There was an extravagant stone castle filled with the fanciest things that Prasinons never saw in their lives. But contrary to the elegant surroundings, the atmosphere of the castle was deste and dark.


    A devilishly beautiful man was lying leisurely on a seemingly majestic throne. His long silky hair was draping like a purple river wine, it was the deepest purple that exists in the world. Its purpleness was so deep that it was almost ck.


    His blood-red eyes looked with satisfaction as he admired the gold and precious stones in his hand.


    "Ughhh!" Hiszy and blissful face was suddenly colored with dark purple blood. His mood dropped to the lowest and his face was now filled with wrath and annoyance.


    "Curses!!!! That old man in his high throne has started something silly again!" He bellowed as he threw the jewelry with disdain.


    "Tsk!!! That spirit fragment was wasted, it didn''t even manage to umte enough essence to sustain and eventually revealed itself openly!"


    He closed his eyes and tried to sense the image that was immediately transferred to his mind, it was an image of a woman filled with bright light. He scrunched his brows as he was not able to distinguish any noticeable feature because her entire body was filled with holy light.


    The only thing that burned in his mind was the pattern that was printed on her hand. He knew this very well.


    Because that pattern contained the heavenly writings he used to see in the heavenly realm.

 Chapter 229 Scrambling For Time (1)

    ?After remembering the image in his memory, his face shed a beautiful yet creepy smile. "It seems like the damaged fragment was located in the territory of my old enemy¡­ Seirende."


    He wiped out the purple blood he just spat andughed with an amused tone.


    However,pared to the voice that was used earlier, the timbre of the voice changed along with his eyes.


    If before it belonged to a beautiful fallen angel''s voice, now it came from a man who only had deep wrath in his being. His previously red eyes turned into amethyst.


    In a split second, he turned into another person, "Ahh¡­ Seirende. It is you who always foils my ns.."


    He stood from his thronezily and called out the assistant on the side. "Inform that remaining branch of the family in the Seirende Empire, tell them to move now or else, we will no longer bother to help them for the generations toe!"


    "After the side branch is prepared, send a message to the Seirende empire. Tell them that I was offended by their people, and I will bring forth disasters in their country if he would not give me the woman with heavenly power."


    With this, an unknown enemy had set their eyes on the Seirende Empire because of the appearance of the one heavenly power.


    ¨C


    Back in the dungeon, the investigation team had more or less settled the damage to the interrogation room.


    This time, they were back in their usual meeting room, with the High Priest presiding as well as the Emperor.


    Everyone had stiff expressions on their faces as they discussed the matter that happened during the interrogation. They wore serious and contemtive faces while they watched the recording that remained miraculously intact even after themotion.


    "Just the interrogation of Hasta alone was enough to pin down the crime to the Duke and the Empress. Your Majesty, however, this would bring huge damage and disgrace to your name, your regime, and your entire family. Your Majesty, how do you like to proceed with this?" General Farauld looked at Emperor Valentin with a grave expression.


    In the end, the next steps would depend on Emperor Valentin''s decision as he was still the leader of the Empire. While appearing to apprehend a great sinner of mankind, Carolina, being his spouse would impact how people would perceive his character and wisdom.


    How could he allow and nurture a sinner in his own castle?


    The High Priest was also sizing Emperor Valentin''s stance.


    In truth, he could report this matter directly to the Temple headquarters and have them decide what to do with the information, however, this matter will surely blow up and may rm unnecessary forces that were still lurking around the empire.


    But if the Emperor''s resolve was not enough, he would surely take over this decision and not care for the Emperor''s jurisdiction.


    Because if the leader of the Empire was not resolute enough to destroy evil, the Temple would never turn their heads to the citizens in danger, regardless of whether they belonged to an empire or not.


    Emperor Valentin closed his eyes as he sighed in a listless manner.


    The moment Hasta and Igor were captured, he was already sure that the Vess were guilty and that this time they will be able to gather enough evidence for their crimes. He had long been contemting what to do with this information he gathered and punish the evil ones.


    "I have long decided to condemn the evil ones, even if this would also damage my reputation. The people must be punished ording to the results of the investigation. Prepare everything and apprehend all the sinners! Ensure that no one involved in this curse thing would be able to escape!" He steeled his heart and dered his decision.


    Upon hearing this, there was a stifling sense ofplicated emotions among the people in the group. A part of themselves was relieved to know that the Emperor was decisive regarding this matter, and the other part was feeling sympathy over the consequences of this matter towards their Emperor.


    "Alright, Father Emperor, I''ll help you in this matter." Leon, who slowly understood the pains that Emperor Valentin was going through as a father, was the first one to express his support.


    With Leon''s initiative, everyone followed the suit and expressed their support towards the Emperor''s decision.


    However, Eli remained silent with a bothered expression. To which, the entire group noticed.


    One must know that ever since she disyed her prowess everyone was closely watching her either because of curiosity or admiration due to her identity as the Subject of the Oracle.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Young Eli, is there something that is bothering you?" The High Priest asked Eli, clearly interested in what was in her mind.


    "It''s regarding the incident earlier that is making me uneasy.." Eli no longer held back what was on her mind the moment she was given permission to talk.


    With furrowed brows and a disturbed expression, she continued to exin,


    "We were able to know that the curse magic needs replenishment and this could be done by killing a certain number of people. With what happened with Hasta, it goes to say that it was really as he said. However¡­ That thing that was subdued earlier was not a cursed magic but a spirit fragment."


    "A spirit fragment?" Everyone perked their ears up upon hearing Eli''s words.


    "This kind of thing exists?" Nathan blurted out in surprise.


    "Uhn, there were lots of temple records about the sightings of these spirit fragments. The dangers for encountering them varied from having a slight change of personality toplete possession." Keren, as the liaison officer of research data for the Seirende Temple, affirmed Nathan''s inquiry.


    "Yes, that thing really does exist. But Young Eli, why have you mentioned this matter?" The High Priest probed further.


    To the people of the temple, they were not foreign to encountering things like spirit fragments as it was something that theymonly exorcize.


    Most of the priests were tasked to extinguish full spirits that were not able to transcend to the spiritual realm and tried to regain their humanity by possessing people. Spirit fragments were just a small part of those things they usually encounter.


    To him, it was amon existence. It was something he was confident to ovee, unlike the curses which they know so little about.


    Eli also understood the High Priest''s standpoint. She already knew most of the knowledge needed for the priesthood and knew about their task of defeating malevolent spirits.


    However, the spirit fragment she encountered was not the typical human spirit that turned evil.


    "That spirit that we encountered was not a fragment of a human spirit." Eli dropped the bomb on everyone.


    "..." Everyone was left speechless but in an odd way. They looked at Eli with a bewildered expressions, ''So what if it was not a human spirit?''


    "Is it an Elf spirit?" Joab mumbled.


    "Hmm, werewolf spirit perhaps?" Nathan followed.


    "Maybe a merman?" Kayden also joined the game.


    "I bet it''s a dragon!" Keren didn''t let herself lose the game.


    Everyone was trying to guess what kind of spirit Eli was pertaining to. However, none of them were acting the way Eli expected.


    Realizing the problem of the matter, Eli immediately facepalmed because she was utterly speechless about forgetting a crucial matter during her exnation.


    This was a fantasy world! Unlike her previous world, people here wouldn''t think that humans were the only intelligent beings in this world, there were also other races!


    "Err.. forgive me for not exining further. It was neither of the races that exist in our Prasinos¡­ It was something that previously belonged to the heavenly realm, just like the Great Guardians of this world." This time, Eli spelled out everything to them to avoid any misunderstanding.


    "My contracted spirit was heavily injured just to give me time to consolidate my actions and fully destroy the fragment. In her words, the owner of the fragment was at least a level of an angel in the heavenly realm." Eli looked at everyone with anxiety in her obsidian eyes.


    "Besides, you all have heard itsst word. This fragment is sentient! Us encountering this early is like a double-edged sword. If it was an angel, then there''s a chance that the other fragments were still alive somewhere and might be aware of what had happened now." She continued.


    "In other words, we may have to face the spirit''s retaliation any time now."

 Chapter 230 Scrambling For Time (2)

    ?Eli''s exnation made everyone hold their breaths because of the high possibility that her deduction would happen.


    "The mostplicated thing was, we do not know how many of these spirit fragments were around nor how close we were to the original soul." Eli continued.


    "In other words, there''s a high possibility that if the spirit fragment was imnted on the captives, there must be some imnted amongst the other dark knights and even the Empress and the Duke."


    "And that would mean that we have rmed them today and might start amotion soon¡­" Leon followed through Eli''s thoughts and concluded with a cold serious expression.


    Eli nodded with certainty and looked at everyone who now had grave faces. A great sense of uneasiness and headache assaulted their minds the deeper they realized the urgency of the matter.


    "Ah¡­ I really hate it when we know nothing about the enemy! Just when we thought that we had taken a step forward, the enemy was already watching us take the next step!" Rubbing his throbbing temples, even the High Priest who rarely disyed vivid emotions expressed his frustration.


    The ever calm and unfatomable High Priest was now whining like an overworked employee.


    The mood of the team plummeted, including Emperor Valentin.


    It''s hard to proceed when you are certain that the enemy will strike but you do not know when, where or how. The most stifling thing was that they did not have the confidence yet to face the enemy whose abilities remained unknown.


    While they have already gotten a significant amount of information and have basically decided that they will apprehend the Empress and the Duke, they are yet to create a way to face the cursed magic and weapons head on.


    Even with Eli in the team, she was still a single person. When she mentioned earlier how her contracted spirit was heavily injured on just facing one spirit fragment, they were certain that having her on their side would not be enough.


    They also had to do something! They had to be able to fight alongside her!


    However, they do not have any n on how to proceed with this. Emperor Valentin and the High Priest were also out of ideas.


    Seeing that they were again stuck in a dead end, Eli sat straight and addressed the High Priest, "Esteemed High Priest, I think I need to start the training immediately. In the end, if I cannot understand my abilities, I cannot help everyone even if I possess this gift."


    For Eli, being called Subject of the Oracle doesn''t mean anything if she cannot aplish the title''s purpose. It''s better for her not to im herself as one than to disappoint everyone. "There''s no other way but to do our best and strengthen what we currently have."


    "Alright, let''s do it. However, I am afraid that you will not be able to look after your son with the tight time that we have." The High Priest looked at Eli and Leon worriedly.


    "Originally, we talked about having you trained while you still fulfill your duties outside after the investigation. But with how uncertain the matter is right now, I see it best to train you with the fastest time allowable. That means you''ll be in seclusion for an indefinite amount of time."


    Emperor Valentin looked at the couple and asked, "What do you think? How will you proceed? Leon would also be upied in preparing the Empire in advance so I don''t think that any of you could take care of my little grandson."


    "Wait¡­wait¡­" Keren and Joab, who was the only one who didn''t know about Leon and Eli''s rtionship, looked around with confused expressions. However they didn''t dare to interrupt the conversation between the High Priest and the Emperor.


    Why are they asking the Third Prince? Why did the Emperor say ''grandson''? And wait, the subject of the Oracle had a child?!


    Kayden coughed and whispered with restrained excitement towards the two innocent temple knights, "The Third Prince and my Little Sister Eli had a son. I am also one of the doctors who assisted in giving birth to my cute nephew~"


    "..." The two temple knights became more shocked to know that Eli was even a couple with the Third Prince who had a reputation to be cold blooded and barbaric.


    Although they were already convinced of Leon''s abilities during the interrogation process and genuinely respected him, they were still surprised that an ice cold person like him would already have a little family with Eli!


    They very much wanted to express their shock and surprise verbally, but they knew that this was not the right time and ce to do so.


    But geez! They have taken a lot of shocking news today!


    Eli was silent as she remembered how Little Han still needed a lot of nourishment from her.


    But, between making sure that she was there by his side as he grows and ensuring that Little Han had a safer future, Eli already knew in her heart what was the best choice.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon locked Eli''s hand, as if letting her know that no matter what, he will support her all the way. "We can make it¡­" He told Eli gently.


    Eli let out a heavy sigh and looked at the High Priest, "I''ve made my decision, I''ll enter seclusion to train."


    She tightened her hold on Leon''s hands.


    The Great One knows how reluctant she was to leave Little Han behind. Even while she was saying this, her heart seemed to be pierced by thousands of needles. The pain and the anxiousness of leaving her child was unbearable for her.


    The internal struggle she was dealing with was not able to be kept in her heart. Everyone witnessed the hurt and the battle she was dealing with as they saw her expression and mood.


    The High Priest could only nod silently, deeply sympathetic to the couple''s current situation.


    They were not bad parents, the circumstances given to them were just way too different from other parents.


    Only by leaving their infant child to face danger will they be able to show that they love him more than anything in this world. To give him a good future, they have to sacrifice their presence in his life.


    The rest could only pray in their heart that one day, that Little Han would grow well and not bear grudge to his parents from being absent. That the little family of three would have a day of peace and quiet.


    "We will do our best to help too¡­" Keren and Joab now understood why the High Priest mentioned that they would soon meet the Subject of the Oracle sooner.


    Realizing that they have a role to y in her training, they expressed their support openly in order to somehow make her feel better. Perhaps, they can help in shortening the time to train her, they thought for themselves.


    "You have us too¡­" Kayden, Nathan and General Farauld also looked at the young couple with an assuring smile.


    Truly, there''s magic in having people expressing their good intentions towards each other. Upon receiving their kind words, Eli and Leon''s mood were lifted. It made them feel at ease even if what they received were only mere words.


    It was as if they weremps that were already on the verge of going off, when suddenly someone poured oil to filled their jars, making them continue to light up.


    The Emperor and the High Priest also became at peace with the situation.


    Eli''s suggestion to train also helped to set their minds on the right track.


    The next moment, they started to go deep to the topic of dealing with the unknown danger for real. The group brainstormed about how they could go about their next step.


    "General Farauld, Leon, I want the two of you to prepare the men in case there would be anymotion. Prepare them as discreetly as possible." Emperor Valentin ordered.


    "I''ll have your captain do that on our side as well." The High Priest also informed Keren and Joab, who also nodded with understanding.


    "I n to dive deep on the information we have on curses. Perhaps, the answer in dealing with the curse can be found in the area of medicine." Kayden also expressed his idea.


    "Then, just tell us what resources you need, the Empire will support you in this matter." Emperor Valentin responded with Kayden affirmatively.


    The High Priest was also thinking that researching about the curses must continue, "The Temple will also not withhold any resources that you need form our side."


    "Father Emperor, do you want to involve the council regarding this?" Leon asked. The possibility of this matter being blown up is almost certain. Even if the Emperor didn''t want to involve them, the nobles would press and insist their will to be involved in this matter when that happens.


    "No.. I n to make the three of you deal with this matter directly." Emperor Valentin answered with determination.


    "You three are no longer children, it''s time for all of you to be exposed to the true weight of being a member of the royal family."

 Chapter 231 Little Han Was Sick

    ?Leon nodded silently, fully understanding his Father Emperor''s meaning.


    Though he himself was still uncertain whether he would join the fight for the throne, the urgency of the enemies inside the empire and lurking in the dark will not affect their involvement in training under the Emperor.


    "If I may be permitted to ask¡­ how about the interrogation of Hasta?" Joab politely raised his concern to the group, "Shall we continue our interrogation with him immediately? What if the second captive also had a spirit fragment inside his body?"


    "Let''s postpone the interrogation for now and strengthen the istion arrays around his cell." The High Priest replied.


    "It may be that the spirit fragment would only be sensed by the main spirit when he was no longer inside the istion arrays. Remember, all of the arrays were destroyed prior to having the spirit fragment defeated."


    Everyone agreed with the High Priest''s conjecture. It''s better safe than sorry.


    Soon everyone was dismissed but not a single one of them was in a mood to rx.


    Before Eli and Leon exited the room, Nathan approached them anxiously.


    "Little Sister, Third Prince, mother had sent me a message saying that Little Han is unwell. He never stopped crying and seemed to be calling Wisey repeatedly¡­ His continuous crying made him run a fever.." He told the two with a worried expression.


    The time he spent working with the two had made himfortable. His biased thinking towards Leon was changed into respect, while he became more at ease and happy interacting with Eli whose intellect always makes him smile proudly.


    He would always praise his grandfather in his heart for not letting Grandpa Andi monopolize Eli. If not for Grandpa Ben insisting on adopting Eli as a god granddaughter, he would never feel so happy to have an amazing Little Sister like her.


    What''s more, his little sister was also able to give birth to such a cute and lovable nephew! His life as an older brother was nowplete! Before, he had lost hope to experience how it''s like to have a sister. But the heavens heard his prayers and gave him one!


    However, her little sister has it hard. Just a moment ago, she was forced to decide to go into seclusion. Now she will hear bad news about her little baby. Nathan''s heart couldn''t help but hurt for Eli.


    Hearing the news, a great sense of panic and uneasiness masked Eli''s entire face.


    "Let''s hurry back!!" She said while running frantically towards the teleportation array without even looking towards the two men who were left behind in shock.


    Nathan patted Leon''s shoulder while assuringly saying, "I''ll inform the Emperor and the rest, just apany my Little Sister and check for my little nephew''s condition."


    "Thank you¡­" Leon looked at Nathan gratefully before calling out Kayden to check what was the problem on Little Han''s body. Then the two immediately went after Eli towards the teleportation array.


    In the Farauld Estate, Grandma Myrna, Janine and Aqu were already on the verge of crying as they saw Little Han wailing loudly while his temperature kept rising.


    "Shall we call the doctor?" Grandma Myrna asked Grandpa Ben anxiously.


    "No¡­ We''ve already informed Nathan, for sure Eli and Leon will take Kayden with them." Grandpa Ben answered as calmly as he could, it was the first time he saw Little Han act like this.


    It was only then that everyone realized how dangerous it was for Little Han to contract any kind of sickness such as this because they could not haphazardly call a doctor whom they could trust for the fear of exposing his existence prematurely.


    They could only rely on Kayden who was with Eli to take a look at Little Han''s health.


    "Grandpa¡­ Grandma¡­" After a few minutes, Eli''s haggard figure which was still covered in bandages ran towards the anxious elders. Leon and Kayden followed and greeted everyone.


    Eli immediately proceeded to Little Han''s crib and tried tofort him, "My baby.. Mommy is here."


    Her voice quivered as she saw Little Han''s plump face was soaked from crying and his entire body was already reddish because of the ufortable heat he was suffering.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mommy¡­ mommy.. sisi ¡­ sisi¡­" Another batch of tears rolled from Little Han''s eyes as he wailed pitifully.


    Little Han looked at Eli with an extremely aggrieved face. His anxious wails was enough to break Eli and Leon''s heart as they realize what they have just decided earlier.


    They were just about to announce that they will leave Little Han under the elder''s care. But seeing Little Han like this, how could they be so heartless to leave in times when Little Han needed them the most?!


    "Brother¡­ please take a look at Little Han¡­" Tears were already rolling from Eli''s eyes, she was already on the verge of mentally copsing but she is holding on because she cannot afford to neglect Little Han''s condition.


    Kayden immediately examined Little Han carefully. After doing so, he looked at Eli and Leon while exining his diagnosis,


    "He is running a fever, however it is not yet on a dangerous level. In a while, I''ll concoct medicine for infants to help lower his temperature. But the worrying thing was that he had cried for a long time and I saw signs of inmmation on his throat. If he still could not stop his crying, his throat might be wounded and may cause an infection. I highly suggest that you calm him down at all cost prior to administering the appropriate medications for him."


    "Alright, brother.. Thank you very much." With that Eli took the crying Little Han in her arms and tried her best tofort him.


    Leon on the other hand, faced the Elders and Kayden in order to express his sincere thanks for caring for Little Han. He also took this time to gather them and exin what he and Eli would do for the days ahead.


    The elders reluctantly looked at Eli who was still covered with bandages and torn clothes. It was evident that she and the rest went through a lot today yet she was taking care of her son without minding her condition.


    The mother and son were left in the room. It was already night time yet Eli was still unable to get a minute of rest.


    "Wuwu.." Little Han still kept whimpering as he clung on Eli''s neck like his life depended on it. "Wuwu.. mommy.. Sisi¡­ wuwu.."


    "I''m sorry baby.. Sisi is asleep, but she wille back.. I''m sorry baby.." Eli hugged Little Han tighter. Her body trembled upon realizing that Little Han could feel that Wisey''s presence disappeared.


    She realized that Wisey as the book spirit has been her and Little Han''spanion from the start.


    What''s more, she contracted Wisey and Baobao while she was pregnant with Little Han. With that Little Han could also be considered as half their contractor and couldpletely sense when something went wrong with them.


    Little Han continued to cry aggrievedly. His young mind could not understand yet why hispanion was not around.


    Remembering Kayden''s words Eli became increasingly worried as the little one showed no signs of stopping. Helpless, she gently ced Little Han on the bed and summoned the book of knowledge.


    She looked at Little Han while she coaxed him, "Sisi is sick, she is sleeping in this book.."


    Little Han saw the book of knowledge, he seemed to have sensed Wisey''s presence inside. His cries immediately lessened as he reached out his chubby hands and his crystal blue eyes to look pleadingly towards Eli. "Mommy.. Sisi.."


    "Yes, Sisi is here.." She gently ced the book beside Little Han. The book was half as big as Little Han, but the little one rolled sideways and hugged the book as if he was afraid that it would be lost.


    Slowly his loud cries became whimpers. His whimpers became soft and delicate sniffles. Until such time that his eyes fluttered tiredly and eventually drifted to sleep.


    Drying his face moistened with tears, Eli gently cleaned Little Han''s body, changed his clothes, and lulled him to sleep.


    "Sleep tight, my baby. Mommy and Daddy will do their best to protect you." After ensuring that Little Han was alright, Eli kissed his forehead and tucked him to sleep while she hummed a luby.


    Fatigue overwhelmed her body, she was unaware that she was also drifting into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 232 Leaving Little Han

    ?The mother and son slept peacefully like they have no cares in this world. This was the scene that Leon witnessed after having a good talk with the elders.


    He smiled gently while he looked at the two people with his eyes full of love and affection.


    He was about to decide that they would spend the night in the Farauld Estate because he didn''t want to disturb the two of them, but Eli woke up and decided that they should still go to their own home.


    Although the elders were reluctant to let them go, they respected their wish to go back to the cottage. For it might take them a long time to see each other again, with the indefinite time she has to train.


    Back in the cottage, Leon and Eli started to prepare for the night and lingered for a little bit, watching the peacefully sleeping Little Han.


    There were a lot of worries and cares that were invading their hearts and minds at the moment. But the heaviest of them all was their reluctance to part with their child.


    Leon assured her that the elders would take care of the news about her while she is in seclusion. The only thing that they have to think of is to whom would they entrust Little Han.


    "To whom shall we entrust Little Han then?" Leon asked Eli''s opinion. While he could have decided on this matter as the father, he wanted to hear Eli''s opinion first and foremost.


    "I was thinking of letting him stay in the Silver Dew Vige. That ce is far from the chaos here in the Capital. Besides I''ve been keeping in touch with Azayn and they have no issues with allowing Little Han to stay there." Eli exined.


    It is not that they do not trust the Forgeworns and Faraulds enough, but it was because she knew that the entire Silver Dew Vige had directly taken the task to take care of Eli and Little Han from Guardian Sylvain himself.


    She was also sure that if ever a problem would arise with Little Han''s health, Azayn would be there to look after him. In addition, Azayn had be her best friend, since her descent into Prasinos.


    Like real sisters, they regrlymunicate with each other and share their struggles as a mother and women. With that, Eli was more at peace with leaving Little Han on her side.


    "I see.." Leon contemted for a little while before agreeing to Eli''s idea. He carefully considered the pros and cons of letting Little Han stay in the Capital or in the Silver Dew forest.


    In truth, Leon was more inclined on letting Little Han stay within the Capital with the Forgeworns and Faraulds.


    That is because he can still somehow personally check Little Han from time to time. He would also no longer need to go through formalitiespared to visiting the elven vige.


    Unlike Eli, he will just be upied with the pce matters and not bepletely out of the picture.


    However, after listening to Eli''s exnations Leon was convinced that letting Little Han stay in the Silver Dew Forest would be the safest and best option for their infant child.


    A safemunity with the Elves who were good with medicine. Because of Azayn and Eli''s rtionship as well as Guardian Sylvain''s direct order, the innate apprehension the Elves had towards humans would not apply to Little Han.


    "Alright, we''ll be more at ease to leave him under their care." Leon nodded as he lovingly caressed Eli''s cheeks. "I''ll talk to the Elders tomorrow about our decision."


    Her face was still full of reluctance and unwillingness. All he could do wasfort her with this warmth.


    The family of three shared yet another night in the bed.


    Leon and Eli covered Little Han warmly in their arms, making himfortable and secured for the night.


    It was as if Little Han felt his Mommy and Daddy''s anxiousness, so he subconsciously stretched his little chubby paws to search for his parents'' thumbs. After locating them he clenched them dearly and he drifted to sleep with a contented smile on his face.


    The morning came so brightly as if bringing a new light of hope to every inhabitant of Prasinos. However, not even the warmth of the morning sun could thaw the sadness in Eli''s heart.


    While Leon was alreadymunicating their decision for Little Han, Eli was packing Little Han''s things with a heavy heart.


    They were scheduled to teleport straight to Silver Dew after Leon settled everything on their side. By then, they would be personally entrusting Little Han to the Silver Dew Elves.


    Because they were scrambling for time, Leon didn''t take that long and immediately went back to the cottage, all with the elders, his Mother Queen, and Father Emperor''s gifts for Little Han.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing the gifts, Eli burst into crying again because she remembered that in just a few months, Little Han would celebrate his 1st birthday.


    The idea of her not being there with her baby brought her suffocating pain. Leon also felt bad about this, he could only clench his fist and promise to himself to do his best ande back for Little Han as soon as possible.


    "Don''t cry¡­ if there''s a will there''s a way. Let''s not give up on Little Han''s birthday this early." Leon also tried to ease Eli''s thoughts and gave her hope.


    Yes, they could still make it. They just have to do everything they can on their side.


    With that, the couple silently teleported back to the Silver Dew Forrest. The rxing and peaceful atmosphere of the elven vige weed them, along with the sincere smiles of the elven officers and elders led by Chief Eirllon, Azayn, and her husband Koehthar.


    "Eli!" Azayn warmly weed Eli who was holding the smiling Little Han.


    His smile was so innocent, not knowing that his parents would be leaving him in the elven vige.


    "Azayn.." Eli gently smiled at Azayn and asked Little Han, "Baby greet your Tita.."


    "Tita~~" Little Han obediently followed his Mommy''s instruction. He shed his milk teeth and smiled adorably towards his Auntie Azayn. He also lifted his chubby hands and gestured a flying kiss toward Azayn.


    Azayn and the rest of the elves were immediately charmed by Little Han''s actions. The entire elven vige which was aloof towards humans immediately fell in love with Little Han, ignoring all barriers.


    Perhaps it could also be because they have long been waiting to see Little Han who was still in Eli''s tummy months ago during the renewal of the treaty.


    Leon on the other hand courteously greeted the men of the elven vige, to which Eli followed right after exchanging her greetings with Azayn.


    "Grand Chief, thank you for granting us this huge favor. With this, we could be at ease while settling the matter on the Spectre and the traitors inside the Empire." Leon and Eli expressed their sincere gratitude towards Chief Eirllon and Azayn.


    "Young ones, this is no problem. You are fighting not only for Little Han and the Empire''s future. The sess of your battles would also mean that the entire Prasinos would finally gain victory against the evil one. Whatever help that his little elven vige of mine could give, we would freely offer to the two of you." Chief Eirllon did not put any airs on Leon and Eli, instead, he expressed his sincerest concern and support towards the couple.


    The elven officers and elders also nodded in agreement. As peace-loving creatures, they fully support Leon and Eli''s pursuit to destroy evil in thend.


    "Azayn, Koehthar, Grand Chief, we entrust to you our child." Eli didn''t talk much because she was still trying to hold back her emotions and stay strong.


    She bowed in deep gratitude towards them and the rest of the elves, much to their helplessness.


    "Aiyoo... Eli, you don''t have to do this¡­" Azaynforted Eli.


    "Leave everything to us... Besides, Azayn and I had been feeling lonely since our son enrolled in the Green Wave Institute. Having the little angel with us would also make us feel better." Koehthar alsoforted the couple.


    "Thank you... thank you.." Eli tearfully looked at the couple with gratitude in her heart.


    Hugging their child onest time, Leon and Eli gave the innocent Little Han to Azayn and Koehthar, along with his things and gifts from the elders in the capital.


    Just as the two were about to say their parting words to Little Han, a deep loud sound of a horn trumpet suddenly sounded in the vige.


    "It''s the summons!" Chief Eirllon whose face was rxed and emotional earlier, suddenly changed. There was a traceable sense of nervousness and surprise on his face as he called the elders.


    Their faces were full of fear and shock


    "Come, let''s go to the hall!" Instantly, all the officers and elders rushed towards the chief''s hall, almost leaving Leon and Eli behind.


    ",

 Chapter 233 Taking Little Han Away

    ?With the urgency of the matter, the elders and officers, including Eli and Leon proceeded to the chief''s hall to know the reason for the summons.


    When they entered the hall a bright green light shone at the center of the room that immediately let Chief Eirllon and the rest of the elves bow down in reverence.


    "Have the Third Prince and his family enter the inner halls." A mystic yet familiar voice sounded in the hall. Eli immediately identified the owner of this voice as Sylvain.


    Chief Eirllon, Azayn and the rest disyed a momentary shock upon receiving the guardian''smand. However, they quickly regained theirposure and helped the family of three go towards the inner hall.


    The inner hall for the Silver Dew Elves was a sacred ce, where the guardian was allowed to descend and meet the current head of the vige. Through the years, it was only Chief Eirllon who could enter the hall and converse with Lord Sylvain, the guardian protector of the elves.


    But now, their protector suddenly summoned Leon, Eli and Little Han, who were obviously humans, to enter the inner hall!


    Although they were all curious about the reason why, they could only silently wait for Eli and the rest toe out and inquire.


    The inner hall was not really that different from the noble lounge in the Capital.


    The room was decorated with modest furniture fitting for a person of high standards. What''s distinct in this room was that the ensemble of decorations were mainly inspired by the forest, with the rustic tree trunks and indoor nts and orchids that would make one feel at ease upon entering.


    Sitting leisurely on the couch was the ever beautiful male deity, Sylvain.


    He was leaningzily on the couch, clothed with a luxurious flowy robe that was slightly loosened on the chest area, making his well sculpted chest muscles and cor bones exposed. His green long hair draped like a curtain along with the apanying green aura that gracefully dances over his body.


    He was truly an existence that would never exist in thend! A real heavenly being!


    Eli and Leon couldn''t help but be amazed at the sight of the beautiful deity in front of them. But still as people who had been repeatedly exposed to the heavenly wonders, they remained calm andposed.


    "Guardian Sylvain!" Eli and Leon respectfully greeted the guardian of the earth and even coaxed the curious Little Han who was already looking intently towards Sylvain with his bright crystal blue eyes.


    "Baby, that''s your Godpa Sylvain.." Eli didn''t introduce Sylvain as a guardian to Little Han, instead, she introduced him as his godfather.


    "Godpa.. Syl..bee!" Little Han tried his best to pronounce what he heard from Eli but his speech skill was still unable to properly pronounce certain sybles.


    Even so, hearing Little Han calling him godpa made Sylvain''szy eyes light up in ecstasy. He immediately stood from the couch and changed personality.


    "Ahh goochiieee goochieee goo! My godson is so cute and so talented~~~~~" He transformed into someone that would never fit the description of guardian!


    He was like a proud uncle finally having the chance to y with his favorite nephew!!! He even pouted his pale thin lips and made funny faces to make Little Hanugh!!


    "Jihihihi!" Little Han cutely giggled with his milk teeth shing in delight.


    He felt reallyfortable with Sylvain''s presence and voluntarily extended his chubby arms in a gesture to let the other party carry him.


    Leon and Eli were surprised and amused at the same time!


    It was because they knew that although Little Han was good at interacting with people, he never requested anyone to carry him unless the other party would take initiative. Infact, Little Han would only do that gesture to two people, his Mommy and his Daddy.


    "Ah~~ my little godson, you want your godpa to carry you??!" Sylvain was obviously ted by Little Han''s gesture.


    The green aura around his body danced in delight as he carefully reached out Little Han. As this was his first time actually holding a child, he had an awkward form when he carried Little Han in his arms.


    After a while, he was all smiles as he immediately got used to it and started to y with Little Han using the ''tricks'' that he learned from who knows where.


    Eli and Leon silently watched the two bond for a while. Seeing Little Han smiling andughing so innocently filled their hearts to do their best in the work in order toe back to him as early as possible.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sylvain looked at them while allowing Little Han tofortably sit on hisp while ying with his aura like it was alive.


    "I know that you could already guess why I suddenly appeared." Sylvian looked at them with a smile that couldn''t be read easily.


    "Yes, Esteemed Guardian Sylvain. But we wanted to know more about it from you. " Leon was the one who answered as he held Eli''s hand.


    "We guardians cannot help you directly with the fight on the earthly realm. Although we are the ones watching over the happenings in Prasinos, we are not allowed to directly intervene with the chaos around.


    The only thing we could do was to go to search for righteous people that could bring hope and peace to thend. We will bless him with the power he needs to resist evil. Sometimes, if the Overseer permits, we would give them some guidance." Sylvain calmly exined.


    "As such, the only thing that we could do for the two of you was to take Little Han into the guardian''s realm to ensure that he would be safe and you would be at ease.


    In the guardian''s realm, you will no longer worry about his nourishment as well as his health. Also, only the guardians could ess the realm and no Prasinon could trespass unless we permitted them directly."


    The guardian stated his case, straightforwardly telling them the good things about letting Little Han stay with him.


    "Oh, and if you worry if we could take care of an infant? Don''t worry, Celeste even took a child rearing crash course in the heavenly realms and even left her post for a few months to learn everything so rest assured!" He added proudly.


    This portion made Eli''s brows twitch uncontrobly. With her interactions with the guardians, she knew that Sylvain was telling the truth. She herself conned the five guardians to be Little Han''s godparents, so she knows how serious they can be about this.


    However, this time she looked at Leon to let him decide about this thing. For she knows that Leon had already considered hers early on.


    Loving someone is to give and take. It''s not always about you, it''s about the two of you, who entered into the rtionship.


    With this little gesture, she wanted to let Leon know that his opinion is just as important as hers, especially when ites to their child.


    Sylvain immediately understood Eli''s intention, so he looked at Leon calmly and asked, "What do you think?"


    Leon tightened his hold on Eli''s hand, contemting deeply for a while before giving his answer. "Esteemed Guardian, who are we to doubt your intentions and abilities. We will entrust to you our son."


    Sylvain seemed satisfied with the couple''s response. Upon receiving their affirmative answer, he conjured something in his hands and an exquisite jade token appeared in his palms. "This is your key to the guardian realm. If you want to visit Little Han, you can use this to enter the realms and check on Little Han."


    Eli and Leon were surprised to know that the Guardians were alright in giving them this privilege just to visit Little Han. With a grateful tone, Leon respectfully received it with his two hands.


    "Alright, I know that you are pressed for time, so onest thing¡­ Young Eli, I may have to temporarily take the book of knowledge with me too." Sylvain looked at Eli meaningfully.


    "The book of knowledge??" Eli was surpised at first, before understanding Sylvain''s intention.


    Immediately she brought the book out and handed it over to Sylvain, who used his green aura to make the book float on his side.


    "While the guardian realm is not the heavenly realm, our realm can also help the book spirit replenish her powers much faster than in the earthly realm. So it might be better for you to leave the book spirit with us and take it whenever you are already done with your training." Sylvain exined.


    "I understand, Esteemed Guardian." Eli nodded politely.


    In theing days, she would be training with the Temple. Before embarking with the investigation team, Eli had already exhausted all she could do to search for the answers about the curses in the book of knowledge.


    But she only got one answer from the book, it was a verse from the scripture that up until know she couldn''t figure out the meaning -


    "The thiefeth not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.."


    ",

 Chapter 234 Who Got Scammed And Who Got Conned?

    ?This phrase remained the same even after Eli tried multiple ways to approach her search through the book of knowledge.


    That meant that this was the only thing that the heavens could tell her and that it would be her task to unveil the rest.


    With this, Eli knew that it was ok for the book to be out of her hands for a while. She will be focusing on training anyways.


    "Good, with this I can go back with my godson to my realm. Don''t lose the token I just gave~~" Sylvian yfully waved his fair hands and asked them to say their goodbyes to Little Han.


    Just as he was about to set off to the guardian realm, Eli let her pride down and gathered up all her courage to ask the Guardian Sylvain,


    "Great Guardian, I would like to know¡­ You know the responsibility and blessing you gave to me.. But I am only a single person. May I ask, how could I use this to help the people in thend?"


    Sylvain looked at Eli, studying her expression. She was clenching her fists tightly and her dark midnight eyes reflected nervousness and uncertainty.


    Clearly, she understood their role as guardians of thend yet she was still gambling about the fact that he would give her some clues that would not make the heavens angry.


    He helplessly looked at the couple, who were not aware how the restlessness brought by the matters in the capital had shown to their faces andplexion. The couple tried their best and were almost at their limits - physically, mentally, and emotionally.


    "You can do it. Just think about the ways the Great One always gave the warmth of the sun, the cool of wind, the shine of the moon, and provision of the rain, to both the righteous and the wicked¡­" Sylvain replied mysteriously.


    As he said these words, he had already carefully taken Little Han in his arms while walking towards a portal that suddenly conjured in front of him.


    "That''s the only thing I could help you with¡­ For you have to ovee this test alone. This is for you to get ready for the even greater endeavor toe." He mumbled these words as he stepped towards the array and disappeared.


    Of course, thest sentence he no longer said aloud.


    Eli and Leon watched as the two slowly disappeared to the light in a daze. They burned the image of Little Han looking back at them with dependence in his eyes while waving his hands and mumbling, "Mommy.. Daddy¡­ ba baiii¡­"


    The light in the room gradually disappeared and so was the light in Leon and Eli''s heart. They were sure now that they had sent Little Han away, their family of three had really temporarily separated.


    But even though it''s temporary, for parents like Eli and Leon, it caused them a deep sense of loss and distress. Little Han was the apple of their eyes. Though he may not be called the fruit of the love between the two of them, he was the one that binds their love stronger.


    To them, his mere existence changed their very own lives and their view of the world which was previously bleak and dark.


    Leon held Eli''s trembling body. He was as broken as her, but he has to stay strong for Eli as well. This is what it means to be a father. For him, he had to be the strong pir that allows the family to stand strong.


    Eli also held her emotions, she took a deep breath and looked at Leon gratefully. She knows that she couldn''t break down now, they were still in the Silver Dew Vige.


    The two slowly adjusted their moods and exited the inner hall calmly.


    Upon seeing that it was only the two of them who exited, everyone had already understood what had happened.


    Marvel and wonder crept their hearts, for this was their first time witnessing the Protector Sylvain directly take away an inhabitant of thend.


    But they didn''t ask much, as they were afraid that what the two talked with the guardian was something that they were not allowed to know of.


    Elves are intelligent and sensible creatures. They could clearly read the mood of the couple and silently left the hall, only leaving the Chief Eirllon, Azayn and Koehthar.


    Azayn patted Eli''s shoulder infort as she mumbled, "Although it''s a pity that we were not really able to take care of Little Han, you could be rest assured about him being in the arms of the Protector."


    Chief Eirllon and Koehthar also expressed theirforting words. After exchanging a few more words, Eli and Leon were escorted back to the teleportation array to go back to the capital.


    As soon as they reached the Capital, they immediately headed out to the temple to resume their duties. They have no time to dilly dally because they have no idea on how much remaining time they have until the enemies react.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, Sylvain was grinning from ear to ear while stepping out of the portal.


    "Yay!! Sylvain sessfully kidnapped our godson!!!" Zale immediately appeared from theke and circled excitedly around Sylvain who was holding Little Han protectively.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was even talking gibberish to Little Han appearing as if he was conversing with him, much to Little Han''s confusion.


    "Sush! You brute! You''ll creep out my godson! Shoo shoo! Stay away, lest Little Han pick some of your weird habits!" Sylvain disdainfully avoided Zale and walked towards the area they all prepared for Little Han.


    If Eli was here, she would be shocked to see that there was a plushie yground prepared for Little Han. Her face would be also twitching because she would see items that obviously came from the modern world, all prepared for Little Han!


    Baby forms appropriate for an eight month old baby, a walker, a convertible crib, a baby stroller, BPA free sets of baby bottles and many more!


    They even have magically installed a baby monitor!


    Eli would surely exim, "Isn''t this cheating?!!"


    "A my godson is here!!!" Celeste appeared through her usual majestic entrance, while Amihan and Ignis also followed.


    Feeling superior because he was the first one to be close to Little Han, Sylvain smuggly looked at the four other guardians and used his rtionship with Little Han to establish his authority, "Little Han, these are all your godmas and godpas.. This is godma Celeste¡­"


    Sylvain patiently introduced everyone to Little Han and allowed him to mention their names one by one.


    Little Han was obedient and followed Sylvain''s instruction, sessfully capturing the hearts of the other guardians.


    "Kya!!! My godson is so cute~! Celeste eximed in delight seeing Little Han smiling at them adorably.


    "Uhn! Uhn!" Amihan repeatedly bobbed her head in agreement. Her small index fingers sneakily traveled towards Little Han''s chubby cheek and gently poked him.


    "Jihiheee!" Little Han seemed to like Amihan''s boop as he shed a carefree smile towards her.


    Amihan shyly blushed and hid her contented smile.


    Zale and Ignis also kept praising how Little Han was so good looking.


    "As expected of my godson, he is as good looking as me! When he grows up, he will surely be half as handsome and awesome as me!" Zale proudly dered.


    "What''s running in him is the Seirende blood, whom had been blessed by yours truly!" Ignis retorted, clearly intending to take the credit for Little Han''s appearance.


    "No! He took that handsomeness from me! I blessed her mama too! Some of my awesomeness might have been absorbed by him!" Zale insisted, not wanting to let Ignis take the credit.


    Little Han still didn''t understand why he was here and why the two godpas argued in his presence. However, it must have been because he was often taken care of by the Forgeworns and Faraulds elders that he still not realized that he would not be able to see his parents for a long time.


    "Amm.. Amm.." He grumbled in difort, looking at Sylvain with a dependent look, pouting his face like an aggrieved child.


    "Oh¡­ my little godson must be hungry already¡­" Sylvain mumbled and asked Celeste, "Didn''t you specifically train to rear for a child,e let''s prepare his milk!"


    "Sure, let''s go!!" Celeste immediately took the baby form and the equipment to make milk for Little Han. They even have the burner for heating Little Han''s water and sterilizing his things.


    "Ermm wait, I didn''t train how to operate the burner¡­" Celeste looked at the rest embarassedly.


    "Shall I provide the fire?" Ignis offered help, conjuring fire in his hands.


    "No! You''ll burn the whole thing!" Zale frantically objected.


    "Sigh.. I knew we would be in trouble somehow.." Sylvain helplessly watched the clueless guardians and snapped his fingers. "Luckily, I took the chance to get this book so that we can search immediately for situations like this!"


    The book of knowledge suddenly appeared. Its appearance lightened up the eyes of the rest of the guardians.


    "You truly have scammed the young one this time!!!!" They all eximed.

 Chapter 235 First Day

    ?Sylvain huffed and denied their usation self-righteously, "What scam? I didn''t really scam her! Infact I''ve helped her hasten the book spirit''s recovery!"


    "Hmm.. it makes sense.." Ignis, with his deadpan face nodded without doubting Sylvain''s reasoning.


    "Yeah.. that must be the case.." The rest also followed, not feeling guilty anymore after hearing Sylvain''s exnation.


    The guardian''s realm was also field with spiritual powers that Wisey needed for her recovery, so they didn''t refute Sylvain''s reason.


    After that, they mumbled the password in their heart and opened the book, searching for the method on how to operate the burner.


    While the four others were doing this, Little Han and Amihan sat quietly in the plushie yground.


    Amihan''s task was to look after Little Han while the rest prepared his food.


    The two little creatures stared at each other. Little Han wasfortably sitting on the soft mat while Amihan was squatting in front looking at him full of curiosity.


    "Gobma????" Little Han titled his head, unsure about why his little godma stayed still on a certain distance from him, not moving at all.


    "Godma is watching you.." Amihan answered Little Han''s curious eyes.


    Little Han did not understand Amihan''s intention of just watching over him. All of his ymates like Este and Benson had always been closely interacting with him. He thought that Amihan was feeling scared.


    Little Han thought for a while, before crawling towards the area where the plushies were ced. He looked around and saw a cute white bunny plushie, he looked at Amihan who stayed at her spot, watching him intently.


    He noticed that the plushie was white like Amihan''s garment, so with a satisfied smile on his face, he dragged the plushie back to Amihan.


    Little Han stopped right in front of Amihan and ced the white plush bunny gently. He looked at Amihan expectantly with his sparkling crystal blue eyes.


    "For me?" Amihan was unsure of what to do. But being pressured by Little Han''s gaze, she took the plushie with a smile and shyly said, "Thank you.."


    "Jiheeeheee!!" Little Han grinned widely seeing his godma smiling. He started to crawl around the plushie yground delivering plushies to Amihan, much to her helplessness.


    Soon Amihan also took the initiative to find a plushie that would suit Little Han too. With that, the little game of giving plushies to each other started.


    This scene was witnessed by the other guardians who managed to finish a bottle of Little Han''s milk with painstaking efforts.


    "Little Han, my godson! This is your milk~~" Celeste grabbed the bottle and sprinted towards the plushie yground, joining Little Han and Amihan.


    The three male guardians were shocked, clearly taken aback by Celeste''s action. She snatched away the opportunity to feed Little Han!


    "Aye!!" Little Han heard food and he was happy. He received the bottle of milk and let Celeste carry him in her arms.


    Celeste felt a great sense of achievement seeing Little Han drink the milk without any hesitation. Soon, the rest observed Little Han quietly as he slowly drifted to sleep.


    They gentlyid him on the crib, making sure that he is tucked in nice andfy. Seeing that he had drifted to sleep the guardians observed him, as a little silver ball of light twinkle in his heart area.


    "It was as if this opportunity was arranged by the Overseer for us.." Celeste finally broke the silence and mumbled with a nostalgic smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Indeed, how perfect the situation is, for us to let the young ones agree to take Little Han in this realm." Ignis alsomented.


    "What would happen if we were not able to nourish Little Han before he reached a year old? Why can''t we do it in thend?" Zale was curious, in fact the three older guardians Celeste, Sylvain and Ignis had been adamant to think of a way to bring Little Han into the guardian realm.


    "If we nourish Little Han in thend, it will again trigger the ringing of the bells, just like when he was born. With the chaos that was happening in thend, the people who only think of evil will no longer hide in the dark." Sylvain exined the answer to the two younger guardians, Zale and Amihan.


    "Little Han needs spiritual nourishment as it would be detrimental to his health when he reaches a year old. His body will not be awakened until he is seven years old, he could not use the mana avable in his surroundings. Moreover, what he needed was not mana but our holy powers, the thing inside him might throw his small body into chaos." He continued.


    "That is why before he reaches a year old, we have to carefully ce a seal in his body to ensure that the power in him is controlled until he reaches seven. While he is here, we nourish his body to prepare for that moment." Celeste continued.


    "I see then.. Let''s do our best." It was rare for Zale to act prim and proper. Perhaps it was because Little Han was his godson that he also took the matter seriously.


    "Yes, this is all that we can do. Even as guardians, we cannot freely disrupt the people''s destiny." Ignis concluded.


    ¨C


    Back in the earthly realm, at the Temple Dungeon.


    Eli was already facing the investigators and the High Priest.


    It was already the start of her training. However, the rest of the team insisted on witnessing her first day to show support for her.


    They were now in an underground training field. It was as big as a running race track, even the height could amount to several stories.


    Eli wondered how the Temple managed to maintain these underground facilities when she thought that all the Temple people did was to pray, fast and read the scriptures.


    "This is one of the training grounds we have for our newly recruited knights. We only have a handful of new recruits annually. The temple had specific requirements for being a knight, so we can freely use this space for your training." The High Priest exined.


    He was still wearing his priestly robe, which seemed to be not appropriate for this kind of ce.


    Joab and Keren were standing silently behind him, waiting for his orders. Today, they wore training clothes, the same as Eli wore. It was obvious that they would be the ones to train Eli moving forward.


    "This moment, we have to test yourbat skills. Use everything that you have and fight these two people here. Survive for five minutes. The spar will stop when you are knocked unconcious." The High Priest gestured to Joab and Keren to step forward and spar with Eli.


    Leon, General Farauld and Nathan stood in the spectator''s area silently.


    Although they are worried about Eli, they didn''t find the activity too much because for them, this was the mostmon way to gauge how a trainer would craft their training ns for their disciples.


    The teacher had to put their disciple to stress and pressure tests in order to capture all of the disciple''sbat and survival abilities, habits and even temperament.


    Joab and Keren stepped forward and stretched their bodies, looking at Eli with a meaningful gaze, "We won''t hold back~"


    Eli positioned herself in a battle pose, wielding her wooden short sword without any hint of fear in facing the vice captains of the temple knight.


    "I''ll be in your care!" She politely said, while her face was saying ''Bring it on!"

 Chapter 236 Sparring With The Temple Knights (1)

    ?The atmosphere inside the underground training field became tense and intimidating.


    "Did I miss something?" Kayden, who quietly snuck in the training facility, whispered to the three men who were already spectating.


    He was so engrossed with organizing the files for his research about the curse that he was not able to go early to witness Eli''s first day of training.


    "No, they were just about to start, the High Priest had just exined the mechanics of the sparring." Nathan answered softly.


    They sat there nervously for they could already see that neither Keren nor Joab nned to go easy on Eli, who in their perspective was an inexperienced person in terms ofbat.


    "She needs this.." Leon tried to calm them down, he had known Eli longer than the rest.


    She was tenacious to the point that she was hard on herself.


    She will never let this time be wasted just because she wanted the other party to train her slowly. They were pressed for time, so she knew that there were no options but to take the harshest route.


    "Everyone ready... Begin!!" The High Priests voice announced the battle to start.


    Almost as soon as it started, Keren and Joab''s figures disappeared in front of Eli, leaving only afterimages.


    Without hesitation, Eli advanced forward to their position, arriving on the spot in front of the High Priest almost as soon as she saw the two disappear in her sight.


    This is thanks to the shadow step she learned from the des!


    The reason why she charged in front was because she was sure that the two would try to intimidate her on the first move.


    The best way to do that was to attack head on. However, she did not hear nor feel any sign of trajectorying towards her from the direction she was facing.


    Her mind immediately concluded that the two would be attacking from her blindspot rather than straightforwardly. Thus, the safest spot is the area directly in front of her.


    Boom!!!


    The ground slightly shook as soon as the duo delivered their blow on the area where Eli was originally standing. Dust appeared everywhere, blurring the vision of everyone in the training ground.


    It took a few seconds for everyone to realize what had happened as they saw that the ground where Eli was originally standing was now reduced to a small crater about a meter deep.


    "Wheeew.. Young Eli, you are indeed not bad!" Joab whistled teasingly as he lifted his gigantic bronze war hammer without difficulty on his shoulder. He looked at Eli rather amazed.


    "Indeed, I never thought that you would easily evade our attack.. This is a surprise!" Keren also swung her shining silver spear.


    The two looked far from being the dignified and holy temple knights. As soon as the dust cleared, they looked like bandits who were ready to bully a weak passerby.


    Eli on the other hand, didn''t getcent. The earthy scent of the dust around the area reminded her that she was not in herfort zone.


    Her eyes narrowed upon seeing the empty spot where she was standing earlier - if this was a real battle, she would have surely died on the spot if she was not able to dodge their first blow.


    "Damn these two people! They really didn''t hold back!" Nathan couldn''t help but lose his cool when he saw the kind of attack that Eli managed to sessfully evade.


    "A ruthless attack indeed.." General Farauld mumbled.


    His expression was rather calm yet his mind was already pleasantly surprised, not because of the attack, but because of the fact that Eli was already at a level where she could evade a heavy attack from two high ranking knights.


    He couldn''t help but throw a meaningful look at Leon not believing that Eli was able to achieve this level ofbat skills in a short period of time.


    Leon also felt the inquisitive look that was thrown by his teacher, he helplessly shook his head and said,


    "Although I admit that I had my men train her ording to the regime that I personally made, all you can see right now is the result of her ability to put hardwork and talents to her advantage."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mmm.. I am rather interested to hear that bit from you, Your Highness Third Prince.." The High Priest suddenly interjected as he magically appeared in front of them from being originally at the center of the training field.


    But what can surprise the men in front of him? This skill was rathermon in their caliber. So with a calm disposition, Leon turned to look at Eli who assumed a vignt pose.


    "Some of you may already know, but Eli''s talent was not in researching new inventions. Her real talent is in music. She was able to produce music so skillfully that she charmed a rare mythical beast to volunteer as her contracted familiar.


    With her level of skill in music, she could perfectly distinguish the slight difference in tone and pitch. Thus, making her sense of hearing be her greatest strength in this battle.


    This was also one of the firstponents I focused on during the first part of her training.


    My goal was to increase her synchronization rate with Baobao who had strong sense of smell and strong physical abilities, through their bond in music.


    With the level of synchronization they have now, paired with her shadow step skills, Eli was able to immediately detect the movement of the enemy. Although this skill could be enhanced better if she was able to maximize her hearing abilities to the point where she could already hear her opponent''s breathing or much better, their heartbeats."


    The rest listened as most of them already know that Baobao was the contracted beast that Leon was talking about, but they never know the story on how he was contracted. This came as a surprise for all.


    They discovered something new about Eli, all they knew was that she was intelligent. But they never thought that she was actually a musician.


    "But her love of music was also the reason why I let her focus more on movement skills rather than hand to hand or armedbat.


    My hope is that when all these chaos were settled down, Eli still had the ability to go back to the thing that she loves. To protect her hands, this is the least that I can do." Leon was purposely saying this matter for the High Priest to hear.


    "I see.." The High Priest understood Leon''s intention, casting him an assuring look. "I will take note of that. However, you must know that anything could happen in a real battle."


    "Thank you, Esteemed High Priest. That to me is enough." Leon replied to the High Priest gratefully.


    He knew that the High Priest had his own ns as to how he would make Eli strong enough to bear the responsibility of being the Empire''s hope. But he still wanted to give his best to at least protect her passion in any way possible.


    With the High Priest knowing the matter, he could modify his ns for Eli in a way that would not be detrimental to her needs.


    Of course, the High Priest''s words also meant that no matter how they protect Eli, there is no way they could determine the kind of dangers the future battles would bring.


    "That being said, let''s see what they will be doing next.." When the High Priest reminded them, Eli and the duo were already engaged in an intense chasing game.


    Joab used the war hammer to execute his moves and he likes to strike it from above. Keren on the other hand was more flexible and likes to strike on a blind spot using the longer reach of her spear.


    The two also proved to be extremely familiar with each other''s fighting style as they seemed to be attacking simultaneously without the need to nce normunicate with each other.


    But despite this, Eli looked extremely calm as she tried to evade and dodge Joab''s melee attacks while also looking out for Keren''s sneaky and precise long ranged attacks.


    The most surprising thing that made everyone in shock, including Joab and Keren, was that Eli would always position herself in the most awkward position that would make the duo''s movements be entangled with each other.


    Whenever the two charge, Eli would always maneuver or scoot on the side where Joab couldn''t swing his hammer for fear of disrupting Keren''s spear attack.


    Sometimes, their weapons would sh against each other making their faces frown in annoyance.


    It would always appear as if Eli was barely dodging them, however the spectators could already see that Eli had totally read them like a book. In a short time, Eli managed to figure out their attack patterns and battle habits.


    Eli looked like a slippery eel, repeatedly escaping within Keren and Joab''s grasp.


    The High Priest, chuckled in amusement upon realizing the fact.


    In truth he didn''t have much expectations on Eli''sbat skills, but she was able to exceed his expectations.


    "Not bad, not bad! Now it''s time for you two to stop ying around.. You already wasted two minutes of my time!" He shouted sternly at the duo who were engaged in the battle with Eli.

 Chapter 237 Sparring With The Temple Knights (2)

    ?Upon hearing the High Priest''smand, Keren and Joab immediately fell back and kept a safe distance from Eli.


    There was an intense silence around the training ground, until Eli saw that the two were slowly surrounded by a faint white light.


    As the light covered their entire body, a soft breeze also circled around them, making Eli feel a great sense of danger. Cold shivers made her hairs stand on ends when the breeze brushed through her skin.


    Dangerous!


    She instinctively took a step back and braced herself. Her heart was thoroughly shaken as she realized how far she was from being called "strong".


    "Young Eli¡­ Now we will attack you while using our spiritual powers¡­ ready yourself!"


    Joab warned Eli with a kind tone, but his expression was still like a ruffian ready to bully a little child. It was such a great contrast to the way he said his words!


    Without waiting for Eli''s reply the two disappeared in her vision.


    This time, Joab attacked head on and Keren''s presencepletely disappeared, not giving any hints as to where her attacks woulde from.


    Their speeds doubledpared to the first two minutes of the battle!


    Although Eli relied on her hearing and shadow step, there was no way her body could react this fast to Joab and Keren''s enhanced speeds.


    "Not good!" General Farauld and the rest stood in shock; they knew for sure that Eli would not have the speed to be able to dodge this level of attack.


    "Arrgh!!!" Joab roared as he leaped on the ground and lifted his war hammer over his head. From his perspective, he could clearly see that Eli''s body turned stiff and was unable to react for a full second.


    A smirk appeared in his face for he was already certain that he would be sessful in his attack. He charged with his hammer in full strength, knowing his blow would be ten times heavier than his normal attacks without the use of his spiritual power.


    Keren also had a bright glimmer of light in her eyes; she knew that even if Eli was able to dodge Joab''s attack, she would not be able to escape from her spear. With the use of spiritual power, her area of coverage expanded by thirty percent, while her speed doubled.


    They knew that the High Priest would immediately activate the defense array he carefully installed on Eli''s body to avoid her from getting injured. So they didn''t hesitate nor held back from the strength of their attacks.


    Anyway, this battle was about how long Eli could survive in their hands. There were no consequences at stake if Eli failed in this fight. They would even have a good view of her limits, which would eventually help in her training moving forward.


    But how could Eli give up at before the three minute mark? In her previous life, she was a notorious workaholic! She was so used to stretching her own limits in order to finish her work.


    With that innate habit she had been carrying even after her rebirth, she gritted her teeth and took her wooden sword while turning her body facing Keren''s whom she finally detecteding from behind.


    She was letting her back exposed to Joab, deciding to face Keren''s spear attack with her wooden sword.


    Holding the punny little sword in her two hands and relying on her intense sense of hearing, she stepped sidewards at a distance where she could flexibly move her body and try to dodge the spear''s thrust.


    "The battle is finished.." The spectators, except for Leon and Kayden, shook their heads upon seeing Eli''s mundane move.


    With her back exposed to Joab and a wooden sword trying to deflect a silver spear, anyone would just close their eyes in disappointment as they know that the result would be Eli''s defeat.


    The High Priest even raised his hand to deploy the defensive shield and stop the fight.


    They were only waiting for the two vice captains to sessfully hit Eli at the turning point of the match, then the sparring session would be over.


    Roar!!


    Just as they were ready to see the fight stop, they saw a big furry beast appear behind Eli.


    The furry beast simply swatted Joab who was still mid air like an annoying insect.


    Whoosh!!!


    The next second, they saw Joab''s body, which was still holding the gigantic war hammer, fly away like a kite with a broken string and crash nearly at the edge of the training ground.


    As this was happening, Eli moved her upper body sideways as fast as she could, almost falling onto the ground as the spear directly moved towards her chest.


    She barely managed to dodge and she tried to parry with her short sword to create more distance between her body and the back of the spear''s de which managed to cut some of her hair.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Swoosh! Crack!


    The shortsword immediately crumbled against the silver spear.


    Keren was fast to attack with her spear, but was also fast in retracting it and creating her next move.


    Out of desperation, Eli tried to dy Keren from retracting her spear by directly grabbing it!


    This miniscule dy made the big furry beast turn around and grab the spear with its paws. The big furry beast swung the spear away from Eli making the wielder, Keren, fly along with her precious weapon.


    Poof!


    The two knights who were certain to see the match end were now down on the ground eating some dust!


    When everyone woke up in their daze, they realized that the big furry beast was actually Baobao, Eli''s contracted beast of the Panda species.


    "A cursed bear!!!" Joab and Keren eximed in shock, they were more surprised at the fact that the ''cursed bear'' appeared in front of them rather than the fact that it was Eli''s contracted familiar.


    They immediately recovered and wielded their weapons with vignce.


    In their minds they know that the cursed bears are extremely terrifying mythical creatures. They were rumored to be extremely vicious and strong, never showing mercy to anyone.


    But never did they expect that the cursed bear would actually ward them off like annoying flies. They were the vice captains of the Temple Knights, their strength were of the lower level A ss! It was already considered the top of the pyramid!


    But the cursed bear simply swept them away with his paws, in one hit!


    Now that same cursed bear was already in front of them, appearing within the temple grounds. Their hearts couldn''t help but tremble upon remembering the horrifying stories of their predecessors who had encountered the creature.


    They had long forgotten that they were in a sparring match with Eli. All they could think of was that if they were not able to apprehend this creature, the temple would be in danger.


    "Calm down, this is not a cursed bear, it''s a panda. He is my contracted familiar." Eli''s voice reached Joab and Keren''s ears, waking them from the initial fear and vignce they held towards Baobao.


    "A panda?" The two asked in uncertainty.


    "Yes, he belongs to the rare species of bear - the Panda race." Eli answered them, letting her body rest in Baobao''s fluffy stomach.


    "Master, are you ok?" Baobao didn''t mind the people around, he was just focused on Eli''s well being. He supported Eli''s body with his big paws, letting Eli rest in hisfortable body.


    Now that Wisey has been taken away, he knows that he has to do his best to protect Eli until his buddyes back fully recovered.


    "I''m just a little tired." Eli answered Baobao with a gentle smile, but her body was already trembling.


    Her arms were already numbed from thatst attempt to dy the spear attack. Infact, she felt that the flesh of her palms were torn from grabbing the spear while Keren was in the midst of retracting it. She couldn''t even feel her fingers anymore.


    Her heart was beating at a fast rate from the adrenaline rush.


    Now her body was already shouting that she was at her limits because her stamina waspletely consumed. The reason why her body jolted earlier was because her feet no longer listened to hermand to execute another shadow step.


    "It seems that I could only continuously use the shadow step for two full minutes." She mumbled dejectedly.


    Her knees were also shaking and weak. She felt like if she tried to stand, her knees would snap like the brittle celery.


    "It is good that you now also know where your limits lie at the moment." The High Priest looked at Eli approvingly, raising his hand to officially end the sparring match.


    "The match ends here, Young Eli survived for three full minutes!"


    "Do not be discouraged about the oue of this match. Instead, remember everything. This is your starting point moving forward!" The High Priest encouraged her, who was visibly disappointed in herself.


    Just like that, Eli''s assessment came to an end. While she may not be sessful today, she now knew where she lies and how far she was from the level she was striving to achieve!

 Chapter 238 The High Priests Lecture

    ?With the assessment officially ending, Joab and Keren also rxed and their previously ruffian-like demeanor also disappeared.


    They approached Eli with concern, for they were worried that she might be injured. But when they saw Baobao guarding her vigntly, they hesitated after reaching the ten meter radius.


    It was only Leon who managed to get past the forbidden distance.


    He knelt at Eli who was looking exhausted, resting in Baobao''s tummy.


    A gentle smile appeared on his ever expressionless face as he lovingly patted Eli''s head, "You did great. You surely made the des proud when you executed the shadow steps so excellently just now."


    He didn''t wait for Eli''s reply. Instead, he nodded at Baobao and carefully lifted Eli with his strong arms away from the training ground.


    Eli could smell the baby powder''s scent from Leon''s chest. The scent greatlyforted her. She clung to his clothes, feeling rxed in his arms as Leon carried her to where Kayden is at the moment.


    The images of the battle still lingered in her mind and was still immersed from that sensation. But with Leon beside her, she finally managed to calm herself down and face reality.


    Meanwhile, Joab and Keren exchanged looks with Baobao''s bright dark eyes. They were the only people left at the center of the training ground along with the High Priest who was also calmly scrutinizing Baobao.


    The big fluffy fellow sat quietly on the training ground.


    Unsure if Baobao was angry at them, the two vice captains could only try tomunicate to him carefully. They concluded from how Baobao interacted with Eli that he was extremely protective towards his master.


    "Mr. Panda, we didn''t mean to hurt young Eli. In fact, the High Priest was ready to activate his defensive array at the moment when she would be injured."


    The duo tried to coax Baobao, but they were so afraid that they subconsciously stepped back and hid behind the High Priest like two frightened kids. They were still unable to forget the sensation of being swatted like flies in the training ground.


    Imagine two full grown adults, one was burly enough to wield a heavy weight hammer, the other was graceful enough to beautifully wield the spear. But they were hiding pitifully behind an elderly high priest in front of a notoriously fearsome beast!


    Baobao only nodded his big furry head and slowly went towards Eli, Kayden and Leon. He didn''t show any signs of being mad towards the two vice captains.


    Before Eli joined the investigation team, she informed both Baobao and Wisey that they would be training alongside her with the help of the people from the temple.


    Thus, he knew that the people in front did not have any intentions of hurting Eli. Instead, they were here to help them be stronger in order to protect their little master.


    "These were just superficial wounds. We are lucky that none of your nerves or bones were hurt. This ointment can heal this kind of injury within a day." Kayden immediately checked Eli''s condition and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Eli was just generally exhausted.


    "This potion will restore your energy. I rmend only drinking this once a day though." Kayden also gave Eli a few doses of energy replenishment potion for her uing training, which Eli carefully kept on her space pouch.


    "Thank you brother¡­" She obediently listened to Kayden''s medical advice and also took the potions he produced.


    "Young Eli, are you alright now?" After a few moments, the High Priest checked her condition and asked if they could continue with the training.


    "Yes, High Priest! I''m ready to continue." With her body refreshed and her wounds cleaned and medicated, she valiantly stood up, answering the High Priest''s inquiry like a private cadette.


    "Alright! If you say so¡­ Come with me and your contracted familiar. Also... I''d like for His Highness to follow,your presence would be of great value." The High Priest beckoned them to follow him to the discussion room, leaving the rest without a choice but to dejectedly exit the training grounds and continue the investigations.


    The four entered into a room that was as spacious as a regr ssroom. It proved that the training grounds and this annex room were really used for newly recruited temple knights.


    Sitting down, the High Priest looked at Eli and asked, "Young Eli, how do you feel fighting someone way stronger and experienced than you?"


    Eli spoke her mind about her mindset and feelings while fighting Joab and Keren.


    She didn''t hide embarrassing details such as wanting to literally cry or quit training. She told all her fears and anxiety along with her decision to hang on and persevere.


    "En.." The High Priest listened silently at Eli''s narration, noting a few words in his journal. He had a steadfast and unreadable expression making Eli and Leon unsure if he was in a bad or good mood.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After finishing his notes he looked at the them and ryed his assessment;


    "Overall your main issue is your stamina. You already have a keen sense of the dangers around you, but youck what it takes to sustain your life on the battlefield for a longer period.


    You have to have many alternative means to be able to fight back and defeat the enemy. I understand that your prior training with His Highness Third Prince centered around self defense and survival until helpes.


    However, your role moving forward would be one of the front runners. You have to learn how to initiate attacks that defeat the enemy.


    As for your mental fortitude, it was surprisinglymendable.


    Although it''s normal to sense fear during the battle, for this sparring session, your fear does not stem from the fact that you are actually hurting or potentially another person.


    But of course, we still have to see your mental state in an actual fight. With that I''ll leave it for His Highness and yourpanion to help you deal with it in the future."


    Leon and Baobao nodded, agreeing with the High Priest''s evaluation.


    "Also, there''s no need to be disappointed because you used your contracted familiar as a weapon in a fight. You are a summoner, at least in public. That is why it ispletely normal for you to appear in the battlefield alongside your familiars."


    At this point Eli and Leon understood that the High Priest was also aware of the matter of Eli being an open paths possessor. They were again reminded of the fact that the High Priest had the gift of irvoyance.


    "I understand, High Priest." Eli responded, knowing his intention.


    "Now before we move to the matter of your other paths, I want to discuss with you the effect of using spiritual powers for us, humans. This will be my first lesson for you. I purposely let His Highness listen, for him to also know."


    "We are ready to listen, Esteemed High Priest!" The two responded.


    The High Priest nodded in satisfaction and started his lecture:


    "As you may already know, the nature of spiritual power revolves around one word - Blessing.


    You have already witnessed giving blessings on people with the intention to protect. Most of us High Priests use the power to heal others and deliver people from being possessed by wandering spirits.


    All in all, spiritual power only brings benefit to the person receiving from the caster, rather than damage or harm."


    "But¡­ Joab and Keren??" Following the High Priest''s exnation, that the nature of spiritual power is not to harm people, why did Joab and Keren manage to use the spiritual power to raise their chances of winning against an opponent?


    "That is because you can cast the blessing upon yourself, of course." The High Priest answered in a matter of factly tone.


    "Let me correct your perception on spiritual powers. Although it was by nature a blessing, its purpose was to help someone ovee.


    Remember, you cast a blessing because you want the receiving person to defeat or survive from the enemy. You heal because you want to eliminate the cause of pain and torment of the other person.


    With that, we can conclude that although the nature of the spiritual powers are not for hurting people, it can still be used as a tool to help ''achieve victory'' as the blessing implies." He continued to exin.


    "I see, that was why Joab and Keren were able to boost their abilities by leaps and bounds." Eli nodded in understanding.


    It was like a caster using a spell for himself to have the abilities of a devourer. Eli could only agree that spiritual powers cannot really be categorized alongside the three paths of mana usage.


    Its very nature and use was different from how mana works for other people.


    Leon and Eli contemted for a while, digesting the principles that the High Priest exined.


    "I understand that spiritual powers are used to ovee adversities. But what if the wielder of the spiritual powers be evil? Wouldn''t that power be tantamount to a curse?" Leon asked, deeply immersed with the discussion.

 Chapter 239 First Task!

    ?The High Priest gently shook his head and exined patiently;


    "That was, indeed, what the Temple hypothesized previously when curses were still a mystery for us. However, decades of data from the temples around Prasinos recorded that the people with spiritual powers who were tried by the high courts from doing evil things couldn''t cast any curses.


    Aftermitting evil, these people immediately lost their ability to wield spiritual powers. They were also unable to ess the gifts they previously received from the heavens and even mana. In fact, all of them regressed to being a non-magic person prior to their execution or death.


    With that, the temple concluded that curses are not spiritual powers used for doing something against the heavens. It was rather something that originated outside the boundaries of the heavens, to which we have yet to understand to this day.


    Although the main purpose could be easily concluded - curses exist to go against the heavens."


    "¡­" Eli and Leon contemted deeply about the contrast between the curses and spiritual power.


    "Now I understand why the temple remained helpless upon encountering various cases of curses even though one can already use spiritual powers." Leon finally broke the silence in the room.


    "Weck information about the very nature of the curse." Eli concluded.


    "Indeed. That is what we strive to achieve for this investigation. While I train you how to control and use your spiritual powers, it would not really make a difference if weck understanding about the thing we are going against. Even if you have the innate power to resist the curse, how sure are we that you could trigger it constantly?" The High Priest exined.


    "I understand, High Priest. We will focus on this matter while you and Eli train in theing days." Leon now understood why the Priest let him join the lecture.


    "En! Now going back to Young Eli''s spiritual power, I would also like to ask you Your Highness Third Prince, how strong was Baobao''spanion before Eli became aware of her spiritual powers?" The High Priest dived to the next matter at hand.


    "ording to my subordinate, he was as strong as a low level A ss devourer." Leon immediately answered, remembering Olivier''s assessment of Wisey and Baobao during their summoner''s training.


    "Hmm, I see¡­ But do you know what level Joab and Keren belong to when they used their spiritual power earlier?" The High Priest meaningfully asked the two.


    "That would be the peak of A ss." Leon answered with certainty. He looked at Eli and Baobao with a surprised look, then he turned to the High Priest who was also certain that he understood what was on his mind.


    Baobao easily defeated the two vice captains who were only a step away from being considered as an S ss while using their spiritual powers!


    "Before we conclude anything, let''s verify our hypothesis first." The High Priest told Leon.


    "What''s going on?" Eli was also confused about the sudden increase of Baobao''s strength. She wanted to know why, however, the two men infront of her were talking cryptically.


    "Young Eli, you have to stay here for a while. Yourpanion, His Highness and I shall go back to the training grounds to verify something. We will go back and exin to you after we verified, so please do not go out of this room and stalk us." The High Priestmanded rather sternly.


    Although taken aback by the High Priest''s orders, Eli nodded cluelessly and watched as the trio exited the room.


    After around thirty minutes, the trio came back. They looked as if they understood something from exiting the room.


    Eli grew more curious and was slightly aggrieved that she was the only one who was clueless about the matter. However, she still patiently waited for them because she was sure that they had a purpose for dying their exnations.


    When the trio settled down, the High Priest immediately exined to Eli what really was the matter;


    "We suspected that the reason of Baobao''s immense upgrade of strength was that you have used your spiritual powers during that time. The reason why we exited was because I had His Highness Third Prince fight with Baobao to see if he can still wield the same strength he had disyed earlier.


    Of course, if Baobao managed to disy a strength at par or simr to His Highness, then we could say that Baobao can freely use your spiritual powers instead.


    We also needed to determine whether you subconsciously used your spiritual power to boost Baobao or that Baobao himself had continuous ess to your spiritual power as his contractor. So we needed you to bepletely unaware that Baobao would be engaging in a fight outside."


    Eli was left speechless because of the High Priest''s words. There were a lot of things he revealed through his exnation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    First he was aware about Leon''s true strength. Seeing Leon''s rather restrained expression, Eli could feel that he was also equally shocked.


    Second was the fact that she was able to use her spiritual power in a way that was different from praying to cast a blessing. If that was the case then she may be able to master controlling her powers earlier than expected!


    "Then.. what might the conclusion be?" Immediately adjusting her mental state, she proceeded to ask for the conclusion of their impromptu experiment.


    "There was no doubt that you had subconsciously used your superpowers earlier!" The High Priest concluded.


    "If you were able to consciously use it though, you might have not only increased Baobao''s strength but also yours." Leon added.


    "I see, then I really have to strive in my training for the next few days." A spark of hope ignited in Eli''s heart. The earlier she could master the use of spiritual powers, the sooner she could reunite with Little Han!


    "Un. Now let''s move to the very reason why I conducted this lecture in the first ce." The High Priest finally moved to the crux of the lecture as he looked at Eli, Leon and Baobao seriously. "It was the fact that you both possess the open paths and spiritual powers."


    "!!!" Leon and Eli looked at the High Priest with aplicated expression.


    "You two both know how big of a matter it was for everyone to know that a person is of open paths. Even until now, many have been curious and covetous of this power. But also being the subject to the Oracle would be something that endangers your lives even more."


    Although there might be a reason why the heavens have gifted you both with open paths, it is better to keep it masked until the crucial moment arrives. However, that doesn''t mean that you will not need both powers now.


    In fact you need these powers now more than ever." The High Priest exined.


    "The open paths, I was only able to open it once. But I have no clue how to open the others." Eli replied at the High Priest.


    The High Priest nodded in understanding. "That''s why I''ll have His Highness help you with that. Today, you shall open your two other paths. You have to know how to use thest two paths and enhance it with your spiritual powers. Only His Highness can help you with that."


    "I understand, High Priest." Leon nodded with understanding.


    "Young Eli, hold on until the end. I know these things are too much for you to learn and take in, but you know what is at stake in this matter." The High Priest looked at Eli worriedly, he knew for himself how much of a burden he was putting on Eli''s shoulder.


    Eli held Leon''s hand and looked at the High Priest with courage. "I know. High Priest. I''ll do my best."


    "En.. As for how you will hide your abilities publicly, let''s cross the bridge when we get there." The High Priest ryed his instructions for the day and left Eli and Leon to start attempting to open the caster and devourer paths in the training grounds.


    Going back to the grounds, Eli stood expectantly at Leon who had already changed into simple training clothes.


    With a light brown shirt with a v-neck crisscross design subtly showing a portion of his chiseled chest. Leon looked incredibly handsome and cool as he approached Eli who was secretly admiring his sexiness.


    Leon didn''t miss Eli''s sneaky looks towards him, of course. He didn''t expose her but a subtle smirk appeared on his thin lips, feeling satisfied in his heart.


    He would love to tease her right now, but he knows that they have a mission at hand and it was important for Eli to have a stable state of mind.


    So instead, he reached out his hands and caressed Eli''s cheeks, looking at her slightly blushing face.


    As if he didn''t notice her thoughts, he gently asked the little woman beside him with a doting expression, "Ready?"


    Eli immediately adjusted her mood and answered, "Yes!"

 Chapter 240 The Realm Of Paths

    ?Leon took Eli''s hand and walked her through the process of opening the paths;


    "While it was fairly easy to awaken your first path, it was always hard to find a way to open the other two. The only known way to seek the open path was to have another open path to guide you.


    This way may seem easy but was actually hard to execute in reality. It was because people with open paths are rare, it was harder for one to search for a person who could guide him through. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    Besides, people with open paths are most likely unaware that they possess one until they enter the realm of paths.


    The new way was the one Wisey told you before when you had a premonition. In fact, it didn''t make sense to me until you exined why you had to execute the blessings for my Father Emperor and Mother Queen, as well as the Crimson des.


    No wonder, I was able to open one identally during my stint on the battlefield. Compared to what Wisey said, it seems that opening the paths entails one to aplish a ''mission'' that was bestowed on you.


    That time for me was when I saved a certain batch of human ve captures, which you now know as the Crimson and Roaming des."


    "I see.." Eli was reminded of how Wisey persuaded her to do things such as giving blessings to other people.


    Although she was not able to check if she had sessfully opened her caster path after executing the mission, Wisey most likely confirmed that she could already use caster magic. But due to numerous reasons, she was not able to start checking out if she could really do it.


    After contemting for a while Eli looked at Leon and asked, "So was that particr time on the battlefield made you realize that you possess an open path?"


    Leon gently brushed the baby hairs that were blocking Eli''s obsidian eyes and replied with an expression that was akin to longing for someone who was already long gone;


    "Yes, at that time, Teacher was so happy to know that I finally received justice from being treated like trash. I identally discovered that I have caster abilities.


    After rescuing the des who were still human ves and experiments at that time, Teacher sneaked me through the northern territory and meet my grandfather - the Late Emperor Idelfonso.


    That was also the time when I was able to get close to my grandfather. He was the only person from whom I can openly receive family love during that time. He was also the one who guided me to open thest path and to train the paths that couldn''t be trained by Teacher."


    His expression and tone seemed to express his fondness for his grandfather. Eli could tell that during the times when the Emperor and Second Queen were forced to turn from him with cold shoulders in order to protect him, the care he received from thete Emperor Idelfonso was what he longed for.


    A stinging wave of pain pierced Eli''s heart upon realizing that Leon was still less than ten years old during those moments. He was still a child trying to understand the decisions and actions of the adults around him at that time.


    Because of his assessment when he was seven years old, he was forced to go to the battlefield and face both the Empire''s enemies and his own enemies.


    Leon sensed Eli''s heartache, it made his heart feel really warm as he thanked the heavens.


    He never knew he would still experience things like this - love.


    To see someone love him without begging for it, nor fearing that the favor would one day be lost, was an incredible feeling!


    "Don''t be sad. Aren''t I here now? I''m standing fine and I am even happy with you and Little Han. Everything happens for a reason." He couldn''t help but pull Eli in his arms and embrace her, wanting as much as to make their bodies be one.


    Caressing Eli''s head, he whispered softly in a way that only two of them could hear, "If it wasn''t because of those experiences, I will never be the man I am now. Also, if it wasn''t for those experiences, I will never truly appreciate your and Little Han''s value in my life."


    He lifted Eli''s face and kissed Eli''s forehead lovingly, "At the same time, without meeting you two in my life, I will never feel proud andfortable with the scars I received from my past. If these scars are what it takes for me to meet you in this life, then all of these are worth it."


    Leon''s words made Eli''s heart flutter and tremble. Although the two of them acted rather loving privately, it was still seldom for her to see Leon take his heart out of his sleeves. Especially when talking about his feeling toward his past.


    This very rare and precious moment made Eli''s longing for Leon and Little Han intensify. She moved closer to Leon''s body and tiptoed, gently pecking Leon''s lips.


    Leon, of course, didn''t let this moment go to waste as he took Eli''s lips into his. Both tasted the sweetness of each other''s love. It was fiery and delicate, passionate andfortable at the same time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After the two shared a sweet moment together, they both reluctantly stopped and went back to the matter at hand.


    "Shall we then check if you have truly opened the caster path?" Leon awkwardly asked Eli.


    He was just thinking earlier about how he wanted not to make Eli lose a stable state of mind. But here he was, almost losing his cool over a brief moment of passion.


    He was doubting if he could really control himself, once he and Eli officially married.


    Will he be the kind of husband who would want to be with his wife at every moment possible?


    That he didn''t know, but he also couldn''t wait to see what kind of husband he would be once they finally married.


    "Yes, let''s do it." Eli also nodded, blushing shyly. She was the one who initiated the kiss again, how bold could she be!


    Leon took Eli''s hand again and instructed her to close her eyes and focus.


    On the outside, one could see that around Leon and Eli, there was an array slowly appearing on the ground where they stood. There are also speckles of mana gathering around them. They were like fairies bouncing and surrounding the two in a curious manner.


    The image in Eli and Leon''s minds was actually different from what the outside was showing.


    On Eli''s mind, she was standing in front of a translucent starry tform. She was like in the other space, where her surroundings were ridden with twinkling stars around.


    From where she was standing, there was a river of light leading to something that her eyes could not see.


    From a considerable distance, she could see that the river of light was slowly divided into two small rivers, both were leading in different directions which she could not fathom from where she was standing.


    "This is the realm of paths, only the ones who possessed open paths could enter this realm and see." Leon stood beside her, holding her hand as she beckoned her to step outside the starry tform to go towards the river.


    Ssssssshhhhh!


    Eli heard a faint sound of water rushing beneath their feet the moment they stepped into the river of lights.


    The river was acting beyond Eli''sprehension. Visually, it was light that she was seeing, but the feeling that the light gave on her feet was actually akin to water. Yet when she checked her feet and garments, it was dry, making her think that the cool sensation was actually just an illusion.


    "You can see those two rivers of light there¡­ they indicate that your two paths were already opened. However, notice that the other path was obviously smaller than the other." As they were walking towards the point where the river divided, Leon pointed toward the paths and exined to Eli what she was seeing.


    Eli looked closely and immediately noticed the difference between the two rivers from a nearer distance. Indeed, the first river was livelier and wider than the other. The second river was wide however, the streams of light flowing from it were slow and faint


    "This represents your second path, the caster path. Because you were still unable to train it, the river looked seemingly weak." Leon exined.


    "I see.." Eli looked at the distance with understanding.


    "Now let''s go in that direction and open your third path." Leon led Eli in a certain direction of the main river.


    There was a certain path where the flow of mana bounces back, they were acting like flowing water bouncing back because their path was blocked. A void blocked the streams of light, like a dam that hinders the waters to flow beyond the point.


    "This is your third path, the devourer''s path." Leon looked at Eli and exined, pointing at the dark scary void ahead.

 Chapter 241 To Train The Open Path

    ?Eli looked into the dark void where the devourer''s path was supposed to lead to.


    The void was nothing but deste darkness and Eli could feel that there was a hint of resistance from an invisible barrier, making Eli feel subtle fear.


    It also made her feel like once she stepped in the void, she would either fall into a bottomless pit or be flicked away by an invisible force as punishment for trespassing into a forbidden zone.


    "Don''t be afraid, I will be here with you." Leon''s soothing voice reached Eli''s ears, effectively washing away her fears and doubts.


    "Alright¡­" Readjusting her mind, Eli looked at Leon, indicating that she was ready for the next mission - to open the devourer''s path.


    Leon led hisdy towards the void, firmly holding her hands. He was afraid that he would lose her along the way, so he would asionally nce back and check if Eli was fine.


    Reaching to the point where the resistance for Eli was the heaviest, Leon conjured a mana shield into their bodies.


    Immediately, the feeling of being heavily suppressed disappeared, making Elifortable even as they stepped on the edge of the river of light.


    Without any ounce of hesitation or fear, Leon steps to the void.


    Amazingly, Eli noticed how a tform made of light congealed in his feet.


    Leon looked at Eli and smiled reassuringly, "Come on.."


    Eli followed Leon and stepped into the void, putting her trust on him.


    As soon as her feetnded on a seemingly unending abyss, she was amazed by what she saw.


    The hampered streams of light followed her footsteps. It was as if the dam hindering the water was finally destroyed with a single step!


    She took another step as Leon led her to walk a few steps more beyond the barrier.


    Wooooosh!


    The more Eli and Leon stepped outside the barrier, the more the fluid light rushed along the path the two were taking.


    From tiny little streams of light into a river running wild and free, the devourer''s path slowly grew into a river rushing in a direction that seemed boundless and endless!


    "Where do the paths lead to??" Marveling at the sight of the three rivers finally opened in her vision, she threw the question that has been bothering her from the moment they entered the realms.


    "It is said that the open path''s lifelong mission was to discover where the paths lead. Too bad, my grandfather did not live long enough to discover what was at the end of it." Leon shook his head, there was a sense of loss and helplessness in his face as he answered.


    "Even I myself was still clueless after reaching the S ss for all the paths. Legends say that the paths lead to the very source of mana in Prasinos. Some even believed that whoever reaches the end of the path will have the chance to be as powerful as the guardians.." He continued, wearing a dark face.


    Observing Leon''s expression, Eli asked, " Is that why the Spectre was obsessed with experimenting in order to find a way to achieve an open path?"


    "It is highly probable." Leon answered straightforwardly. His view about this matter carried a heavier weight especially that Eli was also an open path.


    "What if our Little Han also carried the same constitution as us?" This thought suddenly appeared on Eli''s mind, effectively making her feel a great sense of anxiety.


    Leon looked at her obsidian eyes resolutely, "We''ll do whatever it takes to make him safe until he is strong enough to defend his own."


    The two looked at each other, certain that they were both on the same page about protecting Little Han.


    After a short silence, Leon led Eli back to the point where the three paths converge into one.


    "There''s a certain phenomenon that would happen after opening the three paths and this would be the hardest part for you. Quickly, let''s go back to the outside world." Leon gently instructed her.


    When Eli opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the abundant specks of mana dancing freely around the two of them. They were like innocent fireflies wandering around their surroundings.


    "These are the mana speckles that were ready to enter your body upon sessfully opening the three paths. Come closer with me as I guide you how to channel them through your body." Leon knelt directly on the ground, not minding his princely status.


    He beckoned Eli to sit cross legged with her back facing him. He then stretched out his hands around her arms, enveloping her upper body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Remember that constitution differs in terms of the shape of the mana receptors, while the open paths could freely change its own ording to the bearer''s will?" He asked her.


    "Yes.. Eli answered.


    "There''s a better way for the open paths to utilize our receptors without jeopardizing our lives in battles because of the interval needed for the receptors to adjust on one shape to another¡­My grandfather discovered this thing only in hister days. He could only exin this to me in theory and left me to find a way to do it in reality.


    The best way was to have our receptors fully assimte into our bodies. Unlike the devourers which assumes a fibrous pattern, we willpletely make the receptors be part of every cell in our bodies.


    In this way our entire body will be a single mana receptor, freely channeling mana in a way that fits our needs without that dangerous intervals."


    Leon lengthily exined everything to Eli while he proceeded to instruct her step by step on how to do it.


    "As you close your eyes, visualize the mana specks you saw to enter your body in a smooth and orderly way. Organize the mana to form like a thin thread, tracing every blood vessel and every muscle of your body¡­"


    Eli followed Leon''s instructions step by step. At first, she found it hard to make the mana specks form the way Leon described it but slowly, she was able to form it more finer and thinner.


    At the point where Eli couldn''t manipte the mana stably, Leon would use his mana to carefully help her to stabilize the thread.


    The process was slow and delicate, the two didn''t even mind if there were people around, as they were both focused on letting the mana thread enter into Eli''s body properly.


    When all the mana needed entered Eli''s body, Leon''s next instruction rang in her mind, "Now focus on your receptors, let it absorb the mana specs gradually until they are filled. After that, I''ll inject a forceful mana in your body to help you stretch the receptors. My grandfather called this process kneading. This portion would be the most painful for you, so hang in there please¡­"


    Leon''s voice became anxious, he was unsure if Eli could take the pain of making the receptors flexible enough to assimte into the body.


    "Uhn.. I''m ready¡­" Eli braced herself. She had no idea how painful the process would be, but she trusted Leon, who was by her side.


    "Alright, let''s start." Leon closed his eyes and focused on supervising what was happening on Eli''s mana stream.


    When he saw that Eli was done absorbing the mana thread, he immediately injected his mana and started to force every receptors to stretch inside Eli''s body.


    "Ngnnn.." Eli groaned in misery as she felt her body being torn into bits and pieces by a million ants.


    From the top of her head to her toes, every cell in her body was not spared.


    Unbearably torturous!


    Those were the two words that invaded Eli''s mind when she felt the pain.


    "Eli.. please endure¡­ please endure till the end.." Leon knew exactly what kind of pain was oppressing Eli right now. But he could only hug her tight and speak inside her mind in order to let Eli''s mind stay sane and stable.


    The kneading was especially forceful and slow. The two gritted their teeth and forced themselves to endure till the end.


    They eventually lost track of time and had no idea what was about to happen outside.


    ¡ª


    In the darkest of the night, a stealthy raven flew on Empress Carolina''s balcony.


    It pecked in a certain way that made Empress Carolina understand that it was actually signalling a familiar code.


    Opening the ss door with vignce, she quietly approached the raven and noticed a piece of paper firmly fastened in its ws.


    She took it quietly and opened the piece of paper with care.


    The contents of the letter seemed to surprise and worry her at the same time. But seeing that the raven was intently looking at her as if it possessed an intelligence akin to humans, she held back all the possible expressions she could possibly leak on her face and body.


    She could only let out a helpless sigh in her heart and brieflye back to the bedroom to write a reply;


    "I ept the lord''s instructions humbly.."

 Chapter 242 The Order

    ?Empress Carolina looked at the raven flying towards the darkness with an anxious heart.


    When she was sure that the raven was no longer around, she quickly stepped inside the bedroom, with her expression turning dark from an initial fawning face.


    There was a trace of uneasiness and panic showing in her bewitching face, hugging herself as if she was cold.


    "What should I do?" She mumbled while bringing her thumb subconsciously on her teeth, a gesture very udylike yet she always does whenever she is under pressure.


    Her amethyst eyes looked puzzled as she reckoned the situation she was in and the untimely receiving of the order from the raven.


    She was just in the process of mending her awkward rtionship with Kazimir, who was still skeptical and cautious towards her and Duke Ves.


    Ever since the big fight with Kazimir during the careless leaking of investigations in the capital, her son''s trust towards them evidently decreased.


    Their interactions were also lessened as Kazimir immediately busied himself with his family and his princely duties.


    He also did not do anything to expand influence as he knew that forcing to do so would backfire because of the awkward position of the Ves Family being sanctioned.


    Her brother Maxim was also not in a good position either. The nobles acted cautiously around him, afraid that the Emperor might take his anger towards them from associating with the Vess who were sanctioned.


    With a percentage of their property and territory seized, their influence was also crippled albeit not severely. However, she thought that the influence that was forcefully taken from them was what they needed the most, now that she received the orders from the lord.


    Moreover, they could not decline the lord''s order, for he would surely turn away from the Ves n and leave them to decline for good.


    Through the years that she and her brother Maxim worked to make the Vess rise again, the lord has been the one backing them up in the shadows.


    While her father''s letter said that the origins of the Ves Family was from the main branch, the real sessor of the Ves n was the one who led the Spectre to be the organization they were today.


    Thus, Empress Carolina and Duke Maxim knew that the lord was the real head of the True Ves n and they were only the ones who superficially enabled the Ves''s name to exist in the world.


    Understanding this, they know that the Spectre would not treat their side of the Ves n as an indispensable item, for they would have a way to restore the True Ves n from their own lineage.


    With no other choice and with pride in their upbringing, the Empress and the Duke knew that following the lord was the only way for their side of the Vess to survive.


    However¡­ There was another way to survive too, that was to take control of the Seirende Empire, which was the very reason their Ves Family became much moreplicated and dysfunctional as today.


    Getting Kazimir''s full trust towards them was the easiest way. With him under their control, the Empire would be in their hands in no time.


    Her thoughts about the past of the n, the present and the future ahead made Empress Carolina subconsciously bite her nails until it bled.


    It was only when her tongue tasted the blood on her finger that she managed to wake from her thoughts. The metallic taste reminded her that there is no use to thinking anymore. The lord would surely want the results to manifest as soon as possible.


    "Can.." Still hugging her arms like she was shivering from the cold, her voice called out from the darkness.


    A ck figure appeared on her balcony and respectfully knelt, not daring to raise his head to see the Empress who was clearly not in a good mood.


    "Reporting to Her Majesty, the Empress." Can, the dark knight greeted respectfully.


    "Go to the Ves Estate and inform the Duke that he must meet me immediately. For the lord has given some orders." Empress Carolina expressionlessly ordered.


    Her heart did not show any signs of calming down. Most probably, only when her big brotheres in the morning will she have some sense of security.


    The next day.


    Duke Maxim came to her ce with an expression as dark as a coal. He was containing his emotions from another infuriating morning council session.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was already shaken by the news he received from the lord first thing in the morning, but he still had to face those opportunistic and hypocritical noblemen who came to gang up on their family while they were down!


    If not for the fact that his sister was still in the midst of coaxing his nephew back to help them out, he would have long destroyed the roundtable with his magic!


    Those hateful people!


    Entering his sister''s study, he saw his sister standing with an insecure and uneasy expression. It has been a few decades since he saw his sister in this state.


    It was when she was out of her wits seeing that her father was no longer around and the decline of the Ves was most certain for attacking the princess of the Rubino Kingdom.


    Duke Maxim understood that she was panicking because of the awkward situation they have now and the untimely order of the lord.


    "Tell me what happened." Duke Maxim sat on the couch, calmly looking at Empress Carolina.


    Empress Carolina bit her lips and narrated the contents of the letter.


    "The lord ordered us to cause some chaos in the capital using any means that would push Valentin out of his wits. He said that we have to leave him with no choice but to surrender and agree to the lord''s demand - to search for and surrender the Subject of the Oracle." She exined.


    "That would be easy, why are you wearing such a worried expression?" Duke Maxim secretly heaved a sigh of relief knowing that the lord did not order them things like instigating a war immediately.


    Starting a war in this time would only be suicidal for their side of the Ves Family.


    "But¡­ he wants the subject of the oracle. We did not even have the clue where the subject of the oracle was! Why must he be the first to take advantage of the subject!" Empress Carolina was extremely unwilling.


    With the smear on Kazimir''s influence there were only two people who could somehow turn the tables around for her son.


    The Great Inventor Eli and the Subject of the Oracle.


    Too bad, the inventor was already tied to the Faraulds, who openly supported the trashy third prince with General Eugine as his teacher.


    She was putting her hopes for their secret forces to find a clue about who the Subject of the Oracle would be, sweeping from territory to territory just to look for a person with spiritual powers.


    But now, the lord of the Spectre wants the subject too!


    What would be left for her, the Ves Family and her son?


    Duke Maxim saw his sister''s expression and sighed helplessly.


    "Look here, Carolina... Between getting the Subject of the Oracle on our side or gaining the favor of the Lord, who do you think could most likely hand this Empire into our hands?" He raised his brows and lectured the Empress, his sister, as if they were just ordinary siblings.


    "..." Empress Carolina heard her big brother''s stern tone and immediately reflected on her thoughts, "I- i was muddle headed for a moment¡­" She replied apologetically.


    "Mmm, now quickly go back to your usual self and focus on bringing Kazimir back on our side. While we are in an awkward position, our family could still deploy some people to create such chaos in thend. Do not worry about the orders and let me handle it." Maxim was satisfied with his sister''s quick wittedness and replied with an assuring tone.


    "But to cause chaos in the Empire in such a way that would push Valentin on the corner, it is not something easy to achieve¡­" Empress Carolina replied worriedly.


    "That would surely be not easy if we use the normal means.." Duke Ves leaned confidently on the couch, touching his chin with a cunning look. "Don''t you remember that the only thing that left Valentin helpless was when you used the power of the curse?"


    He looked at Empress Carolina with a smile that would certainly cause other people''s misfortune, "We managed to do it more than thirty years ago. Looking at how he was still unable to pursue that matter until this day, as well as how he was unable to announce any means to deal with the curses, it is evident that even after three decades, the Empire was still powerless against the curse magic!"


    Duke Maxim grinned with his eyes clearly taunting the Emperor he would hatefully bow to every day, "Even after posing as a proper Emperor, a single curse spell could still devastate him without a fight!"

 Chapter 243 Starting The Chaos

    ?Empress Carolina listened to her brother''s idea and the tinge of excitement rose from her heart.


    It would have been better if they could use the curse to force Valentin to surrender and make Kazimir the next emperor!


    Too bad they couldn''t. That was because the siblings managed to get a highly ssified information - Only the legitimate appointed sessor of the Empire would obtain the power to control the Seirende Central Bank!


    The most notable legacy of thete Emperor Idelfonso was the establishment of the Seirende Central Bank.


    Through this bank, the wealth and control of the nobles in the economy was halved. They could no longer freely dictate the movement of the Empire''smerce because it was the Emperor who would dere and hold the value of the Shinies inside the empire.


    It was also harder for the nobles to seize riches of the fallen aristocrats and themon people without going through the legal process of withdrawing through the bank.


    They also no longer hold any power on imposing high lending rates as themon folks would always prefer loaning from the bank with reasonable interest rates and payment schemes.


    With that, the Ves siblings understood that even if Kazimir would be crowned as Emperor through rebellion, he would never have the power to control the central bank.


    The moment an uprising happened, the Seirende Central Bank would automatically freeze through an unknown mechanism which only thete emperor and the legitimate sessors had the right to know.


    The moment the bank freezes, all of the stakeholders who had ounts inside the banks would have to hold the leader ountable - that would be the current emperor.


    This move would make the ascending emperor the enemy of the entire empire, all of the allied nations and kingdoms who deposited their wealth in the bank!


    At that time, probably even their aristocratic backers would point their swords towards the perpetrators.


    As for the Seirendes during that time?


    Most probably they would be all wiped out or hiding in the dark, watching the rebels clean up the mess of thest bomb they installed inside the Empire - the Central Bank!


    This was also the reason why Empress Carolina and Duke Ves did not move to directly rebel against the Empire but instead put their efforts in raising Kazimir and their underground forces.


    Although, it was not as if they totally took the idea of rebelling out of their options. It was just that they had to be rich and strong enough to resist the uprising of the citizens and the rest of the stakeholders of the bank.


    They put up underground auction houses, ck markets and mysterious informationworks to function as their cash cows. However, due to the recent clean up operation and the painful sanction, their cash cows have been disrupted!


    The gaze on Duke Maxim''s eyes deepened as he remembered the mess created by Valentin on his businesses.


    ''Well, it would not be bad to use this time to get back to the enemies!'' He sneered while secretly scheming in his heart.


    He left Carolina after assuring her for a few more times. Upon arriving at the estate he called on Visam, Das and Orel.


    "Assemble your respective toons and wait for my instruction. The next few days, you will all go around the capital to harvest!" He ordered in a sinister tone, a great wave of excitement shed in his amethyst eyes.


    He had long been itching to finally use his hidden army for years! Now is the sweetest time to do that!


    "Milord, how about the investigations?" Visam trembled while asking the Duke about Hasta and Igor.


    Whenever the Duke called for them, they would punish them for not bringing any useful news about the two missing dark knights.


    Fortunately Duke Ves was in an extremely good mood from the thought of exacting revenge on the people who gave him a hard time today.


    "Unn? Now that you reminded me, divide their toon among yours. I want this to be done as soon as possible. I will soon give you a list of who among the capital you would target." Duke Ves simply waved his hand and gestured to them to immediately disperse.


    The dark knights had no choice but to leave wordlessly. They left the study with the Duke happily asking the butler to open the most aged wine in the cer to celebrate, much to the servant''s confusion.


    ''Isn''t the Duke under pressure these days? Howe he suddenly wanted to drink and celebrate?''


    At the moment, only Duke Ves knows what kind of chaos he would bring forth in the empire and how painful the headache he would give to Valentin!


    Just that thought made Duke Maxim''s blood boil in excitement!


    ¨C


    Underground Temple Dungeon<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The investigation team and the High Priest were phasing back and forth in front of the door to the training ground.


    It has been three days since Eli and Leon attempted to open the paths, however the two didn''t show any signs of stopping.


    "What should we do? We don''t know if forcefully opening the paths is dangerous¡­" The High Priest, for the first time, showed a trace of uncertainty and fear in his ever calm eyes.


    He didn''t possess the open paths and was not an expert either. But he knew that Eli would need every power she had in order to stand firmly on her ground.


    He was starting to waver from the decision he made for Eli a few days ago about letting her open the paths.


    "While it''s true that the kneading process is extremely painful, I do not think that Leon would allow young Eli to get hurt." General Farauld was also anxious.


    It was evident on how he had dropped addressing Leon as the prince, but rather as his student.


    In that room, one is his student and the other is his daughter, how can he not be anxious?


    Besides, he personally witnessed how thete emperor helped Leon go through the same phase, he knows how hard the process was.


    "But Father, this is not good... There were already signs of movement within the Capital. There were already ten people killed mysteriously with an ''unknown'' weapon, which we all know was a cursed weapon!" Nathan, reminded his father and everyone in the room.


    The other reason why they were restless was because of this.


    Two days ago, there were five cases of murder around the capital.


    The initial investigations indicated that these people were repeatedly stabbed by a mysterious weapon. The bizzare thing was that, while they were stabbed multiple times, they were not stabbed on any vital points, yet they were killed!


    Infact, the stab wounds indicated that the perpetrator tortured the victims first but they never delivered the fatal blow. Most importantly, there were no traces of poison in the body.


    The coroners and even the doctors dered that the victims died even before they bleed to death!


    How mysterious would the case be?!


    Today, there were another five deaths reported.


    But unlike the first five victims, the next five were found in a horrifying state. Their bodies were sucked of flesh and blood, leaving only a shriveled pungent skin and bones, clothed with the attire they werest seen in.


    If not for the eyewitnesses saying that these victims were still alive during daytime and had even managed to interact with people, the investigators would think that these victims were already dead for a good few years.


    The officials were starting to be confused as it would be impossible that the perpetrator would only be a single person. Even a serial killer would not kill so mysteriously ten times in a row for two days!


    Moreover, the time of deaths of the victims were close to each other and the ces they were discovered were randomly scattered around the capital, leaving the investigators unsure if there was a pattern in the killings.


    While the doctors, the patrol knights and the officials were puzzled by this case, the investigator team totally knew what was going on!


    Their interrogation with Hasta has already confirmed that the Vess had secret forces which could use cursed weapons to hurt people!


    For the interrogation team, they named the abominable group as the cursed army. They were the Ves''s hidden cursed army!!!


    How could they just stand and wait to let things happen the way the Vess wanted!


    The most stifling thing is the fear that there would be another batch of deaths the next day!


    "I know¡­ But can we retaliate with the cursed army now? The only way we can do it is to kill them even before they move against us, but do you know what level should our forces be to be able to do that???"


    General Farauld sternly exined, but he addressed his words not only to his son but to the rest of the team.


    Everyone was silent for a moment because they knew the answers to their hearts.


    "They should at least be at the lowest of A ss! And everyone of you knows that only us in the room, a few people and some from Leon''s des could reach that level. In short, we are totally outnumbered!"

 Chapter 244 Successfully Opening The Paths

    ?Everyone became dead silent after General Farauld emphasized the current situation.


    Although the Empire could be considered as strong, A ss mages and knights were not as abundant as the fruits on a tree, which they could take whenever they wanted.


    The number of A ss could still be easily numbered by the fingers across the Empire, and even with Leon being an S ss mage, the number of the cursed army was still unknown.


    "But Father, we can''t possibly wait for the Third Prince to finish before moving." Nathan gritted his teeth, knowing how tricky the situation was.


    "I know¡­ But I am clinging to the hope that we won''t have to sacrifice our men when we deal with these sinister people." General Farauld also understood where his son wasing from.


    They were knights who were willing to die for the Empire and it would be too ridiculous to think that they were afraid of the idea of getting killed in battle.


    But General Farauld sees things differently.


    While it is an honor to die for the Empire, he had to instill to his men that fighting recklessly was pointless. They die for the Empire with the hope that the remaining people will have the means to survive and thrive again.


    They do not die for blind suicide.


    Moving this early without having a n to control the situation and its aftermath was as good as leaving the Empire on its own.


    "Let us wait until the sun sets tomorrow. If the two still remain in seclusion, we have no choice but to report to the Emperor and step in to interfere with the killings." General Farauld looked at everyone and dered with a grave look on his face.


    "Please let the Emperor know that the Temple is willing to help in the matter too." The High Priest expressed his opinion.


    The matter of the curse is a matter for the entire Prasinos. As a representative of the Temple, they had to step into the matter too.


    --


    While the matter on the Capital was in a precarious state, the situation on the training ground was slowly bing more stable and hopeful.


    "Huuuu¡­" Leon breathed a heavy sigh as he wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.


    He looked at Eli who still had her eyes closed sitting cross-legged in front of him.


    Although her posture was upright, it was evident that her body was still tense because of dealing with the immense pain brought about by the kneading process.


    "We finally finished the first half of your body.." Leon mumbled with a tinge of exhaustion and relief in his voice.


    "I am getting used to the pain also, it''s bing more bearable the more we go through the process." Eli answered still with her eyes closed.


    There was a deep frown on her face showing that she was exerting all efforts to keep her consciousness stable while dealing with the painful kneading process.


    "Finishing the upper half of your body means that we have also finished integrating your receptors to your vital points. We have already gone past the critical stage of the process. Hold on a little more and we''ll be done in no time." Leon positioned himself again, he just stopped momentarily to take a breather.


    He embraced Eli again and continued to assist her in the kneading process.


    Inserting the forceful mana again, Eli''s body trembled in pain. The good thing was,pared to the first half of the process, the pain had already subsided significantly.


    In just a few minutes her state of mind readjusted and focused on integrating her receptors to every cell of her lower body.


    Just as Leon said, the kneading process for the lower half of her body sped up greatly. The mana thread inside her body, her receptors and the forceful mana worked visibly faster.


    Finally, thest cell on her body fully integrated with her receptors!


    Whooooooosh!!!


    Eli, for the first time in a few days opened her eyes as a full pledged open path!


    She was weed with an amazing sight the moment the kneading process was done.


    She looked around and saw that the air around her seemed to be glowing.


    Everywhere she looked, there seemed to be a speck of light dancing freely as the wind carried it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The most amazing thing was that her body felt like she was one with the specks of light too. She looked at her hands and feet, they seemed to blend like water in the sea of light.


    A very light and refreshing feeling also flowed in her entire body, as ifpensating the torture and pain she just went through for who knows how long.


    "Amazing feeling, isn''t it? Mana is now freely being channeled on your body.." While she was confused and surprised about the phenomenon she experienced, Leon''s maic voice rang in her ears.


    "Uhnnn.." She nodded as she touched Leon''s arms, which were still wrapped in her body.


    Through the painful process, it was Leon''s voice that gave her the strength and a great sense offort. Without it, she couldn''t imagine how she would be able to survive the painful process alone.


    Leon leaned his head over her shoulders, resting on her little body for a while.


    He brought her closer to his body and hugged her more intimately. As they were sitting cross legged all this time, Eli was now practically sitting on hisp.


    But the two didn''t seem to care about how ambiguous their position was at the moment.


    All they could think of was the relief and the dness they felt in their hearts because they managed to go through the adversity together.


    "Congrattions on opening all your paths, my love.." Leon turned his face towards Eli''s side profile.


    Although their appearance was not really looking great because they have stayed like this for too long, she was still the most beautiful person in his eyes.


    Eli shuddered uncontrobly as she felt Leon''s gentle breath tease her neck. His sultry voice became the loveliest music on her ears. No amount of symphonies nor odes could beat the beauty of the sound created by Leon''s voice calling her ''love''.


    "Thank you for not giving up on me, Leon, my heart." Eli slightly leaned sideways to take a good look at Leon''s face.


    However, what met her was not the clear view of her love''s face, but the sweet and searing kiss from his lips.


    She felt her heart jump high in the air, like it was thrown into something that made her abdomen feel giddy and floating.


    But the next moment, she felt her body responding affectionately. Closing her eyes and touching the side of his face ever so lightly, Eli epted Leon''s love with all her might.


    Leon was now sure that Eli''s lips was the most addictive taste he would never get enough of. Especially the moment her tender hands caressed his face, it felt so hot yet calming at the same time.


    Afraid that Eli would feel ufortable with their position, he used his strong arms and positioned her in a morefortable posture. But he didn''t leave her lips for a moment.


    Only when he could feel that Eli would be out of breath that he would part with her lips.


    But everytime his crystal blue eyes meet her earnest obsidian eyes, he would once again taste her lips, carefully savoring it like it was the most precious delicacy that he could ever have.


    It didn''t take long for him to realize that his heart was beating so loud and so heavy as if it was no longer capable of containing his affections right now. However, he persisted still and wrapped Eli''s body closer to his.


    Caressing her back slowly, his hands wandered like a traveler exploring and that was exclusively his.


    As his hands roamed on her shoulders, to her back, down to her waist, his kiss went deeper and more aggressive.


    His hands didn''t stop inspecting the nd'' that was in his possession until his fingers mysteriously found its way underneath Eli''s shirt.


    This made Eli''s mind go haywire as she was already feeling the intense heat and intimacy that they never explored before.


    The moment Leon''s fingers touched the surface of her skin, a wave of electricity jolted all her senses awake, bringing her almost in a delirious state!


    "Nggnnn.." Subconsciously, her breath let out an amorous sound, igniting something in Leon that almost made him lose his sanity.


    The hands that had intruded the restricted zone on Eli''s bare skin held her tighter as he slowly bent and guided Eli to lie on the ground.


    But before he was able toplete the action, he felt a gentle force pushing on his chest. He momentarily paused and realized that it was Eli''s hands resting on his sturdy chest.


    Confused, he looked at Eli whose eyes were now glistening like a pleading little puppy, "L-leon¡­ we''re still in the temple¡­"

 Chapter 245 The Situation Outside (1)

    ?Leon''s body froze at Eli''s reminder.


    He stared nkly at Eli, who was already realizing what kind of situation they were actually in just a few moments ago.


    Like a scared cat, she trembled and tried to find a hole to bury herself into.


    Seeing her act flustered and nervous, Leon found it cute and amusing at the same time.


    Letting out a helpless chuckle, he lifted Eli up and ced her on the resting area.


    Lightly brushing her hair, Leon looked straight in her eyes and held her hand to give her a light kiss. He then told her with an apologetic tone, "I can''t really wait for us to marry. I think I overestimated my self-control. I''m sorry¡­"


    Eli couldn''t look straight at Leon''s eyes.


    It''s not like this was the first time they kissed like that, but she was truly surprised at how her body reacted that moment when Leon''s hand reached underneath her clothes.


    She was deeply scared by the fact that she almost lost her cool and became excited instead.


    Fortunately, thest bit of her rationality made her pause and remind Leon of their current situation. Thankfully, Leon also stopped and listened to her plea.


    Leon didn''t mind that Eli was still unable to respond to him affirmatively. It was his fault for startling her like that.


    He reproached himself in his heart, didn''t hemit to respecting her dignity until they marry? The situation earlier was so close for him, really close.


    But then, he acknowledges the fact that they both deserve to be free in love with each other. That is why the earlier they solve the issue in the capital, the sooner they can truly be a real couple, a real family with Little Han.


    "Shall we go out then and report to the High Priest? Maybe let yourself be refreshed for a while?" He asked her again, trying to dispel the ambiguous mood around them.


    "Yes, we must do that right away." Eli felt relieved in her heart when she saw that Leon didn''t show any sign of being disappointed over the fact that she stopped their momentum earlier.


    Leon stood up and held out his hands, his crystal blue eyes looking at Eli with the same gentle look that he only gives to her and Little Han.


    Eli took his hands and walked alongside him, going out to the training grounds after being in seclusion for they didn''t know how long.


    When they stepped out on the training grounds, the first person they saw was Julian, who initially had a sleepy look until he saw that they finally went out.


    The young temple servant and the secret spy from the roaming des widened his eyes and tearfully expressed his tion about the appearance of the couple.


    "Mas- Your Highness Third Prince, Great Inventor, Lady Eli! Congrattions on finishing your seclusion!" He weed them with hope and relief in his eyes.


    His reaction made Leon pause and confused. The way Julian looked at them was that of relief not due to the fact ofing out safe, but the relief of looking at their savior and hope.


    Leon''s eyes shed slightly, his gut was saying that whatever happened outside was not good news. But with Eli by his side, he stayed calm and looked meaningfully at Julian signaling not to divulge something with Eli around.


    Because Julian had long been under Leon''s side, he immediately understood what his master meant. As such, he continued to act as happy as he was and didn''t show any signs of being worried.


    "We have been waiting for you to sessfully end your training. Lady Eli, pleasee with me. I''ll guide you to your quarters so that you can refresh yourself." He bowed and looked at Eli without leaking out any suspicious actions.


    "Go on, I''ll have to refresh myself too. But I might not see you after that because I need to catch up with Teacher and Father Emperor." Leon also convinced Eli to go with Julian.


    Eli nodded and didn''t mind the fact that she might not see Leon after this. She knows that Leon suddenly left his post and he needed to catch up the most. She was supposed to train without seeing Leon and Little Han after all, so she was already mentally prepared for this kind of situation.


    She stepped forward to get closer to Leon and tiptoed, giving a light peck on his cheek, "Take care and be safe.."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon was surprised by her public disy of affection. His eyes flickered with amazement, but his heart was extremely satisfied, "Yes I will.."


    He held her hand and kissed it gently, before gesturing for Julian to guide her to the quarters.


    Julian, who was forcefully fed with dog food, stared stupidly at the two before stiffly leading Eli away. He was so shocked that he walked like a mechanical robot with busted circuits.


    Eli let out a chuckle, "Are you surprised by that? I''m sorry for startling you."


    While they were walking, she engaged in a light conversation with the young temple servant. Julian was a sunny and yful young man inside, but due to the required conduct for temple servants like him, he would still uphold the reserved demeanor forcefully.


    But seeing her and Leon act affectionately before parting with each other seemed to have made the young temple servant break his character. That''s why Eli couldn''t help but chuckle and apologize because of that.


    "Ah, Mada- Mdy, you do not have to apologize. I really don''t mind!" Julian was scared out of his wits upon hearing his Madam''s apology.


    He scolded himself for not being strong enough in hiding his astonishment about seeing such a different side of his Master.


    Eli let out another chuckle, she waspletely satisfied to see that the awkwardness between them was already dispelled.


    As they walked along the stone corridor, she asked, "How long have we been in seclusion?"


    Although taken aback, Julian still answered Eli calmly, "Mdy and His Highness Third Prince has been in seclusion for five days."


    "That long?!" Eli was surprised upon knowing the duration of their seclusion. She really was surprised to know that the seemingly brief moment they spent in opening and stabilizing the paths went as long as five days!


    "Yes¡­ The High Priest, himself, became worried about the duration. Thankfully, General Farauld testified that the process of training was within expectation as he witnessed it before with His Highness." Julian exined.


    "I see¡­" Eli expressed her understanding, it was good that they didn''t cause amotion for suddenly disappearing like that without any warning.


    "By the way, how''s the capital these days?" She continued to ask, not noticing the struggle on Julian''s face upon hearing the question.


    "I apologize Mdy, but I am not really privy to matters outside the capital. But General Farauld and the rest continued to busy themselves over their roles during these days." Julian gave a vague answer, attempting to trick Eli into thinking that everything was as normally hectic as they trained five days ago.


    "I see, probably they were still stressing out over the investigations. Too bad, the High Priest had already officially pulled me out of the team to start my training¡­" Julian''s answer seemed to have achieved the desired effect as he saw that Eli didn''t suspect anything from his answer.


    His heart felt guilty for hiding the real situation from his Madam.


    But just like what Leon had signaled earlier, General Farauld, the High Priest, and the rest of the investigation team unanimously decided to hide the actual situation from Eli until she had reached a certain point of her training.


    As such, Eli had no way to know, that the entire Capital was already filled with dread and gloom over the bizarre murder incidents that have been appearing for four days now.


    Leon, on the other hand, went straight to the High Priest''s study, hoping that there are people he could converse with in order to know the situation outside.


    From Julian''s initial reaction, he knew that there was something bad that happened during their days in seclusion. That''s why without even changing his clothes or taking a sip of water, he rushed straight to the office to gather some information.


    Luckily, when he reached the room, he saw the High Priest, his Father Emperor, and General Farauld, all with gloomy faces and dark looks discussing the situation.


    "Pardon for intruding rudely.." Only when Leon saw their faces did he realize that his panic got the best of him, ignoring the fact that he had barged into the High Priest''s office without properly announcing himself.


    "You''re finally here.. Come and sit, I know why you are here. This timing is really perfect, we''ll tell you about the situation." The High Priest didn''t mind Leon''s actions and instead beckoned him to sit.


    They were men anyways and in their situation, no amount of decorum nor etiquette could solve the problem they were facing.

 Chapter 246 The Situation Outside (2)

    ?Five nights ago.


    The height of the darkness was conveniently taken advantage of by dozens of men, as they covertly sneak inside the Ves Estate.


    Going through the secluded passageways, the mysterious men assembled one by one. There seemed to be an unspoken rule to convene into certain groups despite not saying a single word.


    After some time, Duke Ves and the dark knights Visam, Das, and Orel appeared at the center of the rendezvous area with t expressions on their faces.


    Upon seeing the Duke, the men all knelt and saluted respectfully, "We greet Master!"


    Duke Ves nodded perfunctorily. Without dying any further he gestured at the three knights to reorganize Hasta and Igor''s toon before finally announcing his orders.


    "We have received specific instructions from the lord to create some chaos in the capital. Das, Orel, and Visam will select from their team to go and kill people every day." Duke Ves handed down a list of names to the three knights.


    "This.. Master.." The three knights were surprised to see the names on the list.


    Duke Ves just shrugged and exined, "I know that everyone has been itching to get back on these people for stepping on our family while we are in trouble. Since the lord asked us to create some trouble, why not use his orders to also get revenge on the people who wished for our n''s demise?"


    Das, Orel, and Visam understood Duke Ves''s line of thought.


    What surprised them was that the first names on the kill list were actually the descendants of vassals under the Ves Duchy itself. However, these vassals were proven to have attempted to dissociate themselves from the duchy during the sanctions.


    They also understood Duke Ves''s intention; if the first victims were from his estate, then the suspicion would not go to Ves first. Another thing was that the lives that they would be iming could be used to strengthen their curse magic and make them strong.


    The operation was indeed hitting three birds with one stone!


    "Now, you will go around every night to kill these people in random order. As to how you will do that, I don''t care as long as these people are eliminated! I will only tell you when you will have to increase the murder count after a few days." Duke Veszily instructed the dark army.


    In his mind, he had already trained them to carry out things with minimal supervision. As long as the orders were carried out in a manner that would not point to the Ves, he didn''t care how violent his army could be.


    At the end of the day, the people on the kill list were just a mix of irrelevant descendants or even servants of the enemies of their house. This way, the killings would appear random and not deliberate.


    However, when the lord still didn''t get what he wanted, he could probably start ordering the army to start killing the prominent ones!


    And so after that night, the mysterious killings started and brought an indescribable fear in the capital, most especially to the nobility who were the main targets of the assassination.


    And every night they finish killings, the men who were assigned to kill would even make fun of the victim''s terrorized reactions in theirst moment whenever they convene on the usual spot. They would gloat and mock the futility of their struggles not knowing that no matter how they beg or cry out, they would inevitably die.


    After two days of killing, however, the Emperor started to move and increased their patrols during the nighttime.


    This triggered the Duke''s excitement as he gave out an order, "Hahaha! Who said that you only have to kill during nighttime?! Show the Emperor how foolish he was and kill double the number of victims during daytime!"


    He couldn''t help but imagine the Emperor''s face when he hears the report of the murders happening in broad daylight.


    "Hahahaha! That would be a direct p in his face!" Duke Ves couldn''t help butugh hard in his study while swirling the wine in his hand upon releasing his orders to the army.


    True enough, upon receiving the report, Emperor Valentin almost destroyed the table in anger. How could he not know that Duke Maxim was taunting him from having no means to retaliate against the cursed weapons?


    "Calm yourself down Old Valentin, the only advantage we have is that they didn''t know that we have already figured out that he is behind this all." Afraid that his good friend would lose his cool from the provocation, General Farauld immediately visited him and gave his words of advice.


    But a day after he was able to calm Valentin down, a mysterious letter, along with the news that the victim count doubled again, came to the Imperial pce made matters worse.


    "Have you seen my gift to you, Emperor of the Seirende Kingdom? I will give you more of these until you search and hand over the Subject of the Oracle. I know that you know that this person exists, and I am pretty sure that the person is somewhere in your Empire since the oracle had descended in your ce.


    My request is just simple, knowing the renowned greatness of the Seirende family, I guess you won''t have any difficulty doing this right?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Waiting for your affirmative response,


    Lord Raven"


    "Abominable people!!" Emperor Valentin''s rage heightened to the next level.


    It was clear that the person behind the Ves Duchy was the one who ordered these things to happen, and they only want one thing from him - his precious future daughter-inw!


    How could he not get immensely mad about this?!


    Some random Lord Raven and the Ves Duchy thought that they could get what they wanted by mercilessly killing the citizens of the Empire. They thought that by doing this they could have him, the Emperor of the Seirende Empire do what they want?


    These impudent people!


    Emperor Valentin rubbed his aching head in distress while summoning the two princes out in the hall.


    "We greet His Majesty, Father Emperor!" Prinze Kazimir and Prince Antoine respectfully greeted their father and silently waited for his orders.


    Although they were not directly involved yet in the investigations of the killings, they have a hunch that their father summoned them for the same reason.


    "You know that the capital is now in chaos.." Emperor Valentin straightforwardly exined the reason why they were called. "Due to the scale of your armies, I will assign the two of you and your troops to increase the security of the capital day and night. The goal is to prevent any killings and apprehend the killers."


    "We heed yourmands, Your Majesty!" Although taken aback as to why it was only the two of them who were called and not their youngest brother, the exnation from their Father Emperor immediately dispelled their confusion about the matter.


    Perhaps it was also because ever since the clean-up operations, this was the second time that their Father Emperor tasked them with an official duty of this level.


    Before, when ites to a direct threat to the Empire, their father would always call their youngest brother first.


    All that was left for them were missions revolving aroundmerce, economy, and the development of the empire.


    They were seldom involved in military affairs. Only when Leon''s and General Farauld''s knight corps were upied do they get missions regarding battles.


    But thest two assignments proved that their Father Emperor had no ns to let them stick to just building their reputations and abilities in developing the Empire.


    With new motivation, their eyes lit up with hope, and promised that they will do their best in carrying out their duties.


    However, even after leaving, Emperor Valentin''s worry didn''t reduce even a little bit.


    The reason why he involved the two was to buy time for Leon toe out of seclusion and finally deal with the enemies from the dark.


    It may seem to the public that he looked down on Leon''s ability to solve this case because the people involved were the aristocrats. But only a few knew that he intended for Leon to eliminate the people secretly.


    Among his three sons, only the youngest could do it because he had a natural talent in battles.


    "Now let me retire to my quarters..." Standing up to his throne, Emperor Valentin waved to dismiss his royal guards and aides indicating that he wanted to take a rest.


    He sneaked a look at a certain junior aide who has been identified as the spy from the Vess and also one of the dark knights - Roman.


    He wanted to see if his actions would trigger something on Roman''s face but Emperor Valentin didn''t see any change in his mood or expression.


    He wanted to give everyone the impression that he felt secure and relieved upon ordering his sons to be on top of this issue.


    His eyes glinted with mockery, "Ves, Oh Ves... You sure brought me an aide that is talented to the core!"

 Chapter 247 The Situation Outside (3)

    ?As much as he wanted to vent his anger towards this unsuspecting spy around him, Emperor Valentin chose to feign ignorance and put on a show.


    For sure, the matter would reach Duke Maxim''s ears and would trigger another wave of movement on his end.


    That''s why under the guise of sleeping, Emperor Valentin decided that he will be secretly visiting the Temple grounds and rying the contents of the mysterious letter to the High Priest.


    He also hoped to question the progress of the research and investigations, along with Leon and Eli finally ending their training in seclusion.


    Without dying any further, Emperor Valentin put on a disguise and used his teleportation mechanisms through the secret chamber.


    It was such a big blessing that Leon and Eli gifted him a handful of supreme-grade mana stones. With this, he could jump from one location to another, through his teleportation arrays without worrying about the decline of mana stone resources.


    Arriving at the Temple, he immediately proceeded to the High Priest''s office, where coincidentally, General Farauld was also there, reporting the situation outside and the matters of the interrogation team.


    "Young Valentin¡­ You came." The High Priest lightly greeted, he was not surprised as to why the Emperor showed up without any warnings inside the Temple. He just immediately beckoned him to sit and state his case.


    "I have received a mysterious letter of threat from a person named Lord Raven. I believe that he is the one behind the Vess and he is also the mastermind of all this chaos." Emperor Valentin exined with dark creases on his eyebrows forming deeper and deeper.


    The two took the letter and read its contents.


    Emperor Valentin watched the immediate change in their expressions - from grave to graver.


    "These people are pure evil! They looked at people''s lives like mere ythings to get what they want!" General Farauld angrily expressed his mind and couldn''t help but curse the perpetrators in his heart.


    "This Lord Raven must have been the owner of the spirit fragment that Eli managed to defeat a while back. Seeing that he still asked you to search for her and not directly hand her over meant that he was still unsure if the subject of the oracle had already officially appeared in the Empire." The High Priest remained calm and rational in his tone, but deep inside, a raging anger brewed in his heart.


    But as the High Priest and the eldest one in the room, he had to be the one with a clearer mindset than the two people with him. As such, with his deductions, he tried to divert the two''s emotions to the crux of the matter.


    "It means that all these things are just a gamble to him.." Emperor Valentin clenched his fist, this mysterious person did not even have any idea of the subject of the oracle is in the empire yet he dared to use countless people''s lives to coerce him to hand over his future daughter-inw.


    "I have no intention to hand over Eli.." Emperor Valentin dered in a tone that seemed to be not asking the other''s opinion.


    "Neither do I, that''s my daughter/student." The two other men also expressed their decision. When ites to the idea of handing over Eli to the evil person, there was no question about it, the answer is a big no.


    "However, we cannot just sit here and watch our people get killed for no reason." General Farauld continued.


    "Yes... We have to do something to stop the killings." The High Priest ced his hands on the table clenching it tightly.


    When they were about to discuss the next step, Leon''s rushing figure disrupted their thoughts.


    Upon seeing his face, the men secretly heaved a sigh of relief but still didn''t lose theirposure. With Leon now back to fight their attempt to stop the Vess and Lord Raven increased.


    After a few greetings, they immediately exined to Leon the details of the matter. They also let him read the mysterious letter from Lord Raven.


    Leon''s face became piercingly cold the moment he heard that some mysterious lord wanted his future wife. "I will never allow this to happen!" He dered resolutely, looking straight into the three elder''s eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We also came to a consensus not topromise with this matter. Besides, why will we hand over the hope of the Empire?" The High Priest gave an assuring reply to the agitated Leon. "However, we have to do something to cripple the ws of that Lord Raven, to stop the Vess from creating chaos in thend!"


    "Based on what you have said, the perpetrators seemed to use the cursed weapons more than the cursed magic?" Leon contemted for a while, before verifying his doubts.


    "Yes, the victims all showed signs of being physically attacked by a weapon and not magic." General Farauld answered Leon''s question. "However, we still have to keep in mind that the dark knights could use magic as necessary. Another thing was that there were signs of harvesting the life essence of victims. This was the thing captive Hasta exined on the curse."


    "In the meantime, I have assigned your elder brothers to patrol throughout the Capital. I am hoping that this move would momentarily disrupt Duke Ves''s momentum and give us time to prepare." Emperor Valentin also added.


    "The thing we need to think of the most is the n to counterattack these perpetrators. As of now, we have no means to retaliate but to use sheer force, using knights that are at least at the level of A-ss. But we only have a few¡­" Emperor Valentinid out his idea to the rest.


    However, his eyes were filled with worries for he would be forcing himself to use the strongest of the Empire to deal with the lowest pawn of the mysterious lord.


    Everyone in the room also had the same stifling feeling. There were only dealing with the lowest of low of this sinister organization, it would probably give them a harder time when Lord Raven decides to go all out.


    "This raven symbol was also simr to the people from the Spectre we have previously encountered in the silver dew forest! It means that there is a high chance that this Lord Raven was a person belonging to the sinister Spectre." Leon also expressed his deduction regarding the identity of the sender of the letter.


    "Perhaps, he is one of the high officials, if not the leader of this organization." General Farauld added.


    "It doesn''t matter if he is one¡­" Emperor Valentin replied.


    "The clearest fact here was that he could only use the Vess to carry out his objective inside the Empire. Notice that he didn''t expand his scope of the attack on arge scale. This means that the previous clearing operations were effective and that the moment we are free of the Vess, he could no longer get his way inside the Empire." He resolutely dered


    "But young Valentin, this move will mean that you will hurt your son and essentially half of your Empire." General Farauld looked at Valentin worriedly.


    He understood why Valentin held himself to not punish the Vess because he wanted to protect the family he had. However, Valentin''s recent actions indicated that he was already willing to sip the bitter wine, holding the guilty people ountable no matter what damage it may cause.


    "If this is what it takes for me to give a brighter future for the Empire, then I don''t mind being a terrible father¡­" Emperor Valentin wore a self-mocking expression, looking at Leon helplessly, "Besides, I have been a terrible father for decades now."


    "Sigh.." The High Priest no longer convinced Valentin to think otherwise. He could only pray that he would see this Emperor find peace in his heart despite all the mess that happened. "Alright, whatever n you have in mind, I have already given my word to let the Temple Knights be involved in the matter."


    "About that thing¡­" Leon suddenly interjected.


    He looked at them with a respectful expression before continuing, "I would like to politely express my disagreement regarding letting the Temple involve in this matter."


    The three elders were taken aback by Leon''s refusal to involve the Temple Knights. Everyone in the room knows that the Capital was already shorthanded with very low numbers of A-ss knights, how could he still reject the help from the Temple Knights?


    "Would you mind borating the reason for your disagreement?" The High Priest raised his brows with an interested expression. So far he had been continuously impressed by Leon''s abilities, so he couldn''t help but take his opinion into ount.


    "Esteemed High Priest, Father Emperor, Teacher¡­ We must remember the fact that Lord Raven was still testing the waters of the Temple and the Empire regarding the Subject of the Oracle. Involving the Temple too early will basically tell Lord Raven that we already know of the Subject''s whereabouts." Leon looked at them and exined his opinion carefully.


    "This also meant that we cannot take advantage of the doubts he had regarding our position when ites to finding the subject!"

 Chapter 248 Elis Visit

    ?"It would be the best scenario to have the Temple be involved when the whole matter of the curses came to light. In this way, we can avoid putting Father Emperor in a difficult position as soon as they announce the Ves''s sins, but we will have a legitimate reason why we will wipe out the Vess without even touching the matter of the Subject of the Oracle!" Leon finally concluded his judgment of the matter.


    He looked at them calmly, letting the three decide if his opinion made sense.


    With Leon''s reminder, the three elders were convinced that the involvement of the Temple should be purposely held back until the most crucial moment.


    But with the stalemate, the problem of having to deal with the cursed weapons remains.


    "Father... We can trust First Brother and Second Brother to temporarily hold back the Duke from doing what he wanted." Leon reminded Emperor Valentin objectively.


    Although everyone in the Empire knew that the three princes were not on good terms with each other, Leon knew that they can rely on Kazimir and Antoine to get the result that they want.


    "A two or three-day dy would be best and I also believe they can do that." General Farauld apuded Leon''s impartial analysis of the matter.


    He looked at his old friend, Valentin who was also equally surprised that his youngest son who had been bullied by the two older princes would still give an unbiased evaluation of his brothers'' abilities.


    The meeting ended with Leon assuring that he will mobilize his Crimson des to observe the situation more. This should be done while they take advantage of the dy that Antoine and Kazimir would be causing.


    Leon''s conjecture proved to be true because, at this moment, Duke Maxim had already received the information sent by Roman regarding Emperor Valentin''s actions.


    Holding the notification in his hands, Duke Ves leaned on his seat with a wide mocking grin on his face, "Look at you Valentin¡­ Hahahaha! You think you are wise enough to even use your sons to solve the matter?"


    A burst of loud amusedughter filled the room, Duke Ves seemed to enjoy the thought of Emperor Valentin trying every means to fight in futility.


    "Valentin¡­ Oh, Valentin, keep struggling! Until the people would curse you for being such a foolish leader!" He looked at his butler and asked him to call the three knights who were tasked to create chaos.


    The three knights arrived and immediately saluted the Duke.


    "My nephew and the second prince were tasked to increase the security of the Capital starting today. Just give the Emperor a little taste of triumph by temporarily stopping the killings for around two days. But use the time to observe their routes. Figure out when and where we can strike again without letting my nephew encounter you. As for the second prince, might as well shake his status while we''re at it."


    Duke Ves ordered with a carefree look, everything that was happening seemed to havepensated for his hard days from being sanctioned. ''Once the lord moves, the Ves n will have its a glorious day!'' He concluded in his heart.


    "We received your orders, Master!" The three knights expressed their understanding in this matter. After acknowledging his orders, the trio went away to disseminate the orders to their toon.


    Back in the Temple, Eli finally finished taking care of herself and proceeded to look for the rest of the investigation team to catch up on thetest happenings around the Empire.


    In their usual room of operation, it was only Kayden who she was able to encounter.


    "Big Brother¡­" Eli greeted the busy Kayden with a smile. She felt like she has been gone for too long because she saw how drastic the changes were in Kayden''s appearance.


    He seemed to have been busy these days as a pair of panda eyes appeared on his respected doctor appearance. He used to look like a youthful and reserved doctor, but now, a stubble beard had grown into his chin and jawline.


    But all in all, Kayden''s face as Doctor Einz could still be considered good looking, only that his demeanor now belonged to an entric medical genius, not a benevolent young doctor.


    "Little Sister! You''re finally back!" Kayden who was immersed in analyzing the data on his paper immediately stopped and looked at Eli with a brightened expression.


    He was relieved to see that Eli was looking fine and good. Seeing her calm expression, he was sure that the couple seeded in opening all her paths!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kayden gently patted Eli''s head, like Leon, he was taller than Eli who visibly appeared to be his legitimate little sister, "You must have sessfullypleted your attempt to open the paths? Congrattions! You did well!"


    "Yes! Thank you, Brother!" Eli smiled genuinely as she looked at Kayden with a grateful expression.


    Having brothers and father figures in this world was one of her greatest fortunes in this life. In her previous life, her biological parents were absent until the moment she died. Eli lived only receiving love from her Mum, her biological auntie. But after her health regressed, no one could dote on her anymore.


    Now in Prasinos, her adopted family showered her with overwhelming love and care.


    Just like Kayden who was now patting her head approvingly, a person who never had any blood rtion to her. In fact, her good rtionship with Kayden was thanks to the original Elise who had been treated sincerely by Kayden before her death.


    But over time, what seemed to be borrowed became genuine. Both she and Kayden established a bonafide sibling rtionship that couldn''t be linked to their rtionship with Leon or Elise.


    She didn''t mind acting childishly, for she wanted to truly enjoy and ept his doting even just for a moment.


    "By the way, what have you been up to Brother? Do you need any help?" Seeing the mountain of papers around him and the previous room now having a few cabs of potions andboratory equipment, Eli curiously asked.


    "Well, I''m trying to figure out a cure or at least a temporary relief for the victims of curses. This room became my official office now. Beyond that door is myboratory. Would you like to check it out?" Kayden pointed at a certain door inside the previous operation center of the investigation team, which was nowpletely used for his work.


    "Can I? Will I not cause you a disturbance?" Eli was uncertain if it was convenient for Kayden to show her around, but deep inside, she hoped to hear more about his progress.


    Perhaps she would know something that would be beneficial for her because she was still thinking of a way tobat the curse with her spiritual powers on arger scale.


    "No, you won''t dy me. In fact, I have been waiting for you toe out of training so that I can somehow ask you for some information about your personal encounter with both the curse and the evil spirit fragment." Kayden immediately dispelled Eli''s worry.


    With the two reaching consensus, Kayden walked Eli through the progress of his investigation as he toured her in his newboratory.


    Theboratory that was prepared for Kayden was amazingly spacious and convenient. It shocked Eli that the Imperial Family and the Temple managed to put all these together in just a few days to help Kayden in his research.


    There were several types of equipment that enabled Kayden to analyze various experiments conveniently, although these equipment were obviously the primitive versions of the modernboratory equipment in Eli''s previous world.


    However, nothing beats the use of magic as the main aid for medical research. Kayden being a genius as he is, Eli knew that there was no need to invent technologies such as x-ray scanners, MRIs, or even CT scanners, for he had long invented the spell equivalent for doing the same function as those modern technologies.


    This was also the reason why Kayden was forced into hiding by the Spectre, they want to steal his exclusive spells or force him to teach them to the scientists working under their sinister organization.


    Eli noticed that there was a bodyid at a sterilized table at the center of theboratories, she looked at Kayden and asked curiously, "This?"


    "It''s Hasta''s body. I was in the process of understanding how the curse attacked his body until he died. Remember how I managed to extend his life by giving him my strongest life-saving potions?" Kayden replied.


    "I remember that! You have evaluated Hasta''s condition as critical and could only use the potion to extend his life until the day of interrogation." Eli understood Kayden''s hypothesis.


    If the damage to Hasta''s body was because of the curse trying to eat away his life to replenish its power, then it means that the potion made by Kayden has the potential to be the base solution for the future cure of the curse!


    "I am only now looking for the missing ingredient. I hope to find it sooner so we can start our ns to retaliate. But so far, the only thing I managed to achieve was to finally figure out how the curse damaged Hasta''s body to that extent. " Kayden continued his exnation with a deep sense of loss.


    He was really on a roadblock and needed a peer''s advice on how he will re-approach his research. In his heart, he was hoping to find the answer on his own, but reality proved that the battle against the curse was never a one-man job.

 Chapter 249 Seeds Of Hope And Seeds Of Doubt

    ?As Kayden was exining his progress, he showed his research records for Eli to analyze.


    His handwriting waspletely neat and graceful, while the way he articted his thought process was concise and easy to understand.


    Through his research, Eli understood the way that the curse attacked Hasta. The curse magic not receiving enough replenishment killed the life of the cells in Hasta''s body. With the curse only taking the life out of the cells, his body was no longer able to regenerate and heal until his vital organs started to fail and bring him closer to death.


    "However, this data only shows how curses attack the host themselves but not the victim¡­ The mystery still remains as we have alreadypiled almost all the known cases of curse killings during our investigations. Some of them were conditional, others effect immediately while the others had to be triggered by something."


    Eli touched her chin and thought deeply, while they now understood how to curse magic attacked Hasta''s body, it was only one case among hundreds.


    "That''s my problem¡­ I cannot prove somehow that the way the curse damages people was one and the same. Because if it was really something that is variable, I may have to develop multiple potions." Kayden rubbed his head as he sighed deeply.


    Eli could observe that he was deeply burdened by the idea of looking for a solution to the curse.


    Trying tofort him she patted his downcast shoulders as she replied, "Big Brother, do not be disheartened, finding a solution to one was already a big step for us. Probably, the answer would not only be through medicine but through other means, so this is already such great progress for you."


    Kayden''s heavy feeling became lighter as he heard Eli''s words. He knows that what Eli said was true, there might be solutions outside the medical field, he just has to focus on finding the answer within his field and continue searching for the rest.


    "Yes, thank you for your kind words, younger sister. If only I could find the reagent that would have a miraculous revitalizing effect, the potion would no longer be just a life sustenance potion but a real cure for curse victims that kills the cells." Kayden replied.


    "An ingredient that has revitalizing effect¡­ Is there really no herb nor material that could have that effect?" Eli absentmindedly mumbled.


    "I''ve consulted my uncle Eirllon in the Silver Dew Vige, there''s no herb that could surpass the revitalizing effect of the Silver Woodbine Flower. However, its effect fell short¡­ the most it can do was to increase the life sustenance duration of the original form by 10%. It was a tad too far from what we needed¡­" Kayden took Eli to the indoor nursery that was also part of hisboratory.


    He showed Eli the Silver Woodbine Flowers that were carefully cultivated in a specific plot along with the other necessary herbs for Kayden''s potion.


    "It is not enough for the Silver Woodbine Flower to produce a superior revitalizing effect¡­ It has to be at the level of miraculous¡­ However, even if that nt exists, how much can we produce from it? The next problem would be the sustainability of the potion''s ingredients. Are there enough for the entire Prasinos?" One problem after the other, Kayden was full of questions in his head.


    It was not that he was an overthinker, but as a medical researcher, this goes with his habit. It was also prudent for him to think to this extent for he would be responsible for any physical, psychological, environmental, or social effects of the cure upon publicizing it to the world.


    Eli thought hard and deeply, taking into ount Kayden''s every concern. "Miraculous¡­ Sustainable... Aaaaah!!!!"


    After some time, her bright obsidian eyes widened in shock. Kayden saw the bright sparkle in her eyes the moment she faced Kayden with an excited expression.


    "Miraculous effect! My spiritual power!!! Isn''t it miraculous enough?!!" She dered excitedly.


    "Yes indeed! But how shall we integrate it with the potion?" Kayden was surprised but he was equally hopeful upon hearing Eli''s idea.


    "Well, I am not really sure about it but I propose two methods which we can evaluate further." Eli looked at the nts in the mini nursery and exined his ideas to Kayden.


    "The first method that I thought of was to continue to concoct the modified version of the life-extension potion with the Silver Woodbine Flower added. After its production, we will prepare the batch of potions for me to infuse the spiritual power on the potion in hopes that it would be effective with the curse.


    The disadvantage of this one was that you will always need me toplete the process, which may be an issue in the future.


    The second one, however, needs spiritual power in the first stage of the process! It was already proven that an herb could have their effects enhanced when they live in an environment that has rich mana - the Silver Dew Forest.


    We can try applying this principle under the use of spiritual powers too! By nature, spiritual powers are not meant to harm life, so it would be possible to sessfully infuse the spiritual powers during the cultivation of the nts!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What''s more, we can also try to check if this process would be also effective when people with spiritual powers other than me could also nourish the nts. In that case, it would be possible for me to not be needed during the entire process!"


    Eli conveyed her ideas to Kayden, like a child happily talking to an adult about the things she learned in school.


    Kayden was overwhelmed by her ideas and exnation but he could not contain the hope that Eli''s idea brings to his research. If her ideas could be proven as effective, then this would be the breakthrough that the entire Prasinos needed - the first counterattack we could execute against the evil curse!


    They only need one idea to be effective! Just one, and it will be enough!


    "Younger Sister Eli, would you mind testing these hypotheses we have right now?" Kayden looked at Eli with a serious and determined look.


    His panda eyes were a testament to the fatigue and stress that was taking a toll on his body, but there was an inexplicable aura of hope and excitement in his expression.


    "Yes! We just have to ask the High Priest for permission. Perhaps the ce I need to be right now was in thisboratory not on the training ground!" Eli reciprocated Kayden''s enthusiasm in this matter.


    In this fight against the curse, they were all blindly executing everything they had at hand in order to retaliate and defend the Empire and their loved ones.


    There will be moments when they would eventually realize that they had to pause and take a detour for the path ahead was not the correct way to take. That was what Eli was thinking at the moment.


    In the process of helping Kayden find his answer about the first anti curse potion, she might also find a way to use her spiritual powers extensively. Perhaps, one of her ideas would work, and if that was the case, she would be advancing one step nearer to fulfilling her role as the Subject of the oracle.


    "Let''s go!" The duo smiled at each other and quickly proceeded to the High Priest''s office.


    Along the way through, they encountered Nathan and Keren who had just gone into the library.


    With a brief exchange of greetings, the four proceeded to report to the High Priest to report their progress for the day.


    ¨C


    Just at it was hopeful for the interrogation team, the gloom that was looming over the Capital started to dissipate as Kazimir''s troops took charge in patrolling the vicinity.


    Wearing their armors and wielding the weapon of their choice, the Amethyst Warlocks valiantly walked around the city to calm the residents down.


    Mages deployed surveince spells, summoners used their contractors and puppets to go around the vicinity and check for any signs of suspicious people.


    Standing at the highest point of the Capital watchtower, Kazimir''s red blood hair absorbed the faint light from the moon. He observed the entire city with the knights and his people doing their best to restore peace and order.


    The killings bothered him for a few days already for the cases appeared to be too bizarre and spontaneous. More than the idea of gaining his father''s recognition in case he solved the matter, the desire to apprehend the culprit weighs heavier in his heart.


    There was also a strong sense of apprehension rising from his heart as he could not unsee the simrities of the victims of the killings from day one.


    Other people may not really notice it, but he, being a rtive of the Vess knew that all of the victims were somehow connected to the families of the houses that attempted to oppose the Vess during the sanction.


    Coupled with the doubts that his Mother and Uncle were being secretive about their careless disobedience of an imperial ordinance, there was a nagging feeling in his heart that tells him that the Vess might be the perpetrator of this chaos!

 Chapter 250 Emperor Valentins Question

    ?With the disturbing thought in his mind, he swallowed his pride and talked with Antoine about how they would be carrying out their patrols.


    The Amethyst Warlocks wereposed mostly by casters with a few devourers and summoners. On the other hand, the Viridescent Summoners may have been more efficient in terms of the scale of surveince tasks.


    Kazimir thought that with Antoine''s corps, the mission would be easier. Using their summoning abilities, they can expand their area of jurisdiction and there would be easiermunication between the two teams in case of an encounter.


    At first, Antoine was not cooperative about it as he saw that it is now high time to surpass his elder brother in terms of prominence because Kazimir was recently ridiculed


    However, Kamizir persistently asked for his cooperation as he emphasized the gravity of this issue. If in case they were unable to stop the killings and get into the truth of the murders, both of them would not get their father''s favor.


    It doesn''t matter who gets credit for the sess of the mission, the most important thing was to solve the case with no further victims under their protection.


    With this, the two finally have a consensus to temporarily help each other, with Kazimir''s men using casting abilities and Antoine using his men''s summoning talents.


    "I do hope this works.." Kazimir mumbled as the slightly humid breeze of the night touched his anxious face.


    "It has to be effective, for it is the honor of our family name that is at stake!" Said a man on his back leaning leisurely on the wall, Antoine.


    "Let''s just standby to see if there would be any suspicious culprit looming around the city. I''ll stay vigil tonight. You may go first and rest for tomorrow''s turn." Kazimir concluded as he looked at his brother who was now looking at him indifferently.


    "Just keep your word and inform me if there''s any movement during your turn¡­" Antoine replied, looking at Kazimir suspiciously.


    If it was before Kazimir was shunned by the high society, he would have exploded and said a piece of his mind.


    Antoine before would usually have a submissive and fawning attitude, always going with his whims in bullying and ridiculing their youngest brother.


    Now, Antoine dared to question his words and challenge his ideas. He even dared to look at him with distrust, albeit restrained.


    However, something in Kazimir must have changed for he did not find himself offended by Antoine''s haughty attitude. Perhaps, he knew that he was still in an awkward position under the sanction that he was surprisingly level-headed and slow to anger at the moment.


    Shrugging at his younger brother''s attitude, Kazimir just looked at him amused and replied, "I would do that, that''s our agreement after all."


    Antoine didn''t bicker any further. Kazimir did not even look at his younger brother''s departing back and instead focused on the matter at hand.


    After three days of taking turns in overseeing the capital, the two failed to catch a single shadow or the culprit. It was a bit unrewarding for the two troops who agreed on joining forces and apprehending evil to neither have any rescue encounters nor arrest operations.


    "Do not be discouraged, this is just the third day of the operations. What if the culprits were figuring out our routes and were just waiting for us to let our guard down and strike when we are not ready?" Kazimir tried to appease the agitated troops during their meeting.


    "That may be the case then, but for how long are we going to do this? What if this operationsts for a month? This kind of heightened security patrolling would take a toll on our troops too, especially for us, the summoners." This time, Antoine was not going against Kazimir because of his intentions but because of the known weakness of the summoners.


    They were not really convenient for prolonged fights, for theirrge storage of mana will take time to be refilled again before they could use their summoning powers again.


    The summoner''s role in the battle would always be the overwhelming source of offense for a team that wouldst for a good amount of duration. But in a fight that wouldst for months and years, they would have to be divided to take turns in supporting the main troops.


    "..." Kazimir had no words to reply to Antoine''s concern.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He couldn''t propose that Antoine divide his troops for the two brothers have alreadyid down the assignments for each and every member of their team, any loss on both of their teams would be detrimental to the ns they have agreed to.


    "Announcing, the arrival of His Majesty, Emperor and His Excellence, General Farauld!" When they were already about to give up on thinking of a solution, the voice of the chambein rang outside the meeting room and surprised everyone.


    Kazimir and Antoine, along with the key officers of the Amethyst Warlocks and Viridescent Summoners stood with alert expressions as they weed the Emperor and the respected General Farauld.


    "We greet His Majesty, Emperor Valentin! We greet His Excellence, General Farauld!"


    "At ease!" Emperor Valentin looked at the young valiant men with a deep and unfathomable expression in his blue eyes.


    His gaze stopped at Kazimir and Antoine while it briefly swept through another prominent Ves in the room - Niki Kir Ves the young master of the Ves Duchy.


    Their expressions were of surprise and nervousness, most probably from the fear of having to exin to him why they weren''t able to have significant progress in the mission assigned to them.


    "We are here not to ask for any updates about the assignment, we are here to have a good talk with the First and Second Prince." Emperor Valentin figured out what was bothering them and immediately dispelled their thoughts.


    Immediately, the rest exited the room and left the four men to discuss.


    Kazimir and Antoine sat with straight backs in the presence of the two most respected men in the entire Seirende. Although they have met and talked to them multiple times, it was not at the level of something like this - a topic as serious as the life of their very nation.


    "I went to talk to you two because I know that you may have difficulties in managing the troops in case the mission may prolong to maybe a week or months. Believe me when I say that I want to resolve this matter within a span of a few days if I, myself had the solution to resolve this." Emperor Valentin looked at his two sons.


    "However, what was happening right now in the capital was something deeper than a normal case of killing and murder. But a matter connected to the sinister organization - The Spectre. I will say it to you now but I trust the two of you to keep it to yourselves. You had the right to know of this matter because you are the sons of the Seirende Family¡­" He looked at them with a stern expression, expecting his two sons to swear an oath before he continued his exnation.


    "We swore in the Seirende''s name that we will keep whatever was discussed in this room will be kept only to me." The two swore a solemn oath.


    "Good¡­" Emperor Valentin cast a look on his friend Eugine, who nodded resolutely. "This chaos was caused by a traitor in our Empire."


    Kazimir and Antoine froze in their seats. Even if they readied themselves for this possibility, hearing the confirmation in their father''s mouth still shook the foundations of their hearts.


    For such a mighty and big Empire like Seirende, there were still foolish people who wanted to covet its glory.


    Kazimir bowed his head slightly and clenched his fist, the lingering anxiety, and doubt in his heart were now growing fiercely deep. What if the traitors were from his maternal family?


    Antoine also had a simr thought in his heart. The fact that someone is attempting to bring chaos to the Empire, made him think that it could only be done by a rtivelyrge power - and his maternal family falls into that category!


    "With the traitors around, we came to also tell you that the threat may have to linger for a longer time. As such, I will have a portion of my men join your team and help you in this matter." General Farauld also exined his purpose for being around.


    Observing every detail of their reactions Emperor Valentin did not leak any drop of emotions as he continued, "The traitors are not yet found¡­ But they are watching our every move. The traitors may even be in our ranks, on the streets, or inside the pce. But one thing is for sure if we do not tread carefully in this matter, then our people will be hurt!


    Now, after saying this, I leave you the question. If the traitor happens to belong to your maternal family, will you stand tall and remain as a Seirende?"

 Chapter 251 Encounter In The Third District

    ?Emperor Valentin''s question made Kazimir and Antoine''s hearts plummet down to the ground.


    s.. they do not know how to answer this question at this moment.


    Emperor Valentin had a thoughtful expression as he observed his sons. Without hearing an immediate answer from them, he waved his hand and said, "This question you may not answer now, but you''ll need to answer in the near future."


    Then his crystal blue eyes pierced deeper into the shaken Kazimir and Antoine, "When that timees, remember that you are a Seirende¡­ Unless you choose not to."


    Emperor Valentin''s voice was no longer gentle and calm, it was unfamiliarly deep and cold.


    "Alright. Moving to the next topic. Due to the high possibility of having a traitor in our ranks, I may require you to work with me for the next few days toe." General Farauld felt that the atmosphere became ufortable for the two princes, so he tried to reset everyone''s mood by talking about the next steps.


    Soon the men discussed the details of the ns the General had in mind. As the two princes heard the extent of their works, they became extremely excited.


    It was because they were basically working under General Farauld''s tutge!


    This was something that they never experience even with their identity as the princes of the Seriende Empire. Only their youngest brother had the privilege to work under him, but now¡­ it was a surprise to know that they will also have an opportunity!


    Before the meeting came to a close, Antoine raised a question that has been lingering in both of the siblings'' minds.


    With a tone that is both careful and full of respect, he asked, "His Majesty, His Excellency, may I ask the whereabouts of the Third Prince during this time?"


    "Your youngest brother? I have given him the task to investigate who the traitor was!" Emperor Valentin answered straightforwardly.


    Kazimir and Antoine were shocked to hear Leon''s mission. Just when they thought that they finally received a highly important task, Leon was already working on something deeper and crucial.


    It made them think that the level of trust their father emperor had with Leon was far from what they could earn from their father. They were close to using their father emperor of showing favoritism towards their youngest brother deep in their hearts.


    If not for them seeing how distant and stern their father emperor was treating Leon, they would have voiced out their suspicions.


    However, they couldn''t, especially after meeting their father emperor''s eyes who seemed to have already figured out what they were thinking.


    "You two should not think that much. Between the three of you, he was the only one who did not have any drop of supporting from the nobility. Tell me, if you were in my position, who would you choose to investigate the traitors within the nobles?


    I can only tell you this, even if you offer an oath of loyalty to me today, there is no way I will choose the two of you simply because of your maternal background." Emperor Valentin exined his side with an unwavering tone, his authority exuded as he looked at his dumbfounded sons.


    ''This old man! He didn''t spare even a bit of pride for his sons¡­ Aiyooo how cruel could he be as a father.'' General Farauld couldn''t help butment in his heart.


    He never thought that once his friend decided to no longer keep their family together, he would be a ruthless one.


    These sons of his take pride in their maternal heritage the most. That is why they deeply looked down on the Third Prince Leon, who was ofmoner origins.


    Now Emperor Valentin just said straight to their face that he was almost excluding them because of their background.


    General Farauld knew what his friend Valentin was trying to do. He wanted to teach these two sons a lesson. He wanted to make them feel that there will be a time when their seemingly goldy origins can also give them a huge disadvantage and unjust.


    Realizing this, General Farauld could only helplessly shake his head in Emperor Valentin''s actions.


    True enough, Kazimir and Antoine were now experiencing the biggest blow to their pride upon hearing their father emperor''s words.


    Their hearts tightened because of the stifling feeling of embarrassment. What''s more, they couldn''t direct their shame anywhere but their very own identity.


    They were not able to recover even after Emperor Valentin and General Farauld already exited the room. How are they supposed to console themselves?


    Even so, they have topose themselves before getting out of the meeting room. As it was already nighttime, it was Kazimir''s turn to oversee the night patrol.


    On his usual observation spot, he stood still with his mind upied by the things he learned during the meeting. The fact that there was a traitor in the empire was something that bothered him greatly, for he was now closer to believing that his maternal family was being suspicious.


    Shiiing!


    Just as his mind was wandering deeply into his thoughts, a notification paper jolted him awake. He immediately took the paper and read the contents.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "His Highness, we are in pursuit! There is a suspicious movement here in the third district!"


    His gaze went a few shades darker, he immediately informed them that he would head out immediately, before notifying Antoine of the movement.


    Allowing a good amount of mana to consolidate in his feet, Kazimir leaped into the air and swiftly jumped from roof to roof, heading towards the direction of the Third District.


    The position of his observatory was strategically near the city; However, it was quite a bit far from the residential area of the noble estates.


    Thus, he had to use his mana to speed up his traveling time in hopes to reach the third district on time. But even after using his maximum abilities, he could only reach the ce in five minutes.


    Halfway through the journey, he noticed that the sky glimmered in faint red - a distress re had been deployed!


    "Not good!" Kazimir gritted his teeth and took one of his precious magical tools - The Wing of Zephyrus. This was a famous flight tool that was gifted to him by his Father Emperor during his knighthood ceremony.


    The Wing of Zephyrus only works on mages with the affinity to the wind element, like Kazimir. Using this magical item, his flight speed increased by five times.


    But the downside of this one was it consumes precious mana stone. The reason why Kazimir only uses this sparingly is that he had limited sources of precious mana stones.


    In a blink of an eye, he reached the location where the re was deployed, it was the road towards the estate of the Vird Baron, a vassal of the Astaze March.


    The situation in the area was chaotic.


    The knights were desperately defending against the mysteriously hooded men, while a part of his men was doing their best in keeping the passenger of the carriage with the Vird''s crest.


    The group of knights that were engaged in the fight was abination of Kazimir and Antoine''s knights.


    But the moment Kazimir saw the faces of the knights, panic rose in his heart. The knights were visibly wounded and their movements were sluggish.


    Even if he did not personally know the abilities of Antoine''s knights, he knew that they were also as strong as his very own knights. But they were simply struggling against a group of five hooded figures who only wielded purplish short daggers.


    They were already breathing heavier and their eyes unfocused. There were also subtle traces of purple veins creeping into their bodies as if a poisonous substance were injected into them.


    Without hesitating, Kazimir''s eyes darkened and he executed an explosive wind spell to disrupt the momentum of the mysterious criminals.


    "Wind st!" He uttered while jumping between the wounded knights and the aggressive hooded men.


    "His Highness, First Prince!" The knights shouted as they saw him like he was their only hope.


    Out from his scabbard, he unsheathed his sword and wrapped it up with wind magic as he ordered, "Take the target victims and our woundedrades, I will hold them back until the reinforcementes!"


    Without waiting for their answer he immediately charged at the men who were surprisingly hesitant to answer his attacks.


    But who was Kazimir? He is the proud first prince of the empire, how could he hesitate to attack the criminals?


    And so without mercy, he brandished his sword and targeted the man closest to the knight''s proximity, while he threw a wind st on the ones that were far from him.


    "Tsk¡­" One of the hooded men, who seemed to be the leader in the toon, clucked his tongue with annoyance.


    He simply took out a bizarre magical tool and threw it toward Kazimir.


    Knowing that it might be dangerous, Kazimir tried to evade the item thrown at him however, the thing suddenly expanded into something like a, capturing him effectively.


    "Get him and we fall back." The leader of the criminals ordered while he conjured a strange portal.


    Without dy, two of the men captured Kazimir as they start to step inside the portal too.


    "First Prince!!!" The knights ran towards Kazimir with desperation in their voices.

 Chapter 252 Despair Of The Prideful Prince

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    Shouts of despair rang through the night as they saw that the men marched to carry the immobilized Kazimir on a dark purple portal.


    Even so, the knights still went up on their feet and drag their wounded bodies to stop the men from sessfully abducting their First Prince Kazimir.


    "Let go of our Prince!!" They shouted valiantly while doing every means to obstruct and dy the men from approaching the portal.


    "D*mned knights! They were like cockroaches! So persistent!" Said one of the hooded men as he struck the purplish dagger into the back of a knight that was clinging to his thigh desperately.


    "Just shake them off and fall back, we can''t be discovered here!" The leader was also irritated as he was trying to maintain the portal while also fending off the desperate knights who were willing to die in honor only to protect the prince of thend.


    "Just fall back! Men! Heed my orders and flee!" Kazimir saw the young valiant knights that he trained and interacted with fall to their deaths one by one. Even Antoine''s knights did not hold back in their desire to stop his abduction at all costs.


    At this particr moment, it was not an issue of whose corps they belonged to. At the moment they were just simple knights who swore to protect the Empire and the Throne.


    With their honor, they will not allow to let the Prince of the Empire to be abducted in front of their eyes. No such disgrace would allow them to let it happen, even if it meant that they had to die!


    "No your highness! We can''t allow you to be taken!" They were already battered, some have already taken their final breaths. But the knights stood up and dyed the men for they know that as long as they dy the men even further, the reinforcements would eventuallye and stop the men from taking the First Prince away.


    Kazimir trembled, as he helplessly struggled out of the bizarre that was sucking his mana and energy. He tried to use his famed sword to break through the entrapment but his sword was like a dull knife against the.


    ''Pathetic! Pathetic! Pathetic! '' He cursed himself as he continued to strike the while tears were already uncontrobly flowing in his face.


    The dignified, prideful, and haughty First Prince of the Seirende Empire was now disgracefully crying in desperation as he tried his best to turn such a hopeless situation around.


    "Aaaaah!" He cried out in despair as he saw the once youthful and hot-blooded knights fall on the ground with eyes wide open.


    There were no traces of despair and hopelessness in their dying expressions. They died full of determination and without an ounce of regret.


    "Ahhhh¡­" Kazimir felt like he lost his soul, he was still desperately struggling to break away from his entrapment while he watched the young men''s sacrifice.


    "Someone¡­ Is there someone who could help!! Someone! Pleaseeee¡­ save these men¡­ Oh, Heavens¡­ please¡­" The scene was enough to break Kazimir''s entire being as he let go of his sword and knelt to the ground, begging the heavens to help them turn the situation around.


    "It''s useless to pray¡­ dear prince. Even if they weren''t dealt with a fatal blow, once they are wounded by our weapons, their deaths were inevitable." One of the masked men heard his seemingly pathetic prayers and answered.


    !!!


    Hearing the criminal''s words, whatever drop of hope that Kazimir was clinging to finally dissipated into nothingness.


    It was when he finally realized the peculiarity of the murders around the capital. Not one of the victims received a fatal blow! They just received multiple wounds that would indicate signs of torture but never the killing strike!


    All of these people, ording to the coroner and doctors died even before they bled out.


    ''So this is the truth of the murder?!'' Kazimir felt like his body was eaten by hopelessness and fear.


    How are they supposed to fight with this kind of weapon? In a battle, it was inevitable to suffer from cuts and wounds. It was extremely hard to walk out of the battle unscathed without sustaining even a single scratch!


    Most of all, why didn''t they think of this possibility after having full ess to the victim''s report? This kind of thing could have been easily deducted if they gave enough time for themselves to analyze the information before going around the city to patrol.


    It was a huge mistake on their side. A huge careless mistake!


    If only they knew of this matter, they would have prepared enough to at least decrease the chances of getting wounded by the mysterious weapons the criminals held.


    But it was toote.


    The knights have already fallen and they could no longer rewind the time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Atst¡­ these roaches had finally fallen!" Kazimir was again dragged back into the reality of the situation the moment he heard the triumphant voice of the criminals.


    However, the ce was already quiet as all the knights were already defeated, Kazimir couldn''t react nor hear anything but the eerie ringing in his head because of the despair and self-reproach.


    "Take the prince away and fall back." The leader ordered with an annoyed tone.


    "Leader, what about our original target." One of the men asked as he pointed towards the carriage of the Vird Barony.


    "There''s no time to dy, their reinforcements mighte if we dilly dally!" The leader bellowed with an annoyed tone as he started to conjure a portal again, which was sessfully interrupted by the knight''s sacrifice.


    "Damn! I have not enough power!" He cursed as he stood at one of the bodiesid on the ground.


    He picked the knight''s body up and it revealed a bloodied young knight struggling with hisst breath. "I''ll feed with what was left in you.."


    Kazimir helplessly watched as the leader performed a seemingly odd spell. A purple light emanated from his hands that were holding the head of the knight.


    Kazimir saw in his own eyes how the purple light ''eat'' the knight''s body as it slowly shriveled into skin and bones, while the exposed skin of the leader''s hand became visibly vibrant and healthy.


    ''What kind of magic is this?'' Kazimir''s hair stood on ends he repeatedly experienced horror after horror in just one night.


    "This should be enough. Quick! Leap into the portal!" The leader ordered with a seemingly unwilling voice, it was apparent that what he took from the poor knight was something enticing and beneficial to him. But because of the circumstance, he had to let go of some kind of a feast.


    Soon the rest of the men scrambled to fall back to the portal as they dragged the dazed Kazimir away from the ce.


    "Prince, we might have to temporarily blind you." Said one of the criminals as he put his hand on top of Kazimir''s face, taking away it''s ability to see any light.


    Kazimir was now utterly hopeless and terrified. He no longer had any will to resist as the men picked up the and dragged him to the portal.


    With only darkness in his vision, he could only feel that his body was brushing on the surface of the ground as he was dragged to the said portal.


    He epted the fact that he was already destined to be taken by the men and just prayed that the people left behind would find a way to defeat these enemies.


    ''Somewhere out there, please see the note I left and prepare for the worst.'' He prayed in his heart as he left a note written through his blood saying the crucial things he saw.


    ''Never get wounded by the purple weapon. They use magic that eats a person''s life!''


    He hoped that the reinforcement woulde and find the note he hid under the knight''s body which was nearby before his sight was taken by the criminals.


    BOOM!!!


    Just as when he already epted his fate, an abrupt explosion was heard in the direction where he was being dragged.


    "Insolent people! You dare to cause chaos in our city and attempt to abduct the prince!" A loud valiant voice rang on top of their heads.


    The starry sky and the moon werepletely hidden by the gigantic body of a griffin that was hovering in the air.


    Its wings were enough to deprive the criminals of any lighting from the heavenly bodies.


    Standing on top of its head was a young man d in knight armor with his long red hair swaying as the wind above brushed his body.


    Also behind him were tens of men each riding on their winged beast ready to attack at any moment. It was an awe-striking sight, especially from the perspective of the people on the ground.


    As the sky was filled with countless winged beasts and knights, they felt like there was no ce they could no longer run to.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Kazimir knew who the man was, it was Antoine, his younger brother.

 Chapter 253 Prince Antoines Rescue

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    However, the appearance of his brother and his reinforcements was something that Kazimir wished not to happen at the moment.


    He no longer wants to see any more lives being sacrificed!


    It would have been better if they arrivedter and investigated the situation. Only then will Antoine and his Father Emperor would be able to know the secret behind the weapons of the criminals and the magic they use.


    If they were able to do that, then they would have more chances of winning against the criminals through preparation and nning.


    But now, even his younger brother is here¡­ What if he was also wounded by the men?


    "Antoine!! The weapons they use have something in them! Once you get wounded by it you will die! Flee and tell Fathe- Umppppp!!! Umppppp!" His words were interrupted by the criminal beside him.


    He very much wanted to say that Antoine had to flee and tell his father everything.


    But he had also lost the ability to open his mouth because the criminal cast a spell on him again.


    Now he could see nothing and he could tell nothing¡­


    He could only tremble and try to perceive anything through his ears and sense of touch.


    Clenching his fists so hard that his nails dug deep into the palm of his hand, this was the first time in his life that he felt powerless and none of the things he previously held with pride mattered.


    How he wished he could go back in time and dig deep into this case before trying to move and deploy his troops.


    How he wished that he at least talked to the seasoned knights who were experts in tracking and got their insights before brazenly thinking that with his wits and upbringing, he will be victorious.


    How he wished that he didn''t hastily go to pull Antoine in thinking that this was their chance to also prove that they can do what Leon was best known at.


    How he wished he didn''t be muddle-headed and overlook crucial information that may have ultimately avoided this situation.


    How he wished¡­ he was not blinded like that.


    Standing on top of his gigantic griffin, Kazimir scanned the ce and have most likely figured out the situation.


    He did not miss the desperate voice that Kazimir said, he also did not miss the expression he had on his face.


    It was one of despair, terror, and worry.


    Despair that must have been brought forth by the futile battle they had, when Kazimir and his men were wiped out mercilessly.


    The terror must have been brought forth by the realization that they could not defeat the enemy.


    Lastly, worry that the reinforcement and even him would be in danger because of the power that the enemy wields.


    From above, he could see how pathetic his most proud brother looked at the moment. The one whom he had always followed when ites to bullying and mocking their youngest brother was now crying helplessly as he was bounded by a.


    Perhaps it was because of the situation, but he surprisingly did not feel any drop of gloating upon looking at his eldest brother''s pitiful state.


    Yes, he has longed to defeat his eldest brother, but he would never allow such kind of disgrace to happen to the Empire.


    Now that he appeared in the scene, he would never allow the enemy to do what they wanted and abduct his brother in front of his eyes.


    "I''m sorry First Brother, but how could we allow the enemy to do what they wanted to do and take you?" Antoine answered with a cold and determined voice.


    No matter how cold it was, the words he said were directed at the mysterious hooded men that had been attempting to flee earlier.


    With the troops he had, he raised his hand and ordered, "Our priority is to rescue the First Prince. You heard the First Prince''s words, never get wounded by the enemy''s weapon. But as to the enemy, since we cannot afford to fight them head-on, kill them and only leave one whom we can interrogate."


    "Yes! Second Prince!" The knights immediately answered.


    The troops that were with Antoine were also abination of his and Kazimir''s troops. Thus using the winged beast, the casters remained on top while some of the knights leaped on the ground.


    "Leader, what shall we do?" The men finally panicked. They positioned themselves in a circle formation protecting the leader and Kazimir at the center, with their focus split towards the forces above and on the ground.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The portal that was painstakingly remade by their leader was again interrupted and they are now surrounded by the men from above and the ground.


    The Leader gritted his teeth, he had consumed the curse power just now for them to take away his troop and the First Prince to their hideout.


    In fact, the abduction of the First Prince was never the goal of this operation but to take the Vird Baron. It just happened that they encountered the First Prince.


    He thought that for their army to not identally hurt the prince, they could just hide him away so that he will no longer have to interfere in their chaos.


    But now, the matter has escted to something precarious and he had to choose.


    To prevent their identity from being discovered now or to risk everything and take the prince away.


    But seeing that the reinforcement was bigger than the initial troops that Kazimir had, it would be impossible here to fight it out.


    He paused for a while and ordered, "We''ll fight it out. Hold back the enemy and let me replenish to conjure the portal. Survive at all costs until the portal is done. Stay closer to me so that you can all leap fast."


    The men acknowledged hismands and prepared to engage with the knights on the ground.


    However, before the first crossing of swords even started, a swift dark shadow appeared in their midsts and disappeared again after.


    "F*ck!" The leader shouted in panic discovering that the prince was no longer on their side.


    He looked around to see who took for him but to no avail.


    "Don''t look around, look above." Just then, Antoine''s cold mocking voice sounded from above.


    Still standing on top of the griffin, his shadow cast from the light that was brought by the full moon. His red hair swayed gently as the wind blew but his mystifying crystal blue eyes looked as if it was staring straight into the criminals'' souls.


    His slender hand patted a furry jaguar beside him, whose jaws were holding Kazimir who was caged in a.


    "Eze, you did well. But please put down older brother with care." Antoine praised the cheetah that has sessfully intercepted Kazimir from his abductors.


    "Ngrrrr..." Eze the cheetah growled submissively before standing up and walking towards the griffin''s wide back. There, he gentlyid the blinded and muted Kazimir on the ground.


    "Umph!! (Antoine, be careful!)" Kazimir was still unable to break away from the spell but he figured out that he was sessfully taken away by his younger brother. His worry still prevailed as he tried to warn Antoine of what the criminals could do.


    "Now, let''s apprehend the Empire''s sinners and avenge our fallen men!!!" Antoine valiantly raised his voice as hemanded the reinforcement team.


    The knights'' eyes burned with fury as they let out their battle cry, they did not miss every fallen body that was at the scene. These people were theirrades whom they interacted and celebrated with. How can they not get angry with these criminals who mercilessly killed them?


    "Kill the sinners!" They cried out with the desire to bring justice to the fallen, the knights, and the victims of the murder.


    "Men, fight it out then we''ll flee!" The leader of the criminals also didn''t show any signs of panicking he took the fallen body of a knight and was about to suck all his energy.


    Wooosh!!!


    However, before he could even touch the knight''s body, an earth spell was directed at him, forcing him to leap away from his target and avoid the hostile trajectory.


    The knights on the ground were also cunning. Upon hearing that they have to keep their distance from the weapons of the criminals, they used spears andnces to attain a longer attacking range against the enemy.


    In fact, the way they moved was not even meant to engage in groundbat with the criminals, but to disrupt their movements and let the knights above deal with them.


    "Cunning! So cunning!" This time it was the criminals'' turn to feel the injustice in the situation.


    In such a short time the men were able to create a strategy to corner them into desperation with just a few mechanisms.


    "How could you panic now?! Why don''t you use your head and think?! We neverck the weapon to fight with arge crowd!" The Leader pulled them away from being disoriented and redirected their focus again.


    That''s right! How could the chosen army feel defeated by just a mere group of young knights? They are the army chosen by Lord Raven!


    How could they get defeated easily as this?

 Chapter 254 Struggle In The Purple Night

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    Thus, with the emboldening words of their Leader, the criminals changed their expressions and started to ess their space pouches.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In a blink of an eye, multiple explosion sounds appeared to interrupt the solid formation of the knights on Antoine''s side!


    Aaaaarggh!


    Shouts of despair and great pain surrounded the battle area.


    Antoine''s eyes glinted with piercing cold, as he tried to figure out the situation on the ground.


    However, the darkness of the night and the mystifying purplish powder that agglomerated at the area of the criminals masked the actual situation on the ground.


    All they could hear was the agony and cries of the knights who were assigned on the ground.


    "Stay alert!" Antoine warned the troops in the air as they were now unable to throw projectiles haphazardly.


    But just as they nned to stand back and watch, Antoine and the others heard the screams of the knights while they helplessly fall to the ground.


    Wooosh! A barrage of arrows with purple des flew towards the troops up above.


    "Dodge! Careful with the arrows!" Antoine''s face was no longercent, he saw how many were affected by the barrage of arrows earlier and he was sure that their advantage in numbers was slowly disappearing.


    He must figure out a way for the purplish powder to disappear into the ground. "Cast a spell of water abilities, let''s see if that can rify our vision down below." He quickly ordered.


    "Yes, Second Prince!" The water mages answered and immediately conjure a water spell to mimic the heavy rain.


    "Look!" One of the mages with a sharp sight eximed and pointed towards the battlefield.


    "T-this¡­. What in the world!" Everyone above was frozen in shock and horror as they finally saw the situation.


    The bodies of the knights who have been fearlessly pointing their weapons earlier at the criminals were now lying motionlessly on the ground.


    Their eyes and mouth were wide open as if they were subjected to extreme shock and torture. Their skin was filled with purple veins that creepily appeared like a monstrous vine strangling every muscle in their bodies.


    Another bizarre thing was the grass on the ground and the nearby trees also appeared withered and dead.


    "The purple powder must be poisonous. It must work like how the weapons could be destructive with even just a single cut." Antoine gritted his teeth, it seemed that the desperate warning of his older brother Kazimir earlier was no joke.


    The power that this group of criminals wield was fearsome that there was almost no way for them to get close and retaliate.


    "Ummppp¡­(Antoine! What''s happening? Please give up getting them now and flee!" Kazimir was still in a bad state, only his muffled whines could be heard from his mouth.


    It was only now that Antoine realized why his brother was desperately pleading for him to run and flee. With just a few moves, the criminals who were only less than ten in numbers were able to neutralize their advantage in numbers.


    He looked at his troops, their faces showed fear and reluctance to get closer and fight.


    "What shall I do?" He mumbled while looking at Kazimir who was still trying to convey his thoughts through his squirms and whimpers.


    Even without the use of words, Antoine understood what his elder brother wanted to convey - Flee and protect your lives at all costs!


    He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist hard - it was toote to flee.


    Now that the criminals managed to turn the battle around, how could these evil people allow them to escape? They will not allow Antoine and everyone to escape at all costs.


    "Seigfried.." Antoine looked at the valiant-looking adjutant that was beside his griffin beast, a knight sharing the same features as Leon''s vice-captain, Olivier.


    He looked at him with a helpless and pained expression, "Take elder brother, the baron, and the rest away. Take all you can take and flee."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Cousin!" Seigfried was shocked by Antoine''s order. "You.. don''t say that you will stay and hold them back?!" He was extremely unwilling as he slowly realized Antoine''s words'' meaning.


    He was from the Astaze Family, a renowned family of summoners. Most of his brothers were contracted with beasts like the griffin, lion, and other animals. But he was the most unique of them all. He was able to contract spatial fairies who loved living in the spatial void, which enables teleportation from ce to ce.


    He is formidable in a way that he was able to increase the survival of the troops by having a way to fall back, allowing several people to escape with him in case the situation was irreversible.


    "I roughly estimated everything. The remaining people were just around your maximum limit to carry¡­ I have to go and hold them back until you managed to deploy all your fairies and teleport." Antoine''s voice was now calm and determined. There was unwillingness in his heart, yes, but he was the person inmand at the moment, he must not waver.


    "No can do! You are the Second Prince! How could we!" Siegfried tried to lower his voice so that the enemy could not figure out what they were nning. However, his expression was enough to tell Antoine that he wouldn''t do what he wanted.


    "This is my order as the Second Prince of the Empire! Quickly do this because we don''t have time. Don''t think too much, we do not have much choice either." Antoine heavily emphasized thest part of his sentence to make his cousin Seigfried understand how grave the situation was.


    More and more knights sumbed to the purple poison and arrows as they were speaking. Every minute of dy costs them several lives. They have no time to argue.


    Siegfried gnashed his teeth¡­ looking at this cousin whom he and his family heavily put their hopes for. Now his cousin had no choice but to sacrifice, no one knows if he could survive.


    But what can he do? Antoine used his authority as the prince and he cannot ignore and disobey his orders.


    "I''lle back for you! I surely will!" His body shivered in unwillingness as he looked at Antoine''s calm face.


    "Uhn... Make sure not to be lost in the void, stable your emotions." Antoine answered as he tried to conjure all the mana left in his body and wield all the magic items that he had in his space pouch.


    "Are you ready?" He asked, as the two sneakily prepare their big move while the criminals were still busy on the ground fighting like there was no tomorrow.


    "Yes¡­" Siegfried also finished his preparations and answered with an unwavering expression.


    "At my signal¡­" Kazimir answered. He then whispered continuous incantations while sping his hands to form a series of seals.


    Siegfried also followed the suit and did his part.


    In a blink of an eye, there appeared countless summoning portals conjuring around them and behind the troops.


    The sudden appearance of these multiple arrays which were like wisps that suddenly conjured out of nowhere stunned the two sides of the battlefield.


    "What in the world¡­" The criminals were rmed. They were so engrossed with the fact that the battle turned in their favor that they were only able to notice now that the other partypleted preparation for a big move.


    They realized everything toote. The summoning portals were already stabilized as they heard Antoine''s cold words, "A ss Summoning Spell... Beast Tide!!!"


    Growl!!!


    After Antoine''s words were the hair-raising growl of the countless beast emerging from the summoning portals. Their glimmering eyes shined like pairs of eyes watching in the dark, looking at their targets like they were a piece of meat they were about to have as a feast.


    They charged toward the criminals while Seigfried enabled the spatial fairies to attach themselves to the surviving knights and disappear into the void.


    The leader realized what happened however, the beast tide made him too busy to care. But he didn''t miss the fact that Antoine was still around.


    He figured that he was the one behind the terrifying summoning spell, "It is a surprise that the seemingly capricious Second Prince of the Seirende Empire is already a step short of being a peak level ss A summoner."


    "I do not appreciate apliment from a sinner''s mouth." Antoine focused and ordered his beasts to intensify their attacks.


    "Ohhhh¡­ Easy peasy, don''t be hasty! The fight is not over yet!" The Leader seemed to be unperturbed by the situation and the great loss they incurred because of the sessful escape of the knights.


    "Our fight is just getting started!" The Leader''s sinister smile shed briefly when the wind blew from the ground below him.


    Antoine braced himself, the tone of the enemy was already deranged and crazy. This type of person was the kind that was already ready to take every means to win!


    Sure enough, the next second...


    The Leader waved the de in his hand and in an instant, the desperate cries of all his subordinates rang on the chaotic battlefield!

 Chapter 255 Regrets

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    "Y-you¡­" The criminals could not believe what happened to them. Their very own leader used his de to take their lives!


    "Don''t look at me like that. This is desperate times¡­" The Leader had no ounce of remorse in his reply. His hands were already performing hand seals and a purple light started to emerge from the criminals'' bodies.


    It was like a faint stream of purple mana flowing toward the Leader as if it was being directed to float towards him.


    Antoine was secretlymunicating with his contracted beasts to check the whereabouts of his men. He never left his attention on the Leader who did not even hesitate to kill his own men.


    His eyes shed with vignce as he figured out why the Leader killed his subordinates, it is highly probable that his action was a desperate means to increase his strength.


    "Interrupt him.." He ordered the contracted beasts through his mental connection with them. "Don''t let him seed in what he nned!"


    Roar!


    The four-legged beasts replied in unison as they leaped at the opponent in an attempt to disrupt his momentum.


    But will the Leader have the guts to do this kind of move if he could just be interrupted that easily?


    He only gave a knowing smile and waved his hands deploying the same purple powder bomb that had previously killed Antoine''s men earlier.


    Boom!


    Antoine clucked his tongue in frustration and had no choice but to immediately retract his summons for the affected beasts.


    He knew that his beast would be immediately killed upon contact with the purple bomb.


    While he bravely volunteered to stay behind until the majority of the people were evacuated, he actually did not have any ns on how to fight him.


    He knew that his chances of defeating the criminals or even surviving in this situation were already as slim as a thread. With an opponent wielding such an unfamiliar yet terrifying power, how could he manage to turn the tables around?


    However, what can he do?


    The only thing he could do was to stall time and create a chance for him to flee. Perhaps there''s still a way for them to retaliate if they could regroup and discuss.


    The important thing was that they were still alive and standing.


    As such he synchronized with the power of Eze, his contracted cheetah and the fastest winged beast he had on his contracted beast inventory.


    He also did not hesitate to use his precious magical items in an attempt to immobilize the Leader and catch him off guard.


    "When the purple bomb subsides, try to give him an impression that we will initiate another attack!" Hemunicated with his mighty four-legged beasts.


    As soon as the purple powder dissipated, the beasts readied themselves to initiate another attack. Antoine on the other hand prepared his body to blend in the dark and flee.


    "Hmm¡­ It seems like you want to flee, Second Prince!" A cold sinister voice abruptly sounded on Antoine''s back making his heart rate slow mercilessly.


    At that moment, they finally saw that the area at the center of the battlefield was already empty. The Leader already managed to absorb his men''s life and boost his strength!


    Woosh!


    Antoine''s intense drive to survive made his body unconsciously move away using his borrowed speed while he swung the sword in his hand.


    He tried to ward off the attempt of the Leader to touch the back of his head.


    He had a hunch to never ever let the Leader touch any part of his body. He felt that once the leader of the criminal managed to touch the surface of his skin, he would be doomed to die!


    "Why struggle? You know that you cannot even retaliate against my attacks. You can only run, but will that turn the tables around?" The Leader only gave a light chuckle while throwing the mocking words at the desperate Antoine.


    Antoine did not bother to exchange words with the criminal. He was putting all his attention and efforts towards the chance for him to sessfully escape.


    "Could it be that you are waiting for yourrades toe and rescue you back?" The leader was not offended by Antoine''sck of reply, but it didn''t stop him from mocking the other party. "Why will theye back for you when they know they will surely die?"


    Antoine didn''t open his mouth but he had an answer in his heart.


    He knew that it will take around a day for Seigfried to replenish his mana after using suchrge-scale teleportation. Therefore, he was no longer hoping that his cousin would be able toe back.


    Although Seigfried left him a promise to surelye back, he no longer hoped for it. For he was sure that Seigfried forgot about his own limits out of the extreme pressure of the asion.


    He could only rely on his luck and strength to survive from this point onwards.


    "Even if you escaped, you know that the entire Empire can do nothing with us. So why struggle? Just die by my hands and you will no longer suffer the future chaos we will continue to bring in the future." The criminal gloated and even taunted him with threats not only against him but the Empire.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Insolent! You dare to look down on the Seirende Empire?!" Hearing the words of threat, Antoine''s blood boiled in anger.


    How dare this sinner insult the mighty Seirende?


    Have they forgotten how long the history of the Empire was and how they managed to withstand all attacks of the enemies vying to destroy theirnd?


    Antoine raised his sword and pointed it at the criminal while dering,


    "Even if you kill me, you think that will cause the downfall of this Empire? Remember, this is Seirende the Land of the Victor! If I was not the victorious one, there will always be someone from the family who can attain the victory in my stead!"


    The Leaderughed hard, looking at Antoine as if he was a big clown, "Whether your ims are true or not, you can only watch from hell from this time forth. Now go and ept your death!"


    He found that Antoine will no longer be triggered by his words. Bored, he decided to end the farce and kill Antoine for good.


    ng! sh!


    The purple dagger mercilessly charged at Antoine who still had an intent to bring a good fight.


    Antoine would never allow himself to sumb to hopelessness. Although he had many regrets, he can already foresee his death.


    He regretted that he did not go all out in loving his wife and child. He loved them in his heart, but he was too pressed to win the right to the throne that he decided to cast them aside until he seeded.


    sh! Woosh!


    As the knife and the sword cross, Antoine''s heart remembered his mother.


    It would have been nice if he was able to understand even a bit of his mother''s personality before he died. Unfortunately, now that he''s almost at the end of the road, he will never have a chance to do that for her.


    Swoosh! Kacha!


    He continued to struggle until his precious sword was broken in half.


    The overwhelming speed and strength of the criminal drained all of his energy. He had long retracted his summons with the other contracted beasts. His mana was also exhausted and he could feel that the synchronization rate between him and his contracted beasts was already decreasing.


    He could no longer keep up with the criminal''s movement, and with the broken sword in his hands, he now sustained the first cut from the purple dagger.


    "Shall I make it so that you died in a way where you could have been saved if the rescuers came on time? Wouldn''t that make your father go crazy?" The Leader grinned victoriously as he saw the blood flowing on Antoine''s cheeks and taunted him from thest time.


    Hearing his words triggered the bomb of anger inside Antoine''s heart, "Aaaahhh!!" He charged like a madman, no longer bothering if he was guarded or not.


    He was a dead man anyway.


    His only goal was to sessfullynd a blow on the criminal as a payment for his grievances.


    His Father nevercked to show him love and support. In fact, his father had been indulgent towards him and Kazimir the most. Hearing the criminal say those words ignited the anger in his heart.


    Thinking about how his father would break down and react caused him great worry and pain. However, it is the end of the road for him.


    Wooosh!


    The sound of a de piercing the flesh came to his ears.


    However, it wasn''t his broken sword that did that, but the purple dagger the enemy carried.


    His mind went nk as his ears rang continuously, but he could no longer hear anything around.


    His crystal blue eyes could only watch as the criminal retract the purple dagger from his chest, letting the blood flow like a river all over his body.


    He no longer felt the pain of his body falling tragically to the ground, what was on his mind was the regrets he had in a short life that he had.


    His wife, his child, his mother, and his father. Most of all, the regrets he had towards his younger brother Leon. Only he knew why he suddenly changed from being his most loving sibling to his sworn enemy.


    But it seems like he could only take this secret to the grave. He could only hope that his brother would find a way to forgive him in his heart, especially now that he is gone.


    As his life slowly drifted away, his eyes were somehow being lulled to go on an eternal sleep.


    Thest image his eyes managed to catch was the face of the criminal grinning mockingly at his dying state.


    It was none other than Orel, the personal coachman of the Empress!

 Chapter 256 Aftermath (1)

    ?Orel looked at Antoine who was already in hisst breath. He found it really amusing for the Second Prince to die so easily like this.


    "It is as what the rumors have said about you. You can only live under the shadow of the First Prince and even the trash Third Prince was even more famous than you. How silent your death was!"


    But Antoine could no longer hear his gloating as the light in his crystal blue eyes was already glowing dimly.


    His mouth stretched to a wide grin while he lifted his foot to try to step on Antoine''s head while mocking. "Uhmm¡­ Well, it might be better for me to absorb your life. I wonder what would it feel to absorb a Seirende?"


    That particr night was the quietest night in the Empire. The only sound that one could hear was the sound of the bells ringing, marking the sacrificial death of the Second Prince.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    "Vice Captain!" The knights who were already in a lethargic state scrambled to stop Seigfried Astaze from inflicting self pain as he was already so deranged that he was about to charge to the wall in self-reproach.


    "I could havee back! I could have saved him! I could have!!" Siegfried wailed like a child who lost his ymate forever.


    The knights that were rescued and even Kazimir, whose tears were already flowing without end could only stay still in a daze upon realizing the cost of their escape - the life of the Second Prince.


    One by one the knights started to tremble as the hot searing tears flowed on their battle-worn faces. As the bell rang, so was their heart being pounded by guilt and remorse because of being too weak. They were unable to retaliate and even allowed the Second Prince to die in their ce.


    The sound of the knights and officials came rushing with Emperor Valentin''s disheveled state. With how fast the attack happened, he was only informed when Antoine left someone to give him the information.


    From that point and the ringing of bells was only in a span of half an hour. When he heard the sound, a great wave of panic and terror rained on his entire being.


    There were only three reasons for the bells of Seirende to ring.


    First, was a joyous asion that happened in the family.


    Next, was the descent of an Oracle, a message from the heavens.


    Last, was death or a great loss of the Empire.


    He prayed, he only prayed that it could be anything but thest one! Not thest one!


    He saw the mourning knights and his eldest son still in a defeated state, but he could not see his second son around. When he saw Seigfried''s breakdown, his body trembled like it was about to lose its strength.


    "Someone, tell me what happened." He demanded an exnation, pulling the nearest knight from him. He clenched the cor of the knight not minding his miserable state.


    He wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know what went wrong.


    "... The criminals hold power that made our magic useless to defend against their attacks. With no choice, the Second Prince sacrificed in order for everyone and the First Prince to escape without scathe."


    The knight exined everything from how they were called as reinforcement by the First Prince, how his squad was wiped out and how he was about to be abducted. He also told him how strong the enemies were and the ultimate sacrifice of the Second Prince.


    "Ah¡­ what are you all doing here! Go to the ce of battle quick! There must be away¡­ there may be still hope to save him! Do not stand and watch!" As if he did not hear the painful recount of the knight, he turned back andmanded the Imperial Sky Knights that went with him as he tried to reject the thought of his son being dead.


    But the Imperial Sky Knights were already hopeless after hearing the recount of the surviving knight. However, they had to rush and do as the Emperor ordered.


    "When will the Generale! Also, someone call all the Imperial Doctors to tend the wounds of the knights!" He ordered here and there, ignoring the fact that he just received the news of his son''s death.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seigfried and the knights saw that his actions were extremely opposite to the expression on his face. His body was shivering from pain from the pointless drive to stop his tears from flowing.


    Even in his mourning, he still had to be able to think straight and deal with the aftermath. In the hall, only he had the greatest right to grieve yet ironically he had no time to deal with his sorrow. The young men had fallen, how could he not help them get back on their feet?


    Even with his trembling body and grievous cries, he walked towards the bounded Kazimir. He tried every weapon he had to break the that bounds him. His son was blinded and muted, so he must also deal with the counterspell.


    "Nothing works¡­Send for the High Priest and the Grandmasters, I need them to help the First Prince!" His loud hoarse voice continued to crack, revealing the gigantic weight of emotions he had been keeping inside.


    "Umpph! (Father..)" Kazimir heard the emotions in his voice and he whimpered and trembled. Like a child so guilty about disappointing his father for failing to protect his sibling.


    "Hang on a bit longer¡­ I''m sure the Grandmasters can do something." Emperor Valentin touched Kazimir''s shoulders as he assured him. However, his hands were already shaking terribly, making Kazimir know the emotions his father had been dealing with at the moment.


    ''I''m sorry, Father! I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­'' He could only whimper and groan.


    The two didn''t know how long it took for General Farauld and the others to correspond with his summons. The Astazes and the rest of the officials, even Duke Maxim were there, whilst keeping a low presence.


    Emperor Valentin only focused on getting Kazimir and every knight rescued and taken care of.


    "There were many knights that are wounded, I can see that the life in their bodies was slowly draining and they would inevitably face death if we do not have the cure." The High Priest exined to the dazed Emperor Valentin. But his words are for the rest of the bystanders to hear.


    Since such a thing happened, it is about time for everyone to know the matter about the curse. "It seems that the wound they sustain was draining all the life in their bodies. Like a formless poison or a lifeless parasite. The Temple has no cure for this matter. We can only dy the damage by a few months at most. But it is useless since the effect of the unknown power is inevitable. "


    "No, it can''t be! His Majesty do something!" The nobles started to voice out their panic as most of the surviving members belonged to noble families.


    Hearing the High Priest dere that their offsprings were already dead meat, they were unwilling to give up the matter. They wanted to mercilessly push the Emperor, who have just lost his precious son to care for their wounded children.


    Emperor Valentin was like a soulless puppet just piloting automatically with his responses, "What do you suggest for us to do, Esteemed High Priest?"


    "Sigh¡­ It''s been centuries since this matter of the curses was recorded in our books. Even until now, there is no cure for this sinister power. The answer cannot be found in the Emperor, nor the temple. But if you people still wanted to, send your men to the Temple. There, I and my clerics will use our spiritual powers to dy the effects by a few months, but it is up to you to find the cure." The High Priest answered as straightforwardly as possible.


    "You heard him.." Emperor Valentin looked at the selfish nobles telling them to decide for themselves.


    The nobles gritted their teeth, knowing that they couldn''t pressure the unstable Emperor at the moment. They could only cling to the hope that the Temple could create a miracle in the process of dying the effects of the curse.


    "We ask His Majesty to allow us to send the knights to the temple." They responded.


    "Do what you wish..." He answered.


    "His Majesty!" The topic was not even properly closed when the knights that he sent to the battle area came back to report.


    "We have investigated the site and ounted for every person killed in the area. However, we did not see the Second Prince''s body¡­ The only traces he left there was his broken sword and his battle garment. I am afraid, that the criminal might¡­" The toon leader dared not to continue his sentence. He could only pause and show Antoine''s bloodied garment.


    Thud!


    Emperor Valentin''s great old body fell to the ground the moment he saw the garment. He saw the position of the mark left behind the dagger that pierced his son''s garment. He knew what it meant¡­

 Chapter 257 Aftermath (2)

    ?The positioning of the cut was exactly on the vital spot of every human being - the heart.


    Moreover, the thickness of the cut would entail that it was not a shallow cut, it was deep enough to fatally injure his son!


    No matter how he looked at it, there was almost no chance of survival. If only there''s a miracle¡­


    What they needed was a miracle¡­ He hoped that someone out there could create one!


    Marquis Astaze was also devastated upon hearing the Imperial Knight''s report. His nephew was reported to be dead, his body couldn''t even be found.


    "Spare no one in this order! I, General Eugine Farauld deres total lockdown of the Capital''s gates and a thorough sweep of each estate, building, and establishment to look for the whereabouts of the Second Prince!"


    General Farauld saw that Emperor Valentin was in no condition to carry on, so he took over and issued the order. "Everyone and every house must be subjected to the highest search order!"


    "General!!! We do understand the need to lock the gates down, but to search even us the nobles! How about our dignity?!?" The nobles voiced their strong opposition to his orders. This caused a wave of murmurings and discussion in the hall.


    Under the highest search order, there will be no restrictions. Everyone inside the Capital will have to present themselves to be subjected to personal searching. Their estates will also be cleared out and even the space pouches had to be unlocked and presented in front of the authorities.


    This would rather step on the noble''s privacy and dignity. That was why there was a great wave of opposition upon hearing the announcement.


    Even Duke Maxim was flustered about the sudden sweep. At first, he didn''t mind that the capital was on lockdown in the guise of searching for the dead second prince. However, it never crossed him that the General would be this aggressive.


    He did not have enough time to warn his men to hide all the cursed weapons. Even the Empress had to be informed in advance!


    "So you think that your dignity as a noble of the Great Seriende Empire was more important than the blood and flesh of the Imperial Family who granted you all your status? Do not forget who you are in the eyes of the Imperial Family!" General Farauld released his strong suppression aura which he only used to intimidate the opponents on the battlefield.


    The nobles choked and felt like their necks were being cleaned with cold water. But General Farauld''s next sentences made them feel that their necks were ced under the executioner''s de.


    "Besides there are enough eyewitnesses that the criminals used some kind of a purple weapon. The Imperial Sky Knights have gathered enough pieces of evidence to identify, at least, these weapons that the murderers use. If you are opposing this search, then all of you will be used of sheltering the criminals and traitors to the Empire!"


    "As this was proven to be a matter of the sinister powers, the Temple also supports whatever the Imperial Family decides." The High Priest who was silently observing the proceedings also dered his statement.


    "This¡­ isn''t this too excessive¡­ Even the Temple is being involved." They no longer have the courage to strongly voice out their opinions so the nobles could only whisper among themselves.


    However, considering the situation, the Imperial Family had every right to order such, especially when the case involved multiple murders and even harmed the Princes of the Empire.


    "You all thought that it was excessive?! Could it be that until your very own descendants were murdered you would still think this is unnecessary?! Then I wish that all your sons and daughters be murdered by those rouge criminals! Let''s see by then if you could still say straight to my face that this is all excessive!!" A noble, whose family have been a victim of the murders sympathized with the Emperor and finally spoke up.


    He was utterly disgusted by the opposing nobility, who only cared about themselves and their prestige. They even had the nerve to be insensitive in front of the Emperor who was devastated and burdened by the entire farce.


    "Yes! Shame on you all who only think about your own and not for the Empire! Most probably, you are traitors! That is why you were reluctant to expose everything you have on your houses! Are you afraid of being discovered? Perhaps you were indeed hiding the criminals!!!" As one followed the suit, the others also followed.


    The opposing nobles, who were mostly under the Ves''s faction, were flustered as the event turned into something as dangerous as pointing out who the traitor was.


    Duke Ves didn''t like how the direction of the emergency assembly was going.


    He cursed his men for sparking something as big as this. Initially, he was gloating upon the fortunate oue of the second prince''s death for he was confident that he will be able to cover every track pointing to them.


    But that was because he was expecting that it would be the Emperor who would release the order of the search.


    If it was him, the nobles could still pressure him not to issue the highest order of search and if lucky, dy some time for him to prepare until the actual investigation would happen.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, he didn''t expect that it was General Farauld and the Temple who would push the search. As such, even if they managed to convince the Emperor, it would be easy to say that the Emperor would be powerless now that the Temple was involved.


    Duke Ves clenched his fists in nervousness and deep-seated panic. He had to make a way to send a message to the estate and his sister!


    They must not be discovered at all costs!


    Emperor Valentin raised his hand to dere his final decision. He stood firmly, with his face which seemed to have aged by a few decades, he nkly stared at the crowd and dered with a voice that was full of authority;


    "Sweep the capital and implement the Highest Search Order. Execute all the suspicious and opposing people along the process. Since the criminals have not shown mercy to our innocents, then there shall be no mercy to be given by the Imperial Family as well!"


    "We hear yourmand, Your Majesty!" The Imperial Sky Knights replied in unison.


    As soon as the order was dismissed, Emperor Valentin stepped outside the throne and was about to cast a threatening look in a certain direction - in Duke Maxim''s direction.


    But General Farauld knew his friend well, so he immediately cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, I will escort you to where the First Prince is."


    Emperor Valentin paused abruptly as if he just realized something and soon nodded. He signaled the chambein to dismiss the assembly while he, the High Priest, and General Farauld walked towards their next destination.


    When they were already far from the assembly hall, General Farauld looked at the shaken Emperor Valentin with a serious look. "You must hold yourself together and never show that you already know Maxim''s colors. Just hang on a little bit. This will end soon."


    "I know... I know¡­ But the cost of this all.." Emperor Valentin replied with his head hung low, trying to hide the pain and hopelessness of Antoine''s matter.


    General Farauld and the High Priest had no answer to this. They couldfort him and say that there might be any hope but the situation was too sudden that they were all caught off guard.


    They could only silently hear his cry and agony as they hurry towards the room where Kazimir was taken.


    "Your Majesty¡­ Esteemed High Priest¡­" Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben immediately greeted the men who were not in a good state.


    "How was the First Prince?" Emperor Valentin asked immediately.


    "We already undid all his bounds and restrictions. The spells used had high simrities to the spell embedded in the Third Queen during the renewal of the treaty. The First Prince was also unscathed physically¡­ but as to his mental and emotional state¡­ We''re afraid¡­" Grandpa Ben briefly exined everything to the Emperor.


    Emperor Valentin cast a grateful look at the two grandmasters and replied, "I will see him¡­"


    "This way, Your Majesty.."


    Soon Emperor Valentin saw Kazimir sitting nkly at the center of the luxurious bed, staring at the windows with tears rolling in his eyes.


    "Father¡­" Kazimir felt his Father''s presence. However, he couldn''t dare to look straight in his eyes. Thus, he could only stare at the window while saying,


    "I may not see everything but I heard it all¡­ I remember every cry and every word in my surroundings. It was engraved into my memory and my heart.


    I remember Antoine''s voice when he decided to sacrifice himself for everybody''s sake¡­" His tears were rolling just as his voice quivered while he spoke.


    "I also heard and recognized the voice of the criminal¡­ I knew him very well¡­ Hic¡­" This time, his cries went deep like an aggrieved child left in disbelief. His fists were clenching at the quilt hardly that it was almost torn.


    "Father¡­ the traitor was Orel¡­ My mother''s personal coachman¡­"

 Chapter 258 Aftermath (3)

    ?The rest of the elders didn''t make any sound as they only looked sympathetically at the devastated Kazimir.


    He was one of the greatest worries they have the moment the truth about the Vesses to light.


    What will be of Kazimir?


    Will he be an enemy standing beside the Vess or will he stay as a Seirende with such disgraceful ties with the traitors?


    Either of the two would leave his dignity as the First Prince destroyed. And now they are witnessing the prelude of this dilemma happening to him.


    But it seems like before his reputationes to ruin, his heart and mind would crumble first.


    "Father¡­ I had my suspicion¡­ It started when the matter of the investigations and sanctions happened. But now I clearly can''t deny¡­ that my maternal family¡­" Kazimir''s raised trembling hand covered his face with shame.


    He knew what it meant to see Orel on that battlefield - his maternal family had something to do with the chaos that was happening.


    "I tried to warn Antoine¡­ I tried to warn everyone¡­ But it was toote¡­ We got ahead of ourselves¡­ Hic... Hic.. and cause¡­ and caused everybody''s harm! Ahhhhrrr¡­" Images and sounds of the death and struggle during the battle kept haunting his mind as he was exining everything to his father.


    It torments him every time he is reminded of the events at the battle in the third district.


    "He is unstable right now and it seems like remembering the recent battle gues his mind, soul, and spirit. He may not be hurt physically but the damage inside him was severe." The High Priest immediately stepped forward and used his spiritual power to calm Kazimir.


    Instantly, the hysterical Kazimir drifted to deep sleep. His ragged breathing calmed down and the tears in his eyes came to a pitiful stop.


    "What should I do¡­" Emperor Valentin was already out of ideas, he was long tired of everything he had to take care of. And even if he wanted to ease Kazimir''s condition, he could no longer think straight and this might do his son more damage than good.


    "For now, let''s call on his family¡­ I mean the Princess Consort and the little prince. Their presence may help the First Prince''s emotions stabilize." The High Priest suggested, knowing that these days the rtionship Kazimir had with his little family was improving. He wanted to bet on that fact as he also had no idea how to heal the wounds of the heart.


    "Let''s do that then¡­" Emperor Valentin took Kazimir''s worn-out hands, it was full of obviously self-inflicted wounds.


    He looked at him and noticed how far his son was from his previous high-profile demeanor. All the pride, the haughtiness, and even the dignity of a prince were gone without a trace.


    All that was left was devastation, confusion, and self-me.


    Soon, the elders dismissed themselves to help with the chaos in the Capital and Princess Consort Arielle rushed to the bedroom. After exining everything, Princess Consort Arielle assured Emperor Valentin that she will do her best to apany and look after Kazimir.


    With that, some of the burdens were lifted off the Emperor''s shoulders. But before he can focus on the retaliation against the enemy, there''s onest group of people he had to look for - His second son''s family.


    He had to at least inform them of what happened, especially to the First Queen Lucia. But he didn''t know what to say. All these years he hadn''t treated Lucia as a loving husband but only maintained a reserved and cordial rtionship with her.


    But now, he will go as his husband and as Antoine''s father. How in the world could he exin to her everything? That Antoine was most likely dead and that his body couldn''t even be tracked?


    But just as he was on his way to the First Queen''s pce a letter was urgently delivered to him. So instead of going straight to her ce, he proceeded to his office instead.


    Looking at the seal in the letter, Emperor Valentin knew that it was from First Queen Lucia. His heart was nervous but he still opened it.


    The content of the letter surprised Emperor Valentin. It was only two sentences but it was enough to give Valentin a ray of hope.


    "I trust the vision that I saw¡­ His Majesty Emperor, believe in your sons'' destinies¡­"


    His aged face seemed to have been lightened a little bit with a helpless smile. But the doubt still loomed in his heart.


    All the facts point to his second son losing all chances of survival. What kind of destiny awaits him other than death?


    "Believe in my sons'' destinies¡­" He remembered Kazimir''s condition and he never forgot Leon''s predicament. What kind of destinies awaits them?


    Destiny¡­ There was one in the Empire who had a bright destiny. That would be Eli, his future daughter-inw!


    Eli is the Subject of the Oracle!!! How could he forget?!


    The one who would bring hope in the middle of the chaos!


    Two oracles went down in the Seirende Empire and all point to two things. There will be chaos and there will be hope!


    That hope will arise in the next generation - Eli!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Could it be¡­ could it be?


    At this moment, Emperor Valentin had a crazy thought. It made himugh at himself, but he couldn''t help to think -


    What if Eli could somehow affect the seemingly dark destinies of his sons just by being inside the Imperial Family?


    He raised his hands into prayer and deeply asked the Creator in Heaven. If it was hope, then could he be merciful not to take Antoine''s life as well?


    Even if it costs the throne, he will dly step down, just to see his sons alive and well.


    Just as he was praying for miracles upon miracles to descend to hisnd, the chambein''s voice announced; "His Highness Third Prince is seeking audience with His Majesty!"


    "Let him in!" Emperor Valentin felt his heart stop as his youngest son finally came.


    While all this farce happened he knew that the youngest was out there in the dark, preparing for the retaliation they were about to do.


    But whether what he brings is a piece of good or bad news, he didn''t know if his heart was ready.


    Nevertheless, he still hardened his heart and prepared for the worst. Whatever news his son would bring he will take it along with the other burdens he had to take.


    Leon, who had the same cold and expressionless face, looked at the Emperor. But before uttering anything, he sealed the ce with an istion array, knelt, and victoriously dered;


    "Father¡­ Eli, Kayden, and the rest seeded. They¡­ WE finally found a cure to the curse!"


    The Emperor fell at his feet, feeling like a huge burden was finally taken off his shoulders but after bearing it for too long, he fell to the ground with a myriad of emotions.


    "Finally¡­ Finally, there''s hope¡­ Heavens¡­ but we are toote. Your second brother¡­" The Emperor lost count of how many tears and emotions he had let out in this chaotic night.


    But no words could be enough to describe the kind of feelings he was experiencing right now.


    Despair, agony, anger, helplessness, hope, and relief. All of these emotions upied his heart and mind that he could no longer express himself outwardly.


    Leon looked at his Father, who was trembling as he was still trying to process everything that happened. He went beside him and stiffly soothed his father''s trembling shoulders while he said with assurance;


    "Father¡­ worry not, for we are notte. Antoine is now in the underground Temple being treated by Kayden. There''s hope¡­ so fear not.


    The stage is set and the time hase. It''s time to sweep the capital.. no the Empire, clean off the traitors!"


    -


    The morning before the attack started.


    Kayden and Eli, along with Nathan and Keren wore a very serious look on their faces. They were all staring at a certain crystalline bottle that contained a sparkling blue potion.


    Their hearts seemed to havee to a stop as they stared at the bottle and then at each other. They were lost in a daze as if something had given them the biggest shock of their lives.


    "I think we did it???" Nathan broke the silence by awkwardly announcing the sess of their work.


    Everyone let out a helplessugh at Nathan''s antics.


    It was not that they were not happy that they finally managed toplete the cure, but it was the fact that it was so surreal that they couldn''t react for themselves and stayed dazed for a while.


    From thinking that the task is impossible toplete within a short period of time, to the potion finally working after countless tries¡­ They, the inventors themselves, couldn''t believe it!


    The first type of cure to the curse powers was finallypleted!


    "If this still doesn''t work then we can conclude that the solution for the curses couldn''t be found in the field of medicine!" Kayden was next to recover as he replied confidently.


    His unkempt appearance couldn''t mask the deep rejoicing he had in his heart. But his words finally woke everyone into a daze, everything is real. The potion, the results of the tests, they are all real!


    "Yeah¡­" The females in the group finally let out an emotional reply as the tears of happiness, relief, and exhaustion rolled on their cheeks.


    "These panda eyes of ours are worth it!" Nathan shouted and even pointed at his two panda eyes from being sleep-deprived for a few days.

 Chapter 259 The Making Of The Cure

    ?Since Eli came out of seclusion, they have been working nonstop to implement the idea of embedding spiritual powers into the potion.


    The initial testing made them realize that for the spiritual powers to sessfully be infused in the potion, the herbs themselves must be nurtured with powers as it grows.


    But the problem was, the Emperor''s temporary measure could onlyst for three days at most. After a series of discussions, they concluded that they had to employ the power of the elves to solve the problem of nurturing the flowers.


    With the Pce and the Temple''s support, along with the deep connection of Kayden and Eli with the Silver Dew Elves, they were allowed to borrow a piece ofnd on the inner section of the Silver Dew forest to cultivate the herbs using spiritual powers.


    They also asked the elves to use their magic to speed up the growth of the herbs needed for the potion, especially the most important one - the Silver Woodbine Flower.


    With the help and support of everyone, they manage to grow enough herbs to conjure the first batch of test potions.


    Working straight for two days. Finally, they managed to develop the prototype potion ording to Eli''s ideas.


    The first type used the normal spiritual power that came from the High Priest and the Temple Knights. The second one used Eli''s holy powers as the Subject of the Oracle.


    During the testing, they were in a predicament as to how they would test the potions. They only had overnight before the third dayes, and most probably on the third day the enemies had already figured out the First and Second Prince''s route and tried to go again.


    While Eli was confused as to why the rest was obsessed with finishing everything within three days, she thought that everyone was mindful of her time to go back to training again.


    Up until this time, Eli was still oblivious to the fact that there was chaos in the Capital and a mysterious Lord Raven was targeting her.


    "Now now¡­ we just lower our guard at this point. We are pressed for time and we have to present the prototype to the High Priest and His Highness for trials!" Kayden pped his hands seemingly recharged from the exhaustion.


    "En¡­ but how shall we demonstrate the power of the potion in their presence?" Nathan blinked and asked everyone.


    "Such a trivial matter you worry about. Of course, we will use it in front of them by using the captive Igor as the subject! Who else could we use as a sampler but the guilty one?" Keren rolled her eyes at Nathan''s question.


    As such they immediately called Leon and the High Priests into the testing room with the clueless Igor being observed through the two-way mirror.


    With the High Priest''s permission, they were able to carry out the tests and proved that the curse was effective on human beings.


    Of course along the process, Igor was subjected to gradual torture as the guinea pig. He was repeatedly wounded by his own cursed weapon, with Kayden inflicting his wounds ranging from minor cuts to the most severe ones.


    Eli trembled as she watched the process. The scene of Elise being subjected to the same kind of experimentation shed on her mind, making her want to spill her guts out.


    Leon covered Eli''s eyes and pulled him gently into his embrace, he knew that Eli possessed Elise''s memories and the activity reminded her of Elise''s dark past. "Don''t push yourself, you can leave the testing to Dr. Einz and the rest."


    "But¡­" Eli wanted to protest; however, she met Leon''s earnest eyes as he shook his head.


    "Dr. Einz knows what he is doing. You''ve done enough by lending them your powers and sharing your ideas." Leon answered, however in his heart there was a sentence that he opted not to speak aloud - ''Besides, I know that Kayden was now doing his own way to avenge Elise''s death.''


    He knew that what they were doing was no different from the evil ones, however, they were standing on the other side of the spectrum. If they didn''t do this to Igor, shall they do it to their own people?


    As such Eli closed her eyes and gradually slept in Leon''s arms while the rest of the testing activities were carried out.


    When the first light of the third day came, the proceedings of the testing were also done. Leaving them all in a daze.


    Every test from the first level to thest showed that the potion had the power to eradicate the curse power.


    The first type of potion with normal spiritual power was enough to cure the power of the curse that was inflicted by curse weapons. This came as a pleasant surprise for them.


    This meant that the cure to the potion would be more avable to every part of Prasinos without needing Eli to imbue her holy powers on every herb needed!


    Of course, the second type of potion with Eli''s holy powers was even more effective. Its time of effect was much faster than the first type.


    They even discovered that the potion had the power to purify cursed weapons!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    These results exceeded the team''s expectations much to their surprise. The team of four was so shocked that they felt like walking on clouds until they found themselves back in theboratory staring nkly at the crystalline bottle in front of them.


    However, this sess was only just the start. They now had to start processing the remaining herbs and make a batch of the potion for deployment.


    As much as they wanted to announce it to the whole empire, keeping it secret was the key for they would eventually start the retaliation against the sinners of the Empire.


    They have to clean the Empire first before they can help others.


    To ensure that they would have enough materials for the Empire, Eli had to teleport back to their cultivationnd at the Silver Dew Forest, also bringing back a few doses of potions as a token of gratitude for the contributions made by the Silver Dew Elves.


    Eli''s departure, on the other hand, had made it easier for the rest of the team to execute the final preparations for retaliation.


    They have long extracted enough testimonies from Igor and Hasta to condemn the Duke and the Empress of their sins.


    The Roaming Knights have also identified who among the people belonged to the cursed army, even their aplices and trade partners.


    The preparation has not justid out inside the Capital, even the rest of the Empire was also being prepared.


    The retaliation had to be a single quick move so that they would not give the Vess nor the rest of the traitors any chance to escape and save themselves from the punishment they deserved.


    Everything has been quietlyid down in the dark, with the Crimson and Roaming des investigating day and night since Igor''s capture. The only thing to do was to wait for Leon''s instructions and cue.


    However, while they were moving in the dark, the enemy was an expert in moving in the dark as well.


    While Leon''s party was busyying out everything, the battle in the third district happened.


    They never expected that it was really after three days that the enemies would resume their operations and would immediately involve the two princes in one encounter.


    The most terrifying thing was that Kazimir and Antoine''s party had zero knowledge of how dangerous the enemies were.


    Leon, who was actually outside the Capital on his secret base in the north, scrambled to jump from array after array in order to respond immediately to Kazimir''s distress call.


    Unfortunately, by the time he was able to arrive at the location, Antoine was already wounded, with his cold blood washing the ground. The knights were already fallen¡­ gone were the lives that should have not been wasted unnecessarily.


    When he saw that Orel''s foot was about to touch his brother''s face, a fearsome glint shed on his stone-cold face. He unleashed his overwhelming aura and directed it all in the direction of Orel, making the other party freeze in shock and terror.


    "Who¡­" Orel looked around and saw that everything around became dark red.


    A wave of horror and a great sense of panic showered him from head to toe. He, as a person involved in all sorts of evil, had never encountered a person who could make him feel a deep sense of dread over his entire being.


    "You dare to hurt my big brother¡­" A cold voice that seemed toe from the depths of hell sounded from everywhere Orel could hear.


    He realized that he was suddenly transported to a little world where a pair ofrge omnipotent eyes watched his every move.


    The only thing he knew was the enemy was far stronger than anyone he had ever encountered, not even his Master nor the Empress.


    "Is this an illusion?" Orel mumbled, greatly confused and trembling.


    "Which hand¡­" Therge pair of eyes above the asked again with his fear-striking voice.


    "Who are you! Show yourself!" Remembering that he had absorbed cursed power early on, Orel found the courage and replied to the voice.


    The voice seemed to not take his question to heart as he continued to ask, "Which hand did you use to hurt my big brother and his men?"

 Chapter 260 Leon Steps In

    ?The question stumped Orel who was on high alert, it seems that the enemy was not looking at him seriously by throwing such a ridiculous question.


    "Wait¡­" A sudden realization hit him in his predicament. The opponent has been referring to Antoine as big brother¡­


    "Third Prince, Leon!!!"


    Orel''s eyes widened in disbelief, who would have known that this was one of the abilities of the so-cold trash Third Prince?


    Looking at the little red world he was transported to, it truly lived up to his expectations that he was the Barbaric Blood Prince.


    The surroundings that he sees made his blood turn cold from the goriness of the illusion that he was in. He was like on a battlefield, fighting with an omnipotent monster. If not for his strong mental state, he would have turned crazy after being transported here.


    However, now that he realized this was Leon''s doing, Orel thought that this ability must only be up to this extent. Thinking that this was just something Leon luckily managed to cultivate from years on the battlefield, Orel''s initial fear and panic eventually subsided.


    He adjusted his mental state and observed the little red world leisurely.


    "You think that because you have figured out who I am, you can be at ease?" Leon''s dark low voice sounded in the little world.


    sh!


    Orel could not react for a second when he saw his dominant right hand up in the air.


    "Aaaaaahhh!"


    Afterward, the sound of his agonizing scream upied the surroundings. sh after sh, an invisible de kept wounding his body making his entire appearance look like he was bathed with blood.


    Every time he gets a wound, he would frantically search where Leon was in other to retaliate.


    But no matter what he did, Leon''s presence seemed to be nonexistent. It was like he had no opponent at all!


    "Curse you, Trash Prince! Show yourself and fight head-on!" Highly agitated about the frustrating barrage of attacks, Orel growled and tried to provoke Leon.


    Not minding the bleeding of this severed right hand, waved his sword blindly using his left hand like a madman trying to fight with the air as his opponent.


    But Leon who was observing from outside the illusion array didn''t show any change in expression. He only trapped Orel in the illusion which was actually Leon''s mental technique - Battlefield of Despair.


    In Orel''s mind, he thought that he still had the ability to fight with Leon because the pain of the wounds he was sustaining were all real.


    But in reality, he was standing still in a daze, his foot was still frozen in the air and his hand was bleeding profusely. Leon wounded his body without receiving much resistance. Orel in reality was like a meekmb at the mercy of its butcher.


    Leon only took a few moments to confront Orel as his mind was still filled with the thought of saving his brother Antoine.


    "How was he?" He asked the roaming de who immediately performed damage control procedures without needing Leon to order around while he was dealing with Orel.


    "Master I temporarily stopped the bleeding and put the Second Prince''s body in a suspended state, I am afraid that I do not have the ability to treat his injury. It was a great blessing that we finally have the cure to the curse potion! With its effects, we no longer have to worry about stopping the curse in his body and just concentrate on threatening his wounds."


    "Then, I will send him immediately to the great doctor. You clean up this ce and take them captive to our base." Leon ordered and looked at the roaming de who acted as the leader of the toon he was with.


    "If there''s still someone we can save among these knights, do not hesitate to use the cure potion. Take them to the base and nurse them to health. Also, leave someone from our side in case the Imperial Knightse back to investigate. Report transparently and give this token to them, they''ll know what to report to the Emperor."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon could only briefly instruct them as he was preparing another spell to encase the wounded Antoine safely in the entrapment birdcage.


    "Arthur and the rest of the Roaming des heard yourmands, Master!" A young man with lush silver hair named Arthur, the toon leader, answered immediately.


    He knew that Leon had to prioritize saving Antoine''s life as such, he didn''t ask any further questions and assured Leon of taking care of the rest of the matter.


    Leon nodded and immediately set off to transport Antoine to the underground Temple where Kayden was located.


    Using his all-out abilities as an S-level mage, he only took less than five minutes to reach where Kayden was.


    When Kayden saw Leon''s bloody appearance, he already knew what happened. He just wordlessly took Antoine''s body which was still safely enclosed with the miniature birdcage and deactivated it in theboratory.


    As Leon stood silently at the door of Kayden''sboratory, he couldn''t help but me himself for why it took him so long to reach the third district and assist his two brothers.


    In truth, Leon couldn''t be med for the matter as he was literally hundreds of miles away from the capital. If not for the vast mana stones on his hand and his S ss level abilities, it would be even impossible for him to go there within the span of an hour.


    Soon after, an exhausted Kayden went out of theboratory, he looked at Leon and patted his shoulders with assurance. "His condition had already stabilized. However, there was a different reaction which I have observed in his body that could have possibly been the effect of the cure potion¡­" This time, Kayden''s curiosity was obviously stered on his face. A great wave of interest could also be traced in his tone.


    Leon became worried upon hearing thest part of Kayden''s sentence, could it be that the cure potion had an adverse effect on the body? What if the dose that they have initially given to Antoine was too strong for him who was severely wounded?


    Kayden understood Leon''s worry and immediately assured his friend, "Worry not, for the thing I have observed in his body was rather a good thing. However, as we have very little data about the cure potion that was made out of Eli''s holy powers, this might be a good chance for me to fully observe the extent of its effects. I am just telling this matter to you in order to inform you. It might also be better if I could have the records of the effects of the potion from the other victims."


    Hearing Kayden''s exnations, Leon became relieved. As to the matter of the potion''s effect, he left it to Kayden to take care of.


    "One more thing¡­" Kayden asked Leon before he went out and take care of the matter outside. "Can you think of a way for the Riverfort Team to temporarily relocate to the capital? The manufacturing and study of the cure potion have to be expedited, especially today. My body couldn''t take this heavy load anymore."


    As Kayden said this, Leon could also see the traces of fatigue and exhaustion in his friend''s appearance.


    Their little team of eight along with the Emperor and High Priest has been moving nonstop in order toy down the foundations of their move against the Vess.


    But at this point, they have to recognize that they could no longer contain the matter of the curse and the traitors amongst themselves. They had to look for more people, whom they could trust, to take on the responsibilities that has to still be fulfilled along the way.


    For Kayden, it was the Riverfort Hospital Crew, whom he knew could help him during this time. After pushing to work for a few days straight in discovering the cure, he and the rest of the team didn''t stop as they immediately proceeded to manufacture the potion.


    Leon knew his fact as well and immediately replied affirmatively at his friend''s request, "Alright, I''ll have Father Emperor issue a decree for them to go to the Capital. I''ll also order ze to arrange someone to pick them up upon the release of the decree."


    After exchanging a few words, Leon immediately left and went straight into the pce.


    He knew that his Father have more or less tried to arrange everything into ce and that the Elders were already present, assisting his Father in any way they can.


    He took the initiative to go straight into his father''s office and reported everything.


    After hearing the details of the matters outside, Leon saw his Father finally break into a deep cry.


    It was time for his father to let go of the pent-up feelings that has been tormenting him because of the sudden attack. It was also time for him to finally feel relieved after knowing that Antoine was safe and alive.


    "Heavens¡­ the heavens have given us hope!" Emperor Valentin eximed as he cried his heart out.

 Chapter 261 Turning The Capital Upside Down

    ?It was still the middle of the night yet, the Capital was already full of chaos. The people who were about to sleep were now restless as the sounds of the chariots rushing to and fro rang all night.


    The Imperial Sky Knights marched from area to area announcing the decree of the Emperor and started to search thend. Noble andmon people, no one was exempted.


    Their bodies were searched and every space in their house was investigated. The knights doing the inspection were firm to look at everything that would identify the traitors of thend as well as the culprit of the murders that happened the past few days.


    The nobles from the assembly also rushed back to their homes in an attempt to organize their families at thest minute and try to exin everything that happened.


    But it was as if the knights of the Empire had the nobles staying inside the capital on the top of their list that they came in less than an hour after the release of the Imperial decree.


    Thismotion shook the entire capital as they werepletely caught off guard by the order. However, with the authority given by the Emperor to the knights, the majority of the citizens dared not to oppose the operations.


    In just a span of a few hours, the Imperial Sky Knights were able to sweep a third of the Capital, but they do not intend to stop at that point.


    Duke Maxim has been on tenterhooks upon rushing to the Empress'' ce to inform his sister, Empress Carolina. While on his estate, he tried to send messages to all his cursed army to hide and not convene in the estate.


    "If possible, try not to encounter the Imperial Sky Knights and subject yourself to the search!" He ordered them before letting them scatter outside the estate.


    After ensuring that everything is alright, that was when Duke Maxim felt a little relief at being found out. However, General Farauld was determined to not let him have a peaceful moment.


    In a short moment, General Farauld along with his strongest adjutants barricaded his entire estate to prevent anyone from sneaking outside the Empire.


    "General Farauld, what is the meaning of this!" Duke Maxim was extremely agitated.


    Why are the Imperial Knights surrounding his estate? What is the General up to? Could it be that they suspect him after all?


    Duke Maxim was extremely nervous that he subconsciously bit his thumb until it bled.


    General Farauld looked at the Duke with a calm and undiscernible demeanor. He only answered in a natural tone without a hint of prejudice or favor,


    "Your Grace, Duke Maxim, the Emperor decreed for the search of every estate in the Capital. However, as you can see, Ick the manpower to do that knowing howrge your estate was.


    So while we are waiting for the other knights to finish their assignments, we are just going to station ourselves here until my men arrived. I hope you don''t mind waiting for your turn in searching. We willmence as soon as we have enough manpower."


    ''How is thiscking manpower! You brought your strongest adjutants and senior knights! Isn''t this just house arrest?!'' Duke Maxim cursed the nonchnt General Farauld in his heart.


    However, he knew that he must not show any signs of panic or agitation at this moment. He wanted to gamble on the fact that the Emperor''s side doesn''t know their connection with the chaos that was going around.


    As such, he waved his hand like the most benevolent person in the world while replying, "Then do as you wish, I only hope that the search in my estate would finish sooner, lest it will startle everyone in my household."


    General Farauld sneered in his heart upon witnessing Duke Maxim''s pretension. However, no matter how his mind wanted to arrest Maxim, he had to stop himself until the other preparations werepletely done.


    So with a grateful look, he saluted Duke Maxim and replied, "We are indebted to Your Grace''s understanding." Then he smiled with the most superficial smile he could give as he watched the Duke turn around and enter the estate.


    "Do not allow anyone to get out of the estate. Consider no excuses, no matter how reasonable they were." He thenmanded his knights who in turn answered obediently.


    General Farauld nodded with satisfaction as he stared at the grand estate with a snide in his heart, "Go on and enjoy yourst days as a noble, for the moment you step out of the gates, you would only be a traitor and a sinner."


    Meanwhile, in the pce, a simr scenario was also observed. Even the royalties were not spared by the decree and were subjected to a thorough search.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Emperor intentionally left Empress Carolina and the rest of the identified traitors. However, he ensured that they were isted from each other, with no means tomunicate but throughmunication stones which were only limited to important people and not to everyone.


    This significantly reduced the flow of information amongst them. All the major parties seemed to have been treated ''special'' while the lesser traitors were arrested silently and thrown into the dungeons.


    Duke Maxim and Empress Carolina were especially blocked out of this information, all the information they were able to get was that some were arrested due to possessing illegal items that were brought from the ck market.


    This also gave the impression that they were the ''traitors'' arrested, which made the two perpetrators sigh in relief. In their minds, as long as it doesn''t point to the Ves Household, then it is well.


    However, the forced house arreststed for three days!


    What was more bothering was the fact that the Imperial Sky Knights had no intention to answer their protest and finish the search.


    The nobles that had a major hand in participating with the Vess very much wanted to just open their gates and let the knights inspect them so that they could finally have some peace.


    In their minds, they were confident that they have already prepared themselves enough to hide their tracks and appear innocent and clean.


    Duke Maxim and Empress Carolina were also feeling the same.


    Empress Carolina paced back and forth in the sunroom of her pce, in an intense dark mood. How could she, the Empress of the Empire be subject to such humiliation?!


    She very much wanted to sneak out and check her son''s condition however, the Imperial Knights were extremely strict that even her dark knight Can was not able toe near her.


    The only means ofmunication she had was a singlemunication stone connected to Duke Maxim who was also under house arrest.


    "Brother, what was really happening? Aren''t the search finished already? Why am I being held under house arrest?" She shouted agitatedly.


    Because of her fear and uneasiness, she didn''t mind her current unkempt appearance that was far from the regal and morous beauty of an Empress.


    "I also have no idea, but do not worry, I think that the Emperor was just doing this to intimidate the nobles. I heard information that even the Astazes were also held on house arrest. This means that the Emperor''s suspicion was not directly on us but on all the powerful nobles in the capital." Duke Ves tried to assure his sister''s worry.


    But in his heart, he was starting to get nervous because it seems like the outside world had been so quiet that he couldn''t brush off the fact that something was wrong.


    "But how long will this farce be? I heard Kazimir was also involved in the matter? You promised me that you won''t let him be pulled into this mess, but why is this all happening?!" Empress Carolina on the other side was even more agitated than assured.


    She started to me his brother for everything that happened in thest few days.


    Duke Maxim felt his headache upon hearing Empress Carolina''s usations. But what can he do? It was an unfortunate thing to have Kazimir involved in this mess, at a time when their rtionship was awkward.


    "My subordinates tried to take him away so that they could avoid hurting him unintentionally. Who would have known that the Second Prince would be easy to send reinforcements? This made my subordinates fail to take Kazimir away from the scene, thus triggering this entire farce!" Duke Maxim was already getting tired of exining the same thing over and over again to his sister.


    It was not the first time he was asked this question. Ever since the Empress heard of the matter, she had been asking the same thing repeatedly. This also made Duke Maxim feel irritated that he was tempted to crush hismunication stone many times within the span of his house arrest.


    However, he remembered that they were still siblings and that Carolina still had that trump card.


    Duke Maxim gritted his teeth and forced himself to be patient with her.


    But as to how long will they stay this way?

 Chapter 262 The Sleeping North

    ?It makes him nervous to know that the silent Lord Raven would turn impatient and abandon them for good because of failing to do what he had ordered.


    If Lord Raven lost his patience in waiting, then that would mean that the Vess would be alone in their goal to avenge their family and take down the Seirendes.


    This was the thing that scared him the most, for he was confident that Emperor Valentin will never find fault in the Ves Household as long as they do not understand the power of the curse magic.


    "The only thing we have to do was to wait until this farce was over then we will move again¡­" Duke Maxim thought deeply as he talked with Empress Carolina. "Think about it, when everything was over and it would be proven that there were no traitors amongst the higher nobles, then it will only cause Valentin more harm!"


    Hearing her brother''s words, Empress Carolina''s eyes flickered in excitement, "You mean, his position might be shaken because of his tant disregard for the noble''s dignity?"


    "Yes! They will surely pressure him to abdicate the throne and force him to proceed in selecting the sessor! Now that the second prince is dead, surely the nobles would not even consider the mad dog third prince!" The more the Duke thought about it, the more it made sense.


    "That leaves¡­ Kazimir!" Empress Carolina also thought that it was the case for she knew the nobles very well. They value heritage over moral standards.


    She knew that there was no other possible candidate for the throne in the other branches of the Imperial Family.


    Emperor Valentin''s older sister was married to the King of Rubino Kingdom, their children also had their fates fixed. As for his younger brother, he was unfortunately deemed infertile and exiled himself to the north.


    This means that it was only a choice between Kazimir and Leon.


    Even if Kazimir was recently not favored due to the Ves''s little mistake, if it was a choice between him and the trash third prince who didn''t have a noble background and high talents, then there''s no need to even choose!


    The Astazes would not support the third prince as well, even if the second prince died.


    "Now that I think about it, I never thought that it would be this easy to see Seirende''s downfall. The death of the second prince is such a sweet ident!" Duke Maxim could not help but grin widely upon realizing the possible after-effects of this farce.


    "Then we''ll just have to wait until the nobles lose patience¡­" Empress Carolina didn''t like the idea of Emperor Valentin falling from grace, however, her goal didn''t change.


    She had to revenge for her ancestors. After she exacted her revenge, she nned to take away Valentin and live with him, far from all this, thinking that Kazimir will do his part to run the country under Ves''s glory.


    As for the other two so-called ''wives'' of Valentin. Well, she will ensure that they will no longer see light the moment the Ves rises like the sun in the sky!


    With the possibilities that they were envisioning in mind, the two ended the call amiably.


    However, they had no idea that everything that they were thinking was not bound to happen. That was because as they were put under house arrest, the Emperor was already nning to clean up the rest of the Empire outside the capital.


    After freezing the movements in the capital, every trusted ally on the outsidemenced their movements.


    With the help of the Farauld Magic Institute, all the portals connecting to the capital were temporarily closed, as well as the ones connecting to the Empire. It was a total lockdown for the entire Seirende!


    This made the ones who were nning to sneak in and out of the Empire through the portals be blocked.


    Moreover, the security on the borders was also strengthened. It was not enough to have the portals blocked, they have to strengthen the physical security at the borders.


    But with the immobilization of the Amethyst Warlocks and the Viridescent Summoners, there were only the knights who were stationed among the borders, the des and the Imperial Sky Knights that could be sent to lead the garrison stationed on the borders.


    This was when Emperor Valentin realized that it wouldn''t be enough to rely on the forces of the knights ordained in the capital. Locking down all the higher nobles also meant losing a significant chunk of the Seirende''s military strength.


    With that, he summoned General Farauld, The Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben, and finally, Leon to discuss their strategy for managing the unstable military power of the Empire.


    "Who do you think shall we engage to trust to do our operations outside the Capital?


    I am afraid of choosing someone from the higher nobles to engage in this stage.


    But to arrest all the traitors, we need a stronger military power to hasten the arrest."


    The Emperor immediatelyid down the problems that were bothering him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He couldn''t afford to dy the fight any longer, for he knew that the mysterious Lord Raven might still have some people outside the capital to mobilize if he didn''t start exterminating them.


    "His Highness, would you like to engage the Laurent Family?" General Farauld suggested.


    The Laurent family was a well-known family of knights residing within the neutral territory of the North.


    It was also the family where Dame Aqui belonged, as well as Nathan''s maternal family.


    "The Laurent Family¡­ That seems to be the most viable course of action. However, it wouldn''t still be enough. I am thinking of getting the west territory involved, however, there are too many spies in there that made me uneasy." Emperor Valentin contemted.


    The investigations done by Leon''s men discovered that the Ves worked for so many years to nt so many spies in their rival faction that would eventually put the Astazes on the immediate downfall.


    Almost half of their cursed armies were from the Astaze''s main and vassal territories. If Emperor Valentin didn''t know that the Ves duchy was the true mastermind of the cursed army, he would immediately think that it was the Astaze who betrayed thend!


    If that would be the case, not only will the Astazes be wronged, but the bnce in the Empire will shatter, causing an overwhelming rule of influence taken by the Vess.


    May it be political, military, or economic, it would surely shake the foundations of the Seirende Empire.


    Knowing this made his heart tremble.


    How deep have the Ves''s roots been entangled in his Empire? Most of the connections discovered were built even before the execution of the former Duke of Ves!


    He had been so naive to think that everything Duke Maxim and Empress Carolina were nning was just to put Kazimir on the throne.


    Knowing these facts, he knew that the Vess wanted something deeper than having his eldest son ascend to the throne.


    It was to destroy the Empire that his ancestors painstakingly built!


    "What kind of grudge did their family have to devise such an intricate ploy to destroy the Empire?!" He couldn''t help but say aloud.


    This question left the rest of the people speechless. They too were also puzzled about how seemingly deep-seated the Ves''s grudge could be.


    "We might not find the answer now, however, time is ticking fast." Leon broke the silence and raised his hands to suggest, "We seemed to only have no options but to disturb the longstanding neutrality of the North, His Majesty Emperor."


    "The North¡­" Emperor Valentin mumbled and a nostalgic expression was revealed on his face.


    The Northern Territory was said to be the most secluded and neutral territory in the Seirende Empire.


    This was because most of the nobles were of neutral standing and almost didn''t do anything to ce their influence inside the Imperial Family all resides.


    Except for the few who were discovered to be connected with the sinister Spectre, every noble located in the North were known to have avoided the affairs of the Capital.


    This was also the ce where the Silvertown was located - the only entrance to enter the Silver Dew Forest.


    But no matter how entric the people of the North were, their loyalty was still anchored to the Seirende Family.


    Thus, the major function they aplish was to protect the rest of the Empire from the monsters and beastsing from the Gullfoss Mountain Range.


    As such, the hidden forces in the North were as strong as the Imperial Sky Nights because they were experts in battling the beasts of the enormous mountain range.


    Because of this, the citizens of the Seirende Empire often refer to the territory as the ''Sleeping North".


    Of course, the Sleeping North had to be led by another capable person who can keep thend united with the forces protecting the Northern Territory.


    That was none other than Fidel Vonn De Seirende, the younger brother of Emperor Valentin, and the Governor of the Sleeping North.

 Chapter 263 The Governor Of The Sleeping North

    ?Remembering his younger brother, Emperor Valentin couldn''t help but sigh in his heart.


    The true reason his younger brother subjected himself to the self-exile was deeper than his being infertile.


    Only by the time their father, thete Emperor Idelfonso came back from the war was he able to settle in the north to apany him until hisst days.


    Emperor Valentin was not sure if his younger brother was already alright with involving himself again with the matters of the capital.


    But the situation calls for him to persuade his brother to do such. Thus, he had no choice but to ask him directly.


    Making up his mind, he took a deep breath and announced his decision, "Then everyone will have to return to their post and continue their tasks, while I''ll have a correspondence with the North to provide us the troops to go with the rest of the territories!"


    "We follow His Majesty''s orders!" Leon and the rest replied and left toe back to their posts.


    As for the Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben, they intentionally stayed behind to talk to Emperor Valentin for a little bit longer.


    "Grandmasters, I am very grateful for your support during this time. I am so ashamed that I have to involve you in this matter of the Empire."


    Emperor Valentin bowed to the two as he was really embarrassed to disturb the grandmasters like this.


    "No, don''t mind it. The matter of the curse could be considered a threat to humanity. So we find no fault in taking part in this endeavor." The two grandmasters replied with ease.


    Unlike Valentin''s father who had the responsibility to lead the empire as an Emperor, Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben were not required to give their assistance to the Empire as a privilege of being an S ss Mage.


    All the S-ss mages had the right to not pledge their loyalty to any territory of Prasinos. However, their responsibility rests when humanity is threatened.


    "Even so, as the leader of the Seirende Empire, I would like to plead for your assistance in lending our aid to arrest the traitors outside the capital."


    Emperor Valentin still did not take for granted the favor given by the two elders because of their rtionship with Eli and his Father.


    "Rest assured, His Majesty. We will be with you until we defeat the enemy that brought chaos to the empire." The two replied yet again.


    "Then, I will not be holding you for long, Grandmasters. I''ll have to send a request to the North for the apanying troops." Emperor Valentin gratefully bowed and bade them goodbye.


    Now already alone in the office, Emperor Valentin contemted how he would be asking his younger brother for his assistance.


    He was not sure if his brother was already ready to get out of the secluded north to stand up for the Empire.


    The guilt in his heart couldn''t help but bother him as he remembers this fact, yet he needed his younger brother''s help right now.


    So with a heavy sigh, he leaned back onto his office table and pulled out a certain drawer underneath. Thepartment contained a royal blue brocade box that wasden with silk embroideries.


    With trembling in his heart, he opened the brocade box and saw themunication stone inside that was iid in a broad ring.


    He took it carefully in his hand and ced it on his finger. Up until this point, he was still hesitating about calling his brother from the North, but he still did it.


    Injecting mana unto the stone he mumbled, "To Fidel.."


    Themunication stone lit up in bright red and pulsated until someone from the other side answered Emperor Valentin''s call.


    On the other side, a noble-looking man stared nkly at the window.


    He had an appearance of a man in histe forties, however, the traces of age was not able to mask the charm and beauty he possessed with his blood-red hair and crystal-blue eyes.


    The only thing regrettable about his appearance was the solitude that he exudes. His jewel-like eyes wandered at the vast peacefulnds that could be seen from his window.


    Every Seirende citizen would just need to take one look at him to determine that he had the Seirende''s blood running through his veins.


    The man was none other than Fidel Vonn De Seirende, the younger brother of Emperor Valentin, and the Governor of the Sleeping North.


    As Fidel stood in deep silence, he noticed a resonanceing from underneath his bedside cab.


    His eyes flickered for a moment, hesitating if he would go near and investigate the resonance or ignore it. But before his heart could decide, his mind had alreadymanded his body to step forward and reach for the drawer.


    Pulling onepartment revealed a blue brocade box, identical to the box that Emperor Valentin possessed.


    He opened the box and looked at the ring, with the same engravings as the one on his brother Valentin - an insignia of the Seirende and the Northern territory intertwined with each other.


    The ring was pulsating as if waiting for him to pick it up and answer the call, but he only stared at it nkly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Fidel thought that his actions would already stop there. However, his mouth opened, and answered the call, "Brother¡­"


    On the other side, Emperor Valentin was about to cut the call after waiting for the other party''s response.


    Just as he was about to stop injecting mana into themunication stone, he heard a voice that he had not heard for almost three decades.


    Yes, three decades.


    Remembering the duration of his estrangement from his younger brother, Emperor Valentin was reminded of how he was a failure when ites to managing his own family.


    Aside from the long list of shorings he had for his wives and sons, he also allowed his rtionship with his brother to rot like this ring in the brocade box.


    But now the twomunicated again for the first time, and he had no idea how to proceed with this.


    "Fidel¡­It''s been a long time¡­" He mumbled softly, but the Creator knew how many emotions were put into that sentence that he spoke.


    "Y-yes it is, brother. I was surprised by your call¡­" The person on the other side was also struggling with the obvious awkwardness in his words and tone.


    But Valentin was not here to find fault in his younger brother''s words.


    "Yes¡­ I apologize for the sudden call, however, I have a matter that greatly needs your help." Emperor Valentin took a deep breath and told Fidel everything.


    He knew that small talks wouldn''t mend therge void that has been left open for decades in their rtionship.


    So he opted toe before him not as a brother but as the Emperor of the Seirende Empire, to also help his brother be at ease with the tormenting awkwardness.


    "I see¡­ Then how many troops do you need?" True enough, Fidel''s tone became at ease due to the approach used by Valentin.


    "I might be needing about half of your armies to cover the East and the West Territory.


    As to the south, it has been sanitized by thest clean-up operation. Most of the inhabitants of the south were only coteral forces of the west and east.


    The time between the clean-up operation and the chaos was not enough for the traitors to reestablish the forces they previously built in the south."


    Emperor Valentin gave Governor Fidel a detailed view of his ns so that his brother would also understand why he did things the way it was.


    "And so we have determined that the forces to be sent must focus on thest two territories which coincidentally belonged to the biggest noble factions in our Empire." He continued.


    "Hmm, I see. I might need a longer time to assemble everyone to organize arge army to go to the West and East."


    Governor Fidel analyzed the information he received from his brother and subconsciously nodded his head in approval.


    "Perhaps, I may need two more days to organize enough troops to cover both territories. Would this be a problem?"


    Emperor Valentin was startled to find out how cooperative Fidel would be.


    He didn''t expect that it would be this easy to ask for his help. In his mind, he thought, that the hesitation in his heart was mainly brought by the guilt he was feeling.


    This feeling enabled him to underestimate the character of his younger brother, who truly loves the Empire deep in his heart.


    "No, it wouldn''t be a problem. Do not also be worried about the means of transportation of your army.


    Your nephew, the third prince, has beenmissioned to assist you in activating the portals connecting from the north to the other two territories."


    Emperor Valentin replied with a hopeful tone.


    "Teleportation arrays? Are you sure? This would entail the empire a lot of rare resources."


    As Governor Fidel was saying this, he was not opposing the use of teleportation arrays.


    He was just genuinely surprised that his brother, whom he have known to be frugal, was now using the mana stones without worry.


    "Cough.. cough¡­Do not worry about it. Lately, the Empire has been blessed with a few tributes from the alliednds. We have enough to transport everyone for this operation."


    Emperor Valentin could onlye up with this story as he was caught off guard by Fidel''s question.


    How could he exin to him that the supreme mana stones were given to him by his youngest son and future daughter-inw as their allowance for secretly visiting his beloved grandkid?

 Chapter 264 Meanwhile In Argentum (1)

    ?As the things in the capital unraveled, Eli was training nonstop while cultivating the herbs back in the Silver Dew Forest.


    Due to the sess of the cure potion, she had to go back to the forest to improve the farmingnd to have it as a designated cultivation area for the herbs nourished by her holy powers.


    As for the normal herbs, this would be done by the other temple servants back in the Capital.


    "Ahhh, finally! My work is finished today!!! And I am still standing!" Eli couldn''t help but feel a little bit helpless upon realizing the change brought by her descent into Prasinos.


    From being an overworked employee and a frustrated musician, she became a single mother. She started learning the ways of homemaking and child-rearing while she figure out what she had to do to survive in this fantasy world.


    Along the way, she entered the realm of being a summoner and found Wisey and Baobao to assist her in the journey.


    After months of learning how to live as a single pregnant woman, she met a lot of people, that paved the way for her to be an inventor, an educator, a friend, and a daughter.


    Then came the time she became a mother and a lover, with Leon and Little Han by her side.


    Afterward, she had to do her best to honor themitment that came with all the roles she had taken by fulfilling another heavy role - the Subject of the Oracle.


    Never in her life did she expect these things to happen. She thought that she would only face the normal problems a typical mother would experience. However, being a mother required more than being a good steward of the home she was making.


    It even required her to be a gardener at this point!


    Nevertheless, Eli couldn''t discount the fact that all of this contributed to her growth as a better person and ultimately, as a better mother to Little Han andpanion to Leon.


    Stretching her hands that stayed outstretched for around five minutes, Eli looked around thend that she was currently managing.


    It still surprised her to think that she was able to care for thisnd like a true-blooded farmer!


    The multiple areas in the garden were nursing hundreds of tiny saplings of medicinal herbs.


    Around half of the area was allotted to cultivate the main ingredient - the silver woodbine flower, which was also a type of vine.


    So unlike normal farming, the cultivating area didn''t require Eli, Baobao, and her helpers to cut trees.


    They just have to clean up the weeds around the spaces between the forest trees and let the saplings grow and naturally crawl into the trees.


    With the help of the Silver Dew Elves, they selected a plot ofnd where the trees, which were also an ingredient to the potion, grow. By doing this, Eli would only need to cast her holy powers on the trees and it will give an amount of nourishment to the Silver Woodbine Flower as well.


    Moreover, most of the ingredients were also from the Silver Dew Forest, as such, they do not necessarily require sunlight, but the silver dew which was produced by thebination of abundant mana on the ground and the moonlight.


    "I wish that this kind of farming could be also applied to the modern earth! As such, no trees have to be cut to produce farnd! s¡­ there''s no magic in the modern earth¡­" Eli couldn''t help butment after realizing these things.


    Seeing that the sun was about to set, Eli wrapped up the work in her farnd to go back to Silvertown.


    Her routineprised of taking care of the farnd and nourishing them with her holy powers during the daytime and training the rest of her paths at night.


    Since her little cottage was transported to the Forgeworn Estate, she had no choice but to temporarily stay in the Argentum.


    Her night training might also cause a lot ofmotion among the peaceful Silver Dew Elves, so she had no choice but to stay in Argentum.


    "Lady Eli! Wee back!" The butler of Argentum happily greeted her as she reached the private rooms and removed her disguise. He had an expression of great relief on his aged face.


    Nothing had changed in the Argentum, it was as busy and prestigious as when shest visited the shop.


    The only thing that changed was, that she was no longer treated as a very important guest in the Argentum but as a full-fledged member of the Forgeworn Family.


    The shopkeepers and the servants treated her even better than before. She could even trace the excitement in their eyes whenever she met these people as she train and rest in the Argentum quarters.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The Esteemed Teacher has already arrived from the teleportation portal. He is waiting on the training grounds. Mdy, do you want to change your attire first before you proceed to meet the Great Teacher?" The butler politely suggested.


    "No need, the training today might require me to be dirtied as well. It doesn''t matter." Eli looked at her attire.


    It was a pair of simple pants and a shirt that was appropriate for strenuous physical activities. However, it was already full of mud and dirt because of spending a whole day farming.


    "Then, let me escort you to the training grounds, Mdy." The butler gently smiled and escorted Eli.


    The servants in the house loved how straightforward she was. Although sometimes they worry that Eli, as theirdy, might act a little too nonchnt about the society''s standards of etiquette.


    But knowing her dignified works as a renowned inventor, they respected her choices for they understood that no amount of superficial etiquette or gracefulness can invalidate the brilliance of her works.


    They respected her not only as a member of the Forgeworn family but as one of the people who benevolently brought groundbreaking reforms to the lower ss of society through her inventions.


    Reaching the underground training ground, Eli looked at the hooded figure that was patiently waiting on the wooden bench beside the training grounds.


    After politely dismissing the butler, she walked toward the figure and bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Esteemed High Priest!"


    The hooded figure stood up and took off his disguise, revealing the High Priest underneath the covers of the hood.


    "En, remember to call me Teacher here as we aren''t in the temple. You seemed to appear less tired today. I want to check your progress."


    "Responding to Teacher! Today, I was able to easily cast my holy powers on the nts for five minutes within a forty-five-minute interval. On my first day of arrival here, I was able to recast my holy powers after an hour. But now speed in casting my powers decreased by fifteen minutes in just a few days!" Eli reported her progress proudly.


    "And I managed to go home now without Baobao sending me back to Argentum unconscious!" She happily continued.


    The very act of staying in the forest to cultivate the herbs was also part of her training. After opening her paths, the High Priest had her concentrate to improve her holy powers and caster abilities at the same time.


    By using her casting powers to increase the growth rate of the nts, her mind and body became more ustomed to the act of casting. After a day of purely stretching her limits in casting magic, the High Priest had her try to use her holy powers instead of her mana.


    The result surprised them as they witnessed that the holy powers came out!


    This proved that using her casting abilities was the easiest way for Eli to make her holy powerse out.


    After alternating between casting mana and holy powers, the two worked on decreasing the cast interval and increasing the duration of her casting of the holy powers.


    However, as they were trying to stretch her limits, she would alwayse home dead tired that Baobao could only send her back like an injured person.


    "En! You did a good job! Now, have you measured the area of effect where your holy powers could expand to?" The High Priest, Enoch inquired.


    Eli took her notebook and handed it over to High Priest Enoch, "Yes, Teacher, here are my notes."


    High Priest Enoch looked at the numbers and graphs in Eli''s notebook. It was one of the things he liked about teaching Eli.


    Unbeknownst to many, High Priest Enoch''s ways of training were through an extremely systematic approach. He liked to take notes and analyze data recorded in his notebooks.


    After Eli showed him the graphs and mathematical analyses, he became extremely enamored with them. Thus, he required Eli to document her progress numerically in her notebook for him to see and analyze further.


    "Hmm¡­ from twenty-five square meters you were able to double it to fifty. Not bad! Not Bad! The rate of your improvement was also rtively increasing as you go with your daily training! Now all we needed to work on was decreasing your intervals in using the holy powers." High Priest Enoch nodded approvingly.


    Looking at Eli who was listening to him intently, he continued, "Looking at the data, the rate of usage of your holy powers was proportionate to your performance when you use your mana.


    That only means one thing! You have to unlearn the mindset of a caster, which is avoiding receptor fatigue.


    Let''s start your training as a devourer! This will enable you to think that your holy power is one with your body, not something you have to collect nor store!"

 Chapter 265 Meanwhile In Argentum (2)

    ?"Alright, Teacher. I''m ready!" Eli nodded and readied herself.


    It may perhaps be a coincidence or it was already the right time, but Eli realized that as soon as High Priest Enoch decided for her to train her devourer abilities, she has enough energy to do some physical training. While in the past few days, she didn''t have enough to even demonstrate casting her holy powers and mana.


    "Then let''s start by gathering a ball of mana at the size of an egg on your palm." High Priest Enoch rolled the sleeves of his robes and demonstrated creating a ball of mana that was about the size of an egg.


    Eli obediently followed and gathered the mana around her. Unlike the High Priest''s ball of mana which is steady and morepact, hers appeared to be a little bit unstable with the little swirls escaping from the core of the ball.


    "Hmmm, take your time and try to make it denser like this one." High Priest Enoch was patient to teach her and was not irritated that she did clumsy work to control her mana.


    This helped Eli to focus more on doing her best to make her mana ball more dense and stable.


    However, after an hour, Eli''s mana ball eventually popped like a bubble. She looked apologetically at the High Priest with beads of sweat all over her body, "I''m sorry Teacher¡­"


    High Priest Enoch shook his head, "I was not expecting you to get this right away either. You may not know, but this training alone was already equivalent to five years for others. You are doing well, do not be so hard on yourself."


    Eli could only silently nod, but in her heart, she knew that even if the matter was true, her time to grow her strength was very short.


    She couldn''t help but be impatient and irritated with herself whenever she stumbled upon bottlenecks like this.


    For a day she didn''t improve and moved to the next step of the training, it was a dy for her to see her baby, Little Han whom she misses so much.


    "Getting impatient will never do you good. As someone who had the power to ess the might of the heavens, the first thing you should understand was that the ways of the Creator were always good. There will be a right time and ce for those who knew and genuinely loved Him." High Priest Enoch detected the impatience around Eli and reminded her gently.


    As the High Priest, the first thing he had to teach people was how they should approach situations ording to what the Scripture says. Especially to Eli who is the subject of the oracle, he had to remind her to guard her heart and not allow it to be corrupted by the cares of the world.


    Worrying is fine andpletely normal. But one must decide to ce their trust in the Creator who loves them wholeheartedly. Only then will they see how the Creator takes care of their worries as much as He takes care of their hearts.


    Eli was humbled by the High Priest''s kind reprimand. It helped her reexamine her state of mind and calm down. Truly, there was no need for her to be this disgruntled about her training speed.


    Since the Great One who sent her here assigned her to be the Subject of the Oracle, she had to trust that He would never forsake her after giving her this responsibility.


    "Thank you for your reminder, Teacher!" Eli replied and sat cross-legged, repeating her assignment all over again.


    Since her state of mind was calmer than before, the ball of mana she was able to procedure was much better than the previous one.


    "See? That''s much better now, However, you still have to polish it more like this¡­" High Priest Enoch showed the ball of mana again for Eli''s reference.


    It was already the middle of the night when Eli managed to create a ball of mana that satisfied the High Priest. However, it took all her energy and her body was about to shut down.


    "The next step to this one, I cannot demonstrate because I possess a caster constitution." High Priest Enoch exined.


    It was at this moment that Eli was reminded of the High Priest''s real affinity. She forgot that the High Priest was not an open path like her!


    "Then Teacher, how should we continue about this?" Eli asked curiously.


    The High Priest knew from the start that she was an open path while he was a caster, yet he was not worried to teach her to cultivate her devourer powers when he wasn''t one!


    "Well, the next step for this one was to make this dense ball of mana pass through your palm like it was just an invisible wall." The High Priest Enoch exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is the training routine crafted by the Third Prince Leon for you, so I know that you can do this when he rmended this exercise to me." He added confidently.


    Eli''s elbow twitched, "That exins everything¡­" She rubbed her head in bafflement.


    "Well, I can''t go here without knowing how to train you right?" The High Priest replied with a light chuckle and continued, "Now, now, do not underestimate this one training routine your future husband crafted for you. This really would help you a lot!"


    "I know Teacher¡­ I believe the both of you." Eli replied earnestly.


    She will never forget the very first training regime that Leon gave her, it was simply four hours of reading and four hours of making music!


    However, those activities which seemed to have no connection to training summoner powers, proved to be faster and even better than the normal summoner''s training regime.


    "You believed him that much?" High Priest Enoch couldn''t help but tease Eli. He could see that her gaze softened upon mentioning Leon.


    "Yes, I do," Eli answered truthfully and she knew that the High Priest need not hear her exnations for she was sure that he knew the reasons as well.


    High Priest Enoch gave a meaningful smile and started to exin the meaning behind the training that she will be doing.


    "The purpose of making you create the ball was for you to enhance your consciousness about the mana around you. Having the mana materialize into this dense ball that seemed to have looked like a still solid object will enable you to get used to the properties of mana you are able to gather on your body.


    Now¡­ The next step will be much harder than you think. Because this dense ball of mana¡­" High Priest Enoch stood up and conjured the mana ball and gently let it fall into the ground without much force.


    Boom! As soon as the mana touched the surface of the ground, it exploded loudly. A crater about a few meters deep with around two meters in diameter was created by the egg-sized mana ball.


    He looked at Eli and continued to exin, "... was packed will so much destructive power when we release its potential on any surface. Your exercise requires you to control this ball of mana and let it pass through your hands as if your palms are not existing at all."


    Eli couldn''t help but gulp as she looked at the crater that was produced by the ball of mana.


    "Will it not crush my hands into powder?"


    Her question was a great contradiction to her deration of trust to Leon and High Priest Enoch earlier. However, she couldn''t help but ask upon seeing the potential of the mana ball they have created.


    The High Priest shook his head and exined,


    "That is why we have youplete the first step which is to create the ball of mana as beautiful as this. That''s when I know that you already have a good grasp on how you control your mana. You also do not need to worry about idents for I will supervise you in this exercise. We have agreed that you will only practice your other paths in my presence and not the others."


    Eli understood the High Priest''s warning. She nodded to express her intention to follow his instructions obediently.


    "How does letting this ball of mana pass through my palms help my devourer''s abilities?" After the agreement, she asked curiously.


    "ording to the Third Prince, letting it pass through your palms was only the first step. Allowing the mana to freely flow on your body without letting it go into chaos is the very essence of the devourer''s magic. Every part of your body should ept and use mana as you will.


    However, since you are on the open paths, your body will function like one giant receptor. Thus, you have to let yourself be ustomed to having mana flow in and out of your body with densities as heavier as this. In the future, you will have to increase the size of the ball and the area of your body in which it has to pass freely!"


    The High Priest told Eli the mystery behind the exercise ording to how Leon exined it to him.

 Chapter 266 Emperor Valentin Coaxes

    ?"I see¡­ Then I''ll try to do it now!" Now that Eli understood the meaning of the exercise, she was excited to try it right away.


    "No can do. You have to ensure that your body rests." The High Priest reminded her again. "No matter how enthusiastic you are, the training will resume tomorrow."


    Remembering that she needs to rest, Eli meekly responded with a hum. It was because she remembered that even the elderly High Priest had to rest too. She felt a little bit embarrassed about forgetting that fact.


    "Thank you, Teacher, for always reminding and training me¡­" Eli said gently, her tone was full of appreciation and gratefulness.


    "En¡­ Now, let''s call it a day. I''ll see you again on sundown unless somethinges up in the Temple. If I wouldn''t be avable, I''ll be sending Joab to supervise your training. He is a great devourer anyways and would be your future instructor after you have managed to get a grasp of your devourer''s ability." High Priest Enoch waved his hand signaling the end of the training session.


    He then put on his disguise before going out with Eli.


    "Esteemed Teacher, Mdy¡­ I have prepared the dinner. Would you like to dine first?" The butler was patiently waiting outside the training room. Upon seeing that the training was done, he respectfully bowed and offered for the two to have dinner first.


    Eli looked at High Priest Enoch worriedly and suggested, "Teacher, would you like to have dinner first before going back to the portal? You might have no time to take care of yourself when you go back."


    "No need, for I still have to take care of some things in the Capital. I have Julian to take care of my well-being so do not worry." High Priest Enoch shook his head gently declining the request.


    "Sigh¡­ It can''t be helped then. Let us see you off to the portal, Teacher." Eli could only reply disappointedly. She was guilty of causing such an inconvenience to the elderly High Priest just for her to be able to grow stronger. Her desire to improve ignited more intensely as she realized these things.


    She cannot afford to take that long before she can go to the frontline. She had to.


    ¨C


    The tension kept the Capital''s atmosphere suffocating.


    The noblemen felt like they couldn''t breathe at the might that was disyed by the Imperial Family and innocentmon people were caught in between.


    On the third day after the issuance of the High Order search, the nobles started to get more concerned and agitated. They felt like livestock kept in the barn to eventually be ughtered for who knows when.


    They knew for a fact that this wouldn''t be the case if the two princes of the Empire were not hurt by the recent chaos. Now even if they wanted to pressure the Emperor to recognize the importance of their dignity in the society, they didn''t dare to, or they would be viewed by the Emperor as the traitor.


    However, not all of the nobles thought this way, some of them approved of the measures done by the Emperor although they could only keep that in their hearts. The Astazes and the neutral faction were the majority of the group who were most supportive of the Emperor''s decision.


    While the Ves''s and their allies thought that this would be a stain on Emperor Valentin''s legacy after the matter settled. They thought that this move will make the Emperor powerless toward the nobles in the future, for they will no longer support him after trampling on their dignity.


    Unfortunately, for the Vess and other nobles who were thinking like this, they were all in the wrong. This effect was something that Emperor Valentin has been aiming to create.


    A true division between the aristocratic faction.


    He was sure that by isting these nobles and limiting theirmunication lines, he would breed some kind of a division between those who were truly loyal to the Empire or those who only fawn over the Imperial Family for power.


    With no one to influence each other, the traitor''s mindset would continue to think that the longer the oppression the likelier it is for the Emperor to lose support from the greater nobles.


    However, the nobles, who were truly loyal, would set aside the powers they were supporting, may it be the first or the second prince, and see the real threat in the current situation.


    They will realize that even if they supported their prince, the Empire would be long gone if they wouldn''t cooperate in solving the case of the murders that have hurt their political leaders.


    He nned to suddenly lift the ban while everyone was on the verge of exploding. Emperor Valentin was sure that on the day of their freedom, the first thing they will do was to form a coalition to convince the nobles to overthrow him at the next council assembly.


    At that time, he will also let them have a little moment of glory high in the clouds before watching them fall in disgrace.


    Now came the fifth day of the restrictions and Emperor Valentin knew that the time for everything to unfold would be just around the corner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    All he needed was the signal of his brother Fidel and the two Grandmasters, Andvari and Reuben. As soon as the preparation on their side was done, he will immediately announce the lifting of the restriction and start the show for Duke Maxim and his fellow traitors.


    Setting the things outside the pce, Emperor Valentin started to think about the things inside his Imperial Family.


    It was almost a week now yet there was no improvement in First Prince Kazimir''s condition. Greatly worried, he visited his chambers every day and could only ask Princess Consort Arielle about him.


    Through this, he was made known of the fact that Kazimir had just gone through an episode of depression during the time that he implemented a sanction on the Ves family.


    It was new to him to discover that his eldest son would be the one with the most vulnerable state of mind when things were not in his favor.


    "Then this must be one of my shorings as a parent." Emperor Valentin realized as he was talking to Arielle.


    "Your Majesty, please do not say those words! Everyone knows how you dote on His Highness! Please do not me yourself in this matter." Princess Consort Arielle was flustered upon hearing Emperor Valentin''s words so she immediately tried to dispel his crestfallen mood.


    Emperor Valentin could only gently smile and shake his head, he knew that it was really his fault. Although he loved his three sons, he know for himself that he was not able to give them the kind of love they needed as they grow up.


    To Kazimir and Antoine, he gave them all the material things that he could give because he knew that he couldn''t give the two aplete family. He will never be able to give them a picture of a mother, a father, and a child in a happy household.


    Thus, the two grew up with the best of the best and had never experienced being inck. They have been sheltered by top-notch teachers and servants and had almost not experienced any setbacks in life.


    To Leon, while he had the ability to give him a great picture of a happy family with Teh, it could only be done inside the secret chamber. As soon as they were outside, he had to treat him and Teh as distant as possible.


    It even became worse when he had no choice but to send his poor little son to the battlefield - it was the cruelest decision he had ever made.


    Now, the one who was suffering the impact of his shorings as a father was his children themselves.


    Kazimir was depressed.


    Antoine was in aa and still recuperating.


    And Leon couldn''t do what he wanted because he had to hold back everything about him - his talents, his brilliance, and his family.


    ''Believe in your son''s destinies¡­'' He remembered Lucia''s words. But the situation could not help but put a doubt in his heart.


    "Sigh¡­" Emperor Valentin could only shake his head, patting his legs as he was about to stand up. He looked at Kazimir who was still staring nkly in the window, he looked like a beautiful puppet with no soul.


    Emperor Valentin gestured for Arielle to give the two of them a time to talk privately to which she obliged by immediately exiting Kazimir''s quarters.


    "Kazimir, my son¡­" Emperor Valentin sat at his bedside as he gently pulled Kazimir''s stiff hands.


    "I will make my move soon¡­ But it pains me knowing that you have to go through all this. I will never understand the pain you were suffering right now because I have never experienced being in that situation."


    His son only stayed still without a reply, it was as if he was in his own world and was not hearing the words he was saying.


    "Tell me what pains you the most¡­ In that way, I may have the chance to understand you even a little bit." Emperor Valentin said these things gently, enunciating every wording from his heart.


    In three decades, this was the first time he had coaxed one of his children. It might be awkward for a fifty-year-old man like him to coax his son who was already in his thirties, but he didn''t mind.


    His eldest son, Kazimir, needs him as a father now.

 Chapter 267 Its Alright

    ?"Come on, this time, Father will listen¡­" With the gentleness voice that he could muster, Emperor Valentin took Kazimir by the hand and continued to reach through his heart.


    Finally, Kazimir''s nk eyes flickered. He slowly turned his head towards his father, who was looking at him with a worried helpless face.


    Anotheryer of guilt showered his soul, seeing that he caused his father much trouble for worrying about him. Kazimir hung his head low in shame while a hoarse voice came out of his mouth, "I failed you, Father¡­ I failed everyone¡­"


    Emperor Valentin just listened as Kazimir opened up. He didn''t know the right answer yet he still want to try pacifying the turmoils in his heart.


    "I caused my brother to die¡­ and yet I still couldn''t find myself to be angry for his sake¡­"


    "I can''t find myself to stand up in this bed and lead my troops to condemn my mother and my maternal family."


    "Even inside my troops, there were rtives from my maternal side, how could I face them?"


    "How could I order them to march and arrest their own family?"


    "I myself couldn''t do that¡­ I can''t¡­ my mother¡­ she¡­"


    Kazimir didn''t know where it started, but he found himself crying profusely as he said the words that have been kept in his heart.


    His mind and body were so conflicted, he witnessed such great injustice, and yet he struggled to uphold it because the person that has to be condemned was his family.


    A part of his heart was crying to seek justice for the innocent, but another part was trying to justify his intention to plead on his maternal family''s behalf.


    Emperor Valentin held his hands steadily while he patted his shoulder allowing him to let out his pent-up emotions. Even if he opened up today, he was sure that the wounds in his heart would not heal overnight.


    Perhaps it may take years and or a lifetime for his wounds to heal. But the most important thing was to not let him sumb to this pain and destroy himself.


    On one hand, he was feeling guilty, because he couldn''t tell him that Leon was able to take Kazimir on time and that a great doctor was able to pull him out of the dead river. The time is crucial for all of them and he could not allow this information to be leaked until it was the right time.


    As such he could only help him be at ease by being by his side as a father.


    Kazimir''s sorrowful cries rang in the entire bed-chamber. He was not sure how many times he had been acting like this recently, but it is what it is. The pain inside him is real and the torment was eating away his self-perception.


    "No one is pushing you to stand up for justice¡­ Kazimir, my son¡­ This burden lies on my shoulders, not yours." Suddenly his father''s voice seemed to have created cracks in the dark torture chamber that was keeping him tormented.


    Emperor Valentin continued, "No one in this Empire would hate you for not participating in the process of seeking justice. Because everyone who is on the right mind would know that you will be the one who will be hurt the most by this matter."


    "What I, your father, only ask you is not to resent me for choosing to uphold justice and punish the people whom you treated like family." Emperor Valentin''s words carried a heavy hint of fear and worry as he said these words.


    In fact, what makes him waver was the fact that Kazimir would choose to side with their maternal family and join them in creating chaos in the Empire.


    But from what he was seeing, his son was not the kind of person. He might be prideful and arrogant in terms of viewing himself as superior to other people, especially his youngest brother, but he was someone who carried the same love for the Empire. This was also why, even if he and Antoine tantly bullied his youngest and curried the favor of the nobles, he didn''t disqualify them in the fight for the throne.


    "I was afraid that you would hate me in the future¡­ However, son¡­ know that this is the burden of a monarch. We stand in this position not because we are to enjoy a life of glory and respect from our subjects. Our real mission was to help these people live better lives using the power that was given to us.


    We will not be kings if we do not have people to lead. We will not be a glorious Empire if our subjects will perish.


    And I, as the one who stands as the Emperor, had to do everything to the best of my abilities to protect our people. Even if it meant condemning the people who were supposed to be my family. Because that is justice!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Emperor Valentin said these words with resolute. He wanted Kazimir to sincerely understand what it means to be in the Imperial family.


    "So do not beat yourself up for not being able to stand for justice. I, your father is not blind to your struggle. However, I want you to get a hold of yourself and recover. After all this, there will be lots of work, lots of struggles. The current situation is just one thing you have to conquer as a monarch to this Empire¡­ Don''t let it defeat you¡­" Emperor Valentine was not sure of his words will help Kazimir, hemented in his heart for being clumsy in giving words of advice to his son.


    Kazimir looked at his father''s helpless and awkward face. It was the first time he has seen his Father worry about him.


    All his life, he only saw his father''s working facial expression, one with authority. Sometimes he would be lucky to see him look at them with approval and joy. But he never saw him worry about him nor his siblings before.


    It was at this moment that he somehow resonated with what his father was saying. As the monarch of the Empire, sometimes it would require them to be clumsy in their personal lives. Because they have to choose the well-being of the greater people first.


    A newfound discovery about his father and his calling as a member of the imperial family made his crystal blue eyes return their luster.


    "I-i will keep your words in mind, Father¡­" Kazimir replied, his pain was still there.


    He was still struggling to plead for his mother and his maternal family. He was still disappointed with himself. Yet the thing thatforted him was the fact that his father did not find fault in his struggles.


    Instead, he heard him say that it was alright to be in pain. It is alright to be confused. It is alright that he takes a step back in the matter and does not force himself to embody radical justice.


    "En¡­ So do your best to recover. Also, do not ignore your wife¡­ she is so thin yet you worried her a lot. Kazimir, my son, remember that you still have a lot of people waiting for you to be back¡­ Do not let them wait for too long." Emperor Valentin smiled and caressed Kazimir''s head, like a father who was trying to cheer up his little child.


    Kazimir felt a stranged warmth flow from the top of his head to the depths of his heart. It was the first time his father acted affectionately to him.


    His hand was gentle and it gives him a warm fuzzy feeling.


    On the other side of the pce was Empress Carolina pacing back and forth in her bedroom. Even if her brother told her not to worry and trust that all this farce will shake the foundation of Emperor Valentin''s influence, her heart was deeply threatened.


    She had a strong nagging feeling that she was about to lose her son in the process. What makes him fear the most was that, while her son was in a vulnerable state, Emperor Valentin would use this time topletely break the dependence her son have on her.


    "Not good!" She mumbled as she continued to bite her nails subconsciously. She was not able to notice that the skin near her nails was already torn and was starting to bleed.


    "I have to find a way to visit my Kazimir¡­" She decided. Even if it would cause her to use curse power, she had to think of a way to sneak out and visit Kazimir.


    "Can¡­" She summoned, a dark figure appeared on her balcony, kneeling.


    "Prepare to sneak me out of the pce and go to Kazimir''s bed chambers." Shemanded.


    "Her Majesty, the Imperial Sky Knights were watching the Empress ce closely¡­ Are you sure about sneaking out of the pce?" Can was surprised by Empress Carolina''s decision, he thought that the Duke had already convinced her to stay put.


    "Did I ask you to share your opinion?! Who are you to question mine?" Empress Carolina shouted with a shill-piercing sound, she looked at Can without regard.


    A strange purple aura came out of her body making Can feel an indescribable amount of fear. "... my apologies, Your Majesty."


    "Good¡­ now do everything to figure out an opening for me to sneak out!" She shouted angrily as she pointed outside, signaling Can to go out and do what she wanted.


    "Yes, Her Majesty!" He deeply worried that this would endanger her mistress''s position but Can could only bow and follow her orders immediately. H


    The two were so deep in their own emotions that they were not able to notice that someone was conveniently hearing and watching their exchange.

 Chapter 268 Preparations

    ?The mysterious shadow that was eavesdropping on Empress Carolina signaled one of his hiddenpanions to report the conversation to the Emperor.


    Coincidentally, Emperor Valentin had just finished conversing with Kazimir and was already on his way to his quarters.


    Upon receiving the report, a cunning glint shed in the Emperor''s crystal blue eyes. There was a subtle hint in his cold thin lips as he ordered, "Allow them to pass without raising suspicion. Have someone install a recording stone on Kazimir''s bed-chamber without rming anyone."


    "I hear your orders, Your Majesty!" The hidden guard saluted and disappeared into the shadows.


    As Emperor Valentin went to his bed chambers, he was thinking of what kind of words will Empress Carolina say to Kazimir to convince him.


    A part of his mind was worried that Kazimir would soften his stance or even worse, be brainwashed by Empress Carolina. If this happened, then he may have to see Kazimir stand on the side of the traitors of the Empire.


    However, a big part of him was hopeful that Kazimir would no longer be brainwashed by her mother and keep his conviction to stay put and see through the due process for the traitors of the Empire.


    He was not worried that Kazimir would spill the beans and tell her mother that he already knew that they were traitors, for he trusted his intellect.


    Whatever happens, Kazimir''s guilt over the failure of his mission and the ''death'' of Antoine would be heavier than the desire to save her mother from trouble.


    The next days were crucial for Leon and the rest.


    The troops going to the east and west territory stealthily sneaked into the critical areas where the aplices were located.


    The Crimson des were the ones who organized all the information regarding the members of the traitor faction, making the parties organized by all of the knight troops in the Capital and the rest of the territories prepared on who to arrest.


    The grand arrest will be organized in one fell swoop. All of the people identified were observed and upon the signal given by those in the Capital, they would start the operations.


    "Target on area 1, located."


    "Target on area 2, located¡­"


    One by one, the troops assigned to a territory reported their standing to General Farauld who was the one on top of the chain ofmand.


    "If locating the targets continued, we will be able to finish this in three days before we can make a move." General Farauld told Emperor Valentin as the two watched arge bulletin board that records the information received from the messages sent through notification papers.


    "Hmm¡­ But I am actually getting nervous, the people we are apprehending may be someone with the curse power. Even if we have found the basic cure for the curses, engaging in a fight would be detrimental to our operations. I don''t think no matter how we execute this matter stealthily, there''s bound to be some casualties and things that may not go our way." Emperor Valentin replied clenching his fists tightly.


    "Do not worry, the knights we deployed had been briefed thoroughly about the power of the cursed weapons and curse magic. It will surely be a different situation like the one that happened before." General Farauld was confident that they will pull through these operations.


    If any fight ensued, the appearance of the life-saving cure potion will turn the tables around.


    "We were lucky that the reinforcement that came from the Riverfort Hospital enabled the production of the cure potion faster and much more efficient. With this, we were able to produce doses that were enough for the entire troops assigned to the east and west." General Farauld also reported the status of the manufacturing of the cure potion.


    "En... That''s good to hear. How many days do we have to wait until the batch for the capital would be done?" Emperor Valentin asked.


    They prioritized providing doses for the troops assigned to the Grandmasters and Governor Fidel because their vicinity would be far from the capital. Even with the employment of the expensive teleportation array, they would not be able to go back to the capital to seek the assistance of Kayden, whom most of the people know as Dr. Einz.


    "The only variable that would affect us was the cultivation of enough herbal nts on the Silver Dew Forest and the Temple''s nursery. It was also a great help that we were able to get volunteers from the Farauld Magic Institute Research Division. With this, we might be able to set up a third cultivation spot for our raw materials." General Farauld replied.


    At first, Emperor Valentin and the rest of the Elders, including the High Priest were reluctant to involve the researchers in the institute in the fight against the curse magic. However, upon Eli''s rmendation, they were able to set up a team that wasposed of researchers who were interested in the field of medicine.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    These researchers were the ones who came to Eli, begging for her to allow them to broaden the discoveries mentioned in the papers left by ''Dr. Kayden''. Eli emphasized that since Dr. Einz would eventually enter the institute as their future advisor, might as well let the three researchers be exposed to what he was doing in the meantime and use their talents in such a timely situation.


    "The only thing that we needed to be prepared with was the possible retaliation of the masterminds¡­" Emperor Valentin felt relieved upon hearing the developments on the side of the cure potion. "We do not have an idea about how strong would the Ves''s siblings be¡­ and if their bodies contain multiple spirit fragments from the mysterious entity that Eli encountered¡­"


    Emperor Valentin did not need to continue his sentence. For they both know what it meant. Eli will not be able to handle that many spirit fragment that was so the angel rank. It is not that they do not believe in her power, but the threat was just so big and they have a clear grasp of their Empire''s power.


    In arge-scale battle, no man can stand to save everyone.


    There are bound to be casualties, heavy and heartbreaking casualties. But the question on their minds was, were they ready to receive such a high possibility of damage?


    "There''s no use in thinking about that. It may not look like one, but our Empire was not at war with the traitors who were so evil that they chose to cling to sinister forces. It is a risk we have to take." General Farauld answered straightforwardly.


    But his eyes reflected the helplessness and powerlessness against the enemy they were facing. Perhaps, he may also die in this battle. Perhaps even his son, his family¡­ Butpared to the future of the next generation, for his grandchildren, Little Han, Estelle, and the rest, their sacrifices would be worth it.


    "Then upon receiving 100% of the locked-in reports, start our evacuation scheme. After the evacuation, we willmence our retaliation!" Emperor Valentin need not argue with his friend, he also knew that this situation was already a war.


    But he wouldn''t let the innocent be implicated in this matter, as such, they have long prepared for the evacuation of themon citizens and even the innocent aristocrats should not be implicated in this scheme. Their priority was the children, the elderly, and women, for the majority of the men may choose to stay and participate in the retaliation.


    As they were about to wrap up their nning, they received a report from the bulletin that was not like the previous ones.


    "Targets on area 27 were missing."


    Emperor Valentin glinted and threw a look at General Farauld, who hastily checked who are the targets registered in area 27.


    "Niki Kir Ves and Arabe Liv Ves, the eldest son and second daughter of Duke Maxim." General Farauld frowned deeply upon knowing the identities of the missing people.


    This could only mean one thing, the two somehow managed to escape ahead of time!


    Without waiting for Emperor Valentin''s orders, General Farauld immediately pulled a notification paper and replied to the knights assigned to their area, "Investigate their whereabouts!"


    A long silence ensued in themand center, they could not help but think that the two may have been sent to the mysterious Lord Raven to ask for reinforcement.


    However, even after frantically checking the reports of the movement from the Duke''s side, they were not able to detect any trace of suspicious movement to their side.


    What could the absence of the two descendants of the Ves mean?


    Will their absence affect the operations of the retaliation?


    Did Duke Maxim manage to snuff out information about their ns?


    If so, then what about their ns and hard work? Will their efforts go down the drain?


    Just as the two were about to get drowned by the barrage of doubts flooding their minds, a series of knocks following a certain pattern broke their trance.


    "Father, Teacher, It''s Leon."

 Chapter 269 The Empress Sneaked Out

    ?"Come in¡­" General Farauld deactivated the security array and allowed Leon to enter themand center.


    After greeting Emperor Valentin and General Farauld, Leon proceeded to ry his report, "I came here to report about the movement of the Empress. Just as expected with the help of her dark knight Can and upon knowing your routine which we have purposely leaked with Roman the spy dark knight, she was able to sneak to First Prince Kazimir''s room."


    The two were not surprised by this matter, instead, they just gestured for Leon to continue.


    Understanding the meaning of their gazes, Leon took out a recording stone and exined, "I know you that your time is tight to watch the recordings, however, it may not be appropriate for me to judge the situation that transpired in the conversation. In here was the recording of their conversation."


    Then he carefully ced the recording stone in front of a clear white wall and had it projected the contents of the stone.


    The stone projected Kazimir''s bedroom in an angle that shows him sleeping while a shadowing from the window appeared.


    ¨C


    It was deep in the night when a shadow of a man, carrying a woman in his arms appeared. The man carefullyid the woman down on the balcony before stealthily sneaking inside Kazimir''s chambers.


    Kazimir who was still under the torment of the images on his head immediately woke up from the subtle disturbance. Rushing to stand from his bed, his alert voice rang into the chamber as he reached out to his bedside where his sword was ced.


    "Uhnnn¡­" Ariel who was sleeping leaning beside his bed was also disturbed by his rustling, but before she was able to open her eyes, a bolt of light flew straight on her forehead making her fall unconscious.


    "Arielle!" Kazimir saw everything and scrambled to go to Arielle''s side, his hands immediately checked what happened to her.


    "Do not worry son, I just sent a spell for her to be put on a deep sleep¡­" Before Kazimir realized everything, one of the two shadows talked in a gentle and assuring manner.


    "You¡­" Kazimir''s entire body became stiff and his heart became muddled with an rming turmoil. The person he wanted to see the least right now suddenly visited him.


    He was at his most vulnerable time and the fact that the person whom he previously looked up to became someone with questionable trustworthiness made the situation perilous for his emotional state.


    But even so, he could not allow his weakness to be exposed right now, especially when the other party had someone by her side.


    As such, after an expression of panic and worry towards Arielle, Kazimir made it so that the next expression on his face and the emotion in his tone was that of astonishment, "M-mother¡­"


    ''Mother''


    This used to be his favorite word to utter, but now, he had only said it once, yet it almost caused the foundation of his sanity to crumble in an instant.


    She used to be the person he singlemindedly listened to. From his childhood to even his adulthood, he obeyed every single word she said, believe every lesson that she thought, and hated every single person she hated. The only thing that he had ever done to defy her was to marry his now wife and princess consort, Arielle.


    But now, seeing her standing in front of him, d in an inconspicuous dark hooded cloak, she was like the grim reaper,ing to take away his life. She now brought him so much fear and confusion.


    "Long time no see, my son¡­" Empress Carolina''s voice reached Kazimir''s ears, making his body shudder from head to toe. Her right hand found its way to Kazimir''s luscious red hair, lovingly patting him like he was still her little boy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ve been so worried because I heard of the matter that happened a few days ago. Forgive your mother for only seeing you just now¡­ In truth, the Emperor has been restricting me ever since the sanction of the Vess. Your Father has been setting his eyes on me and was already suspicious of me during that time. So I wouldn''t dare to defy his orders, lest it would worsen your situation and standing in the race to the throne¡­"


    "Ah¡­ why are you so thin? Have you been eating well? Where are your servants? Why was your wife the only one to attend to you? Has your Father Emperorpletely fallen out of you? Tell me, my son, I''ll plead to the Emperor to improve the situation!!"


    Empress Carolina''s expression was so worried and her tone was so loving that Kazimir was almost convinced that this was the same mother whom he deeply loved before - the mother who was not yet a traitor in his eyes.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt that every part of his body felt like it was smeared with the nastiest manure, he felt like his body was extremely dirty.


    It took every ounce of his self-control not to show the disgust and rejection outwardly. This seemingly loving interaction between him as the son, and Empress Carolina as his mother drained the energy and the courage that he had painstakingly recovered from his recent conversation with his father.


    "It was my fault¡­ I was not myself these past few days, so I kicked out every servant attending me. It was only Arielle who insisted to stay and check on my well-being." Kazimir answered, acting as if he was the haughty and prideful prince he was once before, however in an angle that her mother cannot see, his fist tightened harshly, trying to remind him of his painful situation.


    "En¡­ If that''s the case then do not act like this for so long. If you are not aware, the situation in the Capital was already in chaos! The nobles were now oppressed by the coercion of the Emperor to revenge on the people who killed Second Prince Antoine." Empress Carolina felt relieved upon seeing that Kazimir acted like his usual self.


    She cupped her son''s face caressing it gently, her amethyst eyes looked at his crystal blue eyes. Her son might not have been able to inherit her beautiful amethyst eyes, but every time she sees the shape of his eyes which were identically the same as her Valentin''s crystal blue eyes, it reminds her of how victorious she was in having the Seirende family almost in her control through Kazimir.


    "Now¡­ now¡­ My son, recover well and get back at your feet. With the nobles getting irritated by the Emperor''s oppression, they would certainly push for a new leader to rise up. It would be most likely that they would force your father to abdicate. With the death of Antoine, the nobles would surely choose you as the sole sessor to the throne. As for the third prince, he was not even a choice to consider!" Empress Carolina''s eyes brightened as her tone grew more excited.


    Upon the mention of Antoine''s death, Kazimir fell into a daze and the torment in his mind immediately flooded his inner being. A surge of a painful headache assaulted his head making him groan and cling to his head like he was afraid and insecure.


    This startled the Empress as she didn''t expect Kazimir to have such a peculiar reaction. She saw her son shivering and losing himself upon hearing her words, it made her feel anxious and clueless. What did she say that triggered her son''s reaction?


    "I¡­ killed Antoine¡­ I caused the death of my sibling¡­ I am a murderer¡­" Kazimir''s delirious mumbles reached Empress. It was like a streak of lightning striking her head, ''Ah¡­ the death of the second prince affected my son in such a way?''


    Unable to properly digest this discovery, her expression became disgruntled as she stared at Kazimir in panic, subconsciously biting her fingers as she was deeply thinking.


    The bed-chamber only had the hysterical Kazimir and the troubled Carolina staying like this for a few minutes.


    After some time, a thought seemingly reached Empress Carolina as she started to move and tried to rx Kazimir.


    "Son¡­ my son. It is not your fault that this happened. It was because your sibling is weak¡­ and he is not destined for the throne¡­ Only you were destined for the throne, that''s why you were spared. That is why you survived!" She seemed to be extremely convinced in this fact that she herself told these words to Kazimir with conviction.


    "I¡­ am destined to the throne?" Kazimir was still hiding his facial expression under the cover of his arms, but a streak of sanity already came back to his eyes.


    Finally seeing a reaction from her son, Empress Carolina became more hopeful and continued to hype up Kazimir,


    "Yes¡­ yes! The reason why the second prince died was that he was not destined for the throne. Soon, it will be your third brother''s turn! Look at it, only you were spared! You are the destined one¡­ The only person whom even the perpetrators of this chaos never pointed their des to!"

 Chapter 270 Another Two Sneaked Out

    ?"W-why? Why is it me? What did I do to deserve the throne?" Kazimir still feigned his hysterical actions and continued to question the Empress.


    "That''s because you are my son! The one with the noblest birth of the Ves and Seirende blood! None of your brothers were as noble as you! So it is only you who deserved the throne!" Empress Carolina was taken aback by his question, yet she still answered as if it was the most natural thing to happen in this world.


    Kazimir was not yet convinced by her mother''s reply. If it was before, he would believe that it was a given for him to be the frontrunner in the race to the throne because of his noble blood. But now that he knew of the actions of his mother, he could no longer ept her reasons.


    "But why¡­ why do I have to fight to inherit the throne? Do I really have no choice but to inherit it?" Kazimir tried to stretch his acting onest time. Questioning his mother too much would make her and the mysteriouspanion suspicious of his mental state.


    "T-this¡­" Empress Carolina paused before she made her reply. It was as if she was contemting what she had to reply to the question.


    After a long pause¡­ she finally decided to respond with a heavy sigh. "It is not the right time for you to know the reason why¡­ But one thing will remain true even if the world was shaken into shambles. You have the very right to take the throne!"


    Kazimir look at his mother, his eyes were still nk and his body was shivering as if trying to find the truth in her words while looking at her dependently.


    As soon as Empress Carolina saw his expression, her gaze softened, and eximed in her heart, ''That''s my son!''


    At this point, she was convinced that his son would soon get back at his feet ande to her side once again. Her heart couldn''t help but feel ted. Once the oppression subsided, everything will fall into ce as Valentin''s reign starts to crumble into the ground!


    "Now¡­ now¡­ take a rest and recover your energy. Mother may not be able to see you so often after this but fear not for the peak of the noble''s patience is about to run out. We can ride on to this chaos and position ourselves in the most advantageous moment." Empress Carolina''s words may seem to be enough to suspect her of treason, however, it was not enough to condemn her for such. This proved that even with her words, she knew her way out clean and unstained.


    With a seemingly heartbroken mood, Empress Carolina bade Kazimir goodbye and he was left alone, dazed and defeated.


    Up until this moment, his mother intended for him to be blind to all the ns she had for the Empire and for him. He clearly saw that her mother did not even realize that one failure of her ns may lead to his doom.


    The most apprehensive thing for Kazimir was the fact that he had no idea at all. He was raised to step into the glory only to find that it was the end of the cliff. He was blinded up until now¡­


    "Haaah¡­" Helpless and devastated, Kazimir brushed his palm against his head, he was exhausted and tired of crying. He was also already tired of trying to find a way to redeem his maternal family even after all these things that happened.


    But this conversation not only failed to convince himself that it was still right for him to plead on their behalf. But instead, it gave him a solid reason to turn from the wicked ways and allow justice to prevail.


    ¨C


    The three men watched as the scene unfold in their eyes. There may be nopelling evidence against the treason that was being plotted by Carolina and the Vess, but this conversation proved that Kazimir does not have any idea of all the Ves''s doing.


    Knowing that Kazimir was innocent was more than enough for Leon, General Farauld, and of course, Emperor Valentin to feel relieved. At least, they would not be forced to point their swords at a Seirende.


    "With this, we can feel at peace as we go around the Empire and eliminate the sinners." Emperor Valentin for the first time since the chaos happened, smiled gently.


    "Well then, let us continue to prepare!" General Farauld announced.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, a hundred miles outside the boundaries of the Seirende Empire, an inconspicuous group of carriage finally entered the borders of a territory with vast grasnds and a luscious mountain range.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It seemed to be enclosed by a gigantic wall of stone by which the gs of the territory were raised proudly carried by the wind - the Vanderford Empire.


    As the wind blow from the window of one carriage, a figure of ady with bright amethyst eyes and a sickly countenance could be seen.


    Sitting beside her with an attentive look was a young man, valiant looking with his neat suit. If one would look at him closely, they would immediately associate his appearance with the Duke Ves of the Seirende Empire.


    "Little sister, we''re at the Vanderford border atst. Now we can finally be free from the inconvenience of the travel." The young man looked at thedy with a doting expression.


    But instead of being ted, the sicklydy pouted in displeasure as she replied, "It took us too long! Sigh¡­ why did Father suddenly send us to visit Elder sister? Now I wasted so much time, instead of finding the great doctor whom I wanted!"


    "Now, now! That doctor won''t go anywhere! I have already sent messages to the knights at the border, they will immediately notify me if a man with the same credentials and description as you are passed our territory and borders. For now, let us enjoy our stay in our Eldest Sister''s estate. It''s been so long since we saw her¡­" The man coaxed the displeaseddy, who turned out to be Arabe Liv Ves, Duke Ves''s youngest daughter.


    "Hmf!" Arabe gave her brother, Niki Kir Ves, the only young master of the Ves Duchy a pouting look.


    Letting out a light chuckle, Niki patted Arabe''s hair and indulgently coaxed her, "C''mon, cheer up! If Eldest sister found you with that kind of expression, I cannot be so sure that I will be able to defend you!"


    Remembering her eldest sister''s character, a sh of fear appeared in Arabe''s eyes. She straightened her back and wiped out the displeased expression on her face.


    Then she stretched out her lips into a pleasant smile and asked Niki, "Big brother¡­ does this expression look good in front of Eldest Sister?"


    "Hmm.. yes, yes! With your charm, our eldest sister will surely be gentle towards you! Just be sure to act properly in her husband''s estate. We are from Seirende after all, the rtionship of the Vanderfords to our empire has been as brittle as a thin sheet of ice on ake. We must be careful and not implicate our sister." Niki dotingly educated his sister as the carriage passed through the border gate and continue the journey.


    After half a day, the two finally arrived at their destination. It was a grandiose estate that proudly stood at the center of the vastnd with its sophisticated gothic architecture.


    Even the pce of the Seirende Family would be considered dull whenpared to the magnificent design of the estate which was abination of towering spires with pleasing patterns of traceries on the windows and columns.


    "This is not an estate¡­ This is a pce!" Arabe, who had been raised as a precious daughter of the Ves Duchy, could not help but exim in awe the moment she saw the estate.


    "Indeed¡­ This is our eldest sister''s home now, the Cuervo Duchy, the second strongest family next to the Vanderfords!" Niki exined proudly.


    The two finally reached the entrance of the Cuervo pce and were weed by a slender, elegant woman who was dressed luxuriously in a ck and red dress.


    The woman exuded a beauty that seemed to be like a poisonous flower, yet the butterflies and moths couldn''t help but go around and die from it. Her eyes seemed to contain the sharpness of a tigress lurking in the middle of the night, making anyone who was unfamiliar with her shudder in innate fear.


    Her long ck hair came as a surprise to the two siblings but looking at her amethyst eyes which were as purple as theirs, confirmed their hearts that this was their eldest sister - Marie Lei Ves, now living as the Duchess of Cuervo.


    With slow and steady steps, she went toward the two siblings and gave a subtle smile, "Niki, Arabe, how have you been? Wee to the Cuervo Duchy!"


    "Eldest Sister, we finally saw you! Thank you for weing us to your estate!" Niki and Arabe gracefully curtsied and answered her greetings.

 Chapter 271 The Plan

    ?While the three siblings were having their reunion, there was a certain man who was watching them from the window of one of the top floors of the mansion.


    It was a tall slender middle-aged man wearing a long tail dark coat who was standing condescendingly on the intricately ribbed floor-to-ceiling window of his wide office.


    His long mauve hair was mped by a neat ponytail and his face gives a noble aura that was strongly enhanced by his gold-rimmed monocle sses.


    "So that''s the youngest generation of the Ves n in the Seirende empire?" He mumbled as he was watching the interaction between the siblings.


    The butler who had reported their arrival respectfully bowed and replied, "Indeed, My Grace. However, the information that we were able to get was there were still some distant rtives from their generation bearing the name Ves. However, their bloodline was already far from the allowed purity of the Ves''s main branch."


    "Hmm¡­ it doesn''t matter then. Go on and ensure that they stay well and satisfied in the estate." The man ordered in a calm steady tone.


    "I heard your orders, My Grace. We will ensure that they will be satisfied in their stay in the Cuervo Duchy." The butler bowed again and proceeded to exit the room.


    Alone in the spacious office that was filled with luxurious red and gold colorbinations, the Duke of Cuervo turned slightly as he nced towards a certain chesterfield sofa.


    The sofa wasn''t facing him however, it was as if he knew that there was a person who waszily lying on it.


    The Duke asked in a respectful tone, "My lord, you''ve heard the arrival of the young descendants of the Ves branch family. What are your orders milord?"


    "Just leave them be, for I do not want them to have a hint on what we are nning." An alluring male voice responded to the Duke.


    The figure was hidden in the shadows from the curtain of the room, however, the figure slightly raised his slender hands and relieved his pale skin. His hands were adorned by numerous precious jewels that immediately shined as soon as a little light came to the area.


    "As to the acting duke and the empress in the Seirende Empire, they were almost done for. These siblings were too foolish in the way they do their work!" The figure immediately began to whinezily.


    His tone did not hide the disgust he was feeling towards Duke Maxim and Empress Carolina whom he was pertaining to.


    "Do you need me to do something for them?" Duke Cuervo attentively asked. His expression didn''t change even as he heard the other party ridicule the family of his wife.


    "No, I do not wish to waste any resources for them anymore. For generations, the main branch has waited for their side of the family to destroy the Seirendes. My forefathers even left them a strong relic to use for their mission and yet, they failed! Generation by generation they continue to fail!" The irritation and impatience were now evident in the man''s voice.


    Duke Cuervo could see that the man''s anger was not directed at him and yet knowing that the other party was angry made him feel a deep sense of fear.


    "I will ensure that this boring cycle will end in my regime. If that foolish Duke and Empress couldn''t make it, I will make it so that these three siblings would do the work for me!" The man continued.


    "If I may be permitted to ask, Milord. How about using the first prince? He had the blood of the Seirende and Ves, wouldn''t he be the best candidate to carry out the mission?" The Duke couldn''t help but curiously ask.


    Why did his lord only orchestrate to have the Ves siblings take refuge in the Vanderford empire while the first prince of Seirende, who was the direct descendant of Empress Carolina who holds the ancient relic was left behind?


    "Because he won''tst long¡­" The mysterious man replied. His tone was nonchnt and he was saying it as if he did not care about the life of the person they were talking about.


    This time he shifted from hiszy posture and finally sat upright, revealing his luscious purple hair. His head turned to Duke Cuervo''s direction, revealing his appearance. It was none other than the second appearance of Lord Raven.


    Lord Raven still had azy demeanor as his deep purple eyes looked at the Duke as if he saw through everything, "Are you thinking that since he had the blood of two ns who received a celestial blessing, he will be stronger than any other man in this continent?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "T-this¡­ indeed Milord!" Duke Cuervo didn''t deny Lord Raven''s conclusion, instead, he bowed respectfully while he answered with full reverence.


    He was a duke that was ten years older than Marie, yet his actions proved that he was deeply fearful of the young beautiful man sitting on the sofa.


    Seeing how submissive Duke Cuervo was, Lord Raven couldn''t help but give a light chuckle which sent all of the Duke''s skin a wave of goosebumps. "Ah, it''s natural for normal people like you to think like that. However, the Seirende''s blessing and the Ves''s blessing were made to counter each other from the start. What do you think would happen to the body who contained both of these blessings?"


    "T-the body may soon fall apart because of the constant fighting of the two contradicting powers!" Struck with the realization, the Duke''s eyes widened in disbelief as he answered Lord Raven''s question.


    "You are indeed a lot sharper than your predecessors." Lord Raven nodded in approval before he continued, "That is why that poor first prince may have to die first than his mother¡­ He was a wasted effort by those siblings, to be honest."


    Hearing Lord Raven''s narration, a question sprouted into Duke Cuervo''s mind. However, he opted not to ask it aloud for it may incur the anger of the lord in front of him.


    "Why did I allow the two siblings to carry out having offspring with the Seirende?" Lord Raven had clearly seen through what was in the Duke''s expression.


    Hearing the same question in his heart, the Duke felt like a cold bucket of water was sshed all over his body, "Y-yes.." He resigned and admitted that he was thinking about the question.


    "That''s because I am curious if that thing was possible in the first ce!" Lord Raven eximed as if the matter they were talking about was just a y set up by him.


    "In all fairness, it was only this pair of siblings who have thought of mixing the Seirende blood with the Vess. I initially got curious if that idea would be usible, but as soon as I saw the child, I lost interest. It was a failed experiment and a waste of my attention¡­" Lord Raven continued.


    "I see, thank you for graciously enlightening me, Milord." Duke Cuervo finally understood his master''s intentions.


    "Then¡­ just do your job in keeping the siblings well. Make it so that they wouldn''t have any idea of what was happening to their parents back in the Seirende Empire. Let''s build up their resentment by withholding the information until the time that their ''n'' hadpletely fallen. Only then will they be useful for my ns!" Lord Raven reverted back to hiszy demeanor as he casually waved his hands.


    "I hear your orders, My lord." Duke Cuervo bowed and replied with determination. He had no intention to question his lord''s ns even if one of the people they would be using was his very own wife.


    "However, do not fret, those siblings would surely deal a lot of damage in the Seirende Empire! They will not go down without a fight. So their deaths were not in vain! By the time their lives were exhausted, that Empire would immediately weaken and it would be easier for us to destroy them." Lord Raven continued.


    "My lord is wise!" Duke Cuervo praised sincerely.


    "Hmm¡­ as for the relic, it wille back to us as soon as the recent carrier dies. It was just a shame that the subject of the oracle did not show herself even after the chaos. I might be mistaken about her whereabouts. She might not possibly be in the Seirende Empire¡­" These were thest words Duke Cuervo heard from Lord Raven whose voice was slowly fading away.


    By the time he lifted his head, Lord Raven''s figure was no longer on the chesterfield sofa and the Duke was truly alone in the spacious room.


    He looked towards the window again and saw that the entrance was already cleared. The siblings might have settled inside the estate already.


    He was looking forward to the news that woulde in the Seirende Empire, the long-standing rival of their Vanderford empire.


    If the siblings of the Ves Branch did well before they die, then it will surely be easier for them to finally wipe out the Seirende''s existence in Prasinos.


    By then, the Vanderford Empire would finally be the sole power that unified the entire continent!

 Chapter 272 Retaliation (1)

    ?The day that has been long-awaited by Emperor Valentin''s party hase.


    The troops from the sleeping north, headed by Governor Fidel, were stationed all over the Ves''s territory. Along with him were Grandmaster Andvari and Randel to ensure that there would be no mishaps that might happen while apprehending the traitors.


    On the other side of the Empire, a part of the Imperial Sky Knights was led by Grandmaster Reuben. They were positioned strategically in the locations that have been verified to house the aplice of the Ves''s underground forces.


    Assisting the two groups were Leon''s Crimson des, who worked in full swing ever since the start of the investigation. They yed a big role in gathering enough evidence to incriminate the identified aplices of treason.


    On the Capital''s side, there was still a little bit of high tension, for the Emperor and General Farauld were sure that there would be retaliation. Leon also stayed in the capital to ensure that there was at least one S ss Mage on every territory thereof.


    The help of restrictions limited the movements of the suspects and made monitoring them easier. Also, Kayden''s team was finally able to produce enough cure potions to protect the knights who would participate in the arrest.


    Looking at all the preparations being ready and implemented, Emperor Valentin stood in the room in their secretmand center and finally announced.


    "Men, the day of retaliation hase! This is the time when the good would finally suppress the evil ones! Come forth and wield your sword, arrest the sinners, and let none of them be ignored! Remember the victims and the fallen! Remember the hardships we''ve been through because of their sinister hearts!"


    "We heed the Emperor''s call!" General Farauld, Governor Fidel, Leon, Grandmasters Andi, and Ben replied as they listened on their respectivemunication stones.


    On the sites they were assigned to, they finally gave the long-awaited signal to the knights.


    Finally, the arrest hadmenced!


    ¨C


    The territory of the West is where the Astaze''s area of influence resides.


    The territory has been blessed with lush forest and a picturesque view of the greenery perfect for training the summoners of the East. It was also and that boasts a solid heritage of arts and culinary. It also houses the most prestigious wineries and the secondrgest auction house in the Seirende Empire.


    In this vast territory that was blessed with the beauty of nature and talents, there were still selected people who were not satisfied with the sanctity of the peace that the West Territory gives.


    They still chose to cling to sinister means to step on people for money and sometimes to satisfy their monstrous desire of seeing people in misery.


    One of these persons was Baron Wiltenham who was publicly known as a strong supporter of the Second Prince, and yet he was secretly an active participant in the Ves''s schemes.


    The Wiltenham Vineyard not only was a ce to cultivate the grapes of the highest quality. Unknown to many, below this bountiful vineyard was aboratory for making cursed potions and weapons.


    Moreover, he recruits farmers of all forms and mysteriously sends them to be delegated for an excursion trip only for a ''few'' of them to decide to no longere back to the barony. But in reality, these missing few were actually sold as a ve or potion testers in the underground action markets organized by the Ves and their aplices.


    All of his transgressions have been documented and archived in the Imperial Notary, the Crimson des were even able to rescue the fortunate ones who were about to be sold to very and experimentations.


    The most gruesome of all his crimes was kidnapping the youngdies of thend who had good magical aptitudes. He would turn them into his bed ves until they were almost about to die of exhaustion. Their half-dead bodies would be sent to the secret members of the cursed army to be the replenishment for Duke Ves and his dark knights.


    When the apprehension crew was sneakily surrounding his estate and properties, he was still lyingzily on his secret lounge lewdly touching the women who were surrounding him as he enjoyed his wine.


    The women wore nk and soulless expressions as if they were not realizing how disgraceful and shameful were Baron Wiltenham''s actions towards them. They just wordlessly sat around the baron''s chair, wearing nothing but a thin muslin dress. The most apprehensive thing about them was the chains attached to their neck, wrist, and feet.


    "Hah!!! Finally, the second prince was done for. Now I can openly kiss up to the Ves''s and pledge allegiance with them! Surely, the Marquis would not resent me for he no longer has any candidate to push for the throne, isn''t it?" He swirled the translucent red wine on his hand while the other cupped the chin of the woman beside him as if he was in a conversation with him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The woman just nkly stared at him, not even letting out a sound. Feeling unsatisfied with theck of response, the baron frowned and used his force to throw the woman away to the wall.


    Thud! The woman didn''t even let out a groan of pain, instead she just quietlyid on the floor with the bones of her body broken from the impact.


    Although it was not reflective on her face, her eyes seemed to desire that her death woulde so that she would no longer suffer this kind of humiliation and treatment.


    The pain in her bones was the indication that her time hade. Realizing this, a drop of tear started to form in her eyes, somehow liberating her from the long days of darkness.


    But just as she was about to eternally close her eyes, she was able to bear witness to something indescribable.


    Boom!


    Therge wooden door of the secret lounge was opened and it revealed groups of valiant knights wearing the insignia of the Imperial Sky Knights.


    "Baron Wiltenham, by the order of Emperor Valentin de Seirende, you are under arrest for being guilty of treason! Resist no more for we will bring you to trial!" The leader of the Imperial Sky Knights announced like an angel of justice bringing forth the judgment on the filthy barony.


    "Ridiculous! I am not guilty! For generations, the Wiltenham Family has been faithful and loyal to the Empire! How dare you use me of treason?!" The baron was caught off guard as he was still in the act of enjoying the women in his presence.


    But the oppressive leader of the knights made him unable toe up with borate words to resist the arrest and could only clumsily deny the usation.


    "Say no more for the court has already secured all the evidence of your evil deeds!" The leader paid no heed to his futile resistance and ordered his men to secure him and rescue the ves.


    "No, you can''t do this to me! Get your hands off me!!! Filthy people!" The baron desperately tried to retaliate as he shook his body vigorously to escape the clutches of the knights. "I am a noble! And even if you dare to use me like this, you cannot treat me so shamefully like this!!!"


    One knight who had a strong sense of justice did not even spare him any dignity. With a force of his hand, he violently held the back of the baron''s head and rubbed it on the ground, "You are no noble¡­ You are just a filthy evil man."


    The baron''s face was rubbed on the dirty floor and the pain immediately assaulted his head. No one of the fellow knights stopped theirrade''s actions.


    Instead, they silently approved of his way of treating the criminals.


    These people have treated their countrymen like animals, how audacious they were to demand that they be still treated with dignity even after being exposed as criminals?


    The knight repeatedly stepped on the back of his head, and bruises and tears started to appear on the baron''s face. When he could no longer endure the pain, the knight finally stopped as they were also determined not to kill them right away because killing them immediately is mercy.


    The baron whimpered and his pig head face which was still on the ground happened to turn towards the direction of the woman he just threw violently to the wall earlier.


    Fortunately, the knights came on time and they were able to give her a healing potion and save her from the clutches of death.


    Their eyes met, one was in pain and the other was being treated by a medic.


    Both were crying in tears.


    The first one was crying because he suffered from pain and humiliation for the first time in his life, and never did he expect that he would be treated in such a way.


    The other was crying with relief and freedom. Her feeling of wanting to die was immediately killed by the raging fire of wanting to live long enough to see this man receive his punishment from the Empire and from the heavens!

 Chapter 273 Retaliation (2)

    ?Baron Wiltenham was just one of the hundreds of guilty people who chose to operate with the sinister activities of the Ves n.


    All over the West territory, exmations of surprise, retaliations, and pleading rang piercingly.


    It came as a surprise even within the Astaze''s estate which almost turned upside down from the shocking news of the arrests.


    "What''s happening, Esteemed Grandmaster? May you benevolently exin the matter to me, Your Excellence Grandmaster Reuben?" Marquis Astaze tried to stay calm because of the surprise of the arrest not only in his territory but his very own estate.


    He thought that the Emperor had finally lifted the ban of restricting the nobles when he received the orders from him to go back with Grandmaster Reuben to the West Territory.


    Only to find out that he would witness his estate be searched thoroughly and discover his very own knights, servants, and vassals getting arrested for treason.


    Going home to the estate without any idea that this mess would happen really dealt a big blow to his emotions, especially right after the news of his nephew being dead from thest fight with the mysterious criminals.


    However, no matter how he felt insulted and disregarded by these sudden actions from the Empire, he could not express his displeasure in front of the Grandmaster whose authority extends far beyond the borders of Seirende.


    Instead, he could only calm himself down to the best of his abilities and respectfully ask for an exnation of what was happening.


    "See these faces of people whom you thought served your March and the Empire faithfully?" Grandmaster Reuben nonchntly waved his hands pointing at the arrested personnel who were lined up with their movements limited.


    Marquis Astaze swept his gaze into the people, men, and women of different ages and tenure in his estate. Some of them were assigned duties that were insignificant, others were holding quite important duties and positions in his march.


    "They were the ones whom the traitors nted to frame you as the perpetrator of the recent chaos in the empire." Grandmaster Reubenid out the sins of the criminals in the open.


    He was not wearing the demeanor of a doting grandpa to Eli and the Farauld family, instead, he was the embodiment of justice and righteousness, one who abhors evil and treachery.


    The words from Grandmaster Reuben struck Marquis Astaze on the spot. He felt like a pile of mud was being dumped at him, making him feel extremely ufortable and insecure.


    ''These people nned to betray me?'' He could not believe what he heard. Most of these people were trained precisely in the estate. He and his family worked hard to sponsor their education and even their children but in the end, these people had long nned to use his family as the scapegoat?


    Rage ignited in his heart and seeped out of his body making his shoulders tremble in emotions.


    "Marquis, hold yourself together. There is more than his betrayal that you have to know." Grandmaster Reuben patted his shoulders to calm down and continued, "All we need from you and your family is cooperation. Just hang on a bit longer and the light will soon shine once again in the empire. We just have to take these traitors away to punish them in the name of the Empire."


    It took a moment for the marquis to calm himself down. The assurance that Grandmaster Reuben gave also helped him regte his emotions.


    Taking a deep breath, he finally responded in a slow and determined tone, "As you wish, Grandmaster¡­ I, the Marquis of Astaze, and my entire household pledge to cooperate in this!"


    ¨C


    At the same time, retaliation in the East also started.


    The east territory was blessed with numerous mines and crop fields making it the center for economy and agriculture, contrary to the west which specializes in arts and culture.


    Despite this seemingly prosperous economy, the void between the treatment of the nobles and themoners is huge. Making the overall environment of the East to be oppressive for themon folks.


    The East Territory was still glorious because of the gifted mine sites and fertilends that enabled the empowerment of the nobles. Nobles get more prestige as themoners work hard to find the means to earn and get by.


    morous as it may seem, the empowerment nobles made it easy for the Vess to activelyy their ns in supporting the sinister activities of their affiliate organization, The Spectre, as well as their very own underground operation of the cursed army and ck markets.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In their mines, were hidden fortresses where the curse armies were trained. A portion of the minerals they unearthed would not be dered for they will go straight to the forgeries to be made as cursed weapons.


    The fields were not only a ce to grow crops and nts. It was also a ce to grow the power of the Dark Knights as these fields were the secret graves of the victims of them feeding their cursed magic.


    The counts of unreported murders and abductions were actually high in the area, however, under the facade of a gratifying quality of living, these numbers were ignored.


    It was only exposed to light when the clearing operations happened, at that period a momentary time of true peace and security reigned in thend.


    But that didn''tst long as the underground activities still continued, albeit more careful and hidden.


    But now Governor Fidel and Grandmaster Andvari were set to pry open the real facade of the Duchy and weed out all the traitors and aplices in thend.


    Standing high on a mountain cliff, overlooking the duchy, Grandmaster Andvari couldn''t help but sigh in regret. "Haaah¡­ It was really too bad that the two siblings managed to leave the Empire before the duke started all the chaos in the capital!"


    "It seems like the duke wanted to make sure that before he started everything, he had to ensure that his bloodline would continue." Governor Fidel replied, his demeanor was serious and cold. But the coldness does not emanate from ruthlessness towards the enemy, but the ruthlessness directed at himself.


    "Either way, the Vess hadmitted an unpardonable sin. To think that they had long nned to do this to take control of the Empire while seemingly showing that they do not have the intention to take the throne?" Grandmaster Andvari couldn''t help butment and ridicule at the same time.


    If the Vess wanted the throne, why are they making it so that they want to take control of the throne through Kazimir when they have already done so much evil behind the light? He didn''t know if he would condemn their actions or contempt them for being foolish.


    If they wanted to take the Empire, with the army and the hidden operations that they have implemented, they could have justunched an all-out rebellion. Why go as far as to infiltrate the Imperial Family by being an empress and bearing an offspring, Kazimir?


    "Indeed, it is a puzzle that we may have to unravel during the trial of these traitors." Governor Fidel answered after deeply thinking. Whatever truth they may find behind the Ves''s actions, he hoped that the root of this matter will be exposed andpletely eradicated.


    "Then shall we start our arrests?" Grandmaster Andvari rolled his sleeves and took out his weapon.


    "I''ll follow your lead, Esteemed Grandmaster, Andvari!" Governor Fidel nodded respectfully as he also lifted his hands to signal his men to proceed in entering the estate.


    "Forward! Arrest the sinners of thisnd!" Grandmaster Andvari eximed as their bodies turn like a shadow and shed speedily to infiltrate the Ves Estate.


    The environment inside the estate seemed to e peaceful and carefree. Several men were idle because of the absence of their masters who had been out of the territory since the winter banquet.


    Boom! Rumble!


    While the scene of arrest in the Astaze estate could be categorized as chaotic, it could still be called calmer than how the arrest was carried out in the Ves''s Estate.


    There were no warnings nor announcements, a direct attack disturbed the idle peace of the estate. In a blink of an eye, the peaceful chirping of the birds and the seemingly blissful chatter of the people inside the estate were reced by fearful cries and panic.


    In a sh, countless dark shadows appeared on every corner of the estate. All the escape routes and even the aerial routes were blocked by a restriction array.


    Governor Fidel made the casters envelope the entire territory with a blocking array, while Andvari led the tactical invasion using the summoners and the knights from the northern territory.


    The acting manager of the estate couldn''t believe what he was currently witnessing. The once prestigious Ves estate had suddenly turned into a chaotic battlefield!


    There is no way that this attack was organized simultaneously! It was nned meticulously ahead of time!

 Chapter 274 Retaliation (3)

    ?The acting manager for the affairs of the Ves Estate was one of the most loyal vassals of the duke - the Baron of Viole, a distant cousin of the Ves.


    His loyalty came forth after the Ves siblings, Maxim and Carolina offered him timely help when his fief was on the verge of copsing.


    It was further strengthened when Duke Maxim even announced to bestow his daughter, Illia Viole, the surname Ves in order to increase her prospects of bing a doctor in the capital.


    Due to her daughter''s undeniable talent in medicine, he was taken by the duke as a schr, introducing her to the high society as the Duke and Empress''s gifted niece, Illya Viole Ves.


    All these things deepened the sense of gratitude that the Baron of Viole felt towards the duke and the empress. He became one of the most radical followers of the two, even actively participating in the setting up of the ck market as the middleman.


    If there is one person who has known the Ves''s activities deeper among all their aplices, then it would be Baron Viole who knows the most.


    It was because of this fact that the duke was able to peacefully hand over the matters of the territory to him while the main family temporarily resided in the capital and focused on preparing the way for their attempt to seize control of the empire.


    But now he was in a great predicament.


    Suddenly, the Ves estate was under attack, the once magnificent estate was now filled with rubble and debris. The once fragrant smell roaming around the estate was now reeking with thebined scent of blood and dust.


    The glory that had made half of the empire envious was now all in ruins.


    All he can see was the chaos and panic, the light now refusing to shine on their territory. It was now filled with gloom and hazy air, and in the midst of this, the baron managed to see the g that was now waving magnificently on top of the rubble - the Sleeping North!


    "Heavens! This is not good! I must make a way to inform the duke!" Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was busy fleeing for their own lives, Baron Viole slipped into the secret passageways in the estate.


    Since he knew that the main teleportation array might have been destroyed by the infiltrator, he took the liberty to go to the secret teleportation array, only used by the cursed army and the dark knights.


    With great haste and a rapidly beating heart, he bypassed all the restrictions and arrived at the hidden hideout of the cursed army.


    "Baron! You are here!" Most of the personnel in the cursed army were already out fighting the Northern Army with Governor Fidel and Grandmaster Andvari.


    The members of the secret army that was left were trying to smuggle out the important artifacts the organization had in case these were discovered.


    "How is the escape route?" Baron was already out of breath upon his arrival, but seeing the disturbing faces of the armies, his heart sank.


    "Baron, the teleportation array is not working. It was like all of our attempts to ess the spatial void to teleport to another location were blocked by some forces." The person who took charge of the toon reported with a helpless expression.


    "D*mned Northern Army!!! What about contacting the Duke or the Empress?" Baron Viole could not help but curse upon realizing that there was no way for them to escape. Even so, he had to think of a way to contact the Duke and Empress who were in the capital.


    "Baron, we have tried contacting them through ourmunication stones but just like the teleportations, it is not working! Our only option was to send a distress message through the notification paper, but if even themunication stones were not working¡­" The acting leader''s voice grew fainter and fainter as they realized their dire situation.


    "What shall we do, baron?" The others were also worried about the situation.


    Judging from the vibrations on the ceiling and walls of the hidden passage, the fight was still intense and that would mean that the estate was having a hard time gaining control of the situation.


    How could they not be afraid? The northern army was known to be stronger than the normal knights! Their entire lives were spent killing beasts and monsters far more powerful than ordinary people!


    Baron Viole gritted his teeth. With the master of the house missing, the estates needed someone who would stand and hold the ground. He knew that if they did not fight back their heads would be chopped off.


    "There''s no other choice." His gaze darkened and a sinister glint shed on his face.


    His head looked at the certain treasure box which had been enchanted with multiple security arrays. At one nce, one would conclude that this box was the most important artifact that they had to take away from the chaotic ce.


    "Baron, you mean?" The members followed his gaze and they could not help but feel their hearts jump. "This box was only for the toon leaders and master-"


    "I know! But we have no choice but to use it! Now go and unlock the chest!" The baron did not bother to argue with the members and immediately ordered them to open the box.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With the baron''s order, the members could only lower their heads and unlock the box with great fear and trembling. In their hearts, they were still hesitating as they were actually taking out something that should have not been used on their level.


    After a few seconds, the chest was opened and three crystal vialsy carefully inside the cushioned interior of the box.


    "You... you and you! You three possess the strongest abilities in his ce. Take one of each vial and wait until it takes effect. I''ll be outside to act as a lookout. The rest, take all the notification papers andmunication stones to try to contact the duke! I don''t care if we run out of papers, as long as just one of them reaches the duke, it''ll be fine!" The baron ordered everyone in the room, taking the role of the pir of the group.


    Seeing someone taking charge of the matter, hope shed in the members'' eyes. They nodded and went to carry out their tasks.


    Baron Viole then moved to the exit acting as a lookout while everyone was busy with their own roles.


    Thud!


    The sound of the stone door rang as he finally exited the hideout. A sinister smile shed on his face as he said in his heart, "Do your roles well, your sacrifices will be remembered!"


    Instead of staying as a lookout outside the entrance, he immediately sneaked out and tried his best to escape for himself. The estate is done for, he would just plead to the duke that he had done his best to hold the fort and defend the territory.


    As for how he managed to survive, he will just say that he was lucky to survive under the hands of the two tyrants, Governor Fidel and Grandmaster Andvari! The most important thing was that he is alive, for there will always be more chances to build all of this if they are alive, they can all take revenge!


    A few minutes after he went away from his position, there were muffled screams and agonizing shouts that could be heard within the stone walls. One would have their hairs stand on ends if they chance upon hearing the noiseing from within the hideout.


    Outside, the fight was intense but the Northern army proved to be the dominant party in the war. The opponents could not believe the sudden attack of the Sleeping North.


    Is this an invasion attempt?


    Has the so-called brother of the emperor nned to move to usurp the throne?


    Why was he attacking the Ves''s instead? Is it because this was thergest support for the current emperor?


    If that''s the case, then the Vess were caught in between!


    Why did it have to happen at this point in time?


    Little did they know that their confusion was something that the cunning Emperor Valentin nned to achieve.


    By asking his brother to carry the northern g instead of the Imperial g, as well as taking only one of the two grandmasters with him, this will create an effect that the attack was not on the Emperor''s order but just the Governor''s whim.


    Unlike the traitors in the Astaze territory, the traitors inside the Ves''s faction would be much more desperate and insistent to call upon the help of the duke.


    Emperor Valentin factored in the possibility of themunication attempts slipping past their interference arrays. In case the news reaches the duke, it will appear as such and his mind would be directed towards the wrong person.


    While he was upied on this matter, that''s the time Emperor Valentin will strike his unprotected back!


    Inside the bloodied hideout which was now filled with mangled corpses and blood, three grotesque-looking people stood up at the pile of notification papers.


    One of them bent his body, which was now two times the size of an ordinary man, and picked up a nk notification paper.


    He started to chant some inaudible sybles as if it was part of a spell as he used his bloodied fingers that glowed in violet to write directly on the nk paper, ''Ha¡­saa¡­meee¡­ ra¡­''


    Simultaneously in the capital, the duke was startled by a message appearing on his set of notification papers. The words appeared in burning purple as his eyes widened in shock upon seeing its contents -


    "Territory under attack¡­ Northern Army!"

 Chapter 275 Sudden Attack (1)

    ?"N-no way¡­" Duke Maxim''s hands trembled the moment he read the message. "This can''t be!"


    How could this thing happen so conveniently when the nobles were paralyzed?


    Why did the north suddenly attack?


    Could it be that the North was waiting for this chance to attack and also fight for the throne?


    "I didn''t see thising?" He frustratedly mmed his office table and rubbed his head, feeling the deep stress from the matter.


    He never thought of the possibility of Valentin''s younger brother trying to covet the throne. All he thought about was how they would take control of it by making Kazimir the sessor.


    Now, he was even being watched in the capital while his territory was attacked. Furthermore, he was not able to contact his people on thend. The purple traces from the notification paper was a sign that the members out there are in a desperate situation and that they might have used the power of the curse to ensure that the message reached his side.


    "What to do??" He paced back and forth to think of a way to somehow check the situation.


    He cannot appeal right away to the Emperor, that''s the worst part of this situation. Because once he asked for the Imperial Family''s support, the hidden wealth of his estate would most likely be discovered by the troops that the Emperor would send.


    Even if they would not report this to the Emperor, someone would have to report it to him. However, why would he choose to be passive and wait for the Emperor to notice?


    By the time help woulde, hisnd would be gone and so is his pride!


    "No, I can''t just sit here and wait for nothing!" Duke Ves, hurriedly walked and headed outside the estate where the Imperial Sky knights were still stationed all over the estate.


    "Greetings, Your Grace, Duke Maxim. How may I help you?" The Lieutenant immediately spotted the agitated Duke Maxim, he saluted and attentively asked his cause.


    "I need to seek an audience with the Emperor! It''s a matter of the peace of the Empire!" Duke Ves immediately ordered the Lieutenant, gesturing to the Lieutenant to escort him to the pce.


    "This¡­ Your Grace, I apologize for not entertaining your request right away, for our orders from the Emperor are absolute. However, I will send someone to deliver your message to the Emperor, so that he would decide to give you a grant to an audience." The Lieutenant respectfully bowed and declined Duke Ves''s orders skillfully.


    Duke Ves knew that he would not be able to immediately get to the Emperor, so he gritted his teeth and said, then wait for a moment, I must send a letter to the Emperor, I trust you to send it to them as fast as possible.


    While he may appear to have backed out of the confrontation, he still showed a displeased expression. With a darkened mood, he nned to call his sister Carolina and tell the news. He hoped that his sister may think of a way to plead to the Emperor directly as the Empress of the Seirende empire.


    That is his only hope.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, the battle in the Ves''s estate was already nearing its end.


    The knights and the cursed army who defended the estate were slowly getting defeated and the Northern Army was already nning to increase the phase of the invasion to sweep the entire estate.


    They were also hoping to find more incriminating evidence of the Ves''s sins.


    "The operation is looking good. With the help of the cure potion, our men would have another lease of life whenever they encounter the opponents with cursed weapons." Governor Fidel watched over the battlefield and assessed the situation, they were standing at the highest point of the estate.


    "Hmm¡­ But that purple bomb was really tricky¡­ If not for the survivors of the first attack, the damage that could be done by the purple bomb would affect us significantly." Grandmaster Andvarimented. "Sigh, it''s too bad that we were not able to research about making a protective item to shield against the cursed purple bomb!"


    However, they could not me anyone for this. It was already a miracle to have the cure potion discovered on time. As for other things, that may have to be made in the future.


    "I agree¡­ As of the matter of this bomb, we have no choice but to use our own abilities to dodge and avoid getting hurt by the bomb. Setting that aside, we may most probably be able to finish the attack before the sun sets." Governor Fidel replied. Although the situation is favoring their side, there was not a trace ofcency and carelessness in his actions.


    Suddenly, the two men immediately sensed something that was amiss. Without taking a single word, the two immediately jumped away from their spots and went into another spot.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Boom! As soon as they managed to jump to another location, a loud violent explosion urred in their original position.


    The originally high point of the estate was now ttened like a pancake. With how sudden and huge the explosion was, the battlefield momentarily stopped.


    At that moment all eyes were on the direction where the explosion happened. Their eyes went wide open as soon as the haze cleared for they now see a person¡­ no the creature would not be considered a person anymore.


    A humanoid beast was standing at the center of all the rubble. His body was twice bigger than an average knight. Bulging dark purple veins were all around its muscles, pulsating as if it was sending some kind of electric current on its body.


    Aside from its hideous form, the nauseating stench of blood dripping in the corners of its mouth and smeared all over its body made the creature''s appearance more frightening.


    Grrrrr¡­


    A hair-raising growl could be heard on the silent battlefield. Everyone, may it be the expert Northern army, or the cursed army immediately felt a strong sense of crisis.


    It even intensified when the creature looked in the direction of the nearest group of Northern knights. It bared its teeth and raised its foot, stepping slowly to approach the worn-out man.


    They have to run! Flee for their lives!


    It doesn''t matter what direction they would flee, as long as the creature would not look at them directly.


    However, when they gathered the strength in their legs, it seemed like their fear caused every bit of their energy to disappear. They stayed frozen, having lost the ability to even use their legs.


    But the beast was still approaching and as soon as he got into his attacking range, it released a pressurizing aura that immediately rendered its targets lost their will to live.


    This is the end of their life! They thought as they could only helplessly see the hand being swung towards them.


    Zoom!


    Just as they closed their eyes to ept their deaths, they felt a sharp gust of the wind waking them up from their illusions. They were still alive and well, they were not worn out and they were even holding their heavy swords with ease!


    "What are you doing, men! Run and don''t let him get you! You will be caught by his illusion!" An aged yet authoritative voice rang on the battlefield, it was so loud that the sound waves could pierce the eardrums of the men on the battlefield.


    It was Grandpa Andi, using his S Level Devourer abilities to wake up everyone in the illusion by amplifying his voice.


    "Grandmaster!" The knights shouted gratefully and worriedly at Grandpa Andi, it was not that they were looking down on him. But the creature was so fearsome that they immediately wondered if an S ss mage could match up against it.


    "Haven''t you heard my words? Go away, let this monster not get you!" Grandpa Andi didn''t face the knights and only bravely looked at the strong enemy in front of him.


    It was such a nerve-wracking sight to see a dwarf, who was only about three-fourths the height of a man, face arge creature more than twice bigger than him.


    However, they knew that the dwarf that was already facing the enemy was the strongest person around. They prayed that his strength was enough to subdue the enemy.


    Grandpa Andi carefully observed the creature. He had long studied everything that Eli and the bunch were able to discover about the curses, but none of them exined the creature in front of him.


    "This was probably what the Vess had been doing behind our backs!" A seething rage rose from his chest, for even how distorted and grotesque the creature in front of him looks like, he knew that it was previously a person.


    "Fidel, lead the men away from this battlefield. Hasten to clear the estate so that I can fight this creature freely." Grandpa Andi calmly ordered Governor Fidel. His expression was disturbingly calm as he essed his space bag and took out an intricately made silver broadsword.


    "I don''t know what kind of life you have lived, but I cannot let you roam around freely¡­I must end you here." Grandpa Andi pointed the tip of his sword towards the creature who answered him with a threatening growl,


    "Ngrrrrrr, Try then..."

 Chapter 276 Sudden Attack (2)

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    Governor Fidel acknowledged Grandmaster Andvari''s orders and proceeded to lead the knights to hasten the subjugation of the territory.


    He knew that the longer it takes to clean up thend, the higher the chances that the matter would be moreplicated. Also, he had a nagging feeling that the creature was not a simple one. He may need toe back as early as possible to assist the Grandmaster.


    "Men! Wait no more and punish the territory, all who resist must be executed! All who surrender must be restricted and sent to prison!" He made the orders and started to take action.


    The Northern knights immediately went all out as they heard Governor Fidel''s orders. They also knew what needed to be done. The greatest help they could give to the Grandmaster, who was now fighting a creature that was far stronger than any of them, was to not hold him back.


    A battle of an S ss Mage needs to be cleared to avoid hurting the innocent. After subjugating the guilty, they had to take over and rally the innocent people living on the estate. There were many things left for them to do and they could only pray that the Grandmaster would seed.


    Their attacks became fiercer like how they were hunting the strong beasts in the northern territory. To the cursed army, they were the harbinger of death as they would surely die once the sword was pointed at their throats.


    The members of the cursed army also died with shock on their faces, because even in their death, they couldn''t understand why their cursed weapons and purple bombs were not able to deal damage to the enemies.


    How were they supposed to know that the cursed weapon no longer scares the northern army?


    On Grandpa Andi''s side, he immediately swung his sword and charged to attack the cursed humanoid creature. The mocking and provocation he received earlier were not enough for him to lose his cool.


    Judging by the fact that the creature was able tomunicate through humannguage, it proved his guess that the enemy was formerly a person. Perhaps he was a product of how the curse was used.


    Grandpa Andi couldn''t help butment in his heart.


    How sinister could people be when they want something? They would be willing enough to give up their humanity.


    ng! sh! Swoosh!


    The two engaged in a fierce exchange. Grandpa Andi was extremely agile and was able to take advantage of his height to avoid the creature''s blunt and straightforward attacks.


    The silver broadsword looked mystifying because whenever Grandpa Andi swung it, it seemed that it was slicing through air and space. However, the enemy''s sharp ws were durable enough to beparable with the sturdiness of the broad sword.


    From a spectator''s perspective, it seems like the creature and Grandpa Andi was fighting on even terms. This might be something that would make the Northern Army worried.


    However, how could Grandpa Andi be someone so easy to defeat?


    He calmly engaged in close-quarterbat with the creature to carefully observe the enemy. There was not even a drop of sweat appearing on his face!


    The moment he knew that he had observed enough, his momentum began to drastically change. It was so bizarre that even thews of physics would be proven wrong by his movements.


    With a leap in the open space, Grandpa Andi seemed to have stepped on a solidified air and suddenly propelled his body to dash towards the creature.


    It doesn''t matter if it was the creature''s blindspot, he still dashed and moved his sword.


    Swish! He raised his silversword and sliced through the creature''s flesh like it was just a piece of meat.


    Roar! A sudden cry of agony was heard on the battlefield. The creature was now feeling the pain of having half of its body sliced vertically.


    "Painful¡­ Painful¡­ Painful!" Surprisingly, the creature was still able to talk as if his head was not sliced into two.


    A sh of cold glint appeared in Grandpa Andi''s eyes. This creature was really mysterious, the power of the curse was really something to be feared of.


    Just as he was about to observe the next movement of the creature, he suddenly felt a strong killing intenting from two directions. His body immediately moved to avoid the first one, and confront the other with his broadsword.


    Another violent explosion was heard on the battlefield, which made the hearts of the Northern Army be nervous.


    Their intuition did not fail them. For as soon as the smoke and dust cleared their vision, they saw another two simr creatures attacking the Grandmaster.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is not good!" One of the knights from the Northern Army shouted in panic.


    But his fellow soldiers firmly held him and bellowed, "We have orders! If you want to help the Grandmaster, you will not go there to distract him! The only thing we can do right now is to follow our orders and pray for the safety of the Grandmaster!"


    "But¡­" The knight was unwilling for he knew how fearsome the creature was as he was previously put under its spell.


    "Do you think any one of us here could do something to those three creatures???" The other replied.


    This made the insistent knight finally shut up. Even if they went there, they would not even suffice as a meat shield. That is the hard truth.


    And so the knights could only grit their teeth and direct their frustration to their mission. Their eyes and observation skills became sharper, determined to catch and execute all the people who contributed to creating such a terrifying creature.


    All of them knew that if the Grandmaster was not able to defeat those, many lives would be killed.


    Their passionate drive to carry out their mission led them to extend their search through the most awkward pces in the estate''s vicinity. Sweeping every nook and cranny of the estate, even the cers, and the dumping sites were not spared.


    Soon enough their search turned out fruitful for they were able to spot a certain person, whom they know as the one who holds the greatest power in the household at this moment - Baron Viole.


    Their hearts were sure that he was the one who released the monsters to distract everyone and create an opportunity for him to escape.


    "Let go of me! How dare you all do this to the Ves Duchy! The Emperor will not spare you, you sinners and traitors to the throne!" Baron Viole struggled hard to escape from their grasp, however, his strength was no match to the northern army knights.


    "Whether who the real traitor was, didn''t you know the answer for yourself? We''re telling you, it is your punishment to remain alive! Death will be mercy you do not deserve!" The knight who was passionate earlier used up all of his mana to restrict and immobilize the Baron.


    The apanying knights also shared the same sentiments as the passionate knight. With all their might, they will never let this Baron have it easy and escape the rightful punishment for an evil person.


    On the battlefield, Grandpa Andi immediately braced himself as he witnessed everything that happened firsthand.


    Two simr creatures appeared to attack him from behind. Based on the pressure that they were emitting, they seemed to be a lot stronger than the first that had appeared. To make matters worse, there was something bizarre about the first creature.


    "Painful¡­ Painful¡­" The first creature cried continuously however, Grandpa Andi saw that the area which he sliced grew wormlike sprouts and immediately joined with the other half of its body.


    The first creature was now whole again, and it was as if he was not even hurt by Grandpa Andi''s sword!


    "These creatures are troublesome¡­" Grandpa Andi mumbled, but there was no sign of panic nor discouragement on his face.


    From the start, he knew that defeating the creature was not a simple task. Now that another two appeared, he had to be a lot more careful. He needed more information about the abilities of these monsters.


    "A simple de attack won''t work¡­it seems¡­" He concluded as he went around the three creatures who were also looking at him as prey. "Then let''s do this¡­"


    As he charged toward one of the creatures, he clicked a mechanism on his sword, revealing a piece of a red mana stone. Immediately, fire mana flowed at the hollow center of the silver broadsword making it glow fiery red.


    The creatures immediately sensed the threating from Grandpa Andi, so while one received his blow, the other two moved to attack him from his weakest directions.


    Seeing their movements Grandpa Andi did not slow down and immediately sliced through the arm of the first creature. Then he twisted his body and moved to face the other two also dealing significant blows to make the two cry out in pain.


    "Hmm.." Grandpa Andi observed how the severed parts of their body reconnected and concluded that injecting fire mana attribute to the sword also didn''t work.


    But just as he was about to change the mechanism of his sword, an angry roar sounded from behind, taking Grandpa Andi''s attention.


    As he turned around he saw that the first creature lifted one of his fingers and conjured a purple ball. Without warning, he shot the purple mana ball towards Grandpa Andi.


    Just as Grandpa Andi leaped to avoid the first ball, he was not able to detect another trajectorying from the two creatures, who also shot the same kind of curse power. "Not good!"


    "Master!!!" Grandpa Andi heard a desperate crying toward him, it was none other than his beloved disciple and adopted grandson, Randel!

 Chapter 277 Master And Disciple

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    Randel immediately used his lightning mana to sh directly behind Grandpa Andi. He didn''t spare anything and immediately used the paper spell he had received from Leon.


    A thin golden shield appeared to protect himself and Grandpa Andi but it didn''t make the purple light fade.


    Instead, it melted the thin shield and continued to slowly prate into their position.


    However, the shield bought enough time for the two to realize everything and immediately teleported away from the trajectory of the purple balls.


    Watching from a safe distance, they saw that the ball pierced through the shield and exploded on the very spot where Grandpa Andi stood earlier. A small crater with soil turning muddy purple appeared from the site of the explosion.


    "Master¡­ They can use curse magic." Randel squinted his eyes vigntly as his gaze focused on the three cursed creatures.


    "You take the other one, I can manage the two." Grandpa Andi stretched his arms and directed Randel of their battle n.


    Even after the creatures demonstrated their ability to cast a curse spell, he was not perturbed.


    "Roger!" Randel also didn''t question Grandpa Andi''s orders, so he moved and lured the first cursed creature while Grandpa Andi prevented the other two to follow Randel.


    "You two shall face me!" Grandpa Andi shed his broadsword and violently created a deep rift on the ground, it was totally different from his sword attacks earlier!


    It contained the terrifying power and might of an S ss Devourer mage!


    Sensing that Grandpa Andi was also a great threat, the two angrily roared and charged at him. Both of them used thebination of physicalbat and casting skills to disturb Grandpa Andi''s movements and create an opening.


    "You think this will be effective against me?" Grandpa Andi scowled.


    He had spent decades honing his abilities on the strong grueling battlefield. He had fought countless enemies that were far stronger than his abilities during those times.


    The attacks of the two cursed creatures were just like children''s movements to him.


    The only tricky one was that he must not allow any of the cursed spells to touch his body. If it was an ordinary spell, he can just tolerate it, any attack lower than the S ss level spells would only be like an ant bite to him.


    But now he have to be more cautious about letting these small attacks freely touch his body, for he still didn''t know how much he can tolerate from the curse.


    Finally deciding to conclude the match, he went all out in his attacks. Technically, a devourer mage would have the greatest disadvantage when paired with a caster mage, for he only had the ability to channel mana to enhance anything in his body.


    But for the S ss Devourer level, there''s more that they can do aside from enhancing their bodily functions.


    He can channel his mana to any of his armor and weapon and enhance their offensive and defensive abilities, respectively. They can also do so on any magical item they hold on their bodies.


    With that, he gathered the mana around and immediately directed it all to his armor and sword. The dense mana slowly appeared to envelop his entire body as well as his sword.


    It was like he was glowing with pale yellow light as he let the mana conjure in his body.


    "Time for you guys to disappear." He dered as he charged at one of the cursed creatures, swinging his sword in full might.


    As of today, there were only two known ways to counter curse magic. One was to ingest the cure potion, and the second was¡­ to use magic several times stronger than the cursed magic used!


    And so, Grandpa Andi used S-level devouring abilities to enhance his silver broadsword to the highest level and quickly pierced through the creature''s chest!


    Swoosh!


    As soon as the silver broadsword touched the surface of the creature''s chest, arge hollow hole appeared on his body and a tremendous shock wave prated his back, severely damaging the castle walls!


    Crumble!!! The majestic walls of the Ves Estate were powdered even when it was not directly hit by Grandpa Andi''s sword.


    What''s more, the shock wave extended to the forest more than fifty meters away from the position of the creature!


    A roar of agony sounded behind Grandpa Andi, the second creature immediately sensed the impending peril of his fellow and indiscriminately attacked Grandpa Andi from behind.


    With no time to observe the effectiveness of his attack on the other creature, Grandpa Andi had no choice but to face the other one.


    Boom! Yet another violent shockwave and explosion resounded on the battlefield, revealing the second creature losing the right part of his upper body.


    As gory as it may sound, it looked like he was eaten by another gigantic creature.


    Thud! Thud!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The two creatures slowly fell to the ground as they whimpered a weak groan. Purple blood flowed from the exposed flesh and watered the ground.


    Finally with a time to breathe, Grandpa Andi did not let his guard down and anticipated the possibility of the creatures still regenerating.


    Hisssss!


    Sure enough, the worm-like cells emerged from their bodies and started to regenerate the rest of their mangled body. But unlike before, when he only used a little mana to cut the first creature in half, the regeneration time was a lot slower than before.


    "Hmm, it seems like the theory of using stronger mana to counter the curse is viable." Grandpa Andi brushed his long beard while observing the two creatures regenerating.


    After contemting for a while, a sinister smile appeared on his face. This smile was only given to the enemies whom he thought should have no right to exist in the world, "How about destroying you to the point that there was no flesh to regenerate?"


    Without waiting for the fallen creatures toplete their regeneration, Grandpa Andi immediately changed his weapon into a giant war hammer.


    The size of the hammer was even bigger than Granpa Andi''s height!


    Using the same intensity of mana resonating on his war hammer, he mercilessly pounded the fallen creatures into a purple paste.


    Boom Boom Boom!


    The sound of the pounding was like an angry volcano erupting violently. It made the people around shudder at the thought that the rumblings and the noise all came from one person, the Great S ss Devourer Mage, Grandpa Andvari.


    On Randel''s side, the battle had also reached its peak. Compared to hisst fight in the Silverdew Forest, Randel had grown a lot in terms of managing his mana and receptors.


    He now had an idea of how far his limits were, and so, his movements and battle style were far more efficient than before.


    Using his lightning attribute mana, he sent electric currents to disrupt the movements of the creature while he charged using his sword wrapped with lightning.


    Tzzzz! The sound of piercing flesh was apanied by the buzz of electricity as well as a nauseating scent of burning flesh.


    Unlike the wounds inflicted by Grandpa Andi, the flesh that Randel''s sword pierces had a harder time regenerating, for the wound was still burning as it was sliced by the sword, making the worm-like cells struggle to do their job.


    However, the power of the curse was indeed not to be estimated, at most, the burn from the electricity just dyed the creature''s regeneration. Ultimately, the creature''s wounds eventually healed.


    Randel looked at Grandpa Andi''s side and noticed that his master was pounding the ground like a crazy cksmith.


    He also looked at the ground on which his master was hammering, it had turned into a puddle of purple slime, and yet the old man was not yet stopping.


    He looked at his opponent and realized that, unlike his master''s crazy physical strength, his specialty relies on his lighting attribute''s prating power and heat.


    "There''s nothing I can do¡­" His droopy eyes shed with firm determination as he looked at his hand, which was firmly holding a lightning dagger.


    Slowly, he released a dense amount of lighting attribute mana in his sword.


    Crackle!


    The crisp sound of the erratic electricity could be heard. The lightning was densely packed in his sword as he continued his mumbling, "... but to slice this cursed creature into pieces until it was small enough to bepletely burned!"


    And so the master and disciple went on a crazy barrage of merciless slicing and attacking!!!


    "¡­"


    Governor Fidel and the Northern Army, along with the surviving captives couldn''t help but shudder at the sight of their actions.


    Fearsome!


    Terrifying!


    Crazy!


    Those were the words that came into their minds as they saw them eradicating the enemies who didn''t have any more ability to fight.


    The captives even thanked the heavens for them being held captives by the northern knights instead of these master-disciple duo. They were sure that they would never see the light of day and they would not even have the chance to be buried with an intact body if it was the two who captured them!


    Governor Fidel and the Northern Knights also shared the same sentiments.


    They even vowed to tell the next generation not to make the Forgeworns their enemy - for eternity!

 Chapter 278 Empress Carolinas Plea

    ?While the invasion was about to wrap up in the East and West territories, the tension in the Imperial Pce began to rise.


    "Your Majesty Empress! Please let us escort you to your quarters, the Emperor is not avable to grant you an audience today!" The Grand Chambein frantically convinced the disheveled Empress Carolina who was on the cold stone floor kneeling to beg for an audience with the Emperor.


    "No!!! I will not move until His Majesty listens to my plea! The Empire is under attack! The Governor of the North was trying to usurp the Empire by conquering the East! Why would the Emperor not care about the Empire!!!" Empress Carolina shouted until her throat went dry, a deep sense of panic was already invading her entire being as she heard the news of the invasion.


    The timing of the invasion was ridiculously coincidental with the detention of the nobles. She couldn''t help but feel suspicious of the things that happened in the Empire.


    While her brother believed that it was just the governor taking advantage of the unstable position of the aristocrats, she believed that this was something that Valentin had permitted.


    Her suspicion grew stronger when Valentin refused to let her plead for the Ves territory. If it was the case, she and the Vess would be forced to the corners and retaliate.


    But that meant that they would really be breeding rebellion! That would mean that they would now openly act as traitors!


    As much as possible, she hoped that this was not the case. She hoped that as her brother Maxim said, it was just the Emperor''s younger brother trying to take advantage of the issue.


    For that would mean that there would still be a chance for Valentin to listen and try to help the duchy. That would mean that they still have a chance in getting what they wanted in a ''legitimate'' and ''glorious'' manner.


    Gritting her teeth, she immediately stood up, surprising the grand chambein and the knights guarding the council hall.


    She moved swiftly and took a dagger in her hand pointing it at her own throat. With the tears flowing in her eyes she shouted with desperation, "If His Majesty Emperor would allow his ownnd to be invaded willfully, then I might as well take my own life for I would not allow the enemy to take mine!"


    "Heavens!" The grand chambein, the knights, and the aides panicked upon seeing the Empress threaten everyone with her life.


    "Now, tell His Majesty onest time that I, the Empress of the Seirende Empire, demand him to see me!!!" Her voice rang in the pce corridors.


    Inside the council hall, General Farauld and Emperor Valentin heard everything that was happening at the entrance.


    Looking at Emperor Valentin, General Farauld asked, "The news finally came to their ears. Now, what will you do?"


    "We will wait for the news of the sess of the invasion." Emperor Valentin did not waver.


    General Farauld could only silently shake his head as he saw how determined his friend, the emperor was. He was worried that if the Empress would really hurt herself, it would be a stain on his reputation. However, thinking about what Empress Carolina would be, he just kept silent.


    They are already at the stage where keeping up appearances was unnecessary. While it was not yet announced to the public, Empress Carolina and the Vess were already traitors. They were no longer the Empire''s subjects.


    "Well¡­ I will at least prevent her from prematurely killing herself." Emperor Valentin finally stood up, his expression filled with apprehension and disdain as he looked in the direction of the door.


    As much as possible, he would not like to see Carolina as the Empress, but rather the traitor of the Empire. But now is not yet the time to carry out the purging within the pce.


    The moment he opened the door, his face changed from contempt to his usual cold authoritative demeanor. "Restrain the Empress!" He ordered General Farauld immediately.


    "Your Majesty¡­ please! Listen to me¡­ your Empress!" Carolina''s eyes shed with hope and desperation when the door finally opened. But after hearing Valentin''s orders, her heart dropped.


    "I heard your plea¡­ I will immediately send the Imperial Sky Knights to know the situation in the East. I will even let them use the teleportation portal in the Sun Tower." Emperor Valentin calmly stated his decision, but there was not a single hint of trying to appease Empress Carolina in his expression.


    "This won''t do! My Emperor! The territory in question was the Ves Duchy! I plead to you, My Liege, to free the Duke and allow him to defend his own territory!" Empress Carolina tried to fight with General Farauld''s strength and knelt down on the ground.


    Seeing Carolina bow down to plead for her family, there was no satisfaction in Emperor Valentin''s heart. What he wanted to see was them being punished, for he had long lost his hope for them to be fully loyal to the Empire.


    "I will do so when the news of the rumored invasion is verified. It will just take until the sun sets to do that. I will not allow an exception to any noble for a thing that was unverified. For that would tarnish my honor for showing biased favor to one of my noble subjects!" Emperor Valentin firmly replied as if it was the most natural thing for him to do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the eyes of the witnesses and even to Empress Carolina, it was an impable reason. However, to General Farauld who had known everything, it was a frightening showcase of his friend''s acting skills.


    Seeing that Empress Carolina finally stopped retaliating, Emperor Valentin finally ordered, "Now be patient and obediently go back to your quarters!"


    Empress Carolina had no choice but to be escorted by General Farauld and the rest of his entourage to her ce. She was extremely unwilling to let time be wasted. A few hours would mean everything to their family!


    She and Duke Maxim cannot afford to wait until sundown to receive the Emperor''s grant to be freed and go back to the territory.


    While she was walking toward her pce, she was already filled with thoughts about how to help her brother go back to the East.


    Who should I ask?


    The Dark Knights?


    The allied nobles?


    Kazimir?


    She was so engrossed in thinking of a way to help that she subconsciously bit her nails like a person forced into a corner.


    She did not even notice General Farauld''s observant eyes. Every expression she made didn''t escape his eyes. He wondered, what would it take for the siblings to be desperate? To what lengths would they go just to get what they wanted?


    He had a nagging feeling that he and Emperor Valentin did not yet understand the two enough to foresee how desperate their actions would be.


    When that timees will they be ready?


    Will they be able to resist their actions?


    What if their powers were beyond what they have still witnessed?


    Nevertheless, they never expected to have theirst leg of retaliation without sustaining casualties. There will be for sure, lives lost. Because they still did not know the extent of the main perpetrator''s abilities.


    Meanwhile, in the underground temple dungeons, Leon and Kayden were busy discussing Antoine''s condition.


    "Your second brother''s abilities seemed to have improved upon taking the cure potion! His mana receptors showed a significant increase in its holding capacity. This meant that his ability to summon and sustain his contracted familiars increased too!"


    Kayden was excitedly exining the strange phenomenon that happened on Antoine''s body.


    Leon looked at Antoine who was still in aa, his gaze was indiscernible and not even Kayden could figure out the emotions he felt towards the second prince.


    "That might be a blessing in disguise then. But have you estimated when he would be walking up? I do not wish for the First Queen and his family to worry any longer." Leon asked calmly.


    "To be honest, I have been confident that he would be able to wake up three days after the operation¡­ But it has been a week already and he still showed no signs of waking up. His injury was recovering just fine, even the most critical wound on his heart had long finished its regeneration process. Now it seems that the problem lies in his consciousness. It was like his mind had already epted death and wished not to wake up any longer."


    Deep lines appeared on Kayden''s forehead as he exined his observation to Leon. He was also clueless in this matter. He had already done everything he could do and he was confident that he did it perfectly. But the patient still won''t wake up.


    Leon didn''t me Kayden for this. He patted Kayden''s shoulders assuringly and gestured to him to take a rest and leave him to tend to his second brother for a while.

 Chapter 279 Big Brother (1)

    ?Leon sat beside the unconscious Antoine. He looked at the bedside and saw the herbal wash that Kayden prepared for his second brother.


    Without a word, he took the soft towel and soaked it in the warm medicinal bath. Then after wringing it gently, he, without regard for his status and gender, bent to wipe his second brother''s unconscious body.


    Antoine''s body was no longer pale and his wounds were alreadypletely healed. His sleeping face is peaceful and serene, contrary to the unwilling expression he had during the time Leon rescued him.


    Looking at his face, Leon was reminded of the time when he was about to turn five years old.


    While all the adults inside the pce showed contempt for him, it was only his second brother who took him by the hand and yed with him. Everyone was saying how lowly his origins were, how unfitting he was to be the prince, and how unnecessary his presence was in the pce.


    So at a young age, he understood his position in the pce. Among his father''s children, it was only his first and second brother whom the adults wanted to see. His mother was also someone who was viewed lowly by the outsiders.


    He understood that his existence was unwanted, at least not by his mother and father, but by the adults around.


    And so he learned how to diminish his presence around the adults in the pce and would only ever act like a child in front of his mother.


    He never demanded anything from the servants assigned to him, nor he did not even ask them to care for him like every Imperial Prince.


    He just lowered his head and hid in a secluded imperial garden, where no adults visit. He turned that ce into his very own haven - a ce where he was free to exist, free to breathe, free to smile, and free to live.


    The time he spent in the secret garden was probably one of the most cherished childhood memories that he had.


    It was until one time, that the servants were tasked to do their annual cleaning of the secluded ces in the pce.


    They saw the young prince, happily ying with the field of light blue wildflowers, unaware of their presence.


    "Hey¡­ Isn''t that his Highness the Third Prince?" His peace and bliss were disturbed by the frightening voice of a maid. It was not even that loud, but he had always heard everything clearly at a young age.


    "Yes! It''s that prince! The son of the Second Queen who was formerly a bard!" Another maid answered with a hushed tone.


    "Aww¡­ how poor he was! I thought that the Emperor marrying the Second Queen would be something that would take away the gap between the nobles andmon people! A fairytale that has finallye true! But who would have thought that he and even his mother would be neglected in the pce!" The other maid continued the gossip.


    "Hush! Although we do not directly speak ill of His Highness, this will still be considered an insult. Shut your mouth and do your task." A more senior maid reprimanded the gossipy maids.


    "Yes yes! We should¡­" The maids awkwardly took their tools and started their tasks, they embarrassedly looked at the third prince who had already long escaped from their presence.


    He ran and ran, not minding the direction took.


    All he wanted to do was to make himself vanish in front of their eyes. The words they said, he no longer wanted to hear, for he had already heard them a thousand times.


    He heard it from someone who was saying it with disgust, another with contempt, on lucky days such as this, it would be with pity or sympathy.


    But he did not want it all. He only wanted to be him- his mother and father''s son.


    He closed his eyes and ran until he felt his little body bump into something.


    "Awwp¡­" Another young childish voice reached his ears and made him shudder.


    He realized that he has reached the edge of the Sce Garden, the garden where his elder brothers frequently spend their break time after ss. He panicked and struggled to get up from the violent fall but a stinging pain invaded his knees and ankle.


    His legs were bleeding, full of wild thorns and wounds. His young body could not tolerate the pain and the bloody sight that he sustained, effectively allowing his mind to go nk.


    "Hmm?" The childish voice immediately recovered and noticed the tiny one that had caused him to fall.


    "Red hair, crystal blue eyes¡­ just like mine and my elder brother''s?" He bent his chubby legs and squatted in front of the shivering young Leon, touching his blood-red hair, then cupping his cheeks which were already wet with frightened tears.


    "Hey, don''t cry! I''m your Big Brother!" Antoine was quick-witted, he had already taken sses like his elder brother Kazimir and knew upon seeing Leon''s features that he was his youngest brother.


    "I''m sorry¡­ I will leave¡­ Please don''t be angry¡­" Leon''s puffy cheeks were red with embarrassment, fear, and panic. Especially upon hearing that the child that he bumped into was one of his favored elder brothers.


    "Why are you apologizing? It was an ident!!! Ahhhh! Look at your feet!!! It''s so bloody!" Young Antoine was trying his best to appease the frightened Little Leon until he saw his injury.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He immediately panicked, for he had just recently learned that an Imperial Prince must take care of all the people of the Empire.


    Now his brother, who belongs to the people of the Empire was hurt and injured, he was even crying! So he had to help him!


    He clumsily took his clean white handkerchief and wiped Little Leon''s face.


    While he was doing this, he tried to appease him by saying, "Do not cry, Big Brother will help you! I''ll bring you to the doctor so he can heal your wounds! The doctor is great and kind too!"


    But Leon was still shivering in fright especially when he heard that he would still be meeting another adult in the pce. "No¡­ I''ll go home¡­ People don''t like to see my face¡­ I have to hide, Second Prince."


    Hearing Little Leon''s words, Young Antoine became extremely angry for multiple reasons.


    One, because his little brother was so cowardly!


    Two, because there were people in the pce who must have bullied his brother for him to act this way!


    And three, because his little brother didn''t call him big brother even after introducing himself to him clearly!


    But Young Antoine only aggrievedly pouted his chubby cheeks and hid his anger, for he knew that if he had gotten angry, his little brother would cry again.


    Therefore, after he wiped Little Leon''s face, he turned around and waved his hands, gesturing to Little Leon to get on his back.


    Startled, Little Leon blinked at the squatting Young Antoine. He was confused about his actions.


    Young Antoine saw that Little Leon had not yet moved and was even puzzled at what he was doing.


    He had once again found another reason to be angry at his little brother - he was a little dumb!


    ''But still patience, patience! He is a little dumb because he was still young. He was not yet attending ss, that''s why!'' Antoine still kept his thoughts inside and remembered his responsibilities.


    "Come! I''ll give you a piggyback ride! I cannot leave you here because what if it rained? What if assassins suddenlye into the pce and you cannot run?" With his naturally prideful and haughty tone, he tried to coax Leon to be carried on his back.


    "B-but¡­ I am heavy¡­ and dirty¡­" Little Leon hesitated as he looked at himself.


    His brother was so clean and really looked like a prince, but he was dirty because of the blood and dirt on the ground.


    "Are you saying your big brother is weak?!" Antoine angrily asked him.


    Little Leon was frightened by his angry tone so he shivered and replied meekly, "N-no¡­"


    "Then go hop on my back! We have to cure your wounds fast!" Young Antoine was about to explode again from Little Leon''s dilly-dallying.


    "Ok¡­" Slightly blushing in embarrassment, Leon stretched out his hands, while Antoine carried him on his back.


    On the way to the pce, the two didn''t say much.


    It was not until Leon felt that the beads of sweat were already rolling furiously on Antoine''s forehead and back. He also noticed that Antoine was probably gritting his teeth as he felt the tremble on his body.


    Antoine''s pace was visibly slowing down and was almost turning wobbly.


    "I think you have to put me dow-" Little Leon felt guilty for having made his favored elder brother do this kind ofborious thing.


    But he was interrupted by Young Antoine''s aggressive reply, "Don''t talk too much and stay still! I will bring you to the pce with my own strength!"


    Little Leon could see the blushing on his big brother''s face. Finally deciding not to distract his brother, he stayed silent.


    And for the first time in his young life, he prayed that an adult would be around and see them so that his big brother would not struggle anymore.

 Chapter 280 Big Brother (2)

    ?"Your Highness!" Just as Little Leon prayed, the Emperor''s butler noticed what the two were doing.


    Hastily calling the other servants, he took Little Leon in his arms and asked what happened. "Your Highness, Second Prince, what happened to you and His Highness Third Prince?"


    The butler''s voice was kind and respectful, he did not look at Leon with contempt or sympathy. Instead, he looked at the two of them with worry.


    Leon felt like everything that happened on that particr day was all warm and gentle. He thought that it must be because of his favored big brother. Nevertheless, for someone other than his mother to worry about him, the feeling was not bad.


    "Butler, butler! It''s like this, my little brother felt frightened and ran blindly until he bumped into me! Look, he has so many wounds!


    The teacher said that a prince must take care of the Empire''s people, that''s why I took care of my little brother! He is so clumsy!


    But I did not leave him alone and carried him to the doctor! Butler, butler, did I do everything right???"


    Young Antoine''s bright blue eyes sparkled as he told the tale of their adventure while they proceeded into the chambers to let Leon be tended to by a doctor.


    The butler listened gently and he patted Young Antoine''s head and praised him with a kind smile, "Yes, Your Highness you did well! His Majesty will be proud of your good deed!"


    After hearing the adult''s praise, Antoine''s chubby face carried a happy grin. There was even an adorable dimple that formed on the corner of his lips. It was so charming and cute at the same time.


    "Now, can Your Highness apany His Highness Third Prince for a moment while I have the servants summon the doctor?" The butler gently coaxed Antoine, who in turn nodded excitedly in response.


    "Un! Un! I''ll watch over brother while you call the doctor, don''t forget to let him bring good medicine for little brother''s wounds!" Antoine determinedly nodded his head as he climbed on the big bed to sit beside the bewildered Little Leon.


    "Alright then, your highness second prince, third prince, this servant will soone back." The butler bowed and exited the chambers.


    When there were only the two of them, Young Antoine looked at the dazed Leon with a proud and assuring look on his face,


    "See that? The butler said that I did well in taking care of you! From now on, whenever you are outside, always stay with me, your big brother! For I surely know how to take care of you!!!"


    Little Leon felt pressured by Young Antoine''s enthusiasm, he wanted to respond but he couldn''t find the right words to say.


    "What do you say? What do you say? From now on you must call me Big Brother! If you don''t want to, just call me Brother! That''s fine too!"


    Antoine leaned closer to the lying Leon. His big chubby face with his sparkling blue eyes was brighter even though the fiery orange light of the sunset was already invading the room.


    "B-brother¡­" Little Leon sumbed to his second brother''s enthusiasm and had no choice but to call him as such.


    From then on, the tale of the two brothers had officially started.


    At every end of the ss, Young Antoine would run to the Sce Garden to look for Little Leon, who would then shyly wait in the secluded corner of the garden.


    Young Antoine would grab his tiny hands and drag him into the gazebo so that they would y with the sword while enjoying the food that he had the servants prepare for them.


    He would tell the tales he had learned from the ss while Little Leon would listen. He would smuggle a wooden sword from the training grounds and take Leon to learn the basic moves he had also recently learned from his swordsmanship ss.


    Because Little Leon was still four and too young to carry the weight of the wooden sword, he would often tease him for being clumsy and too weak.


    But Leon did not take it to heart, because he knew that Antoine''s intent of saying those were because of affection as an older brother and not as contempt.


    Along the way, he had also got to know the gentle and loving First Queen, Lucia, who, like Antoine, did not look at him with ridicule and contempt.


    Slowly, Leon''s heart became at ease and he started to look forward to spending time with Antoine after his sses day by day.


    The gloominess and fear he had for himself and his mother because of the adults who did not like them, would be washed away by Antoine''s affection.


    Whenever Antoine would go, he would clumsily follow with his short pair of legs while affectionately calling him, "Brother! Big Brother!"


    "Big Brother, do you think I will also have a good aptitude like you and the first brother?"


    "Of course, you are our sibling, your first brother is a caster, I am a summoner, for sure you would also have high talents on any one of the constitutions!"


    "Big Brother, do you think I will also do well in ss, just like you?"


    "Of course! Because I taught you the lessons in advance! Don''t tell me I am not a good teacher????!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Big Brother, do you think I can do well in swordsmanship?"


    "Hmm.. well you are indeed clumsy. But if you try harder, probably you''ll get as good as me, your Big Brother, in the future!"


    This and all other childish talks would never tire the two brothers of each other''s presence.


    On his fifth birthday, he received his first-ever gift from someone in the imperial family other than his parents. Antoine gifted him a little wooden sword, which he had specially carved for Leon to wield.


    Leon treasured it so much that he would always carry it during their ytime and hug it during the night. Every night from that day, he thanked the Creator in heaven for not neglecting him and letting him meet people who could treat him kindly.


    The wholesome rtionship between the second and third princes soon spread throughout the pce. While Antoine was praised by his mother Quen Lucia and Father Valentin, he would receive a nce of contempt from his older brother Kazimir.


    Sometimes, Kazimir woulde and disrupt their ytime, telling Antoine to stop being pretentious and caring for Leon who was of lowly origins.


    Antoine would then fiercely fight and shoo Kazimir away with his equally prideful and haughty character. While Leon would just desperately cling to his second brother''s sleeve, trying to stop the two from fighting.


    Kazimir seemed to have found satisfaction in seeing Leon cowering in fear while mundanely trying his best to stop them from fighting. From then on, he would asionally disrupt the two''s ytime and act as the bully who wanted to see Leon crying in fear.


    However¡­


    These seemingly dynamic interactions of the young princes of the Seirende Empire would soon crumble like a sandcastle during the day of Leon''s aptitude assessment.


    That day, everything that Leon looked forward to started to disappear one by one.


    He had long wanted to see his mother, father, and big brother be proud of him after knowing his talents¡­


    But he learned that he had a poor aptitude in magic, ss D, which was not even eptable for any descendant of the noble house.


    He had longed to finally make a way for the adults to recognize him¡­


    But then, the disdain and contempt only increased after knowing the results of the assessment ceremony.


    He had longed to finally let his mother be at peace because of the threats she was dealing with inside the imperial family¡­


    Well, he finally did. Because somehow the assassins and plotters finally let his mother rest - at the cost of the rest of his childhood.


    Finally, he had longed to stand on equal terms with his big brother and even his elder brother, the first prince¡­


    But then, on that very same day he had lost his only good rtionship in the pce.


    "Do not call me brother anymore!!! You have no right to be my brother!" He heard his big brother Antoine say it with a cold expressionless face.


    Those words¡­


    Were even more devastating to hear than the humiliating results of his assessment¡­


    ¡­


    It was probably because of the passing of time, or because of the impact of having Eli and Little Han in this life, that the wounds of his childhood seemed to no longer cause a searing pain in his heart.


    Even after remembering those treasured yet tragic times, his heart was at peace.


    It was probably why Leon, who had been disowned by his second brother for no reason, who had been openly treated with contempt and disdain by his brothers, could say right now¡­


    "Big brother¡­ The First Queen, Lucia, was waiting for you¡­ Your wife and son too.


    Father Emperor had been disheartened by your condition¡­


    First Brother Kazimir was also devastated by your sacrifice, up until now he was still ming himself for what happened.


    And I¡­ longed to see you open your bright blue eyes again¡­"

 Chapter 281 Under The Vesala Estate

    ?Leon''s trembling hands held Antoine''s.


    They were already grown-ups but Leon could not help but feel bewildered as he held his brother''s hands. Probably because of the fact that their initial rtionship had long drifted into something that could not be fixed by just a mere apology.


    But the concern and affection he had as his brother was something Leon could not deny to himself.


    Did he resent his brothers?


    Yes! He would be a hypocrite if he denied the fact that he was deeply scarred by their treatment in the past.


    Did he want to take revenge on the things they said and did to him?


    Before, he wanted to¡­ But today, he no longer desired those things but only peace for himself and his family.


    He just wanted to do his duties as a father to Little Han and as a lover to Eli. The war that he would participate in yed a big role in that.


    As for the fight for the throne with his brothers, he would not bother unless they would insist on dragging him and his family into the chaos.


    "I hope you wake up soon. I hope you will witness the retribution of those who hurt you, your family, and the Empire, our people.


    We will go and get them soon. I have no intention of letting them go unscathed. I''ll start with those dark knights!!!"


    Leon left those words of determination as he carefully ensured that Antoine was lyingfortably.


    While he quietly took the medicinal bath away from Antoine''s room, he was not able to notice that Antoine''s hand he just held shuddered slightly.


    ¨C


    Back in the Empress''s ce.


    Empress Carolina clenched her fists tightly as she did not get what she was aiming for while pleading before the Emperor.


    "No, I can''t let this matter end just like this!" She thought to herself while frantically pacing back and forth in her chambers.


    These days, she had been truly perturbed by the things that were happening around her and theck of information was already driving her crazy.


    Roman, the dark knight whom she installed to stay close to Valentin has been giving her updates, but none of those has been beneficial to their situation.


    "Valentin has changed!" Although she had no strong evidence, her heart firmly believed that Valentin was purposely doing this to give her and Duke Maxim a hard time.


    Ever since the time he had given the sanction to her brother''s family, Valentin somehow demonstrated the rare cunningness andck of mercy towards the aristocrats.


    It wouldn''t surprise her to know that Valentin knows something about the curses, because she knew that he had figured it out during the tricks she did on that wedding night.


    But what made her fear deeply was for Valentin to find strong evidence linking her and the Ves family to the sinister Spectre, who was now dered the public enemy of the Empire.


    Unfortunately for Empress Carolina, what she actually had to be afraid of was not only the fact that all the evidence was now gathered by the Emperor, but that the Emperor had also found a way tobat the curse magic she was relying on most!


    Nevertheless, she also knew that Valentin had long been waiting for an opportunity to get back at her and the Ves family for what she did that night. She couldn''t help but see this incident as the perfect opportunity for Emperor Valentin to touch the strong Ves and destroy it for good.


    "Can!" Empress Carolina was now extremely agitated as she continued to overthink and panic. With nothing but anxiety, she called her dark knight in haste.


    "Empress!" Can knelt submissively and eagerly asked the Empress of hermands.


    "I do not want to wait for the Emperor to move. I can feel that he was using the North''s invasion to get rid of our territory in the east. He believes I cannot see right through him!! Hah!!" Empress Carolina''s amethyst eyes glowed, emitting a sinister aura.


    "He thinks that after the north fights with our territory, he would eventually intervene and wipe out both parties. It was two birds in one stone no matter how you look at it!" She continued, her expression frenzied and whoever would see her wearing such an expression would immediately shudder and run away.


    "This¡­ The Duke did not foresee this possibility!" Can realized that Empress Carolina''s theory might be the most possible.


    "Of course, my brother was not as astute as me when it came to understanding Valentin''s actions," Carolina replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    Can did not verbalize his agreement for it would be tantamount to insulting his master.


    "Now, we cannot afford to sit here and wait for something to blow up again. I now order you and Roman to go all out and cause a disturbance to the Empire!


    Make sure that the Emperor is busy and create for my brother an opportunity to sneak out undetected. Assign someone to disguise as the ''Duke of Ves'' in the process. That would create us a way out when all else fails."


    Carolina ordered with full authority.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hearing that the Empress had ordered them to do everything they could to disturb the Emperor''s momentum ignited excitement in Can''s heart. Finally, he would be using his curse power freely and unreservedly.


    Without hesitation, he immediately acknowledged the order and went to find Roman. "Yes, Empress!"


    But this time, he did not need to physically sh like a dark shadow outside the window.


    Instead, using his curse powers, Can stood in a dark shadow and seemed to have sunk in it until he was nowhere to be seen.


    Looking at Can''s disy of curse magic maniption, Empress Carolina felt at ease.


    Can and Roman who stayed close by her side were the knights who had the strongest talents in using the curse magic.


    When these two moved, they could make the Capital shake!


    ¨C


    Back to the Ves territory, the cursed creatures were now utterly pulverized¡­ *eherm¡­* defeated by the Grandmaster and Disciple duo.


    After observing for a good few minutes, the two turned towards a seemingly ordinary armor-bearer, whose presence could not be distinguished at all.


    "What do you think, esteemed cleric?" Governor Fidel walked beside the armor-bearer and asked him in a low tone that only the four of them could hear.


    "I could not detect a spirit fragment¡­ We are all safe." The mysterious temple cleric, who was disguised as an armor-bearer, used his spiritual powers to sense the presence of any spirit fragment.


    The recent encounter Eli had with Hasta''s death was something that disturbed the temple a lot.


    That is why, even though the Emperor''s side firmly insisted that they should not participate in the retaliation, they still negotiated to join the troops in order to assure that a simr circumstance won''t happen again.


    Grandpa Andi, Randel, and Governor Fidel felt at ease upon hearing the cleric''s assessment. They discreetly thanked him and proceeded to continue to apprehend the criminals.


    Grandpa Andi and Randel continued to stay on the battlefield, joining the Northern Army toplete the remaining tasks.


    Governor Fidel and the temple cleric proceeded to investigate the Ves estate in order to see if there were valuable discoveries hidden inside that would help them understand the curse and the Ves''s connection with the sinister Spectre.


    Their exploration led them to the underground base camp of the cursed army who were stationed in the East.


    Realizing that the ce they stumbled into was not just an ordinary underground facility, they heightened their alertness and continued to carefully thread the stone path.


    Soon, a strong stench of blood assaulted their nose. With vignce, they followed the direction of the scent and finally arrived at the stone wall which was supposedly a dead end but was somehow destroyed by arge creature.


    Carefully inspecting the entrance, Governor Fidel guessed, "Could it be that the fearsome creatures we encountered earlier came from this?"


    "That is possible..." The cleric replied.


    The two unsheathed their sword and decided to go inside the destroyed entrance to investigate. They did not take away the possibility that there would still be simr creatures hiding inside.


    Governor Fidel used a paper spell to light up the room and to their surprise, what they saw was a pile of mangled corpses!


    The blood that was randomly smeared all over the room was still wet, indicating that they had only died not long ago.


    Among these corpses were several boxes of things that were left in a way that would indicate that prior to the murder of these people, they were scurrying to tidy up the ce and transport it somewhere, through the teleportation array on one corner of the room.


    Another thing that caught their eyes would be the opened brocade box with three empty crystal vessels lying on the ground.


    The cleric squatted to carefully inspect the empty vessels, "This¡­ someone consumed it not too long ago¡­"


    "Could it be that the three creatures that we encountered consumed its contents?" Governor Fidel asked.


    "We cannot be so sure¡­ we need to carefully study its contents¡­" He replied as he used a spell to carefully take the remaining drop of liquid to further analyze. "We have to send it back to the capital to know exactly what the contents of these vials can do.."


    "En.." Governor Fidel did not stop the cleric from getting the specimen. Instead, he continued searching and stumbled upon something that made him interested.


    It was an ancient-looking leather-covered book that was carefully ced inside one of the boxes. As he read its title, his eyes flickered.


    It was the Ves Family''s Genealogy book.

 Chapter 282 Roman Moves

    ?Normally, seeing a n''s genealogy would not take Governor Fidel''s attention in the midst of an investigation.


    He didn''t know why, but something pushed him to keep holding the book and open its contents. Examining the leather cover of the ancient-looking book, Governor Fidel unlocked the book to see its contents.


    But as soon as he started, he stayed frozen in shock. He stayed still in a daze, so much that it had already caught his partner''s attention.


    While the mysterious temple cleric destroyed the runes on the teleportation array, he asked, "Governor, is there something interesting in that genealogy book?"


    Governor Fidel did not answer. Instead, he wordlessly went to one of the wooden crates around and lethargically sat on it while continuing his read.


    The mysterious cleric was confused by his actions, however, he did not disturb the governor any further. Instead, he did his task of inspecting all the other paraphernalia and proceeded to summon some knights who were already free to help them tidy up the evidence.


    The longer Governor Fidel read the introduction of the genealogy, the darker the lines on his forehead became. "To think that the Ves had this kind of past¡­" He finally uttered, sessfully getting the cleric''s attention again.


    "Have you found out something Governor?" The temple cleric asked carefully.


    Governor Fidel had a serious look on his face before responding with a nod, "I think that I have found the source of the enmity of the Ves n towards the Empire¡­ However, I still need to report this to the Emperor to have it further verified."


    Hearing the news the temple cleric looked at Governor Fidel with understanding. Now that there was crucial information discovered, they must not dy their return to the capital.


    "Inform everyone to fast-track the operations! We must return to the capital soon!" Governor Fidel announced.


    ¨C


    Can immediately spawned from the nearest shadow on Roman''s quarters.


    "Did the Empress order us something to do?" The young astute man was tactfully sitting on a wooden chair by the window. He emitted a schrly aura but the way he speaks has traces of cunningness and ruthlessness.


    "You got it right, Roman! Finally, the Mistress ordered us to go all out and create chaos in the Empire!" Can could not mask his excitement at the thought of having to devour as many lives as he could without holding back.


    Roman''s eyes flickered in delight, seemingly unable to get enough of the news he rified, "Did our Mistress order that? For real?"


    "Indeed! However, please wait until I am able to talk with the Master before we start. Our goal was to ensure that he sessfully sneaked out of the Capital and went back to the territory." Can replied with a hint of reprimand. He saw the thirst in Roman''s eyes and he could not help but warn him from getting too excited.


    "I know, I know¡­ now off you go! Just tell me when to start~~" Roman replied nonchntly, waving Can to depart immediately.


    Helpless from thisrade''s reaction, Can could only retreat through the shadows and go to the Duke''s ce in the capital.


    His talk with the Duke was rather easy. After rying Empress Carolina''s message, the Duke immediately prepared his men to find a means to create his substitute and put up a teleportation portal that was not powered by mana but by the curse.


    With this cursed teleportation array connected directly to the Ves territory, he would be able to reach the east almost instantly. However, this came with a great cost, he had to sacrifice arge amount of life force.


    With the knights restraining him inside the pce, the only people he could use were those on his side, particrly the cursed army who were not included in the roster of servants belonging to the pce.


    It was a great loss for Maxim, but the dire situation left him with no choice.


    After ensuring that the preparations for Duke Maxim''s side had no problems, Can contacted Roman to finally let chaos loose in the capital once again.


    Receiving the notification in his dark quarters, Roman grinned with a sinister expression as he immediately burned the note with his purple aura,


    "Ahh¡­ too bad, I cannot do anything inside the pce for I am afraid that I would implicate the First Prince and Mistress¡­" He mumbled as his entire body seemed to disintegrate like dust and carried out by the wind from the windows.


    His figure appeared on the nearest watchtower from the Imperial Pce. As if the people stationed in the tower were no threat to him, he just snapped his hands and the guards fell on the stone floor, with their heads rolling.


    After getting rid of the unnecessary presence in the watchtower, Roman stood on the highest point and saw how peaceful the capital seemed to be even after the Emperor imposed a lockdown on all the people.


    "It would be nice to break hell loose just right on the Emperor''s nose right?" He chuckled as he eyed the district that was nearest to the pce walls.


    He did not teleport nor move to go to his target area, he just pointed his fingers and a concentrated purple ball of cursed magic appeared on the tip of his index finger.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Let''s see you light up in this boring Empire!!" He crazily shouted as he flicked the purple ball towards the area that he wanted.


    Swoosh!! Booom!!!


    A violent explosion immediately shook the entire pce walls and darkened thete afternoon skies. Seeing the mess he just made, an inexplicable delight appeared on Roman''s contrastingly schrly face.


    "Waaaah!! So beautiful!! The contrast of the skies to the darkness of the burnt buildings¡­ such a work of art!!" He praised himself and the sight he saw.


    What happened next was that a faint purple fume rose up in the air and drifted towards his direction. The excitement in his face was so obvious that one would think that he was actually in a delirious state.


    "Ahhh!! Such a nice treat!!! This is heaven!!!" He greedily absorbed the fumes that came his way into his body.


    "Not good! I can''t just make it only one!!!" After marveling for a while, he decided to conjure another purple ball of cursed mana. He seemed to have tasted a kind of forbidden fruit that his face now showed a hair-raising kind of thirst from the purple fumes he absorbed earlier.


    Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!


    A series of explosions rang in the entire Capital.


    And in the midst of these explosions, there was one man standing on top of a watchtowerughing crazily at the scene he had created. "Ahahaha!! Ahahaha!!! So beautiful!! This is satisfying!!!"


    "What on earth!" Emperor Valentin, upon hearing the first explosion, immediately stood from his office table and looked at the view from his windows.


    What he saw made his entire body shudder and his heart sunk.


    The area just next to the pce walls was reduced to a pile of rubble and mes. The screams of the people within and outside the pce walls haunted his entire being as the smoke rose up in the golden skies as if crying to the heavens for help.


    He ran outside his office and immediately called for the guards, "Call the General and the Third Prince!! Immediately stop the perpetrators!!"


    But before hepleted the orders, the next series of explosions rang again making the entire pce shudder in panic.


    "Vess¡­" He gritted his teeth as he finally ordered, "Prepare me the armor and sword! We will go to fight!"


    There''s no time to wait for the news from the two territories. With the sudden attack happening he was sure that the Ves siblings had finally chosen to let their cards out. In return, he would also do so.


    "Your Majesty, where to?" The imperial knight assigned to him immediately asked.


    "To¡­" Emperor Valentin very much wanted to say that they had to first go to lock the Empress up, but remembering the people, he clenched his fists tight and mouthed his reply through his gnashing teeth, "To the area of the explosions!"


    Kazimir, who was still recovering from his fallen spirit and body, also heard the series of explosions. There was a great sense of anxiousness in his heart that made him frantically walk out of his bed and walk into the windows to see themotion outside.


    "Husband¡­" Arielle called out worriedly but seeing the expression on Kazimir''s face, she did not stop him but instead assisted his trembling body to see what was happening.


    "This¡­" Kazimir trembled as he finally saw the chaos outside the pce. "This can''t be¡­"


    He immediately turned and pulled his robes to cover his body, not minding the untied red blood hair waving around his thin build, he took the sword at the bedside and instructed Arielle.


    "Immediately go back to our pce and take our son, Monti to a safe ce. No matter what, do not go out until I or someone from the family personally fetches you."


    "But Kazimir!!" Arielle was shocked by Kazimir''s sudden actions, she was extremely worried because he had not yet recovered his full strength.


    "Please¡­ take yourself and our Monti to safety. I promise toe back¡­" He bent his tall body to let his forehead touch Arielle''s, coaxing her to do what he asked.


    He held Arielle''s shaking body to his embrace as he gave her a light kiss on the forehead.


    "I need to be there, for the people need me the Prince, the most."

 Chapter 283 Roman Vs. Leon (1)

    ?*Warning: Violence!*


    High Priest Enoch was also rmed by the sudden attack. Thispletely disrupted their initial ns to let the Temple step aside and keep the mysterious Raven from suspecting that they already knew the whereabouts of the Subject of the Oracle.


    "Such arge-scale attack, how can we hold back and let the lives of the innocent people be lost!" High Priest Enoch summoned the Temple Knights and immediately ordered them to assist the Imperial Knights.


    Led by the vice-captains Joab and Keren, the Temple Knights took their armors and weapons and headed into the explosion sites, immediately asking for correspondence with General Farauld who leads the Imperial Knights.


    Leon immediately rushed towards the explosion site upon hearing the rumblings.


    Unlike the others, he somehow mentally prepared himself for this kind of retaliation. He also repeatedly emphasized this matter to his Father Emperor and Teacher, General Farauld.


    However, who would be able to keep calm knowing that people would really die when the enemies go crazy? Who could just keep calm and ept that?!


    Thus Leon did not hold back and immediately moved to locate the attacker.


    He was not able to even rally the Crimson and Roaming des and just prayed that Olivier, ze, and the higher officers of the Roaming des already knew what to do with this situation.


    However, as he looked at the explosions, he was devastated. The explosions were scattered randomly, spanning from the central district to the outskirts. It was impossible to immediately determine where the perpetrator was.


    With his devourer abilities in S ss, he stood on a random roof and immediately directed his mana to enhance his hearing.


    10-meter radius, 50-meter radius¡­ All the nuisance sound, agonizing screams, and random chatter invaded his mind, almost driving him insane.


    "No can do¡­ I need to locate the perpetrator¡­" He persevered even if the cold beads of sweat were already rolling on his forehead.


    75-meter radius¡­ 100-meter radius¡­ 300 meters¡­ 5oo meters!!!


    The stinging pain had already assaulted his head, it was so painful that he wanted to stop his search outright. "C''mon¡­ where are you, sinners¡­" He gritted his teeth. The desperate measure to locate the perpetrator was never this painful but he needed all the time he could save in searching for him.


    600 meters¡­ 80o meters¡­ 1 km¡­!!!


    "Puff!!" Leon couldn''t take anymore and immediately let out a mouthful of blood, his ears were also bleeding at this stage.


    It was too much for him to listen to all the sounds that were within a kilometer radius even with his S ss devourer abilities, for it was simply the limits for a human being.


    However, he did not stop right there. Even if his vision was already getting dizzy, he maintained hearing from a one-kilometer radius and started to head towards the nearest explosion site. With this, he can try to expand his hearing range by moving.


    After moving for a few minutes, he heard a crazed and delightfulugh amongst the sea of screams and agony. He could recognize this voice, it was Roman! The dark knight was working as his father''s aide.


    "He is at the watchtower!!" He wiped the blood off his face and immediately locked Roman''s direction. His eyes were filled with rage towards the dark knight, however, he had to keep calm and not let his emotions affect his fighting.


    To give his body a few seconds to recover from pushing his devourer abilities to his limits, he used his summoning powers to call upon a wind fairy, Avion.


    The wind fairy Avion was simply a little fairy creature with a little round phantom body but with cute yellow eyes simr to Biggie, who was an earth fairy.


    "Avion, will you take me to that watchtower while I try to heal on the way?" Leon asked the little round wind fairy.


    "Whooooo!" Avion''s yellow eyes became rounder as ifmunicating to Leon that he understood his orders.


    After that, a strong yet gentle wind enveloped Leon and steadily lifted him up in the air. Then he hovered on Leon''s shoulders and started to move in the direction Leon ordered.


    While moving towards the watchtower, Leon took the healing potion he got from Kayden. Roman as a dark knight might be like Hasta who had a spirit fragment in his body. He will not underestimate this opponent even if he was already an S ss mage.


    However, what bothers him the most was that, if he was forced to move like this on arge scale, the remaining knights, Das, Visam, and Can might also be making their own moves.


    What could their goal be?


    However, there can only be one thing that he could do right now, and that was to stop Roman from hurting the innocent people as soon as possible.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Finally arriving at the site, he did not directly confront the crazed Roman but he observed him for a few seconds at a considerable distance.


    There he witnessed that the reason why Roman was actually having a good time while killing people was that he was actually absorbing the victim''s life essence!


    "Not good!" Realizing what was actually happening, he finally took his notification papers and quickly sent the information and warning to all of the key people of the Empire.


    They had to be prepared for the other three knights who might be doing the same. They must at all costs try to stop them from absorbing their essences!


    From the time of the explosion up to this moment, five minutes have passed. Leon had estimated that Roman has already absorbed a considerable amount of essence to replenish himself from using his cursed power.


    But he was not able to determine if it was more than enough for him to enhance his strength.


    Considering the possibility of arge-scale fight, Leon scanned the surrounding terrain and determined to force Roman to a ce where there would be no people. With that, he retracted his summons with Avion and immediately dashed forward to interrupt Roman''s absorbing innocent lives.


    Sensing the threating toward him, Roman immediately turned his head towards the direction Leon wasing from.


    Seeing that it was Leon, he looked at him condescendingly and tried to dismiss him with a wave of a hand. He was just a trash prince with good fighting and survival skills which made him alive even after being on the battlefield for a long time.


    However, he had no way to know that Leon who was charging at him wielded the might of an S ss devourer.


    As Leon''s charging figure approached, he casually waved his hands while using a little bit of his cursed power. He was expecting to see Leon''s body being thrown violently into one of the nearby buildings.


    But the scene he had in mind did not turn into reality. Instead, what he saw was Leon''s cold serious face and his crystal blue eyes shing with intense anger erged in his vision.


    His hands that were stretched out in the air were held by Leon without any problems and twisted at a ny-degree angle opposite his elbow.


    Crack!!! He could only hear the sound of his joints cracking from being twisted against his elbows.


    The most bizarre thing was that Roman was not even given the time to let out his cry of agony. Because the next thing he witnessed was Leon using his other hand to sp his cor and use his body as a cushion as they fell from the height of the watchtower.


    The gust of the air made Roman feel like he was falling into his death while the g force attacking his body was making all of his guts turn upside down.


    Fortunately, at thest minute, he was able to use a portion of this mana to distribute on his back to somehow minimize the impending impact on the ground.


    Boom!!! His falling created a shallow crater from the contrasting forces of Leon''s attack and his cushioning.


    "Gaaaah!!!" Roman could not help but groan with agony and pain because his poor body was the one who received the opposing forces and the fall.


    Leon knew that this thing will not easily take Romans like that easily. So while Roman was yet to keep up with the pain and the attack, he violently lifted his body in one hand and dashed against the city walls.


    Boom! Roman realized what Leon wanted to do with his body, and so he was forced yet again to use his mana to hastily create protection for his body which was about to be smashed into the city walls.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Leon ruthlessly used Roman''s body to hammer the city walls until he was satisfied with the hollow hole he created in the city walls.


    This all happened so fast that Roman literally had no time to retaliate and even finish collecting his power to wrap his body. Thus his body incurred multiple injuries ranging from crushed bones to torn flesh.


    His brain was not even able to fully grasp the pain it had to recognize from all the injury to his body when Leon finally threw his body into the hole to fly a hundred meters away outside the capital towards the open field which Leon decided to be their battlefield.


    The initial encounter was so sudden and so intense for both parties that they were not able to notice a sickly figure practically dragging himself towards the watchtower with his sword in the right hand.


    The violent attack by Leon has been fully witnessed by Kazimir who stood at his spot in a daze from utter shock!!!


    ",

 Chapter 284 Roman Vs. Leon (2)

    ?The harsh breeze blew right onto the thin robe draped around Kazimir, he was standing in a daze witnessing the ruthlessness of his younger brother who was fighting against the perpetrator without hesitation.


    The Empire''s Mad Dog¡­ Barbaric Blood Prince¡­


    What he witnessed earlier had truly justified the names given to Leon and it made him shudder. However, he still dragged his unstable body and rushed towards the direction of their battle.


    Kazimir saw Leon''s opponent, his identity was also a shocking revtion for him yet again.


    Roman, one of his Father Emperor''s junior aides. He will never forget that seemingly gentle and schrly demeanor of his because whenever he visits his Father Emperor''s office, Roman would always respectfully greet him and entertain him in the Emperor''s waiting area.


    To think that an aide of the Emperor, one that has been frequently interacting with him would be the perpetrator was yet again a violent p against Kazimir''s face.


    He never knew that the traitor was even inside the pce and was very close to him and his Father Emperor!


    "That is why I must go there and help Third Br¡­ Leon¡­" Kazimir mumbled with determination, however, he could not find himself deserving to even call Leon his brother.


    He had failed to protect Antoine and caused his death¡­ now he only had one brother¡­ the one he hates and bullied the most.


    It might bete for him to show a form of concern, but remembering what he failed to do for Antoine, Kazimir swallowed all his shame and guilt to move forward and help Leon in the battle.


    But just as he stepped forward in the direction of the battlefield, he felt like his ears were suddenly opened and immediately heard the sound of chaos and crying around him.


    "Waaaaaah!!!" The sound of children who were injured by the explosion¡­ The shout of grievances and confusion of the women who tried their best to search for their children. The desperate shouts of the Men trying to find their families under the burnt rubble.


    This all made Kazimir stop and be unable to take another step forward. To help his brother or to help his people? What would he choose?


    Will he choose to finally be a brother?


    Or will he close his eyes and choose to be the Prince of the Empire?


    The one and only chance for him to act like a brother to Leon was waiting if only he would take another step forward. He would have more chances in the future to disy his passion and concern to his people anyways.


    However, the cries of the people kept haunting him. What if the one who cried was his son Monti? His wife, Arielle?


    What if this was also thest chance for him to act as the Prince of the Empire? For he would soon be deposed to the throne because of his maternal family''s sins?


    Too many what-ifs were pressuring him, who was yet to recover from the pain of failure and betrayal. Both sides seemed to be the right thing to do, however, he could only do one.


    Kazimir looked at the heavens, with his shoulders downcast and his sword on the ground.


    With pleading eyes and a quivering tone, he asked, "I know that I do not deserve mercy¡­ But heavens, I implore you to show me the right thing to do!!! In this time and ce, I know you made me able to stand here on this ground. Would you look upon me and let me know, why am I standing here in the first ce???"


    Brrrrrrr!


    The next thing he witnessed almost made him fall to his knees and prostrate himself in the heavens. He asked and the heavens answered¡­


    The path that Leon made earlier was suddenly closed by the rubble of stonespletely cutting off his route to Leon''s battlefield unless he takes a detour to the main gate of the city.


    This only meant one thing, right here right now, the heavens wanted him to help the people.


    But his heart was not at ease, knowing that he might lose another sibling again! This, he once again pleaded in the heavens and uttered, "Oh then will you manifest your mercy again and hear the prayer in my heart? My brother, please keep him safe from harm¡­"


    The heavens were silent and he had not received an instantaneous response like his first inquiry


    However, he felt that his body became stable and the trembling in his body gradually calmed down. The previously gloomy vision his eyes could see was now clear. What he could still see was chaos but he could now see what he had to do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The people need him the most. The heavens would be the ones who would protect his brother.


    And so, Kazimir for the first time ever since the encounter with the criminals disyed a gentle and peaceful smile at the same time.


    The first prince Kazimir, the prince with the noblest origin among the three princes of the Seirende Empire returned his sword to his belt and used his hands to directly touch the dirt on the ground and lifted a wounded man which was lying helpless under the rubble.


    Meanwhile Leon and Roman finally reached an area significantly away from the innocent people.


    "Gaaaah!!!" The barrage of attacks that he received from the seemingly trashy third prince was now finally being recognized by Roman''s body.


    Every muscle in his body shuddered in pain, so much that he was not able to stop his guts from spilling out of his mouth. "Gaaaah!! Curse you, third prince!! Who do you think you are!!!"


    His hands clung to the ground as he tried to contain the pain he was feeling while he frantically used his cursed magic to circte all over his body and try to recover some of his pain.


    Leon on the other hand stood from afar and took this time to take the time to breathe. A one-kilometer flight earlier with Avion was not enough for the potion to fully take effect.


    He decided to attack right away after realizing what Roman was doing to the lives of the victims of the explosion. If taking a second away from Roman would mean saving a single person, then he would not hesitate to do so.


    But now that he had already achieved his first goal, he did not immediately engage with the opponent recklessly. As much as he wanted to continue, his body was yet to recover. The fact that he might still encounter the spirit fragment after defeating Roman made him feel extra cautious.


    "I still need half a minute¡­" Leon thought to himself, but he could not afford to also give time for the enemy to take advantage and notice his situation. Thus, using his sword, he swung a few powerful sword strikes that forced Roman to stand up frantically and dodge.


    "D*mn you!!!D*mn you!!! D*mn you!!!" Purple veins appeared on his temples as he wore a frenzied and irritated expression. Leon''s sword strike was so powerful that it would break the ground open and extend more than ten meters behind him.


    "F*ck this! Is this the power of a devourer?" He could not help but hurl curses as he tried to evade Leon''s attack.


    Everyone in the Empire thought that his luck on the battlefield was all brought upon by his bright and incredibly talented vice-captains - ze, who was once the top contender of his batch, and Olivier, who came from the renowned family of the strongest summoners.


    He never thought that Leon himself could effectivelynd sessful blows on him and even force him to be on his toes for every second on the battlefield, "Tssskk¡­ this is getting irritating!"


    He was not really pleased by the fact that Leon disturbed him from absorbing a lot of life essence, that is why Leon''s dying tactic was really getting on his nerves.


    "I have no time for you¡­ Third Prince!" He finally said as he used his newly absorbed essence to convert into curse power making his appearance be covered by ayer of purple light. The wounds on his body visibly healed that even Leon could see them with his bare eyes.


    Leon put his guards up, his body needs a few more seconds to recover but any second, Roman might attack.


    True enough, as soon as Roman finished gathering this cursed power, he took out a purple scythe and waved it in the air.


    As the scythe sliced through the air, three purple lotuses immediately appeared. The lotuses hovered and twirled in front of Roman and finally at hismand, it charged in the direction of Leon.


    Siiiiiyaaaaaa!


    Leon immediately dodged the three lotuses with ease however, there was a strange movementing from them.


    As soon as the lotuses failed to touch Leon, it immediately sunk into the ground and caused it to shake.


    Rumble!!!


    In the next instant, a gigantic vine-like nt emerged from the spot where the lotuses sank. In the center of each nt were the same lotuses that were thrown earlier and each of the vines from the nts was filled with purple thorns!


    "Now, Third Prince¡­ Let''s see what you can do about these!" Roman taunted.

 Chapter 285 Roman Vs. Leon (3)

    ?At his deration, the vines of the gigantic lotus nts acted like living creatures.


    The thorny vine moved in a waving motion and aggressively attacked Leon''s direction. The purple thorns secreted a mysterious dark-colored liquid which Leon thought was a kind of poison.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! The vines violently used their gigantic weight attempting to crush Leon on the ground.


    Roman did not wait if Leon was wounded or unscathed by the attack of the monstrous nt. He was wearing an expression of impatience as he dived into the chaos and blended in the haze created by the lotuses.


    His figure and presence werepletely merged with the cover of the haze and dust, while Leon was dodging the vines.


    Leon on the other hand did not feel any panic or anxiousness. These seemingly odd and fearsome creatures were nothing in his eyes. Even if the vines suddenly acted strangely the moment Roman blended in the haze and viciously ejected countless purple thorns towards his direction, he did not falter.


    It was as if he could see the thorns'' movements as well as the vines. Even if Roman was essentially hiding, he could still sense his presence.


    In the eyes of an S ss mage, Roman was just a little kid. The only reason why Leon was not fully exerting his power was to observe Roman''s abilities and the usage of the curse.


    Through this battle, he now discovered that curse magic also works like mana. The user could freely use his curse power just like how mana was used.


    During his fight with Hasta, he saw that the opponent used the cursed power to disy summoning abilities by manipting the des like it was his puppets.


    His fight with Orel and the recounts of the knights who encountered him earlier disyed that he mainly uses the abilities of a caster, manipting space.


    Now with Roman, he saw that he could disy the abilities of both a caster and a summoner.


    With this, he could deduce that the usage of curse power mimics how open paths manipte mana. Could it be that the goal of using the curse was to actually achieve the same kind of feat that an open path could attain?


    However, the question was, why were the first two dark knights only able to disy one of the three mana maniption techniques while Roman could do two?


    Is there some kind of aptitude also in the spectrum of curse users, just like how there was an innate aptitude for the mages?


    Leon would want to immediately solve this mystery, however, time is of the essence. He had to conclude the fight soon ande back to check if the other dark knights had also started to move.


    Coincidentally, Roman also felt the same. He was extremely agitated by the idea of battling a prolonged fight. It was because he did not want to spend so much cursed power on Leon after painstakingly absorbing a huge amount of essences earlier!


    "I need to finish this and continue to absorb more! I don''t know when would be the next time I would be allowed to have a feast like this!" He thought in his mind.


    And so, while Leon was busy dodging the thorn and vine attacks of the lotuses, Roman started to move by navigating through the vines and positioning to carry out a sneak attack.


    Holding his scythe in the attacking position, Roman eyed Leon''s neck. Looking at how slender and smooth-looking it was, an odd sense of excitement aroused his irritated mood.


    "What would it look like for that neck to be divided in half? Ohhhh!!! How satisfying would it look if the blood would start to ooze from his neck???!" These thoughts caused excitement and anticipation in Roman''s eyes.


    The same feeling of excitement and desire ignited his heart, just as when he had made the various parts of the city explode earlier.


    "Come let me see how your neck is painted in red!" He thought in his mind as he dashed forward and swiftly swung his purple scythe to im Leon''s neck.


    Swoosh!! Boom!!


    The first attempt was evaded by Leon as if coincidentally, but Roman had his vines interrupt his movements and the thorns limited the spaces where he could dodge.


    Woosh!Boom! Swoosh! ng! Leon and Roman engaged in ying tag on a thorny chaotic battlefield.


    During the short exchange, Leon observed if Roman still had something on his sleeves aside from using the vines and thorns to aid him in battle. But it seems like this was the limit for his time to y around.


    With a sigh, he finally took out his sword and swung it casually.


    Wooooooooooooooo¡­


    The sound of his de slicing through the air was like the whistling of the breeze - strong and haunting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In just one strike, the hazy atmosphere was divided in half. The upper and lower part was still with the hazy mist and half of the gigantic lotuses, while there was a clear void in between which showed the original part of the field.


    "Gaaaaah!!!" The next thing Leon heard was the blood-curdling scream from Roman! "AAAAah!!! D*mn you!!!"


    Leon did not mind the cursinging from the enemy, he waved his hands and summoned the wind to finally clear out the haze from the battlefield.


    There revealed a bloodied Roman rolling on the ground with a frantic face. He was desperately clutching his right arm to which his hands were no longer attached.


    Roman''s hand was lying a distance away from him, lousily holding the purple scythe he was using earlier.


    "I''ll kill you! I''ll kill you!!" Roman shouted as he mustered his power to awaken the lotuses again and attack Leon while he tried to heal his hands with the curse power he was initially conserving.


    Once again the lotuses grew their previously cut vines and started to assault Leon again. However, Leon had enough of the battle as he thought that he had observed enough of Roman.


    Leon looked at the lotuses coldly. His murderous aura was fully released immediately slowing the movement of the lotuses. However, in reality, it was actually Roman who was affected by the bloodlust aura released by Leon.


    Just like Orel, he had fallen into Leon''s terrifying mental illusion technique, Battlefield of Despair. This affected his control of the seemingly living lotuses.


    While Roman was overwhelmed by the sight he was seeing inside the Battlefield of Despair, Leon used fire magic to burn the lotuses into nothing but dust. The ming red fire crept to every vine of the three monstrous lotuses, melting its thorns and even burrowing to the ground to destroy its roots.


    The crackling sound of the mes and Roman''s inaudible murmurs were the only ones that Leon could hear on the battlefield. He looked at Roman who was still bleeding but was helplessly captured by his enchantment.


    Fortunately, his abilities as an S-ss mage had so far been effective towards the dark knights. However, just like what he did with Orel, he could only rely on enchanting these knights in an effort to stop the gruesome aftermath.


    What he feared the most was the possibility of encountering the spirit fragment of the angel which he knew that he had no ability to apprehend at the moment.


    Probably in the Empire, it was only Eli who could do it.


    As such, the only thing he could do was to temporarily put the captives under this tortuous mental enchantment until they were brought to the Temple to be ced in the specialized dungeons made for cursed users like him.


    Now that Roman waspletely apprehended, they already have three dark knights in captivity and one already dead. Only three remained out along with the Empress and the Duke.


    With how things have escted, it seems like they could no longer wait for the troops from the east and the west toe back before they start arresting the Ves siblings.


    But by that time, he hoped that Eli would be ready.


    Her role would be needed the most as they confront the two sources of sinister practices in the Empire.


    ¨C


    Far on the northern end of the Seirende Empire, Eli was standing at the center of the cultivating field in the Silver Dew Forest.


    The roughly two to three weeks that she trained using both her spiritual and magical powers have significantly changed the aura she exudes.


    If before she was a schrly and intimidating countenance of a businesswoman in the modern world, now she exudes a feeling of an otherworldly deity that decided to descend to the earth and bless humanity.


    She was still with the unique features of ck silky hair and midnight dark eyes. Her smile is still gentle and soothing; however, people would probably feel a deep sense of reverence and respect upon looking at her face.


    Eli''s eyes swept through the garden of herbal ingredients with a faint smile of satisfaction. A sweet sensation of victory flowed out of her heart and into her gentle face, "The yield this time was two times more bountiful than the previous ones!"


    Then she waved her hands and called out, "My little twinkles¡­ That''s it for today! You all have worked hard!"


    In an instant, countless little specks of light swarmed around her. The specks of light were like the glowing fireflies but under the fiery light of dusk.


    However upon closer look, one would realize that what happily danced around Eli were not fireflies but the ever diligent and adorable forest sprites!

 Chapter 286 Return To The Capital

    ?"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!"


    ",

 Chapter 287 The Task

    ?"Greetings, Captain Mishael! I am Eli from the Forgeworn and Farauld Family. I''ll be in your care." Eli politely greeted the Temple knight captain.


    Although she had known that Keren and Joab did have a superior prior to the High Priest, it was her first time meeting Mishael and to her surprise, he was far from what she had expected from a captain.


    However, she maintained a calm expression and kept the curiosity in her heart as to why and how was Mishael able to lead Joab, Keren, and the rest of the Seirende Temple Knights with his appearance and demeanor.


    "How''s the situation in the Capital? What can I do to help at this moment?" She then proceeded to ask the most important thing on her te. "Are we going to join the troops to apprehend the criminals or help the injured?"


    "Oh¡­ no, no! We have a different mission this time. But believe me, Mdy, this is as important as directly participating in the battlefield." Mishael, with his nonchnt and cheerful attitude, exined to Eli what their task would be.


    As there was no more time for Eli to even take a breath, she opted to let Mishael exin the current situation as they rushed to go to the site. With one of Mishael''s assistants, their small team boarded through a white-winged beast and headed around the destination.


    To Eli''s surprise, the destination was not something she had expected to go to - it was a ce called The Court of Sinners!


    The Court of Sinners was a famous ce in Seirende Empire. Its fame was mostly because of the dread every Seirende citizens feel whenever they hear the name.


    As the name suggested, the Court of Sinners was actually arge jailplex. There were dungeons, torture chambers, and even an execution site inside the massive grounds. This was the ce that no one in the Empire would dream of going to because there were a lot of frightening and evil talesing from this ce alone.


    But now, Eli, the subject of the Oracle, and even the Captain of the Temple knights who represent the good of the heavens were now stepping on the grounds where the sinners were punished.


    "What could be our purpose here?" Eli was extremely curious as to why they were here when the forces were busy arresting and finding the criminals outside.


    "Mdy, this is just one of the many destinations we will be visiting from this moment forward." Mishael kept calm and answered Eli''s question without a hint of impatience.


    Instead, Mishael left the winged beast and his assistant to the open grounds while he led Eli around the Court of Sinners.


    As it was already evening, the atmosphere within the court was extremely haunting and terrible. Eli felt like she was entering a haunted house, except that it was for real and with actual evil people inside.


    Screech! Boom! Shouts!


    There were asional hair-raising sounds that made Eli''s heart jump in shock as she followed Mishael to the ce where they had to go.


    They threaded the dark hallway where almost no one wanted to enter. She was curious as to why this ce had no knights patrolling in its vicinity. Isn''t this like a maximum-security prison? Why does it look like it was unmanned?


    "Mdy, you must be wondering why you could not see any visible knights guarding the courts, isn''t it?" Mishael felt Eli''s curiosity and initiated the conversation.


    "En¡­ It was so unusual. Perhaps, it was because this is my first time entering such a ce like this¡­" Eli did not pretend to be all-knowing and admitted what was on her mind.


    "This was because the guards of the pce are all hidden in the dark. Unlike the Imperial Sky Knights who were the symbols of the glorious skies above the Seirende Empire during the daytime, the Imperial Phantom Knights represent the sky of the Empire during the night.


    However, these troops were actually not known to the public and even the aristocrats. Only the Temple, the Acting Emperor, and his Sessor knew of their existence, which meant, that not even every one of the Imperial Family knew of their existence! To the public, they only knew that the court of sinners was guarded by the creatures of the dark." Mishael exined the nature of the Imperial Phantom Knights as they thread to the pitch dark alleyway.


    "Of course, Mdy, as one with the most distinguished identity from both the Temple and the Imperial Family, you have all the rights to know of their existence." He added.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmm, I see¡­" Eli did notment any further. Mishael hinted in his words that he not only knew of her identity as the Subject of the Oracle but also as a future member of the Imperial Family.


    "Now we are here¡­" Mishael finally came to a stop and pointed at a deste tower-like sculpture ahead of them.


    As they came closer to the sculpture, Eli finally figured out what the sculpture actually is, it was simply a monument,den with multipleyers of magical arrays. Her dark obsidian eyes brightened with astonishment and interest as she asked Mishael, "This is?"


    "One of the Capital''s defensive array structures¡­ My Lady, our task is to upgrade all of the defensive array posts around the entire capital and embed into them your Spiritual powers. But that''s not all! What we were actually doing was toy out a grand array to envelop the entire capital, its air, and its grounds!"


    It was as if Mishael finally found his time to shine. As he exined the details of their tasks, there was a twinkle of excitement and pride in his golden eyes.


    "Mdy, here are the specifications of the array we would be trying to construct. This array will be very crucial to our sess in controlling the emergence of the spirit fragment that you have recently encountered in the Temple dungeons!" He then took arge scroll of parchment paper out, in it was the intricate blueprint of the massive array structure they would be making as well as the functions that the array had.


    "T-this¡­ How in the world are you able toe up with this measure!" The more Eli studied the blueprint, the more they were astonished by the array itself.


    She was also wondering how did the captaine up with this array when he was not even participating in the research and investigations they did with the captive dark knights and the cure potion!


    "Ehehehe~ of course because I am a genius and I am surrounded by geniuses!" Mishael cheerfully replied, Eli still could not get used to his contrasting personality whenpared to his position.


    "You see, whatever information your team was able to gather and process, they were all sent to me, who was already immersed in the research about countering the curse. However, unlike Dr. Einz, I focused on countering the curse through magical defensive arrays rather than medicine.


    Thinking about it, it was such a fate for this time that two countermeasures were able to be invented at the same time. Of course, the one that made it possible was your emergence as the Subject of the Oracle!


    With Mdy''s powers, our iplete research finally reached its fruition! This matter, I can only be grateful that the Creator above gave me this honor to witness your abilities!"


    Mishael exined a subtle trace of mncholy over his grateful expression could be seen.


    "The Great One above could see things that we do not see. The big picture was always in His sight. All we could do was to follow Hismissions and witness how splendid His ns were as we journey through them." Eli concluded with a calm expression.


    After that, the two proceeded to study and implement the array. Like schrs brought about by the circumstance, the two carefully studied each element that would ensure them the sess of the grand array in work.


    As despair and chaos roamed thend, and little sparkles of hope emerged from the same circumstance, the situation in the Ves estate was far from what the Duke and the Empress had expected.


    "Visam, Das! C''mon, what is the situation right now? Roman and Can were already doing their best to give us an opportunity to escape! What''s taking us for so long!" Duke Maxim almost showered the two distressed dark nights with spit as he angrily pressured them to finish constructing the teleportation array to the East territory.


    But their faces turned more anxious as they tried to insert their cursed power into the teleportation array once again. They have already constructed the array earlier but they do not know why, but the array won''t start no matter how they try.


    Visam and Das looked at each other and both subconsciously took a nervous gulp. If there was no problem at their side, then that only meant one thing¡­


    The teleportation array in the Eastern territory was destroyed by the invaders as of this moment!

 Chapter 288 The Vesalas Decision

    ?Das and Visam did not know how to exin this matter to the Duke because they were sure that they would be the ones who would receive his wrath upon learning it.


    "Visam go tell him¡­" Whispered Das who was wiping beads of sweat because of the nervousness he felt at the moment.


    "No¡­ I was the sacrificialmb earlier during Hasta and Igor''s disappearance! It''s your time now!!" Visam retaliated, he could still feel the pain and torture that he experienced when he received the wrath of Duke Maxim on Hasta and Igor''s case.


    "Hey¡­ don''t forget, we were all punished and hit that time!" Das reminded. Although they were evil knights, no one would be willing to subject themselves to the torture of their master who was a hundred times more sinister than them.


    "But I was the one who took most of the damage! Now it''s your turn, we will get punished both anyways¡­" Visam continued to defend himself.


    "What are you two discussing?! It''s already evening! How ipetent were you two!!! You''re wasting so much time!" Duke Maxim''s extremely angry voice interrupted the two''s discussion.


    His shouts sent cold shivers to their spine, but looking at Duke Maxim''s zing amethyst eyes, they had no choice but to answer. Visam raised his elbows and gestured for Das to speak on his behalf.


    "You!! M-master¡­" Das, who was caught off guard by Visam''s actions, could no longer retaliate and prepared himself for the Duke''s reaction as he exined,


    "We have tried to repeatedly feed cursed power into the teleportation array, however, the receiving end does not react to our request. We are afraid¡­ that¡­ the receiving array on the Eastern side¡­ was already destroyed¡­"


    Crash!!!!


    Visam and Das closed their eyes and clenched their teeth, what came next was their bodies receiving a heavy blow from Duke Maxim''s wind attack that was infused with curse power. It was fortunate that they were fellow curse users too, if not, the curse they have just received would immediately eat their life force as to how it would on a normal person.


    "Useless fools!" Duke Maxim could not contain his frustration and anger.


    After he saw Das and Visam violently crashing against the brick walls of the underground teleportation station, he turned to let out his wrath on the rest of the knights who were supposed to be his army upon arrival in the East.


    But before he was able to injure the men, the butler stepped forward and bowed with a pleading tone.


    "Please, Your Grace!!! Calm your wrath! What use would it be if your people would be injured by you?


    What we need right now is force! It is clear now that the East has already beenpromised and the Emperor was adamant to see your Duchy down!


    My Duke! Open your eyes and see, what needs to be done is not to hurt our own, but to fight the oppressor!"


    The butler was already of old age but he was the one who painstakingly took care of the siblings when the previous Duke died on Empress Carolina''s behalf. He believed that he still could talk sense to Duke Maxim who was now blinded by his anger, panic, and frustration.


    True enough, upon hearing the butler''s pleading, Maxim paused and listened to his words. After contemting for a while, he closed his fist which was about to deal a blow to the knights.


    The butler''s words are true, the picture was now clear to him. From the move to restrict all nobles up until this moment, the Emperor used the ''chaos'' that he, the Duke of Ves started, to go and bring down his family and revenge for all his plottings.


    Now he understood how secretly cunning and smart the Emperor was, and he did not see iting. It was probably why his sister had already taken the risk to mobilize her strongest knights just to create a way out for him and their family at this moment.


    There''s no other way but to fight their way out to survive in this circumstance. The only choice that they had right now was to fight and rebel.


    "You two¡­ heal yourselves and prepare everyone, we are to fight in a moment. Prepare everyone and go all out. We will move as soon as the sun rises!" Finally making his decision, he looked at the two dark knights with a dead and serious expression. His voice echoed finality and determination, making everyone in the vicinity understand the gravity of the matter.


    "We hear your orders, Master¡­" Das and Visam dared not to let out a groan in pain and just answered dutifully. The Duke''s emotional state right now is like a volcano that was trying its best not to explode untimely.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Butler, as I head to the study, prepare everything we need to fight. I''ll be contacting the Empress to inform her of the situation. As for Madam¡­ I''ll have to ask you to keep her safe, you will be in charge of keeping her safe, take as many knights as you want, just make sure she survives."


    Duke Maxim headed towards his office and as he entered, he saw the Ves family portrait hanging so conspicuously on his wall.


    He remembered his wife and his three children. The war that they were forced to create right now will greatly endanger their future.


    He was so relieved that his eldest daughter had invited the siblings to the Vanderford territory. At least he knew that they would be safe no matter what happened in the Empire. But his wife was still by his side here in the Capital, and she had no idea what danger was ahead of them.


    He was unsure if he could protect his wife from all the chaos, his wife was a pampereddy of the cross family. She had not participated directly in any of their activities but in socializing with the nobles alongside the Empress. Although she was quite knowledgeable of their ns, her abilities as a caster were only limited.


    He could only ask the butler to keep her safe away from their impending battle with the Imperial Family.


    "I understand, Your Grace. Rest assured, I''ll be preparing the guards and immediately find a way to sneak the Madam out of the estate as everyone engages in the battlefield." The butler understood Duke Maxim''s concern and he sincerely answered.


    "En¡­ I''ll be talking to the Empress at this moment, and proceed with the preparations." Duke Maxim nodded with a calm expression but his heart was thoroughly shaken at the moment.


    The butler sensibly exited as Duke used hismunication stone to contact the Empress.


    "Brother¡­" Empress Carolina''s anxious voice was heard on themunication stone.


    "Carolina¡­" Maxim this time had dropped all of the formalities and talked with Carolina with a heavy and grave tone. "The teleportation array on the other side was already destroyed¡­ there''s no other way for us toe back to that ce immediately¡­"


    "No! It can''t be! How was that possible!!!" Empress Carolina panicked as she heard Duke Maxim''s news. It was like the heavens suddenly decided to put its gigantic weight on her shoulders that her legs gave out.


    Thud¡­ she fell on the floor with her emotions causing extreme turmoil in her entire being. Anxiousness, disbelief, unwillingness, confusion, and panic, were some of the emotions that were invading the siblings at this moment. Suddenly the air around her became thin and it felt like her body had suddenly forgotten how to breathe.


    "Calm down Carolina and listen to me¡­" Duke Maxim knew what Carolina was experiencing at the moment but they needed to keep theirposure and have a clear mind. They needed this to be able to determine what was the right move they had to do for this situation. "Now do as I say¡­ Breathe¡­ 1¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ exhale¡­ 1¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­"


    He guided Carolina to calm down and ovee the anxiety attack she was experiencing at the moment. After he could already hear that Carolina was breathing steadily, he just went to pause for a few breaths until it was Carolina, herself, who hinted that she had recovered.


    "Are you alright now?" Duke Maxim carefully asked to which Carolina answered, "Yes, brother¡­ I am fine¡­ Tell me what would be your move?"


    Duke Maxim held a soft sigh as he replied,


    "We will fight¡­ There''s no other way but to reveal ourselves now. The Emperor was determined to see us down with all that happened and we are toote to realize¡­


    Now recall Cn and Roman to be by your side. At sunrise, I will move on my end. Try to get yourself and Kazimir out and go to a safe ce.


    Remember, you must stay alive to keep our family from entirely falling."


    As Carolina heard Maxim''s voice, she remembered the moment when she was reading thest letter her father left for the two of them. Bearing the same responsibility as histe father, her brother Maxim was doing the same now.


    Carolina clenched her fist and replied in a determined tone.


    "Do not worry brother, you will not be alone. I have the lord''s permission to use the grimoire. With this, we can ensure the victory on our end!"

 Chapter 289 The Oracles Interpretation

    ?"Our target will be the pce, particrly the Sun Tower. Capturing the pce means capturing the Sun Tower, which is the only teleportation array that is working right now.


    Even if we decide to focus on going for the capital, the threat of the North is still a force we cannot ignore. Hence after seizing the pce, we go directly to the East and take it back!!!"


    Duke Maximid down his ns with a low and serious tone. The East was too important for them to give up. It was because that was the ce where they had kept all of their secrets and ns.


    Should the Northpletely sweep the territory, it will not be long until they would figure out who the Vess were.


    "Alright¡­" Empress Carolina also understood the meaning behind Duke Maxim''s ns and she also thought that it was the right thing to do.


    After conversing for a while the two terminated their call and proceeded in preparing their forces on each side.


    Back at the explosion sites, the knights under the Imperial Family were busy going through the rubble and searching for any survivors from the explosions.


    This time, it did not matter whether the knights belonged to the Imperial Sky or other knight groups, they were just the knights who worked for the Empire as one.


    It was not only the knights who exemplified camaraderie in the moment of chaos, even themon people, the Temple Knights, and the Farauld Institute students and Faculty members went out of their way to go to the field and help the wounded victims.


    If there''s a certain group of people that were missing at the moment, that would be the entire aristocratic society who were still under the detention of the Emperor.


    Except for a few young nobles who served as knights, students, and teachers, all others were in their respective estates, anxiously waiting for any news from the outside.


    Emperor Valentin and Kazimir were also the pivotal personalities that made the rescue organized and efficient.


    With their directions the forces and volunteers were divided into groups and were deployed strategically on the explosion sites, enabling timely rescue and help.


    However, aside from the initial explosion, there were no other dark knights that initiated further assaults, much to Emperor Valentin''s surprise.


    But when he received Leon''s notification, he was sure that the other three knights would have to make their moves soon.


    The evening started and still no attacks happened.


    No movements were also detected from the Ves Estate and the other nobles. This made Emperor Valentin uneasy as he knew that there must be something the Ves was aiming for with their move to execute a surprise attack at the capital.


    "Send a message to the troops, evacuate all the residents and nobles that we have already filtered out, and be prepared to have the entire Capital be a battleground!" Emperor Valentin chose to believe in his intuition and prepare for the worst.


    As much as possible, there should be no more casualties from the civilian''s side, he thought.


    On the other hand, the situation had alreadye to this state and there was no reason for their side to hold back on their ns to punish the Ves and their aplices.


    As such, he will no longer wait for the other party to make a move. He would be the one who will move first!


    Deciding his next course of action, he took hismunication stone and headed to the makeshift headquarters they built near the explosion sites.


    One by one, he called General Farauld, Governor Fidel, Grandmasters Andvari, and Reuben, High Priest Enoch, and Leon. There he announced his decision to mobilize all the troops that were stationed around the residences of the suspected nobles and move at his signal.


    After getting their consensus, he immediately informed everyone and took his own troops to head back to the pce where Carolina was preparing for her attack inside too.


    On the outside, it looked like Emperor Valentin had just temporarilye back to the pce to take a short rest prior to heading out again to the explosion but in reality, he was actually preparing to apprehend Carolina.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was agreed that Leon would be the one who would apany him to arrest the Empress.


    So while he was waiting for Leon to finish settling his business against Roman, he secretly mobilized his troops to immediately evacuate the other members of the Imperial Family to the temple, especially, Queens Lucia and Teh, along with his sons'' wives and children.


    Uneasy and confused, the women and children of the Imperial Family decided to obey Emperor Valentin''s orders and did not cause anything to dy the evacuation process. The earlier they settle down, the more time for the Emperor to prepare for his own forces.


    On Leon''s side, the captive Roman was finally shackled in the specialized dungeons along with his fellow captives Orel and Igor. The three did not know that they were already captured as they were kept in separate and secured prison cells ridden with anti-destructive and anti-suicide arrays.


    To Leon, this detention was only temporary as in the future there would be more to be arrested and the temple would no longer amodate that many criminals.


    So in truth one more person, they had to wait prior to finally executing the attack, it was Eli who was tasked to fortify the defensive array within the Empire along with the Temple Knight Captain, Mishael.


    Their task to infuse the spiritual power on the array of monument in the Capital would be effective in ensuring that none of the traitors would be able to escape until they were punished by the Imperialw.


    Leon prayed that the arrays would work as intended for them to finally eradicate the sources of evil in the Empire.


    While he was inspecting every nook and cranny of Roman''s specialized cell, he heard a familiar aged yet gentle voice asking him, "Third Prince, are you nervous?" It was none other than the High Priest Enoch.


    "It would be a lie if I say I am not. I am nervous and anxious, I truly am¡­" Leon earnestly answered High Priest Enoch''s question, "There is a fear that makes me feel suffocated. The fear that we will not be able to bring the Empire out of the chaos that we are experiencing right now."


    High Priest Enoch looked at Leon who was letting his emotions and vulnerabilities out in the open. "En¡­ but you must be confident that the heavens will not turn away from us." He advised.


    "I know that we already had the cure and this itself was already enough for the Empire''s survival, but still there is a limit on how much these cure potions could help and how much power could Eli wield at the moment. She is only one person, and she could only do things at the proportion of her abilities." Leon replied rather softly, while he and the rest were about to step into a war, his mind still worried about the burden Eli carried for the Empire.


    Even if they arrested Duke Maxim and the rest, the moment the spirit fragment emerged, there would be no hope but to rely on Eli, who by far, only had the ability to defeat such.


    "The oracle that had descended way before your father was born was like this - ''The evil will rise in the midst of the walls and bring forth absolute downfall to the Empire¡­'' " High Priest Enoch exined.


    "But did you know that after the first part of the oracle had descended, the second part finally appeared days before the wedding of your Imperial Father? Now, the oracle goes like this:


    The evil will rise in the midst of the walls and bring forth absolute downfall to the Empire. But Hope will descend for the generations toe!" High Priest Enoch continued.


    "Remember, Third Prince, the ''Hope'' that he was pertaining to was not only a single person. This is your assurance. The oracle said that the ''Hope'' will descend for generations toe!


    This means from this moment on, there would be someone from every generation whom the Heavens will use to battle the chaos that would befall the Empire, no matter what time, what date, or what year the evil would try to attack.


    While it was Eli whom the Oracle pertained as the one who would bring forth ''Hope'' it doesn''t mean that ''Hope'' will end with her fulfilling the task of bing that hope of the Empire. Her role will stay until the next generation is prepared to carry that ''Hope''.


    The hidden meaning of the oracle was also like this, ''Hope'' is not a single person. But a catalyst to spark confidence and determination to ovee the endeavor. ''Hope'' enables people to step forward no matter how hard or impossible it is because we look forward to the goal that it brings.


    This meant, my Third Prince, that you and I, your Imperial Father, the Grandmasters, and everyone that were standing up for the Empire right now, has received that same ''Hope''.


    We received it the moment we believed in Eli''s power enabling the creation of the cure and the fortifications of the array. That same ''Hope'' will enable us to also defeat the enemy that is standing in our way to achieving the peace of the Empire.


    As we carry that ''Hope'' we can say that all of us are now the Subjects of the Oracle at this moment!"

 Chapter 290 Confrontation (1)

    ?The High Priest Enoch''s words seemed to have resonated in Leon''s heart. Like free-flowing water washing down his doubts and fears, Leon gave a look of understanding to the High Priest.


    High Priest Enoch was satisfied that Leon was able to calm his anxious heart prior to stepping out of the battlefield. He knew how important it is for the fire of Hope that Eli was able to light up to these people for their Empire to ovee the endeavor.


    He sent Leon off with the words, "As long as you hold on to that Hope, the heavens will answer. Keep that in mind, no matter how perilous the situation is."


    "I will keep your wise words to my heart, Your Eminence, High Priest," Leon answered with a tone full of reverence.


    With Kayden and the rest of his team, along with the Temple Knights, they finally took off to arrest the sinners of the Empire - the Ves Duchy and the Empress.


    Marching to various locations, Leon''s team immediately went to arrest the major aplices first. A total of eight families of nobles were involved and only three of them were staying in the Capital. The rest were handled by the teams deployed to the West and Eastern territories.


    There were also a few prominent middlemen involved in the great conspiracy, all of them were identified with enough evidence and were arrested.


    The arrest went as covert as possible, not giving any hints to the other noble houses. This will also ensure that the Duke and Empress had no idea that a move had already started until the moment they would be confronted.


    A member of the Crimson des was assigned to each toon holding a paper spell containing Leon''s signature S Level entrapment spell birdcage. After arresting the aplices, a team would be directly transporting them to the Courts of Sinners.


    But even with these mechanisms, the initial process still took the entire night to finish.


    With the forces significantly divided into three, one assigned to keep the nobles in check, another to arrest, and thest to rescue the victims of the surprise attacks, everyone was exhausted and pushed to their limits.


    However, not one of them let out a single word ofint or whining. Their minds were focused on their tasks and the end goal which is to take down the people who caused chaos in thend.


    Now it was already dawn and the first light of the morning was already starting to color up the sky.


    Emperor Valentin stood in front of his troops with Leon and his des on his side. They stood a distance away from the Empress Pce as they prepared for their final attack. Keren was also in the team along with her troops from the Temple.


    Around the Ves Estate, General Farauld was apanied by Nathan, the most elite troops from the Imperial Sky Knights. and the representatives from the Temple headed by Joab.


    Holding themunication stone in his hands, Emperor Valentin announced these words from the two battlegrounds,


    "Atst! The time hase for us to punish the sinners of this Empire.


    My men, my people! Raise your swords, circte your mana, and wield your strength! Retaliate to those people who had indiscriminately killed the lives of the innocents and ourrades!


    With our flesh and body, we will face an enemy who wields the otherworldly power of evil. With the fire on our hearts, let''s bring back the clear bright sky for our Empire!"


    "Ohhhhh!!!" With the time finally arriving all of the pent-up emotions that the knights kept while waiting for this day to arrive were let out with their battle cries. Their shouts also signaled their attack on Empress ce and the Ves Estate in the Capital.


    The knights wielded their weapons, summoned their contracted familiars, and charged their mana. All with the intense fire from their hearts, they barged into the territory of the enemy.


    On the Ves Estate, General Farauld need not tell his men to start. Upon the Emperor''s words, they all responded with their resolute actions. Not even respecting the gates, they destroyed the luxurious fences and boundary walls with their powers and headed straight inside.


    But of course, what they saw did not surprise them.


    The estate was eerily silent as if the people inside did not even fear the trespassing men. General Farauld held his hands and signaled everyone to look up.


    There on the highest roof of the estate, stood Duke Maxim. Alongside him were his dark knights, Das and Visam. They wore cold expressions with no traces of fear as they swept their eyes through the crowd of attackers.


    "The Imperial Sky Knights and the Temple? What an excellent move by the Emperor? Say, General Farauld, was the attack by the North also Your Emperor''s doing???" As Duke Maxim finally decided to use force to usurp the throne, he had already dropped all pretense and taunted the General with a condescending tone.


    "Insolent Sinner, how dare you betray the Emperor and the Empire?! Have you not been satisfied with being the second greatest power in thisnd? Such greed, this empire does not need it!" General Farauld deemed answering Duke Maxim''s question meaningless. Instead, he chided the Duke for being a traitor.


    Duke Maxim also understood General Faraulds reaction, feeling funny about the old general who was facing him without knowledge of what wasing next, he could not help but let out a mockingugh.


    "What do you know? General, Oh, General, you came here knowing nothing about me and my family. Oh, let me tell you¡­ you will not also know your Empire''s future upon facing me now!" His mockery rang in the entire grounds of his estate and every ear had heard all of his taunts.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was one thing to mock the General who had brought victories for the Empire for years now, but it is another thing to mock the Empire in its entirety.


    The knights from the pce and even the Temple were almost about to burst into anger upon hearing Duke Maxim''s insolent threats. But with their Leader, General Farauld keeping a calm and steadyposure, they did not dare to let their emotions get the best of them.


    They just stood there, tightening their grips on their weapons, waiting for the General to start the attack.


    Seeing that the troops were not reacting, Duke Maxim just shrugged and signaled for his men. At his cue, multiple figures appeared, looking down on General Farauld''s troops like they were livestock up for ughter.


    The three-story estate was filled by men under the cursed army. It turns out, they have been watching from the windows from the moment the troops entered.


    "Saves me time from going to you all. You were the ones that came to me instead." Duke Maxim had once again addressed General Farauld and his men as he raised his sword and pointed at them.


    At that moment, Das and Orel, along with the cursed army rushed down to the battleground attacking General Farauld''s side without holding back.


    "Men! Fight!" General Farauld raised his sword, signaling their side to also start. He swung his sword and leaped in the air, directly facing Duke Maxim on top of the three-story building.


    Nathan and Joab also knew their tasks and faced Das and Visam respectively.


    As for the other members of the estate and the cursed army they shed with the troops from the Imperial Sky and Temple knights.


    Boom! sh! Swoosh!


    The sound of several metal weapons shing with each other and the heavy and powerful attacks from each side of the forces dominated the battlefield.


    The earthy scent of dust scattered through the air as the violence ensued was adorned by the faint whiff of blood and sweat.


    The morning was yet to arrive and the rays of the sun were supposed toe and bring forth a new beginning for everyone. But to the people on the battleground, what awaits them was either death or survival!


    Duke Maxim felt no fear even if the one he was facing was the revered strongest General of the Empire. To him, in face of the power of the curse, General Farauld''s strength is nothing!


    One hit from his curse spell would equate to the General''s gradual defeat, and so is one sh of his cursed weapon.


    And so, he was still smiling tauntingly when General Farauld went near.


    But there was one obvious thing that he did not consider when it came to fighting against the General - it was the decades and decades of blood bathing on the battlefield!


    When General Farauld figured out Duke Maxim''s naive thinking, he could not help but to break that silly smile on his opponent''s face.


    Zoooooooom!!!


    The decades of pent-up blood lust General Farauld had umted through his countless wars were immediately let loose!


    Suddenly it was like the weight of the heavens were ced upon Duke Maxim''s shoulder, it was so heavy that he could not even feel the strength on his feet.


    He also felt like someone had taken a tight hold of his heart and that he could feel the excruciating pain making him have difficulty in breathing.


    Thud! His knees finally gave out and even made a crack on the brick roof of his estate. Beads of cold sweat rolled on his spine as he finally got a good look at the opponent from his kneeling position.


    Atst, the mocking and taunting in his face were nowpletely wiped out and reced with the expression of utter disbelief!


    This is the strongest General of the Empire!


    General Eugine Farauld!

 Chapter 291 Confrontation (2)

    ?''Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!!''


    Duke Maxim felt like his ribs would be squeezed out of the air as he tried tobat the intimidation from the great General. He tried tomand his body to keep calm and not allow himself to sumb to the fear.


    "Urgggh!" Unlike him who had a strong aptitude with defensive magical abilities, the members of the cursed army had it worse.


    Some of them were not even able tost for a second and had already spat a mouthful of blood, copsing on the ground because they did not expect the extent of the General''s power.


    The dark knights were also greatly affected by the intimidation, albeit they were doing much better than Duke Maxim who was the one nearest to the General.


    Facing Nathan and Joab, their movements be restrained and weaker. Das and Visam wore frustrated expressions as they were also not expecting that General Farauld would have a trump card like this.


    Full of annoyance, Das and Visam signaled each other and both took out a beast caller. The noiseless whistle was able to go through the chaotic battlefield and reached the ears of a certain group of creatures that were just housed inside the Estate.


    "Awoooooo!!!" It just took a few seconds for the people on the battlefield to hear an eerie howling from the inner portion of the Estate.


    Soon there were several creatures with zing purple eyes lurking in the shadows that were heading toward the battlefield. The Imperial Sky and Temple Knights became vignt as to what kind of creatures the dark knights summoned.


    "Ngrrrrrr¡­" Slowly a pack of gray wolves emerged from the shadows, each of them let out a low threatening growl as they look at the knights as if they were their prey. They stood beside the members of the cursed army clearly showing that they were on their side.


    The slight disturbance created by the gray wolves enabled the cursed army to recover, Duke Maxim, Das, and Visam included. In an instant, the favor was returned on their side.


    Wearing a relieved expression, Duke Maxim immediately circted the mana in his body and took out his purple sword, which was iid with foreign runes, making its overall appearance more mystical.


    "I must admit that you were called the strongest General with your vast experience, however, your winning streak has to end here, General Farauld¡­" Duke Maxim shook his sword as he assumed a battle stance to charge at General Farauld at any time.


    "Prove that you are worthy of saying those words." General Farauld calmly retaliated as he casually raised his hand to parry the swift sword attack from Duke Maxim.


    ng! The sound of their swords shing violently rang in their ears and a ruthless exchange of attacks ensued.


    General Farauld was surprised at the swordsmanship Duke Maxim had exemplified, truly the Ves n was one of the most prominent noble houses in the Empire with which talent was not ignored but honed to the highest levels.


    He could not help but be amazed at how the Duke was able to smoothly carry himself against him who had faced all kinds of enemies on the border.


    He had faced the barbarians, the ruthless bandits, highly trained assassins, and elite generals from enemy kingdoms, but Duke Maxim was able to best them all in terms of cunningness and ability.


    General Farauld wondered, how was the Duke able to get fighting experience to be able to develop his fighting skills at this level. He had always thought that the Duke was a good mage, but not a goodbatant.


    Duke Maxim on the other hand was slowly feeling relieved that he was able to hold himself easily against the General.


    While the General was wondering how the Duke was able topete even with his inexperience, he had no idea that the Duke hadpensated for his inexperience by borrowing a little bit of cursed power to covertly activate the array he had previously set up on the roof that they were standing on.


    The array that he installed was something that helped him temporarily peek at the General''s next movement and readily adjust himself to retaliate on his impending attack.


    It was almost the same as the effect of slowing the time for the opponent however, it was only limited to the short distance that he had set for the two of them.


    That was why his attacks were focused on making the General stay within the scope of the array and he hoped that the old man would not notice the meaning behind his actions.


    In order to mask his intent, he used his caster abilities to speed up his movement and asionally attack the General from his blind spots. But in reality, he was making the general stay within the bounds of the array.


    Whenever he was about to go beyond the boundaries, Duke Maxim would change his attack patterns and force him to unconsciously step further into the array.


    But this exchange did notst long as Duke Maxim had expected. In this fight there was another big difference between him and the Duke, it was stamina!


    While he canpensate for his inexperience by peeking into the General''s next move, he had already spent a lot of energy and was not even able tond a clean blow on the General.


    On the other hand, while General Farauld had not noticed the array, he was getting bored of Maxim''s seemingly uniform attack.


    He has found the pattern in his attack and was able to determine that while he was able to initiallypete with him with the swords, he was able to see that this was all he could do with the sword.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    General Farauld looked at the sweating Duke Maxim, while he could not feel his body getting warmed up for a longsting sword battle.


    "Sigh¡­" The General let out a disappointed sigh, it seems like he had evaluated Duke Maxim too early.


    Not wasting time, he lifted his sword and exerted more power than his previous stroke.


    sh!!!


    The heavy sword attack caught Duke Maxim off guard. General Farauld''s attack was so heavy that he had almost lost the grip on his sword.


    Without letting Duke Maxim recover, General Farauld lifted his sword again and started to bombard Duke Maxim with an overwhelming powerful sword attack.


    It was an underestimation to say that the way General Farauld was delivering his blows was like how he would attack if his weapon was a war hammer instead!


    ''D*mn! D*mn! D*mn!'' Duke Maxim was now filled with a great sense of danger as he tried to get away unscathed from General Farauld''s attacks.


    The General had long stepped out of the boundaries of the array and even if he was, it was useless for Duke Maxim to know his next movement because he had no way to retaliate with his heavy attacks!


    ''What to do, what to do! Think! Think!'' He searched in his mind for the possible remedy that he could use at the moment, using the curse would need him to be vacant for at least a second, but with how fast the attacks were he had no way to pause and cast a curse attack!


    He somehow needs the General to be distracted! His eyes darted in Das and Visam''s direction. The two dark knights were also in a close fight with the General''s son, Nathan, and one of the Vice Captains of the Temple Knights, Joab. However,pared to him, the two were still in a better situation.


    It was as if the dark knights felt his desperate gaze, that they both looked in his direction and immediately used their cursed power to shake away the clingy Nathan and Joab. With a surprising curse spell, Nathan and Joab had no choice but to dodge swiftly, making the two dark knights escape from their grasp.


    Das and Visam immediately leaped into the air and simultaneously executed an offensive attack against the General.


    "Father!"


    "General!"


    Nathan and Joab immediately followed as they thought that it would be hard for the General to face three cursed users at once.


    The General felt Das and Visam''s presence immediately disengaged with Maxim, creating a distance, which Duke Maxim desperately needed.


    "Hah!" With Das and Visaming to his side to guard, Duke Maxim was able to finally take a breath.


    Nathan and Joab also stood beside the General, guarding against the opponent''s next move.


    "Hahaha! Good, you people of the Emperor and the Temple! Very good!" Filled with disbelief that the forces he had initially underestimated were not easy opponents and were even able to push them to do extreme measures, the Duke let out a crazedugh.


    "I was still nning to preserve my energy in dealing with you so that I can easily take back the east but¡­ Hahaha! I did not see you alling at me like this!


    Oh, Imperial Family and Seirende Temple! Know on this day that you will forever regret why you choose to go against our Ves n!!!"


    Duke Maxim seemed to have decided to go all out as his crazed voice rang on the entire battlefield.


    --


    Back in the eastern territory, Governor Fidel''s mind could not feel at ease upon knowing the fact that he discovered Ves''s genealogy book!


    How could the Ves n conceal this crucial part of history?!


    How could their family and all of the Empire be fooled by the Ves n for so long?!


    Knowing that this matter was not something he could just carelessly tell over themunication stone, Governor Fidel asked his adjutant,


    "For how long will our troops take to finish the wrap-up? I need to head to the capital at once! My brother needs to know the matter we discovered at once! We need to verify this before we make our next move!"

 Chapter 292 Confrontation (3)

    ?The Ves Estate in the Capital.


    Das and Visam also understood their Master''s intent as they also prepared themselves for what wasing next.


    On Duke Maxim''s hand appeared a crystalline bottle that would be familiar to Randel and the members of the Crimson de.


    It was the mysterious potion that was able to manipte the wolves to transform into hell wolves!


    With a sinisterugh, he raised the bottle up in the air and viciously threw it to the ground.


    The red-colored liquid inside the crystalline container flowed freely on the ground. Its odorless scent was not able to cause an adverse effect to the humans around¡­ but not with the wolves in the battleground.


    Growl!!! Soon, they were shaken by the monstrous growl around the battlefield.


    The sound of the wolves howl was not even as terrifying as the transformation that everyone witnessed. Upon smelling the scent from the crystalline bottle, the wolves began excessively salivating, like rabid dogs that could no longer recover their sanity.


    Their eyes became a lot wider and reddish-purple veins appeared on their eyes, while the size of their bodies increased by several times.


    If Randel and the bunch were here, they would immediately conclude that the hell wolves they have encountered in the Silver Dew Forest were a lot weaker than this one.


    "Horrible people!" General Farauld finally remembered the reports he received from Leon regarding hell wolves and realized that the creatures were the product of the merciless experimentation with wolves and humans.


    Seeing the aberration on General Farauld''s face, a surge of pleasure came out from Duke Maxim''s face. Hisugh continued to resonate on the battlefield as the wolves continued to transform into terrifying creatures.


    "Hahaha! Now you know fear! Everyone shall witness, this is the power of our family!" Duke Maxim boasted with pride.


    With his hands raised, Das, Visam, the cursed knights, and the hell wolves began their merciless attacks on the knights from the opposing side.


    "Roaaaar!!!" The hell wolves let out an angry roar and started to attack the knights from the Pce and the Temple.


    Unlike the ones that were first encountered, the hell wolves in the Ves estate were obviously more sentient than the former. They can recognize who they should attack and do not mistake their allies in their berserk state.


    This posed a great threat to General Farauld''s forces, because not only did they have to guard against the enemy using their curse power, they would have to deal with the rampaging wolves.


    "First team! Fall back!"


    "Team A over here!"


    Nathan and Joab focused on regrouping their troops to think of a strategy to approach the perilous situation. But the knights were overwhelmed by the appearance of the berserking wolves and the cursed army who had also started to attack indiscriminately.


    "Mages, stall the wolves for a bit!"


    "Devourers, take down the wolves!"


    "Summoners! Compensate for the forces by managing the cursed troops!"


    Seeing that Joan and Nathan were having a hard time dealing with the upgraded mob, General Farauld tried to shake away Das, Visam, and Duke Maxim to give brief instructions to the young ones.


    Hearing the General''s words, the panicking knights started to organize themselves ording to the formation that was given by their leaders.


    With great difficulty, they were able to at least hold their ground and minimize the casualties on their side.


    "Tsk, tsk, you really think that your instructions would help improve your situation? General, this is the end for you and your team." Duke Maxim started to also circte his cursed power and charge General Farauld with all his might.


    Das and Visam also joined the battle, not holding back the power they were keeping so well for years.


    General Farauld did not falter but instead, put his mind in a calm and steady state as he observed the movements of the three opponents.


    One of them was a talented swordsman and a caster and the other two of unknown abilities. He also went all out and used double swords to counter the trio.


    Sounds of shing weapons and asional spell sts almost made the roof of the once magnificent estate rx.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His movements were from the countless survival and battle experiences he had umted. He looked like he had eyes on his back and on his supposed blindspots whenever the trio would try to outsmart him with sneak attacks.


    The trio could not help but feel a sense of fear towards the General who was obviously already in his fifties yet still fighting like he was in the prime of his youth. What''s more, they were not even seeing signs of him getting exhausted from their nonstop coordinated attacks.


    The General''s unperturbed expression became a source of panic to Duke Maxim. The longer they kept this fight, the lesser the chances of taking the capital sessfully. He had to think of a way to finish this well!


    But how, there were already the three of them, the highest officers on the Ves''s side, and were already going all out in using their powers. There was no one in the cursed army whom he could call upon to help make the General fall¡­


    Deeply contemting while he was doing his best to fight the General, the Duke''s peripheral vision managed to catch a glimpse of the hell wolves, who had significantly made the battle miserable for the enemy''s side.


    ''Yes! Why did I not think of the hell wolves!'' He thought. Without dying any further he waved his hand and immediately directed three wolves to go and attack the General.


    Soon everyone saw that the General was about to be attacked by the wolves and the trio from all sides! How was he going to survive this!


    "Father!"


    "General!"


    Nathan and the rest of the knights tried to rush in the General''s direction; however, the cursed army and the remaining hell wolves were already too much for them to handle.


    If Randel who was almost in the S ss was almost defeated by an iplete hell wolf, what more would these knights be?


    They were not even strong enough to stop one, how much more to go and rescue the General who was about to face three and another three curse users!


    A great wave of panic and hopelessness showered Nathan, Joab, and the troops, they were about to see their very own General take the fall!


    At the Imperial Pce, the attack also started tomence in seizing Empress Carolina.


    However, unlike the seemingly prepared Ves estate, the pce seemed to have been abandoned as they could not see any guard nor any presence of the enemies around.


    "Could it be that the Empress managed to escape?" Emperor Valentin was immediately worried. The guards assigned to covertly watch the Empress ce had not even noticed the changes that happened in the pce.


    Leon did not believe that this was the case, and so, with the Emperor''s permission, they decided to trespass the pce and search for the Empress and her men. But they were utterly surprised by what they had discovered.


    It was emptied!


    There was not even a shadow of the Empress, not even the knights that had been personally issued by the Imperial Family!


    Where did they all go?


    This greatly confused the spies of the pce as well as the Emperor himself. It was also confirmed by Leon''s troops that there was also no trace of the teleportation array activated within the vicinity. How was it possible for the Empress to disappear without anyone noticing?


    "Are you looking for the people here in the pce?" Just as when Emperor Valentin issued another search order, a cold condescending voice rang from the entrance of the Empress ce.


    He was standing leisurely watching the troops and the Emperor from his position like he was watching a circus performance.


    "Can¡­" Leon identified the person, he was once a notable champion who had his name written in the hall of conquerors on the Tournaments of the Knights. Now, he was just a traitor, a sinner of the Empire and the people.


    "The Empress has long gone¡­ and as for the knights you have installed in this ce???" He held his hand up with his palm facing the sky.


    In the dimly lit sky which was about to be colored by the bright sun, there appeared a dark sinister portal. It was like the dark night sky had been sectioned into a 5-meter diameter circle.


    Then what made the Emperor, Leon, and the knights burn with rage was what they saw right after.


    As Can conjured the sinister portal, a crack appeared glowing in purple, then from the crack came the shower of bloodied armors and swords, knightly uniforms, andstly, unrecognizable dried-up human corpses. It fell down at Can''s side, piling up like a little mountain almost as tall as he is.


    "Heh¡­ why are you looking at me like that? Are you not going to check if the people you look for areplete here?" He teased the angry crowd as his purple eyes glowed with freshly absorbed curse power.


    Can even let out a chuckle and finished his joke, "Ah, do not bother counting, I know they were all the knights you assigned in here, they were 44 in total!"

 Chapter 293 Confrontation (4)

    ?Emperor Valentin almost took out his sword and charged at Can haphazardly. His rage peaked upon seeing how pleased the dark knight was at his murder.


    "Evil! Such evil! May the heavens strike you with the utmost punishment even in the afterlife!" Emperor Valentin cursed vehemently, almost tearing his throat so that the heavens could hear his words.


    Can did not mind Emperor Valentin''s cursing and just let out an amused chuckle. He was not like Duke Maxim who had a deep-seated hatred toward the Imperial family. All he cared about was following his master''s orders and growing his curse powers.


    As such, after a brief banter, he had already made his move and used his mana and melded it with his cursed power. The purple and green light, representing two kinds of power, intertwined with each other and formed several summoning portals around Can.


    "Men, on your guards!" Leon knew that the dark knights were already capable of doing the same things as an open path would do so he carefully warned the knights around.


    In the next moment, several figures emerged from the portals that made the Emperor, Leon, and the rest be astonished once again.


    "Necromancer!" The knights from the Temple who joined the brigade eximed as they recognized the creatures to be human skeletons and even beast''s skeletons that formed an army of the dead.


    In Prasinos, necromancers were like the witches, so rare and also associated with sinister magic. As such, the Temple had the most violent reaction among the crowd as they were the ones who were responsible for apprehending the reports.


    They immediately took their weapons and marched in front of the Emperor, as the matter had already escted to something within their jurisdiction.


    The Emperor also did not stop the Temple knights who were led by Keren, it was much better for them to navigate the fight as they were trained to deal with a necromancer.


    On the other hand, it was more important to divide his forces to search for Empress Carolina who had gotten away ahead of time.


    Emperor Valentin looked at Leon and gave a nod, "Take your men and search for the Empress."


    Leon acknowledged the orders and rallied the des to search for Empress Carolina.


    Can noticed the father and son''s n to divide their forces and immediately said, "Are you thinking of getting away because you have the support from the temple?"


    He casually waved his hands and another set of portals conjured at the back end of the troops'' position, effectively surrounding the Imperial troops.


    "Growl!" Loud ferocious roars sounded through the portals as they watched several gray wolves emerging from the summoning portal.


    Leon, Olivier, and Kayden, who joined the ranks as support for curse-rted injuries, looked at each other because they both recognized the creature. It was the wolves who could berserk and turn into hell wolves which were a product of a sinister experiment of merging human receptors into the wolves.


    Can also did not dilly dally and immediately proved Leon and Kayden''s conjecture. He took out a crystalline bottle with the berserk potion and scattered it in the air, effectively triggering the transformation of the hell wolves.


    The horrifying transformation made the knights shudder as they could not imagine how a normal-looking wolf would transform into a grotesque and terrifying creature that looked like a spawn from the underworld!


    "You can freely divide your troops now, Third Prince and Emperor, divide it to deal with these hell wolves! Oh, by the way, you probably would have sent some troops to the Ves estate, wouldn''t it? Do not worry, the hell wolves might have long devoured them too!"


    Can taunted opponents yet again and took the highest point of the pce to watch the chaos happening below.


    At the site of the battlefield, he was incredibly pleased with the number of people that gathered in Empress''s ce.


    "This is much more food for me and the Empress!" He thought in excitement.


    The hell wolves have the of an A-ss devourer which would already exceed almost ny percent of the troops from the Imperial Pce and the Temple. Add the undead that he summoned, Can was pretty confident that the Emperor had stepped into a losing battle.


    "It''s just too bad that I have to spend a lot of mana and cursed power," He let out a regretful sigh as if dealing with the troops below was a waste of his precious energy.


    When Leon heard that the hell wolves were also present on the Ves estate, he immediately became worried. Hell wolves were incredibly strong and hard to deal with, even with a person with peak A-ss abilities like Randel.


    And to think that one dark knight could summon more than ten wolves at once, how much more would the people in the Ves estate have?!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Emperor Valentin also immediately recognized the perilous situation. They no longer have the luxury to split forces and search for the Empress with the appearance of the deadly rampaging wolves.


    To think that the other half of their forces would be in a much more dangerous situation than they are in!


    And while they were realizing these things, the entire army was already fighting for their lives not to get eaten by the wolves nor get defeated by the undead. It was total chaos!


    "Leon¡­" Kayden, who had been supporting the rear guard, assessed the situation and called his friend. He took out a ss canister containing a light green ointment and continued,


    "I was not able to deepen my research about the hell wolves because of the appearance of the captives, but I was able to replicate the ingredients of the calming potions submitted to you on the wolves you have captured earlier.


    Of course, this one was an ointment version instead.


    The issue was that these wolves right now were clearly a better version of the former, and they could already recognize their allies and enemies. There''s a possibility that this potion could no longer take effect on their berserking


    But would you like to gamble?"


    Kayden asked Leon, it was the first time he would be introducing something to Leon without certainty, but time is of the essence.


    "Let''s do it." Leon disyed no hesitation. They were out of options anyway and everything at hand that could make their battle easier has to be deployed and used.


    "Then I''ll try smearing this to your sword and see if it could affect the hell wolves even a little bit. Let''s hope that this would have some effects if notpletely calm them down." Kayden opened the ss canister and smeared an adequate amount on Leon''s sword, from its tip down to the hilt of the sword.


    Leon then immediately changed to the nearest hell wolf and observed if it would react to the scent of the ointment.


    "Nggrrrr!" The hell wolf gave a threatening growl, he looked at Leon like he was an enemy he had to get rid of.


    Leon brandished his sword, preparing for his next attack. He swung his sword in an attempt to feint and carefully observed the wolf''s reaction. The tip of his sword, which contained the greatest amount of ointment, came to the wolf''s nose.


    "Howl!" The hell wolf let out a howl of agony as if it sustained a grave injury. Then it whined like he was in torture, scratching his head with his sharp paws and shaking it vigorously.


    Leon also observed that the intense bloodlust disyed in its eyes slightly dimmed. "They do not like the smell of the ointment." He concluded.


    Kayden also witnessed and observed Leon''s testing. So without further thought, he took the ointment and smeared it on the nearby knights who had heard of their conversation.


    The crimson des also initiated to push to the vanguard and disseminate the information for the knights to also get an amount of the ointment in their weapons. While they and the knights who had the ointment pushed forward, the knights without an ointment slowly made their way to Kayden.


    The cirction continued until almost a third of the army was able to get the ointment and join the fight. It was a bit inefficient for the army, but with their determination, they were able to make it work.


    Not until Can detected the sudden shift of the battle''s momentum.


    Observing that more and more hell wolves were behaving oddly, he swept his gaze into the battlefield and caught the sight of Kayden, who was deeply protected in the middle, busy administering the ointment to the vacated knights.


    Locking Kayden as his target, he stood from where he was leisurely sitting and immediately leaped down with his hands conjuring a spell to attack Kayden.


    "Tsk tsk¡­ You there¡­ what you are doing is not permitted. I''d have to eliminate you in my yground!"


    Can said as he made his way to attack Kayden with his cursed spell that was formed on top of his palm.


    His target was Kayden''s head!

 Chapter 294 Confrontation (5)

    ?Kayden was still oblivious of the impending danger as he was already sweating a lot from administering the ointment in the middle of the battlefield.


    He was unable to feel the deadly attacking from above.


    However, that does not mean the other people on the battlefield were not able to do so.


    As Can''s figure descended rapidly, so was Emperor Valentin charging his way to protect Kayden. He used his strongest magic, the blue me, to immediately throw it toward Can effectively messing up the other party''s ns.


    Seeing the searing hot ball of fire charging rapidly across the battlefield, Can sensed imminent danger from just feeling the intenting out from the caster, Emperor Valentin. His face clearly showed that Can had no choice but to face him head-on.


    "Tsk¡­ This old man." He whined in his heart while maneuvering to dodge Emperor Valentine''s attack.


    The blue me that went through the battlefield also caught the attention of everyone. It was so rare for them to see the Emperor disy his power, for the young ones, this was even their first time seeing it!


    It was also only then that Kayden realized that the attack was made to save him from Can, who was now standing a few meters away from him.


    The knights had also realized the situation and made way for the Emperor to take on Can while they assisted Kayden out of danger, realizing that he was a key person for the battle ahead.


    "Young man, do not get ahead of yourself for just being able to give us a hard time even if you seem to be ''alone''," Emperor Valentine warned Can as he charged forth and attacked him viciously.


    "Troublesome¡­" Can knew that he could not do away with fighting the Emperor so he had no choice but to take out his cursed weapon and started to defend.


    As a summoner, he greatly relied on his skills in summoning beasts and undead. He had goodbat skills but, facing the Emperor who was a veteran in fighting, at the peak of the A-ss, he was not assured at all.


    ''I might have to consume more power than expected.'' He taught.


    It was imperative for him and the rest of the dark knights to conserve their power for they nned to immediately retake the East Territory after conquering the capital.


    That is why all of them decided not to initially go all out to the fights with the Emperor as they thought that the other party would not have any means to retaliate.


    But from what he can see now, it seems like the knights of the Emperor and the Temple were more resilient than expected. They seemed to also be unafraid or uncaring about the possibility of dying from the curse.


    This unprecedented oue from his side of the fight had forced him to deviate from the initial agreement to hold back and conserve. From what he can see, going all out is the only way to settle the matter at once.


    Little did he know that all of hisrades were also pushed to the corner and had all decided to go all out with their opponents, even the Duke was forced to think of unconventional means to turn the tables around!


    With his Father Emperor taking on the dark knight, Leon started to diminish his presence and covertly eliminated some of the hell wolves to ease the burden of the remaining knights.


    His orders were to take his men to search for the Empress and he had to carry it out as soon as the situation on the battlefield stabilized.


    One hell wolf, two¡­ ten¡­ with the busy crowd, everyone did not notice that the burden of fighting was slowly being lifted off their shoulders.


    Seeing that he had eliminated a number of wolves, he signaled the des to gather and assist Kayden to withdraw from the battlefield.


    "You have a choice, join me in search for the Empress or rush to the Ves Estate to bring the ointment." Leon saw the distress in Kayden''s face.


    He knew that his friend wanted the other side of the battle to also survive the ferocious wolves and the ointment will help a lot in this matter. But that would also mean that he would lose his chance to carefully observe the curse usering from the Empress.


    "I will go to the estate," Kayden said with a determined voice, what use would the research be if the people who need it the most would perish.


    Leon heard Kayden''s decision and nodded with understanding. "Olivier, assist the doctor to the Ves Estate, also do what you can to help the General on that battlefield." He ordered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will, your Highness!" Olivier received the orders and immediately summoned his winged beast.


    "Doctor, I''ll have to fly you all the way to the estate." Olivier used his summoning abilities and took Kayden speedily to the Ves Estate.


    Leon nced at the remaining des andmanded, "des, let''s also head off."


    But before he left, he summoned a tiny golem out and let him stay on a nearby tree, "Biggie, please protect Father when dangeres, can you?"


    "Weeeeee!" Biggie let out a wheezing sound as his eyes glowed to express his affirmative response. He then leaped down to the tree and dived to the ground. A very faint glowing light appeared on the spot hended and then it moved toward Emperor Valentin''s direction.


    "Let''s go." Seeing Biggie settle down, Leon and the rest finally moved out of the Empress''s ce to immediately search for the Empress.


    "Spread out in pairs, summoners with a caster or a mage. Summoners shall expand the search with the familiars while your pairs back you up in case of an encounter. Immediately notify at the sight of the target and do not engage no matter what. I''ll handle the entire proximity of the pce." He ryed his instructions and sent the rest of the des.


    While he on the other hand also used his abilities as an S ss summoner to start his search. No matter where the Empress went to hide, he was determined to find her and end everything!


    Meanwhile, Kazimir was already informed of the attack that Emperor Valentin did on his Maternal Uncle and Mother, he did not voice his objection or approval. He just expressed his wishes for his Father''s safety and went to continue his duties to rescue the victims of Roman''s attack.


    "Your Highness, First Prince¡­" One of the knights from the Temple went to report to him to tally the number of the victims that needed to be sent to the temple.


    Because the number of the victims was just too much for the doctors within the capital and even the Imperial family, they already pleaded to the Temple to help in attending to the injured.


    "We have finished the rescue operations on all sites. The ones with minor injuries were also attended to. There were a total of thirty people that needed immediate medical attention. I have arranged for a way to send them to the Temple. Your Highness, your orders?" The knight asked.


    "I''ll follow the wounded to the Temple, continue to assign knights to assist the affected citizens, and immediately inform me if there are any problems. I need to stay close to the critically injured in case the Temple needs assistance from the pce."


    Kazimir was still looking a little lethargic because of his recent condition, but the focus and determination in his eyes made the knights around drawn to the way he led the rescue operations.


    Kazimir had long feared that these knights would have looked down on him because his very own family was the mastermind of all the bad things that happened to the people of the Empire.


    However, contrary to what he was thinking, the respect of the knights went up to another level.


    It was because, in their eyes, Kazimir chose to go out while knowing that he would face the people''s contempt for the deeds done by his maternal family. He did not even mind that he was still not in a good physical and mental state, yet he chose to stand as the prince of the Empire and do the right thing.


    Their trip to the Temple was rather solemn and quiet. Kazimir who was sitting on a flying beast looked at the capital and the faint rumbling on the certain locations of the Empire, the Ves Estate in the Capital, and the Empress ce.


    He looked at the debris that was left because of the explosions made by Roman. His heartfelt extreme pain and unbelief as hemented, "Mother, Uncle, what have you done¡­"


    They silently entered the Temple, where they were weed by the priests and clerics who had already prepared a receiving area for the wounded.


    The Temple servants proved to be more efficient when ites to dealing with the crisis. They were organized in attending to the patients and as Kazimir watched everything happen, his heart was graduallyforted by the hope that he was seeing.


    The busy people in the Temple and even Kazimir who was also going out of his way to assist the temple servants were not aware that a certain person was looking coldly down to the grounds of the Temple.


    Her amethyst eyes were filled with coldness and hate. It was apparent that she had a fit of deep-seated anger that she had to take out and had chosen the sacred temple grounds to be her dumping ground.


    The one standing afloat in the air was one other than Empress Carolina, Kazimir''s birth mother!

 Chapter 295 Confrontation (6)

    ?"For a year I stayed in this ce, all to create for myself a worthy image for Valentin. But in the end, I was still unable to get what I truly wanted." Her words were full of angst, frustration, and a trace of sadness.


    In between her words, Empress Carolina could hear coercive whispers to influence her thinking, "Destroy¡­ destroy all of them¡­ The Pce¡­ The Temple¡­ Everything!"


    It was as if the whispers were aligned with her emotions, Empress Carolina was unbothered by the voices in her head.


    "Now everything is falling to nothingness, might as well see literally everything crumble!" She let out a soft chuckle under her expression that was already exhibiting delusion. "I''ll start with this ''holy'' ce!"


    She finally moved her hand and started to conjure arge amount of cursed power.


    At first, it was the size of a basketball, but she slowly manipted it to make the power more concentrated until it was only the size of a golf ball. The purple ball also darkened as it shrunk until it became pitch ck at its final size.


    It will only take one look at this particr jet-ck ball to make a person fall into a state of panic and terror. It was like a gate to the underworld, ready to open for the beings below!


    It was such a contrast as the sunshine was already peeking to bring a new beginning to everyone in thisnd, yet the jet ck ball was something that would be the end of some.


    The sinister presence that was emitted by the ball was felt by certain people of the Temple, particrly the priests, the temple knights, and their High Priest Enoch.


    Upon sensing the threat, they immediately went out and checked who the attacker was. To their surprise, it was none other than the Empress of the Seirende Empire, Carolina!


    High Priest Enoch leaped in the air, exemplifying his magical aptitude and power as the high priest, while the rest below divided their tasks.


    The first were tasks to activate the defensive barrier of the Temple while the others were in charge of the evacuation of the civilians to a safe zone.


    The appearance of Empress Carolina with an obvious intent to kill people has effectively determined that the Temple has be a battleground and was no longer safe for the injured who were just sent a few moments ago.


    "What''s happening?" Surprised at the sudden actions of the Temple, Kazimir was immediately rmed. Something must have happened for the temple servants to suddenly instruct everyone to evacuate in haste.


    "T-this¡­ Your Highness, First Prince¡­" The temple servant Kazimir confronted became helpless, he did not know how to tell Kazimir what was actually happening.


    Seeing the panic and hesitation in the temple servant''s eyes, Kazimir already guessed in his heart. However, he still maintained hisposure and asked calmly, "Tell me, so that I know what to do to help."


    "T-this¡­ Your Highness¡­ Her Majesty Empress is currently outside in an attempt to attack the Temple." Although Kazimir was outwardly calm, there was an invisible aura in him that influenced the temple servant to sumb to his insistence. He eventually told everything that happened.


    Kazimir''s face immediately darkened as his doubts were confirmed by the temple servant. He took his sword and rushed outside the Temple after reminding the temple servant to take charge of the people that had to be evacuated.


    There he saw the situation outside where both parties were on stand down. No one dared to budge nor breathe for the fear that the impending fight would explode.


    "Empress¡­ what is the meaning of this?" High Priest Enoch calmly asserted the power that has been conjured by Empress Carolina.


    He was trying to buy time for the priest teams to activate the defensive barriers as such even if the threat was already up for deployment he approached the situation with an assertive and calm demeanor.


    "Nothing, I just think that this ce would be a nice location for my new pce." Empress Carolina answered in a rather confident manner. She no longer held pretenses and spoke her mind out without restraint.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Empress, you know that what you are doing will make you the enemy of the Temple right? Not even your identity would protect you from this." High Priest Enoch replied, trying to calm the deluded Carolina.


    Empress Carolina raised her brows, there was a trace of ridicule in her eyes as she looked at the High Priest. In her amethyst eyes, not a trace of respect nor regard could be seen when she looked and interacted with the High Priest. This conduct itself was already a tant disrespect on her part, yet it seemed like this was not a matter for her.


    "I wouldn''t care about that!" Empress Carolina then raised her hands in a gesture to throw the jet ck ball down the Temple grounds.


    "Mother!" Before she could do so, a familiar voice shouted directly from below. The moment she saw who the owner of the voice was, she was startled so much that she even attempted to extinguish such a concentrated ball of cursed power on her back, like a child that was in a hurry to hide something from her parents.


    "Kazimir, son!" There was a wave of shock and guilt in her tone. If not for Kazimir announcing his presence, he could have been killed by her attack. She could have killed her very own son!


    "Mother, whatever you are nning, stop at once. Please, I beg you, let''s end this now." Kazimir stepped forward, slowly moving forward to face his mother, Empress Carolina.


    It was the first time he begged her in public like this, but Kazimir wanted Empress Carolina to still have a little way out even after inciting a rebellion against the Empire. As his son, it would be a lie if he said that he was alright with all that her mother was doing, that also goes with the consequences she would be facing.


    It would be a lie if he said that he does not care! He cared! He cared about it a lot! He cared so much that he was doing this in hopes that everything would not end in an ugly way for the empire and his maternal family.


    "Kazimir¡­ please understand, I am doing this for you! I am doing this for our family. It is for our good!" Empress Carolina quickly regained herposure and spoke to Kazimir like how she convinced him every time he questioned why he must not regard his siblings as equals.


    "Mother¡­ open your eyes¡­ look what happened to our Empire. Is this the thing that you are talking about? Is this all for our own good?" Kazimir couldn''t believe what his eyes saw, his mother was no longer in her right mind. "Mother, please stop, this is wrong. Please stop all of this¡­"


    "Kazimir, are you questioning your mother''s decision? Are you betraying me now?!" When Empress Carolina heard Kazimir''s words, all of her reasons disappeared. Her mind was filled with the fact that her very own son was now doing something against her wishes.


    "No! No!! I raised you! I gave birth to you! And from the moment you are born, you listened to me! Why are you now going against my wishes! No Kazimir! Get up here or I''ll be the one to drag you out there!"


    "Mother, I beg you onest time¡­ Please stop all of this. Or else¡­" Kazimir was extremely heartbroken that he was not able to make his words resonate with his mother. However, he had to do what was right, even if it meant arresting her mother.


    He used his wind magic to float beside the High Priest who was still mid-air, "I''d have to stand on the opposite side!"


    "You dare! Kazimir!" Empress Carolina''s eyes widened in disbelief. The son she had painstakingly raised and spoiled with love was now saying to her face that he would face her as the enemy! "Kazimir, get back here!"


    "Mother¡­ you leave me no choice. The power you are using is clearly evil. Now you are even using it to bring harm to our people. As the firstborn son of the Seirende Imperial Family, I will stand in front of you as an enemy!"


    Kazimir uttered these words with a heart that was utterly crushed. It still came to a point where he had to point his sword at his beloved mother.


    "Ahaaaa¡­ Ahahahahahaha!!! This is ridiculous! Ahahahaha¡­ My son, my very own son!!!" Filled with disbelief Empress Carolina let out a crazedugh that was almost thunderous. Her sinisterugh filled the grounds and everyone who heard it could feel the evil that was about toe forth.


    "How remarkable of you to be so proud of your Seirende blood! But Kazimir, oh my beloved son, let me tell you, just as you are a Seirende¡­ YOU ARE A VESALA TOO!"


    As soon as she released these words, the pitch-ck ball suddenly transformed into a long active vine and directly charged at Kazimir without any warning!

 Chapter 296 Confrontation (7)

    ?An attack from Empress Carolina has been already expected by everyone.


    However, the person who she was attacking came out as a shocking surprise! To think that the Empress will not hesitate to attack her own son!


    Facing his mother alongside High Priest Enoch, Kazimir remained calm and immediately maneuvered midair to dodge Empress Carolina''s attack. The ck cursed vines were freely extending as they continued to crack Kazimir''s movement even if it had already clearly evaded them.


    High Priest Enoch also did not state idle as he tried to also distract Empress Carolina''s chase with his spells. As he cast some warning spells. He observed that the vines were behaving very oddly.


    The vines relentlessly followed Kazimir and no amount of attack would keep it from extending and following wherever he escaped. The sword attacks also did not make any difference as the vine would only continue to extend even if Kazimir was able to sever a part of it.


    To confirm his theory, he immediately changed his attacking pattern and switched into close-quarterbat with his holy staff.


    Empress Carolina was not well versed in closebat however, her caster abilities were superb and it was demonstrated by the astonishing control of her mana, perfectly blocking the spots where High Priest Enoch attacked.


    But this brief exchange had confirmed High Priest Enoch''s theory about the vine that was endlessly chasing Kazimir.


    The vines were operating on their own, either it was sentient or Empress Carolina was actually casting a conditional spell to capture Kazimir at all cost. Seeing that even if Empress Carolina was distracted by High Priest Enoch''s movement it proved that the efficiency of the ck curse vine remained unaffected.


    Moments after the first exchange of the battle, the Temple Knights and the High Priest had already finished their preparations and started to support Kazimir and High Priest Enoch.


    As Empress Carolina had already initiated her attack, it meant that she had officially be the enemy of the Temple. Due to this, it is imperative that the Temple''s resources would automatically be deployed to apprehend her.


    With the additional yers in the fight, Empress Carolina did not even budge an inch, there was something in her that made her unafraid and confident about even taking several knights and priests head-on.


    She used her multi-attribute mana, wind, earth, and lightning, to fight the enemies.


    Earth for shielding herself.


    Wind and Lightning forbined mobility and attack.


    Her being a proud Empress from the Ves house was really not only in name but also in her high aptitude as a Caster Mage.


    Even Kazimir was almost caught by the curse vine because he was surprised by how his mother was so good at using her abilities to fight!


    The sky was already turning on a lighter shade of blue and everything was already starting to get visible. Empress Carolina was also starting to see how many people were against her at the moment.


    But to her, it was still something that she could manage. The only annoying one in the crowd in her eyes would be the ever cunning High Priest Enoch.


    Empress Carolina could only see him casually attack here and there but there is no trace of anything that could help her gauge whether the High Priest was stronger than her or not. Perhaps it might be because of his age that he was already experienced staying low key until the right timing arrives or he was just that weak.


    As for Kazimir, she was not even a little bit worried. Just as High Priest Enoch had predicted, her cursed vine is actually a conditional cursed spell with the order as ''Capture Kazimir at all cost''.


    She had to discipline her child after all because he was blinded by the self-righteousness hiding in his heart. ''At all cost, I must let him understand why I am right and the Ves is meant for greatness!'' She dered in her heart.


    Her nonchnce worried the Temple''s forces more as it indicated that the Empress was really not seeing the Temple as a threat to her power. As such the Temple Knights began to execute coordinated attacks with the priests and started to use their spiritual powers to increase their aptitude.


    The sudden increase in their strength did not surprise Empress Carolina as she had already known a thing or two about the nature of spiritual power during her one-year stint in the temple.


    What surprised her was how hard it was to deal with a coordinated attack from a group of experienced knights without having a good aptitude inbat.


    Because of the forceful and heavy attacks from the knights and the awkward timing of the ranged attack by the priests, Empress Carolina started to finally feel the pressure of handling many at once.


    "Trying to drive me into the corner, I see!" Even so, she was still confident that she would win alone. The fact that she even attempted to destroy the Temple on her own was the greatest testament to that,


    And so, she started to embed cursed power to her mana and started to release vicious wide area attacks.


    Wind des and lightning shocks all embedded with cursed power, these attacks alone managed to injure half of the Temple''s force at once.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Not good¡­" High Priest Enoch was immediately rmed by the overwhelming result of embedding the curse power into one''s talents. The increase in potential was even more terrifying than the proven rate of increase when they used spiritual power.


    "If the wrong people saw this, this will encourage them to desire the power of the curse more than sticking to mana or spiritual power!" This was the thing that worried High Priest Enoch, and as the sun continued to shine and so was the number of witnesses that would be able to figure out this ugly truth.


    He did not want this battle to be a catalyst for the people to spread the use of curse power!


    Deciding to finally step into the fight, he raised his staff and made a striking action as if he was hitting the ground with his staff even though he was still mid-air.


    "Vooooong!" A loud humming sound resonated on the battlefield, it was life, a trumpet calling forth the armies of heavens to punish the evil on the heart.


    "Ah!!" Empress Carolina did not know why, but upon hearing the sound, she felt a striking pain in her head and felt a strong sense of apprehension and fear towards the sound.


    The vine was also affected as its speed slowed at a visible speed.


    High Priest Enoch continued to produce the sound and Empress Carolina continued to shout in agony like she was being subjected to torture under it.


    Seeing that she was already distracted and weakened by High Priest Enoch''s support, the remaining forces continued their attacks in order to punish Empress Carolina and end the battle.


    It was too bad that they could not kill the Empress because of the possibility of the angel''s spirit fragment appearing from a curse power user.


    All they knew was there was only one person who could manage to deal with the spirit fragment in the entire Empire, and that was the Subject to the Oracle.


    "Charge!" The temple knights shouted in unison as they started to go beyond Empress Carolina''s defense and tried to weaken her by inflicting injuries and weakening her physical state.


    Along with the continuous sound from High Priest Enoch''s staff and thebined attacks from the forces, wounds and injuries started to cover Empress Carolina''s pampered body.


    "Ahhh!!! Curse you! Curse you all! I''ll put you all to death!" Her loud cries continued as she struggled to divide her attention to defend herself and deal with the painful effect of the sound.


    Kazimir could only bite his teeth in a deep painful struggle. It was painful to hear his mother''s cry.


    Heaven knows how much he wanted to move toward his mother and tried to shield her from the pain!


    But because he wanted everything to end, he persevered and begged the heavens to at least forgive him and his mother.


    A great wave of guilt rushed through his pale face where his tears of heartbrokenness flowed freely like a river. "I''m sorry mother¡­ I''m sorry¡­"


    "D*mn, I''ll kill you all!!!!!!" As the peak of the torture reached Empress Carolina''s limit, so were these words that came out of her mouth.


    At the same moment, Mishael and Eli were already at their third to thest array monument. The amount of power needed for their tasks had already taken their entire nighttime and yet they were still not done.


    Just as when they were about to start embedding Eli''s spiritual energy into the array monument, Mishael froze and his beautiful face wore a grave expression.


    "Mdy¡­ I''d have to apologize." He said, interrupting Eli''s actions.


    "I''d have to ask you to go on ahead to finish these remaining three monuments on your own for the High Priest and the Temple were now in grave danger¡­" Mishael looked at Eli directly. There''s pleading and desperation in his voice.


    "Then let me go with you!" Eli immediately became worried the moment she heard his words, especially about the High Priest''s current situation.


    "No can do, Mdy, this task was needed for us to ultimately win this fight! It was only you who could do it¡­ Mdy, let me do the fighting, I plead with you."


    Mishael had already understood what was in Eli''s heart but he could not grant her request.


    For the situation was so dire that he did not even know if he would be able to see the High Priest alive upon his arrival!

 Chapter 297 Carolinas Power (1)

    ?Eli did not respond but she knew that she truly did not have any luxury to help others with the task at hand.


    Seeing that Eli understood the situation, Mishael gave her the entire blueprint, a map, and a set of instructions, "I leave with you this winged beast to carry you to thest two sites and uponpletely finishing the task, you are to activate the array on thest array monument immediately."


    "I understand¡­" Eli received everything with haste and did not see Mishael off, the faster she ended the task the earlier she could make a difference for everyone in this fight.


    For now, the only thing that she could do was to finish her part of the battle, and that was to infuse her spiritual energy into the remaining arrays.


    Gritting her teeth, she climbed on top of the array and started reinforcing the runes while embedding her spiritual powers in the process.


    In reality, arrays were just like coding a program. The runes represent thenguage used by software and the conditions and spell were the logic and algorithms that make the array behave the way it was intended.


    The blueprint made by Mishael was understandable and easy to implement, as such he was confident that Eli could pull this task off.


    On the Temple grounds, there was a strange change that was happening to Empress Carolina as she continued to curse.


    "I''ll kill you all! All of you!!! Kill!! Kill!! Kill!!!!" She cursed them as ck and purple waves of mana started to congeal in her body.


    It circted from her head, all the way to her toes then it all went back to the ce where her heart was.


    "Killing you is just a piece of cake¡­" Her voice changed drastically, incredibly low, nasty, and sinister. She was like a messenger of death as her amethyst eyes glowed like it was a monster lying in the dark. "But do not want you to die without seeing how powerful the Ves were. Yourst moments will be you finally understand the extent of our powers!"


    Rumble!!!!


    The cirction of the ck and purple mana rose up in the sky, swirling violently and rapidly, like a little whirlpool of air slowly bing a ferocious tornado. Empress Carolina was the one standing at the center of it, like the goddess of disaster ready to strike thend.


    The nearby knights and priests were the first ones to feel the first wave of attack, a purple wind de striking their bodies making them fly several meters away from their initial spot.


    "Puff!!" They let out mouthfuls of purple blood indicating that a strong, fast-acting curse had hit them along with the wind de.


    "Quick, take the injured and administer the medicine." High Priest Enoch did not dare to let the others get near the Empress whose deathly aura became intense as the second went by.


    Hemanded everyone to stand back and go inside the barrier which had already been activated. He also immediately flew towards Kazimir who was frozen in shock upon seeing the transformation of his mother.


    The ck vine had long captured him, however, because of the utter bafflement, his mind no longer cared for the vine that was already restraining him.


    "Keep yourself together young man! That was no longer your mother!" High Priest Enoch struck the coiling vines with his staff and immediately destroyed the portion of the vines that were already wrapping Kazimir''s body.


    But the vines were still working as soon as Kazimir was out of its grasp, without any choice, High Priest threw him down into the defensive barrier down below the Temple Grounds.


    The vine followed Kazimir all the way down, however, the defensive barrier effectively stopped the vines'' attempt to break through.


    "High Priest!" The servants of the Temple became worried as it was now only High Priest Enoch who was outside the barrier.


    They wanted him to alsoe down and protect himself from the curse attacks by the Empress.


    "No¡­ all others who still have spiritual powers, conserve your energy and continue to reinforce the barrier until Mishael finishes their task." High Priest Enoch strictlymanded them, the only thing that he could do was to lessen the burden that the barrier would take from the Empress'' attacks.


    What he feared the most had already happened, Empress Carolina was far stronger than they expected her to be when she fully used the curses, he was suddenly worried about how strong the others became on the other parts of the battlefield.


    "Heh¡­ You think you and your people could withstand my attacks with just you and that pitiful barrier?" Empress Carolina taunted High Priest Enoch''s futile effort to keep his people safe.


    After saying those words, she created giant earth boulders. Just one of these boulders could immediately crush the entire worship ce of the Temple!


    A cold wave of terror made Kazimir almost fall on his knees out of the extreme fright of seeing those boulders covering the sky, threatening to crush him and the people at any time.


    High Priest Enoch was already preparing arge-scale spell that could definitely destroy a portion of these boulders. He tried to calcte which of these boulders would fall outside the bounds of the temple and could potentially hit other innocent people, but reality hit him - he could not protect them all!


    Still, he activated his wide-area destructive spells and managed to clear three-fourths of the boulders rushing down at them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Boom! Grumble!!!


    A giant white light beam crashed into them in a rain of giant boulders, clearing the morning sky.


    The rest of the boulders still fell on the defensive barrier and created ripples indicating that the defensive barrier managed to take care of the rest that High Priest Enoch missed.


    "Hmmm, it seems like you were a little stronger than I thought, High Priest!" Empress Carolina raised her brows in interest as she continued, "Well let''s see how long you could withstand these!"


    This time, the number of boulders doubled and it was now coated with ayer of purple light, indicating that it contained curse power.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Rumble!


    High Priest Enoch did not have time toplete his spell and had only managed to destroy the area within his five-meter radius.


    This meant that not only did he manage to lessen the burden on the defensive barrier, the number of boulders that would fall into the temple grounds almost tripled!


    "No¡­" He cried out in rm, extremely in distress, there was no way that the people on the ground would survive.


    For not only did he know that the boulders doubled, it was far stronger than the first wave, as such even his spell was not able to do much but defend himself!


    Turning his back to Empress Carolina, he tried to descend down to the Temple grounds to rescue the people out of desperation.


    "Tsk tsk¡­ High Priest, did anyone ever tell you not to carelessly show your back to the enemy?" Empress Carolina saw the High Priest frantically rushing down. She pointed her finger and conjured a tiny ck-purple ball.


    She shot it towards the unguarded High Priest.


    "High Priest behind you!!!" The people below panicked as they saw what was about to happen. The situation was already dire, above them were massive giant boulders that could finish them in a second, and the sight of their High Priest dying as they helplessly watched.


    "Someone¡­ is there someone who could help us¡­" The priests cried out to the heavens, pleading and begging in their hearts to turn the seemingly impossible situation.


    "Mother¡­ stop all of this!!! Kazimir almost tore his vocal cords in calling out to his mother; however, the moment their eyes met, he finally understood why High Priest Enoch told her that it was no longer his mother who they were fighting against.


    The look in her eyes was distant and cold, there was not even a trace of acknowledgment that he was her son in her eyes. Someone had taken over his mother''s body!


    As the realization hit upon Kazimir and the rest, so did the boulder and the purple-ck ball moved towards their respective targets.


    Doomed¡­ They were really doomed. They closed their eyes and covered their ears, epting the fact that the boulders would crush them right at that moment.


    However¡­ a second had passed and the expected time of impact had note.


    Three seconds passed¡­ Five seconds¡­ Ten!!! Nothing came down to crush them all.


    Kazimir and the people finally opened their eyes and saw what was happening. With their bodies still shaking in fear, their eyes slowly darted up to see the bright sky and countless speckles of rainbow-colored mana falling down gently like rain.


    There they saw a distant figure, standing far above the sky, where the highest boulder could have been formed.


    Then on his side was the High Priest who was still in shock about how fast everything had happened.


    No one who had ever witnessed this would ever forget what they have just seen, even Empress Carolina who was also looking above.


    Red hair as deep as blood, a face as cold as ice and an aura as valiant and as bloodthirsty as the strongest hero ever known.


    A pair of crystal blue eyes that were the noblest symbols of the monarch of thend, staring down at her as if he had already seen through the depths of her soul.


    The person whom she had always regarded as trash and an eyesore perfect to be bullied and ridiculed.


    It was none other than Leon, the third prince of the Empire and the son of the woman she hated the most, - Queen Teh!

 Chapter 298 Carolinas Power (2)

    ?Empress Carolina''s amethyst eyes widened in disbelief, the veins on her eyes became so red from extreme agitation.


    "No way!


    No way¡­ No way!!!


    That was arge-scale earth spell that was already at the S level with the curse power! And yet he cleared it all with just a single attack while also casually saving the High Priest! Even my curse tornado vanished!


    No!!!! No freaking way!!"


    Even as the rainbow dust rained down on her surroundings and the bright sunlight had already started to bring heat to her skin, Empress Carolina could just not ept the fact that someone in this Empire could stop her ultimate attack!


    "You are just a trash prince! How are you able to do that! No! Who are you!!!" Her usations came out one after another. Her voice was even enhanced by her curse power in order for many people to hear.


    "Who are you!!!" Empress Carolina shouted at the top of her lungs as she demanded a clear answer from Leon.


    "Look up and see that the man in front of you was none other than the trash Third Prince of this Empire! Leon Andrae De Seirende!" Leon''s gaze became sharper and colder as he looked down at the frenzied Carolina.


    "Ahahahahahha! How dare you trick me!" There was still a trace of unbelief in her expression.


    Letting out a crazedugh, she startedbining all four powers that she had - wind, lightning, earth, and the curse power.


    Crackle!!! Booom!!


    The skies started to darken once again and hundreds of boulders appeared in the air, this time not only covered the Temple grounds but the entire Capital. Everyone who was outside at the moment had seen the terrifying skies.


    In distant viges and mountains a little far from the capital, the people became worried as they saw a dark gloom casting over the heart of the Empire.


    The thunder roars and the fierce wind blows violently, the lightning also peeks in between the boulders slowly forming on the clouds. Purple streaks of light also filled the entire sky immediately casting a fearsome apocalyptic feeling that was about to descend into the Empire!


    Duke Ves who was coordinating his attack with the wolves and the knights all paused because of this scene. Although they managed to severely wound the General, some doctor and a person from the Crimson de came to assist and kept their grounds.


    The moment the skies darkened on the Capital, Duke Maxim and the dark knights could not help but pause in apprehension.


    Looking at the impending doom that was about to fall to every part of thend, Duke Maxim mumbled, "Carolina what are you up to?"


    It was the same instance with the side of Can who was fiercely engaging Emperor Valentin who had been at a disadvantage because of his vast experience. But when the skies changed they all paused and looked up, their hearts trembling in shock at what was about to happen to everyone.


    "Even if my presence there would not make a difference, I will fulfill my role to the end!" Mishael also gritted his teeth and prayed to the heavens that he would make it on time. Even if his heart had already plummeted down in despair and hopelessness, he still continued his journey back.


    Apparently, the one who was oblivious about the situation was Eli who was currently threading the path on the old-style sewer system of the Capital. She was now on her way to the second to thest array monument and was panting hard from the narrow pathway where she had no choice but to take on the nasty path.


    "This is the shortest route to the array monument! If it saves me five minutes to do so, I don''t mind swimming in these stinky sewers!" Eli dered in her heart as she single-mindedly passed through the narrow and grimy passageway.


    Leon looked at the scale of Carolina''s next attack with his ever calm eyes.


    "Third Prince, an attack of this scale¡­ I''m afraid¡­" High Priest Enoch immediately recovered from his initial shock and was now back to his battle mode. Even if he was far from Leon''s aptitude, he had to stand and fight till the end.


    "Your Eminence, please do me a favor and help the people under the barrier." Leon politely declined the High Priest''s offer of help and gestured to him to go under the barrier with an assuring tone.


    Leon figured out that thestrge-scale defense spell had already consumed the High Priest''s mana. He was definitely sure that the High Priest ns to use his remaining vitality next in order to fuel his spells while helping him fight with Carolina, which he did not want the elderly High Priest to do.


    "..." High Priest Enoch did not answer for a while and studied Leon''s expression. ''Ah¡­ true enough, hope would arise from thend¡­'' He concluded in his heart as he gazed at the valiant back of Leon who was already preparing for his move.


    Letting out a gentle smile, High Priest Enoch, started to descend on the barrier. However, when he nned to do it quickly, his vision dimmed and his entire body suddenly lost its strength! "Ah¡­ I am really getting old¡­" He whispered as he saw himself fall down rapidly to the ground.


    Whoosh!! But before had reached the dangerous altitude, a gentle force stopped his fall and slowly assisted his weakened body on the ground. "Mishael.." He mumbled as his eyes shut in exhaustion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Up in the sky, Leon started to pronounce severalmands that would make the eavesdroppers think that he was talking to himself alone.


    "Biggie, shield the Imperial pce! Avion do your best to sweep away the debris in order to prevent the people from suffocating in the dust! Spirit fairies, I implore you to lend me the power of all the elements and create ayer of barrier in the entire capital!"


    At the same time, the little golem biggie emerged in between Emperor Valentin and Can.


    "Vrooooo!" His tiny golem body grew slowly until he became an enormous giant and clumps of earth started to emerge and formed a giant umbre covering the entire imperial pce with a protectiveyer.


    "Weee!" Avion also did her best by also expanding into a magnificent Eagle with an enormous and majestic wingspan! As she pped her wings, the wind blew and immediately disrupted the harsh winds created by Carolina''s power.


    "Sheeeee!" Around the capital emerged countless multicolored light orbs. They started to cover every part of the city forming ayer of a barrier as a final defense for the people on thend.


    This happened all in an instant as Leon raised his hands and did not even wait if Carolina would really control such arge-scale spell at once.


    "You think you are the only one who could do such a terrifying spell?" Leon looked down once again at Carolina while ayer of yellow light formed in his hands.


    Receiving his cold piercing re, Carolina flinched in a bizarre feeling of fear. But her fear proved to be not unfounded because, at the next moment, Leon waved his hands and drew something in the air using the palm of his hand, the yellow light seemed to act like an ink painting on the dark purple sky.


    It was only a single character from an ancient rune, but every prince of the royal family would understand what it means - vanish!


    Vooooooooo!


    As soon as the stroke of the run wasplete, the yellow golden light expanded like a star suddenly exploding. Carolina''s eyes became flooded by the pure yellow light almost blinding her on the spot. "Ahhhh!" She cried in pain as she felt that her eyes were stung by the harsh bright light.


    The next thing everyone witnessed was the peaceful skies once again and the valiant young man casually waving his hand to vanish the yellow light on his palm.


    This time, everyone outside saw, enemies and allied forces included, who was the savior that took out the threat in one swoop!


    It was none other than the Third Prince of the Empire! The supposedly D ss Devourer Prince!


    "Unbelievable!" Kazimir and the people who were the closest eyewitnesses to everything that happened all dropped to their knees with abined feeling of fear and astonishment.


    Kazimir''s heart almost stopped as he tried to figure out what Leon had just done.


    "What kind of power was this?


    How could he do something like that?


    Isn''t he a D-ss trash devourer?


    He had summoned spirit faires, cast a strong spell, and was a well-known devourer. Don''t tell me he is an Open Path!!!!"


    Empress Carolina looked at the clear skies in despair. Her ultimate magic was gone just like that. Her eyes, which she was unaware had suddenly turned dull gray, looked at Leon in disbelief.


    "A person like you with low blood dared to have a power greater than mine? Hahahahaha! Third Prince! In your dreams!" Carolina still did not sumb to her defeat and started to stretch her hand in the air.


    In the next moment a sinister-looking grimoire appeared, it was the grimoire that she and Maxim managed to obtain in the Ves''s ancestral tomb!


    Leon also caught a glimpse of the book and his eyes flickered. This book was a little simr to the heavenly book Eli used.


    However, the one in Carolina''s hand looked more like a cheap and pitiful imitation with the clumsy runes around its cover.


    Empress Carolina flipped the book open as she said, "I apologize to my brother, my closest kin¡­ but I have no choice but to use everything and defeat this trash of a man threatening my position!"

 Chapter 299 Carolinas Power (3)

    ?The grimoire remained afloat in front of Empress Carolina. Her long silky hair danced in the wind as she flipped the book open.


    Ziiiiiing!


    Out of the book came a ringing sound and multiple streams of purple light going in several directions across the capital.


    Leon immediately charged at the Empress trying to stop her from whatever n she had in mind.


    However, the book glowed and covered the Empress with a spherical barrier ensuring that no one could interfere with what she was about to do.


    Crash!!! Shiing! Upon receiving Leon''s attack, the barrier immediately disappeared but it was immediately restored by the mysterious book in a blink of an eye.


    "This is not good!" Leon mumbled as he realized that although the power shielding Empress Carolina could be handled by his S-level abilities, the power source seemed to be endless up close.


    ''Could it be that this has something to do with those purple light streams?'' He wondered as he took a quick nce at the purple lights while deciding to continue to attack Empress Carolina and find an opening.


    Back in the Ves Estate, Duke Valentin was frustrated about the sudden turn of events. Their side was clearly at an advantage earlier and they even managed to severely injure the General.


    He thought that upon the General''s fall, their side would be able to wrap up the battle in a few moments, however, some uncanny reinforcement came - a doctor and an Astaze, of all people.


    What''s more, even as they tried to take whatever advantage they had because of the sudden loss of the other side''s main force, they were once again distracted by the aerial disy of Carolina''s power.


    "This is not getting any good!" He gnashed his teeth in agitation as nothing was going ording to his expectations. "There''s gotta be a way to finish this quickly¡­" He looked at his knights and ordered them to keep the pace up in the battle.


    As for him, he decided to make this change and take the temple knight Joab. But before he could even take a step forward his body suddenly froze and his heart started to beat loud and hard.


    Ba-dump!


    There was an unbearable sensation threatening toe out from his abdomen. It was so painful that Duke Maxim''s vision suddenly blurred and his body fell hard to the ground.


    "Urghhhh!" He let out a groan as his face immediately drained in color.


    The next moment a purple light stream approached his abdomen and seemed to prate into his body, "AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"


    The purple light entering his body has brought him another wave of unbearable pain, so much that he rolled to the ground and squirmed in pain.


    "Duke!" The cursed army worriedly rushed toward him; however, the imperial and temple knights immediately hindered them.


    In the next moment, a ck squirming ball of me emerged from his stomach as his pain reached its peak. As soon as it was fully out, so was the Duke''s consciousness.


    He was not even able to see that the conditions he just experienced were also happening to Das and Visam.


    "Father, did you see that?" Nathan rushed to where General Farauld was being treated and pointed at the three balls of ck me emerging from the bodies of Duke Maxim and the dark knights.


    "Yes¡­ It was exactly as I remembered. That is the angel-level spirit fragment!" General Farauld gritted his teeth and tried to stand up, ignoring therge wound on his back that was bitten off by one of the hell wolves.


    "General, you must not move!" Kayden worriedly shouted.


    "I do not have any choice, we would be doomed either way¡­" He said as his finger pointed towards the spirit fragment, if it was not for the fact that he still had a small flicker of hope in his heart, he would have not even attempted to stand and try to protect the people.


    "Stand back several meters away from the spirit fragment!" He issued amand one after the other. "Temple knights, I ask you to put up a barrier, Caster assist!"


    The cursed army was startled by the other side''s sudden withdrawal, it was not until the next moment that they realized why.


    The little squirming me tongues of the spirit fragment extended to the nearest beings, which was the cursed army. It immediately sucked out all of their life force, leaving only a dried-up human corpse.


    After absorbing a few, the spirit fragments attached themselves to the purple stream and flew away heading in a certain direction.


    The same phenomenon also happened in the Empress Pce where Emperor Valentin was fiercely fighting the exhausted Can.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was also good that Keren was there to warn everyone and same as the first team, they were able to put a considerable distance and protect themselves from being the fragment''s prey.


    Fortunately, the residual forces from the undead and the hell wolves were able to satiate the spirit fragment''s hunger before floating away in the direction from where the purple stream came from.


    In the dungeons, the spirit fragments within the captives, Roman, Igor, and Orel were also fully extracted.


    The spirit fragment tried to get a source of life around but since it was a dungeon it was unable to satiate its desire, so it had no choice but to eat and target its host.


    However, because the dungeons were filled with high-level holy spells that protect the captive from doing self-harm, the captives were unknowingly protected by these arrays that were made to restrain them.


    The spirit fragments knew that they had to answer the call and so, even without getting their fill, they started to charge at the weakest point of the array, simultaneously. On the other side, the purple stream also helped on the escape.


    Soon all of the spirit fragments emerged and flew toward Empress Carolina''s direction.


    "One¡­ two¡­" Empress Carolina looked at the spirit fragments with satisfaction, she gleefully counted them aloud. "Seven¡­ True enough, one of them was eliminated, no wonder Lord Raven was angry¡­"


    At the sight of the fragments, High Priest Enoch trembled and all of the temple priests, knights, and servants knelt down and prayed to the heavens.


    Seven fragments at once!!!


    The subject of the Oracle even lost her contracted spirit in order to eliminate one! How would they even manage to defeat seven at once!


    "Ahahahaha! Look at your faces!" Empress Carolina observed everyone''s reaction feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. "You were already that scared when I did not even show you how these could be used?"


    She taunted as she waved her hands to beckon all fragments toe one by one to enter her body. While she was doing so, the book flipped again and Empress Carolina started to recite an inaudible series of chants from the book.


    Leon immediately felt a grave sense of danger, sliced his palm, and immediately drew something in the air, "Spatial Spirit King! With the blood that flows in my veins, I implore you to heed my call!"


    Voooong!!!


    Suddenly arge diamond portal appeared in the sky, it was glowing with rainbow colors letting everyone peek at another world inside it. The giant diamond opened up like a gateway, letting a humanoid phantom figure step out and ''look'' towards Leon.


    "Contractor, yourmand?" The phantom figure was faceless, but everyone could tell that the ethereal voice came from him.


    "Take every drop of mana I have¡­ take these people away from the capital¡­" Leon''s voice was hoarse and his eyes reddened in desperation.


    Even if he fought with all he had, he could never avoid letting the people around him get caught up in the impending dangerous fight.


    And what use would his victory be if his people died? For what reason would he still be seeking victory then?


    "Not enough¡­ I could only take half¡­" The Spatial Spirit king answered with a stoic tone. "Your opponent was too strong for me to also force the two of you¡­"


    Leon took out all the mana stones he had in his spatial pouch, "How about this.."


    "...enough for every civilian and people lower than the A-ss¡­"


    Leon gritted his teeth, he could not save everyone, even his father would not be taken out of the pce because of his rank.


    "Third Prince, do not worry about us¡­ We''ll assist you¡­" The people below, especially the priests and the knights all heard Leon and the Spatial King''s conversation. They did not mind getting left behind as they already saw that Leon took out everything that he had.


    Kazimir also gave him a determined nod. It was ok for him to be left behind, as long as his family would also be transported to safety.


    He closed his eyes and decided, "Then¡­ take all that you can away¡­ bring them to safety¡­"


    "As you wish!" The Spatial Spirit King waved his hand and in an instant, the civilians, the knights, and every person inside the Empire below A-rank disappeared along with the Spatial Spirit King.


    The only ones left were the key people in thend, as well as Eli, who was still situated underground. For some reason, the Spatial Spirit King left her behind and allowed her to continue finishing her task.

 Chapter 300 Reunion

    ?"Just a little more¡­ I''ll be able to activate the entire array¡­" Eli wiped away the sweat on her forehead and started to tidy up things in the second to thest array.


    Looking at the map she tried to figure out what was the shortest way to go to thest array monument. "Hmm let''s see¡­ Eh¡­ Thest array monument was in the Seirende Central Bank? How unusual!"


    Eli couldn''t help but voice her thoughts out loud. Usually on these kinds of things, thest and the most crucial array would be someone close to the Imperial Family which is the pce.


    But to her surprise, the location was neither the pce nor any other significant location within the capital, but inside the Seirende central bank!


    "Well, I should immediately head to the bank then¡­" Patting her soiled Temple Robe, she immediately followed the shortest route with a sprint.


    "Just a few minutes more¡­ Everyone, hang in there¡­" She prayed as she gave all her might in rushing towards herst stop.


    ¨C


    On the surface, the conversation between Leon and the Spatial Spirit King was heard by the Emperor and General Farauld through the magic stone, which Leon immediately activated upon realizing the gravity of the situation.


    With this, all the people who were not able to be with the Spatial King''s transport would be notified and gathered by the two elders. That was also so with the people in the temple.


    "Go... Flee to a safend¡­" Leon rushed the people near him as he observed that Empress Carolina was still taking time topletely absorb all the spirit fragments.


    It was a scary sight to see, as every time Empress Carolina would fully absorb a spirit fragment, a series of dark tattoos would appear on her body. Her hair would also grow longer and her pinkish nails started to turn deep purple. There was also a small trace of ck wings growing slowly on her back.


    Leon still tried to attack Empress Carolina through various physical weapons such as the bow and arrow and other spell papers just to do something to distract her from fully absorbing all fragments.


    However, these kinds of attacks were not able to achieve what he intended.


    "I also no longer have mana now¡­" It was the first time he had lost confidence in fighting a battle.


    Yes, he made a way for the people not to get caught off all the damages that Empress Carolina''s power would make to the capital, but what would he n to do next without any ounce of mana?


    Just as he was about to run out of hisst spell paper and finally give up on the battle, he heard a loud booming from Empress Carolina''s direction.


    "Why are you trying to carry all the burden alone? You think you can do all things because you are on an open path?" The next moment, he heard an annoyed yet quivering voice that was so familiar to him, yet so surprising.


    Kazimir''s hands were still stretched out in the air, it was trembling from the fact that it was his first time attempting to attack his mother. Nheless, his crystal blue eyes looked at Leon with a hint of reprimand and subtle anger.


    "First Brother¡­" Leon mumbled absentmindedly, looking at Kazimir''s back who had long taken the lead to cover him from Empress Carolina.


    "You are not the only Prince in this Empire, do not think that it was only you who could do something right now!" Kazimir continued as his eyes focused on his target again - his very own biological mother.


    With his strongest wind spell, he continued to send a barrage of aggressive attacks to distract Empress Carolina.


    "Roaaar!" The next moment, an ear-piercing sound wave attacked the Empress from the side.


    Both Kazimir and Leon were startled because they were not able to identify who was the source of this attack. But their eyes widened in surprise when they saw the person who was sitting on top of a majestic golden Lion¡­


    It was none other than Antoine, whom Kazimir thought to be dead and Leon knew was still in aa.


    "Y-you''re alive!"


    "You''re awake¡­"


    Both Kazimir and Leon uttered these words at the same time. But the most affected one was Kazimir who had been beating himself from the fact that he had caused Antoine''s death.


    "Y-you two¡­" Kazimir looked at Antoine then at Leon, then at Antoine once more with disbelief and trembling. Heaven knows how much shock he was in right now¡­


    "I heard, you have been crying a lot¡­ First Brother¡­" Antoine looked at the shaken Kazimir with a teasing tone, however, when his eyes darted towards Empress Carolina, his expression darkened. "I know you have a lot of questions, but let''s survive this situation first¡­"


    With Antoine''s reminder, Kazimir readjusted himself and let out a hum of agreement.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You¡­ Third Brother¡­" In a tone that was awkward and unnatural, Antoine looked at Leon and continued, "Stand back for a while and try to replenish a bit of mana¡­"


    Leon did not respond and only looked at his elder brothers'' backs. Ever since his falling out with his brothers, he never had imagined that one day, he would be in this kind of situation, where his brothers would step forward to protect him.


    Although he knew that this might not be something they willingly wanted, in his heart, Leon felt warm and touched. The feeling of his brothers protecting him was not bad. Not bad at all.


    "Do not forget about us!" Just as when the trio thought that it would only be the three of them who would try to stall the Empress, they heard several people around them.


    Emperor Valentin, General Farauld, High Priest Enoch, Mishael, Nathan, Joab and Keren, Kayden, the des, and the rest of the knights and Temple Priests.


    "We will not allow you to face the enemy by yourselves!" Emperor Valentin looked at his three sons, with an unmasked expression of pride and gratefulness.


    Leon and the two could not help but also feel emotional upon seeing their Father and the rest support them. In times of danger, it was none other than the people around you that would keep you motivated from surviving trials.


    It was the same for them at this moment.


    With more people around they all started to reorganize. Part of them attacked, and the others supported from the sidelines.


    High Priest Enoch and his subordinate priests also used their spiritual powers to bless the ones who were engaging with the Empress.


    "Annoying!" Empress Carolina, now could not tolerate thebined attack of multiple enemies and started to also respond.


    "Attack from the side!" One would call out as they defend the others from the Empress''s attack while the others do as nned and attack her from her blind side.


    Boom!


    After several tries, they finally managed tond a clean hit on Empress Carolina''s body. However, it was just a puny attack on Carolina''s eyes.


    She still did not stop the absorption ritual and was now on herst two fragments.


    "Not good!" High Priest Enoch called out in panic, "Even if it''s just one fragment, we have to stop her from absorbing it all!"


    ''But how¡­'' They all wondered.


    Kayden on the other hand took a bottle of Eli''s cure potion and thought, "Will it have an effect?"


    Joab heard him ponder his thoughts aloud and so he replied, "We will not know if we won''t try!"


    "But how?" Nathan also overheard their conversation and butted in.


    "Let me take it near¡­" Leon turned out to hear everything also so he volunteered to go. "I have managed to replenish some mana by shifting my receptors to caster type."


    "Waaahh¡­ So convenient for you to have an open path!" They all eximed with a hint of envy.


    "Then, try to take all of these to the remaining fragment. This potion contained a little bit of Eli''s power, but I do not know how much of her power must be needed to eradicate one. But for now, I just hope that whatever effect it would make, it would help us a little bit¡­" Kayden took out a big jar of potions in his space pocket.


    This jar was supposedly for the next batch of the cure potion doses, but he had no choice but to use it all now.


    "Alright then!" Leon nodded and took the jar in his hand. Then he immediately used his mana to speedily rush to Carolina''s spot who was trying to divide her attention between defending herself and absorbing the fragments.


    "Stealthily¡­" He did not immediately get close to Empress Carolina''s attacking proximity. Instead, he used the chaos to blend with the fighting team and reduce his presence.


    On the sidelines, the rest who knew of the n could only pray¡­ "Please work¡­ Please work¡­"


    Finally spotting the right opportunity, Leon changed in a sh while simultaneously opening the lid.


    His target - thest spirit fragment that was yet to be absorbed by Carolina!

 Chapter 301 Briliant Idea (1)

    ?Empress Carolina did not anticipate the sneak attacking from Leon, she was only able to realize it when Leon hastily poured the jar of cure potion into thest spirit fragment.


    The sparkling liquid sshed all over the spirit fragment and arge portion of it was also able to reach the unguarded Empress Carolina.


    "AAAAAAH!!!" Empress Carolina let out a pained howl as she waved her hand to ward off everyone near her proximity.


    "Ahhhh¡­ Curse you, the third prince!! Curse all of you!" Empress Carolina looked at her body which seemed to be melted by the cure potion. The potion worked like acid on her body and brought her extreme pain.


    Since it contained Eli''s holy power, the wounds on her flesh were visibly slow to heal. It was so slow that Kayden estimated that it would take her a full minute to recover her woundspletely.


    On the other hand, the significant effect of the cure potion was in thest spirit fragment.


    Tssssss! hoooooo!


    Their attention was drawn by the faint sizzling sound and a haunting ghostly scream that followed as the fragment slowly reduced into a small ping pong ball-sized ball of me.


    "Ahh¡­ it was not enough to make it dissipate¡­" Kayden mumbled faintly, all those precious cure potions from Eli''s power could only manage to reduce a spirit fragment in size.


    But he heard High Priest Enoch''s remark with aforting tone saying, "Do not be dejected, didn''t you see that even if we have not managed to defeat the enemy, it created an opening for us to attack?"


    Kayden then saw the situation on the battlefield.


    Carolina''s wound greatly affected her judgment and movements, as such, her injuries increased with the joint attack by the people who did not waste the opportunity created by the cure potion.


    The anger burning inside her increased when she saw Kazimir''s face among the people who were attacking her.


    ''Hah¡­ There goes my son¡­ I gave birth to him for nothing but this???'' She mocked herself as she saw her son doing his best to attack her even if the gap in his power was too big.


    ''Anyways, I will just buy time, my wounds are gradually healing¡­'' She thought as she tried to concentrate her best in avoiding being injured any further.


    Soon enough the pain from her wounds waspletely gone and her mobility slowly recovered. However, after repairing her wounds she was only able to restore her strength by absorbing five spirit fragments.


    ''What kind of potion is that?! To think that it would make me consume all the energy from one spirit fragment?!'' She looked towards the High Priest, wondering if he was the one who made this scary potion.


    ''Nheless, this was already strong enough to take on these people.'' With her focus back on fighting, Carolina ascertained her victory over her opponents.


    As she was attacked by Leon before she was able to meld the power of all six fragments, it also did not allow her to immediately defend herself with the power of six spirit fragments. But now that she was able toplete the melding, she could already feel the difference between her initial powers and the fragments.


    ''Too bad¡­ I can no longer absorb thest fragment¡­'' Empress Carolina regretfully looked at the spirit fragment which was now already faint like puny candle light. ''But I''ll have a use for youter on¡­'' She squinted towards the waning fire of the spirit fragment before finally stepping towards the men.


    "Something changed!" Emperor Valentin warned everyone, it was like Carolina suddenly became a different person when she finally moved from her original position.


    General Farauld and the three princes also assumed a careful stance as they felt an extremely disturbing auraing out of Empress Carolina. It was so revolting and oppressive that everyone wanted to step back and avoid her instinctively.


    "She definitely became stronger." Leon''s eyes focused on the menacing ck and purple aura that wasing out of Carolina''s body.


    Carolina''s amethyst eyes squinted in delight when she saw their interesting reaction, "Now you still know how to tremble in fear¡­" she taunted.


    What startled everyone was her voice doubled. The first voice was her voice while the other one was a familiar male voice - the voice Leon and the bunch heard from the first spirit fragment!


    "This is the power that none of you could ever best!" She dered as she spread her dark wings wide and flew in the air.


    The morning sun seemed to have eclipsed the shadow Carolina created with her enormous wingspan.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "A-a demon!" They all eximed, trembling hard.


    In an instance, Carolina held out her hand and a mysterious ck and purple de appeared. Without letting the people react, she attacked them relentlessly.


    Boom! Woosh!!


    The first to go down was the already severely injured General Farauld. His body fell violently to the ground with blood gushing from arge wound in his stomach. "Urkkk¡­" He let out a groan as purple blood immediately went out of his mouth and his veins turned purple.


    However, everyone no longer have the luxury to worry about him as they had soon fell victim to the Empress''s attack


    Kayden rushed to prevent General Faraul''s body from falling. He took out all his remaining regr cure potions and tried to stop the curse from spreading in his body. Desperation came into his being as he knew that the damage General Farauld sustained was far more severe than the others because he had already been injured by Duke Maxim and his dark knights.


    The next to go down were the Temple knights and Emperor Valentin, then the des, andstly Leon and Antoine.


    High Priest Enoch and his priest had already withdrawn to the battlefield as they knew they had to move to attend to the wounded.


    The situation was dire and the damage was severe, General Farauld is in critical condition, and Emperor Valentin has a grave injury in his eyes. Antoine and Leon were also gravely wounded. Most of the knights had been incapacitated also.


    Everybody is down¡­ except for one person - Kazimir.


    Kazimir looked at hisrades and then into the shell of her mother. Yes, by this time he knew that the mother he truly loved was already gone because she had truly and willingly joined herself with whoever was the owner of the spirit fragment.


    "Whoever you are¡­ stop this¡­" Kazimir held his sword tightly and he pointed it towards the approaching Carolina.


    "What are you talking about son? I am your mother!" Empress Carolina raised her brows, she looked at Kazimir like she was looking at a child throwing a fit.


    "Do you not like this strength that I wield, son? With this power, we will rule over the Empire!" Empress Carolina casually waved her hand and pointed at the ruins made by the ruthless battle and the fallen people of thend. "Can''t you see that no one was able to even pick a fight with me right now?"


    "No! Stop all of this! I wish to no longer see you use my mother''s body to do this evil!" Kazimir shouted in anger, as he was triggered by the menacing voices ovepping his mother''s. How much more does the person behind the mysterious power use her mother for this kind of evil.


    "Ahahaha! What a stupid child!" Carolinaughed at Kazimir''s disbelief. Then she held out her hand and suddenly a gravitational force pulled Kazimir closer to her, with her hand ced on his neck.


    "This is the true power of the Ves, long before the glory ages of the Empire began! How dare you say that I am not your mother? Look, this is me, everything is me, even this power! This is already in our blood!"


    "Urkkkk¡­" Kazimir tried to escape from Carolina''s grasp. "I don''t want that power! I don''t want to be used by evil!"


    "Let go of my son!" Emperor Valentin immediately rushed and attacked Carolina only to be casually flicked by her and fly a hundred meters away.


    "Valentin, stay put!" She ordered before continuing her conversation with her son.


    "Our family received a blessing from a heavenly being and is now flowing through your veins. Do not reject it! Even if the sun perishes, the blood of the Ves flows into your veins!" She looked at the struggling Kazimir who was still rejecting her ideas.


    "Hah¡­ So stubborn. I didn''t know that I had given birth to a stubborn son." Empress Carolina seemed to have been distressed by Kazimir''s rebellion.


    Feeling a little helpless about the situation, she held out her hand and beckoned the tiny ball of me that was almost on the brink of perishing.


    "Well, you might be convinced if you are able to try the power out do you?" She nonchntly asked while slowly forcing the spirit fragment into Kazimir''s stomach, her eyes were dead, disregarding the strong rejectioning from his son.


    "Do not worry, you''ll feel the mighty power soon and will realize that Ves''s powers are the best in the world." She caressed her son''s red blood hair, letting out an innocent smile, which turned out to be utterly eerie.

 Chapter 302 Brilliant Idea (2)

    ?"Arggghh.." Kazimir was in grievous pain as Carolina forcefully guided thest fragment toe to dwell inside his body.


    ''No¡­'' Tears flowed at Kazimir''s eyes as he did not have the strength to reject the evil thing from entering his body.


    "Do not defile my brother!" He could hear Leon and Antoine''s voices as they tried to stop Carolina from merging his body with the fragment but to no avail.


    No one could stop Carolina now¡­


    Kazimir''s eyes looked at the heavens for the third time since the attack, pleading to the One on High to make these all stop. Wished that he would just have to close his eyes and the chaos around him would disappear instantly.


    What scares him the most was what would ''himself'' do when the spirit fragment waspletely mended into his body.


    ''Somebody¡­ someone¡­ please..'' He pleaded desperately.


    In his mind, he could see that as his soul stood at the center of a calm endlesske, a ck me started to appear and created chaos in the waters.


    Vrrrr!!!


    The water trembled violently marking the start of the turbulent waves. Kazimir''s soul trembled in fear as he could feel that the spirit fragment was nothing but malicious.


    He started to move back in fear as the ck me approached, he ran faster and faster, just for his soul to escape from the fragment''s pursuit.


    But the sinister mes appeared to be all-powerful the longer Kazimir ran from it. Finally, the turbulent waves surrounding himpletely moved ording to the will of the fragment.


    Trapping him inside a wall of violent waves, Kazimir''s soul was drowned by the wave''s might, no longer in control of his movement.


    He could just only see that as the waves tossed his soul too and fro, the fragment finally approached his defenseless being.


    "Noooo!!" He could only shout in protest as hope dissipated when the fragment finally touched his soul.


    He felt the sensation of his soul being tormented and shackled by the fragment, absolutely taking away his freedom.


    There was only despair in Kazimir''s soul, no more hope, no more life¡­ no more freedom.


    Everything went dark, as the surroundings turned as ck as the sinister me that had already imed control of his soul.


    The chains covering his soul turned colder as his vision got darker and darker, putting his consciousness into slumber.


    Puff!!!


    Just when his consciousness was slowly fading, a tiny red me, zing fiercely at the core of his soul, seemed to have been ignited.


    His soul shuddered at the appearance of the red me and he could feel that the ck me was in a panic.


    Then a violent fight between the red and the ck me ensued. Each wants to swallow the other, making Kazimir''s soul be the battlefield of their showdown.


    "Urrkkk!!" On the outside, Kazimir suddenly let out a mouthful of blood and started convulsing severely.


    Carolina did not expect this reaction to happen. She was extremely surprised that she immediately let go of her hold on Kazimir''s neck.


    With his absence of restriction, Kazimir''s entire body squirmed uncontrobly, a violent seizure!


    The pupil of his eyes turned and all Carolina could see was white, his face drained with color and his mouth wide open gasping for air.


    "What''s happening!!! Kazimir!!!!" Caught totally unaware, Empress Carolina trembled beside Kazimir, his condition was so grave that Carolina took his body down on the ground not minding the people around.


    "No¡­ this isn''t supposed to be like this¡­ You!!! Are you a doctor?! Get here and take a look!" She ignored the entire situation and only beckoned Kayden who was attending to General Farauld.


    Everyone was on tenterhooks. Sending Kayden on that side was extremely dangerous, but Kazimir was already suffering.


    "I''ll go with you¡­" Leon dragged his injured body and escorted his friend to Kazimir''s side.


    Checking his condition, Kazimir performed certain procedures for Kazimir to avoid hurting his body further. But he immediately shook his head and looked at Leon in a regretful manner.


    "All his vital organs have burst because of two shing powers¡­ even if I use healing magic, it would be futile¡­ We can only hope for a miracle, but that miracle¡­ could not be created by my hands¡­" Kazimir exined slowly.


    The silence went over the entire battlefield, their eyes looked at a certain person who had caused it all - Carolina.


    "You witch! It''s all because of you!!! How could you do that! Now our son will have no choice but to die!!" Emperor Valentin used Carolina, disregarding the extreme condition that he was in.


    Who could he me but her and her endless evil? Who in the right mind would do that to their own children?


    Empress Carolina stood nkly, surprised by Kayden and Emperor Valentin''s words.


    ''No! I don''t believe it¡­ It''s not my fault. I clearly just wanted him to be stronger than he really was¡­''


    ''I just wanted for him to understand why I wield this power¡­''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''I just want him to understand me¡­ his mother!''


    "No¡­ You are lying!!!" Convinced that she had no fault in what happened to Kazimir, she red at the temple priest and demanded them. "All of you!! Use your holy powers to heal my son!!!"


    High Priest Enoch sighed and gestured to everyone to just stay put. He was the one who stepped forward instead.


    His aged eyes looked at Kazimir, pity andpassion rose in his heart, ''What an unfortunate young man¡­''


    He stretched out his hands and decided to use his remaining vitality to transfer it to Kazimir, which was already showing signs of imminent death.


    But before he was able to do these things, a delicate yet unwavering voice came out from the inner part of the temple, "No need to do that, Your Eminence High Priest¡­ For what had happened to the First Prince was clearly the Empress''s doing."


    Empress Carolina turned to see the owner of the voice, it was none other than First Queen Lucia. On her side was the Second Queen, Teh.


    "You¡­ Why are you both here??" Shocked at the fact that the queens were still in the vicinity, Emperor Valentin asked with a shocked tone.


    "We need to¡­" Queen Teh answered as she supported First Queen Lucia who did not take away her stare towards Empress Carolina.


    "Empress¡­ You havemitted a lot of mistakes in your life¡­ But let me tell you¡­ As a mother¡­ This is your biggest mistake!" First Queen Lucia was a woman of few words.


    But it was the first time that the people around witnessed her say so many words.


    "No!" Empress Carolina still insists on denying her sins. "Go away!" She waved her hand and forced the people away from her at a certain distance.


    "Mixing the sinister spirit on a soul blessed by the guardian Ignis¡­ Are you saying that you have not even thought of the consequences of your actions? You clearly¡­ tried to murder your own son!" Lucia insisted.


    "What of the fact that he had Seirende blood? The Ves''s power is flowing into his veins! He had the power to ept another blessing from a heavenly being!!! No matter how hard he denies his Ves blood, it still flows to every part of his body!!" Empress Carolina rampaged and let out her powers in anger.


    ''Why do people insist that it was her fault?''


    ''Why does her son reject her powers?''


    ''Why don''t they recognize Ves''s powers?''


    "Why? Why? Why!!!!" She finally lost it and caused the entirend to tremble.


    The ground started to crack and the wind started to violently throw everyone away.


    From the ground, boulders of earth started to lift off the ground and float mid-air. A threatening rain of rocks and earth was again suddenly starting.


    "To those who do not ept¡­ then might as well perish¡­ All of you shall perish!" She dered.


    Everyone just watched with their eyes looking at the sky.


    No one panicked, no one trembled either. For their reactions, one might conclude that they had all epted their impending deaths, but not a trace of surrender appeared in their eyes.


    They did not know why, but in their hearts, they were waiting for something¡­ no someone¡­


    Someone who could deliver a miracle¡­


    Someone who could deliver them from doom¡­


    Zoooooom!!!! And as the rocks and boulders started to fall and crush them, they heard a loud buzzing sound and saw a momentary pause in the surroundings.


    Then like fireworks, zing golden lights started to shoot over the sky and down to the ground tracing a certain pattern that eventually revealed a giant array.


    It created a protective dome in the air and a soothing effect on the ground. Everyone even felt refreshed and their wounds started healing.


    Even Kazimir, who was in a hopeless condition, started to calm down.


    Everyone inside the array only experiences beneficial effects from the grand array that was activated.


    Except for one person - Empress Carolina who was now down on the ground, bound by a golden chain of light.


    "Aaaaah!!" She shouted in panic as she could not even make the chains budge even with her enormous power.


    Finally, in the sky, was a figure descending like a messenger from the heavens, wearing a pure white robe and a face covered with a full face mask. Eyes and Hair covered, no one could identify what was his or her identity.


    It was until they heard an ethereal voiceing from her that they identified her as a woman.


    "The heavens have decided to end your oppression and pronounce judgment." She told as shended like a light feather in front of the bounded Carolina.


    Leon looked at the woman covered in sacred garments and his heart shook¡­ he knew that the person he was waiting for had finallye.


    Eli was finally here!

 Chapter 303 The Subject Of The Oracle Appeared! (1)

    ?Eli was extremely exhausted when she finally reached the Seirende Central bank.


    Upon reaching the surface of the city she was shocked by what she saw.


    Everything was in ruins and the sky was as gloomy as the darkness that loomed within the city streets.


    ''Howe these all happened?'' Eli became immediately worried about the well-being of Leon and the rest.


    Judging from Mishael''s words and reaction earlier, there must have been a big fight. Her heart trembled, she didn''t know what was the current situation but she had to do her part.


    And so, looking at the previously majestic facade of the one and only bank in Seirende, she went on and followed the map to activate a separate passageway that leads her to thest monument array.


    Just like the previous ones, the way to the arrays was all underground.


    Eli realized that there were many hidden structures that had been built beyond the surface of the ground that made her think that the peace of the Seirende Empire was not as she could see on the outside, for many workings had been done on the shadows in order to protect that peace.


    She didn''t waste any time looking at the surroundings and immediately proceeded in the direction of the array monument, finally she reached herst stop toplete the task.


    On the end of the winding passageway, lies a spacious hall dimly lit upon her entrance.


    Eli was immediately able to see the array monument which was the only structure in the center of the underground hall.


    With no second wasted, she approached the monument and followed thest steps that were written on Mishael''s notes.


    "Up until now, I have no idea of the function of this array, but I hope to find the answer as soon as I finish this.." Eli mumbled to herself as she embedded her spiritual power into the array and rewrote the runes ording to Mishael''s blueprint.


    Whirrrrr


    As she injected her mana and rewrote the runes, she could hear the monument buzzing faintly, this had not happened in the past monuments. Eli started to feel nervous and uncertain, did she do anything wrong?


    But a moment of hesitation would lead to the ruin of the process, so instead of pausing, she still continued aplishing her task, trusting the process made by Mishael.


    There was never a moment she rxed, because, at any time the array might explode and ruin¡­ the buzzing didn''t stop either. Instead, the sound intensified into something like a heavenly chime ringing.


    As she approaches the set amount of mana to be infused, the sound of the chimeses clearer and clearer. The moment it wasplete, she heard a bell sound ringing as it came from the heavens even when she was several meters underground!


    Simultaneously, a white golden light flooded her vision. But even if it was blinding, the light was giving her exhausted and soiled body a refreshing feeling. It was so pure that Eli could guess that whatever the light touches, it would be cleansed by its mysterious power.


    As she basked in the shower of the blinding light, Eli thought that someone might appear after this grandiose flood of light in her presence, however, after a few moments, the light started to subside and dwindle.


    Then the hall returned to how it looked like when she came, the only difference was the new runes in the monument and a secretpartment that opened in front of her.


    "I never noticed this secretpartment when I was rewriting the rune¡­" Eli could not help but feel shocked.


    The contents of thepartment were as mysteriously clean and new as how the entire hall appeared. The hall was deep underground, but there were no signs of it deteriorating or getting tainted.


    In fact, it was Eli, who was dirty from the sewers, who was the one who tainted the halls.


    Thepartment contained a box and on top of it was a card with elegant handwriting.


    She picked it up and noticed that her hands were now clean, and so was the rest of her body¡­ "It must be the effect of the light¡­" She thought.


    As she took the box with the card up, only then did she see the contents of the card.


    "If you managed to open thispartment, then you must be the long-awaited answer to the Oracle that had descended in my generation¡­


    The Oracle we received right now was nothing but bad news. But I believe that soon, the Creator would send us hope, and that hope was you¡­ That was what I firmly believed.


    My mind could not be at ease to not know whether you could carry all the burden alone, as a senior from I would guess, several years from now¡­ I leave you these items with my intent to give you my support and prayer that you would seed.


    It is also my prayer that the moment you read this letter, the Seirende Temple was still standing, keeping its steadfast faith towards The One Above. I pray that when youe to know your identity, they would be present to fully support you in this journey.


    I only warn you one thing¡­ do not reveal your identity even after your purpose in the Oracle wasplete, for, like any other ce, even the Temple had people who would sumb to greed.


    I would like you to keep your identity forever, however, that would be another burden for you to carry¡­ and so I could only ask you, do not to reveal it until you are certain that you can handle the consequences¡­


    More than that¡­ I leave you this thing that I discovered.


    That the root cause of this chaos lies before the very establishment of the Seirende Empire.


    My fellow¡­ how I wish to meet you in my generation!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But I know that the Creator had reasons as to why you only appeared now, and I trust that His ns are best.


    May you stay safe and steadfast in the eyes of The Creator!


    Sincerely,


    Caleb, the 7th High Priest of the Seirende Temple."


    Eli fell in a daze after reading the card''s contents.


    The Seventh High Priest of the Temple¡­ High Priest Enoch, his teacher, was the 18th High Priest, just many years have passed since his letter was written?


    Eli carefully opened the big box and inspected its contents, her eyes flickered in amazement.


    It was a set of priestly garments, made from the same material as the one High Priest Enoch made, or even more refined than it.


    It was also paired with a full-face white mask with the eye part covered with a see-through golden fabric.


    Eli couldn''t help but be amazed by how far ahead the 7th High Priest Caleb was thinking! The design of this mask could even solve her problem of having obsidian eyes, her very distinct characteristic!


    "How strong his faith that hope woulde was!" Eli couldn''t help but exim, because she knew that the second part of the oracle had only been delivered very recently.


    That means for decades, or even centuries, the Temple has been dreading because of an apocalyptic oracle without any signs of hope, and yet High Priest Caleb didn''t believe that the Creator would abandon them and still did something to prepare ahead!


    Remembering the situation, she immediately took the garment and wore it properly. She also wore the mask and was amazed at how it automatically fit into her face and how it was sofortable to wear.


    Keeping the rest on her space pouch, she proudly stood at the site of activation of the array.


    By wearing these clothes, Eli had alreadypletely epted the responsibility and the burden she had to carry.


    And the first task she would officially do as the subject to the oracle was to activate the array.


    cing a drop of her blood on the stone panel, she injected her spiritual power and mana at the same time.


    "With the power that the heavens gifted me, Imand all the array sites to activate!"


    Shiuuuu!!!


    Immediately the array activated, and from where she was standing a magic circle appeared, it circted the mana and the spiritual power vigorously, while the stone panel showed something that helped Eli understand the current situation.


    The stone panel briefly projected the moment Empress Carolina defeated all herrades and forced the spirit fragment on Kazimir, endangering his life.


    At the end of the preview, certain words appeared in the stone panel¡­


    "An array to defeat evil and protect the people¡­ controller of the array, do you wish to unleash the array''s function using your own power?"


    Without hesitation, Eli answered with anxiousness on her face, "Yes, use my powers to protect the people and bind the enemy on the ground!"


    "As you wish¡­" The words appeared.


    The hall once again lightened up, but this time, Eli could feel a gentle force, pulling her up in the air.


    The next moment she found herself high above the clouds and saw the entire expanse of the Capital - it was in ruins!


    Eli then looked at the area of the Temple in which the stone panel had projected earlier and saw the grave situation of the people there.


    Then she saw that several light raysing from the array monument she and Mishael visited, appeared from the air and to the ground, revealing a ground and aerial magic circle fully covering the entire capital.


    Eli was amazed at the power of the array that she activated, she praised the ones who moved to set up this array, and even Mishael who was the brain behind the blueprint she executed.


    Without them, the array would not be powerful enough to bind Carolina.


    Her eyes became cold as she looked at her figure securely bound by the golden chains, a strong sense of justice rose in her heart as she looked at the damage the battle had created.


    "I will end this once and for all¡­" She didn''t know where she got the confidence, but she was sure that she could do it.


    "The heavens have decided to end your oppression and pronounce judgment." She solemnly dered upon reaching the ground where Carolina was bound.


    "The power you hold so dear¡­ the prestige you are extremely proud of¡­ the heavens could take it away in a blink of an eye¡­"

 Chapter 304 The Subject Of The Oracle Appeared (2)

    ?Eli walked slowly to approach in front of the bounded Carolina, her eyes coldly looking down at her.


    There was searing anger in her heart over the chaos and sins that the womanmitted, and yet, when she looked at her, Eli could feel that her anger was targeted toward the fragments that were in Carolina''s body.


    It must be the mask or her own powers as the Subject of the Oracle, but Eli could clearly see what''s inside Carolina''s soul.


    A corrupted heart that was already zing with purple fire and in her veins was the curse power circting all over her body. She could also see the spirit fragment in her body that was now melded as one, and at the center of the fragment was her soul.


    Her soul looked at Eli haughtily, there wasn''t a trace of innocence in her eyes. Eli could also see that her soul was bound by the purple chains from the spirit fragment and yet, the soul did not seem to care. In fact, Carolina''s soul seemed to have willingly let herself bound by the chains.


    "No remorse¡­ not even a sign of guilt¡­" Eli was in disbelief, she had always been a believer that no human is born evil in this world, but looking at Carolina''s soul¡­ howe?


    ''Is there really no saving with this kind of soul?'' She asked herself. Then she remembered the Great One''s words when they first met in the heavenly realms, ''man had their own free will¡­''


    That meant that it was a person''s decision to be righteous or evil. Even if the circumstance or their upbringing can influence their decisions, their nature ispletely decided by themselves.


    The choice to stay righteous even while living in a dark situation was always there, and so was the choice to sumb to the evil one.


    Just like Kazimir, whom Eli was distantly checking.


    Kazimir''s body had channels of the curse mana, but the rejection of his soul was strong enough to give the fragment a hard time controlling him. And when his soul was really unable to defeat the fragment by sheer willpower, the blessing of Ignis appeared, bringing it new hope.


    Contrary to what Kayden diagnosed, Eli saw that the bursting of his vital organs was the power of Ignis cleansing the tainted Ves''s blood in his body.


    "Stay put¡­ when you wake up tomorrow, the power of the Ves blood will no longer torment you¡­" Eli bent to touch Kazimir''s furrowed brows and injected her spiritual mana to support Ignis''s blessings inside his body.


    Everyone saw the pure white lighte out in the tip of her fingers and sink between Kazimir''s eyebrows. Instantly, Kazimir''s contorted face started to finally rx and his breathing became normal.


    "W-who are you!" Carolina couldn''t care less about Kazimir''s well-being and only focused on the figure that had suddenly appeared and overpowered her with this mysterious array.


    Just who is this person? Where did shee from? How was she able to bind me here without any difficulty?


    Countless questions rang in her mind as she saw the figure move towards her slowly, dignifiedly.


    Empress Carolina looked up with great difficulty as the gravitational pull of the ground was almost crushing her bones, to her dismay, she was not even able to figure out the other party''s identity with a full face mask on her face.


    She could not even see her eyes as the mask also covered it with a colored mess, but she could feel that the other party was staring at her like a jury.


    "Someone who would make you unable to do any of this¡­" The other partly replied while waving her hands showing the ruins and the vast casualties that the Empire suffered.


    "No, you couldn''t!" Empress Carolina replied with protest.


    Her cursed power cannot be wiped away. As long as she had the grimoire and she was able to kill some people, her power will always be there. As long as there are people to steal life force from, the curse power will remain for those who ever use it.


    "I can¡­ Believe it or not¡­ I can see everything¡­ Even that ck heart that you have¡­ and the fragments that you absorb¡­ I came here to take it away¡­" Eli answered as she watched Empress Carolina widen her eyes in shock.


    Perhaps only she herself knew that her heart had already ckened, a clear sign of a witch.


    When the Temple heard Eli''s words they didn''t show any signs of shock or surprise, for they had faced Carolina long enough to figure out that she had already sumbed to evil and had be a witch, with a ckened heart.


    The only thing that hurts them was the fact that Carolina had once stayed in the Temple and served for a year, a witch among all people! They were so unaware that they even bestowed her with a holy relic as a way to award her other good deeds.


    But look at her now¡­ A person who wouldn''t hesitate to kill her family, her people. Someone who was ruthless as she was once a person who was seen to be kind and righteous.


    "Hahaha! Go on and try it! Let''s see how marvelous of a power you have hidden within your holy robe!" Empress Carolina let out a crazedugh as she taunted Eli continuously.


    Eli stood still with no intention to rebut her taunts.


    As soon as she came out to the array monument wearing what thete High Priest Caleb left for her, she started to receive various amounts of information in her mind, coaching her on what to do.


    ''To exorcise a strong spirit fragment, the person in question must be bound by the holy chains activated by the Pdin¡­


    The Pdin must lift her hands and touch the person''s mouth and pray and proim the Creator''s Sovereignty¡­


    When the spirit fragment separates in the person''s soul, the Pdin shall destroy the fragment using heaven''s holy powers."


    Step by step, Eli followed the instructions in her mind.


    Even as Empress Carolina taunted her, she stretched her hands forward and touched the corners of Empress Carolina''s mouth. As soon as her fingers touched her, Carolina''s body became frozen, and her eyes widened in shock, seemingly unable to ept the fact that she was at Eli''s mercy.


    "The Creator reigns forever and ever.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Who is like Him among the gods?


    Who is like Him with a Name so holy,


    The nations will hear and tremble?"


    She uttered her promation of praise and prayer as she saw the spirit fragment get out of Empress Carolina''s mouth without much resistance.


    "AAAAAAAHHHhhhhhhh!" Both Carolina and the spirit fragment cried in pain, but Eli didn''t stop.


    For she still had to take out that sinister thing deeply melded inside Carolina''s core.


    It looked like a book that came from the heavenly realms¡­ But on a closer look, it was not exactly like her book.


    She continued her prayers and forced the book out of Carolina''s soul.


    "The Great One is great and mighty, awesome in wonder!


    Who is like Him sovereign and powerful yet, with love unfailing?


    Leading the people who as been redeemed,


    Guiding them to your holy dwelling."


    "No¡­" Carolina''s soul gripped the book hard, trying to resist Eli''s powers which were forcing the grimoire out.


    But Eli''s holy powers proved to be the nemesis of the curse power and even the grimoire¡­


    "The Holy One is Sovereign and His dominion will never perish!


    The evil one will tremble and hide at His presence,


    And their powersy no weight in his eyes.


    See them crumble and perish in heaven''s sight!


    The Great Redeemer''s glory will reign forever and ever!"


    With herst promation, the resistance from Carolina''s soul was immediately defeated and the grimoire was forced out of her body¡­


    "Nooo¡­" Carolina could feel the immense strength leaving her at that moment¡­ That power was all she had. She had just lost everything now¡­ What will be of her in the future??


    Eli looked at the sinister things that came out of Carolina and inspected it.


    Sure enough, the book was a poor imitation of the book that was given to her by the Great One.


    ''How shall I deal with this?'' She wondered, but the next moment she heard Celeste''s voice ring in her head.


    "My dear Eli, can you keep the book safe and bring it to us, when you fetch Little Han? The Great One orders us to retrieve the book¡­ It seems like it is only us who could destroy that thing¡­"


    "Alright¡­" Eli immediately responded to Celeste''s voice, she could also feel that even though she could suppress the book''s power, she was not strong enough to destroy it.


    And so she waved her hand and kept the grimoire, while she single-handedly destroyed the fragment in a matter of seconds.


    Whoooooosh!!!!


    The moment the fragment disappeared, the skies cleared and it revealed the bright morning sky that was now filled with salvation and hope.


    As the lighting of the array disappeared, the people who witnessed everything started to shed uncontroble tears.


    They looked at theirrades and wailed harder upon seeing their fellows share the same kind of emotion.


    Weapons were dropped down, their armors taken away, and they hugged each other and cried out loud despite being known as the strongest people in the capital.


    In their hearts were the words their mouth were not able to say because of their crying -


    "Ah¡­ finally we are saved¡­ the enemy has been defeated and the Empire has survived!"


    ",

 Chapter 305 Dealing With The Aftermath (1)

    ?As the skies cleared, so were the troubled hearts of the citizens who were looking from a mountain top a few kilometers away from the Capital.


    They were all on their knees, knights,moners, and nobles alike, with their hands sped in their chests to pray to the Creator to help the Empire in this chaos.


    But once they saw the cloud of doom dissipate, discussions started, and all of them hoped for the better of the Empire.


    "Is the enemy defeated?"


    "I hope so¡­"


    "That bright light was something formidable¡­ For sure someone was sent by the heavens to save our Empire¡­"


    "I pray that our Emperor, the Princes, and all the others who fought against the enemy were safe¡­


    The conditions around them were not really optimal as they were transported with haste and without preparation. Normally the nobles would immediatelyin and separate themselves away from themoners and servants.


    But no one let out a single word ofint especially when they all witnessed every hardship that has happenedst night until this morning. It was an all-out way that came so suddenly.


    A way that had repeatedly threatened them with doom. They would still shudder at the thought of the countless giant boulders that appeared in the sky which would surely crush them at any moment.


    But after around half an hour, the same rainbow-like diamond-shaped portal appeared mid-air. It was the same portal that transported them to safety on this mountain top.


    The citizens lifted their heads up to see who would arrive through the majestic portal. Their hearts also couldn''t help but feel anxious, what news would they bring?


    Then they saw two figures that were clothed modestly but still stood in a dignified and revered manner. They are none other than the two queens of the Empire, First Queen, Lucia, and Second Queen Teh.


    Assisting them were several priests from the Temple and Keren with several Temple Knights.


    "Your Highness, First Queen and Second Queen¡­" They all bowed in reverence upon realizing who they were.


    Queen Teh waved her hand to put them at ease as she looked at Queen Lucia, signaling her to do the honors of announcing the great news.


    With a nod of understanding, Queen Lucia took a few steps forward and addressed the people who were taken into a refuge.


    "The heavens have looked upon us in mercy. Our cries and prayers are heard clearly!


    As you know our Empire tried its very best to defend itself by the sacrifice of our brave knights and warriors led by His Majesty, Emperor, Our Dear Princes, and His Eminence, High Priest.


    But the enemy used abominable sinister methods to acquire overwhelming power, contracting themselves to the evil¡­ and so our Empire had almost lost the chance to survive if not for a great miracle¡­"


    At this point, Queen Lucia paused and turned her head to Keren, hinting her to exin thest portion.


    As she was obliged by First Queen Lucia, Keren stepped forward and announced in a dignified manner.


    "A few months ago, there was an oracle that descended in the Empire.


    The Temple believed that the oracle was a continuation of the previous oracle that had predicted this chaos from happening. Unlike the preceding oracles, thest oracle brought hope to the Empire, upon which we have never understood the meaning.


    Here says thest oracle!


    ''Rejoice! Oh, Empire whose name is victorious,


    For the One Who Sees listened to the one who prayed.


    Hold the hand of the one who was named industrious,


    No longer will he who suffered be ever afraid.''


    The light you have seen earlier, that descended on the skies above the capital was none other than the Pdin that the Oracle pertained to. The hope of the Empire that would deliver us from the hands of the evil one and save us all in this chaos!!!"


    "Woah!!! Praise the Creator!"


    "Ohh, thank the heavens!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon hearing their exnations, the people went on their knees and started praising the Creator above. Queen Lucia and Teh also looked up in the sky and sang their praises.


    Unlike any other monarchy, the Seirende Empire was one of the rarends that honors the Creator''s sovereignty that was recognized to be far more superior than their own monarch.


    This was true because everyone in Seirende knew that the origin of the Empire''s building was due to the blessing of the heavens from the Guardian Ignis. As such, the Imperial Family was never offended to see the people sing praises to the Creator other than themselves.


    "Now¡­" Queen Teh allowed everyone to settle down before continuing the words they had to ry.


    "As you all know, the capital was in grave ruins, many of our brave men were heavily injured and even His Majesty was wounded, as such, I implore you¡­."


    Queen Teh looked at the people with tears in her eyes and bowed humbly in the pleading, "As the Second Queen of the Seirende Empire, to help us rebuild our capital to its former glory¡­"


    It was a gesture not fitting for a queen of a great Empire, and yet no one at this moment looked at her in contempt or ridicule.


    Instead, all who saw this had their hearts stirred with the sense of belonging and care for their homnd, the Seirende Empire.


    "We, the people of the Farauld Family, respond to your call, Your highness!"


    "We, the people of the Forgeworn Family, have received your call, Your highness! Use us as you wish!"


    "We, the people of the Cross Family, answer to your call, Your highness!"


    One by one the acting heads of the families from the prominent ns to themon people responded willingly to Queen Teh''s call.


    And so upon their transport back to the capital, the noble families need not wait for the orders from the Imperial Family to start rebuilding the empire.


    No one tried to even take advantage of the chaos and tried to loot the unaware, instead, a deep sense of patriotism andpassion awakened the people, and acted as one.


    On the Temple ground, Eli stood beside the High Priest with her identity still concealed from other people. They head into the meeting room where Kayden, the heads of the Temple Knights, Mishael, Keren and Joab, and Leon were waiting patiently.


    There were so many things to deal with in the aftermath, but the most urgent ones were the treatment of the injured.


    As most of the cure potions were used to weaken the spirit fragment the Empire''s stocks were running low and they did not have enough time to concoct another batch because the curse power that hit the army was directly from Carolina.


    This meant that only the supreme grade cure potion, made from Eli''s spiritual power, was the only effective one. And so, the High Priest and Kayden were in a dilemma.


    " I will inject them with spiritual power directly¡­" Eli decided, looking at numerous knights suffering in pain.


    "But we need to be careful of the outside to show what you can do¡­" Surprisingly High Priest Enoch objected.


    "But why?" Eli asked in confusion, haven''t they all announced that the ''Pdin'' that had appeared was the subject to the oracle?


    "It''s like this¡­" High Priest Enoch sighed heavily and started to bring light to the information of which Eli was deprived this past few weeks.


    "This chaos had all started when you were in your secluded training period. There were several killings that used cursed weapons randomly in the capital." The High Priest proceeded to tell the tale of the origin of the chaos.


    From the demands of a mysterious man called Lord Raven to the fight in the Third District that caused Second Prince Antoine to be greatly injured, to the imposing of the lockdown by the Emperor and the stealth preparation of the retaliation.


    Then came the spark of the chaos which was the violent bombings throughout the capital''s vicinity. All this pertains to one thing, somehow, the enemy that was lurking outside the empire was triggered by her capability to eradicate a part of his spirit.


    This Lord Raven started to create chaos in the Empire in hopes to reveal herself.


    "This¡­" Eli was left speechless. A great wave of guilt flowed in her heart and even with her mask, the people around could imagine the sadness and self-me that she was dealing with right now.


    But in reality, none of them med her, none of them med her existence nor her abilities.


    "It''s not your fault¡­" The first to voice out his feelings was none other than Leon, who looked at her lovingly and with great worry.


    "The one at fault was the evil one, who would just find a reason to disturb other people''s peace. Moreover, even if Lord Raven had not triggered the killings, we have enough evidence that the Vess had long nned to destroy the Empire¡­ So do not me yourself for this, Eli¡­"

 Chapter 306 Dealing With The Aftermath (2)

    ?"The Third Prince is right¡­ Pdin.." Everyone in the room seconded Leon''s words.


    They looked at Eli worriedly. Now that she had revealed her existence she had no choice but to take the role of the Pdin.


    The Pdin was a title given to a person whom the heavens themselves directly ordained, in most cases, through the Oracle. Their rank lies in between the High Priest and the Captain of the Temple Knights and so the Pdin could be considered as the second-highest authority in a temple, next to the High Priest.


    But unlike the priests and the temple knights, conferred pdins were not required to pledge their loyalty to any temple in Prasinos, not even the main temple.


    Aside from the rank being directly bestowed by the heavens and not the Temple (by means of stringent selection and training process), some pdins are only called for a specific purpose, sometimes, their missions had to be fulfilled not on their own homnd but on another. This meant that the Temple in the local area could not force the Pdin to stay within their vicinity when his fulfillmenty on anothernd.


    This was the reason why High Priest Enoch previously assured Emperor Valentin that they would not take Eli away and keep her in the temple. It was because of the very nature of the Pdin rank.


    "I know¡­" Eli replied gently but the sense of responsibility had already been well embraced by her. "We still need to think of a way to solve the shortage problem nevertheless¡­"


    "For now, we can stall the deterioration process with the normal cure potion, but we would still need the supreme grade as soon as tomorrow¡­" Kayden concluded his evaluation.


    "One more thing¡­" High Priest Enoch interjected as he looked at Eli with a serious expression. "I am sure that someone from Lord Raven''s side was watching the events unfolding in the capital¡­"


    "Hmmm¡­ Indeed, thinking back¡­ I also wondered why he started this chaos and let it end with his pawns losing in vain¡­ It seems like, at one point he decided not to¡­" Mishael''s brows furrowed in deep contemtion.


    The rest in the room also fell into deep contemtion. They were figuring out their enemy''s thinking.


    But with Mishael''s coupled with the extent of evil that the Vess were willing to do to the Empire, then it is more likely that Lord Raven sacrificed his pawns to weaken the empire and force Eli to reveal herself.


    "We need not be thinking so hard about this¡­" High Priest Enoch woke them up into their thinking and continued, "What I had in mind was to let the enemy think that the Pdin was someone that is not from here¡­"


    "Esteemed High Priest¡­ you mean¡­" Everyone''s eyes widened and looked at the High Priest, who ironically was the one devising a n to fool the enemy.


    "Yes¡­ we will put on a show to make the enemy believe that she is from anothernd¡­" The High Priest rubbed his long beard as his eyes gleamed in wisdom. "This way, our Empire will have time to breathe¡­ hopefully until the Imperial Family stabilizes the powers and the Templepletes their preparation to fight the curses."


    ¡ª


    The meeting shortly ended and Eli finally had time to breathe.


    She ran, crawled, and flew all over the Empire all night to set up the grand array that helped the empire achieve victory.


    However, for her¡­ the task she did could just be considered as puny aspared to countless knights who fought to their deaths until she intervened.


    She was absentmindedly walking into the hallway, when a warm, calloused hand suddenly held hers, halting her movements.


    "Where are you heading too?" The voice she hadn''t heard for a long time was finally warming up her ears. She finally heard Leon''s voice after a while.


    Eli looked at Leon with warm loving eyes. They have not seen each other for a few days so she was surprised to realize that he missed him so much after seeing him today.


    ''So this is what it feels like to have a lover¡­'' She thought in her heart.


    In her previous life, she would frown and cringe whenever her colleagues wouldment how they were not able to see or talk to their boyfriends in just a matter of days. She thought that they were immature and they were too clingy.


    However, now she fully understood. It doesn''t have anything to do with being immature or clingy.


    It is just because their hearts found home to their significant other. And as a person goes on to his or her busy life, at some point, they would long for the respective homes that gave themfort with all the things going on around.


    To Eli, Leon''s existence was like that.


    "I wanted to find a ce to rx as I could still feel my nerves tense because of what recently happened¡­" Eli finally answered Leon''s query.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright¡­ how about tea in the cottage?" Leon asked. He knew what Eli meant.


    Weakening the pdin''s uniform was nerve-wracking for her and she needed time to pause and take off the ''heavy'' uniform.


    But the temple was not in a good shape and with the mastermind still unknown, undisguised Eli would be in danger at the moment.


    So the safest thing to do was to go to a different location.


    "But is the cottage intact?" Eli asked Leon with surprise in her tone.


    The extent of the battle was widespread and there was no guarantee that the Forgeworn estate was left unscathed, much less their tiny little cottage.


    "I will not allow our home to be damaged¡­" Leon looked at Eli with a smile, holding her hands as he led her to the teleportation array.


    "I apologize for not discussing with you ahead of time, but I moved to temporarily bring back our home to the Silverdew forest¡­" Leon replied with a sheepish tone.


    "Eh¡­ EHHHH!!!" Eli couldn''t help but be surprised, even without a mask, Leon could imagine her shocked face and widened obsidian eyes¡­


    "Ahhh¡­ you never told me!!" Eli was so surprised that her hands froze in the air and stopped her tracks.


    The next moment she looked at Leon who had already taken a few more steps before running to catch his figure with her hands raised in an action to lightly ''hit'' his back.


    "Why didn''t you tell me!!! I should have gone there to sleep when I was there!!!" Her seemingly annoyed voice rang in the halls of the underground passageway.


    "Ehrmmm¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Leon let out a smile that was a bit teasing. His mind couldn''t help butment that Eli was wearing her mask, or else he could see her annoyed expression over his unintentional prank.


    But nheless¡­ the lips of the two were smiling and their hearts were full of gratefulness, thanking the heavens that they have survived and have the time to bicker like this.


    Even as they reached the cottage, Eli was still wearing a sulky expression in her mouth as she wordlessly prepared the tea for the two of them.


    Leon could only sigh helplessly and hug her from behind. They have already taken their respective showers and have thoroughly washed off the scents of the battle they have just conquered.


    "I''m really sorry¡­" He softly whispered behind her ears¡­ his nose inhaled the rose scent that she used.


    It was sweet and intoxicating¡­ adding to the longing that he felt ever since he hadid her eyes on her majestic figure descending from the sky.


    "I didn''t want you to get the impression that we are anticipating a fight on a great scale, that''s why I kept it a secret. I know you would be worried to death." In between his breath, he whispered his heart out, baring all his emotions and thought processes for Eli to understand.


    His body moved closer to hers when he felt that Eli was not resisting his actions. He closed her eyes and buried his head down into her neck, the tip of his lips brushing lightly into her skin.


    "I know¡­ I am just surprised¡­" Eli was immediately electrified by Leon''s weakening actions. She lifted her hand and touched his head, caressing it gently.


    "Just a little bit more work¡­ and our family will finally be at peace¡­" Leon tightened his hug on her waist and pressed his lips gently into Eli''s fair neck.


    "Uhn¡­" Eli closed her eyes and let out a hum¡­ as her neck started to heat up because of Leon''s breath. That was especially seen when his soft moist lipsnded on her sensitive skin.


    It was like waves of electricity, firing into her body, making her unable to resist his actions.


    However¡­ Before they could move further, there was an unexpected knocking on their humble cottage doors. The two looked at each other as if they were not expecting someone to know their whereabouts.


    "Yoooohoooo!!! love birds~~"


    "Come and greet your great awesome coolest Zale here!!!"

 Chapter 307 Dealing With The Aftermath (3)

    ?Leon and Eli were startled by Zale''s voice.


    In their minds, they were actually thankful that Zale did not choose to just enter their cabin unannounced rather than knocking at their main door, or else¡­ they would be caught in an awkward situation.


    "Let''s go and meet him¡­" Leon whispered and led Eli into the entrance.


    Eli had a hunch as to what was the reason why Zale went to visit them unannounced, that was to retrieve the grimoire. But she actually wondered,ing to retrieve the mysteriously dangerous relic, why did the guardians only send one to retrieve it?


    "Greetings, Esteemed Guardian Zale¡­" They both greeted Zale who was standing in front of their doorstep pouting like an aggrieved child.


    "Hmph¡­ good you came fast!!! Now, now¡­ give me the thing¡­" Zale''s eyes shined excitedly as he saw the coupleing out to greet him. He held out his slender, yet muscr tanned hand and gestured to Eli to give him something.


    "Guardian Zale, wouldn''t you want to enter the cabin first?" Leon carefully asked, he was surprised that Zale seemed to want to fast-track everything.


    His conjecture turned out to be spot on when he heard the Guardian''s answer,


    "No¡­ I have no time to spare¡­ just give me the grimoire and I''ll immediately go back to the realm¡­"


    "Aiyoooo¡­ why did I have to be the loser of that game called Uno cards?!"


    "Now I have no choice but to go out and leave the realm and be apart with my godson!!!"


    "Aishhhh¡­ Did you know? My godson and I were starting to get close?"


    "He was also starting to call me godpa already!!!"


    "Hmf! Those stingy guardians just wanted to send me away so that they would have lesspetition with my godson''s affection!"


    Eli and Leon couldn''t help but have their brows twitched at Zale''s ranting. It turns out that Zale was in a rush to go back to the guardian realm because he was afraid that the other guardians would get close to Little Han in his absence.


    After that, Eli felt a deep sense of longing upon Zale''s mention of Little Han. But her heart was relieved after hearing the information in Zale''s rants.


    The guardians must have been taking care of Little Han dearly.


    "My son¡­ how was he?" Eli was about to ask about Little Han''s well-being when Leon beat her to it. She could even feel his hands tremble while he asked about their son.


    "Hmm¡­ Do you miss him, Third Prince?" Zale raised his brows in interest as his hands reached out with the grimoire he covered with a protective light in order for it not to leak out any sinister power.


    Leon answered without hesitation, "I do¡­ I think of him every day¡­ Even as I go to the battle, I long to finish everything early and see him the soonest¡­"


    Zale looked at Leon, but he did not ridicule him as his usual character would. It was perhaps because this was one of the rare moments for Leon to take his vulnerable emotions out in the open to someone other than Eli.


    "How about you, young Eli? Oh no, Pdin Eli¡­" Zale asked Eli, assessing their expressions intently.


    "I do¡­ everything that I strive to do... I hope to give Little Han a safer ce to grow into¡­" Eli looked down with her hands clenching in her chest, the obvious trace of longing.


    "Hmm¡­ poor you parents¡­" Zale touched his chin, looking at the sappy couple with an expression that is trying to sympathize with their emotions.


    "Don''t worry, he is doing well¡­ But you have to finish your tasks immediately so that you can reunite with him¡­" Zale looked at them with an unusually serious expression that was trying to appease the two of them.


    The two did not say anything in reply, but they gave Zale an affirmative nod.


    "Alright, I shall now go¡­" Zale went ahead and conjured a portal, Eli and Leon could only look at him without a word, holding each other''s hands as they went through the emotions of parents being away from their child.


    "Oh, by the way¡­ Wisey would wake up soon too¡­ by the time you wrap everything up she would be fully recovered!" Zale looked back and gave them another piece of good news.


    Eli''s mood lightened up upon hearing that Wisey was also alright.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Anddddd¡­ The Overseer had a message¡­I almost forgot to say!" Zale peeked through the portal and looked at the two teasingly.


    "He said that you two should better present yourselves to him first before making baby number 2~~~" He mumbled as he looked at them with a knowing smile before truly disappearing into the portal.


    Zale''s finalment made the two flinch awkwardly¡­ Their faces heat up in embarrassment¡­


    It was so awkward that they were also finding it hard to interact with each other after hearing the Great One''s message.


    To present themselves before making baby number 2¡­ meant that they should have to marry first before they truly consummate their love.


    "Eherm¡­" Leon cleared out his throat nervously and peeked at Eli whose face was incredulously blushing in red. "Let''s get inside shall we?"


    "Ah¡­ yes we should¡­" Eli was startled by Leon''s words but she still sheepishly followed him inside the cabin.


    The two also went back to the capital as soon as they did some tasks in Silver Dew Forest.


    There were many things for them to fix and rebuild as well as problems they needed to solve. That is why they couldn''t afford to rx and let their guard down as both the Empire and the Temple were in a vulnerable state.


    Leon immediately went to the pce to take over their duties as Emperor Valentin, Kazimir, and Antoine were gravely injured in the process of defending the capital.


    It was also a blessing that the people in the capital, noble ormon people unanimously responded to the two queens'' calls to rebuild the capital.


    On the Temple side, Eli has been mainly involved with solving a way to cure the gravely injured. It was a sight to behold when the people widened their eyes and saw so many elvese with her and willingly cure humans!


    "Azayn¡­ thank you so much for your and the Silver Dew Elves'' help¡­ we couldn''t imagine handling all these patients at once¡­ Now, even Brother Kayden could take a little bit of rest after working nonstop since the preparation." Eli held Azayn''s hand and thanked her sincerely.


    "It''s alright¡­ Pdin¡­" Azayn teasingly replied. "Of course, we would help especially when it pertains to the security of our kind¡­"


    "Nevertheless, I really thank you! Help me thank grandpa Eirllon too!" Eli replied as they stepped into theboratory where they found Kayden who was busy creating some batches of potion from the ingredients Eli harvested in the Silver Dew Forest.


    "Ah.. you are still not resting?!" Azayn was surprised that Kayden was still working so she started nagging the workaholic Kayden like a typical elder sister.


    "C''mon¡­ just a batch of these potions¡­ I can''t let the gravely injured wait until their lives are over¡­" Kayden scratches his head helplessly. There was apparent exhaustion on his face and he even had a strong smell of blood mixed with the antiseptic and medicinal potion.


    Eli and Azayn could just imagine how many patients he had to manage during and after the battle, now he was even concocting arge batch of potions to bring to the people who were hit gravely with Empress Carolina''s curse.


    "Dr. Einz, they are right, we can handle this already¡­ Go and take a rest." Sophia, who was one of the main doctors in the Riverfort Hospital went out of the herb room and overheard the conversation.


    "Elder Sister Sophia was right¡­" Eli also interjected, "Besides, even if the potions were given, it could only solve the problem with the curse, but they still needed medical treatment for their injuries¡­ in which, you will need more energy."


    "Sigh¡­ alright¡­" Being convinced by the three women around him, Kayden could only helplessly sigh and obediently go to his sleeping quarters which were conveniently also in hisboratory.


    "Look at him drifting to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow¡­ Sigh¡­" Azayn looked at her younger brother pitifully.


    "In this fight, his contributions were a lot more valuable than mine. Without his cure potion, the empire would never even dare to start their retaliation. I was even wondering¡­" Eli looked at Kayden with worry in her eyes.


    She knew how hard Kayden worked ever since they took on the task of interrogating Igor and Hasta. She knew that he worked and buried himself in researching nonstop, and even in between, he had to perform such a miraculous operation to pull Antoine from the underworld.


    Eli had not even witnessed Kayden take a break during those times.


    She looked at him with gratefulness and admiration in her eyes as she continued, "If he was the real subject that the Oracle pertained to¡­"


    "Because everything he did was a catalyst of hope for the Empire to aim for victory."

 Chapter 308 Her Tale (1)

    ?Back in the Imperial Pce, Emperor Valentin, Kazimir, and Antoine were forced to stay in oneplex because arge part of the facilities was damaged during the battle.


    And so the women of the family, First Queen Lucia, Second Queen Teh, as well as Princess Consorts Arielle and Evelyn were tasked to take care of the trio until they recovered.


    As the hype of the emotions died down, the awkwardness between the four women increased as admittedly this was the first time they interacted almost all day with each other.


    Ironically the members of the imperial family were not really close to each other. Due to reasons too many to count, they slowly drifted apart from each other and never saw the need to build a harmonious rtionship until today, when their respective husbands need their care the most.


    For instance, Princess Consort Evelyn was a noble daughter of a vassal under the Astaze family, but even so, she was still forced to distance herself from her mother-inw because of Antoine''s feelings toward his mother. Second Queen Teh and Princess Consort Arielle because of the innate enmity amongst the three princes.


    But now they were in one smallplex of the Imperial Pce, forced to interact with each other because they needed each other''s support.


    Princess Arielle has been standing outside the assigned quarters for Prince Antoine. She was with her servants bringing a set of freshly dried towels for them and a new supply of medicinal potions.


    "Princess Evelyn was probably in the room," She thought as her hand froze in the air. Upon realizing that the reason why Antoine was in this state was still that he sacrificed his life for Kazimir, fortunately, the Second Prince survived miraculously.


    However, Princess Arielle was still worried that Princess Evelyn would be hostile towards them because of this.


    "Princess Consort Arielle, what brings you here?" Suddenly, a delicate voice sounded behind her, with a hint of surprise in her tone.


    Princess Arielle turned and was startled upon seeing the owner of the voice. In panic, she immediately curtsied and greeted her ording to the Imperial etiquette, "Greeting! Your Highness, First Queen¡­ I am here to deliver fresh towels and a batch of medicinal potions that was delivered by the temple for His Highness, Second Prince."


    "En¡­ I see why won''t youe? Let''s go together." First Queen Lucia gave her a calm smile as she went ahead to enter the room after her servant announced her presence.


    As Princess Arielle walked inside, she immediately caught a whiff of a strong herbal scent inside the room. Her eyes roamed around the modest bed chamber and saw two figures on the bed.


    One was Prince Antoine sitting on the bed, with his head resting with the support of the pillows, while the other one was the trembling Princess Evelyn.


    It was evident that Princess Evelyn had just cried, with the redness under her eyes.


    "Greetings Queen Mother¡­" The couple replied.


    "I''m d you are finally awake¡­" First Queen Teh looked at her son, there were no tears in her eyes but there was an obvious sigh of relief.


    Antoine stared at his mother and examined her expression, the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat as he saw another figure beside her, seemingly in trouble with how she would be putting herself in the situation.


    "Greetings, First Princess Consort¡­" He looked at her and gave him a polite nod. Only then did Evelyn notice Arielle''s presence, she shortly greeted her after.


    "Thank heavens that you have finally gained consciousness¡­ I¡­ I am here to deliver the necessities distributed by the temple for your recovery¡­" Arielle greeted the couple back and signaled the servants to ce the items inside.


    After that, an awkward silence rang into the bed chamber as the four royalties looked at each other, not knowing what to say¡­


    "Ah¡­ since I have already delivered the items, I will now go back. I am really d that you have awakened¡­ I pray for yourplete recovery¡­" Arielle curtsied and turned to exit the room.


    But before the door opened for her, she heard Antoine''s faint reply, "Please¡­ send my regards to Kazimir too, when he wakes up¡­"


    "I will Your Highness¡­" Princess Arielle replied back, with a gentle smile and a glimmer of tears that were threatening to fall at any moment. She quietly dismissed herself, as she knew that the three would have to talk for a while because of what happened.


    Everyone thought that Prince Antoine was already dead; however, he suddenly appeared to help in the battle. Princess Arielle could just imagine how heavy the emotions of the three would be dealing with right now.


    As for her, she still had to worry about Kazimir''s state because he was gravely injured by his very own mother during the battle. Also, she also didn''t know how she would help Kazimir deal with the pain of his maternal family betraying the empire.


    She was afraid, with Kazimir''s recent personality, that he would never ever be able to lift his head up high again in the Empire. At the thought of this, her heart seemed to have been painfully crushed for her husband.


    Inside Antoine''s room, Evelyn looked at the mother and son pair and couldn''t help but sigh in her heart.


    "I''ll brew tea for Queen Mother, just a second¡­" She tried to break the silence by announcing her retreat to such a suffocating atmosphere.


    Day and night, she has always been praying that the rtionship between the two would one day be reconciled, however, it didn''te even after the news of her husband dying came.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because even after the news of her husband''s death, Queen Lucia just looked at her with absolute certainty and dered, "He is not dead, don''t waste your tears¡­ He is alive and wille back soon¡­"


    At that moment, no matter how Evelyn wanted to be polite and respectful to Queen Lucia, she still wanted to blurt out, "You must be crazy¡­"


    But even so, looking at Queen Lucia''s steadfast gaze and unfathomable demeanor, she still shut her mouth and kept her emotions in check. That also meant that the Lily ce did not even mourn the alleged death of the Second Prince.


    But who would have thought¡­ that Queen Lucia''s words were true?


    The moment she heard about this when they came back to the capital after being transported in a mountain range, Antoine''s words flooded her mind like a storm.


    ''My mother¡­ she is not normal¡­''


    ''I cannot understand her not even one bit¡­''


    ''Sometimes she would say things like this and that, preventing me from doing something and pushing me to do another¡­''


    ''Without giving me a reason¡­ I cannot really understand what she was thinking¡­''


    ''I probably won''t until I die¡­''


    Antoine''s words finally resonated in her as she looked at her unperturbed mother-inw. But now¡­ seeing that one of her words was right¡­ she couldn''t help but make a scary guess¡­


    Could it be that her mother inw¡­ possesses a gift of foresight?


    Princess Evelyn''s entire body shivered upon thinking about this, because if that was the case, then First Queen Lucia might have to be taken to the Temple.


    She looked at them worriedly as she stood to go with her servants to get the tea ready.


    But Queen Lucia shook her head and replied, "No¡­ leave it to the servants for you must hear what I have to say¡­ you are part of the family."


    Antoine and Evelyn looked at her with shock on their faces¡­ their Queen Mother, was finally willing to exin everything?


    First Queen Lucia took a deep breath and looked at the couple, and with a helpless smile, she started her exnation.


    "Let''s probably start with the easiest story¡­"


    "Your so-called death¡­ I never saw it happen. That is why I have peace in my heart, even if all the news around says that you have no chance to be saved, I still believed the fact that you wouldn''t die."


    "Why?" Antoine clenched his fists, he did not understand a single word that his mother was saying¡­ He thought that once he listened to his mother''s words, he would finally understand even a bit of her.


    "Because I saw your future that was different from this¡­"


    "The reason I told you to do and not to do many things in the past¡­"


    "Including your rtionship with Third Prince Leon¡­"


    "It is all because of this vision that I saw¡­ and in that vision, your future is not something as dark as death."


    "But I cannot tell you further than that¡­ Because ites with a cost¡­" At this point, the ever-stoic Queen Lucia finally should have intense emotions on her face.


    Fear, anxiety, worry, and longing¡­ it was all on her face, and the couple, especially Antoine, saw it all.


    "I can only tell you this because a part of my vision had actually happened. That is why it is only me until today to exin this¡­" her tears were already falling uncontrobly as she exined her case.


    Antoine looked at her mother, withplicated emotions in his heart.


    After some time, the turmoil in his heart still did not subside, and so his mouth opened, "The cost you are pertaining to¡­ is it something just like how you were forced¡­ to bear me as a consequence of an incident?"

 Chapter 309 Her Tale (2)

    ?The first nightmare Lucia had ever experienced was during her seventh birthday.


    She was looking up above where there were hundreds of giant rock boulders ready to rain down everywhere in thend and the skies were filled with purple thunder and dark clouds.


    The seven-year-old Lucia could notpletelyprehend the situation during that time but she knew what would happen when the boulders fell into thend - imminent death.


    Thus her seven-year-old mind was deeply shaken by these vivid dreams and when she managed to wake up, the entire Astasze estate was disturbed by her hysterical cries. Back then she also suffered a high fever and was bedridden for a couple of days, making the Marquiss Family worried about her well-being.


    When she was fifteen years old, she saw the terrifying skies again, but this time she saw some oddly familiar people that increased her confusion.


    Sir Eugine Farauld, the most promising apprentice knight in the Empire at the moment, the High Priests of the Temple whom she only saw whenever her parents attend a mass presided by him, and the eldest prince of the Seirende Empire, Valentin.


    They didn''t look young, instead, there were traces of multiple decades on their faces, but mystifyingly, Lucia in that nightmare was certain of their identity.


    Their faces were filled with despair and hopelessness as they forced their bodies to stand up and pick up their weapons. Their eyes only looked towards one direction, to an enemy - an angry woman with long silky purple hair and amethyst eyes.


    ''Who is she? Why is she fighting with these people? She must be from a dignified noble family from the way she dressed.''


    The features of the woman were buried deeply in her mind, however, everything was just an odd nightmare, she did not really take everything she saw seriously.


    But little by little, she gradually realized that her dreams were oddly coincidental to what was happening in real life.


    In the autumn of the same year, she dreamed of her father, thete Marquiss, nning on signing contracts with a merchant, but it turns out that the merchant group was a fraudulent business.


    When she woke up the next day, during the family dinner she was shocked to hear that her father and elder brother, Jeremy, the heir to the Astaze March, was indeed about to sign a contract with the same fraudulent merchant in her dreams.


    Deeply bothered by the coincidence, she immediately talked to her brother privately and told her ''gut feeling'' about the merchant. Fortunately, Jeremy did notpletely dismiss her words of warning but did not believe them outright either.


    To ease his little sister''s worries, Jeremy ordered his elite knights to conduct a secret investigation of the merchant group and had indeed found out that they were fraudulent!


    Starting from then, whenever Lucia would have some odd kind of dream, she would immediately call out to her family to avoid impending disasters so much that they believed that she was a lucky charm of the Astaze March.


    "Mother, at the tea partyter, I advise you to refrain yourself from ridiculing the wife of the Millfort Baron."


    Later after the tea party, it was announced that Baron Millfort discovered an abundant deposit of sapphire and emerald gems, one that was thergest in the Empire at that time.


    "Brother, I think you need to read these books¡­"


    After the winter break, Jeremy went straight to her and hugged her tight because of her advice. It turns out the books that she rmended were detrimental to his qualification to be one of the honored schrs in the Farauld Magic Institute.


    "Father¡­ I am feeling good about putting up an orphanage under our March. What do you think of this idea?"


    It turns out that the orphans they have gathered had a strong aptitude for summoning magic and some were highly intelligent, making their Astaze March look forward to a promising future.


    All this and many more, simple advice from Lucia gradually increased the influence and power of the Astaze March, so much that it was slowly bingparable to a ducal family.


    And so they started to rely on Lucia''s fortune-telling whenever they would be venturing into something new.


    But that immediately stopped when another terrible dream came to her on her seventeenth birthday.


    This time, not only the same horrible dream was the one she saw, it contained more than just the repetitive scene.


    Sitting on the throne was no longer someone with blood-red hair and crystal blue eyes. But a pair of a man and a woman, with simr features, purple hair, and amethyst eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lucia found herself kneeling in front of them, it was so vivid and realistic that she could feel the stinging pain in her head and knees, and the cold heavy chain attached to her hands and feet.


    Then on her side, she heard the sniffles of her brother''s crying¡­ he had already grown so much, and there was a delicate woman on his side, as well as a few young men that shared their features


    ''Could they be, elder brother''s future family?'' She could not help but wonder. Besides, she could no longer see her parents with them, so she had a hunch that this nightmare must have happened in the far future.


    She realized that she was at the center of the square and on a nearby tform, there was a guillotine. Also, it was not only her family that was kneeling in front of the two figures, there were also other prominent families, and most of them were from the vassal families of their March!


    ''What is happening?'' She furrowed her brows and started to get worried. As much as she wanted to convince herself that this was just a dream, there were already countless dreams that proved to be the far future ahead.


    But this nightmare was too worrisome to ignore! First, this nightmare had alreadye to her three times. Second, unlike her previous dreams, this showed the future of the Astaze March directly.


    How could she not convince herself to remember every part of this nightmare?


    And so, she took a deep breath and buried every detail of the dream in her memory, the people she was with, and the situation.


    She saw that the woman on the throne looked at them coldly. She stood up and pointed at them while announcing to the onlookers her speech with a ruthless throne,


    "Now marks the day of our reign¡­ and the people you see here in the square are the traitors and evil people in this Empire!"


    There was nothing but silence in the square¡­ it was as if the onlookers were also restrained from talking in fear that they would join the captives at the center of the square.


    As if she was unaffected by theck of response, the woman smiled condescendingly and continued her speech, "And now, all you bear witnesses, that I, the Empress to the Seirende Empire will execute all the traitors and evil in thisnd!"


    Lucia could not help but shudder in fear¡­ if this was the near future that would surely mean one thing!


    Their family will be wiped out by the woman in front of them!


    "No¡­ Why is this happening¡­ Brother¡­" Lucia could not help but mumble as her body was trembling in fear.


    She looked at Jeremy who was also trying to hold back his despair as his ''wife'' and ''sons'' were already wailing in fear.


    "Lucia¡­" He looked at her with a defeated expression, his eyes no longer contained anything but hopelessness and anticipation of his demise. "... perhaps¡­ death is the mercy of us¡­" He mumbled as he looked at the two people who were now reigning the Empire.


    Lucia realized the meaning behind her brother''s words, perhaps, there was no more future to look forward to with the people who were reigning the empire from this point forward. But is this kind of thinking just easy for her to ept?


    What kind of hardships did her brother endure for his spirit to be killed like this?


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice that could now effectively make Lucia tremble in fear,


    "First up¡­ this woman¡­ lowly bard¡­ amoner¡­ a whore!" There was anger and disgust in the woman''s voice as she let the knights drag a pitiful delicate-looking woman.


    The woman was covered with filth as if she had been confined in the sewers rather than the jail, but her beauty could still be detected with her graceful silver hair and captivating moss green eyes.


    ''Such a beautiful woman, what did she do to earn the wrath of the sinister woman, so much that she put her on top of the execution list?''


    The dream did not show her how the woman was killed, but it was as if time had been brought forward.


    Suddenly, she found herself standing on the execution tform, getting dragged by the hooded men into the bloodied guillotine!

 Chapter 310 Her Tale (3)

    ?"Ah¡­ no¡­!" kneeling in the front of the guillotine, Lucia''s entire body seemed to have been bathed with ice-cold water.


    ''Wake up! Wake up! I have seen enough¡­'' She tried to shake her body in an attempt to wake up and stop the scene but her efforts were in vain.


    The guillotine looked like the mouth of a ferocious monster, ready to im her little life at any second. Just a nce of the de made her shudder and lose strength.


    ''Why won''t this dream end!! There''s nothing more to see!!!'' Luciained in her heart.


    She knew that she was in a dream of the far future but why is it that everything, even the fear, and pain felt real?


    If she was unable to wake up on time? Will she ever wake up at all?


    ''Heavens! Please¡­ if this was the near future, then spare me from foreseeing my demise like this¡­'' She prayed as her body was dragged to be ced under the guillotine''s de.


    She closed her eyes for she knew that what lies in front of her could be countless corpses of those who went before her.


    However, before the de fell to her death, she was able to hear the words of the woman.


    "See what happens when you reject me? If back then, you chose me to be the empress then none of this would have happened! Now, look at what your empire has be¡­ Valentin!"


    And then, everything went ck¡­ Finally, Lucia was able to wake up from the nightmare and finally breathe.


    "What was that?" Lucia catches her breath and wiped away the cold sweat in her forehead, the dream was too much for her to handle.


    She looked at the window and thought to herself¡­ how was she able to live right now when she had seen something that she wished, she couldn''t just have seen?


    She stayed awake until the room was fully bright in the morning, but no matter how much she thought the entire night, she could note up with a decision in her mind.


    How would she be able to prevent the tragic end of her family?


    She saw her brother¡­ and her future family¡­ maybe she would have had one too, but then she was not able to tell in that particr dream.


    Also, it bothered her a lot that the dream was not only speaking of Astaze''s downfall¡­ it was the downfall of the whole empire. And as far as the woman was concerned, she was not even able to identify who she was¡­


    "Mydy¡­ you are awake!" She was awakened from her thoughts by the voice of her maid. "Oh no, mdy¡­ are you that excited to see the coronation of His Highness Crown Prince?"


    "Ah¡­ no¡­ I just had a¡­ I just felt thirsty and was about to call you¡­" Lucia would have said that she had a nightmare but decided against it. Because everyone in the estate knew that her dreams were not something to be ignored or taken for granted.


    "My¡­ then please wait a moment Mdy¡­ we get you some water¡­" The maid replied as she ordered the fellow maids of her request.


    It was only then that she realized that today was the coronation of the Seirende Empire''s Crown Prince.


    Valentin¡­ She heard the name before her dream ended and from what she could decipher, he would be detrimental to the Empire''s future.


    ''Then¡­ Let''s take a look and observe¡­ The main yers might have been present at the coronation eventter¡­''


    ''For now¡­ I will just gather enough information about those people¡­ Who knows¡­ maybe I would be able to prevent it all¡­'' She thought while her eyes brightened on her newfound n.


    It was then that she first saw Valentin, a young charming prince that was gifted to make his subjects respect him the most. She was also able to see the family of the prince, the Empress, and the second prince who was also of her age.


    Finally, she gets to see the reigning Ruler of the Empire, Emperor Idelfonso, who was an S ss Mage and an open path.


    The moment she saw the Imperial Family, there was a trace of sadness in her eyes as she remembered the far future. In her dream¡­ it happened obviously when the reigning Emperor was no longer around¡­ would he be smiling right now if he knew that the Empire would fall under his son''s rule?


    ''Ah¡­ what am I thinking!'' Lucia shook the negative thoughts away and swept the crowd with her eyes, trying to find the Ves family.


    When she was investigating the people with amethyst eyes and purple hair, it was only the Ves family who fit the description, however, she was still in the eastern territory and was not even allowed to go out unless under such an important asion like this.


    So this was her only chance to get to know the identity of the woman and the man from her nightmare. The entire ceremony was done but her search became unfruitful.


    ''The banquet was myst chance!'' She thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Most probably, the younger generation of the noble families would attend the banquet this evening, and so she thought that she may be able to see them.


    True enough, she was able to finally see who the people were and to her surprise, they were the direct descendants of the Duke of Ves!


    Maxim, the young master of the Ves duchy, and Carolina, the treasured princess of the Ves family!


    ''These two would cause the downfall of the empire?'' She thought in disbelief as she watched the siblings go around greeting everyone with innocence in their eyes.


    ''How could these people turn to have an enmity with the Empire¡­ I can''t imagine!''


    Maxim is a passionate young man, he was brilliant and humble. He was not keen to speak his thoughts in an arrogant and intimidating way but was well versed in expressing his opinions without offending the other party.


    Carolina was a beautiful youngdy, every daughter of the noble families was drawn to her like she was the most beautiful butterfly in a room full of bees.


    ''Even in the way they look at people, there was no contempt in their eyes¡­''


    ''I have to investigate them further¡­'' She thought. The thing that bothered her the most was how they were able to be so strong that no one in the Empire was able to resist them?


    Then they must be wielding strength that no one in the Empire had at the moment.


    From that point onwards, Lucia, who was originally the aloof and shy daughter of the Astaze Marquis forced herself to debut into the social circle earlier than expected.


    With the help of her family, she was able to attend social parties that Carolina would attend and finally saw who she really was.


    An obsesseddy from the Ves family!


    She witnessed her orchestrate things for thedies who had shown interest in the crown prince, even the slightest! As she watched her, she saw how Carolina''s expression changed every time her obsessive behavior kicked in.


    It sends shivers whenever Lucia is reminded of Carolina''s terrifying obsession. She wondered, how did Valentin manage to resist her in the far future?


    "However this is still not enough¡­" She thought. "The Ves has to be powerful enough to propel their family to such heights¡­"


    And so Lucia started to use her newfound freedom to investigate the Ves on their own.


    It was a little bit hard for her to keep these ns by herself because she could not afford anyone from the family to prematurely know of this dream that she had.


    If that happens, her family decides on something that would even hasten their downfall. Or worse, the Emperor might even condemn their family for brewing something that would betray the empire.


    But the results of the investigations made her brows furrow in frustration¡­


    The Ves Family was an upright family. They were powerful because of their businesses and they did not attempt to even explore any shady businesses.


    They were also not greedy in their dealings as if they no longer desire anything but to stay on the top of the society next to the Imperial Family.


    Aside from the fact that they were renowned and talented casters, there was nothing extraordinary in their family other than they were one of the strongest powers in the Empire - something that was normal for Lucia who was also a daughter of thepeting counterpart of the Ves''s in terms of aristocratic influence.


    "So could it be that this really all started with the fact that Carolina was obsessed with the Crown Prince?"


    "Isn''t this reason too petty for the Ves''s to cause rebellion in the Empire?" Lucia contemted as she read the contents of the report.


    However, she was unable to fully understand everything until¡­


    Carolina made the biggest mistake of her life¡­


    The mistake was so big that it almost caused a war between the Empire and an allied kingdom.


    A mistake that caused her dear father, the Duke of Ves, to sacrifice his very own life!

 Chapter 311 Her Tale (3)

    ?"Could this be the reason why they would hold a grudge in the empire?" Lucia frowned her brows as she read the contents of the news.


    A tragic sacrifice of the Duke of Ves to save his only daughter¡­


    It was such a sad story but none of the citizens felt empathized with the Ves Family. They could only shake their heads with a heavy sigh for a father whose life was lost because of a foolish daughter.


    It was already mercy that the Emperor did not retract their noble status, for the worst case would be, aside from killing the offender, they would still have to be banished from the Empire.


    Lucia phased back and forth in her room, thinking about what Carolina and Maxim would do next. Would it be at this moment that they started to build their power to eventually usurp the throne?


    A day after the execution of their father was the announcement of Carolina entering the temple to repent for her sins, and within a year the Empire did not hear anything from the Ves Family.


    To the citizens of the Empire, this was something that really incurred nods on their heads approving of the Ves family''s action. But to Lucia, this was a move that was inevitably threatening to their side.


    To announce this kind of news was to attempt to let the people forget their disgrace. One year was just too short for Carolina to sacrifice, considering that on the dream, it probably took her years to aplish everything,


    And her entering the temple was just a prelude to what would be the journey to the Empire''s downfall!!!


    "I only have one year to prepare¡­" Lucia has finally decided.


    She would take advantage of the fact that the Vess wouldy low for a year and help her family to strengthen their power at all costs.


    Thus, Lucia started toy down her ns.


    The first thing she worked on was the Astaze''s military ability. As they were already renowned as a family of summoners, she sponsored a lot of talented lesser nobles and evenmoners in their education to boost their family''s prestige and reputation.


    This way she would also help her brother raise up loyal and strong vassals when it was his time to inherit the throne.


    She also started to attend a lot of social events for thedies, making sure that her presence was known but not to the point of taking Carolina''s title as the flower of the society. She knew that Carolina would definitelye back and take what was originally hers.


    Her goal was just to build more influence and allies among the nobles of the high society to help his brother gain the power that he needed to strike the bnce in the future.


    With this, the Astaze March will have enough strength to go head to head with the Ves March in the future. Her work has not failed to catch the attention of her parents and even her brother.


    "Lucia, my little sister¡­ you have been so busy these days¡­ Tell me what''s going on?" Jeremy asked her after seeing her working nonstop for three months, as he was genuinely worried about her being too immersed in making their family be stable.


    "It''s nothing brother¡­" Lucia just subtly smiled and shook her head, trying to convince her brother that nothing was wrong.


    Jeremy frowned his head in suspicion and told her, "My heart was not at ease¡­ Lucia, you act like someone¡­ no something is chasing you from behind¡­ Tell me, is there something that makes you feel anxious? Let your brother help, Mother and Father were also worried about you¡­"


    "Brother¡­ believe me, this is just doing my best to help you while I am still here in the estate. In a year, I would be an adult already, Father and Mother would have to look for me to get betrothed¡­"


    Lucia looked at her brother with a bit of sadness in her eyes¡­ Although she did not know if she would really be betrothed by hering of age, she was certain that nothing would change if she wouldn''t prepare for Carolina''seback.


    "Brother¡­ by that time, I would not be around you, Mother and Father anymore to help you¡­ no matter how much I wanted to¡­ So please¡­ allow me to do these things at least¡­ it''s just a matter of months anyway until mying of age¡­"


    "Sigh¡­" Jeremy looked at Lucia helplessly, with a heavy heart he still gave her the support but his worries did not disappear.


    And so even when the Astaze Family was worried about her, they had no choice but to back her up until hering of age.


    Three months before hering of age, however, there was surprising news circting in the Empire¡­ Emperor Valentin had chosen amoner as his betrothed!


    What''s more, his betrothed was a bard that was known for her great talents in music and storytelling!


    Her beauty is well known and even the daughters of the noble ss could notpete with her beauty!!!


    When Lucia heard the news, she immediately went out and went to the ce where she could catch a glimpse of the bard, Teh.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon seeing Teh''s face, Lucia was instantly terrified, for it had already started!


    Everything was already falling into ce, and Lucia immediately connected the dots, the woman that was first executed was none other than this bard, the Crown Prince''s fiance.


    "What to do¡­" Lucia became immediately worried, she only knew what would happen in the far future, so she did not know what would be the right move for her to do.


    Should she warn the couple ahead of time? Or should she just watch and wait until the chaos would already implicated her family before she intervenes?


    "In the future¡­ Crown Prince Valentin will not choose Carolina at all¡­ but if he doesn''t Carolina will lead the empire into chaos¡­"


    But no matter how she thinks, she couldn''t find the right answer. She continued to observe the situation and strengthened her family until Carolina had sessfullypleted her stint in the Temple.


    Lucia watched everything slowly unfold in front of her¡­


    Threats of war started to spread¡­ It even caused the second prince to almost die and be gravely injured in the process.


    The Empress suddenly died¡­


    The Emperor was forced to leave the Empire to the Crown Prince as the enemies in the war were too strong for the deployed troops.


    After a few months, everything became busy for everyone in the Empire, as it was a sudden war, every noble family was forced to contribute something to support the Crown Prince, who was still not ready to take on the great responsibility of guarding the huge Empire.


    When the news of the Emperor being dead in the battle broke out, Lucia finally decided that she could not take it anymore¡­ and decided that she would put the Empire''s fate in her hands.


    And so in the middle of the night, she paid an experienced mercenary to sneak her into the pce and meet Teh¡­ she had to warn thedy of what was about to go down.


    "Who are you? What brings you here?!" Much to Lucia''s surprise, Teh was with Valentin at that particr moment when they sneaked it.


    "To be able to bypass the guards of the pce and even know exactly where we are¡­ Who are you, and what is your purpose!" Crown Prince Valentin protectively pulled Teh behind him as he stared vigntly at Lucia and her paid mercenary.


    "I mean no harm¡­" Lucia raised her hands immediately and showed her face¡­ "Greetings, His Highness Crown Prince and Lady Teh, I am Lucia Astaze, and I am just here to tell you something inevitably important."


    "Lucia Astaze? Could you be the daughter of Astaze Marquiss?" Valentin was surprised by the noble identity of the trespasser; however, the vignce in his eyes did not lessen.


    "I am indeed¡­" Lucia bowed in the submission so as to really show that she does not intend to harm Teh in the slightest.


    Seeing that Valentin was staring intently at the mercenary that brought her inside, she immediately understood and ordered him to keep distant.


    "Now state your case¡­" Valentin looked at Teh assertively, which Lucia did not take to heart.


    Whatever she would say from this point onwards would be hard to believe anyways¡­


    "I was originally here to warn Lady Teh¡­ but since you are here Your Highness, I would just ry the same words to you¡­"


    "The Vess are up to something¡­ and I greatly believe that all of these troubles in the empire have been manipted by them¡­"


    Valentin''s eyes flickered the moment he heard Lucia''s words, "Lady Lucia¡­ are you fully aware that what you are saying is considered nder and nonsense if not backed with evidence?"


    "Replying to the Crown Prince, indeed I am aware¡­" Lucia calmly replied to Valentin.


    "Then, I would like to ask you, Lady Lucia, what evidence have you brought for us to rely on your words?" Valentin asked.


    "I have no evidence brought by ck and white¡­ But I came to you because of two reasons, first one is the obsession of Carolina towards your Highness.. An obsession that almost caused our Empire to break rtions with an ally¡­"


    "Next reason was that I saw the future¡­ A future where I, my entire family, and even Lady Teh dies¡­"

 Chapter 312 Her Tale (4)

    ?"Sigh¡­" Valentin rubbed his head in distress as he listened to Lucia''s unbelievable words,


    "On the ount that you are the daughter of Marquess Astaze, I will forget that you have sneaked inside the imperial pce without permission¡­ But my Lady, I think it is really time for you to go back to your family''s estate."


    Lucia already expected that they would not believe her at first, and so she stayed calm, "As youmand, Your Highness, but even so, there''s nothing wrong in increasing the guards assigned for Lady Teh. "


    "That goes without saying..." Crown Prince Valentin tightened his grip on Teh''s arms.


    "Alright then¡­ if both of you changed your minds, don''t hesitate to send me a message. A word of advice¡­ never underestimate an obsessed person''s means of doing things." Lucia signaled the hooded mercenary to carry her back to the estate after she curtsied to Valentin and bade goodbye to Teh.


    Soon, all that was left was the stunned Teh and the anxious Valentin.


    "What do we do now, Valentin?" Teh looked at him with worry in her moss green eyes.


    It was already a hard time for Valentin at the moment, and yet his burdens have increased again. What was more frustrating was that she was the added burden. "I am sorry¡­ because of me¡­"


    "No, do not think about that¡­ If any, I would be the one to apologize. I already knew that these things might happen and yet, I still became selfish and -"


    "Please do not say that Valentin¡­ The moment I said yes to your proposal, I also said yes to the happiness, the sadness, as well as the problems that I will face together with you. What frustrates me is that I do not even have the ability to protect myself to lift your burdens by just a little bit¡­"


    While the young couple supported each other, Lucia silently stood on her balcony as her eyes darted to the view of the night sky.


    "The skies in my dreams were filled with gigantic stones¡­ unlike these skies¡­ they were so brilliant and full of beauty¡­" She mumbled to herself.


    "Why don''t you just go away to the Empire then?" The mercenary was not yet dismissed at that time and so he asked Lucia curiously.


    "That kind of dream¡­ there''s no escape¡­ If I think about it, after my ''death'' in that dream¡­ don''t you think that the enemy will just stop at our Empire? If there was no one who could stop them in the great Seirende Empire, then how about the othernds?"


    "There would be a widespread danger¡­" The mercenarymented.


    Lucia did not know why she was exining things to the mercenary; however, at the moment, she would just like for someone to listen to the thoughts that she had kept secret for years.


    "Look, if my conjecture was true, who could stop a family who could manipte the forces outside the Empire and cause a war? I don''t believe that their power only extends in this empire¡­ but far to the outside¡­"


    "And so I firmly believe that there was no use for me to escape¡­ because death would chase me and my family anyways¡­ unless I do something¡­" Lucia faced the hooded mercenary and ordered him once again¡­


    "For my nextmission, please stay discreetly beside Lady Teh¡­ But do not protect her entirely¡­ just make sure that no assassination attempts would severely harm her¡­ For I still need for the Crown Prince and the Lady to realize how far Carolina would go¡­


    "Just intervene when it''s already a matter of life and death¡­"


    "I received your orders Mdy¡­" The mercenary bowed and immediately disappeared into the darkness.


    It did not take her long to receive some news about the multiple attempts to harm Teh and for them to summon Lucia secretly back to the pce.


    "So¡­ are you ready to hear my story now?" Lucia looked at them who wore anxious and lethargic expressions.


    "Tell me, Lady Lucia, what have you seen in the future¡­" Valentin waved his hands, gesturing that he was finally willing to listen.


    "The vision I saw¡­ would not even happen in this time period, it would be decades from now¡­ where my brother would even have his own children growing up as fine men¡­" Lucia started to exin what she saw in the vision.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So you mean to say, that the Ves would work with some unknown forces and gain unstoppable power in the future¡­ and you believe that the trigger for this would be because I chose Teh to be the Empress?" Valentin''s expression grew dark.


    "As what I have seen in my vision, only that I couldment, but do understand that what I saw was only a part of the future¡­ and I can only make guesses because of that. I have already told you my tale, even the exact words that I said and heard¡­ nothing more¡­ nothing less¡­"


    Lucia looked at the couple seriously, when it came to the matter of her vision, she would not dare to guarantee that what she deduced out of it was the entirety of the problem.


    "It is up to Your Highness and Lady Teh to determine your interpretation of the tale that I have said¡­ What I just wanted for myself was a chance of survival for me and my family¡­ that''s all.


    "Then if your theory was true¡­ what do you think was the best course of action then?" Valentin asked.


    "Soon, the report from the scouts woulde, and it would determine your need to ascend to the throne or not¡­" Lucia boldly mentioned the rumor of Emperor Idelfonso''s demise.


    "You¡­" Valentin''s eyes flickered.


    "There''s no use of being angry with me¡­ But it''s time for you to be prepared¡­ The Ves might move on that moment¡­ You know that the closest to the warzone was their East territory¡­ and so they might use this as a bargaining chip to force you to marry Carolina¡­"


    "You mean to say?" Valentin almost stood to his chair in surprise, for because of all the chaos that happened and hisck of preparation, he did not realize this obvious possibility.


    "Yes¡­ and because of you not having a stable influence yet due to the urgency of the matter¡­ you will be forced to coborate on a power. In short¡­ you need to choose whom you will ally with so that you can resist the pressure. If possible, use this to also crush the Ves''s growing power on the onset. While they were still manageable."


    "If it was to ally, isn''t the Astaze good too?" Teh interjected.


    "Yes¡­ I could guarantee that our family will help you when that timees, however, we need a more powerful ally¡­ The Forgewons and Faraulds¡­ specifically, the legendary grandmasters¡­" Lucia finallyid down her ns and left it all for Valentin to carry out.


    "This¡­" Valentin was uncertain, it was not only because the grandmasters were a special existence in the entire Prasinos, but also, they were away at the moment and it would be hard for him to summon them.


    "If the Grandmasters were to intervene in the war, then the Vess would lose the leverage against the Empire, for whoever allied with them outside would surely hesitate to coborate again because of the presence of two grandmasters. Even if they manage to bring down one, I am confident that they could not take two at once, considering that they have already weakened because of His Majesty Emperor¡­"


    The more Valentin and Teh listened to Lucia, the more they were convinced how scared she was of the impending future that a sheltereddy like her was forced to study the mechanics of politics, military, and war.


    "This is as far as I have nned Your Highness and Lady Teh¡­ As for the rest, I am sure you have a better insight than mine¡­" Lucia felt like her throat dried because of how she exined a lot of things to the couple, but she finally felt relieved.


    "If this works, all I ask of you is to please look upon my family''s welfare and protect us as you ascend to the throne." Lucia bowed and concluded with a pleading tone.


    She did everything that she could do in her capacity as ady of the Astaze family. To give Valentin and Teh the warning for the future¡­ She knew that this might change something, if not everything.


    The meeting with Valentin and Teh finally ended.


    But on their way back to her estate¡­ they were suddenly blocked by a few men with Temple robes.


    "My Lady, Lucia Astaze¡­" The leader of the men stepped forward and bowed.


    "His Eminence, High Priest, would like to send you a message. The message goes like this:


    ''Young one, I know you saw what the heavens have intended. Yet I must warn you¡­ do not try to interfere with heaven''s will for there is a price to bear¡­ Young one, if you wish to hear more of your gift, then you must visit me immediately¡­''


    Thus says the High Priest!"

 Chapter 313 Her Tale (5)

    ?The message of the High Priest had deeply bothered Lucia, to the point that she was not able to get any good sleep for days.


    "Interfering the futurees with a cost¡­" She furrowed her brows in frustration, "I have been doing something to help my family whenever I receive a dream¡­ but why is he telling me now not to interfere?"


    "This is not good, I have to talk to the High Priest!" Lucia decided upon mulling over the matter for days.


    And so, she had once again sneaked out and asked for an audience with the High Priest.


    A man marked with the passing of time, with the eyes of wisdom and foresight - that was how Lucia could describe the High Priest the first time she saw him in person. It was far from the deste appearance he had in that particr dream.


    High Priest Enoch looked at her with an unfathomable gaze as he greeted, "Lucia, the one who was gifted to peek into the future. Don''t you know that your gift was enough for you to be the next High Priest of Seirende Temple?"


    Lucia was taken aback by High Priest Enoch''s remarks. However, when she remembered the future she saw, her gaze lowered, and shook her head with a self-mocking expression, "What is it to train something that would not materialize in the future?"


    "You have seen the future¡­ and I knew of it directly from the heavens¡­" High Priest Enoch waved his hands and an old-looking scroll hovered in front of Lucia.


    Her eyes widened as she realized the contents of the old scroll¡­ "An Oracle!!!"


    "Yes, it is¡­ Your dream and the oracle speak of one thing¡­ the chaos that will befall the Empire¡­" High Priest Enoch replied with a mysterious expression.


    Although Lucia was shocked that her dream was really what the future would be, she was even more baffled by how the High Priest was not even perturbed by the situation, when he himself would be witnessing the chaos.


    "You seem to be wondering, why am I not anxious?" High Priest Enoch asked.


    "Indeed¡­ Perhaps, you have epted your fate?" Lucia''s gaze turned colder, if that was the case then it was no use to listen to the High Priest¡­ because she was unwilling to ept her fate¡­ unlike him.


    "We might know our destiny¡­ We might know ourselves¡­ But the heavens we could never fully understand. The ways of the One Above, were even higher than our ways¡­ His thoughts are deeper than our thoughts¡­" High Priest Enoch answered Lucia as he looked at the view outside his window.


    "The only thing I am sure of was that He makes things work together for the good of those who genuinely love Him. In short¡­ If you abide in Him¡­ You can trust that He will not let you go through tribtions without a purpose." He looked at Lucia with a calm and gentle expression.


    "My child¡­ you need not to do all these things and just trust that the heavens will not forsake us¡­ I believe that what we both received was not the end of the road, for us and for the Empire¡­


    Besides, if you do something to directly interfere with the Empire''s fate¡­ you will pay a cost that is too heavy to bear."


    Lucia did not answer right away¡­ she had many questions in mind, but even still the unwillingness in her heart was not able to quell.


    "I have already done things that would have interfered with my and my family''s life¡­ Why say these things now?" She asked with a furrowed expression.


    "Because the cost for this one was heavy for you¡­ Have you not noticed that whenever you interfere in one''s life hold on to something precious to you? Your friend, your health, and even your dreams¡­ What could be the next young one?"


    This time it was as if lightning struck Lucia''s mind.


    The High Priest was right¡­ Everything had a cost!


    The first time she helped her family change the future, her beloved pet cat suddenly disappeared and she never saw her again.


    Another time, when he helped her brother, she became bedridden for a month without even a warning.


    Then another time¡­ for some unknown reason she lost the opportunity to attend the academy. This and many more¡­ were all costs of her interference in the future.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Did you know that interfering with something can also mean that you do not trust that the person would ovee the adversities well? Trying to do everything with your little hands¡­ Do you think you can bear the world alone?" This time there was a hint of reprimand in High Priest Enoch''s tone.


    "..." Lucia seemed to have been realizing things on her mind and she gradually got the High Priest'' point. "Then¡­ If I was to not interfere¡­ Why call it a gift then? I should have been better off not having this power in the first ce¡­"


    "That is something you need to discover¡­ Truth be told, even I had gotten to the point of why I possess my own gift in the first ce¡­ Perhaps, we will find the day where we would smile and say¡­ that our gifts were not a burden but a privilege opened by the heavens¡­" High Priest Enoch looked at Lucia with sympathy in his eyes..


    Like her, he had a gift of irvoyance¡­ Most of the time, he had to see something that greatly troubled his heart, and yet he could not do anything. So just like her, he had once thought that his power was a burden not a gift.


    Lucia came back to her estate more troubled than ever¡­ the unwillingness in her emotions and the rationality that was brought by her conversation with the High Priest were constantly battling in her mind.


    A few days had gone by and everything seemed to have been going well with Valentin and Teh''s side. They were also able to find a way to contact the grandmasters secretly and just as she had deduced, the Ves''s started to move.


    Coercing Valentin to make Carolina the Empress in exchange for his men marching towards the blood valley for retaliation¡­ The council was in chaos.


    And even as she decided to just be on standby, the news she could hear from her father and brother was telling her that the Vess had really targeted the throne.


    It made her shudder¡­ The throne¡­ the dream¡­ Maxim and Carolina sitting on the throne and looking down at her and the vast people of the Capital¡­ The Guillotine.


    "Sigh¡­ it would be nice if we could gather support for Lady Teh¡­ but ¡­ it was just not working!" Her brother Jeremy sighed in frustration¡­ "If we could just find a nobledy who was willing to oppose the Vesdy¡­"


    "No noble man would let her daughter do that¡­" Her father answered, "Have you remembered how many youngdies had their lives ruined by Carolina during her younger days? Now that they have this power do you think that anyone would want to let their daughter be the cannon fodder?"


    "Indeed¡­" Lucia muttered¡­ there was no way but to let Teh bear the burden¡­ unless she would be willing to let Valentin go¡­ but that would be the worst-case!


    For her¡­ Teh had to survive at all costs¡­ Her n was once they got married, she would be willing to publicly dere herself as her ally and start to create a supporting faction for Teh! That was the only way for Teh to have an actual status in society and rival Carolina.


    However, three dayster¡­ she had received a report from her deployed mercenary¡­ Teh has been taken hostage by mysterious men. He, unfortunately, was not able to catch up with them because one of them could use a portal.


    "This is not good!" Lucia phased back and forth into her room as she received reports. The situation was bing helpless because they had no clue where she really was.


    It was until she received a summon from Valentin a weekter¡­ She saw the defeated look of Valentin as she guiltily held Teh''s hands and announced to Lucia¡­


    "I have agreed to take her as my Empress¡­"


    "No way¡­ How about Teh?" Lucia felt like her world crumbled¡­ she gambled all of her energy for the two and yet¡­ nothing goes in her way.


    "I would take her as my first queen¡­ this is my only resort¡­ and even if there was an Imperial Law that says marrying more than one would mean that neither of the two could take political positions, but it doesn''t matter because we all know that Teh was having a hard time gaining support from the nobles¡­"


    "It''s a lost cause¡­" Teh added, there is hopelessness and guilt in her eyes for she knew that this time she really could not do anything than stay beside Valentin.


    Along the way, Lucia''s mind and heart were filled with the unpleasant sense of defeat¡­ her efforts had gone waste.


    The way Carolina was taking power¡­ exins why the dream happened for a decade¡­ it would start once it was time for Valentin to go down!


    Then there had to be someone who had to stand between her and Teh¡­ Someone who could rival Carolina and was willing to pledge her allegiance to Teh.


    "That was me¡­" She eximed upon realization.

 Chapter 314 Her Tale (6)

    ?"Let''s go back to the pce!" She ordered the mercenary to transport her back to the pce.


    Valentin and Teh were surprised upon seeing her back, however, the expression on her eyes was burning with determination and seriousness.


    "There''s a way to stop her even if she forced you to agree to make her Empress!" Lucia told them straightforwardly.


    The couple''s eyes flickered and their bodies froze when they heard Lucia''s words. They looked at her with confusion and shock mixed in their eyes while waiting for her next words.


    "We knew that marrying more than one spouse will activate the Imperialw which nullifies the spouse''s power in any political area of the Empire. But our problem lies in the disparity of influence between Lady Teh and Carolina¡­


    However, we just need someone in the Empire who could rival Carolina''s noble background, influence, and is even willing to ally to the Lady''s side." Lucia looked at them with conviction in her voice.


    Valentin''s eyes flickered but after a moment of pause, he shook his head in surrender, "Who would be willing to do that¡­"


    "I am willing!" Lucia dered, stunning the two out of their wits.


    It was Teh who was first to vehemently object, "No! I won''t allow Lady Lucia to ruin her life just because of my weakness! No!"


    Valentin also shared the same sentiments. Lucia''s warnings and even her advice had already helped them a lot. But marriage is another matter. Most of all, does he really need to rely on Teh and Lucia for his power to stabilize?


    Why must he put the two women in danger just because he could not consolidate his power? Isn''t he too weak?


    "Lady Lucia, I am more than grateful that you have shown your sincerity towards me and Teh¡­ However, I also oppose this matter."


    Lucia looked at the worry on their faces, but she was already defeated by the unwillingness of her heart.


    "I know what kind of things would happen¡­ you just need me to pose as one of your Queens. I don''t expect any other matters rted to that." Lucia looked at Teh, for she knew that more than anyone else, she was the one in pain, for there was no way for her to be Valentin''s only wife in this kind of situation.


    But contrary to what she expected, Teh answered, "No¡­ Lady Lucia, you do not know what kind of dangers there are just being on Valentin''s side. Why would you waste your youth, your life for this?"


    "Aren''t you also in danger here Lady Teh?" Lucia asked calmly.


    "That is a different matter, Lady Lucia. I can ept the dangers with all my heart because of Valentin. But for you to do all this¡­ what can you get but a life of constant danger and fear?


    Entering the pce will just bring hardship and torture to you, while you should have been enjoying the privilege of being the daughter of the Astaze¡­ Please¡­ Lady Lucia¡­ do not ruin yourself like this¡­ I beg you¡­ I beg you¡­ Please¡­"


    Teh''s eyes were already wet in tears, her heart was breaking for Lucia who seemed to have not valued herself and was willing to swim towards tant danger in the pce. What''s more, Lucia was doing it for her¡­


    "Teh is right¡­ Lady Lucia, please forget this matter... For you know that Carolina was even willing to humiliate my cousin by letting her be with multiple men. If she could do that before¡­ she may do that again¡­ The dangers that await you by standing between Carolina and Teh¡­ even if I lived for a lifetime of atonement it was not enough to pay the price." Valentin shook his head and declined politely.


    He looked at Lucia''s mysterious mercenary and ordered, "I, as the Crown Prince of Seirende, order you to bring Lady Lucia back to her Estate¡­"


    Then he looked at Lucia and said, "Lady Lucia, please calm yourself and do not think about the matter anymore¡­"


    The mercenary bowed in acknowledgment of Valentin''s orders and lifted Lucia away from the pce.


    Along the way, Lucia wordlessly just let the breeze¡­


    She was doing exactly what the High Priest warned her not to do. She knew that there would be a cost for all of this¡­ but what cost would be heavier than facing the future of death?


    It could have been bearable if it was only her who would die, but there would be a lot of people who would be dying with her.


    The innocent ones and even her loved ones.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Teh said that I do not have to face the hardship of standing in between the fight¡­ that I do not have to live in fear¡­ But if I do nothing, I would still live in fear and there would be hardships ahead. I am just choosing the kind of hardship I had to take on!" She mumbled as the wind blew chills on her pale cheeks while the moon lit up the path that they were taking.


    "Mercenary¡­ I have another order for you¡­ and probably, this would be thest¡­" She told him as the night went deep.


    Three dayster she was once again facing Valentin who wore dread on his face¡­ "Are you sure about this Lady Lucia¡­ this marriage I cannot give you what a husband could give."


    "I have prepared everything¡­ even convincing my family¡­ I''m bringing with me a strong faction that could hold Carolina and her family for decades. The only thing I ask of you is to protect my family at all costs for this generation and for the generations toe. This is my determination¡­ Please ept it.."


    Valentin clenched his fist¡­ he closed his eyes and was visibly tired of the things he was dealing with in the pce. After some time he answered, "Alright¡­ I could not pay you anything as valuable as your offer, but I can offer you my highest oath."


    And so, Valentina and Lucia entered into an oath as witnessed by the heavens and Teh - that Lucia and the Astaze family will pledge their loyalty to Valentin and his chosen heir until the generations toe, in turn, Valentin swore to protect the Astaze family at all cost, provided that the other will not break their part of the oath.


    "Lucia¡­ if you found someone you love¡­ just tell me. I will give you back your freedom with full honor." Valentin looked at her with guilt and sincerity.


    "Let''s see. If that day woulde¡­ then that means that I have sessfully changed the future I saw¡­" Lucia smiled at the couple and bade them goodbye, "See you at the ceremony."


    And so Lucia ultimately chose to directly interfere with the future by nominating herself as the First Queen of the Empire.


    A week after, on the wedding night¡­ She had paid the heavy cost.


    But is the cost only that?


    Weeks after the dreadful wedding night, she discovered that she was pregnant.


    But instead of being devastated, there was a sense of relief and warmth flowing in her heart. The child may not be the fruit of love, but the life in her womb was a testament that she had changed the future.


    Because she chose to keep the baby, day and night, she had to guard against Carolina''s schemes in making the life in her womb perish. It was a hard time for her because, during those times, Valentin fell into aa.


    If not for Teh secretly helping her by sending people to protect her, Carolina would have been sessful.


    When Carolina could no longer seed in killing the child in her womb, she focused her efforts on making sure that she would give birth ahead of Lucia to make sure that her child would be the first born.


    But Lucia did not care about that¡­ because from the moment she first carried the baby in her arms, she saw a future far more different than what she saw all her life.


    A future that is bright, although bittersweet, for the three princes of the Empire.


    "Ah¡­" Lucia cried because of the vision she saw and the little life that she carried. "It was all worth it¡­ my sacrifice, my hardships¡­ the cost I paid¡­ all worth it¡­"


    Her tears fell onto the little baby''s cheeks and as if he felt her mother''s emotions the baby cried too.


    "Ah¡­ my priceless treasure¡­ the meaning of all my hard work¡­ you are Antoine¡­ my price¡­ my future¡­" Lucia embraced him with care as she tried to let him calm down from his crying.


    ¨C


    "The cost you are pertaining to¡­ is it something just like how you were forced¡­ to bear me as a consequence of an incident?" Lucia heard Antoine ask.


    Looking back at that moment, Lucia looked at Antoine, while her eyes relived the happiness and joy that she felt when she first carried Antoine in her arms.


    "I have indeed suffered unbearable consequences for my actions. But my son¡­ you were never included in that. I named you Antoine, as proof that you are my priceless possession, the proof that what I have been through was all worth taking and enduring!"

 Chapter 315 Baby Steps

    ?"But my son, howe you are saying things like I was forced to bear you?" After calming down, Lucia grabbed Antoine''s hands and asked with a shocked expression. She just realized that Antoine''s words meant that he knew the secret of his birth.


    But Antoine seemed to have not heard her question as he started to tremble.


    Antoine did not know why, but after hearing his mother''s words, it was like the chains that bound his heart was suddenly unfastened.


    Tears flowed in his eyes like a river that was finally thawed after it went through a long winter.


    "All my life¡­ I thought that I was an unwanted existence. That day¡­ I started to hate the third brother¡­ because unlike me and the First Brother, he was the only one whose birth was clean and proper."


    Antoine remembered that day when he knew of the results of Leon''s aptitude assessment. He immediately ran towards his mother''s castle with a troubled face. He wanted to ask her how to cheer Leon up because he knew how Leon wanted to follow in his footsteps.


    But then, before he could reach his mother, Lucia, he saw from a distance that the Empress, Carolina, suddenly came towards his mother''s estate - a thing that he would not imagine given the enmity between their noble background and position.


    ¨C


    "As expected of the child of the bard¡­ His talents were just like his background, trash and tasteless." Antoine scooted under the shrubs quietly as heard Carolina''s cruel words.


    "You¡­ spare the child of your hatred, what did he even do? If you hate me or Teh, just direct your hatred towards us, why do you even bother the children." Lucia furrowed her brows and answered Carolina with a slightly angry tone.


    "Hahahaha¡­ still acting like an angel aren''t you?" Carolina felt amused by the other party''s reply and ridiculed him even further,


    "Don''t lie, Lucia, we all know that even if we were both married to the Emperor, we will not receive his affection forever and ever. If not for my scheming to make the Emperor sleep with me I would not even get a chance to give birth to Kazimir.


    And if not for that¡­ you would also not be able to bear your son too? Do not hide it, even if you were implicated by his berserk state¡­ You are thankful to me for giving that opportunity to you!


    Isn''t the heavens fair, that they made the third child with no remarkable talents? Teh hogged all the Emperor''s affection and her child could do so too, but the two of us¡­ "


    "You! How could you boast on the fact that you''ve done something to make the Emperor¡­ the Emperor rape the two of us!" Lucia could not bear Carolina''s gloating and twisted personality, ''taking pride in something like that¡­ how could she?''


    "Whatever you say¡­ Anyways I am just here to tell you, do not even dare to hope that your son had a chance for the throne. Now that the third one is eliminated, I will not hesitate to do everything to make Kazimir the crown prince. That includes making you and your child disappear!" Carolina dered as she turned back to head towards her pce.


    "Saying that to me straight, aren''t you afraid that I would retaliate and go to the Emperor?" Lucia replied coldly.


    "Tell him¡­ tell everyone¡­ make sure to also tell the secret of our son''s births." Carolina fearlessly replied. "If not¡­ I will be the one to announce it to the world, how the two of us went to such lengths to gain power for ourselves."


    "You¡­ I never hoped for that!" Lucia tried to retaliate but Carolina was already no longer interested in hearing it.


    And as she cried in frustration and anger, she was not able to see that on the corner of the garden, was the shocked Antoine, hearing the secret of his birth.


    ¨C


    "I started to hate you¡­ because I finally understood why you are always saying that I have to be good towards Third Brother¡­ I thought it was because his birth was more epted than mine and First brother¡­ so naturally¡­ naturally he will still be loved even if he was not gifted with good talents."


    "No¡­ that was¡­" Lucia was surprised to hear everything from her son. There has been regret that has been brewing in her heart from the moment she was hearing the reason behind her and Antoine''s long-standing estrangement.


    "If you could have told me earlier¡­ If you could have shared with me your burdens, your gift¡­ I would have understood¡­ Mother¡­ I would surely understand!" Antoine cried like an aggrieved child, Evelyn on the side could not help but cry for him too.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It was my fault¡­ before I gave birth to you¡­ I was fearless to even think of what the heavens would take from me when I divulged its secrets. But because I was afraid of losing you¡­ I never dared to exin myself until the fulfillment came¡­" Lucia was equally heartbroken about the oue of their rtionship.


    It was almost twenty years of estrangement between the two of them and it was only at this time that she realized.


    The cost of her interference in the future was not only her tragic fate to be taken forcibly by Valentin, but also to lose her opportunity to be a good mother to Antoine¡­


    However, as the future she saw came to fruition, and so her time started to move forward again.


    For Antoine and her, she deeply hoped that her days would not be clouded by these hurts ever again.


    While it was the start of Antoine''s baby steps to move forward, so was the case with Eli and the Temple.


    "Teacher, I finally understood the guardian''s words that He left for me!" Eli excitedly shared her breakthrough in solving the process of making the wounded heal on time with her powers.


    "Let''s hear it then¡­" High Priest Enoch was not surprised that Eli could somehow hear the Guardian''s words, because she was the subject of the oracle, and hearing their words of advice would be a simple matter for her.


    "He said to think about the ways the creator always gave the warmth of the sun, the cool of wind, the shine of the moon, and provision of the rain, to both the righteous and the wicked¡­ I was confused by the fact that what he left for me was a riddle when he had straightforwardly told me the answer all along!" Eli scratched her head, feeling embarrassed about how it took her long to figure out.


    High Priest Enoch paused and analyzed the message left by the guardian, after some time, he looked at Eli and replied, "Indeed, if I received these words, I would have thought that this was a riddle too. When the Esteemed Guardian told you to think it prompted you to solve the meaning behind his words. But after hearing your conclusion, it seems that the Esteemed Guardian was giving you a choice instead."


    "Yes¡­ that''s what I finally figured out too. Teacher, I''m sorry for taking this long¡­" Eli replied sheepishly.


    "No worries, on the other hand¡­ I''d like to hear the method you chose¡­" High Priest Enoch looked at Eli gently and asked for her next step.


    "Because we are aiming to purify arge group of people, I chose rain as a medium. I initially thought of converting a pond that would house my spiritual power and would eventually be used to water the herbs for the cure potion, but doing something like that at this moment would also make the enemy feel more threatened." Eli started to exin her proposal.


    "Also, I have to consider the fact that you wanted to put on a show to divert the enemy''s attention. Once I have poured the cleansing rain on a small scale, probably only spanning the premises of the Temple, I will ask Leon for a favor to make my exit to a portal leading to some unknown ce. This will be witnessed by everyone as well as those who were still watching the Empire."


    High Priest Enoch rubbed his silver beard and started to think about Eli''s idea.


    "Hmmm¡­ by showing that you teleported to another ce, this would also give the Empire time to breathe for any threat from lord Raven''s side. I think this will work¡­ Let''s call on everyone and ask them what they think¡­" High Priest Enoch looked at Eli with approval as he ordered Julian to summon the key people for this matter.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, in the Guardian''s Realm, Sylvain, Celeste, Ignis, Amihan, and Zale peacefully watched the happenings in the capital as they were eating popcorn.


    They sighed in relief when Eli and everyone managed to ovee the perilous situation.


    "Mommy¡­ Dadiiii~~~ Wahhhh!" On Ignis''sp, Little Han excitedly jumped whenever Eli and Leon would be shown on the big screen.


    His crystal blue eyes would spark in excitement and his chubby little hands would stretch towards the big screen like he wanted them to hug him.


    Ignis patted Little Han''s head gently andforted him, "Soon, your mom and dad wille and meet you¡­ aren''t you excited my little godson?"


    Little Han giggled excitedly, he showed his shiny milk teeth to his godparents and raised his hands as he responded, "Hihihihi¡­ Aye!"

 Chapter 316 [Special Episode!] Zale And Little Han

    ?On a typical day in the guardian''s realm¡­


    The guardians convened with a serious and troubled expression as they watched Little Han y with a tiny little fairy in his plushie yground.


    "This means trouble for us¡­" Sylvain rubbed his forehead as he worriedly looked at Little Han.


    "I do not think I can handle it¡­" Celeste also shook her head as her eyes darted at Little Han.


    "I don''t want this too¡­" Amihan also voiced her unwillingness.


    "But if we do not do our patrols, the Overseer will punish us¡­" Ignis remained as rational as he could but still, his eyes were full of reluctance to part with the happy little creature rolling around the plushie yground.


    "Gaaaah!! Stressing about this makes my handsomeness diminish by a drop!!! But I don''t wanna leave my handsome godson as I patrol!!! And I can let any of you take advantage of getting close to my handsome godson when I am out!!!" While the first four were still calm, Zale the water guardian was close to throwing a tantrum.


    The other four look at him whining like a child, their brows twitched and all of them let out a defeated sigh.


    "Well¡­ let''s make this work, one of us should stay in the realm and look after Little Han while the other four will do the daily patrols. Then we will rotate until all of us are finished with the Overseer''s task." Celeste took the lead and finally suggested for them a viable way.


    "But the question is, is everyone able to take care of an infant on their own?" She looked at them with a wary look.


    "I can, I mastered changing his diapers!" Ignis proudly dered.


    "Of course, I can too¡­ no question about that! I even figured out how to operate the heating stove to prepare his milk and meals!" Sylvainzily seconded.


    "I mastered how to carry him properly¡­" Amihan''s fluffy head bobbed up and down, showing determination on her face.


    "I can do all of that! What''s more, I am the closest to him in terms of appearance!" Zale proudly pumped his chest as he answered.


    "..." The other four cast him with doubtful looks.


    "C''mon I can do it! Really!" Zale felt their gazes and tried to defend himself.


    "Sigh¡­ Fine¡­ now starting tomorrow we will be doing the rotations. Now we will just draw lots to decide our sequence!" Celeste waved her hands and created wooden sticksbeled with numbers. She ced it in a box and ordered everyone, "Pick your number¡­"


    ¨C


    "L~~~ Lla~~~" Zale was happily humming some inaudible melody as he carried Little Han near the bathing area.


    "My godson, are you excited? We''re going to bathe in the pond!" He lifted Little Han up in the air excitedly.


    Little Han seemed to like the sensation of being lifted in the air as he stretched his plump hands and feet like he was flying, "Aye!!!!"


    "Good! Good!!! This is your first time swimming so Godpa will guide you into the pond! Don''t be afraid of the water because handsome Godpa is here beside you, ok?" He conversed with the little guy cheerfully.


    Little Han grinned happily, while he replied in a clumsy way, "Aye! Gobbpa!"


    "Alright then! Let''s go!!!" Zale stretched his hand up in the air as they marched forward.


    "Oooo!" Little Han also mimicked his Godpa Zale as he was carried on his other arm.


    After a while, they reached the guardian''s sparkling pond. It was literally sparkly because the water was so clear that it could perfectly mirror the mystic skies of the realm.


    Around the pond were countless smooth and colorful pebbles that added an additional sparkle to the pond. But if Eli and Leon would see these, they would probably be shocked with their jaws dropped silly because these shiny pebbles were the supreme grade mana stones that were rare in Prasinos!!!


    The moment Little Han saw the beautiful pond his eyes widened excitedly as he became curious about the sparkly things around the pond, "Wahh~~~"


    "You like it too? Hahahaha!!! As expected of my godson!!! Our tastes were simr!!!" Zaleughed heartily as he put Little Han on a cushioned pic mat he conjured out of nowhere and proudly told Little Han what this pond actually is.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is where I and your other godparents bathe when we like it¡­ tho it''s not as if we need to bathe. We are just here for the experience!! And of course, the reason why this is beautiful was that it was designed by me!"


    Little Han seemed to understand everything he said and pped his hands happily as Zale told him how he designed the ce. He looked like a little fanboy, pping happily on every end of Zale''s sentence.


    "Hahaha!!! You little bun, you know how to make your Godpa delight you huh?" Zale gently patted his fuzzy little redhead tenderly as he realized how the child reacts to his stories.


    "Jihihihi!" Little Han squealed in delight as he closed his eyes and enjoyed his Godpa Zale''s pats.


    "Come let''s swim!" Zale pointed towards the pond as he carried Little Han into his arms.


    "Kyaaaa~!" Little Han pped his hands excitedly as Zale slowly let him touch the waters.


    Ssh! Ssh! "Jihihihihi!!!" Little Han seemed to have fallen in love with being in the water that he happily yed into the pond while Zale patiently used his water controlling powers to prevent him from violently inhaling or swallowing water and drowning.


    His magic made it so that Little Han had an invisible tform where he could crawl and roll around the pond but not let him go deep.


    "Alright¡­ it''s time for us to go¡­ your godma Celeste will scold me if you stay in the water for too long¡­" Zale pped his hands after some time and lifted Little Han out from the water. Then with his magic, he dried Little Han and carefully changed his clothes.


    "Mmmbooo¡­" As Zale took him out and dressed him, Little Han seemed to have been dissatisfied that he had to stop ying in the water. His cheeks puffed as he pouted sulkily, looking at his godpa Zale like an aggrieved little puppy.


    "Sigh... why are you looking at me like that? Do you want your godpa to be hit by godma Celeste''s lightning? Do you want to get sick?" Zale carried him close to his chest and gently talked it out with Little Han.


    "Eeeeeehhh¡­ boo¡­" Little Han was still dissatisfied but he did not threw tantrums. Instead, he just looked at Zale aggrievedly until Zale felt ufortable.


    In truth, he very much wanted to spoil Little Han and give in to what he wanted, however, Celeste strongly advised him to not let him be on the water for too long, because even if Little Han was an extraordinary child, his physique was still that of a human, and so he could be sick when they are not careful enough.


    When they came back to the plushie yground, Little Han was still pouting and he immediately crawled to the corner of the plushie yground hiding on a pile of plush toys.


    "This¡­" Zale was now helpless because he did not know how to coax Little Han to lift up his mood.


    "Hmf¡­" Little Han looked at him aggrievedly again then turned to bury his little body again on the fluffy toys. Zale felt a pang of guilt in his heart and was now in a bind.


    How to make the little guy cheerful again???


    "Let''s try giving him yummy food¡­" Zale immediately went to the cooking area while leaving a water fairy to look after Little Han.


    "Let''s see¡­" He looked at the cookbook that was left behind by Celeste for the four to follow when it was their time to look after Little Han.


    However, after a minute or so¡­ his head seemed to have overheated, "Gaaah!!! These recipes looked soplicated!! Is there something I can do with simple methods?!!!"


    He peeked his head over to see if Little Han was doing well, only to see that he was happily ying with the water fairy, but when Little Han looked in his direction he pouted again and turned his little chubby body around.


    "This little guy¡­" Zale felt helpless and shook his head. But as he did his eyes darted to the modern earth''s mini-fridge.


    There was a colorful post on the fridge saying, "For Zale¡­ take what''s inside¡­ I know you don''t know how to cook! Just heat it up for 5 minutes - Sylvain."


    "Sniff¡­ Sniff¡­ buddy you really look out for me~~" Zale almost cried when he read Sylvain''s note, when he opened the fridge, there were three sets of baby food for Little Han''s day meal.


    He took the one and heated it as instructed, then took it to Little Han.


    "Little Guy, stop sulking,mon¡­ Godpa Zale even cooked for you¡­ can you not be angry with me?" He took a spoonful of the fragrant baby food and coaxed Little Han to eat.


    Little Han was still sulking but when he heard Zale''s weak voice and as he smelled the fragrance of the baby food, he slowly crawled forward and took a bite from Zale''s food. Then he took another until his face became cheery as he ate whatever Zale would offer him.


    Zale was delighted when Little Han finally responded, and so that was the tale of how Zale made up with the sulky Little Han!

 Chapter 317 [Special Episode!] Ignis And Little Han

    ?"Ignis¡­ have you gotten all my reminders?" Celeste checked again once before she opened her portal to carry out the Overseer''s tasks.


    "En¡­ I got it¡­" Ignis nodded expressionlessly as he replied to Celeste.


    "Alright¡­ take care of Little Han then!" Celeste was still worried that Ignis would rear a child. But since Zale was even able to look after Little Han without any mishaps, she opted to trust Ignis and left the realm for their task.


    Finally realizing that they were alone, Ignis looked at Little Han who had just woken up from his slumber.


    Yawning like a little cub, Little Han rolled on his sleeping nest and slowly sat up, he looked around to see that his godmas and godpas were no longer around until his eyes met Ignis''s. Little Han blinked his dewy crystal blue eyes silently.


    "..." Ignis just stared at him nkly.


    "..." Little Han blinked at him in reply.


    "..." Ignis still didn''t move and stared at him silently while his great guardian''s body was squatting in front of Little Han whose hair was still messy because he had just woken up.


    "...uwaaaaaahhh!!!!" Little Han blinked onest time and started to cry.


    Ignis''s body jolted in fluster, he did not expect to encounter Little Han''s crying during the first hour of his babysitting.


    "Ah¡­ don''t cry¡­" He reached out his hands and tried to pat Little Han''s head gently. However since Little Han was yet to wake up, the motion of his touch led Little Han to tumble down his sleeping nest.


    "Waaaaaaah!!!" Little Han cried louder making Ignis, the Fire guardian sweat profusely.


    "W-what to do¡­ wait a moment¡­ uh¡­" Ignis was deeply troubled as Little Han cried louder.


    With his power, a book titled ''Babysitting 101'' appeared in his hands. Without dying any further, Ignis flipped the book open. "Baby crying¡­ where is it¡­ Baby crying¡­"


    "Ah, there it is¡­" His eyes flicked in relief when he saw the page he was looking for.


    "Alright¡­ first, change his diapers¡­ Eh¡­" Ignis was shocked, he had not learned how to change diapers from Celeste!!!


    He flipped the book once again and looked for the page for changing diapers.


    "Alright¡­ there you go... Godpa will check your diapers ok?" Ignis lifted Little Han up and what assaulted him was the pungent and milky smelling from Little Han''s bum.


    Ignis''s eyebrows twitched and he looked at Little Han''s diaper with reluctance.


    But Little Han''s crying could not wait anymore. He clenched his fist and let out a cry as he tried to point out what was wrong with him by wiggling his chubby toes.


    "I can do this¡­" Ignis closed his eyes and swallowed the fear he was already feeling because of what he was expecting to see inside Little Han''s diapers.


    Even if he was a guardian, a spiritual being, he could feel the nervousness and suspense that was brought by the fact that he had to change Little Han''s diapers.


    He touched Little Han''s diapers and gritted his teeth¡­ "There''s nothing to be afraid of¡­ it''s just diapers¡­ a normal thing for babies!"


    However¡­ when he saw what was on Little Han''s diaper¡­ he almost fainted in shock.


    "Boohooo¡­" Little Han''s cries immediately pulled him back to reality and started to gently lift his feet like the instructions in the book.


    "Focus¡­ alright¡­ first¡­ clean Little Han¡­ clean¡­" Ignis was then again dumbfounded¡­ "I had to touch it?" Ignis''s face was filled with unwillingness, how on heavens did Celeste manage to do this? Even Zale could¡­ Why was it hard for him?


    "Wuuwuuuuu¡­" His body jolted guilty as he saw that Little Han''s under eyes were already red and puffy from crying.


    "Alright¡­ for my godson¡­ I''ll do this!!!" He held his breath and speedily cleaned Little Han.


    "Pat it dry¡­"


    "Baby powder¡­"


    "Diaper¡­"


    "Whew! All done!!!" Ignis wanted to pat himself on the back but then, realizing that Little Han was still yet to calm down, he did not let his guard down.


    "Awummm.. *sniff* *sniff*" Little Han started to crawl toward the mentally exhausted Ignis and nuzzled his head on his hand. "Awummm¡­"


    Ignis felt joy upon Little Han showing signs of affection, but there was another problem¡­ Little Han was looking at him with eyes that were anticipating something.


    "Ah¡­ your breakfast¡­ yes¡­" After a few seconds of thinking, he finally realized what Little Han needed.


    And so he put Little Han on a stroller and led him to the kitchen for his meal.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright¡­ wait for godpa to bring you breakfast alright?" Ignis transferred Little Han to the High Chair and bent to level with him while trying to converse with him.


    "Awummm¡­" Little Han was still a little bit woozy and so he just replied meekly.


    When ites to cooking, Ignis was a bit confident because he listened attentively to Celeste''s crash course before they decided to rotate in looking after Little Han.


    Soon Little Han''s baby food was ready and Little Han excitedly picked up his spoon and looked at Ignis with anticipation.


    "Oh, you want to try feeding yourself?" Ignis smilingly asked Little Han as he watched him try his best to scoop his baby food on his own.


    "Humans really did have a hard time raising kids¡­ Now I understand¡­" Ignis sighed in his heart as he watched Little Han pour more than half of his baby food all over his body and his high chair.


    "Jiheeheee¡­" Little Han seemed to have felt hisment and so he awkwardlyughed at his godpa.


    "Well it''s alright¡­ you did a great job eating by yourself today¡­ You must practice more¡­" Ignis patted Little Han''s head and gently praised him despite the mess he made in the kitchen.


    "Aye!!!"


    "But¡­ this is not good¡­ Your clothes are all messy¡­" Ignis gently poked Little Han''s tiny nose to which the little one pouted charmingly.


    "Washy washy¡­" Little Han excitedly shouted.


    "You want to take a bath?" Ignis raised his brows¡­ Celeste warned him not to let Little Han bathe frequently as it was not yet necessary for infants like him to bathe daily.


    "We can''t go washy washy because godma Celeste will punish me for making you bathe frequently. Didn''t you already washy washy with godpa Zale yesterday?" Ignis carried Little Han up, using his magic to clean his messy clothes magically.


    "A¡­" Little Han''s excited eyes drooped sadly¡­ but he seemed to understand what Ignis was trying to say. In his mind, he remembered his godpa Zale stopping him too.


    "Don''t be sad¡­ we''ll y something fun today¡­ How about flying? Fly fly???" Ignis tried to coax the sad Little Han by making a little firebird fly around them.


    The little bird was like a sparrow covered with mes, but the heat never affected the two of them.


    "Kyaaaa!" Little Han squealed excitedly while he watched the me sparrow rise up in the air.


    "Aiyaaaaa!" He reached out his hands and tried to catch the me bird but he couldn''t. "Fwy¡­ fwy¡­ (fly.. fly)" His eyes became teary as he begged Ignis to let him fly too and catch the me sparrow.


    "Alright¡­" Ignis smiled and lifted his hands. He covered Little Han with his hands and slowly let Little Han float in the air.


    "Kyaaaaa!!!" Little Han squealed in delight. He stretched his hands upwards gesturing that he wanted to move around.


    Soon the guardian''s realm was filled with his giggles and squeals as he enjoyed flying with a bunch of me sparrows around. Of course, Ignis did not dare to neglect his meals and ensured that this time, Little Han would eat all that was in his bowl.


    After some time, he got tired and wore a sleepy expression. Ignis immediately carried him to his sleeping nest and brought his milk bottle so that he could have some before he slept.


    And then the godson and godpaid on the sleeping nest peacefully as they took an afternoon nap. It was a sight to behold as Ignis also shared simr features as Little Han - hair was as hot as a fiery me, eyes as intense as the bluest fire.


    For the citizens of Seirende, Ignis would be regarded as their Imperial Family''s benefactor as they all knew how the Seirende Family received direct blessings from him during the first war, and so all of the offsprings of the Imperial family possessed these characteristics.


    After a few hours, the peaceful nap time was then again disturbed by Little Han''s sudden grumbling. Ignis felt his restless whimpers and so he attentively got up and checked Little Han''s condition.


    "What''s wrong?" He asked. In his mind, he ticked all the boxes to ensure that Little Han wasfortable.


    ''Food, check''


    ''Temperature, normal''


    ''ytime, check¡­''


    ''Clothes,fortable¡­''


    ''What else does he need?'' Ignis was deeply puzzled as he had already done everything that was in the book in order to ensure that Little Han was in a good mood.


    He looked at Little Han helplessly and for some reason, his eyes darted on his diapers once again¡­ Automatically, his hands went to check it again, and¡­


    "Don''t tell me¡­" Horrible shbacks started to flood his mind at once.


    Little Han had soiled his diapers once again!

 Chapter 318 [Special Episode!] Sylvain And Little Han

    ?"Hhmm~~~" Today it was Sylvain''s turn to look after Little Han. As he used his magic to arrange Little Han''s y area as he hummed a good tune.


    Little Han was yet to wake up and so he assigned an earth fairy to look after him while he splendidly wore an apron and a hair guard.


    Taking the whisk and the mixing bowl, he started to work on Little Han''s breakfast.


    "Vegies, flour¡­ a little bit of milk, and eggs¡­" As he uttered its names, the corresponding ingredients came floating to his hands and conveniently lined up on his side while he worked on the tools.


    Lighting up the stove, he poured the batter into the nonstick skillet and started to cook some veggie mini pancakes for Little Han''s breakfast.


    He monitored his cooking time with a kitchen timer and flipped the mini pancakes to cook them evenly.


    "Bananas¡­ kiwi¡­ berries¡­" When the pancakes were done, he started to te Little Han''s te with many different kinds of fruits, slicing them into small bite-sized pieces.


    "Little Han likes to try eating by himself¡­" Sylvain uttered as he diced the pancakes on the sides to make Little Han eatfortably with his spoon.


    "Tada!!!! All done!!!" Sylvain looked at the cute breakfast te he made for Little Han, looking pleased with himself, he took the food on a tray and carefully brought it to Little Han''s sleeping nest.


    "High Chair!" He called out, immediately, Little Han''s high chair followed him as he went to Little Han.


    Coincidentally, Little Han started to wiggle out of his sleeping nest and looked at Sylvain nkly.


    "Good morning, sleepy head~~" Sylvain was holding the tray originally but when he bent to cuddle Little Han, the tray stayed afloat mid-air.


    He showered him with kisses and then immediately changed his diapers using his magic. Unlike Ignis who struggled with it, Sylvain proved to be more well versed in performing babysitting tasks, especially changing Little Han''s diapers.


    "Hmmm!!! You''re all fresh and clean now my little godson!" He looked at his piece of work proudly as he dressed Little Han while he was at it. The temperature in the guardian''s realm was adjusted at the optimal level for Little Han''s physique and so he doesn''t need to wear thick dresses to keep himself warm.


    Sylvain just chose a sky blue cotton T-shirt and shorts that had a cute bear design and a stripe pattern, making Little Han appear more cuddly and cute.


    "Alrighty¡­ time to eat my little one¡­" Sylvain carried him to the high chair and ced the food he prepared for Little Han.


    "A¡­ wahhh!" Little Han''s eyes lightened up when he saw the beautiful dish that was prepared for him by his Godpa Sylvain. His crystal blue eyes twinkled adorable as they looked back and forth towards the dish and Sylvain, expressing his amazement.


    Sylvain smiled happily as he saw Little Han''s reaction. Extremely pleased he brushed Little Han''s head and said, "You like what Godpa prepared for you godson? Try to eat it, see if it is to your liking then give your Godpa a thumbs-up!"


    "Ayeeee!" Little Han responded happily, waving his spoon excitedly. Then he looked at the te of food in front of him and tried to scoop it clumsily.


    Sylvain used a deep te to assist Little Han in scooping his food. This will also help him not make a mess while he is eating. Unlike a deep bowl which was prone to overturning, the deep te was a little bit big and Little Han had enough room to scoop his diced fruits and pancake.


    "Ohhhhh¡­" Little Han looked at the piece of pancake he was able to cleanly get with his spoon, then he looked at Sylvain with glittering eyes, asking for praises.


    Sylvain chuckled at Little Han''s cuteness and indulged him with praise, "Very good! You did well!! Now try to finish your meal without spilling anything, can you do that?"


    "Aye!!!!" Little Han raised his hand, saying he could do it, and ate the food on his spoon! "Ummmy!!!" He squealed in delight.


    "Is it?" Sylvain''s eyes squinted in contentment after hearing Little Han''s praise.


    "Aye! Ummmy!!" Little Han confirmed once again, then he went straight into eating the rest of his meal.


    "Gobpa¡­gobpaaaa~" After some time, Little Han called out Sylvain who was actually watching the happenings of the matters in the Capital.


    Sylvain turned his head towards him only to see Little Han pointing at his te which was now clean and empty. "Wow, you did it! Good job my godson!!!"


    Sylvain happily carried Little Han and raised him high, to which Little Han giggled in reply, "Ayeeee!!!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmm¡­ now what shall we do? Do you want to y?" He carried Little Han with his arms and asked him what things they would do next.


    Sylvain was known to be a littlezy out of all the five guardians, he usually took pleasure in just sitting around while following some happenings in the earthly realm.


    The onlyborious thing that he did was probably caring for Little Han. And so he was really out of ideas on how to make Little Han upied other than ying with the plushies.


    "..." Little Han blinked at him cluelessly. He also didn''t know what babies would do other than roll around and entertain themselves in whatever environment they are in!


    "Hmm¡­" Sylvain thought deeply as he phased back and forth. "This is trouble¡­ I have no idea what new things to do¡­"


    Little Han just watched themselves going back and forth to the guardian realm with his Godpa whose thoughts are upied by thinking ways to entertain him. He was even unable to notice that he had already carried Little Han to tour around every spot of the guardian realms.


    "Wooo!" Little Han pointed at the sparkly pond where Zale brought him to swim and y in the water.


    "Weee!" Little Han then saw the sea of clouds where Celeste meditated when she was stressed with the tasks given by the Overseer.


    "Urrrrr¡­" Little Han furrowed his brows as he mimicked his Godpa Ignis''s fiery face when they went to the volcano where Ignis yed with his fire magic.


    "Ahhh!'' Then they finally arrived at the location where the mystifyingke rests which was covered by the luscious trees with the canopy of stars.


    In the center, there was a bed made from leaves and flowers. From the looks of it, no one had used it for some time but the flowers and leaves remained fresh and fragrant.


    "Oh¡­ How in the heavens did we manage to stumble here?" Sylvain finally realized that they had been walking around aimlessly to the guardian realm and had finally reached his resting den.


    "Oh¡­ this forest was my resting den over that side was Amihan''s, then thatke over there was your Godpa Zale''s resting den too."


    Sylvain took Little Han around to show him the ce where they rest every sixth day of the week. "Sometimes we rest on our own ces but oftentimes, we rest on themunal area, where your plushie yground is currently located."


    "Mommi¡­" Little Han looked back at the flower bed that was situated in the center of the open area between the forest and theke. There was longing and mncholy in his eyes as he sadly buried his head on Sylvain''s chest and his plump index finger pointed towards the bed.


    Sylvain''s eyes flickered in surprise and he was actually taken aback by Little Han''s action. How could Little Han know that the flower bed was somehow connected to Eli?


    Then a scene dawned on him, it was the moment where Eli woke up from Elise''s body after beingmissioned by the Overseer to descend on Prasinos.


    He found Eli greeting the child in her womb at that time,


    "Hello Little Han, it''s you and me now, exploring a new world."


    It was probably the first time Eli met Little Han who was still in her womb, but surprisingly Little Han seemed to have remembered it.


    "You remember your mommy being here?" Sylvain asked Little Han to confirm it once again.


    "Aumm¡­Mommi¡­" Little Han buried his head deeper into Sylvain''s flowy garment, clinging to him with like he was finding some sort of security.


    Sylvain could feel that Little Han was missing his mother so much. He realized that even though Little Han seemed to look like a cheerful child, he was still trying his best not to worry his mom and dad.


    Little Han cheerily waved them goodbye as Sylvain took him to the guardian realm. He initially thought that Little Han was too young to understand the fact that he had to stay away from his parents in the meantime, that he appeared to be so happy and clueless when he took him away.


    Only now did he realize that Little Han seemed to be also trying his best to stay strong so that his mom and dad could do the things they had to do.


    "Ohh my poor godson¡­ don''t worry¡­ you will see your mom and dad soon!" Sylvain hugged Little Han tenderly, feeling heartbroken for the little child. He looked up in the sky and also prayed that the Overseer would strengthen Eli and Leon so that they could finish their tasks well and soon.

 Chapter 319 [Special Episode!] Celeste And Little Han

    ?"My little bun~~~" Celeste hugged Little Han the moment he woke up and expertly carried him to shower him with cuddles and kisses.


    "Gobma¡­" Little Han buried his sleepy head in Celeste''s bosom trying to get more sleep.


    "Aiyooo did the guys make you tired when they look after you? Aiyooo what made you feel so tired?" Celeste asked him teasingly, but as she did this her hands were already working on changing Little Han''s diapers.


    "Hmm... Let''s eat first then Godma will help you bathe¡­" Celeste carried Little Han to the table and ced him on herp. Then she brought Little Han the spoon and let him eat as the guardians knew that Little Han likes to try to eat on his own, especially during meals.


    "Ummyyy~" Little Han happily ate the food that Celeste gave. Just like Sylvain, she had no problems in making food for Little Han as she really did her research before the little one entered the realm.


    "Right? Godma cooks well right? Eat a lot of healthy foods and don''t be picky. You''ll grow faster and soon your Mother and Father will be delighted upon seeing you healthy!" Celeste kissed Little Han on his cheeks as he encouraged him to eat more.


    "Aye¡­. mommi¡­ daddi!!! Aye!!!" Little Han responded happily.


    "I heard that you did a lot of fun things with your godpas¡­ they didn''t spoil you did they?" Celeste asked.


    "Non non¡­" Little Han shook his head making his chubby cheeks wiggle adorable.


    "Hmmm hmmm¡­ are you sure?" Celeste asked, although she knew that Little Han''smunication means were limited, she read in the book that having a conversation with a child would help his development.


    "Non non¡­" Little Han shook his head again as if he wanted to assure Celeste that the three male guardians did not spoil him¡­ that much~


    "Alright¡­ after this we will be taking a bath! You like the bathing pond that your Godpa Zale made right?" Celeste continued to talk to him while he finished his meal.


    "Washy washy!!! Aye!!!" Little Han became more excited and so he tried his best to eat fast, so much that his chubby cheeks puffed up more like he was a little squirrel.


    "Slow down¡­ eat carefully¡­" Celeste wiped Little Han''s face and gently reminded him to not eat with haste. "Godma will wait for you patiently so no need to rush alright?"


    "Aww¡­" Little Han felt a little sad because of Celeste''s reminder but still, he obediently followed her instructions. He looked like a little puppy whose ears drooped in sadness when his master reprimanded him.


    After the meal, Celeste led Little Han to the bathing pond as she promised. But unlike Zale, Celeste used bubble soap as Little Han yed around with the water. With the bubbles floating in the pond and up in the air, Little Han became more cheerful during the bathing time.


    Then Celeste rinsed him with clean water and dressed him with a nice kiddie version of a white polo shirt with a cute ck bowtie. She also paired it with dark brown shorts with mini suspenders. Little Han looked like a little gentleman with his outfit!


    Before they came back to the plushie yground, Celeste looked at the pond and waved her hands once. Instantly the pond returned to its original state, clean and clear!


    "Oooooh!" Little Han was amazed by his Godma Celeste''s magic. Delighted, he pped his hands as he looked at Godma Celeste with amazement.


    "Hahaha¡­ In the future, you will know magic too, but of course, that is when you grow up healthy and good!" Celeste could not help but let out a chuckle. Having Little Han in their usually boring guardian realm was really a breath of fresh air.


    Perhaps it was because it was their very first time to have this kind of close rtionship with a human, or it may also be because Little Han was an extremely likable child, joy would always fill their hearts whenever they interact with him.


    "Alright¡­ now since you yed for three days straight now is time for you to start learning something¡­ hehehe¡­" This time, Celeste''s eyes shed like she had prepared something for Little Han.


    Herugh looked like she nned for something sinister and Little Han was immediately creeped out by her reaction, "Eeeeek¡­"


    "Well, you are still an infant technically so I can''t teach you some hard stuff yet¡­" Celeste smiled at Little Han''s reaction and she teasingly touched his nose making him perform a cute frowning expression.


    "We will start by ying with these¡­" Celeste gently put Little Han down on the plushie yground as she used her magic to take out popr interactive learning toys for children.


    Building blocks with numbers and letters printed on all sides, there were also some toys with different shapes that Little Han could insert on a corresponding slot of the shape.


    "Weeeeee!!" Little Han immediately got excited when he saw new-looking toys. He had been ying with plushies for the longest time and seeing the toys brought out by Celeste had certainly made him full of energy.


    "Hahaha you like it that much? Come, Godma will show you how to y these¡­" Celeste beckoned Little Han to crawl nearer to her as she taught him the basic shapes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is a circle¡­" Celeste took out a circr block and made Little Han touch it. She read in the books that when teaching children, she must make it as interactive and engaging as possible for the child. Letting him touch the block will stir his curiosity over new things as she introduced the name of the shape.


    "It only fits in this slot¡­ because its shape is a circle." She then pointed at the shaped slot and pointed to the corresponding slot for the circle.


    "Wickle¡­." Little Han blinked curiously at the circle toy and looked at the slot then at Celeste innocently. Immediately, Celeste''s heart melted as she witnessed Little Han''s puppy-like eyes try to figure out the new thing he was introduced to.


    Filled with gentleness and patience, Celeste encouraged Little Han to try to put the circle on the slot. "Try it¡­ see if it fits!"


    Little Han looked at the circle block once again and looked at the slot to which Celeste had pointed. After a few seconds of pause, he finally leaned down and stretched his hands to put the circle block onto the toy slot.


    Tack¡­ Tack¡­


    Celeste watched Little Han as he clumsily tried to put the circle into the slot.


    "Waaah!!!" Little Han cried out in happiness when he finally managed to fit the toy into the slot. He looked at Celeste with a big sweet smile on his face.


    "You did it!!" Celeste pped gracefully as he reinforced Little Han''s self-esteem. Then she took another toy and introduced it to him slowly, letting Little Han learn as much as he could while he was ying.


    "This is called a square¡­"


    "This is a rectangle¡­"


    "This is a triangle¡­"


    "Then this one resembles the shape of the star!"


    It was particrly amusing for Celeste to see Little Han frustrated when he found it hard to deal with the star shape.


    "Hmmmp!" Little Han pouted hard as he tried to forcefully push the star block into the slot when he was inserting it the wrong way.


    Celeste could even see that his face was already glowing red from his failed attempts to get the star shape into the slot, "Ahahaha! You can do it, my little bun!"


    "Aweeeeee¡­" Little Han frowned to focus and tried to figure out what he should do next. He put his finger into his chin, like a little kid thinking deeply. It took him a full minute for his eyes to finally turn lively as if he had thought of an idea.


    Then with the next attempt, Celeste observed how he tried to twist the start on the right angle where all of the points of the stars align.


    Click!


    Finally, the start slot was finished by Little Han''s own effort, "Iyayyyyy!" He sat up and pped in victory. He looked so proud of himself for oveing the hurdle and did not forget to look at his Godma Celeste to receive her praises.


    "Good job my godson!! You did well in figuring it out on your own! Now¡­ Godma has a price for you!!!" Celeste then took out a cookie jar with her magic and took out one soft cookie for Little Han.


    "This is a soft cookie for you¡­ you have to only consume this much so that it won''t affect your health. But I hope you like it!" Celeste gave the cookie to Little Han whose eyes turned wide and his mouth almost drool upon having a sweet-smelling snack.


    "Kookieeee!" Little Han shouted with joy as he received the cookie and pinched a small piece with his hands then he slowly brought it to his mouth to taste. "Ummyyyy!!!!!" He squealed in delight.


    "Jiheeheee~~~" He happily pinched another small portion and took it towards Celeste.


    "Ah¡­ you want to give me one too?" Celeste was extremely touched and amused.


    "Aye¡­ gobma¡­ wuv!" Little Han replied with his charming cute smile!

 Chapter 320 [Special Episode!] Amihan And Little Han

    ?"Gobma!!! Bai baiiii!!!" Little Han waved his chubby hand happily as he was carried by the tiny Amihan. They were sending Celeste off who especially came outte in order to prepare as much as she can to help Amihan to care for Little Han.


    Celeste had already changed Little Han''s diapers and cooked his food for a day. Now Amihan only had to take care of Little Han and feed him throughout the day. Of course, Celeste was still too reluctant to leave the two behind however she tried her best to teach Amihan the basics.


    Amihan was the newest to be a guardian assigned to Prasinos and unlike the four of them, Amihan was created with a childlike personality and stature. And so all of the four guardians looked out for her and were a little more lenient with her than Zale who was also a fairly new guardian.


    "Send a signal for me if you ever had trouble alright?" Celeste waved them goodbye before finally disappearing through a portal.


    "Umm!" Amihan nodded meekly, positioning Little Han more securely in her arms.


    Soon, it was only the two of them who were left in the realm and so the two stared at each other, not knowing what to do again.


    "Gobma¡­ gobma~~" Little Han seemed to have been ustomed to Amihan''s silence and so unlike how he usually behaves towards the adults, he was the one who initiated the interaction with Amihan.


    He pointed towards the plushie yground and crawled briskly.


    His bones were already well-nourished, thanks to the help of the mermaid''s cradle during his early years, the guardian''s doting, and everyone''s care in the earthly realm. However, Celeste was actually worried as to why Little Han was not yet able to show signs of learning how to stand and walk.


    ording to her research, human babies could already learn standing as early as eight months, but Little Han was already a few months away from turning one year old. But Zale assured them that there was nothing wrong with Little Han''s body and everything was fine.


    Amihan watched Little Han as he cheerfully crawled around the plushie yground. She on the other hand slowly followed him with her eyes not leaving Little Han for a moment. Celeste reminded her to look after Little Han and ensure that he would not be hurt or be ufortable when the rest was not around.


    And so, her way of doing so was to silently watch the little guy do his own thing while she would be there whenever something was up.


    "Gobma¡­ gobma~~~" Little Han finally stopped on a certain pastel box that was designed in a way that is attractive to little children.


    He raised his hand and tried to mimic his Godpa Ignis when he called someone to get near him. But it turned out in such a way that he was just opening and closing his palms over his head.


    Amihan was puzzled but seeing Little Han''s cute expression she approached him and squatted just in front of him to figure out what he wanted to do.


    "Gobma¡­" Little Han saw Amihan not nning to do anything but watch him and so he called her out again and used his hands to tap the box in an attempt to draw his Godma''s attention to the pastel box.


    "...You want me to open it?" Amihan asked Little Han, feeling a bit unsure.


    "Aye!!!" Little Han responded in a lively way, there was unmasked anticipation in his eyes.


    Amihan then opened the basket and saw the new toys that were given by Celeste to him thest time.


    The moment Little Han saw the contents of the box, he squealed in delight and excitement, "Weeeeee!!!"


    Amihan figured out that Little Han liked the toys inside and so, she carefully took them out one by one and neatly ced them on the mat letting Little Han see everything clearly.


    Little Han excitedly pped his hands and took his new favorite toy - the shape sorter.


    He took the sorter and gave one shape to Amihan before he took the heart shape and ced it inside as if trying to demonstrate to his Godma how to y.


    "Hihi!" His eyes looked proud when he ced the block inside the slot and he looked at Amihan anticipating how she would do hers.


    Amihan followed Little Han''s movement, she had a triangle-shaped block and simply ced it on the triangle slot without difficulty.


    "..." Little Han was shocked when he saw how Amihan did not even struggle to ce her shape.


    And so he took the square shape and hastily ced it in the slot. He did it in a single attempt!


    "Heee heee¡­" He giggled again while he looked at Amihan as if he wanted her to execute her next move.


    "..." Amihan blinked in confusion, why does she feel that Little Han was actually challenging her over a simple shape sorter?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But then she took the rectangle and ced it on the slot, again without showing any difficulty.


    "Eeeeee!" Little Han''s eyes widened in shock¡­ He has found apetitor! His Godma Amihan was good at ying shapes!


    "HAuummmp!" He harrumphed like a little old man and determination shed in his eyes. He was feeling on fire as he saw that his opponent was good and hard to deal with.


    He pumped his tiny hand into a fist and took the circle block. His face was saying that he will not let himself lose in his favorite game.


    Tak! He had once again sessfully slotted the circle in the sorter in one attempt. But this time, he did not celebrate as his eyes looked at thest slot and Amihan. His face was dead serious as if his life depended on Amihan''s next move.


    "???" Amihan was really confused by Little Han''s actions. She thought that Little Han was starting to get bored with ying the sorter and was now in a low mood.


    ''I shall finish this fast then so that he can y another toy¡­'' She thought as she speedily picked the star shape which gave Little Han a hard time when he first yed this with his Godma Celeste.


    Tak! Amihan need not twist and turn the star-shaped block. Instead, she just took it and ced it in the sorter in a smooth manner.


    Dun dun!!!


    Little Han''s expression froze as his mouth was left open¡­ he lost. Godma Amihan is a champion in shape sorting!!!


    "Aaaaaaahk!"


    Like a defeated fellow he ced his hands on the ground, still in disbelief that someone beat him to his favorite game.


    "Sniff¡­ Sniff¡­" Slowly, his vision turned blurry and tiny beads of tears started to fall into the mat. "Uwaaaaaahhh¡­" He cried woefully, it was like he was deeply broken-hearted over what happened that he could not contain his sadness and disappointment.


    "Ahh¡­" Amihan was startled as to why Little Han suddenly cried. She immediately went near Little Han who was already lying on the mat like a hopelessly defeated gentleman that was beaten in a game of¡­ shape sorting.


    "Don''t cry¡­ Godma is here¡­" Amihan used her little hands to carry him into her embrace as she hugged himfortingly.


    "Boohooo¡­" Little Han cried and hugged his godma, as he epted her warmforting hug.


    "Hush¡­ it''s just some toys¡­ let''s have another fun game to y¡­ C''mon¡­ let me show you something nice!"


    "Sniff¡­ Aye¡­" Little Han looked at her and tried to dry his face from tears.


    Then Amihan used her magic to let Little Han float in the air. Then she transformed into a pure white bird, it was totally different from her initial manifestation of a red velvet cockatoo during Eli''s visit to the guardian realm.


    "Waaaaah!!!" When Little Han saw Amihan''s transformation his eyes widened in amazement.


    She had strong silky feathers that were shining bright and clean. Her eyes were round and dark but they looked at him with a gaze full of kindness and gentleness.


    "I''ll take you to fly up in the air!" Amihan''s voice echoed even though the bird''s beak did not open an inch.


    Instantly the magic that was carrying Little Han slowly moved to sit on Amihan''s back. A white light turned into a hood and a harness for Little Han''s protection from gravity and wind resistance.


    "Ji heee heee!!!!" Little Han was now grinning happily as he touched Amihan''s soft and silky feathers.


    He was so pleased with it that he bent down and hugged herrge bird body. Because of the fluffiness of the feather, he was a little bit buried in her pure white feathers like he wasying down on a piece of cloud.


    "Alright¡­ get ready¡­ we will go up now¡­" Amihan informed him as she gently pped her majestic wings and started to fly.


    "Waaaaaaaah!!!" Little Han excitedly shouted, it was a new achievement for him to fly up in the air while riding a big bird.


    And so the two went aboard with a day of adventure, flying up in the skies of the guardian''s realm.

 Chapter 321 Disapproval

    ?"Ah¡­ finally! A full eight-hour sleep¡­" Kayden had finally woke up from his sleep which had been forced by Eli and the rest and now was looking so refreshed and energetic.


    "Oh¡­ Doctor Einz! How was your sleep? Would you like to have some meal first before you do anything?" When he was seen by the temple researcher, he immediately reminded Kayden not to neglect taking care of himself.


    Like Eli, all of the people which were involved in producing the cure potion deeply revered Kayden for his priceless contribution. And so everyone showed concern over his well being


    Afraid that he would be nagged as soon as he woke up, Kayden opted to do what the researcher suggested.


    "Alright, I''ll call on the assistant." The researcher was delighted upon seeing that Kayden did not reject eating his meal but instead prioritized it first. He hastily strode off theboratory and called on Julian to guide him to the dining area.


    Seeing Julian guiding him, he felt relieved for he was also privy to the fact that Julian was one of Leon''s men.


    "What happened during my sleep?" He asked Julian in a voice that was only enough for the two of them to hear.


    "Great Doctor, during your sleep, the Pdin has finally found a way to purify the people severely affected by the curse the fastest way. She actually thought of using the rain to purify everyone¡­ Though I personally think that her idea of converting a pond into a holy cleansingke would have been the most longsting and efficient for her."


    Julian exined everything to Kayden, even letting his opinion on the matter.


    His words led Kayden into thinking - was his little sister''s choice good or the initial idea was better. "Hmmm¡­ actually if I were the Pdin, I would also do away with converting the pond¡­"


    Julian was surprised that Kayden also agreed with Eli''s final choice. As a very curious person, he looked at him and politely asked, "Great Doctor, would you grace me in hearing your insight about this matter?"


    "Although themon people would only conclude that the matter at hand was already thoroughly suppressed, we who were directly involved clearly knew that there was a stronger enemy lingering around the Empire and waiting for his time to defeat us¡­


    Pdin knew that we were not in any position to properly defend the empire when that happened. Also, revealing herself was like a double-edged sword.


    It could either be a factor that made the enemy stand down and observe for a while, giving us time to re-stabilize the Empire, or a trigger to see the Empire as a wounded Lion to defeat because we are too much of a threat.


    And so, Pdin did not want us to be seen as thetter, that''s why she chose the most naive and seemingly uncaring way of helping the people of thend. She made it so that the Empire will not survive without her help, not leaving the Empire any sustainable means to resist curses.


    There''s also the show where she would give everyone the impression that she was not a citizen of the Empire. All this was to ensure that our enemies would not be too hasty to attack us because the mysterious pdin had not left anything for them to loot or seize should they try to invade the empire."


    "I see¡­ wow! I cannot bepared to the Great Doctor and the Pdin''s way of thinking!" Julian was full of admiration towards the two, the more he understood the logic behind Eli''s decision.


    "Alright¡­ after my meal, may you lead me to the patients, as I would be helping the team in bringing the patients to the open grounds as the Pdin triggered the cleansing rain?" Although he did not disagree with Julian''s praises, he was not one who indulges in the feeling of beingplimented.


    "That¡­ Great Doctor¡­ Errr¡­ everything was already set. After your meal, you would still have enough time to witness the cleansing rain being performed by the Pdin." Julian carefully told Kayden the information.


    "What? The transferring of the patients requires time and magic to protect the patients from the elements by being in the open, howe it was done in only eight hours?" Kayden was shocked upon hearing the news.


    It was one thing to expose the patients out in the open but it is another thing to protect them with an array that would simte the conditions of being indoors. Just setting those up would have taken them one whole day.


    Now Julian was saying that everything was prepared and done in just one night?


    "Errr¡­ Great Doctor¡­ the truth is you have been asleep for two days and two nights¡­" Julian was sweating beads as the more he revealed this matter, the darker and bbergasted Kayden''s face was.


    "Ah¡­ how could I miss everything by sleeping for two days straight?!!! I have to see the team now¡­" Hastily walking in the opposite direction, Kayden immediately ignored taking his meal and decided to get straight to work.


    "Oh no¡­ Great Doctor¡­ please eat a single meal first!" Julian followed frantically and started to beg him to take care of his well-being first.


    "No¡­ I need to check whether the transfer was done smoothly and none of the patient''s conditions were jeopardized." Kayden firmly replied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But¡­"Julian tried to persuade him again but to no avail.


    Fortunately, someone managed to effectively stop him from doing so, it was none other than his dear friend Leon.


    "You''ll crush yourrades'' confidence if they ever hear you say that. Aren''t theypetent enough to be entrusted with these kinds of things? Einz, you''re taking more than what your body could handle. You know that the most."


    "I-" Kayden was utterly speechless by his friend''s reprimand, but all of it was definitely on point.


    "Do not worry about that and do not let us worry too. Go and eat your meal, after that I would even help you look after the patients¡­" Leon sternlymanded, not as a prince but as someone who genuinely cares for his friend.


    And so Kayden had no choice but to do as Leonmanded. Leon even waited for him to finally finish his food and they together went to the healing site.


    When they reached the site, he was astonished by what he saw.


    The patients were systematically organized as they were ced in the open under a protective array.


    Aside from that, there were many onlookers around, noblemen andmoners, they just convened at a safe distance only to witness another miracle happening with their own eyes.


    Everything was indeed ready and all set, the only thing that was left was Eli, who would be performing the purification.


    "I heard that you would also help her put on a show¡­" Kayden asked Leon.


    "I would¡­ I have to also give her a break from all of this, even though it was her destiny to do so." Leon replied with a deep sense of helplessness in his heart.


    "Well¡­ what do the two of you n to do after all these are settled?" Kayden could not help but ask in curiosity. Now that everything is falling into ce, it was time for the two to think about what they had to do in the future.


    Leon paused for a while, contemting what words he had to say. There was some restraint in his expression, however, he still answered his friend''s difficult question.


    "Well, first we would have to get Little Han back to our home and celebrate his first birthday¡­


    Then I will have to start thinking about how I would introduce him as my child in the Imperial family...


    But¡­ if I was allowed to be greedy then¡­ I want to marry Eli first¡­ then I can finally show my family, the other half of myself to the Empire¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ not bad¡­ not bad¡­" Kayden contemted and evaluated his friend''s n like he was a judge. "However¡­ there''s one thing which I greatly disapproved of¡­"


    Leon''s interest was piqued, it was very rare for his ideas to be outrightly rebutted by Kayden, what could it be?


    He looked at Kayden with great interest and a hint of challenge¡­ as if saying let me hear what you had to say¡­


    "I greatly disapprove of you marrying Eli¡­" Kayden answered him bluntly.


    "What did you say?" Leon''s voice became cold in an instant.


    There was vignce in his eyes as he was frantically thinking of the reason why his friend, who was one of the people who first approved of his rtionship with Eli, suddenly said that he disapproved of him marrying Eli?


    ''He must be joking¡­'' Leon denied what he heard but looking at his friend''s eyes, it was full of seriousness.


    "I am not kidding¡­ I am dead serious¡­ I disapprove of it." Kayden slowly enunciated these words to Leon, making thetter panic.

 Chapter 322 The Solution

    ?Leon froze upon hearing Kayden''s words once again. Looking at this dead serious face, Leon''s heart plummeted to the ground in confusion and panic.


    How was he supposed to feel about this?


    His friend, one and first to know his deepest secrets.


    One and first to know who was in her heart, now says that he would not support him in pursuing it.


    ''Why would he suddenly say this?''


    ''Could it be that he thought I did not deserve Eli?''


    ''Could it be that he thinks it was not yet time?''


    ''Or could it be¡­ that he was feeling something for¡­ no¡­ impossible!''


    The turmoil in his heart grew as he tried to figure out what was the reason. He tried to stay calm on the outside but how could he?


    Kayden observed his friend who was deeply in panic, he raised his brows in interest when he saw the colorful expression on Leon''s face.


    It was amusing, and he was feeling a bit helpless too¡­ because he could see how Eli really buried herself deep into Leon''s heart.


    Shaking his head as he saw his friend struggle, he decided to end his agony and exined his side,


    "After this has ended, it is to say that to all who knew the truth, Eli''s value will be much more precious than before¡­


    And those who do were the ones who also loved her dearly¡­ people who would think best for her wellbeing, like me.


    Although you are my friend, Eli was already my sister, and as a brother, I do not want her to be put into a situation where she would be tainted with disgrace. Another thing to consider was also your worth, after this war, everyone will know that you are stronger and was actually not that ''trash'' prince they used to think of.


    Many noble families will try to get you now that you are a giant fish in the sea, and manydies will aggressively try to get on your side too¡­


    If you suddenly tell the Empire that you will marry Eli and Little Han was the fruit of your love, the people will point their heads, not to you¡­ nor Little Han but to Eli."


    "Why so? Isn''t Little Han''s bloodline not enough to shut their mouths? Once they see Little Han, no one would argue that he was not my child¡­" Leon looked at his friend and did not really understand what he was trying to say.


    "That may be so¡­ but in fact¡­ it adds up to the fire. The key is, right after you showed your talents, Eli showed up and Little Han showed up¡­ what do you think the malicious people would say if you had not prepared their minds and just suddenly announced that she would be your wife and you two had already begotten a son?


    We are in a patriarchal society¡­ by no means they will not think that it was you who opted to hide them¡­ But their minds would point at Eli first¡­ that she was only willing to reveal herself now that you are an honorable prince!" Kayden slowly exined everything to his friend, letting him consider and digest his points slowly.


    "This¡­ I did not really consider these things¡­ it seemed that this would really be possible." Leon''s eyes squinted in deep contemtion, wearing his stoic face, there was a trace of realization in his expression.


    In battle and warfare, he was very thorough and diligent in considering all scenarios before executing any ns. However, when ites to the matter of society, he was never interested, adding to the fact that he has been living like a nuisance in high society because of his previous reputation.


    "I know you wouldn''t, that''s why I had to catch your attention when I was about to say it. Now you understand why I don''t agree with you putting your marriage ahead of everything¡­ You will only damage Eli''s well-earned reputation¡­Though we cannot reallypletely take out the murmurs the moment you reveal Little Han¡­ isn''t it good to not put any unnecessary stain on Eli''s reputation?" Kayden replied calmly.


    "What should I do then? How shall I introduce her and Little Han properly?" Leon looked at Kayden, his crystal blue eyes still serious but they had a hint of anticipation and eagerness to rectify his ns.


    "Simple¡­ show everyone how you love her, duh?" Kayden, who was a known genius in the field of medicine was now looking at Leon, who was now a giant warlord as if he was ridiculing his intelligence.


    "That simple?" Leon replied. He was showing her love for her every time he had a chance. He just had to show it when there are people too, right? How hard could it be?


    "You''re thinking that was easy? No! I''m saying you have to show people that you are pursuing her¡­ and could not live without her¡­ and even though you already had a son, you will still honor her by giving her a grand proposal! Aiyooo, looking at your face, you must have nned on just asking for her hand in the cottage aren''t you?!"


    "I¡­" Leon flinched as he remembered how he visualized how he would ask Eli.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He would ask the Forgeworn and Farauld Elders to take care of Little Han first while he and Eli spend a peaceful day in the cottage.


    He would then surprise her with a special dinner on their gazebo, and then finally, he would ask for her hand. In fact¡­ the ring was already being made by the legendary artisan in the Rubino Kingdom, Seirende''s allied nation, which was also called the Jewel nation.


    However, he did not think that this would not be enough. Although, he knew that Eli would not have any problems with this¡­ it was one thing to propose to her, but he also needed to protect her honor, just as Kayden said.


    "Think about it properly¡­ n thoroughly. I know that Eli will not really be disappointed if you ever chose to keep your rtionship as lowkey as it was, however¡­ you are still a prince of the Empire, a legendary one at that¡­ Eli and Little Han must also be prepared to be in the limelight." Kayden looked at the people around and gestured to Leon to finally take a good look at his surroundings.


    From a far distance, there the people in the crowd cheered when they saw that he finally looked on their way.


    "Great Third Prince! A hero of the Empire!!"


    "Thank you for saving us!"


    "We will never forget how you used all your mana to teleport us to safety!"


    "Long live the Third Prince!!!"


    "Long live His Highness Third Prince Leon!!!"


    Hearing their cheers and praises, Leon''s mind wentpletely nk, as it was the first time he experienced being thanked and praised by the majority of the people in the Empire, since his first victory in war.


    Indeed, his life will change, he was no longer a prince that was used to being ridiculed and ignored. He was now a prince that was outstanding and capable enough to be exalted by the people. That goes to say, people will watch him every more, including the people around him.


    "I will take your words to heart¡­" Leon finally replied as he acknowledged the people''s praises with his nod.


    "Wow¡­ the crowd was really so lively today¡­" Suddenly, Joab and Keren went to their positions, they were wearing their official ceremonial uniform looking so gant and priestly at the same time.


    "Vice-Captain Joab and Vice-captain Keren¡­ How''s the Pdin?" Leon greeted the two and asked about Eli''s whereabouts.


    "Well she was already with the Captain and His Eminence High Priest, in a while she will finally perform her purification," Keren answered as she led them to look at the highest point of the temple.


    There they saw three figures, it was Eli in the middle with her pdin uniform given by thete High Priest, and on her side were High Priest Enoch and Mishael.


    As people were already watching Leon, they also looked up in the direction where Leon was looking and saw the three figures.


    "It''s the Great Pdin!"


    "His Eminence High Priest and the Captain of the Temple Knights were there too!"


    "Heavens! I shall witness another miracle!"


    The crowd cheered once again and they excitedly called out to Eli who was preparing for the ceremony.


    Joab and Keren also went to their respective positions, ensuring that there would be no mishaps or disturbances in the ritual.


    Finally, Eli stepped into the air and calmly walked like she was not really bothered by the height. As if there were invisible stairs, the height on where she was floating was increasing as she continued to walk.


    Her pure and majestic suite gave her a saintly aura, which made everyone feel like they were mesmerized just by looking at her countenance.


    Everyone held their breaths, their hearts were beating fast as they watched and waited for her power to manifest.

 Chapter 323 Paladin Departs

    ?She stopped in the middle of the temple ground and raised the ceremonial staff up in the air. The staff had a golden body with a crest on the top end. There was a deep blue gem at the core of the crest which sparkled when the sun rays reflected on it.


    Standing in an astute and solemn manner, she looked up in the sky and lifted the staff up then her bright radiant voice reverberated in the air.


    "Oh, you people with humble hearts¡­


    Open your mouth and sing praises!


    For the Great One is good to those who love and trust him¡­


    But also blesses those who do not know His name.


    Come! You people who seek to taste His goodness!


    Tell the innocent how great He was, for His glory shall be known by every creature!"


    Whoosh!!!


    As soon as she finished uttering her call to praise, the cool wind blew which instantly gave a refreshing feeling to the people around.


    Then little cluster clouds formed slowly, but the sky remained blue and the sun still shined bright. Slowly, tiny little droplets fell onto the temple grounds and gently fell on the patients that were affected by Carolina''s curse magic.


    The tiny drops became a light gentle drizzle, falling to the people like it was cleansing every one of their impurities. Even those who went to the temple to witness the scene felt that their minor sickness was immediately healed and that their moods were immediately enlightened.


    If it was not amazing enough, everyone saw that the patients who were on the verge of losing their vitality instantly became healthier and better. Some of them now managed to get up from their beds and look up to the sky to express their gratitude and praise.


    "Ahh! Long live the Pdin!"


    "Thank heavens for the Pdin!"


    "Thank you for saving us!"


    But Eli replied with a humble and sincere tone, "This is the power of the Great One in heaven, who called and giveth me the mission to do this¡­ I call upon you to thank Him instead!"


    And so the people knelt and prayed to the heavens instead at Eli''s reminder.


    Seeing this happen, the High Priest could not help but let out a peaceful smile. Seeing many brothers and sisters turn to the Creator once again has made his heart feel relieved. For he was really worried that the people would stay far from the Creator because of the chaos that happened.


    Now, the faith of the people was restored and the Empire is on its way to recovering. The peace of the Empire will slowlye back as hope arises with these small steps to getting back on track.


    Soon the cleansing rain started to fade away and the skies finally cleared from the tiny clouds. The one that was only left in the air was Eli''s priestly figure looking gently at the people with relief in her heart.


    Then her eyes subtly darted in Leon''s direction, to which the other felt. Without getting anyone''s attention, Leon triggered a portal that was simr to the one he triggered during the war albeit a little bit smaller and without the appearance of the Spatial Spirit King.


    The people gasped at the sight of the portal, for they were surprised that the Pdin was already departing from the Capital. Their expressions were of shock and sadness for they were not really prepared to see the Pdin depart.


    Helpless as they were, they realized that the Pdin''s role was not something that affords her to stay in one Empire for a longer period.


    Before stepping into the portal, Eli bowed to the High Priest as a sign of respect and then to the people. Then everyone watched as she silently entered the portal, disappearing to who knows where.


    On the ground, the High Priest and the rest of the key people who knew Eli''s n clenched their fists and prayed earnestly. They hoped that Eli''s exit would give the Empire time to breathe and recover.


    ''Heavens¡­ please show mercy on us and let the enemy be blind until we are able to get back at our feet¡­'' This is the prayer that they uttered in their hearts.


    On Eli''s side, she was directly teleported into the cottage, which was still located in Silver Dew Forest.


    "Whew¡­ Finally done!" She took her mask and the priestly garment as she sighed in relief. After changing, her eyes darted at the plushie yground which was looking empty and bleak because it has not been used for a long time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "My baby¡­" Eli entered the plushie yground and hugged the plushie which Little Han liked to drag around. It was a fluffy white dog plushie that was cute and adorable with its dark round eyes. "I miss you my Little Han¡­"


    Now that the fight was already settled down, Eli''s longing for Little Han became stronger.


    How was he?


    Is he doing fine?


    Is he not crying because he realized that we were not around?


    Is he eating well?


    As she thought these things, she slowly turned sullen and fatigue also started to invade her body. Feeling her eyes be blurry and heavy she felt the warm tears rolling on her face as she called out Little Han''s name longingly.


    When Leon arrived shortly after, the sight of her crying like an aggrieved child, hugging his son''s toys instantly broke his heart into pieces.


    "Eli¡­" He walked towards her briskly, his arms moved to slowly wrap Eli''s trembling body with his warmth.


    He did not say any words tofort her, for, in reality, he was also as sad as her for being a way for Little Han. He allowed Eli to cry in his embrace as she channeled the longing he had for their son.


    Day and night they worked tirelessly almost to the point ofining to the heavens, why were they the ones who were in this position.


    He envied the families who had no idea of what wasing in the empire. They continued to live their lives in bliss, with their loved ones on their side. They had no power, no money, and no prestige, but they were oneplete family in a home full of love and harmony.


    But for them¡­


    They had to sacrifice and work hard so that they could attain peace not only for themselves but for these innocents who were oblivious of the dangers roaming around.


    After a while, Leon could feel that Eli was now starting to calm her emotions down. He brushed his hand on her damp cheeks and started to nt flurry kisses on her forehead, her eyshes, and her lips.


    "Eli¡­ we''re almost done¡­ Do you like to visit the realm and get Little Han?" He asked her gently as his hands worked on her back, trying topletely soothe her emotions.


    "I want to¡­ but the trial still awaits¡­" Eli leaned on Leon''s shoulder and her hands wrapped around Leon''s body. She buried her face into Leon''s neck, letting her nose smell the subtle scent of the baby powder on his body.


    "We need not wait for the trial. I and the rest of the Imperial Family could already manage it. Also, we still have time to celebrate Little Han''s birthday in two days." Leon rubbed the back of Eli''s head and trailed her long silky ck hair.


    The two did not know that if someone were toe and see them right now, they would feel embarrassed about their disy of intimacy. However, their minds were not filled with anything but the thought of their son, who has been away from them for a month.


    "Yes¡­ Little Han''s birthday¡­ I want to be there Leon¡­ even if we are no longer able to prepare a good party for him¡­ I just don''t want him to be alone on his first birthday¡­" Eli replied, it dawned on her that Little Han''s birthday was in two days.


    "No, we will still celebrate even if there''s only the three of us. I''ll prepare for it¡­ but first¡­ you need rest." Leon replied as he immediately moved to carry the unguarded Eli in his arms and brought him towards their room.


    "Leon¡­ put me down¡­ I can go on my own¡­" Eli''s heart pounded hard because of Leon''s sudden gesture. But Leon seemed not to hear her pleas but instead hastened his footsteps.


    When they reached the room, Leon gently put her into bed. Bending down to kiss her forehead, Eli saw the trace of fatigue and battle on Leon''s face.


    ''He was more tired than I was.'' Eli thought as she observed Leon''s appearance.


    He was still as sinfully beautiful as he was before, but one cannot deny that man needs to take care of their health and rest.


    She finally noticed that beneath the strong facade and the gant clothes that Leon was wearing, his body was full of wounds and bandages from the battle that happened!


    When these things sunk in Eli''s mind she immediately got up from the bed and pulled Leon down with her. She initially just wanted to coax him to bed but the gesture was too fast and sudden.


    Their position turned out to be so ambiguous and dangerous because Eli was now lying on top of Leon!

 Chapter 324 Teasing Each Other

    ?"..." Caught off guard by the ambiguous pose, Eli and Leon''s eyes met.


    Eyes as dark as the night, the other one as blue as the bluest sky. Their gazes bewildered each other.


    Leon was captivated as he took a good look at Eli''s face. As she had just cried, the usually powerful and intimidating aura she exudes was long gone.


    All she was now was a vulnerable Eli who was longing deeply toplete their little family.


    ''What''s beyond those eyes that always capture my soul?'' He wondered.


    His hands brushed her cheeks slowly pulling her down from her initial position. For once Eli moved in just the slightest bit, an unquenchable thirst he was feeling not only in his lower abdomen but in the depths of his soul.


    Bing truly one with her, in body and in soul¡­ how his heart got stirred by this thought! However, he remembered Kayden''s reminders earlier. Although he wanted to get married as soon as possible, he knew he owed Eli many things.


    And so starting at this moment, Leon decided in his heart and vowed that he would make up for the things that Eli and he were not able to experience before he would ask for her hand in marriage.


    "Sorry¡­ I just wanted to pull you to bed because I know you are exhausted too¡­" Eli sheepishly exined her side as soon as Leon gently moved her body beside him.


    She was deeply embarrassed by what became of her sudden gesture and was worried that Leon would think that she was a very¡­ open-minded woman¡­


    A hot sensation remained on the back of her neck and ears as she tried to hide her expression by hiding on Leon''s shoulders.


    ''Dangerous¡­ so dangerous!'' She thought as she realized what happened.


    Leon smiled teasingly and replied, "I know¡­ you just got¡­ excited!"


    "I did not get excited!!!" Hearing Leon''s yful reply, Eli could not help but be intensely embarrassed by her actions. As she replied, she gently pushed him away and turned her back on him, hiding her face so that he would not see her shy expression. "Hmph!"


    Leon could only let out a helpless chuckle. It was rare for him to see Eli act so flustered in front of him. Oftentimes, she was one of the most independent and reliable women he had ever seen.


    But it warms his heart to see that Eli was only able to show this cute side of her to him and only him.


    He stretched his hands out and secured Eli closer to his embrace. Laying side by side, they could smell each other''s scent and feel each other''s warmth. His hands pressed softly on her waist, letting Eli feel a tingling sensation crossing over her body.


    Leon kissed her nape which was exposed slightly. As he did, Eli curled like a startled cat and looked at him reproachfully. "Sleep! No kisses!"


    All of the sleepiness Eli was feeling earlier was reced by alertness and wariness. Since when did Leon learn to tease her this way!


    "Alright alright¡­ don''t be mad. Let''s sleep for a while¡­ then I''ll go back to the Imperial Pce to take care of some matters." Leon decided to stop as he knew that Eli would no longer befortable if he continued beyond this point.


    He pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her forehead gently.


    Eli had no words to say as Leon took the initiative to close his eyes and sleep, of course with his hands nor leaving on Eli''s body.


    Seeing him breathe steadily¡­ Eli sighed in her heart. This man was able to stir her heart like an angry ocean with waves could not be appeased. Every gesture he made towards her would make her chest tighten and pound hard.


    ''Ah¡­ I feel like a teenage girl, unable to hide my emotions from my crush!'' Elimented to herself. The things and thoughts that she viewed as cringey before were now hitting her good.


    But she felt like she was not giving Leon enough.


    Ever since they met, it was only Leon who thought of ways to make their family work.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon, from the very start, respected her decision to not hastily join the imperial family. Leon also arranged for her beloved cottage to be transported to the capital. Leon would always do things that would put her and Little Han before his well-being, to the point that he would deprive himself of the things he would have to usually experience as the prince of the Empire.


    As for her, she was only focused on resolving her own issues to protect herself and Little Han. Now that they had time to pause, Eli evaluated everything that happened between the two of them.


    Surely, she was also doing something for him from time to time, butpared to what he did for her and Little Han, it seems like she had not shown her appreciation for Leon that much too.


    What makes her afraid was that she may have unconsciously taken for granted Leon''s love for her this whole time.


    Just thinking about it brought a pang of heavy guilt to her heart and tears to her eyes. ''I don''t want to wake up one day to realize that I had lost my opportunity to appreciate and love him¡­''


    As a person who had already experienced death, she knew that time was something she could not control. And so, she had to take every opportunity to let him feel that she loved him as much as he did.


    Eli took her hand and ced it on Leon''s chest. She made him hand her pillow and cuddled him as they went to sleep. Leon felt her movements and his body reacted, openly weing Eli''s actions.


    After a while. Leon woke up and it was already early in the afternoon. He looked beside him only to see that Eli was no longer on the bed.


    Getting up, he changed his garments before going out of their bedroom. His feet automatically moved to find Eli in the house but the subtle smell in the kitchen made him certain that she was there.


    As he opened the door, he heard the sound of the sizzlesing from the pan and the familiar appetizing scent that he had no luxury of smelling for the past few months because of the impending war.


    "It''s been a while since I tasted your cooking¡­" Leon walked on Eli''s side as he embraced her from the back and tried to peek at the food that she was preparing.


    "I''m lucky that I was still able to get some good meat in Silver Town, today I''ll cook your favorite meat dishes¡­" Eli replied as she turned the steak over and continued to sear the meat as the herbs around started to release their fragrant smell.


    "Hmmm¡­ can''t wait¡­" Leon was long used to his distorted meal pattern and so he had no qualms that Eli already prepared a dish that was appropriate for dinner.


    Whatever Eli cooks he will happily eat! Besides, he had long understood that Eli was from a different world and a different culture, so she was yet to learn the trivial ways of this world, including what''s appropriate for every meal.


    After some time, the dinner-lunch was already set up and the two ate harmoniously. It was a bit empty when Little Han and the bunch were not around, but spending time with each other was still something that the two of them cherished dearly.


    "I''ll be appearing as ''myself'' in the institute too¡­" Eli told Leon. It was long nned that there would be someone who would pose as soon as she started joining the investigation team. It took her more than a month to settle everything and she thought that it was already time to go back to the usual.


    Besides, the Grandpas were not yet back in the capital. Although Leon assured her that they were both fine, she was still worried that something might also happen on their side.


    There were also a lot of professors and researchers who joined the war and had be injured by Carolina''s curse and so, she was sure that the deans would have a hard time addressing the problems in the institute.


    "Perhaps I could help get the institute back on track before grandpase back and Papi fully recovers¡­" She added.


    "Alright, We''ll go together then¡­ I will also arrange for the cottage to be transported back to the Forgeworn Territory."


    "Thank you, Leon¡­" Eli looked at him gratefully.


    "No thanks between us¡­ we are family." Leon replied as he kissed Eli''s cheeks.


    "Yeah¡­ I know¡­" Eli looked at him and kissed him back¡­ this time he was the one who got teased when Eli leaned over and pecked him on his lips.


    "Hahaha, now you got lip gloss¡­" She chuckled as a bit of the oil that was on their food transferred to Leon as she kissed him. "Its butter vored~~~"

 Chapter 325 Brothers Keeper (1)

    ?After taking their meal, Leon got back to the Capital while Eli visited the Silver Dew Elves and the farmingnd before going back to the capital.


    The Imperial Pce was slowly rebuilding and but not so with the welfare of the Imperial Family.


    Emperor Valentin had now recovered from his injuries but he was still staying in his bed as instructed by the Imperial doctors. Antoine and Kazimir were also in the same condition.


    And so there was nothing who could do the temporary administration but Leon, who was also injured but was able to recover faster than the other three.


    But since he had already shown his might during the war, the news of him being a revered open path and S-ss mage had already spread throughout the entire Empire and most possibly even outside the borders.


    This made the people not surprised that he was the only one standing after the intense war. There were also some noble families who were already thinking of supporting him in the race to the throne.


    However, to Leon, thinking about the race to the throne was something that is not even a priority. The Empire needs to recover and devise a means to protect itself from the sinister plots of Lord Raven.


    They must also ensure to understand the connection of the sinister organization, The Spectre to Lord Raven and disseminate the information to the nearby territories in order to warn them.


    Moreover, they still had to settle the trial for the judgment of all the traitors of the Seirende Empire and finally get justice for all those who have fallen victims to the Ves''s schemes.


    Leon''s first destination was Emperor Valentin''s chambers. Even with everything falling on his shoulders, he still did not neglect to check how his father was doing and if he had anything he needed at the moment.


    As he walked to his father''s bed-chamber, he was greeted by the respectful greetings of every pce servant and knight around the castle, even the attending noblemen and their vassals expressed their reverence as he walked around the vicinity.


    It was something that he had never experienced before revealing himself, but Leon did not mind. He was neither feeling ecstatic nor aggrieved, for his thoughts were full of thinking about how he would manage to stabilize what he can until his father and brothers recover.


    When he was about to enter the door, the butler told him that Antoine, First Queen Lucia, and his mother, the Second Queen Teh were all inside the bed-chamber.


    Taken aback he was about to refuse to go inside as he worried that they might be discussing something important. But the butler told him that he could join inside because Emperor Valentin was also expecting him toe.


    As he stepped inside he saw the serious faces of the four people inside. There was an awkward atmosphere in the room, it was as if all of them had met each other for the first time.


    Antoine was shocked to see Leon, but after a brief second, he looked away, feeling a little bit evasive from Leon''s stare.


    Lucia and Teh were rather calm but Emperor Valentin wore a serious expression on his face.


    After Leon recited his greetings, he directly asked everyone what the matter was, "Is there any problem that was happening?"


    "It''s like this¡­ the Great Doctor has been taking care of the First Prince Kazimir and he has already passed the critical stage of the damage done by the shing of the Ves and Seirende blood¡­" Queen Teh answered her son''s question with Emperor Valentin''s permission.


    "However, as the First Prince Kazimir was yet to recover from his initial condition prior to the fight, the Great Doctor found out that his mental condition was not recovering really well¡­ he had already woken up but was still unresponsive even when Princess Consort Arielle and their son Monti called out to him¡­" Queen Teh exined everything, there was utter worry in his sight.


    "It was like he lost his spirit and became an empty vessel¡­ We are now helpless on how we will deal on this matter as the First Prince was part of the family." She continued.


    As Queen Teh told this, Emperor Valentin disyed a troubled and worried expression along with Antoine. The three looked at First Queen Lucia as if they had something to ask from her.


    First Queen Lucia returned their gaze and replied calmly, "There''s no need to worry¡­ as I have said before, he will get back on his feet."


    Although the three heaved a sigh of relief, they were still helpless to think of a way how to help Kazimir recover. Lucia''s premonition was something that they could not depend on in terms of the timing of when that particr future would be. Also, what the future would depend on how they decided to do in the present.


    Leon was unable to understand First Queen Lucia''s words nor the fact that the three listened to her words, but he did not take it to heart.


    For he has always known that First Queen Lucia has some secret she does not reveal to just anyone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¨C


    He remembered when he was a child, he was yet to understand why Antoine suddenly became angry at him. Day by day, he would sneak into First Queen Lucia''s garden in order to see Antoine and try to apologize for whatever wrongdoings he did that made him mad, but to no avail.


    One day, Queen Lucia saw him patiently waiting in the garden, looking at the window where Antoine was staying. In the middle of the day, when the heat was at its peak, Leon just stood there in the garden like a lost puppy waiting for his master toe out.


    Lucia immediately went over to the spot he was standing and patted his head while saying, "Please forgive your brother¡­ Maybe in the future, he will still be unable to treat you the same way as he usually did, but will you be the kind one and understand him?"


    "What did I do wrong, Your Highness? Tell me so that I can apologize¡­" The young Leon asked in tears.


    Lucia did not reply and only took a handkerchief to wipe away the aggrieved tears on young Leon''s face. "You have not done anything to hurt him¡­ it''s just that he somehow turned like this and he started to avoid everyone, including you and me¡­ But do you love your older brother?"


    "I do¡­ Your Highness¡­ he is the brother who was kind to me¡­" the young Leon replied.


    "I do too¡­" Lucia''s eyes were filled with emotions and heartbreak, "So even if we don''t understand, we will just wait for him toe around even if it takes us years to do so¡­"


    "Why¡­ it takes so long?" Leon tilted his head and asked innocently.


    "I also don''t know¡­ I tried to ask him why he was acting like this but he does not want to talk." Lucia felt like she was losing her mind because she was now talking about her problems with a little child. But Leon could feel that she wanted to say something but chose to do otherwise.


    "So can you forgive him for not seeing you? Will you now be angry at him?" Lucia asked Leon, looking at him with worry in her eyes.


    "I won''t¡­ because he is my brother," Leon replied.


    "Even if you get stronger than him and anyone else in the future? You won''t take revenge over his actions?" Lucia asked once again.


    "How can I be stronger than anyone here, Young Highness¡­ I am just a low-level mage¡­" Leon shamefully lowered his head and answered embarrassedly.


    "In the future¡­ maybe you will¡­ if you work hard¡­ perhaps¡­" Lucia answered.


    "Well¡­" the young Leon thought for a moment. His brother''s mother was always so kind, so she might have been saying these things to cheer him up.


    Since the First Queen was also sad because his big brother was also not talking to her, Leon thought that he should reply to her politely, even if she knew that what she was telling about his power growing in the future was not really possible.


    "Then.. even if I be stronger in the future, I will not take revenge on my big brother Antoine and even my eldest brother!" Leon dered with his eyes full of innocence and determination.


    "For Father¡­ the Emperor told me that they are my brothers, they are my family."


    "He said, we cannot choose who our family would be¡­ so even if they do something bad towards me, I must take time to ask my heart to forgive them."


    "He said that a Seirende does not reject the bond of blood, so even if the Elder Brother and Big Brother are angry at me, I will not hurt them. Because I will be hurting my family!"


    ¨C


    Back at the present, Leon stood up and looked at them. With calm eyes and a steady tone he announced, "Then I shall try to check if I could do something about him¡­"


    Just as he was about to turn towards the exit, he heard Antoine''s voice saying,


    "I-i''ll go with you¡­"

 Chapter 326 Brothers Keeper (2)

    ?Everyone was frozen in silence as they heard Antoine volunteer himself to go with Leon.


    For it was not a secret that towards Leon, the First and the Second Prince were not on good terms with him, and yet Antoine initiated to go with him and visit.


    However, for the elders that had witnessed this scene, their hearts became d as they could finally see hope for the three princes to be peaceful with each other.


    "...Alright¡­" Leon''s expression did not change as Antoine looked at him in anticipation. Instead, he gestured that they immediately move to get to Kazimir''s bed-chamber.


    Outside the halls, there was an awkward and eerie silence as only their steady footsteps could be heard.


    Antoine wordlessly looked at Leon''s back, feeling a little lost.


    He also did not know why he volunteered to go, but his mouth just automatically opened and called Leon''s name, that was why he was now in this situation.


    Perhaps, it was because of the fact that Leon surprisingly suggested that he visit Kazimir. Something in Antoine''s mind hoped that in Leon''s heart, there was still a ce for him and Kazimir''s forgiveness over the years they neglected, ridiculed, and despised their youngest brother.


    However, it was always another thing to initiate the apology, especially if one knew how much he had hurt the other person.


    Antoine could not even find the right word to start a conversation with Leon for he had already spent two decades using his mouth in throwing contempt at Leon every moment possible.


    He was still struggling to think about how he would engage in a cordial conversation when Leon stopped and announced that they had arrived at Kazimir''s bed chambers.


    "Ah¡­ Your Highness, Second Prince, Third Prince¡­ Greetings¡­" Arielle was startled to see the two visit her husband. For even she knew how restrained the rtionship between the three was. "We are here to check on the First Prince''s condition¡­" Leon nodded and stated their concern straightforwardly.


    "Very well¡­" Arielle dutifully guided them inside to see Kazimir who was sitting on the bed with his eyes dazedly looking at the view outside the window. "Husband¡­ your brothers came to visit¡­"


    However, Kazimir did not react, not even blinking a little.


    "He has been like this ever since he regained consciousness¡­" Arielle softly mumbled, she could not hide the worry and anxiousness in her eyes as she saw how Kazimir was in the past few days.


    "Do not worry he will be fine¡­" Antoine gave sincere words offort before Arielle gave the three brothers some alone time in Kazimir''s room.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    The silence in the room was even heavier than the pressure they usually feel when they are under the people''s scrutiny. It was only the three of them¡­ siblings by blood but with a rtionship that was worse than that of a stranger.


    Antoine even thought that if not for the war, he would never imagine the three of them working together to defeat an enemy back then. But now that the war is over, reality has once again hit¡­ how will they confront each other?


    "...Kazimir¡­" Leon was the one who broke the silence. In actuality, he was not as tensed as Antoine as he had already been long used to their indifference.


    Antoine held his breath, as he was nervous and expectant at the same time as to what kind of words Leon would say to his estranged brother.


    For chances are¡­ those words will also be told to him when he talks with Leonter on.


    ''Will hemunicate the grievances he had towards us?''


    ''Will he gloat over our misfortune?''


    ''Will he boast about his undeniable strength?''


    Antoine could not help but subconsciously gulp in anticipation and suspense. He also prepared his heart and mind mentally for whatever words Leon would say.


    Because he knew that Leon had the right to do so.


    His brother never retaliated against all the wrongdoings he and Kazimir did to him over the years. In fact, Leon even saved him from imminent death.


    "When will youe back to work?" Contrary to what Antoine was anticipating, he was startled by the words that Leon said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Trying to make sure that he had heard it written, he looked at Leon''s expression only to see his youngest brother, raising his brows in impatience.


    These words also caught Kazimir''s attention. His crystal blue eyes were filled with confusion as he slowly turned his head towards where Leon was, unsure if he had heard something ridiculous.


    "The doctor said that you have already fully recovered, but somehow chose to stay here and coop yourself up. Are you trying to get away from the responsibility because the empire is in chaos?" Leon crossed his arms bearing a cold demeanor as reprimanded Kazimir.


    "Look here¡­ there''s the wounded in one area and the homeless in the other¡­ there are also security issues to take care of¡­ Father Emperor was already so old and yet he was still forced to look at the memoirs in his sick bed, and then there''s the two of you¡­" This time, Leon also looked at Antoine, who flinched guiltily.


    "You two seemed to have taken your sweet time hiding in your bed chambers to escape the mountain of work¡­" Leon usingly dered with his eyes as cold as snow. "Remember, there are three princes in the Seirende Imperial Family."


    "I-i am not¡­ running away from work¡­" Kazimir''s eyes flickered when he saw how stern Leon''s look was.


    He had a lot of words to say¡­ things about his failure as the prince of the Empire and also as a brother¡­ things about how his maternal family became the traitors of thend.


    Things about how he would face the people now that he was no longer a good prince but the son of a witch¡­


    He wanted to say that it was not the work that he was running away from¡­ but the humiliation and shame.


    "I-i also do not intend to do that¡­" Antoine answered with a bit of a panic. It was true that he had now recovered pretty well and could even visit his Father Emperor and Brother. Leon pointing out the fact that there were many things to fix at the Capital reminded him that he must not indulge in staying inside the bed for long.


    "Then when are you two going to starting back to work in the office?" Leon asked, still unconvinced with their exnations.


    "I¡­ can start right away¡­" Antoine awkwardly said, he was so taken aback by Leon''s uncanny approach towards the two of them that he was not even able to realize that it was already evening and he could only start tomorrow.


    "I will start tomorrow¡­" Kazimir was also feeling the same¡­ they did not know why, but perhaps because of Leon''s way of telling things, they were forced to set aside unnecessary thoughts and allowed their youngest to lead them by the nose.


    "Hmm¡­ good, then Father Emperor can rest assured." Leon finally stood up, patted his legs, and moved to exit the room. "I''ll see you two tomorrow.."


    Antoine was surprised as he thought, ''Wait that was it?''


    ''No confrontational words? Not even a single word of ming?''


    Antoine thought over and over about how Leon would confront the two of them, but he never expected that Leon would use them of running from work instead.


    "W-wait for me¡­" Antoine also hurriedly stood up and moved to catch up with Leon only to see him stop and turned to look at the two of them again.


    Out of nowhere, he threw a question to the bewildered two, "Do you know what was the very first lesson Father Emperor taught me when I was young?"


    The two did not reply and just looked at Leon in confusion.


    "He taught me who my family is¡­"


    "There''s him and then my biological mother¡­ the second queen¡­"


    "There''s also the two of you¡­ my brothers by blood¡­"


    "And so no matter what happened, he told me to never let go of the bond that I have, even if that connection was only bound by things as superficial as blood."


    "Because that makes me a Seirende¡­ by blood and by heart."


    "It was only then will I receive the blessings of the first victor, our inheritance¡­ which was far more valuable than the throne."


    The two listened quietly as their minds drifted over the fact that they too remembered this first lesson done by their Father Emperor. But somehow along the way, they had long forgotten about this thing and had long set aside the values of being an offspring of Seirende.


    "And so, the two of you need not think so hard¡­ No matter what happens, the same blood is running through our veins¡­ Why need to worry about other things? Aren''t we born to carry one family name, no matter who our maternal family was?"


    He looked at the two as if he was asking a question with an obvious answer.

 Chapter 327 Brothers Keeper (3)

    ?This time, Leon''s words were for Kazimir, whose main concern was the fact that he was part of the Ves family.


    "...but it doesn''t mean that it is wrong for you to grieve about the things that are in your mind¡­ What I am saying is¡­ even if these things happened and that your maternal family has fallen¡­ the circumstances will never define who you are¡­"


    "You will remain the kind of Prince you are to the people, especially if you take no heed to what others would think about you¡­"


    Leon looked at Kazimir and as he went on his way he left the words, "Trust me¡­ I have been living like that since seven¡­"


    Antoine and Kazimir were left speechless as they stared at the closed door where Leon was. The words that he left made them realize many things¡­


    One of them was that¡­ everything that they have been struggling with at the moment has been something that Leon lived with when he was sent to the borders.


    Antoine and Kazimir stared at each other¡­ each thinking something deep about themselves. Leon''s words were impactful because they came from him, who they knew had all be subject to the same struggle at a point in his life.


    As for the two of them¡­


    Kazimir was struggling now with how he would face the reality now that he was no longer someone of a prestigious lineage but a questionable one.


    Antoine is also yet to see for himself how he would ept the things that his mother told him back then. For now, he was just focused on recovering and worrying about how he would solve the regrets he had back then when he was about to die.


    The silence was suffocating between the two however, one thing was on their minds right now¡­ what Leon told earlier makes sense to them.


    "S-see you around¡­" Antoine left with no words to say, to which Kazimir answered with a nod.


    Minutes after, Arielle came back to Kazimir''s room, checking if he was feeling alright.


    "Husband¡­ do you want me to ask them to bring you dinner?" Arielle asked carefully as she was trying to figure out if Kazimir is now ready to interact with others.


    She did not know why, but seeing Leon enter to interact with her husband made her hopeful that he will be able to encourage Kazimir to do so.


    "Yes¡­ I want to have dinner¡­" Kazimir replied.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll inform the pce servants right away!" Arielle was teary-eyed when she heard Kazimir''s reply.


    She could not help but smile even more when Kazimir continued, "Also, I will be starting to go and join Leon and Antoine to take care of the Imperial matters tomorrow¡­ As for you and Monti, you can now rx and go back to our residence. The ce here will be chaotic as soon as the three of us get back to our post."


    "Alright¡­ Alright¡­ Are you sure you are already fine?" Arielle asked once more to which he replied with a determined nod.


    ¨C


    The morning came and everyone was still as busy as ever.


    However, the officials taking care of the matters suddenly went into amotion the moment they heard the news of the First and Second Princesing back to their posts.


    Leon finally entered the room, taking the lead, while Antoine and Kazimir were still yet to get used to the new environment they were in.


    "Greetings, Your Highnesses, First Prince, Second Prince, and Third Prince!" The noblemen and the pce officials greeted the three brothers in surprise.


    "Settle down¡­" Leonmanded them to which they obedientlyplied. Looking at their surprised and excited faces, he opened his mouth again to announce Kazimir and Antoine''seback.


    "As you all know, my brothers have been injured during the war and have been recovering in the past few days. But because of the great need to have someone to lead on the rebuilding of the Empire, they opted to cut their recovery periods ande back to help us in helping our Capital recover."


    "First Prince Kazimir and Second Prince Antoine will be joining us from this point forward!"


    The people in the meeting room burst into loud discussions, most of them were expressing their goodwill and relief that the two could already join the work and lead them.


    Kazimir and Antoine also addressed the rest of the men well.


    As the meeting went on, it was decided that Kazimir would be in charge of taking care of the people whose homes were destroyed by the intense war. He has been the kind of prince whose influence stretched far more than the other three. And so he was the best candidate to handle people rtions as they rebuild the ce.


    Antoine on the other hand will be in charge of guarding the traitors as well as investigating them. With his viridescent summoners, he would be the best candidate to ensure that the traitors are well guarded and justice will be served.


    Leon, on the other hand, was in charge of making sure that the security of the Empire was impable so that no enemy will have thoughts to take advantage of the fact that the Seirende Empire is unstable at the moment. He was also the one coordinating with the two attack troops in the east and west in order to ensure that there are no residual forces remaining within the Empire''s premises.


    As for the rebuilding, for some reason, the officials were really bewildered by the fact that suddenly there appeared numerous skilled men that helped rebuild the Empire voluntarily.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    None of them knew that these men were actually Roaming de members, working outside the spotlight to help Leon on his duties as he basically did everything until now.


    "With this, we are sure to be able to get back on our feet soon!" The officials eximed in relief.


    "We can do this, only if everyone here is on the same page. Our goal was to make the Capital recover its former glory¡­" Kazimir replied.


    "Yes indeed¡­" Antoine seconded.


    The men were shocked once again as they heard the two princes'' words. Back then, they were not someone who would explicitly announce to everyone their willingness to cooperate with their brothers, especially with Leon.


    But now¡­ they were not even casting Leon a contemptuous nce and they even listened to what he was saying. The men wondered how the three princes came to an agreement to temporarily truce.


    After the meeting, the officials gleefully exited the meeting room leaving the three brothers to face each other once again.


    "I have heard the news¡­ the forces from the East and West will eventually wrap up, take the arrested sinners and transport them to the capital for trial¡­" Kazimir blurted out to break the heavy and uneasy atmosphere between the three of them.


    "If that happens, Brother¡­ are you prepared to see what would eventually happen?" Leon asked him with a serious face.


    "Brother??"


    "Brother¡­"


    Antoine and Kazimir did not really expect that Leon would address one of them as such after all these years. As they have been starting to realize how cruel and undeserving they were to be even treated as elder brothers by Leon, they were not even sure if Leon''s way of approaching them brings them relief or more guilt.


    "Yes, brother," Leon repeated the same words in a tone where he was asking the two what was wrong with calling them, brother.


    "But back then we¡­" Antoine could not take it anymore and finally jumped on the cliff to confront his guilt.


    "We¡­ I treated you unfairly and cruelly.." He continued, "Out of nowhere I showed you contempt and never even exined to you why I suddenly did it¡­"


    Kazimir also opened his mouth and tantly told his wrongdoings, "I continually insulted you, and the Second Queen. I even openly gloated upon your misfortune and had constantly joined my mother in plotting against you¡­"


    "These are all sins that could not be forgiven¡­ so we do not understand why¡­ you are acting like these all never happened¡­" Kazimir furrowed his brows¡­ remembering the plots he did, he was convinced that Leon was not acting ording to logic.


    "I knew all those things you did¡­ And I will not deny that you both have hurt me deeper than what you think¡­ But¡­" Leon looked at them, these two brothers of his were someone who constantly made his life unbearable and dark, but he knew what was inside his heart as well.


    "I have been waiting for the two of you to change one day¡­"


    "Every day I prayed that you would once call me brother¡­"


    "Every night I prayed that you would at least show me that you are d that I went home safe after a dreadful mission outside¡­" As he was saying this¡­ Leon''s eyes reflected the pain and longing he had in his heart during those times.


    "And to tell you¡­ it was not as if I decided to let go of these hurts long ago¡­ in fact¡­ I only decided to do that during the time that we almost lost Brother Antoine¡­"


    "That moment, something had hit me¡­ what am I waiting for?"


    "An apology?"


    "Retribution?"


    "Reconciliation?"


    "I don''t know¡­ but all I am sure was¡­ I am not willing to wait until you two are no longer alive in order for me to free myself from the restraint that formed our rtionship!"


    "And thus forgiving you¡­


    Letting go of the grievance I suffered under your hands¡­


    Is for me to be free and a whole person!"


    A whole man, for my soon-to-be wife and my son!

 Chapter 328 Scrambling To Prepare

    ?Antoine and Kazimir were speechless over Leon''s words.


    It was slowly sinking down on them that this brother of theirs was built in a different way and that his thinking was far deeper than what they initially thought.


    It never crossed their minds that Leon would be the first one who would even initiate to free them from guilt over what happened in the past.


    It also never urred to them that he would be the one who would teach them such a valuable lesson.


    Years from now they would reminisce about this moment and would be filled with aplicated yet relieved expression on their hearts..


    ¨C


    With the First and the Second Prince joining the rebuilding, Leon was much freer than he was over the past few days.


    He was deeply relieved that he was able to convince the two to start working as his mind was still thinking about when they would get Little Han.


    In his office, he called Olivier, ze, and the rest of the des hurriedly.


    Thinking that there was an urgent matter regarding the welfare of the Empire, everyone who was vacant rushed to respond to his summons and waited for him tomunicate hismands.


    When they reached the assembly room, their faces turned cold and alert the moment they saw Leon, thinking deeply and seriously with his eyes focused on the long table and his arms sped so sternly.


    "Your Highness, Wielder of the des, we are here," ze announced calmly.


    Leon looked at them with a nod and gestured to them to sit down. His unchanging expression made the des certain that there must be something that really needs attention. And so they mentally prepared themselves in order to help Leon in thinking of ways to handle it.


    Besides, their Master really looked like he was in trouble.


    Finally, Leon ced his hands down on the long table calmly and looked at the des as if he was scanning the reaction on their faces.


    "All of you¡­" As he opened his mouth, the des straightened their backs and anticipated whatever he would announce over the group.


    "Do you have any idea how to celebrate a child''s birthday?" He looked at them intently, as if demanding sound and feasible questions¡­ on a group of men whose entire life was spent on the battlefield.


    "P-pardon¡­ Your Highness?" They asked carefully as they were actually unsure if they heard it right.


    "It''s my Little Han''s birthday tomorrow¡­ I know that a one-day preparation was not yet even enough to give my son a decent celebration¡­ but I would still want to carry out one, even if it was on a small scale.


    That''s my son''s birthday after all¡­" As Leon exined this, there was a trace of guilt in his heart.


    He and Eli were so busy that they were not even able to see Little Han for months now¡­ moreover, they have not even prepared anything for their son''s very first birthday.


    Besides, Little Han was actually royalty, but he was not yet recognized as an official family member due to certain circumstances.


    When the des saw this, they were also hit by an epiphany that their little master was now a year old!


    Just like Leon, they got so upied that this matter had slipped on their minds. Guiltily they started to discuss what kind of things they had to do in order for their Little Master to have a birthday party.


    "First things first¡­ where are we going to celebrate the Little Master''s birthday?" ze rubbed his chin in contemtion as he looked at everyone, deeply immersed in the matter.


    "Perhaps we can ask the Argentum if they can lend their banquet hall?" The others replied. For they all knew that celebrating it in the Capital would be inconvenient.


    "That''s a good idea too¡­"


    "I prefer to conduct it in the cottage¡­ it was the very first ce we met him¡­" Leonmented.


    "Then¡­ Your Highness, let us go to the Silver Dew forest and prepare a good outdoor location on the cottage! We can also ask for the Roaming des who were more knowledgeable than we were in things like this!"


    "Yes, your Highness! Please allow us to do so!"


    Leon thought about their suggestion for a brief moment before he gave a nod.


    Seeing his consent, the des became more lively and excited about preparing for Little Han''s birthday party.


    "Your Highness¡­ I will go to the main district and ask the lead baker on Lilibeth''s cafe to order a grand birthday cake for Little Master!" Olivier stood and bowed as he immediately ran outside to hunt for the baker.


    "Your Highness, I''ll contact the roaming des in Silver Town to organize a fireworks disy¡­" Neil and the rest of the des also stood up, all had their own ideas on their minds on how to make their Little Master''s first birthday a grand one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will create an invitation card immediately and distribute it to the guest list you and madame wanted to invite¡­" nc added.


    "We must prepare some gifts too¡­"


    "Yes¡­ indeed!"


    It was still midday, in fact, Leon had just finished meeting the officials during the morning session, and yet everyone in the Crimson des office started to get busy for Little Han''s birthday.


    Everyone mobilized fast as they prepared for Little Han''s birthday.


    On Eli''s side, she was feeling out of sorts because of the same reason. Looking at the files she had to review in the Research Branch, she sighed helplessly.


    She had not yet even nned when she would ask Leon to use the realm key and get Little Han back to the earthly realm.


    "Little Eli¡­ ah no¡­ Pdin¡­ I think you need not push yourself to get back to work immediately." Vice-Chairman Bramwell looked at the troubled Eli worriedly. As he was one of the few people who covered for Eli''s seclusion, he knew of the fact that Eli did not even have any kind of rest ever since the investigations happened.


    Eli looked at Bramwell, she shook her head and with a gentle smile, she replied, "Uncle Bramwell, please just call me as you used to¡­ I am really fine¡­ it is just that, tomorrow is Little Han''s birthday and yet I have not prepared anything for my son''s first birthday¡­"


    "Ah!!! How could we elders forget about that!!!" At Eli''s reminder, Bramwell stood from the sofa and almost spilled the tea he was holding.


    "Ahh! This is not good¡­ The circumstances in the institute and in the capital will not be an excuse for us Elders to set aside Little Han''s birthday!!" He dered passionately, then he looked at Eli and assured her.


    "Do not worry¡­ I''ll inform the elders immediately and let us handle the preparations!"


    "N-no need uncl¡ª" Eli was about to reject the offer when she suddenly received a call from Leon through themunication stone.


    "Eli¡­" As soon as Eli answered the call, Leon immediately spoke, "I had the des prepare the garden on our cottage for Little Han''s birthday¡­ Do you have anything in mind that I would have to have them do for tomorrow?"


    Eli was taken aback¡­ It turns out that Leon was already working on her worries even as they were busy and apart. A warm feeling rose in her heart as she felt the sweet sensation of being supported by Leon.


    "Ehermmm¡­" As Eli was left in a daze, it was Bramwell who answered, "Your Highness Third Prince¡­ This is Bramwell, please do say what are your ns for tomorrow¡­ I''ll be the one to represent the elders for Little Han''s birthday¡­"


    "I am greatly honored by your grace vice-chairman!" On the other side of the call, Leon''s relieved and grateful voice sounded as he heard Bramwell''s proposal.


    And so like a whirlwind, the two conversed about what would happen tomorrow, leaving Eli unable to even talk for herself.


    She realized that Leon was also as excited as she was, but she could not beat Leon in terms of being this decisive.


    Their nning onlysted for less than an hour before Bramwell hurriedly went out to inform the Faraulds and the Forgeworns of the event.


    To Eli, she felt like she was taken by a whirlwind by the two men who did not even talk face to face.


    On the two sides of the Empire, Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben noticed that there was a calling from the capital.


    "Bramwell¡­" They simultaneously answered as they were called by Bramwell at the same time.


    "Great Masters, when are you ever going home after your work there? Our Little Han will be a year old tomorrow!" Bramwell asked with a hint of panic.


    "Wait.. WHAT?!"


    "Why did none of you tell me that my great-grandson will be turning a year old?!"


    "Ahh, this can''t be¡­ I must rush to the Capital AT THIS MOMENT!"


    The two great masters immediately started amotion as they heard about the matter.


    Bramwell on the other hand carefully continued, "Erm¡­ if you want to go back, I suggest you have to spend all your precious mana stones for teleportation¡­ for Little Han''s celebration will be held in the cottage on the Silver Dew Forest ¡­"


    "..."


    "..."


    The two grandmasters paused for a little while before they unanimously answered,


    "Who cares about mana stones when it''s our Little Han''s Birthday?!"

 Chapter 329 Little Hans Birthday (1)

    ?The preparation for Little Han''s birthday party was in full swing after everything was settled.


    "Ahh¡­ can I sneak out and take a look at what was already happening in the council?" Emperor Valentin pleaded with Queen Teh to allow him toe back to work.


    But Queen Teh shook her head and strictly reminded him that he had to recover from his injuries. "The three princes were already representing your side while you do your best to recover¡­ besides with your hands that are yet to regain strength, you cannot even carry a pen anyway¡­"


    "Too bad¡­" Although Emperor Valentin still wanted to protest, he knew that his condition would also not be able to stand the taxing work to rebuild the empire.


    "Well, I have no choice but toe back as soon as I regain my best condition¡­" He mumbled in disappointment and let out a sigh.


    Suddenly a knock came from the door and the aide''s announcement followed, "Your Majesty, General Farauld would like to seek an audience!"


    Queen Teh and Emperor Valentin looked at each other as if they were actually not expecting General Farauld to visit him when he was still recovering.


    "Let him in." Curious as to what reason his friend wasing, he ordered the aide to allow General Farauld in.


    Then the old couple saw General Farauld, whose arms were still bandaged heavily because his arms were covered in the cast, and his other hand holding the walking stick because of his injured leg.


    "Yo, old man! You''re still rolling in your bed?" General Farauld''s rowdy voice woke up the atmosphere of Emperor Valentin''s room, making the other party a little bit embarrassed.


    "Errm.. as you can see¡­ I am still not in the right condition to get up¡­" Emperor Valentin answered him back in an informal manner. They were like a pair of teenage boys annoying each other.


    General Farauld looked at Emperor Valentin''s body which was still sitting on his majestic bed, from head to toe. He raised his brows and said, "I don''t see what''s not right in your condition?"


    He raised the arm which was coated with a cast and shrugged. "Very well¡­ then I''d leave you here and meet my grandson Little Han! He turned one year old today¡­ Too bad¡­ his other grandpa was too sick to attend his birthday party~~"


    General Farauld did not wait for Emperor Valentin to react and quickly exited the room. The two were left in a daze and surprised by General Farauld''s announcement


    "What kind of Grandpa am I? I cannot go just because of these injuries?" He asked Queen Teh


    But without even waiting for her reply, Emperor Valentin called his aide andmanded, "Dress me nicely I want to take a walk¡­ to the Sun Hall!"


    Queen Teh could only helplessly shake her head as Emperor Valentin ignored his condition to go to Little Han''s birthday party.


    In her heart, she would just make sure that Emperor Valentin gets all the care he needs as they go. Besides, she couldn''t miss her grandson''s very first birthday!


    Meanwhile Grandmasters Ben and Andi rushed to get back to the Silver Dew Forest to be able to celebrate Little Han''s birthday.


    "It''s lively here as always¡­" Theymented as they reached the cottage spending almost all their mana stones to get just in time for Little Han''s birthday.


    "Ahh¡­ Grandpas! Howe you are here?" Eli was filled with surprise as she knew that the grandpas had been cleaning up the East and West territories far away from the secluded Silver Dew Forest.


    She paused her task of creating some decorations and stood to give the two grandpas an affectionate hug. She did not expect that Uncle Bramwell would really do what he had said to inform the elders of the family about Little Han''s birthday.


    "Of course, we would! How can we miss our great grandson''s birthday?!" Grandpa Andi heartilyughed as he smiled dotingly upon seeing Eli act like a real granddaughter of the family.


    "Yes indeed! We cannot possibly be left out while our Little Han bes a year old!" Grandpa Ben added, equally delightful to see Eli doing well and good. Patting her head gently he asked, "I heard that you really did a good job in the fight with the enemies¡­ We are so proud of you, our Eli!"


    "That¡­ it''s all because of the people who helped in the heavens who gave me strength¡­" Eli humbly replied, recognizing that the victory was not only attributable to her but to everyone who had a hand in the war.


    "Good Good! Keeping up the good work while walking with humility¡­ That''s exactly Farauld''s way of doing things!" Grandpa Ben heartily praised Eli.


    "That''s the way we, Forgeworns, approach life too!" Grandpa Andipetitively reminded Grandpa Ben too.


    As the two elders were about to start fighting, Eli let out a soft chuckle as he guided the grandpas on the couch and had Baobao serve tea.


    "Grandpas don''t quarrel¡­ aren''t you the ones who guided me until I was able to go out in society? It''s all because of both families! By the way¡­ why don''t you two have some tea, I bet jumping from the far side of the Empire was a little bit tiresome¡­"


    After some time, she allowed the Grandpas to chill as the party set-up turned livelier than ever.


    Leon walked into the room, not forgetting to greet the two grandpas with respect and exchange a few pleasantries, he proceeded to bow and looked at the two grandmasters with gratitude.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    If not for them, the war might be moreplicated than ever.


    "Ah¡­ no big deal¡­ by the way¡­ where is our Little Han?" Grandpa Andi waved nonchntly before his eyes turned lively again at the mention of his great-grandson.


    "Oh¡­ I was about to pick Eli up so that we can go straight to the ce where Little Han was currently nursed at the moment." Although his answer was vague when it came to Little Han''s whereabouts, Leon still used a calm and respectful tone towards the elders.


    "I see¡­ I see¡­ Then off you go, you youngsters,e back here and let me see my little one. Besides, people are already starting toe¡­ you guys need to get back here on time¡­" They replied, not wanting to push for more details.


    After excusing themselves, Eli and Leon went to the bedroom and took out the key to the dimensional realm.


    "Are you ready?" Before activating the key, Leon looked at Eli, checking if she was feeling fine.


    "Yes... I could not wait any longer¡­ to see our Little Han¡­" Eli replied with determination in her voice.


    Holding Eli''s hands, Leon activated the key, "Then here we go¡­"


    In an instant, the wooden walls of the cottage brightened with multiple colors. Speckles of light conjured in front of them to form a gateway.


    Eli and Leon looked at each other, they are now about to enter the guardian''s realm. Suddenly, a wave of nervousness and guilt rose in their hearts¡­


    ''Would Little Han recognize them?''


    ''Does he still know that we are his mom and dad?''


    What if he forgets about us?''


    They thought in their minds as both of them subconsciously tightened the grip of their hands holding each other.


    Stepping into the gateway filled with multiple colors of light, Eli and Leon felt like they were suddenly drowned in the brightness of the light around them. Continuing to walk into the portal, their eyes slowly adjusted to the environment and started to figure out their surroundings.


    They did not know when, but suddenly, the two of them were already transported into a mystic kind of forest with trees not only filled with green but golden yellow.


    Peace and serenity described the ambiance of the surroundings as their eyes darted with marvel. Suddenly, Eli saw a familiar flower bed ahead of them.


    ''Ah¡­ this is where I first gained consciousness after I was sent to Prasinos¡­'' this time she was sure that they were really in the guardian''s realm.


    Eli and Leon continued walking and finally saw where the guardians were staying at the moment, their eyes widened in surprise.


    The entire surroundings were designed for little children like Little Han, and everything Eli could see was all modern items parents use for caring for their children.


    "Ah¡­ you two finally visited!" The guardians looked at the two, with Little Han sitting quietly in the middle.


    As soon as Eli and Leon met Little Han''s gaze, their eyes went red and hot because of the longing they were now releasing the moment.


    Their son whom they missed each day was now here in front of them.


    "Little Han, our son¡­ Mommy and Daddy are here¡­"


    "..." Little Han did not react for a few seconds and everybody''s thoughts were filled with shock and worry, including the guardians¡­


    ''Could it be that Little Han forgot his parents?'' They thought nervously.


    But the next second, Little Han suddenly moved from his sitting position, lifting his tiny little bum and using his legs and arms to support his body weight¡­


    Little Han for the very first time stood up as he looked at his parents.


    He reached his hands forward and tried to take slow, unstable steps while mumbling with his eyes filled with sparkle,


    "Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­"

 Chapter 330 Little Hans Birthday (2)

    ?"Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­"


    It is as if time has stopped Eli and Leon saw Little Han for the first time. Even the guardians remained silent as they watched Little Han do his best to walk slowly toward his parents.


    "Ah¡­ my baby¡­e here¡­" Eli reached out her hands as her eyes were already warming up with tears. Her hands were also trembling from the very first sight of her son who could now walk on the very first steps.


    Thud!


    After two or three steps, Little Han fell on the carpeted floor, making everyone feel nervous. Eli was about to move towards Little Han which would actually be just a few steps for her.


    But Leon held her back, as he pointed to Little Han who was now doing the same thing earlier, lifting up his cute body to stand and walk again.


    "You can do it, my little godson!"


    "Yes, you can!"


    "Come here Little Buddy¡­ a few more steps¡­ Daddy and Mommy are waiting¡­"


    Slowly, Leon and the guardians encourage Little Han to take a few more steps until he reaches Eli.


    "Aye¡­. Mommi¡­ Daddiii!" Little Han blinked twitch as he grinned with his baby teeth, looking at his parents excitedly.


    Even after falling a few times, Little Han did not show any kind of disappointment, instead, he giggled and looked at his godparents and his mom and dad while getting up again.


    The adults giggled with him and continually cheered him even more.


    Five steps more¡­ four¡­ two¡­ then thest step.


    "Jihee hee~ Mommi!!!" Little Han paused after taking thest step and then he lifted up his chubby little hands and asked Eli to carry him.


    Eli could not find the words to say, but her teary and proud expression said it all. With open arms and a heart full of longing, she hugged Eli and kissed him warmly.


    "Good¡­ job¡­ such a good job¡­" She mumbled in between her tears of joy.


    "Awummmm¡­" Little Han buried his head to Eli''s neck as if he had been looking for his mommy''s warmth all this time.


    And then, with his head resting on his mommy''s shoulders, Little Han tilted his head and looked beside him, his daddy was watching them with eyes full of contentment and happiness.


    Little Han stretched his hand out and shook it like he was waving to Leon, "Daddi~~~"


    "Hello¡­ son¡­ you did well¡­" Leon patted Little Han''s head and kissed him dearly.


    "Great guardians, I could not thank you enough for your favor! Your love and care for my son, I could not think of any way topensate for it¡­" Leon then looked at the five guardians who were smiling at them with happiness as they saw the little family reunite.


    "No biggie! No Biggie!!! In fact, having Little Han stay with us was the best moment ever¡­" Sylvainzily waved his beautiful hands as he replied nonchntly.


    "Yes¡­ the realm became livelier with him around¡­" Ignis followed with his serious face.


    "Too bad¡­ baby¡­ can''t stay¡­" Amihan softly mumbled.


    "It''s all thanks to you though¡­ We also get to see Little Han''s first steps!" Celeste alsomented.


    "As for me, I can always go down and visit my awesome godson!! Of course when I am free~" Zale pumped his chest proudly as he looked at Little Han, who in reply, sat straight from his mommy''s embrace then cutely immediate what Zale had just done.


    "Hmm.. Hmm!!" Little Han said with his face trying to look serious and determined.


    Everybody chuckled when they saw his gesture.


    "Before you leave, take these things with you¡­ I am sure you will be able to use it for Little Han¡­ and for another baby in the future~~" Celeste waved her hand and instantly the baby things around them disappeared and a cute space pouch appeared.


    "Th-thank you for your grace, Great Guardian Celeste¡­" Eli became flustered at Celeste''s Little tease. Leon on the other hand flinched as he looked away in awkwardness too.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ohh¡­ don''t forget about this little guy¡­" Zale then waved his hands and a blob of water hovered midair. Inside it was the book of knowledge, which was surprisingly looking fine even if it looked like it was soaked in the water.


    "Wisey might wake up sooner than expected¡­ but the book''s functionality remained the same. She had replenished enough spiritual energy in the realm so it is alright for you to take her back. You just wait for her to ''hatch'' again¡­" Zale exined thoroughly.


    "Thank you so much¡­" Eli did not spare every word of thanks to the guardians for all the help she got from them. The guardians also smiled as they epted her thanks.


    Leon stepped forward and took all the things as Eli''s hands were full carrying Little Han. Then he looked at the guardian and told them about the birthday party they will be holding for Little Han.


    Although the guardians looked like they really would want to go, they shook their heads and told them to pass, of course, they told the couple that they also got Little Han a gift. It was a royal blue gem ne that fits perfectly on Little Han''s neck.


    "Have him wear it every time, this contains blessings from the three of us, and do not worry about its size¡­ it would grow with Little Han as well," Ignis exined the nature of the gift to Eli and Leon.


    "By the way Leon, may I have a word for just a moment?" Sylvain and Celeste looked at Leon.


    Exchanging looks with each other, Leon nodded and left Eli to bond with Little Han for a while as the guardian''s exited for a moment to talk to Leon.


    Eli wondered what they talked about, but she thought that it was probably some matters regarding the Empire.


    Sitting on afortable chair that magically appeared around her, Eli sat and took Little Han on herp.


    "My Little One¡­ mommy missed you so much¡­" Eli started to converse with Little Han like a mother who finally saw her child whom she deeply longed for.


    Little Han mumbled and talked some gibberish and little words to respond to his mommy like he was also trying tomunicate all that he had experienced in the realm.


    "Aye!!" As they converse, Little Han seemed to have remembered something and pulled out his own little space bag. Then reached into the bag and took out a piece of soft cookies baked by his Godma Celeste.


    "Yummmyy¡­ yummyyyy¡­" Little Han looked at Eli with his bright crystal blue eyes and offered her the cookie. To prove that it was yummy, he even pinched a little bit of it and wore a delighted expression.


    "Is it? Then mommy will try¡­" Eli let out a light chuckle as she took a bite of the cookie, it was indeed sweet, with a texture that was a little softer than the normal chewy cookies, perfect for kids like Little Han. "Umm! Baby is right! It was really yummy!"


    "Yeyyyy!" Little Han was so ted that Eli liked the food he wanted to share with him. Soon the realm was full of giggles and lighthearted chuckles from the mother and son.


    After some time, Leon and the rest came back and the little family was now ready to go.


    Saying their thanks and goodbye, the three stood in front of the portal. However, just as they were about to step. Little Han suddenly wiggled and leaned in the direction of the guardian.


    Startled, Eli and Leon paused to figure out what Little Han would do.


    Little Han kept leaning forward while looking down. Making Eli think that Little Han wanted to walk again. She cast a look towards Leon asking if it was okay, then Eli allowed Little Han to stand on the ground.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground, Little Han tried his best to walk slowly toward the five guardians who did their best to take care of him even though they were full of responsibilities as a guardian too.


    The guardians could not help but gasp in surprise and warmth as they saw Little Haning toward them while mumbling, "Tayku¡­ gobma¡­gobpa¡­ Taykuu~~"


    If guardians could cry¡­ they might be crying right now. But their emotions were about to burst with happiness as they saw their little godson walking towards them as he called them out so sweetly.


    Then a moment shed back at them, in the same ce, Eli asked if the three of them would like to be Little Han''s godparents.


    The moment they heard Eli''s offer, they imagined themselves carrying a cute little baby, the baby growing to be able to walk towards them and call them ''godma/godpa!'' with a cute childish voice.


    Ever since Little Han stayed in the Guardian''s Realm, everything that they imagined happening to them by being Little Han''s godparents came through.


    Especially this moment.


    The moment Little Han walked towards them and called them godma and godpa so dearly.


    All of them thanked the heavens that they said yes to Eli''s offer back then, for if not¡­ they would never feel this full and happy!

 Chapter 331 Little Hans Birthday (3)

    ?After such a heartwarming farewell, Eli, Leon, and Little Han finally stepped into the portal and came back to the earthly realm.


    When they reached the end of the portal, Little Han was brought back to the familiar wooden bedroom where he used to sleep with his mommy and daddy.


    "Kyaaa!!" Little Han squealed in excitement as he saw a familiar ce.


    "Did you miss our home, my baby?" Eli leaned closer to Little Han''s face, her nose tenderly rubbing his cute little nose as well.


    "Jiheeeheee¡­" Little Han seemed to like his mommy''s warmth as he giggled and touched his mommy''s cheeks with his chubby hands.


    Seeing the two happy, Leon could not help but smile. However, the afternoon was already set with the activities they have prepared for Little Han''s birthday.


    And so Leon patted Eli''s back and brushed Little Han''s head while saying, "I''ll go and check if everyone is ready."


    "Oh¡­" Eli was startled and had only remembered that the party was still yet to be started, "I''ll dress Little Han and wait for you¡­" She replied.


    "Alright¡­" Leon exited the room, checking if everyone was ready and that there was no problem with the preparation.


    When he stepped out of the room, he was overwhelmed by the bustle of the people around.


    Rosea and the five of the des were busy getting the food out in the garden where they prepared the ce for Little Han''s birthday.


    The others joined the Roaming des to decorate the ce. The golden yellownterns hung all around the garden and on the nearby trees to ensure that the surroundings are well lit.


    And because it was not an aristocratic banquet but rather a party meant for kids, there were low tables and pic mats with cushions for sitting.


    Every mat was of pastel colors, light blue, green, violet, and pink with an ent of white. Upon the first look, it could be said that the pce would be perfectly appealing to children instead of the esteemed aristocratic adults.


    But the elders around do not care, in fact, they all convened in one ce drinking their tea leisurely while they watched their grandchildren run around as they enjoyed the ce that turned into a candynd.


    "Oh, Leon! You''re finally here! Where''s my big boy?" When General Farauld saw Leoning out of the cottage, he immediately called his attention and asked for Little Han''s whereabouts.


    Leon was actually surprised when he saw not only General Farauld but his Father. "Greetings, Teacher, Father Emperor¡­"


    It was a little bit odd to see two old men sitting on a kiddie table with their bodies covered in casts and bandages. But still, their eyes were filled with delight and excitement because their grandson was now turning a year old.


    "They''ll be ready in a minute¡­ Are you sure you are alright to stay in this seat, I can arrange for a much morefortable seat for you and the elders¡­" Leon replied, not forgetting to ask if they are really fine in that condition.


    "Ah.. no worries¡­ Everything is well and good, do not mind us, and just ensure that your son is happy on his birthday!" Emperor Valentin waved his hand in an act to shoo away Leon so that he could go to Eli and Little Han.


    Leon was helpless over the two men, and so he just went around and ensured that every guest was alright and well before going back to the mother and son to check if they were all good.


    When he went back to the room, Eli and Little Han were already dressed in a matching attire of white and an ent of royal blue.


    "You''re here¡­e and change¡­ We''ll wear matching clothes¡­" Eli turned to look at Leon before she walked towards him and handed over his attire which also had the same color theme as his son and soon-to-be wife.


    "Everyone is ready¡­ we can go out any time¡­" Leon nodded as he rushed into the bathroom to change quickly.


    Not long after, the little family of three was done with their preparations and was now ready to go and meet the guest.


    Rosea came out and informed everyone of the trio''s entrance. The bustle around came to a stop, and all eyes darted to the cottage door that was also decorated with pastel-colored ornaments to match the theme of the party.


    The moment the door opened everyone stood up, Estelle Benson and the rest of the children had a basket of petals and threw it towards the little family as they all shouted, "Happy First Birthday Little Han!!!"


    "Keeeeeeee!" Little Han''s eyes shined brightly when he saw the surroundings outside. Although he may not know what happened to the garden he used to y with, the colors and the decorations were enough to make him feel delighted.


    Then he giggled and waved at everyone whom he was familiar with.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Little Han, do you want to try what you did earlier? Show it to your Grandmas and Grandpas?" Leon leaned closer to coax Little Han to try to walk over a few steps in order to also let everyone know that he had grown so well.


    "Aye!!!" Little Han nodded with understanding as he turned to his mom, with eyes trying to say that he wanted to be let down on the carpeted walkway.


    "Sure my little one¡­ although don''t push yourself too much ok? We will hold your hands¡­" Eli slowly let him down, she was still a bit worried if letting him walk this often would be good for his bones when he just literally walked the first time earlier.


    "Awumm!" Little Han responded with a mumble as Eli let his feet down gently so that he won''t have to struggle to stand up from the sitting position. Then he looked up to his mom and dad, with the other two holding each of his hands as he took the first step.


    Everyone was curious as to why the couple paused and what they wanted to do with Little Han, but soon they figured everything out when Little Han started to walk alongside his mom and dad.


    "Oh heavens!" Grandma Myrna and Grandma Brygid were so ted with the surprise Little Han gave to them.


    "Ahh... Nathan! When are you getting a wife!! Come give me more cute grandchildren like our Little Han!" Dame Aqu was teary when she saw Little Han. She did not forget to tap her son and demand him to finally bring her a daughter-inw and another grandchild.


    "Ahhh, how lovely it is to have Little Han as my grandchild!" Queen Teh could also not help but cry because she was deeply moved by this moment.


    "Hey, old Ben¡­ Why is there¡­ a lot of dust here¡­ It''s making my ears itchy¡­" Grandpa Andvari looked away and rubbed his red eyes, but the sniffles in between his words were not able to disguise his crying.


    "You''re right old Andi, I also think that I suddenly caught a cold¡­ I dunno why it suddenly turned like this¡­" Grandpa Ben was also in the exact same state.


    The two grandmasters could not help but tear up at the sight of Eli, Leon, and Little Han walking together like a blessed family. While it''s true that they had no blood rtions with the three, they could not help but remember their old friend Idelfonso.


    ''Ah¡­ old friend, wherever you are in heaven¡­ you may rest in peace¡­ for the grandson who you worried so much about was now smiling happily as you deeply wished¡­'' The two said in their hearts as they looked at Leon who was obviously happy even while wearing his ever-calm face.


    "Ohhh¡­ look at our Little Master! Isn''t he so amazing!!!"


    "Wahhhh! I am so happy for our Madame!"


    "I am happy for our Master too!!"


    The Crimson and Roaming des proudly watched as they saw the scene. They could not help but also feel warm and happy for the three, especially for Leon and Eli who worked so hard for the Empire to be safe.


    The rest of the people also shared this happy and magical moment. Every one of them sighed in their hearts as they thanked the heavens because, after the dangerous war, the little family finally managed to reunite just in time for Little Han''s birthday.


    For everyone in the party was those who were able to see how these three struggled to make their unconventional family work. Beyond their identities, their backgrounds, and circumstances, they held back their longing for each other and chose to be apart to protect not only Little Han but the entire Empire.


    The party finally started when Little Han and the couple reached the tables.


    Lively music kicked in and everyone stood up and sang the happy birthday song for Little Han.


    Estelle, Benson, and the kids also came one by one to hug Little Han and greet him with a Happy Birthday.


    The party was simple yet it was lively. Eli made sure that the party was closer to how they do birthday parties in the modern world as she knew that the aristocratic parties in this world were socially taxing.


    Nevertheless, everyone felt refreshed and greatly enjoyed this new kind of celebration. Especially when the fireworks were finally set off.


    Watching above the explosion of bright colors in the sky, Little Han snuggled into his mommy''s embrace, while he also held Leon''s fingers.


    He looked up to the two of them and mumbled,


    "Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­ Tayku¡­"


    "Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­ Johann¡­ love¡­"

 Chapter 332 Family Routine

    ?It''s been a month since the celebration and the rebuilding of the Capital.


    The skies are now as bright as they should be and the atmosphere is now even more lively than before.


    The biggest blessing that happened during the war was the rise of the Three Great Princes of the Seriende Empire.


    The First Prince Kazimir, although his maternal family was the main culprit in the matter, chose to protect the people and be the frontline in the fight against his own mother.


    Now, no one in the Empire thought of him as a son of the traitor, but as a full-pledged prince who stood on the side of justice and righteousness, even if the other side was his very own flesh and blood.


    Moreover, most of the people witnessed how he nearly died trying to resist the power of the curse that was forcefully injected at him. Everyone thought that they would truly lose a prince of the Empire, if not for the Pdin descending from the heavens, bringing healing to him and to thend.


    The Second Prince Antoine, once whom the Empire thought was dead but was secretly saved by the Third Prince and The Great Doctor.


    His act of sacrificing himself to save his older brother and the rest of the toon has earned him a reputation of being a selfless prince whose mind is set on the safety of the people.


    To add to that, when he miraculously came back, everyone was deeply surprised because his strength was nowparable with a peak level A ss summoner, just one step closer to being an S Level mage.


    Speaking of S-ss, who would have known that the biggest surprise of them all was the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, Leon!


    Who would have known that the supposedly trashy third prince was actually a legendary open path and a formidable S-level mage! Every person in the capital would never forget how he casually summoned the spatial spirit, King!


    The Spatial Spirit King!


    That was a feat that Prasinon would never imagine achieving!


    Contracting the ruler of the spatial realm would mean that you could also control the teleportation void which everyone could only ess by setting up aplicated array and countless amounts of spirit stones.


    The renown of the three Princes started to spread out to the nearby kingdoms and territories. And so some of them showed interest in having a good rtionship with either of the three for they were sure to gain benefits by being close to them.


    Everyone was now waiting for the Seirende Empire to once again open its doors to diplomatic rtionships, especially the women.


    Too bad, the first two princes were already married and Seirende royalties aren''t really keen on taking multiple spouses with the exception of the current Emperor.


    And so the hope was now put towards the chance to get closer to the Third Prince, the strongest and most formidable one!


    Even the nobledies in the capital had also seen this opportunity and have now started to try to make ways to get acquainted with the Third Prince.


    But who would have known?!


    Even as his renown was known, Third Prince Leon maintained his seclusive routine by just attending to the matters in the main pce, or to the Crimson de Barracks and then to his home estate. He would never be seen attending social gatherings unless it was an official assignment ordained by the Emperor himself.


    Thedies and even the hoping noble families were actually frustrated about this matter. It seems like they had to work harder to catch the prince''s attention!


    Unbeknownst to them, the most anticipated prince of the Capital was actually maintaining a faithful routine of a family man. After work, he would ensure that he would get home early to see his son and wait for his soon-to-be-wife to finish her job in the institute.


    "Daddi!!!" Little Han stood from his plushie yground and peeked over the picket fence. Excited to see his dad going home, he jumped excitedly calling out to Leon with a wide grin.


    "Did you have fun today Little Buddy?" Leon immediately went to him and carried him in his arms.


    "Aye!!!" Little Han responded excitedly.


    "Wee home Prince Master!" Baobao was the one who looked after Little Han along with Rosea.


    These days, Eli and Leon decided not to bother the elders as they were also busy with the matters of the capital and so they asked the five knights, Baobao and Rosea to look after Little Han.


    As for him and Eli, they made their schedules work that Eli would be the one to take care of Little Han''s needs during the morning then she would go to the institute during the midday after making Little Han take his meals.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon would then be the one who would look after him as he clocked out of work during early afternoons. As for the nap times, that was when Rosea and the rest would have to look after Little Han.


    Leon and Eli felt somehow relieved that this current setup would work for the two of them. In fact, they realized many things now that they were trying to work out their family on their own, on top of their respective duties to the Empire.


    But the couple weed this kind of change to the family as they were both looking forward to bing a real one in the eyes of the heavens.


    "Now let''s go to the kitchen and start preparing the food¡­ Your mommy likes to eat right after work so we have to get ready by that time¡­" Leon told Little Han as the two went to the kitchen.


    "Yay!!!" Little Han excitedly shouted because it was his favorite part of the afternoon!


    The father and son would often go to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. Leon would always make sure that Little Han would have something to work on even if it was just peeling some freshly harvested parsley for garnish. This activity had be their habit for the past month.


    "Ok¡­ for today, Baobao had grown some cherry tomatoes, can you help Baobao harvest the little fruits??" After Leon let Little Han sit on a high chair, he had Baobao bring two flourishing pots of tomato nts. He ced it near Little Han and beside him was a wooden bowl where he could ce the cherry tomatoes.


    "Yesh!!!" Little Han blinked and his eyes twinkled with interest when he saw the pot of cherry tomato nt. There was anticipation and curiosity in his eyes, but before he touched, he looked at Leon asking if he had any more instructions.


    Leon smiled at his son''s adorable appearance and pointed at the cherry tomatoes that were now red-orange. "This color is red-orange¡­ if the cherry tomato looked like this, then it was now ripe for us to eat today. So you should only get these ones and not the green or lighter ones.


    He plucked the glistening cherry tomato and let Little Han touch it for inspection. Then he looked at his father and pointed to another one who had the same color as the one Leon gave, "..matoe?"


    "Yes¡­ you got it right!" Leon praised him for getting the color right.


    "Jiheeheee¡­" Little Han giggled as he plucked the cute tomato and put it in his bowl. Now two cherry tomatoes were rolling on his wooden ball as he showed it to Leon proudly.


    "Keep it up! Now you and Baobao have one bowl each to fill, alright?" Leon brushed Little Han''s head tenderly and pulled the apron near the counter to start his cooking.


    "Aye!!!" Little Han responded happily as he started to lift his hands to carefully pick the tomatoes just like how Baobao was doing it.


    He would asionally look at Baobao to be sure that he was doing everything right, and so he was able to pluck the cherry tomatoes sessfully without destroying the little nt.


    "Yay!!!!" Soon enough Little Han finished filling his wooden bowl with tomatoes and so was Baobao.


    "Good Job!" Leon praised the two as he had also finished braising the beef in the pot and of course, the rice, which Eli really loves.


    "Now let''s set this aside forter¡­ this will be mixed with the sd¡­" Leon then took the nts away and cleaned the tomatoes. Then he also carried Little Han to the kitchen sink and washed his hands.


    "Hmmm, I smell lovely beef and luscious rice!!!"


    Suddenly, an excited and beautiful voice rang from the kitchen door, surprising the trio.


    "Mommi!!!!" Little Han raised his hands excitedly, but because he was in the middle of washing his hands, his actions made Leon a bit wet with the ssh.


    "Oh!" Leon and Eli were a bit startled however, what came after was a light chuckle.


    "I''m home my loves!!" Eli smilingly went over to the kitchen sink and kissed Little Han''s cheeks.


    Leon was a bit down when Eli kissed Little Han like it was nothing, especially when she kept on interacting with his son as if he was on the air.


    Just as he was about to harumph to indicate his sulkiness, he felt a damp soft kissnding on his cheeks. Eli had suddenly kissed him and his body jolted stiff as he was not even ready for the kiss that wasnded on him.


    "Ah¡­" Caught off guard, he could only let out a startled sound.


    But then he received another kiss on the other side of his cheeks, but this time it was Little Han who did so, "Jiheeeheeee!"

 Chapter 333 Giggles And Kisses

    ?Leon''s heart warmed up even though his entire face was now damp with sshes of water and kisses from Little Han and Eli.


    Letting out a helpless chuckle, he also reciprocated their kisses as they filled the room with their giggles and peals ofughter.


    Baobao looked at the blissful family and smiled with contentment while his paws worked on harvesting the rest of the ingredients of the dinner for today.


    As he did this he looked at the golden scenery outside the window¡­ His dark round eyes were filled with deep thoughts as he started to drift his thoughts away.


    ''Hey¡­ Wisey buddy¡­ the house was now returning to how it was before¡­ and it was even more lively¡­''


    ''The only missing thing was you¡­''


    ''Buddy¡­ When will you wake up? Let''splete this family soon¡­''


    After the Little bonding, Eli soon joined the trio in preparing the dishes before calling out everyone to partake in another peaceful and hearty meal.


    After the dinner, it was now a routine for the entire household to stay in the living room to listen to Eli''s music.


    Back when Little Han was just in Eli''s womb, the typical nightly music was theplex piano repertoires from renownedposers like Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Liszt, Beethoven, Chopin, and so on.


    But now, since Little Han started to be active in interacting with people, the music in the cottage became famous catchy tunes with melodies that would be appealing to children.


    Leon and the rest were thinking that this was just some kind of happy tunes Eli heard from the streets of the capital.


    However, only Eli knew that the pieces she was ying were the famous kiddie and nursery rhymes in the modern world.


    "Twinkle¡­ twinkle¡­ little star¡­ how I wonder what you are¡­" Eli''s voice rang sweetly in the cool peaceful night. Her voice brought warmth to every ear that heard her music and singing.


    "Winkle¡­ winkle¡­ stah¡­ wow wow¡­. yuu¡­ahh!!!" Little Han was singing along as well.


    He even walked beside his Mommy''s piano stool and jumped excitedly while asking Eli to y and sing the tune again.


    "Ahahaha¡­" Leon and the rest of the household could not help but delightfully chuckle when they saw how excited and happy Little Han was when he saw his mommy y music.


    Soon the night started to deepen, Little Han was now fast asleep. Tucking Little Han to sleep in his newly built crib, Leon and Eli watched his sleeping appearance lovingly.


    "I still can''t believe¡­ we were able to survive and carry out all the work¡­ I thought that it would be the end of us¡­ and hope will nevere¡­" Eli mumbled as she tenderly patted Little Han''s body.


    "Many times I wanted to escape from the great hurdle that we had to face¡­ there were also times that I would ask myself, why do I have to do this and that¡­ Can''t I just be a normal mom? Uncaring for whatever happens to the world as long as my family is here¡­" She continued¡­


    "Ourrades might think that from start to finish, my heart was determined to confront the responsibility I had as the subject of the Oracle¡­ But only you and the heavens knew¡­


    How tired I was¡­


    How I was whining andining¡­


    How I cry and desperately pinch my body to wake myself up¡­"


    Leon listened to Eli''s words as he slowly covered her with his embrace. He pulled Eli gently into his body, resting his head on Eli''s silky midnight hair. He did not say a word and just kept on listening to his soon-to-be-wife''s rant.


    "But when I remember how you were also working tirelessly, or even harder for us¡­ My mind would suddenly feel calm¡­


    It was not taking away any of my anxiousness or my fatigue¡­ but it sure calms my heart¡­ because I am not alone in this struggle.


    Soon that fatigue turned to drive¡­


    The whining andining turned to motivation¡­


    I started to wake up no longer dragging my body to bed, but bringing my all in order to deal with everything once and for all¡­" Eli tilted her body to look at Leon with her eyes full of appreciation and adoration.


    "I must be blessed, for at that particr moment, I knew I have you¡­


    I was thanking the heavens¡­ that I did not shy away from recognizing the fact that I love you so deeply¡­


    For if not¡­ I would have long lost motivation and hope¡­ because before this life I was already tired, unwilling to be bothered anymore by the trivialities of the world.


    But you and Little Han¡­ changed the way I view these things."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She rested on his chest, breathing in theforting scent of baby powder in his body. She allowed him to stretch out his hands into her waist, her back, and her hair.


    "You''ve said it all¡­ but I have a lot to say too¡­" Leon nted light feathery kisses on Eli''s forehead and cheeks.


    Cupping the side of her face, he looked at her like she was the rarest flower he had ever seen in the world. "Listening to your voice¡­ speaking such things for me and Little Han, has made me lost for words¡­


    For I delight hearing your voice¡­ how you speak your mind¡­ how you express yourself¡­


    And most of all, the way you tell me how much I and Little Han mean to you¡­


    I want to savor every moment I had with you¡­


    Oh¡­ Eli¡­ my love¡­ you don''t know¡­ how much I wanted to take you in as mine¡­ right here right now¡­" Leon''s professing was slow, sweet, and full of passion.


    But thest part was filled with a sultry grumbling and restraint. For he knew, he had boundaries to respect, even though she and Eli were basically a couple already.


    "Ahaha¡­" Eli let out a nervous chuckle as she could clearly see how frustrated Leon was.


    Although she had no qualms if Leon would want for them to take a ceremony right now, she knew that the circumstances for Leon were something that they had to consider.


    As for her, she was willing to wait for him¡­ for their time¡­ For she now understands that everything has its own timing¡­ especially things like marriage.


    "Don''t sulk¡­" Eli wrapped her arms around Leon''s neck, she tiptoed once again to touch the time of her man''s nose. Such a simple gesture, but it was as sweet as the most sought-after honey in Prasinos.


    Leon closed his eyes, trying to calm his fiery desire down while his heart was enjoying this precious moment.


    ''A little more¡­ just a little more¡­''


    ''I''ll start my n to make you my honorable andwful wife¡­''


    ''Please wait for me a little bit¡­ My love¡­''


    He thought as he was brought gently by Eli to the bed, signaling a good night for the two of them. Two people slept side by side, with their hearts intertwined just as their hands were holding together.


    ¨C


    The morning started with the typical routine for the family.


    After making sure that she had prepared all that Little Han needed for the next few hours, Eli kissed Little Han goodbye and entrusted her son to the five knights, Rosea and Baobao.


    Going straight to the Farauld Magic Institute, she was immediately summoned by her Uncle Bramwell to the conference room.


    As she walked towards the main hall, she was greeted by the excited and respectful looks of every faculty and student along the way.


    Although the winter break has long ended, the resumption of sses was dyed to amodate the rebuilding of the Empire and give the students and faculty members a chance to handle their family affairs connected to the incident.


    Now, the Institute was in full swing, with Uncle Bramwell leading the operations as Grandpa Ben would often escape for various reasons, although as of this moment, the grandmaster was absent for a good reason.


    "Ah¡­ Eli, you''re here!" Bramwell excitedly beckoned Eli to join the ranks with the respective deans of the institutes, Simonne, the dean for the School of Magic, Athena, the dean for the School of Academics, and of course, Zeke the dean of the School of Research.


    "Greetings, Vice Chairman, and Esteemed Deans¡­" Eli respectfully addressed everyone before sitting in her designated ce.


    Clearing his throat, Vice Chairman Bramwell immediately scanned the four and his face became serious and a little bit critical.


    "I called upon you here because¡­ it was now a high time to announce something¡­"


    Eli and the deans straightened up their backs on the seat as they were preparing themselves for what Bramwell was about to tell them.


    "Six months from now, the Empire will finally open its doors to ept visitors and delegates from other territories.


    But even before that¡­ the Grandmaster had already received a request that the Grand Tournament of the Three Great Continents had to be hosted by the Seirende Empire."


    "W-what? Us hosting the grand tournament? At this time??!" Athena and the rest of the dean were surprised about this announcement, even Zeke looked a little troubled.


    It was only Eli who had a frown on her face, unable to understand a thing about the matter that was brought up.

 Chapter 334 News Of The Grand Tournament

    ?Vice-Chairman Bramwell was not a bit flustered upon seeing the three deans react in shock. The one that caught his attention was the clueless look on Eli''s face.


    "Ah¡­ Pardon me for not exining it well. Young Eli, the Grand Tournament of the Three Great Continents typically happens every five years just like the knight tournament in Seirende." He started exining the matter to her.


    "This Grand Tournament is actually a battle of all the Educational Institutes in the entire Prasinos. Of course, the main participants were the top three schools, The Farauld Magic Institute, The Vanderford, and the Green Wave Institute. But there would be other participants apart from the three that I had mentioned.


    The tournament wasposed of three events, which were ording to the three main branches in every institution.


    First was the Mage Tournament, where the students with caster, summoner, and devourer abilities fight each other until a winner prevails.


    The second was the Academic tournament, where studentspete with the knowledge and skills that they have learned on the four walls of the ssroom.


    Thest event was of course the researchers'' tournament, which of course let the researchers present to the representatives of the kingdoms and territories of Prasinos an invention or creation that would eventually bring a breakthrough in our living."


    Eli intently listened to Uncle Bramwel''s exnations attentively and immediately understood why the deans were in shock.


    "I see¡­ if it was going to be such a big event that has to be done in six months, then it would not be beneficial to our Empire as we cannot risk holding such a big scale event right after having an internal war¡­"


    Simone, the dean of the School of Magic, sighed and replied to Eli,


    "Indeed¡­ Great Inventor¡­ apart from the readiness of the Empire, it also has something to do with security. While the Temple and the Imperial Family worked hard to weed out the traitors of thend, the forces on our Empire were still vulnerable and unstable."


    "Usually in order to protect the bnce of power, the event will never be hosted by the strongest representatives of the three great continents - the Seirende and Vanderford Imperial Families and the Green Continent''s Unified Government.


    They would usually contract a neutral kingdom that was independent of any of the three main forces. That would also prevent any attempts to disrupt the bnce between the three great powers."


    Upon listening to this matter, Eli''s expression started to turn serious as she now fully understood the gravity of the matter toward the Seirende empire, "But now¡­ they''re suggesting that we need to host the tournament."


    "Yes¡­ on the pretext that the students might gain a lot of knowledge on how the Empire had been releasing great development from our politics to our technologies." Athena, the Dean for the School of Academics clutched her hands and continued, "Heh¡­ even after they knew that we have just suffered from an internal strife."


    "But, can''t we ask the Emperor to decline the matter?" Zeke, the dean of the School of Research asked with a worried expression.


    Bramwell shook his head and replied with grumbling, "The situation was not a bit hopeful. Our side along with Grandmaster Reuben had already expressed our opposition to this matter¡­ but it was like our empire''s affairs were too interesting for them that they could not let go of the opportunity to run their nose inside ournd."


    "In fact, only the Seirende Empire and the Green Continent''s Unified government voted against this move¡­ we are simply overwhelmed by their numbers¡­" Greatly distressed by what happened, Bramwell ced his hands over his head soothing it from the headache that he was suffering.


    "This Farauld Magic Institute and the Seirende Imperial family had already submitted a motion to reconsider the decision¡­ ideally we could get some leeway¡­ but from what I see¡­ it was a hopeless protest."


    Eli did not respond as she thought about how Leon and the rest of the Imperial Family were trying to tackle this matter. She thought that it may not be wise for her to put her nose on a subject that was clearly a political one, rather than a supposedly exciting event for the youthful students of Prasinos.


    She looked at the forlorn faces of everyone and pped her hands to immediately divert their attention and change the mood of the four, "Well¡­ well.. Either way, we are still going to select our representatives and prepare them for the tournament, isn''t it? We cannot just wallow on the matter and neglect our students."


    "What Great Inventor Eli mentioned was correct¡­ we cannot let this matter be an excuse to not prepare our students." Dean Zeke cast a grateful look at Eli as he supported her words.


    "That''s right¡­ so now I task the three of you toe up with a systematic way to identify who would represent our institute at each event.


    As always, the institute does not limit its participants, but remember that the ones that had to be sent were only those who really had a chance to stand up and take on the challenge to represent our institute and our empire proudly!"


    Bramwell then issued hismands to the three deans upon Eli''s signal.


    "We hear your orders, Vice-chairman!" The deans answered in unison


    "As for you, Young Eli, I''d like to ask for your help in training the selected students in the magic, academic, and research schools, if you would agree.


    I believe that the sciences and mathematics that you have been introducing to the institute can be applied in all aspects of living¡­


    Whether it be academics or a simplebat exchange, the principles were useful and handy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright¡­ no problem¡­" Eli nodded and epted Bramwell''s request. Giving a crash course in mathematics and sciences was something she had already done before, so it was not an absurd request for her.


    The meeting finally ended smoothly and eventually, Eli and Zeke finally returned to the research institute.


    "Many things had happened when you weren''t around¡­ but all of them were something that was like a dream to me¡­"


    Zeke finally had time to have a good talk with Eli regarding the matters of the research institute. For the entire month was only spent on Eli catching up with the information her doppelganger left for her to review.


    "You told us before that the projects might be done within a few months afterpleting the intensive crash course for the research institute¡­ but I was really shocked that these researchers were able to finish it even earlier!!!"


    Zeke smiled happily, not masking his amazement and excitement over the positive changes that happened in the research branch.


    "Indeed¡­ believe it or not, I myself was really surprised that what I would be seeing first in my office were no longer the papers they were working on previously but were proposals for their next research¡­


    Sigh¡­ it was a little bit overwhelming to review more than a hundred thesis proposals after taking a leave in just a few months¡­"


    Eli replied as she remembered her shock when she stepped into her office during hereback. She thought that her office was actually turned into an archive room with all the proposals submitted on her end.


    "Hehehe¡­ it was actually my fault¡­ I couldn''t dare to throw away their ideas without letting you see them.


    Our researchers were brilliant, and I could not find a heart to reject their ideas upfront."


    Although Zeke was a few years older than Eli, he still acted like a student learning under her tutge and embarrassedly scratched his head.


    "Sigh¡­ that''s why you left me to do the job for you right?"


    Eli rolled her eyes and used her in a casual manner. However, both of them knew that she was not actually angry, but was actually bickering with Zeke like a normal colleague.


    "Kidding aside, I think you already need to employ more advisers other than me and Dr. Einz.


    This would really help you a lot in managing the volume of the research proposals that we amodate¡­" Eli suggested.


    "Well¡­ I was actually convincing some of our existing instructors to take on the role of an adviser but then¡­ they all rejected it¡­" Zeke once again sheepishly replied to Eli''s suggestion.


    "Rejected? Why so?" Eli stopped and raised her brows in interest.


    "Ermm¡­ when they rejected my offer they told me that they were better off spending their days as a researcher rather than a research instructor.


    They said that they had already wasted their time doing research without even following a stable structure¡­


    Now that you have introduced them to several methods¡­


    How could they not spend the remaining years of their lives proving that your methods were working and much more efficient than the old ways¡­ is what they said."


    Zeke ranted and poured out his disappointment like an abandoned dog, he even shouted with an extreme grievance,


    "Did you know, I had to spend an entire week processing their records from research instructor to a regr researcher yet again?


    How absurd it was for a teacher to enroll back again as a student of the same level??!"


    Eli face palmed upon hearing Zeke''s exnation and mumbled helplessly,


    "Ah¡­ I can never get used to a researcher''s entricity¡­"

 Chapter 335 Encounter At The Cafe

    ?"Well¡­ they are just simple people with a passion for discovering the unknown. Please be lenient with them, Councilor Eli¡­" Zeke helplessly defends the researchers as they get nearer to the research branch.


    "I know¡­" Eli gave a subtle smirk as they finally entered the branch.


    "Good morning, Dean! Good morning Councilor!!!"


    As they stepped into the building they were greeted by the busy researchers going to and fro the hall with several scrolls or documents in their hands. When they saw the two entering, they did not forget to acknowledge them before continuing to go on their way.


    "By the way Councilor, I''ll have to ask for your opinion in choosing the research topics that we should select for the uing grand tournament¡­" Zeke reminded Eli.


    "Alright¡­ just give me some time to finish reviewing all the proposals. What I need for you is to help assemble apetent panel of reviewers who could scrutinize the pre-qualified topics and select the best among them.


    I can''t possibly have the only one who had the say in this matter. At the end of the day, I could onlyment on the stuff I am well versed in. It is important that we get renowned experts from different disciplines to see what relevance the proposals had. " Eli responded in a serious and business-like manner.


    "Now that you mentioned it. Indeed, I must make a rough list of who is qualified and trustworthy to invite. We cannot have our research leaked after all." Zeke nodded enthusiastically as he bid Eli goodbye to start identifying his people.


    "I guess I''d have to continue my office work¡­" Eli shook her head and helplessly smiled as she also headed on her way to her office.


    After a few hours of diving into numerous thesis proposals, Eli''s tummy softly grumbled indicating that she was hungry.


    Looking at the clock and the view outside the window, she realized that there were only a few minutes left for her duty.


    "Well I guess, I can go to the town real quick to have a quick snack and then also buy some dessert for Leon and Little Han along the way¡­" She told herself as she hastened to organize her files and ensure that she could identify the documents she had finished reviewing.


    As soon as she finished, she immediately went outside the campus to ride the carriage assigned to her. It was a simple-looking carriage but its interior and the structure were the best of the best.


    Originally, the elders of the Forgeworn and Farauld n had been debating whose crest Eli''s carriage would bear.


    Their debate gave Eli a great headache so in the end, she persuaded the elders to make her carriage as lowkey as possible, under the pretense that she had to avoid most of the people who wanted to take advantage of her identity.


    Fortunately, the elders took the bait and begrudgingly agreed to gift Eli a carriage without a distinct design, but they ensured that it has the best features fitting a granddaughter of the two ns.


    "Let us go to the town first, I want to grab a light snack before going home." Eli politely told the chauffeur before boarding the carriage.


    "As you wish mydy!" The chauffeur smiled as he was delighted to have engaged in a short conversation with the great inventor and thedy of the two great houses in the Empire.


    Unlike most of the nobledies, Eli was more fond of quiet and simplistic-style cafes to visit. So the chauffeur led her not to the all-time favorite Lilibeth''s cafe but to a more serene cafe around the district.


    Ordering a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun, Elimented how she could not go to the counter and ask for a take-out like how she would do on modern earth.


    It is not really a thing in this world to take out and order something directly at the counter unless you are ordering a cake or a pastry.


    Other than that, nobles would either simply go out to have a change of scenery from their respective estates or invite the chefs themselves to serve them in their homes.


    And so, she decided to quickly finish her snack before she would proceed to look for some desserts that she decided to take out for Little Han and Leon.


    While she was doing so she was not able to notice that a pair of amused eyes had been watching her from the mezzanine of the cafe.


    "Great Inventor Eli¡­ who would have thought I''d see her again¡­" The man with features as sharp and enchanting as Alicia of the Cross family mumbled to himself.


    He was none other than the young master and the heir of the Cross Family, someone connected to the renowned traitors of the Empire, the Ves n, Anderson Gale Cross.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He had been wondering about how this legendary inventor was able to significantly influence his aloof andpetitive older sister.


    What was in her that made her sister change the way she viewed things in life?


    Although Anderson loved his sister the way she was before, he wished that her aspirations would not deprive her of getting the happiness she deserved. So all this time, when he was serving the Amethyst Warlocks, he never forgot to be on the lookout for a possible candidate as his sister''s spouse.


    But one day, he went home looking at the ted expressions of his mom and dad. They kept on thanking the heavens that her elder sister has now matured and be more sensible.


    She also started to care for her outward appearance and even had her hair dyed in ck, joining the famous trend of noble women in fashion.


    What''s more, when he had looked into this matter he discovered that she was now close to the prominent inventor named Eli, who turned out to be the glorified adopted daughter of the Forgeworn and Farauld n!


    His mind wandered and his eyes suddenly drifted to Eli''s hands that were holding the coffee cup with a serene and serious look.


    From afar, thedy looked like an intimidating businesswoman that would even outshine men in terms of wits and brilliance.


    No wonder, the men around the cafe that had been eyeing her the moment she entered were hesitating to approach and greet her.


    Aside from her overwhelming background and achievement, her aura yed a big role in making these men hesitate.


    "Hmm¡­ I should have asked the chauffeur which cafe sells better sweets¡­ This cafe only served simple pastries¡­" With his sharp senses, he was able to hear Eli''s mumble as she moved to finish her coffee and bun.


    In the spur of the moment, countless dessert shops appeared on his mind that he thought might also suit Eli''s taste.


    Since his sister loved the cakes he often took home whenever she came back with the estate, Eli would probably like them too, that''s what he thought.


    "Hah¡­ What are you thinking? Thedy might have mistaken me into a creep if I suddenly gave her this information¡­"


    Realizing what he was thinking, he ced his palm on his head and reprimanded himself softly.


    Feeling a little bit flustered, he shifted his gaze from Eli back to his coffee and decided not to care and finish his food.


    But then he heard yet another mumble from Eli, "I saw another cake shop named BerryCreme on the corner of this block¡­ I''ll have to try that first since it was the nearest one."


    "Pfft!" Anderson almost sprayed his coffee all over the table. There was a furious blush on his face as he could not help but worry about the clueless Eli.


    ''What was thedy thinking? That shop is not a simple cake shop! It was a famous tryst for nobles who wanted to¡­ who wanted to do ''it'' while basking themselves on icing and cake¡­ this was a spot for nobles who wanted to indulge in their fetishes!''


    How did he know it, of course, he was a member of the high-ss society. On the outside, it looked like a legitimate dessert shop, but only the high society knew what service they offer inside.


    This time, he could no longer care about what Eli would think of him if he suddenly approached her. When he saw her about to raise her hands to call the waiter to bill out, he immediately called another one to bill out as well.


    As he was a prominent personality in the entire capital, the waiter was attentive to his signal, and so was the waiter serving Eli.


    With haste, he just took out his crystal card and swiped it hastily as he tried to hastily go down to the ground floor as lowkey as possible.


    He had to approach Eli immediately to stop her from ruining her well-earned reputation by entering the questionable shop.


    Or else, he could not escape the guilt of allowing his sister''s only friend to be the Capital''sughing stock!

 Chapter 336 Approach

    ?Eli was already outside the cafe when Anderson managed to catch up with him. Luckily he was a knight with a great physique so he did not even sweat when he ran briskly from the mezzanine to the outside.


    "Hmm¡­ That''s the way to go¡­" Eli managed to remember the direction where ''BerryCreme'' was located and started to head towards the store when she heard a nervous yet gentlemanly voice behind her.


    "Excuse medy¡­ may I know if you are the renowned great inventor Eli?" As he was a little bit flustered about how he would catch thedy''s attention and stop her from proceeding to BerryCreme, Anderson did not think of what he said and blurted out the question hastily.


    ''Ah!!! Am I a creep now? How strange would I look if I did not know the face of the great inventor who had been in the same ceremony as me?!''


    ''Oh¡­ Anderson¡­ You can do better than this!'' Hemented how he was a little bit weak in this part of his life.


    Eli raised her brows in suspicion when she heard the voice. She had lived in the modern world and was not oblivious of the ways that a man likes to hit on ady.


    With her senses heightened and body alert, she turned around calmly and saw the appearance of the man who stopped her on her way.


    A tall man with a valiant countenance of a well-trained knight. His striking features were a mix of a gentleman with a demeanor of a hawk, calm yet ferocious when they started to attack. What made her surprised was that his facial features were actually almost identical to her colleague and friend Alicia.


    "Indeed, may I help you¡­" Although Eli had been thinking a lot in her mind inwardly, she did not lessen her intimidating businesswoman-like demeanor as she confirmed her identity. It was no use to deny anyways, her face was already all over the newspapers and even posters around the Empire''s bulletin.


    "Ah¡­ As I thought! Pardon me for my impoliteness mdy! My name is Anderson Gale Cross, my elder sister Alicia had been talking a lot about you in our home. That is why I couldn''t help but be too eager that I have disturbed you."


    Anderson politely introduced himself to regain his confidence ining off a little awkward earlier.


    "It''s no big deal. No wonder I found your face familiar, it turns out that you are Alicia''s younger brother!" Eli cordially reciprocated the pleasantries but she did not lower her guard a little bit. "It is nice meeting you, Sir Anderson!"


    "Hahaha¡­ I get that a lot, Mdy¡­ By the way, I see that you are walking alone around the area. If it is not a bother, would you mind telling me where you are headed so that I can escort you?" Anderson summoned his courage to ask Eli


    Truthfully Anderson was getting more and more intimidated by Eli''s extremely calm and distant approach. He was not really used to this kind of reaction from thedies he engaged to converse with.


    Although he was not as prominent as the top bachelors in the Empire, he was still confident of his good looks and could definitely make anydy bashful upon approach.


    But facing Eli was the total opposite of what he expected. Instead of Eli getting flustered he was the one who was about to lose his footing because of nervousness.


    ''As expected¡­'' Eli''s heart plummeted as she immediately identified Anderson as someone who intends to hit on her.


    Without her expression changing, she shook her head and bluntly rejected his offer with a few words, "Ah, no need Sir Anderson, I''ll just be heading to that store to get some desserts before I go home." She subtly pointed in the direction where BerryCream was.


    "Ah¡­ this¡­ I''m afraid that I have to advise you against going in that direction¡­" This time, Eli''s straightforwardness actually gave Anderson a reason to clearly stop her from going to the BerryCream, despite her rejection.


    "Why so?" Eli raised her brows in confusion when she saw the seemingly worried and sincere expression of the man.


    "It''s like this¡­" Anderson lowered his voice and answered Eli''s inquiry, "Actually, the area you are heading to was a known corner for the nobles to engage in some earthly activities¡­ As for the details, I am afraid it might be inappropriate for thedy to know¡­"


    Eli might not have been given enough information about the matter, but Anderson''s words caused a flicker in her eyes. No wonder, there weren''t many people who openly walked towards the area.


    She mentallymented not having ess to Wisey at the moment, for if she was around, she could immediately use the search function of the book of knowledge and confirm what Anderson was saying.


    ''I guess, I''ll take it with a grain of salt¡­'' She decided as she subconsciously put her hand on her chin and replied, "Is that so¡­ Well I guess I''d have to go straight home then¡­ Thank you for letting me know¡­"


    "Ah¡­ wait a moment mdy! Are you not going to get your desserts?" Anderson was about to chase her when he realized something when he happened to see Eli''s unfeeling gaze, "Ah¡­ I must have made thedy ufortable¡­ I apologize¡­ I just wanted to rmend to you a shop that I used to go to when I buy desserts for my sister¡­"


    Finally realizing that Eli was not really weing his presence, Anderson stepped back and immediately apologized to her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Errr¡­ did I intimidate him too much?'' Seeing Anderson''s sheepish face that seemed like an aggrieved wolf rejected by its master, Eli felt a little bit guilty.


    ''Well he was Alicia''s brother after all¡­ it would be awkward if he would tell her about our encounter and be offended by my actions¡­'' Eli considered her situation.


    "Is it not as busy as Lilibeth''s cafe? I actually don''t have time to stay in the queue because I am busy.. (busy with my family waiting for me at home¡­)"


    "P-pardon? Oh¡­ yes yes! It was perfect for people who wanted the same level of quality as Lilibeth''s but didn''t want to get caught up with the bustle of people!" Anderson''s expression brightened at Eli''s words.


    Eli could visibly see how his imaginary wolf ears stood up in excitement as he continued, "If thedy likes it, I can guide you there to check their pastries and cakes!!"


    Seeing Anderson''s expectant expression, Eli could feel helpless and just took a quiet nod. "Alright¡­ let''s head there right away¡­"


    "As you wish mdy!" Anderson straightened up his body and valiantly escorted Eli into the cafe that he wanted to rmend.


    ¨C


    Nouvelle Patisserie was a lowkey dessert ce that only a certain group of people would know.


    This was because this Patisserie shop was actually running on a membership basis. Not anyone could enter and order in the cafe unless their membership was verified and approved by the owner.


    It was because only those who were true lovers of desserts and pastries could get a chance to earn the master''s approval.


    Rumor has it that the very owner of the Nouvelle was actually the teacher of the top cafes in the Empire, including the Lilibeth''s!


    Anderson exined the cafe''s background as they walked towards a certain building with a sleek and ssic facade.


    "Sir Anderson, are you sure that I can enter here to order?" Eli actually felt a bit uncertain when she heard of the shop''s background.


    ''Ah, why can''t there be just a normal bakery or cake shop which everyone is free to enter and order!'' Shemented outwardly.


    "Don''t worry mydy¡­ every member has the right to bring a person every year to take a look at the shop," Anderson assured Eli.


    Although he didn''t say that a member is only allowed to take an outsider once a year and that he was giving this year''s slot to her and not to his sister, who had been begging him to bring her in.


    As they went inside, Eli was immediately weed by the buttery scent and the subtle smell of burnt pastry inside the cafe.


    The interior of the cafe was simple and elegant, just like how it looked outside.


    There were a few tables with cushioned seats and on the counter was a wide array of pastries and cakes lined up for the guests to choose from.


    "You can choose any of these¡­" Anderson dutifully introduced the desserts and allowed Eli to explore and choose from the counter.


    "Hmm¡­" Eli looked intently at the pastries and immediately thought of what desserts were best for Little Han, Leon, and the rest of the people in the household.


    But just as she was about to ask the assistant to take out the dessert of her choice, a gigantic tall old man wearing a patisserie uniform suddenly flung the door and excitedly looked at her and Anderson.


    "Ah! How timely your guests were! Would you like to try my new creation?!" His loud enthusiastic voice almost shook the entire cafe. Even Eli and Anderson held their breaths because of the surprise.

 Chapter 337 Matcha Latte

    ?Eli looked at the big chef and then at Anderson, unsure of how to react.


    "Greetings Mr. Nouvelle, we are honored to be the first ones to try your new creation!" Anderson shot a nce at Eli and replied to the pastry chef.


    Eli immediately understood Anderson''s signal and also gave a nod. It must be some kind of a rule to the members not to reject Mr. Nouvelle''s request to try a new creation.


    "Good! Good!" Mr. Nouvelle let out a heartyugh before mming the door again to enter the kitchen, leaving the assistant, Eli, and Anderson speechless.


    "I''ll take you to your seat¡­" The assistant led them to afortable table near the window, which has the best view of the cafe.


    "By the way, I''ll get a dozen of those madeleines and the strawberry shortcake?" Eli told the assistant as she went back to her post.


    "dly mydy!" The storekeeper politely smiled as she went on her way.


    "Mdy, you must have been startled. I apologize for there would be no way that we could peacefully reject Mr. Nouvelle''s request¡­" Anderson smiled embarrassedly. He knew that Eli was in a rush and yet who would have known that they would be dyed like this.


    "Is he a difficult person?" Eli asked calmly.


    "Ah, far from being negatively difficult. I''d rather say that he is a little bit too passionate to the point that he would try to persuade you until you would end up testing his cooking." Anderson let out a sigh as he exined.


    "I see¡­ so instead of declining and being repeatedly harassed, we can just opt to ept and get over it¡­" Eli sported a look of understanding. "Too bad¡­ I had just finished dessert¡­ I do not think I could take another."


    Shortly after, Mr. Nouvelle went out to the kitchen again and


    "Thank you for waiting~~~" Mr. Nouvelle smilingly walked over with a tray in his hands. As he happily served the two slices of cake to Eli and Anderson''s table.


    Two neatly sliced cakes with a brownish buttercream frosting. Theyered sponge cakes had a hint of brown and it was a little bit more moister than a regr sponge cake.


    "Please feel free to share your thoughts about my new creation¡­do not feel burdened. I am still in the process of perfecting this new recipe!" Mr. Nouvelle stood on the side with anticipation as he watched Eli and Anderson evaluate the cakes he served.


    "Is it coffee?" Eli raised her brows in curiosity, but mocha cakes and tiramisu were already existing in this world, so that would not make sense to call them new.


    "See for yourself, youngdy~~" Mr. Nouvelle''s eyes brightened and with his tall body, he smiled as he answered Eli mysteriously.


    Eli then took a bite of the cake and Anderson also followed.


    "It''s tea!" Anderson was shocked the moment his taste buds recognized the vors in the cake.


    "Yes! I was trying to experiment if tea could be a good vor for desserts. Although I have tried several times already¡­ this is the closest that I came up with that could barely pass to my taste." Mr. Nouvelle took off his hat and sighed. It seemed like he was a little disappointed with researching the new vor, he sported a sad expression.


    He looked at the two nervously and asked, "So what do you think?


    "Erm¡­ it does not actually taste bad. Incorporating ck tea in the cake might appeal to a certain group of people¡­ but I am not sure for others." Anderson objectively gave his opinion. "Also the texture is a little bit too bizarre for a noble''s tongue¡­ it was as if I was eating a bread pudding soaked in sweet ck tea¡­"


    "Sigh¡­ so it is still the texture¡­ Aiyooo¡­" Mr. Nouvelle sighed as he looked dejected, "I am already running out of ideas¡­actually¡­"


    Eli could see that the gigantic pastry chef drooped his shoulders in sadness as he continued toment. Anderson gave a few tips based on his knowledge of pastries and baking, however, Mr. Nouvelle had tried it all.


    From their conversation, Eli understood why Anderson was able to be a member of the shop. His knowledge of pastry and cakes was as strong as a professional. They even talked down to the specifics such as measurements of the ingredients and the proper ratio.


    However, even with the short exchange, nothing good came out of it and Mr. Nouvelle''s expression saddened even more.


    "Why not use ck tea¡­ instead, use a particr tea powder called matcha..." Eli interjected for she knew that matcha-vored desserts are a bit popr in the modern world and so she was sure that it would work with Mr. Nouvelle''s tea-themed desserts.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "M-matcha? You mean that seaweedy green powder that was loved by those from the east?" Mr. Nouvelle looked at Eli in interest.


    "Indeed, if you use it well it would give a stronger tea vor without messing up the texture of the sponge cake. For bolder drinkers, you can serve them a matchatte or a matcha-coffee fusion drink." Eli replied.


    "Mdy¡­ are you sure with this? Have you tried drinking it? To be honest, that powdered tea was a little bit too strong for me¡­I myself was a bit intimidated¡­" Anderson worriedly asked Eli.


    In this world, just like rice, matcha was also discovered in some parts of Prasinos and so, for enthusiasts like Anderson, this was something they explored but not really embraced yet.


    "Yes, I actually liked it, it can even give more benefits than the regr ck tea¡­" Eli replied vaguely. She did not want toe out to be too knowledgeable in the area so she opted to answer simply.


    "If you like, I can demonstrate how to prepare it for new drinkers, then see for yourself if this route has potential¡­ only if you have the matcha powder though¡­" Eli suggested.


    "I do have¡­ It was gifted to me by a merchant in the east. It even came with a ceremonial tea set¡­ Ah, one moment." Mr. Nouvelle signaled the storekeeper to fetch the green tea.


    "While you are at it¡­could you get me the following¡­" Eli also asked the storekeeper for some ingredients for the tea tasting ceremony.


    Soon all of the ingredients are already prepared, the table was also cleared out, and joining them was Mr. Nouvelle.


    "Alright, now I''ll prepare the matcha first in the traditional way. I''ll let you have the taste of it in its most natural forms before I introduce some variations." Eli started to take the matcha bowl and the bamboo whisk that has been cleaned and immediately prepared the matcha. At this moment she was d that she idly watched some tea ceremony on TheyTube in the modern world.


    "Here.." Eli immediately served the freshly prepared matcha, on top of a frothy foamyer that was formed by the bamboo whisk.


    "Huhhhh¡­ really strong¡­" Andersonmented.


    "Yes¡­ such a bold vor, I can''t believe that this product was derived from the same nt." Mr. Nouvelle added.


    "Well, that is how it was prepared by the east, especially when they partake it in a tea ceremony. The next variation was the way I like it. I hope it suits your taste." Eli then prepared the next one. It was pretty simple, with warm milk she ced a controlled portion of matcha and served it to the two men.


    "This! Really good!" Mr. Nouvelle eximed.


    "This would be a little more appealing to the majority!" Anderson alsomented with amazement.


    "Now you can put a little bit of honey or sugar to sweeten it¡­" Eli then pushed them the sugar and honey.


    "Oh, my heavens! If this is how it would turn out in a dessert, then it would be a new vor that could be enjoyed both by the bolder ones and the newbies!" Mr. Nouvelle was extremely excited as he drank the matchatte.


    He then looked at Eli gratefully and said, "Ah.. mdy.. Thank you for giving me inspiration!! In return, I''ll make your membership free in your next renewal.."


    "Ah¡­ no need Mr. Nouvelle. In fact, I was just brought here by Sir Anderson and was not really a bonafide member." Eli politely turned down Mr. Nouvelle''s offer for she thought that it was not something for her to im credit with.


    She was sure that there were already some people in Prasinos who thought how she did. If Mr. Nouvelle would be given a little more time, he may even discover this himself.


    "That''s no problem then! I''ll give you the membership now!!!" Mr. Nouvelle''s ''passionate and persuasive'' attitude swept Eli''s feet away.


    In the end, the two walked out of the shop with a bunch of take-out desserts given free of change and a membership for Eli.


    Finally parting ways, Eli bowed to Anderson and gratefully thanked him, "Sir Anderson, I really thank you for today, I discovered a great shop and even met a good person. Thank you for escorting me all the way here as well."


    "Ah¡­ don''t mention it. I wish you well on your way!" Anderson also bowed as he assisted Eli board the carriage.


    ''It was a good encounter¡­'' Anderson looked at Eli''s carriage running steadily, a sweet smile appeared on his face without him knowing.

 Chapter 338 Concerns

    ?It was already early evening when Eli managed to get back to her home in the cottage.


    When Eli teleported into the living room, the first thing she saw was Leon, with Little Han sitting obediently on hisp. Two adorable pairs of crystal blue eyes kept staring at Eli intensely.


    "Wee home¡­" Leon greeted with an eerie calm expression, "Seems like you have too much in your hands today, doesn''t it?"


    Eli froze upon seeing the gaze of the father and son, they must have been waiting for her for a long time already.


    Feeling a little bit guilty, she raised the boxes of desserts she managed to get and briefly exined that in the process of getting the desserts, she happened to be caught in the middle of taste testing and so she had no choice but to oblige.


    "Alright¡­" Leon replied with a little bit of a pout as Little Han also looked at her aggrievedly. Eli almost lost it when the two looked simr to each other, even in the way they looked an using look at Eli with their sulky pouty expression.


    "I''ll head over to prepare dinner, you can take time to freshen up first." Leon stood up and let Little Han on the plushie yground, to which the little one happily rolled over. Then he took the boxes from Eli to take to the kitchen.


    Shortly after, everyone gathered and had dinner. Although Eli was a little bit full, she still ate with them and enjoyed everyone''spany.


    Little Han''s body was also growing well and steady. Following histest achievement of walking, he can now properly hold his spoon and eat his meal without spilling the contents.


    With his cute bib with a bear print nicely ced on his chest, he could even use it to clumsily wipe the mess in his mouth.


    Eli, Leon, and the rest were delighted to see that Little Han was already doing so well in his lotor skills despite the fact that he was just a year old.


    But then a part of Eli and Leon was anxious about how extraordinary Little Han was. His growth and intelligence are already far from what any other one-year-old could do, and so they felt like they had to guide their son well to manage the disparity in the future.


    For Eli, she knew how easily such intelligence and gifts could backfire on a child''s upbringing. It doesn''t only happen in novels and books but in real life.


    Early indulgence in achievements and too much exposure to the feeling of winning may jeopardize the development of a child''s emotional intelligence. And so, most of them during their older years, could not take failure or life challenges that well.


    Leon, on the other hand, was not worried about this area, instead, he was worried about how he could protect his son from being a target of society''s pressure and expectation. If he could only let Little Han stay hidden until he came of age, he would do so. For he does not know how society would view his son in the future.


    The son of an S-ss, Open Path Mage, and a genius inventor¡­ apart from that he is of royal blood.


    Concerns such as this, the thousands of fears and doubts on whether their parenting would be the best for Little Han lingered in their minds. Even so, as the two of them shared each other''s thoughts during bedtime, they prayed to the heavens that their ways were right.


    ¨C


    The next morning, Leon attended the morning council as usual.


    With the help of Kazimir and Antoine, the daily concerns of the Empire were easily taken care of. Although most of the rebuilding concerns were already in the final stage, a month was not enough topletely heal the foundations of the Empire''s strength.


    As painful as it was to admit, the Vess and their aplices were still a significant loss to the bnce of power and authority in the Empire.


    Once their jurisdiction was cleaned out, many opportunistic nobles and middlemen vied to take the loot, waiting for their moment to be granted a higher status in the Empire.


    What''s more, there''s still the concern of how the traitors would be punished.


    If it was only a matter of rebellion, the Seirende Empire could have full control over how they would handle the punishment.


    But the matter escted beyond the Empire''s jurisdiction due to the heavy involvement of sinister magic and angel spirit fragments and so, whether the Empire liked it or not, the Main Temple stepped up and involved themselves.


    "The Main Temple has now officially sent a notification to our Seirende Temple. They will be sending the envoys to take over the case of the curses and decide their punishment¡­" Leon revealed to the men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Antoine and the rest of the noblemen went silent as they looked subtly at Kazimir''s reaction.


    "... and thus we are forbidden to do anything to the perpetrators until theye¡­" Leon continued as he looked at Kazimir calmly. He used the words ''perpetrators'' instead of ''traitor'' as a sign of respect for Kazimir, whom he will never intentionally harm.


    "Sigh¡­ in a span of six months¡­ isn''t the Grand Tournament also happening in six months?" Marquis Astaze worriedly expressed his concern. No matter how they look at it, receiving multiple delegates from all parts of Prasinos six months after just recovering from the war was not something they could achieve at the moment.


    "We still have not even figured out how to detect and prevent cursed users from entering the Empire, and yet we are forced by the entire world to open our gates to everyone. Isn''t that the same as destroying our homnd?" Another noble from the council said.


    "Let''s not focus on what''s far ahead but on what we can do today. What the Empire needed the most were bright minds and new talents. We need loyal and intelligent subjects to join the ranks in finding a solution for the problems we are seeing right now." Kazimir seemed to have totally calmed down these days, as he expressed his opinion.


    "Pardon, Your Highness, but six months to seek and train these talents would still not be enough." The nobles worriedly replied.


    "I agree with the First Prince, even if it was troublesome and the duration was too short, we still need to fill in new people. Only then will we, the veterans, be able to focus on the things that mattered in theing months."


    "I object¡­" Still, for the nobles, it was a little bit uneptable to recruit new people in the ranks.


    Why so? Because most of the nobles were already in office and a significant number of them were already jailed. Now, this proposal means only one thing - they have to take inmoners who will take the same work as they, the aristocrats do.


    And so a fiery debate ensued during the morning council, much to the three princes'' dismay.


    Leon stayed silent and took the salient points that each of the sides raised. He nned to summarize it and report to their fatherter when the three of them would visit. After that, he immediately raised his hands to signal them to stop.


    "Since we are yet toe to an agreement, let us set aside the matters first. Besides, we do not have any representatives from the north, and so the concerns and opinions raised might not be reflective of their side. Let''s give everyone a chance to be heard."


    "Now that His Highness mentioned it¡­" Upon hearing the name of the North, everyone settled down. Although the North rarely involve themselves in gatherings like this, the matter this time needs their consensus.


    Leon only managed to visit the barracks after all his princely duties in the afternoon. As he teleported into the Crimson des'' base, he immediately rounded up the knights and asked them to report their progress for the assignment at hand.


    But as he was listening to the report, Leon could feel the restrained atmosphere around the knights. Looking at their eyes which seemed to be wavering, he raised his brows and asked.


    "Men, I order you to tell me what''s the problem¡­" He looked at them with a frigid expression and demanded an answer. He did not like his men distracted when they were on official duty.


    But the des did not answer immediately. Instead, they looked at each other and then pointed out who would ry the concern.


    In the end, everyone looked at the two vice-captains, who were now stiffly standing with the back of their uniforms sweating profusely.


    Leon also looked at Olivier and ze as hemanded coldly, "You too¡­ are you going to tell me or I''ll have to punish everyone heavily for viting the rules?"


    "Errr¡­" The two scratched their head.


    Seeing their expression, Leon immediately took a thick wooden pole as his weapon of punishment.


    In the end, it was ze who took a deep breath and spilled everything in one breath. "Master¡­ it seems like the Madam was involved in a particr gossip in the Capital¡­ with another man!"


    gg!!!


    Upon hearing the news, therge wooden pole heavily fell to the ground.

 Chapter 339 Jealous Leon

    ?Leon looked at them again, and this time he had a cold bloodthirsty aura seeping through his body, "Repeat what you have said."


    "Master¡­ the news¡­ it was all over today''s newspaper¡­" ze knew that it was useless to say the same words again and so he just opted to give Leon the information he needed.


    He handed over the newspaper which contained ''Eli''s love story'' on the front page.


    The title seemed to have irritated Leon as he almost used his magic to burn the newspaper at once immediately:


    ¨C


    ''The Great Inventor''s Lover was the Young Master of the Prestigious Knight Family?!!!


    It seems that the ever prominent inventor, who was also one of the most sought-after bachelorettes in the entire capital, finally revealed her beloved openly.


    The mysterious princess of the Forgeworn and Farauld family was finally seen with a gentleman having a tryst on the most exclusive cafe shop in town - the Nouvelle Patisserie!


    Moreover, the genius inventor''s partner was none other than the Young Master of the Cross Family, Anderson Cross!!!


    The two were seen entering the shop to which only members were allowed to enter. It ismon knowledge to all that the handsome Young Master is one of the earliest members of the patisserie and has never brought anydy in despite having the privilege to do so annually.


    It was only at this time that the young master had brought someone to enter! The very first and most probably the only one???!''


    ¨C


    After reading the article, he immediately crumpled it hard so much that it almost turned into powder from so much grinding.


    "Find out who put this news to the tabloid!" Leon ordered with an angry voice, it has been a long time since he has shown this kind of demeanor to his subordinates.


    "Yes, Master!" ze and Olivier responded and immediately dispersed.


    Leon felt a little worn out and made his way into the office. The first thing he felt when he heard the news was not to me or get angry at Eli or anything, however hearing such a ridiculous rumor was extremely unpleasant.


    ''Hah¡­ what do I do?'' He knew that Eli would never break his trust, he was also sure that they were both genuinely in love with each other.


    However, how must he manage these feelings? To whom must he vent his anger?


    Leon dragged himself into the seat and sat with a tired expression. Staring nkly at the ceiling he let out a heavy sigh and tried to calm down as much as he could.


    "So this is how it feels to feel jealous¡­" He softly mumbled as he clutched his throbbing chest tightly.


    "Such an unpleasant feeling, the words of insult I have constantly received during my childhood were not even that troubling¡­"


    "But this one¡­ how should I face Eliter¡­" He closed his eyes as he rubbed his aching temples.


    Remembering that he woulde home and closely interact with Eli, he was now getting anxious that these foreign emotions might hurt her unintentionally.


    "What should I do?" He muttered under his helpless breath.


    As he was thinking of how to contain his emotions, Leon''s attention was suddenly caught by a call from themunication stone.


    He tilted his head to see that the call came from Kayden, without hesitation he answered it believing that he had something important to say.


    "What''s the matter?" His voice rang in his office as soon as he answered the call.


    "Yo!! My friend who must have been broken-hearted at this moment!!! How does it feel to know that someone has gotten ahead with you towards my sister??" Contrary to what he had expected, Kayden''s teasing words immediately irritated his already terrible mood.


    "You called here just to say that are you?" Leon grumbled as he felt that his headache rather intensified after his friend''s teasing. "You seem to be rather free right now that you even had the time to gossip, Mr. Great Doctor?!"


    "Oi oi!! I''ve worked hard these past few months and have been working non-stop even today. Even so, I am not stiff not to indulge in some gossiping~~ Come on, what did I tell you before, now you are reaping what you sow~~ How could the blood third prince move so slow~"


    Kayden was not the least bothered by Leon''s indifferent reply. He was just here to bother his friend and take advantage to push him to move.


    He was rather concerned about how Leon was not seeing that Eli was someone that is capable of overturning the capital with just her wits and countenance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Most probably due to the fact that Little Han was already around, and that they are already cohabiting due to the peculiar circumstance, he might take for granted his rtionship with her.


    "Sigh¡­ how could a single man, without a kid, lecture me like that¡­ Go back to me when you have already gotten a lover by yourself¡­" Leon understood his friend''s concern but he would not leave his good friend unscathed with his merciless teasing.


    "Ah! How dare you point out that I am a single man! How could I not be single when I am so busy doing this and that?! Besides, I am a happy uncle now~~~


    Just you wait!!! I''ll make cute babies even more than you could!!!"


    It was rare for the two to bicker like this, but when they did, they turned into two youthful teenagers who would always go against each other.


    "Tell that to me again if you already have a lover!" Leon retaliated once again.


    "You-" Before Kayden could continue to speak, Leon had already cut off the call. But unlike before where gloominess loomed around, his mind was rather clearer.


    With all the bickering that he had with his friend, one thing was true. He had progressed a little slowly towards his rtionship with Eli.


    And the reason why he was now feeling terrible was because of that very same problem.


    He immediately stood up and went back to the pce once again.


    ¨C


    Today was another typically busy day for Antoine as he moved to review the documents under his jurisdiction. Although everything has been smooth sailing, the biggest difference in why he was now working hard was his motivation.


    If before, everything that he did was to prove to his mother that he could be an excellent prince without her help and endorsement, now he was working because he had truly epted that this is what he was capable of doing.


    Just as Leon said, he had to let go of some things to be a whole person. Not for his mother, nor his father, his wife, or his son but for him, himself.


    Speaking of his brother Leon, although this younger brother of his had already made clear to them that he no longer hold any grudge against them, there was not much change that urred in how they interacted with each other, aside from the fact that they now appeared cooperative during official duties.


    He had once asked Kazimir about this, deeply troubled if they, the older ones, should be the ones who would find a way to improve their rtionship or just wait for Leon himself.


    But Kazimir answered,


    "It''s no use to worry about that this early. It may have been easier for him to forgive, but at the end of the day, this will all be our first time to recognize each other as true siblings.


    We have no choice but to take everything slow, as embarrassing as it may sound. But this applies especially to us who were already fathers of our own houses."


    Looking back, Antoine was a little bit amazed that their first brother could even say such deep words.


    "Well, what he said made sense after all. Maybe time wille for us to really deal with our family rtionships again¡­ No one knows¡­" He shrugged as he continued to bury himself again with the files around his office.


    Sometime after he heard a knock on the door announcing Leon''s presence.


    Surprised by the unannounced visit, Antoine subconsciously straightened his body and immediately looked at Leon who was entering the office with haste.


    "Third Brother¡­" Antoine opened his mouth only to find out how unnatural he sounded when the words came out, "What brings you here?"


    Looking intently at his brother, he could see that he obviously rushed to go here with the traces of wind on his red blood hair and the droplets of sweat on his forehead.


    "Big Brother.." He then heard Leon call out. "I need your help¡­" He asked.


    Antoine''s heart almost stopped after hearing Leon''s words while looking at his brother''s rather expectant expression.


    He stood up in his office chair and beckoned Leon to sit on the lounge chair in the room. While immediately asking the servants to serve tea.


    "Let''s hear it." After letting Leon breathe for a while, Antoine finally asked him to state his request.


    "I need your advice¡­ on¡­" This time, there was a trace of embarrassment on Leon''s face as he continued¡­


    "How to woo ady¡­like you did with the Princess consort."

 Chapter 340 Asking For Advice

    ?"P-pardon?" Antoine almost sttered the tea all over the table as soon as he heard Leon''s words.


    "W-woo ady? Third Brother h-had someone?!" It really came as a surprise for Antoine.


    His brother who had be unfeeling and frigid since that day was now asking for his advice to get ady''s heart.


    "W-who is thisdy? I need to know!" Antoine almost stood at his seat, shedding off his initially stiff demeanor towards Leon.


    Antoine''s curiosity was stirred as he leaned forward and asked Leon like he was ady gossiping. "Tell me, brother¡­ Who is this remarkable woman¡­ (Who was able to melt your frigid personality¡­)" Of course, he was not able to say thest part out loud.


    Leon was about to open his mouth to tell Eli''s identity, however, there was a sudden knock on the door announcing Kazimir''s arrival.


    "Ah¡­ what a coincidence! First Brother is also here¡­ he would most likely help you too¡­" Antoine responded to the aid allowing Kazimir to also enter.


    Although did not say a word nor show any objection, he thought that Kazimir might not have any idea how to woo ady because he had just chosen to marry his princess consort out of the blue.


    He remembered that it had caused an uproar in both the Vanderford and Seirende Empire, how the First Prince chose the despised princess of the Vanderfords out of all the others.


    As for Antoine, everyone in the capital knew that he was ady''s man in his younger days. He had multiple lovers before he managed to settle down to marry Princess Consort Evelyn.


    So Leon was sure that Antoine had the most extensive experience in charming a woman out of all the people he knew.


    Meanwhile, Kazimir was actually bringing some building proposals and was about to discuss with Antoine how the financial aspect of the project would be better presented.


    Upon entering the room he froze in a daze upon seeing Antoine and Leon having tea in his brother''s lounge area.


    "First Brother, you''vee! Would you like to join and listen? Leon had a problem¡­" Antoine politely asked Kazimir if he wanted to join the conversation.


    Remembering his elder brother''s words, it may be true that the three of them had to take it easy and not be forced to have a close rtionship as if nothing had happened.


    "A problem?" Kazimir was still aloof around the two, however, his interest was also piqued. He never once remembered that Leon confided to anyone much more to hear that he encountered a problem.


    Knowing what kind of life his brother was forced to live, he quietly sat on another sofa chair and joined the conversation.


    In his mind he was thinking, how troublesome would the problem be for Leon to have no choice but toe to his brothers and ask for advice?


    "Ehermmm¡­" The moment Kazimir sat, there was an awkward silence around the three.


    Antoine who was eager to let Leon continue the tale and so he initiated to dispel the silence in the room. "So let''s hear it again from Leon."


    Leon looked at Kazimir and Antoine once again, he cannot ask anyone but them because the men all around him were all single.


    His teacher was already busy reinforcing thend, his Father was still recuperating, and the elders were also busy in the east and west territories.


    "I need to ask for your advice¡­ on how to woo ady¡­" He stated his case once again.


    "P-pardon??" Kazimir thought that his ears failed him, is this stoic unfeeling bloodthirsty brother of his finally experiencing the spring?


    "I know¡­ I know that feeling¡­" Antoine could not help but throw Kazimir a sympathetic look, in fact, both of their reactions were so simr.


    "But you did not hear it wrong, Leon wants to woo ady. I was about to ask him who thedy was before you came." He continued.


    "Then, who would this interestingdy be?" Kazimir raised his brows, there was no woman who was ever associated with Leon ever since childhood. Who could it be?


    "She was the Great Inventor, Lady Eli," Leon answered straightforwardly.


    Now that he had decided to work on how he would introduce Little Han and Eli to the world as his family, he found it alright to disclose his rtionship with Eli.


    However, Little Han was a different case, it may need more time for Little Han to be finally revealed in public.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What?!" The two brothers almost jumped to their seats, what an oddbination.


    One frigid prince and an entric young inventor!


    They couldn''t imagine how the two would bepatible in terms of demeanor and countenance.


    "Ahh¡­ now that you mentioned, during the winter banquet¡­ you danced with thedy for the first time." Kazimir then suddenly remembered the time when he went angry after seeing Leon dancing with Eli.


    He immediately thought that it was a scheme from his side to have a powerful woman beside him. But now it turns out that it was really his brother who had a crush on thedy.


    "Oh, the winter banquet! Could it be that you fell in love with her at that time?" Antoine also remembered the event and immediately got intrigued.


    "Err¡­ I liked her even before that time¡­" Leon finally blushed when the two asked for more details about their rtionship.


    It was really true that Leon liked her even before, most precisely, he liked her when they had that conversation about the past in the Silver Dew cottage. However, he had opted not to exin any further than that.


    "Hmm¡­ I see I see¡­" Antoine and Kazimir felt that Leon was not yet that confident to tell the details of his encounter with Eli and so they did not push him any longer.


    "So¡­ you wanted to woo her¡­" Kazimir then started contemting how he could help Leon, however, he realized that he actually never wooed Arielle, for he directly proposed to her and they got married in a sh.


    But looking at their rtionship right now, although there have been some misunderstandings and neglect, they are now going towards the stable stage where they both share deep affection with each other.


    Convinced that this might also work with Leon whose personality was rather stoic and cold, Kazimir suggested, "Why not propose directly. You are a prince, and you have recently proven that you are formidable. No woman would reject you now."


    "Ah! Ah! Ah! Don''t listen to first brother!" Antoine was in shock when he heard Kazimir''s ''advice''. How could he forget the story of how this brother of his got married. He instantly regretted his decision to rely on Kazimir''s idea.


    "Why not? Look at me, your sister-inw and I were happy. She was even there with me in my darkest times!" Kazimir retaliated with pride.


    There''s no other stronger evidence of Arielle''s love for her than the fact that Arielle never attempted to dissociate with him when his status plummeted with the Ves''s betrayal.


    "Ah, that''s not what I meant. It''s just that, not all couples can be like you two. Most people, like me, had to toil hard to make ady say yes!" Antoine replied, as he was saying this he remembered how hard he worked just for Evelyn to finally ept his marriage proposal.


    "Well, that was because you have been a notorious casanova. I really wonder how you managed to lure Princess Consort Evelyn to be your wife. With how frivolous you are back then? Ah¡­ Sigh¡­" Kazimir did not hold back in exposing Antoine''s struggle.


    "T-that¡­" Antoine was left speechless, he never thought that he would be caught with his own words. But since he was already guilty as charged, he just lifted his chin and dered, "Well, at least I can give Leon many techniques then¡­"


    "Well,mon, let''s hear the techniques you have¡­" Kazimir squinted his eyes and looked at Antoine intently as he calmly sipped his tea.


    Leon watched the two bicker with each other. Seeing them bing more like this, his heart felt relieved that the three of them could now have conversations like this.


    "Well the very first thing was to know thedy''s likes and dislikes."


    Antoine haughtily dered as if he was a veteran in impressing women, he looked at the two and continued, "You have to also know if the two of you had matching likes or dislikes¡­"


    He leaned closer towards the two who were attentively listening and continued, "Start from there¡­ join her in experiencing or getting what you both like and support her whenever you encounter her dislikes."


    "Likes and dislikes¡­" Leon thought deeply and remembered every detail he had about Eli.


    ''Beside me and Little Han¡­''


    "She likes music the most¡­" Leon mumbled aloud.


    "Oh¡­." The two reacted with a hint of surprise. They never knew that the great inventor was actually a music lover.


    "Then she likes sweets, grilled meat, coffee, cute animals, the scent of baby powder. She also likes the color of the sky and likes to spend time growing herbs and gardening. Then her favorite is rice..."

 Chapter 341 The Brothers Move

    ?"..."


    "..."


    The two were left speechless when Leon suddenly enumerated Eli''s likes while wearing a gentle expression. They even blinked several times and rubbed their eyes, thinking that they were seeing things wrong.


    Leon, the mad dog blood prince, brother of theirs, is smiling!


    ''Oh my heavens!'' Antoine looked at Kazimir with a meaningful look.


    ''He''s really in love with thedy¡­'' Kazimir reciprocated his gaze with the same message.


    It was the first time that they saw Leon ask for anything from anyone other than himself.


    Moreover, it was their first time seeing that he had actually wanted something for his sake. Because of the past that they had created, this brother of them became unfeeling and distant.


    He became like a cotton pillow, who would just absorb whatever words they throw at him, whatever harm their supporters throw his way. He never showed any anger or grievance during those times. He just looked at his enemies coldly, as if nothing could hurt him anymore.


    And because of that, he had also learned how to want nothing lest it bes something that could appear as his weakness. Even his rtionship with his Queen mother had been visibly distant in public.


    Now the same Leon was now opening up to them, asking for advice and letting them know his vulnerable side - his love for Lady Eli.


    So without letting out a single word, they both looked at each other with a look of understanding,


    ''We must really help him get the Lady''s heart!''


    And so they both listened to everything that Leon said, with their hands sped together and their eyes squinting like a hawk ready to grab any possible opportunity to help him in the matter.


    "So¡­ what do you think would be the better move?" After Leon had narrated everything he knew about Eli so far, he looked at his brothers intently and waited for their answers.


    "Hmm¡­" The two did not answer immediately but instead faced each other and discussed in a hushed tone.


    "I think it has to be music because look at him¡­ look he is such a frigid person I bet that the two would eventually be nerds when they start to talk about something philosophical!"


    "Hmm¡­ I get what you mean. Since thedy was already an intelligent person, she must be tired of talking to intelligent people all day. Our brother has toe like a breath of fresh air for the Lady to catch his attention!"


    "But we need to take it slow, let''s start with offering flowers first!"


    "I agree, but speaking of catching her attention, we had to do something about his face¡­ C''mon his facial expression was really something that wastes our handsome bloodline!"


    Because he could clearly hear what they were talking about Leon wanted to call their attention andment. But looking at their serious expression he swallowed his words and waited for them patiently.


    It wasn''t their fault for thinking that Leon had to seriously court Eli when they did not know that the two of them were already cohabiting with a cute little son.


    After some time they both faced Leon with intense gazes.


    "Eherm¡­ we finally came to a conclusion. First, we have to do something about your expression, that''s the first priority!" Kazimir opened the conversation again.


    "Now Antoine here will demonstrate to you how to smile gently and captivate everydy in town."


    Antoine then straightened his back and closed his eyes as if he had to focus to channel out his casanova expression.


    After a few seconds of concentrating, Antoine slowly opened his crystal blue eyes as he had just woken up from sleep, looking down ever so gently, he looked up and slowly gave a gentle smile.


    His smile was as beautiful as a rose, passionately alluring yet full of dangerous thorns. It was a charm that could make anydy in the capital skip a beat and dive into the cliff of infatuation.


    "Oh¡­ impressive. Casanova as always." Kazimir could not help but nod in amazement as he saw how Antoine smiled. No wonder even though his brother''s support came from a marquis family he still had a stable area of influence - because of his charming personality.


    "Yes indeed." Leon also nodded in approval. Among the three of them, Antoine had the most lively and friendly personality, no wonder it was so easy for him to get thedies.


    "Now, do not just nod there, you have to do it too!" Antoine reminded Leon and saw they started instructing him to try smiling atmand.


    But they never thought that it was hard for Leon to learn how to smile.


    "No¡­ your facial muscles are stiff¡­ just rx!"


    "You look like you are out to strangle someone with that smile!"


    "Your eyes¡­ no don''t droop your eyelids like that! You''ll look like a creep!"


    The brothers were exhausted as they patiently taught Leon how to smile more naturally.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This won''t do, if you don''t often smile then thedy might misinterpret you to be someone who was insincerely approaching her¡­" Antoine rubbed his temples and sighed.


    "You really not know how to smile?" Kazimir asked Leon once again.


    "I know I can smile¡­ (Little Han evenughs at me¡­ sometimes¡­.)" He answered profoundly.


    But the two looked at him with doubt, ''Could this brother of ours really smile?''


    "Alright let''s forget it, let''s move to the next step, that is fashion! This time it would be Kazimir who would teach you!" Antoine then immediately stood up, and Kazimir followed.


    They beckoned Leon to follow them and even ignored the chambeins who were waiting for their documents to get finished.


    "Where are we going?" Leon asked in confusion.


    "We''re going to get you a good suit!!!"


    ¨C


    Later that afternoon.


    The Farauld Magic Institute was in an uproar!


    Why so? It was because the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, the S ss Level, Open Paths Mage suddenly appeared on campus wearing a gant ck suit that had a white and gold undershirt.


    He had his neck long red blood hair brushed up nicely, exposing his fair and perfectly sculpted jawline and neck. To add more to his alluring face, he had an obsidian earring hanging in his left ear. As the wind blew, his hair and the earring danced gently, like it was once with the wind, creating a dreamy impression all around him.


    In his hands was not a sword, but a bouquet of flowers that were arranged with great care. An array of baby pink and white roses, in Seirende flowernguage, it means budding love - a love that started to grow more fondly.


    "Oh my, it''s the Third Prince!!"


    "Ah! I never knew that His Highness is so handsome!"


    "Did you see the thing in his hand? To whom was he about to give the flowers!"


    "Ah, whose house does the luckydy belong to, I greatly envy her, whoever she is!"


    The Farauld students and faculty members were intensely discussing his sudden appearance. Those who were free from any ss even followed him to see who was the luckydy he was going to offer the flowers to.


    At one point, Leon stopped in a nearby group of students and asked, "Pardon, would you know in which direction the research branch is located?"


    "Huh¡­." The students were all flustered as the prince suddenly talked to them out of nowhere. Despite his stoic cold face, they were still shocked because of his prominence as an S-ss mage.


    "Ahhh¡­ T-the r-research branch is in t-that direction!" They shyly pointed in the direction of the branch.


    "Thank you." Leon nodded calmly and followed the direction.


    "Haaaa! I''m getting nervous!" Following Leon from a distance were two oddly dressed men who obviously were poorly disguised. Antoine and Kazimir watched at a distance making sure that Leon was able to do what they had discussed earlier.


    "Is he the type that would stutter in front of his crush? If yes, then that would be a disaster." Kazimir mumbled worriedly.


    "No, the bigger problem is his smile! His smile! What if he scares thedy with his mad-looking smile?!" Antoine bit the white handkerchief in his hands as he watched Leon like he was watching his child finally performing in a contest.


    "Let''s get a little closer so that we can hear their conversationter on!"


    As they two were stealthily following Leon, Eli was now done with her task for today and was about to go straight home.


    As she went down in the hall, she was actually surprised that the ever entric researchers were heading to the windows and looking outside intently.


    "What''s with themotion?" She asked.


    "Ah! Councilor! It''s like this, His Highness Third Prince suddenly appeared at the gates of the research branch!" They answered.


    "Who do you say appeared?" Eli thought that she was hearing things and so she asked once again to confirm.


    "It''s His Highness, Third Prince, Leon!"


    Eli''s eyes widened in shock as she heard the news. She scooted over the window and finally saw Leon, handsomely dressed in a suit with a bouquet of flowers in his hand!

 Chapter 342 P. D. A.

    ?Eli saw Leon''s figure standing under the orange light of the dusk with his red blood hair amplified by the tint of the skies and his blue eyes like two pieces of crystal gems waiting for her to finallye.


    Her heart tightened as it pounded heavily, and a wave of heat shed on her face as she realized what Leon was doing.


    ''Is he finally going to publicize our rtionship?''


    There were many questions in Eli''s head, as far as their rtionship is concerned, the two of them really did not dive into details. Most of their discussions were anchored on Little Han''s well-being, and should their rtionship status be involved, it is always because of Little Han.


    Nevertheless, Eli finally realized how mystifying the feeling of having your lover show such a disy of public affection. It makes her embarrassed yet loved at the same time.


    "Why don''t you go out now, he has been waiting for quite some time." As Eli stood by the window in a daze, she was not able to notice that Zeke was already beside her.


    "Ah¡­ yes. I must go!" Eli scratched her head in a fluster, there were so many people watching. She was not sure what she would do the moment she steps out and meet Leon.


    "Oh, by the way, make sure to rify to him about this article. It''s been going around the campus now." Zeke then looked at his mentor and colleague worriedly and handed over a newspaper page.


    It only took Eli a few seconds to understand the contents of the article. Her face immediately scrunched up and her mood became serious.


    "I didn''t tell you yet because you were so busy in your office. I n to give it to you before you go, but it seems that your lover has already taken action to solve the rumors."


    Zeke exined as he looked at Leon who was still standing patiently outside with a group of onlookers observing the situation.


    "Make sure to exin it we-" Before Zeke was able to finish his advice to Eli, she had already dashed outside the hall to meet Leon.


    Zeke let out a chuckle while he shook his head. "I guess they''ll be fine after all¡­"


    As Eli was rushing towards Leon her mind was filled with worry and anxiousness, she didn''t know that her encounter with Sir Anderson yesterday would cause gossip like this.


    The first thing that crossed her mind was how Leon was feeling.


    ''I should have exined everything that happenedst night¡­''


    ''No wonder he suddenly acted like this¡­''


    Just thinking about it made Eli''s heart feel guilty and painful, ''I must have hurt him when he came to know of that article.''


    She didn''t mind that she would look inappropriate because of her actions, all she knew was she needed to talk to Leon right away.


    "Isn''t that the Lady?" Antoine, who was watching from afar with Kazimir, finally saw Eli''s rushing figure.


    "Hmm... I''d rather say, thedy was quite¡­ straightforward, don''t you think." Kazimir also looked at the two at the distance, crossing his hand as he looked at them with a face that said ''I knew it!''


    "Eli¡­" The moment Eli stepped out the door, Leon had already seen her rushing figureing at him outside the gate.


    He very much wanted to go near and meet her halfway but he could not trespass the research branch as it was a disrespect to the institution.


    When she saw the anxiousness and worry in Eli''s eyes, he knew that Eli had already found out about the article. Her eyes were glistening as tears were about to form on her obsidian iris.


    "Leon¡­ I, the article¡­ it''s not what you think it is¡­" As Eli rushed to meet him the soonest, her speech came in between her ragged breathing. "I''m sorry¡­ for hurting you¡­ I never thought that this would happen¡­"


    ''Ah¡­ she must have been anxious that I would get upset by the article.'' Leon understood the emotions that made Eli act like that.


    Truthfully he became upset upon knowing the existence of the gossip, but it was never towards Eli but to the people who made a story out of something done without any meaning.


    He smiled gently as he cupped Eli''s face, "Mydy¡­ will you breathe slowly to calm down first?"


    "Oh my heavens! First Bro, did you see that? Did you see that?!!" Antoine almost destroyed their disguise the moment he saw Leon smile gently and treat Eli with great care. He grabbed Kazimir''s arms and shook him violently.


    "Ah.. stop shaking me, I have a good pair of eyes and I can see everything!!" Kazimir closed his eyes because he immediately became dizzy from Antoine''s shaking.


    "Sorry¡­ I could not help but get excited. Look at that, is that really our war-loving brother?! Oh my!" Antoine was still bewildered by what he was seeing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Well, we both know how our wives have transformed us into the kind of men we didn''t know we could be aren''t we." Kazimir shrugged, but his eyes were filled with amusement as he saw how Leon interacted.


    "Gasp!!!! Look at him! He even kissed thedy''s hand!!!! Our brother is possessed!" Antoine eximed in shock once again.


    "Well, he was quite a good one, look at thedy embarrassing him on the spot¡­" Kazimir continued to spectate as he was pretty intrigued by what the two were discussing with each other.


    "Wait¡­ brother¡­ why don''t they look like two lovers who have had a quarrel and just made up?"


    "Hmm, that was probably so¡­"


    "Did our brother scam us into thinking that he was yet to court thedy?!"


    "Most probably, we never know¡­ maybe they have been together for a long time."


    "What?! It means that Leon managed to pursue her with that paralyzed face of his?!!!"


    "Well¡­ maybe thedy''s taste also fits our brother''s appearance and personality perfectly."


    "Ermmm¡­ is that your brothers?" While Eli was hugging Leon, she could clearly hear the discussion of Antoine and Kazimir with her enhanced hearing.


    "Yeah, they followed me all the way here. They even helped me dress like this too." Leon answered, "Don''t mind them, they must be curious about us."


    "Are you sure¡­ they''re fine?" Eli wanted to look in their direction but she was not sure if it is fine to let the two know that they know their existence.


    As far as she knew, Leon''s rtionship with his brothers was like water and oil. However, since the war, she saw how the three worked together to rebuild the Empire.


    "Now that I think about it, I never knew much about your family other than His Majesty and the Second Queen," Eli mumbled.


    "Well, I can share that if thedy would want to ept my offer for dinner." Leon then lifted Eli''s hand and kissed it gently.


    With his manly gesture, Eli''s heart skipped a beat and it was almost like her chest was going to burst.


    ''Is this how it feels to have a man treat you with such care?''


    She could not help but remember the countless romantic stories she read and watched in the modern world. Ironically, it was time for her to experience it at this moment, and she felt like she was being lifted up to the sky andid on the fluffiest cloud.


    "It''s my honor to ept His Highness''s invitation." Eli then smiled as she replied to Leon''s proposal. She set aside what the public thought of her at the moment, all she thought was to spend time with Leon.


    "Oh.. about Little Han, don''t worry. I asked Rosea and the des to look after him, Olivier will alsoe over to guard them." Leon whispered, he knew that at one point, Eli would worry about their son.


    "Alright¡­ for today, I''ll only be with the dad!" Eli teasingly answered, making Leon''s cheeks flush with the hint of pink in his ears.


    ''Calling me as dad¡­ Ah¡­ it''s too much.'' He was so flustered that he wanted to pull Eli away and kiss her relentlessly, too bad there were so many eyes looking at them now, especially his brothers who were supposed to be home with their families at this time.


    "Then, shall we go, My Lady?" Leon still courteously bowed to invite Eli, stretching his hand out for Eli to take.


    "Lead the way, Your Highness." Eli smiled sweetly as she took Leon''s hand.


    Hand in hand they walked towards the main entrance of the campus, where the carriage was waiting.


    On that day, everyone on the campus witnessed how Eli was escorted with great care by the Third Prince of the empire, holding the bouquet of flowers that the prince had prepared.


    The scene was so magical and romantic that the students couldn''t help but dream for themselves a situation like this too!


    "Let''s go!" Antoine then pulled Kazimir to follow Leon but the other party didn''t budge. "What''s the matter?"


    "I''ll have to go home¡­ My wife is waiting." Kazimir answered while looking at the two lovers happily moving on their way. "Let''s go to the flower shop on the way."

 Chapter 343 Date

    ?Riding the carriage, Eli silently watched the lively scene from the city as they went to the pce where Leon arranged for their dinner.


    Throughout the time of their rtionship, Leon has been someone who liked to surprise Eli a lot. From the time they entered the capital until today, Eli felt like Leon had been giving a lot in their rtionship more than hers.


    Realizing it, Eli felt anxious as she knew that love is always how to give and how to take. But then, she felt like she was always the one who receives the most in this rtionship.


    "What''s on your mind? Are you still anxious about the gossip?" Leon did not fail to detect Eli''s unease as his eyes never left her face.


    "N-nothing¡­ My mind just wanders from here and there." Eli shook her head to make Leon be at ease.


    Leon scooted to the other side of the carriage seat and leaned closer to Eli.


    His hands pulled her close as he rested his head on the top of her head, her scent was filled with the woody, vani-vored scent of the books and scrolls in her office, and yet it still intoxicates him as long as it was Eli.


    "I know you have something on your mind¡­ would you want to share?" Leon did not intend to force Eli to tell him what bothers her, but he wanted Eli to know that he was just all ears whenever she needed someone to talk to.


    "Sigh¡­ I just feel like I was not giving enough in our rtionship. That it was always you who gives and that I was not working hard enough to show you my feelings¡­" Eli looked at Leon''s sincere expression and could not help but open up her heart.


    "What happened today, the gossip that appeared out of nowhere made me realize that even more."


    "That''s not true¡­ and even if it is I don''t mind at all¡­" Leon shook his head gently as he caressed Eli''s hand and kissed it tenderly.


    "What was important to me is that we love each other¡­ I won''t demand anything from you other than your love. All others were just a bonus for me.


    Knowing you are there for me, that I have you and Little Han wait for me at home, is all I need.


    In fact, it was me who felt guilty, because I never let you experience the things that the other couples do out there. Even this date that we have, is something that was nned on the spot."


    Leon consoled Eli and hugged her tight, in fact, he wanted to kiss her sweetly but he saw that they were almost at their destination.


    "Eli, My love¡­ Can we still start like how the other couples do?


    Let''s do those dates, pics... I''ll bring you to the opera, see the night festivals and bring you flowers... Would you want to experience those things with me too?"


    Eli stared at Leon''s question, but looking at his expression that genuinely wanted to give his best for the two of them, she let out a light chuckle and replied, "As long as my man wants to, I will happily oblige."


    ''My man¡­'' Leon''s heart skipped a beat, Eli was really someone who could easily stir his heart with just a word.


    ''Earlier, she referred to me as ''dad'' now she was calling me his man.''


    ''Ha¡­ I was supposed to be the one who would make her heart flutter at the moment, yet why was I the one getting flustered?''


    Leon closed his eyes, trying to calm down and let the heat around his face subside. As he did, the carriage slowed down and finally came to a stop.


    "Are we here?" Eli was about to turn to look into the window to take a sneak peek into the location but Leon covered her eyes.


    "You must not peek¡­ Would you close your eyes and allow me to lead you to the ce?" Leon leaned closer and told Eli these words in a whisper.


    The warm air from his words tickled Eli''s ears sending her goosebumps over her body. His sultry maic voice tightened her chest making her hold her breath to ensure that she could contain her emotions.


    None of them knew how one simple gesture from each other could cause a wave of emotions in their hearts and yet they were still anxious about each other''s feelings.


    "Lead the way, Your Highness." Eli smiled as she closed her eyes as Leon gently guided her out of the carriage with great care.


    Upon stepping out of the carriage, Eli felt the gentle wind blowing around the two of them and the faint floral smell carried by the wind.


    "Slowly¡­" Leon led her to the ce, where the smell of flowers became much more evident and there was also a soft sound of flowing water from a distance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When Eli could feel that they were no longer stepping on a cobblestone path but a soft grass patch, Leon''s voice sounded, "We''re here¡­My Lady can open her eyes."


    Eli slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the calmke that mirrored the full moon and the starry skies.


    Around them were patches of flower beds that emitted a soft fragrance that made Eli''s mood feel at ease and rxed.


    Down from theke was a gazebo, because of the dark, she could not see what was there, but she could figure out that the dining area was there.


    Leon smiled and snapped his fingers. In an instant, countless little sparkles of light appeared from around them and around theke.


    To see that it was magical was an understatement, it was marvelous.


    The nearby trees that surrounded the forest were all lit up by a goldntern which now turned the silveryke into a colorful one.


    "This¡­ beautiful!" Eli''s obsidian eyes perfectly reflected the golden twinkle around her surroundings.


    She was even more impressed with how theke transformed, it was like Leon brought the stars down on the ground!


    "Do you like it, my Lady?" Leon held her hand and bowed, kissing it once again like a charming gentleman relentlessly wooing his love.


    "Yes! I really liked it!" Eli did not hide her pleased expression, she smiled as she stepped closer to Leon hugging him in a cheery manner.


    Leon froze at Eli''s sudden gesture. Ever since Eli birthed Little Han, she rarely showed her childish and cheery side to people.


    Perhaps, it was due to the fact that she had been pushed to grow her strength and fight that the people around her had almost forgotten that Eli was once a person who could also be optimistic at times.


    But oftentimes, she was an overthinker, a habit that Leon was helpless in dealing with. However, he loved her entire being, even her weakness.


    "Then, shall we head down for dinner?" Leon let out a light chuckle as he escorted her down to the gazebo, where neatly dressed servants were waiting to serve them a meal.


    "Greetings, Your Highness, Third Prince. Greetings My Lady, Eli." The servants bowed elegantly as they respectfully greeted the two.


    Leon did not sit right away as he was the one who pulled the chair out for Eli and took her schrly robe, revealing a neat flowy dress underneath.


    As she sat in her seat, Leon and the servants fell into a daze, for the dress that she wore fit perfectly in the flowery background. She was like the deity of the night, with her ck obsidian eyes and smooth long hair trailing down her dress.


    "Beautiful!" Leon could not help but utter loudly.


    Eli was startled as Leon suddenlyplimented her in front of the servants whom she was yet to know. "L-let''s eat¡­ I guess?" She tried to divert the conversation hoping that Leon would not try to tease her more.


    And so, their magical dinner date started. As they were enjoying the food, a string quartet appeared and yed a romantic nocturne livening up their night.


    Meanwhile, back in the particr humble cottage in the Silver Dew Forest, a certain young master was sitting grumpily with his hands crossed like an old man.


    He looked usingly at Olivier, Baobao, and the rest as they looked so anxious and afraid of him, who was just not more than a year old.


    "Little Master¡­ His Highness and Madam were still outside, but don''t worry, they''lle back soon¡­" Genos tried to appease the pouting young master who apparently has been waiting since thete afternoon for his parents.


    "No no! Mommi! Daddi!" Little Han frowned and pped his chubby little hand on the cushioned mat, demanding answers for his parents'' whereabouts. And yet the adults were refusing to give him an answer.


    This made Little Han more frustrated, as he could not express himself other than the words he already knew how to speak, "Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­ wahhh!"


    "Ah¡­ young master, please don''t cry~~" Thus, the bunch had to endure another round of crying from the little master as he was still unable to see his parents even though it was already time for him to listen to mommy''s music.

 Chapter 344 In The Future

    ?After dinner, Leon and Eli stood by the crystalke, watching the moon and the stars shine brightly.


    "Was the food to your liking, my Lady?" Leon took Eli''s cloak again and gently covered her from the back, his arms wrapped around her waist as he leaned close to feel her warmth.


    "Indeed, howe you know of my taste in detail? I am really amazed, Your Highness." Eli teasingly replied. Only the two of them knew that they knew each other''s preference because they have been living together.


    Leon let out a light chuckle, "I wonder too¡­"


    "Things like this, it''s nice to experience more often. I never knew that there are ces like this that are beyond beautiful¡­" Eli looked at theke that mirrored the starry skies.


    She touched Leon''s arms that were wrapped around her waist and caressed it tenderly, "Thank you for bringing me here, Leon."


    "In the future, there will be more like this. When everything is in ce, let''s take a look at the beautiful ces around Prasinos. You and I, our child¡­ together." Leon whispered as held her tighter. He leaned down and kissed her cheeks.


    "I look forward to a future with you, my Love¡­" Eli closed her eyes to feel Leon''s warmth as she touched his cheeks closer to his.


    The picture of two people deeply in love under the moonlight, not minding the problems and the turmoils that may happen in the future.


    For a moment, they just focused on their present, where they had each other.


    ¨C


    Eli and Leon still ended their dinner date quite early, as they knew that Little Han might still be awake.


    Teleporting into the cottage, the first thing that they noticed was the sound of crying and the anxious voices of the bunch who was trying to appease him.


    "Nuuuuu! Waaaaah! Mommi! Daddi!!!" Little Han rolled on the plushie yground as he wiggled his feet and hands.


    "..." Eli and Leon were dumbfounded, this was the first time they saw Little Han throw a tantrum.


    "Ah, Master! Madame! You are finally here¡­ the young master has been crying hard because he was looking for the two of you." Baobao and the des finally noticed their presence. They looked at the couple as if they had found their savior.


    "Baby¡­" Eli immediately rushed towards the crying Little Han while Leon followed closely.


    She remembered that Little Han had a tendency to hurt his throat while he was crying too much. Hearing that it happened again, she immediately scooped him in her arms and appeased him lovingly.


    "Sush¡­ my little love. Mommy and Daddy are here, sorry for making you wait."


    "Hmm¡­ *sniff* Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­ *sniff*" Little Han immediately calmed down upon realizing that Eli had already carried him to her embrace.


    "We''re really sorry, Madame, Master¡­ We tried to carry him to let him calm down but he vigorously wiggled. We were afraid that he would hurt himself and so we opted to let him be on the cushioned mat of the yground¡­" Olivier reported rather guiltily. "A-also¡­ he refused to eat his dinner nor he did not take any milk¡­"


    "No worries, thank you for putting up with Little Han. I''m sorry for troubling you guys." Eli looked at them gratefully as Leon also dismissed them early for sleep.


    "I''ll take Little Han to the bedroom to change his clothes. Would you like to prepare his dinner?" Leon looked at the mother and son, before suggesting calmly.


    "Would you be alright? You have been so busy today¡­" Eli looked at Leon worriedly, aside from his Imperial duties, she knew that Leon also took the effort to organize the date today. She thought that Leon would want to retire early to bed after a long day.


    "No, it''s fine. Besides, it''s our son." Leon shook his head as he smiled gently. He stretched out his arms towards Little Han which the little bun sheepishly epted.


    "Alright then, it would be toote if Little Han would eat a full meal, I''ll just whip something light for him before bedtime." Eli nodded and immediately went to the kitchen.


    Meanwhile. Leon brought Little Han into the bedroom and carefully changed Little Han''s clothes. After that, he pulled a chair and sat in front of the little guy who was still looking down sheepishly like a guilty child.


    "..."


    "..."


    The two were in awkward silence as they stared at each other.


    "Daddi¡­ souweee¡­" Little Han still hung his head low, too embarrassed to meet his dad''s stare.


    "*hic* Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­ Johann miss¡­ *hic*" As he sat on his crib, he tried to exin himself with his limited vocabry. Soon his tears started to fall down again as he cried with guilt.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon remained calm as he watched his son''s crying. If he could be honest, Johann was the exact opposite during his childhood.


    Although both of them seemed to have mature minds beyond their age, Leon was the type who chose to hold it in and take everything for himself. As for Little Han, he would try to express himself as much as possible.


    This difference alone made Leon think twice as he interacted with his son. Sometimes he was hesitating on how to treat him as he knew what it feels like to be a gifted child.


    But then Eli would always remind him that no matter how Little Han appeared to be more intelligent than his peers, he was still a one-year-old child.


    He still has things he could not understand.


    He still had a lot of things to learn from the adults around him.


    "Don''t cry¡­" He stood up and took Little Han from the crib. He then let the little bun sit on hisp as he gently wiped his tears. "It''s mommy and daddy who is sorry for not letting Little Han know that we will bete."


    "My son, your mommy, and daddy have a lot of things to do¡­ Because we want a safe ce for you and for the family."


    "Maybe in the future, we will be busier than before¡­ but we are trying our best not to leave you behind. So... I''m sorry if mommy and daddy cannot be with you as often as before."


    "But know that mommy and daddy love you to the heavens. We really do."


    "If we could, we will stay in this cottage and be with you until you grow up¡­ But we really couldn''t."


    "So, will Johann forgive mommy and daddy today?"


    Leon knew that Little Han might not even understand what he was saying. But as he has already decided in his heart how he will care for Little Han moving forward, he will not get tired ofmunicating things to him properly so that he would understand someday.


    "Daddi wuv Johann?" Little Han looked at Leon with his bright crystal blue eyes finally looking at him.


    Leon could not help but smile, his little son who was gifted by the heavens to bring him and Eli together. How could he not dearly love him? In fact, why would he even need a reason to love his child?


    "Yes, Daddy loves you dearly. Mommy loves you too¡­" He patted his son''s head as he replied sincerely.


    "Jiheehee¡­" Little Han seemed to have been satisfied with his words as he giggled with contentment. Then he stretched his chubby arms and hugged Leon with all his might, "Johann, wuv Daddi!"


    "How about me?" Eli happened to witness the heartwarming scene and teased the father and son.


    "Johann wuv Mommi!" Little Han looked at Eli and smiled happily, then he leaned over to kiss Eli sweetly on her cheeks.


    "Alright little one, time for your dinner." Eli then took over and had Leon finally go and take a shower to refresh himself.


    Leon''s heart was overflowing with joy and contentment as he saw his little family doing well even when they were not on the luxurious castle walls. In the future, he hopes that their rtionship will grow deeper.


    When the time to sleep came, Leon looked at Little Han who was now looking at him with pleading eyes.


    Little Han was standing in the crib, with his hands on the rail, he wore a pitiful expression as he looked at Leon then at the big bed that He and Eli shared every night, then at Leon again. "Daddi¡­." He pleadingly called his attention.


    Leon found it hard to decline his request, it was his fault in the first ce why Little Han cried a lot today.


    And so with a helpless sigh, he took Little Han out from the crib and ced it at the bedside. Then he also took his favorite pillow in tow.


    "Oh, we are sleeping together?" Eli, who had just finished showering, looked at the father and son who were now preparing the bed. She immediately ran towards the two to join the fun.


    "Your hair is wet, I''ll dry it first." Leon worriedly looked at Eli who wanted to sleep excitedly.


    "Alright then¡­" Seeing that Leon had already taken a towel to dry her hair, Eli allowed her to do what he wanted.


    When Little Hand saw this, he also stood up and took his little nket and tried to try a portion of Eli''s hair too.


    Thus the father and son worked together to dry Eli''s long silky ck hair before they went to sleep.

 Chapter 345 Governor And Grandmasters Return

    ?When Emperor Valentin managed to fully recover, he did not dy any further and proceeded to join the council meetings immediately.


    Most of the matters raised were not rming for him to personally move, however, the main concern in the past few days was the visiting of the Main Temple envoys to take the traitors away and the hosting of the Grand Tournament of the three continents.


    With these two major events happening in about six months, Emperor Valentin found it hard to decide hastily how they would go about the matters. And so he opted to wait for the Grandmasters Reuben and Andvari, as well as his brother, the Governor of the North, Fidel.


    Three dayster, the Emperor along with the three princes, Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon waited in the Sun tower to wee Grandmasters Reuben, Andvari, and Governor Fidel. Along with the key officers from the council, they stood patiently in front of the teleportation tform.


    Some of the nobles could not help but whisper among themselves, how the Emperor was not even anxious to use the teleportation array when they knew that the Empire had limited resources of mana stone.


    Leon, who could hear their conversation, just shrugged indifferently. The guardians immediately pulled him aside during the visit to their realmst time and made him get as many supreme mana stones as he can.


    "C''mon prince, dig some more! You will never know when your family will be in great need of these stones." He remembered Guardian Zale conjuring a shovel and a sack as he handed it over to Leon. Then he pointed to theke which had countless mana stones around.


    He could never forget how dumbfounded he appeared to be when he told him that.


    Now, Guardian Zale''s words were proven to be true as they needed the stones at this moment to increase the mobility of the East and West clearing teams.


    The Empire could not afford to wait for them to travel bynd because there would be two major events that were about to happen in six months.


    Not long after, the teleportation array finally reacted and a bright green light started to flood all around the Sun Tower.


    When the light finally subsided, Grandmaster Reuben and the West Retaliation Team finally emerged from the array, with their valiant uniforms as they stood straight and proud. Behind them were the culprits that had to be subjected to trials by the Main Temple.


    "On behalf of the Seirende Empire, we greet you with the greatest honor and thanks, Grandmaster Reuben and the entire West Retaliation Army. Congrattions on your victory!" Emperor Valentin saluted as he led his people to wee Grandpa Ben''s team.


    "En¡­ thank you for your warm wee. Has the East team arrived?" Grandmaster Reuben responded as he looked around to find his old friend and their counterpart.


    "Grandmaster, they have yet to arrive, probably in around five minutes." Emperor Valentin respectfully replied.


    "Then I shall wait with you." Grandmaster Reuben decided. In an orderly manner, the troops went down on the tforms with the captives in tow. The knights on the Emperor''s side also assembled to assist in securing them.


    A few minutester, the teleportation array reacted again and this time, Governor Fidel, Grandmaster Andvari, Randel, and the East Retaliation troops finally arrived in the capital.


    Emperor Valentin also led in weing the team, especially his brother, whom he had not seen ever since he decided to exile in the north.


    Governor Fidel stood tall as he looked simr to Emperor Valentin with only a few years younger. He looked at his elder brother with a nostalgic smile.


    "Long time no see, Your Majesty." He greeted him back politely.


    "I finally saw you after all these years. Wee back to the Capital, Fidel." Emperor Valentin smiled as he gave his brother a bear hug.


    "Are they the well-known princes, my nephews?" Governor Fidel took a long look at the three princes. He was deeply surprised upon seeing them.


    "Indeed." Emperor Valentin smiled happily, then he proceeded to introduce them to their uncle.


    The wee was rather simple yet the people who attended were the most prominent people in the empire. Thus it could be said that it was the highest honor for the troops who had arrived to be personally weed by them.


    Before they proceeded to the wee banquet, the two troops had to proceed to the Court of Sinners to put the captives into jail.


    The Court of Sinners had been modified and enhanced by the joint effort of Leon and the Temple in order to ensure that their security is of the same quality as the one in the temple dungeons. With this, the Imperial Family and the officials were also relieved to let traitors be jailed there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "There were a lot of discussions on how we will have to deal with these culprits but they were all put aside when the Main Temple stepped in." Emperor Valentin told Governor Fidel as they traveled toward the court.


    "Then that means that whether they keep them alive, kill them or just punish them through exile¡­" Governor Fidel looked at Emperor Valentin with surprise on his face.


    Emperor Valentin''s expression went dark as he nodded his head and replied, "Yes¡­ we can''t say anything. Nor can we influence the kind of punishment they would even receive."


    "At most, what we could do ispile the evidence that we managed to gather to condemn them impably." Emperor Valentin dered.


    While the Empire was finally consolidating all the traitors in one ce, on the other side of Prasinos, in the Vanderford Castle, a certain man whozily sat on the throne once again summoned his official.


    "Have we gotten any information about the Seirende Empire?" His voice sounded familiar.


    If Eli was around she would immediately recognize the voice as the owner of the Spirit Fragment.


    "Our spies have been totally wiped out in the empire. The most we can do is to see the surveince crows who could only transmit images on our side." The cloaked man kneeling before the throne reported dutifully.


    "Luckily, the nearby kingdoms and the Green Wave Continent agreed with our motion to force the Seirende to open their gates. With this, we can finally have an opportunity to infiltrate that empire again and look for the pdin."


    "Does the council still believe that the Pdin is in the Empire? Didn''t they receive the information of the Pdin''sst miracle?"


    "My Lord, they do but they could not take Seirende off the list just because of that."


    "Alright then, the Grand Tournament might be the best course of action. How were our new vessels?"


    "The new vessels have already started their training in the Cuervo Duchy. However, they were a little bit hard to manage because of their haughty behaviors." The hooded official reported.


    "Hmm¡­" Lord Raven yed with the jewels in his hands, one of them was an amethyst stone that shone brightly almost like the Ves''s purple eyes.


    Remembering the Vess, an eerie smirk appeared on his face as he finally replied, "I think it is time to crush their spirits to build a new one. Have the siblings know of their family''s demise in the Seirende Empire."


    "Let''s see if they could still hold their heads up high upon knowing the news. I do not need a vessel I could not control. If they still would not submit then have them killed." Lord Raven ordered.


    "I will do as you said, your Highness, Lord Raven."


    "How many times do I have to say¡­ Duke Cuervo¡­" Suddenly, Lord Raven, who waszily sitting on the throne, stood up. His dark purple hair flowed like a river in his slender shoulders as his blood-red eyes looked displeased towards the hooded official who was actually Duke Cuervo.


    "In this castle, you must not call me by the name Raven¡­" He suddenly transformed into another man, bearing the same features as that of the Vess. However, his amethyst eyes were much purer than Carolina or any other Ves in Seirende.


    He stood in front of the kneeling Duke Cuervo just a few steps away from him as he said with a devilishly threatening tone, "In this castle my name is Magnus¡­ Magnus Amir Vanderford, the ''crown prince of the Vanderford Empire!"


    "Yes, your Highness Crown Prince!" Duke Cuervo shuddered as he did not dare to lift his head upon knowing that Lord Raven approached him.


    It was just a few years ago that he discovered that the Crown Prince actually had two personas. Due to that, he had no choice but to pledge allegiance to the prince even though he knew that involving him would be extremely dangerous.


    But what was more dangerous than having to lose his dear life?


    And so, he chose to be a faithful servant of the Crown Prince''s true identity, Lord Raven, leader of the sinister organization - the Spectre!

 Chapter 346 Victory Banquet (1)

    ?The victory banquet for the West and East retaliation territories was held rathervishly.


    This is also to give all those who participated in the war appreciation and recognition for their efforts and sacrifices.


    And so this also became a venue for the sons and daughters of the noble families who had been long suppressed by the Ves''s faction to stand out and socialize with other families.


    A great change in the aristocratic forces was expected to form especially now that a major yer in politics was now eliminated.


    The target for the new faction that was forming was actually the Third Prince, who, ironically, now had the strongest qualification to be the Crown Prince.


    The nobles were now scrambling to get on his good side however, even after a month of persuasion, Third Prince Leon still hasn''t shown interest in fighting for the throne.


    Thus, the nobles who were disappointed by theck of movement from the Third Prince now convened and thought of a way to entice the Third Prince into entering the politicalpetition - that is through marriage.


    Thus, it could not be more obvious that the aristocrats bringing their daughters to the victory banquet was for the Third Prince to be interested in one of them.


    "When His Majesty Emperor and Their Highness marchedter, remember to try your best in getting the attention of His Highness Third Prince." A count from a noble family repeatedly warned her daughter before they got off the carriage.


    "But Father¡­ I heard that the Third Prince was actually pursuing the great inventor¡­" His lovely daughter, dressed like an innocent princess shining with the rarest jewels they could find, replied in reluctance.


    "You do not need to worry about that. Although the great inventor has the support of the GrandMasters and their family, the Emperor might have to think twice about letting his precious son marry thedy." The count looked around and told his daughter with a hushed tone.


    "Why so father?" Curious as to why the most talenteddy in the Empire might not cut it to the Imperial Family, the daughter listened with interest.


    "At the end of the day, the Great Inventor, Lady Eli was still ofmoner blood. Even if she was now officially taken by the Forgeworns in their genealogy and dered as a god daughter of the Faraulds, her origins still have to be questioned." The count crossed his arms as he told the tale with confidence.


    "To add to that, knowing that the Third Prince himself was also of questionable origin with the Second Queen''s status, the purity of the royal blood might be much weaker. The Emperor would have to think twice because of that." The count continued with a satisfied smirk on his face.


    "So you mean¡­ even if the prince wanted thedy, the first to object to their rtionship was His Majesty Emperor himself?" The daughter of the count opened her intricate fan to hide the excited smile on her lips as she slowly understood her father''s words.


    "That''s right! So my beautiful daughter, as soon as you step into the ballroom, it will be a war amongst the otherdies of the nobility. The genius inventor was not even a threat to you. Make sure that you will stand out in the crowd."


    This kind of conversation was not only present in the count''s family. All other nobles who were eyeing the potential of the Third Prince''s power were having such intentions.


    Magical, grandiose, and lively.


    That was what everyone who entered the grand ballroom felt as soon as they stepped inside.


    The music from the orchestra made everyone in the mood to socialize and the wide array of food and refreshments as made it very conducive for the attendees to enjoy the banquet''s entirety.


    But among them was the silent war for the youngdies of the Empire.


    Dressed on the most colorful andtest trend for imperial ball gowns. Some even had their hair dyed ck and went as far as to order the entire array of ck hair fashion in order to catch the prince''s attention.


    Thedies stood gracefully dressed in mor as they threw each other praises with hidden knives under their words.


    The men watching them on the side could not help but shake their heads helplessly as theymented how women were fickle when ites to love and fame.


    Once they enjoyed gossiping about how barbaric and monstrous the Third Prince was and how they abhor having such a prince in the Empire. But now, they were fighting like cats and dogs in order to assert who among them had the highest chance of getting the prince''s attention.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hahaha¡­ how fickle¡­" A bachelor holding his ss of champagne watched the silent battle like he was watching an opera.


    "I know right? If only they knew that the Prince would most likely abhordies like them and was much more interested in intelligent and brilliant women like Lady Eli." Another onemented.


    "Well¡­ if I were the Prince, I would also prefer that kind of woman. At least I won''t have to worry about the matters of my estate with a capable woman like her managing my household. How lucky would I be to have someone like her by my side, while I toil to make my future fief develop." An heir to a county alsomented.


    "Yes, now that you pointed that out. It seems like thedy is indeed a good catch. She had a beautiful countenance and a brilliant mind. Oh, speaking of the Lady, didn''t Young Master Anderson also be caught in the rumors with thedy?" This time a bachelor pulled the silent Anderson into the conversation.


    Everyone looked at the young heir of the Cross Family.


    As one of the known allies of the Ves family, Cross Family was now in an awkward position because of the matter. Fortunately, the current Count, Anderson''s father, was an upright man and has not tried to involve his family in any shady dealings with the Vess - except for the attempt to curry the favor of the Empress for Alicia''s sake.


    But all in all, the Cross Family, was one of the few allied families who survived the purge.


    Anderson calmly sipped his wine as he maintained a sharp expression. He then looked at the man who threw the question and replied straightforwardly,


    "The rumors are baseless. The reason why I escorted her in the first ce was because of the fact that thedy was a close friend of my elder sister. There''s nothing more to it."


    "I see then¡­ Now that you have mentioned it, the Great Inventor was really close to Lady Alicia. Is it because they were from the same institute?" The others shrugged and felt the sh on Anderson''s eyes that was warning them not to make any more rumors between him and Eli.


    "Well, that seemed to be the case. My elder sister has quite a strong personality, and it made me surprised to find out that she actually managed to have a friend." Anderson replied seeing that the guys were sensible, his demeanor also calmed down.


    Just as the conversation continued, the music suddenly changed from a typical symphony into a majestic one, signaling the entrance of the most important people in the hall.


    "Announcing the presence of His Majesty Emperor and the Imperial Family!" Chambein''s voice rang in the hall the moment the music and the bustle stopped.


    Instantly all eyes were on the center at the far end of the hall where the Imperial Family was supposed to show up and descend.


    The first one to enter was of course Emperor Valentin, following closely behind him were First Queen Lucia and the Second Queen Teh.


    Then they were followed by the entrance of Kazimir with Arielle beside him as they walked slowly with their hands interlocked with each other. It was as if they were a newly wedded couple as they entered the banquet hall, with their shy expressions yet full of affection.


    After their entrance, it was time for Antoine and Evelyn''s turn. With matching clothes that sang the same song, they looked like a couple happily in love with each other as if they had not yet gotten over their honeymoon.


    Seeing the two princes show their love to their respective wives in different ways. The nobledies started to imagine themselves walking beside the Third Prince Leon, gracefully walking hand in hand with him with all eyes looking at them with envy and amazement.


    However, when Leon''s entrance was announced, their hearts were instantly disappointed.


    The noblemen who ced their hopes upon their daughters felt like their wines became bitter in an instant.


    For the Third Prince entered the hall with a graceful and beautiful woman beside him.


    Walking hand in hand, with the Third Prince''s cold and distant expression and the Lady''s elegant and striking countenance, they looked like a power couple - made for each other!


    The onlookers almost felt their hearts stop as the couple descended like supreme deities in the mortalnd.


    Leon and Eli walked side by side, without feeling any nervousness as if it was natural for them to appear together at this moment!

 Chapter 347 Winter Banquet (2)

    ?"T-this¡­ it can''t be!" The noblemen could not help but murmur among themselves upon realizing that Eli had entered the hall with the same prestige and introduction as the others.


    ''The Imperial Family'' was the description used by the chambein which could only prove one thing.


    The Emperor has approved of the rtionship between Third Prince Leon and Great Inventor Eli!


    "Contain yourselves and do not cause a ruckus. Even with the gesture of the entrance, it could not mean any real thing until the formal announcement." A senior member of the brewing faction calmed his allies.


    "Y-yes... Yes. The Count is wise!" The members of the faction wiped their nervous sweat and agreed with their senior''s advice.


    Meanwhile, thedies looked rather constipated as they saw Eli standing elegantly with her striking gaze befitting of a dazzling queen.


    There wasn''t any formal announcement yet, but their hearts could not help but resent the fact that she went ahead of them.


    The only thing they could do is to try to hide the annoyance on their faces as they shot a re in Eli''s direction with their teeth grinding in envy.


    From Eli''s position, she could feel the piercing gazes from every part of the ballroom.


    But who was Eli?


    She had interacted with countless stern personalities and made them believe in her ideas and proposals in the modern world.


    How could she cower with mere gazes?


    And so holding Leon''s hand, she stood proud and unwavering while Leon looked at her with gentleness and care.


    "My Lady, would you like to dance with me?" Leon bowed as he took Eli''s hand, kissing it gently.


    "It would be my pleasure, Your Highness." Eli looked at Leon with her eyes smiling sweetly.


    They stepped into the dance floor and moved along with the rhythm of the music. As if their bodies are one, their graceful figures hypnotized the crowd, as if they were witnessing the couple profess their love and affection through their movements.


    Leon was like the wind, carrying the flower, Eli with his swift yet careful movements. Eli''s flowy silver dress matched Leon''s blue suit with silver embroideries.


    Leon was like the sky embracing the twinkle of the star, Eli as it shined the entire evening for everyone in the hall. The look on their faces was telling everyone who was watching them how they were meant for each other.


    "Whew~ Look at that!" Antoine nudged Kazimir with a teasing smile, he was looking at Leon who was behaving unusually in their eyes. "When did he ever learn to be such a gentleman?!"


    Kazimir rolled his eyes and sternly replied, "When you are with the woman you love, aren''t you also bound to put your best foot forward for her? Isn''t that what you exactly did when you finally proposed to Princess Consort Evelyn?"


    The two continued to bicker, not minding the blushing faces of Arielle and Evelyn. Both men talked about how many times they went against their nature for their wives.


    The two consorts could not help but feel a flush on their cheeks as they also could vividly remember those romantic scenes their respective husbands did to get their affection.


    "Eherm¡­" Finally, the two brothers caught the shy reactions of their wives as they awkwardly cleared their throats to stop their conversation.


    Exchanging a meaningful nce with each other, they invited their wives onto the dance floor.


    The entire banquet hall seemed to have stopped as their attention was captured by the three princes dancing happily with their respective partners.


    "Are you not joining your sons?" Governor Fidel greeted Emperor Valentin who was watching with contentment upon the harmony between his sons.


    "As you can see, I cannot appear to only dance just one of them¡­" Emperor Valentin looked at Queen Lucia and Teh who also answered Governor Fidel with a nod of understanding.


    "That is such a simple problem, let me help you then! It''s not rare for brothers-inw to share a dance with their sisters-inw anyways." Governor Fidel chuckled helplessly as he suggested.


    The three gave him permission before Governor Fidel went in front of Queen Lucia.


    He bowed and let out his hands as he politely asked for Queen Lucia''s permission for a dance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When the music changed, he and Lucia, along with Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh stepped onto the dance floor and joined their sons in the dance.


    When the waltz changed the melody the two brothers also exchanged partners. Now the entire Imperial Family was actually dancing in the ballroom with smiles on their faces.


    Such a rare and beautiful sight.


    Even the elders who were in the hall could not help but express their amazement as they never witnessed in their lives a scene such as this.


    This moment also gave a clear message to everyone, that the Imperial Family was now working as one, and that the previous discord in their family no longer existed.


    Just as the Empire stood up and recovered from the war, so was the Imperial Family and their rtionship with each other.


    After the dance, Emperor Valentin called for the three princes for a meeting with Governor Fidel, the Grandmasters as they wanted to take this time to hear the report from the investigation from the east.


    On the women''s side, Queen Teh, Queen Lucia, Ariel, and Evelyn went into the lounge to also take a break.


    But before they do so, they looked at Eli who remained standing in the banquet hall. Eli knew that she was yet to be recognized as part of the Imperial Family and so she decided to not act as if she had already assumed her ce in the family.


    However, the women thought otherwise.


    Queen Teh was the one who took the lead in calling her into the lounge to join them. "Young Lady Eli,e and join us in the lounge. I know that dancing with The Third Prince is tiring so why not take a break with us?"


    "Ah, Her Highness¡­ I don''t dare to be brazen and join Your Highnesses in the royal lounge! I am fine joining the ones prepared for the guests." Eli politely declined Queen Teh''s offer.


    "No, don''t think like that, Lady Eli. Tonight, Leon brought you as her partner and so you have the right to join us in the lounge regardless of the formalities." Queen Teh gently shook her head as she replied with pleading in her eyes.


    "That''s right Lady Eli,e and join us." Queen Lucia also seconded, while Arielle and Evelyn nodded as they looked at her with encouraging expressions.


    "Then, I must ept Your Highnesses'' offer. This humble one will remember your graces." Eli no longer declined their suggestion as it was already the two queens who spoke up. Also, it was rather impolite to repeatedly reject a royalty''s offer in public.


    The women smiled as they took Eli away from the banquet. The happiest was Queen Teh who even hooked her arms to Eli and leaned over her shoulders as if she was already long familiar with her.


    To the rest of the women in the Imperial Family, it was rather a pleasant sight as they have no personal grudges or dislike towards Eli.


    The actions of the queens and princess consorts were all witnessed by everyone in the hall. Once again there was another great wave of discussion on how amiable the Imperial Family was treating Eli.


    Spections and denial were circted among the social circles. There''s a delight for some, and amusement for the others but for those who have been aiming for the vacant position as the Third Prince''s wife, it was a mix of disappointment and anxiousness.


    But the women didn''t mind these discussions. They also expect Eli not to take the gossip into her heart.


    For if she happened to really enter the Imperial Family, these are one of the things she needed to resist and try to live with. Rumors, gossip, nder, and all sorts of plots are not umon inside the pce walls.


    Attacks maye from anywhere, they maye from outside the pce or they can appear directly inside. Nevertheless, this is something thates with the fact that they are a member of the Imperial Family.


    "Lady Eli, I''ve been looking forward to the day I would be able to meet you and have a talk like this!" Evelyn was like Antoine in terms of how she socialized with people.


    During her youth, she was the Rose of the High Society in the Seirende Empire, capable and dazzling that only a man at the level of a prince could match her prestige.


    She opened the conversation as they entered the lounge where the servants attentively served them tea and refreshments as they satfortably on their chairs.


    "Yes¡­ Lady¡­ would you want to tell me how you came up with the water pressure and heater device? Oh, you don''t know how much my maids were rejoicing when it was installed in the pce! It was truly a life saver!" Arielle also seconded.


    "Well it all started with my desire to have my life be much more convenient¡­ (because I was pregnant at that time¡­)"


    Eli then obliged to answer their questions generously as long as it won''t lead them to the exposure of Little Han.

 Chapter 348 Beautiful, Brave, Resilient

    ?"... and so I went on and dive into the books that I had at home, then immediately went to draw the very first concepts of the device.


    After that, I took the blueprint to Grandpa Andi who happened to be with Grandpa Ben at that time. They saw my work and became immediately interested.


    With their support, I was able to meet the people from the project team who helped me improve the blueprint and finally turn it into a reality.


    So all in all, the device could not be fully attributable to me, but to the entire project team." Eli exined the creation of the water pressure and heater device without a trace of pride or boast.


    She maintained a calm and level-headed expression which was her well-known demeanor as she narrated the tale like she was telling someone''s story.


    Queen Teh and Queen Lucia looked at her with approval, while Arielle and Evelyn looked at her with amazement and a little bit of envy.


    "You know what Lady Eli¡­ When I heard of your aplishment, I was envious. Because you made something out of yourself without even relying on other people. Your name spread out in the Empire purely through your ideas and inventions which helped the Empire a lot." Ariellemented with honesty.


    There was a trace of sadness in her eyes as she was reminded of how her past was. A scorned princess of the Vanderford Family, which was not even of noble origins. There was even a rumor that she was not even carrying the Vanderford blood.


    "Yes, I also feel the same. No offense to our Highness Queens, but oftentimes I felt like other than my noble background, my appearance, and my socializing skills, I hold no value to make myself known or be relevant.


    Am I just a child-bearer to my husband, which may be the next to the throne?


    Is that really where my worth lies?


    And even in the past when Antoine was rather preupied with thepetition, I felt lost and weak. I felt like a bird in a golden cage, who functions to only sing when my master is feeling down."


    It was a mystery how the initial bright and friendly atmosphere turned heavy when Arielle and Evelyn expressed their struggles.


    Fortunately, Queen Teh and Queen Lucia were open-minded people and so they allowed them to freely discuss their struggles as women of the Imperial Family.


    "Well, it is not wrong for you to feel such. To be honest as your elder, we also felt guilty about what kind of past you princesses have experienced." Queen Teh gently ced her tea cup down as she looked at the consorts gently.


    "With all the discord from our generation, it is to be expected that your generation would suffer because of our weaknesses." Queen Teh was talking about the internal strife between the wives of the emperor along with their sons.


    "Yes, I also feel responsible for this. It really gets me every time I think of the fact that I could have done things in other ways to make the situation better for you and for the Princes."


    Eli silently observed the women as she listened to their conversation. Although she knew that these topics were extremely personal, she opted not to distract them from taking their worries out in the open to release themselves from the pain.


    There was a long silence in the lounge, as the younger generation had already brought up their grievances while the elder generation took the me for what happened. But how was this supposed to settle then? The four women no longer knew how to proceed.


    And so Eli also ced her teacup down and broke the silence, "If I may have permission to speak of the Imperial Family''s matters¡­" She paused before looking at the four women waiting for their permission to continue further.


    Receiving their approval, Eli continued,


    "From what I see, there''s a time for everything. Even if I was put in the Queen''s or the Princess Consorts'' ces at that moment, I would be equally helpless. For the matter was as deep with arge force involved to take it down.


    But the moment the root cause has been dealt with, from an outsider''s eyes like mine, the hope and restoration for the harmony of the Imperial family started to bloom and flourish.


    So I think that the struggles and sufferings that Your Highnesses experienced were not without purpose. Instead, it has made you the kind of woman that you are right now in my and everyone''s eyes¡­"


    Eli looked at them with a gaze full of sincerity as she uttered her final words with great emphasis.


    "Beautiful, Brave and Resilient."


    Eli no longer needed more words to move the four women as she could already see their eyes starting to get teary and emotional.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Lady Eli''s words¡­ How could you make my heart feel so moved¡­" They all started to draw their handkerchiefs as they started with soft sniffles.


    "Ah, your highnesses! I didn''t mean to make anyone cry¡­" Eli looked at them helplessly. She was rather surprised that her words would trigger such emotions in the women.


    "It''s alright. Just let us be. It was very rare for us to have a moment like this. So do not take it to heart." Queen Lucia whose tears were flowing like a river replied.


    And so Eli sat silently as she let the women release the thorns that constricted their hearts.


    Eli''s words may seem simple and said with an intent to just convey her observation as an outsider. But for them, it was words of greatfort and affirmation.


    Comfort, that those times they struggled to find their purpose as women in the pce were all part of the process of making themselves better people.


    Affirmation, that all those years, their worth as a woman or even as a person did not even diminish but rather flourished into the woman they are now.


    Indeed Eli''s words were wise. There''s a time for everything.


    For now, the women also started to see clearly what their purposes were at the moment. They might not be as brilliant and as intelligent as Eli, nor they weren''t as physically strong as the female knights like Dame Aqu.


    But they could now clearly recognize their own strengths and have all thought about how they would capitalize on such.


    ¨C


    While the women were having a heart-to-heart conversation. It was rather tense and serious on the men''s side.


    With the pressure of the Temple and the rest of the three main continents, Emperor Valentin and the entire nobility were now having a hard time thinking of ways to approach matters carefully.


    The arrival of Governor Fidel and the Grandmasters also signified that they could no longer set the matters aside as they had to start thinking about the things to be done to prepare for these major events.


    The crucial thing for the Main Temple''s visit was the political implications that may arise from their intervention. As for the Grand Tournament, it would be a matter of security as the enemies might be able to infiltrate the Empire so freely.


    But before they start any move or make any decision, Emperor Valentin found that it was rather important for them to know the results of the investigation first and have a clear picture of how the movements of the Ves''s actually happened.


    Sitting at the long table with food served rather bountifully. The men looked at each other to signify the meeting disguised as a dinner amongst the most prominent men in the Empire.


    High Priest Enoch and General Farauld also joined the meeting at Emperor Valentin''s request as they had every right to know of the findings.


    "Before I start, First Prince, pardon for asking straightforwardly¡­ but is your heart and mind ready for the things that you are about to hear?" Governor Fidel looked at Kazimir whose body suddenly froze upon his reminder.


    Emperor Valentin, his brothers, and the rest looked at him worriedly. But seeing his father and brothers beside him, he took a deep breath as he met Governor Fidel''s gaze with determination.


    "I have decided to stand on my ground. Governor Fidel, I am also ready to hear what you have to say, regardless of what it may entail for my maternal family."


    "Alright. In this empire, every citizen will remember how you unrelentingly choose righteousness over personal matters." Governor Fidel looked at him with approval.


    After that, he looked at everyone and then at Emperor Valentin.


    Emperor Valentin waved his hands and in an instant, the door of the dinner hall locked and the window curtains closed. Then an istion array was activated ensuring that no spies nor anyone would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation from this point onwards.


    The food at the dinner table also disappeared as what reced them were pen and paper and a projection stone in the middle.


    "What we found in the investigation was actually greatly based on this book." Governor Fidel projected the image of the Ves''s genealogy book that he found under the Ves''s main estate.

 Chapter 349 Clue To The Vesalas Grudge

    ?"A genealogy?" Everyone looked at Governor Fidel and Grandmaster Andi in confusion.


    " Let''s hear it." Emperor Valentin nodded as he allowed his brother to continue his report.


    Governor Fidel nodded and continued his report;


    "We knew that the genealogy records of each n in the Seirende Empire were maintained by both the Imperial Registry and the ns themselves.


    However, the Genealogy records of the Ves n varied differently with what was dered in the Imperial Registry." He then controlled the projection stone to show two images of the copies of the registry.


    "Take a look at these two records which show the dered origin of the Vess¡­"


    "No!"


    "It can''t be!"


    The High Priest and the Grandmasters almost stood in their seats the moment they saw what was written in the genealogy records. Filled with disbelief as to Governor Fidel''s discovery.


    "I couldn''t believe it as well. It was a known fact in history that the founding family of the Ves came from only one lineage. However, the genealogy of the Vess had two heirs, active heirs. There was no record of his demise or descendants. He was just mentioned and disappeared like a bubble." Governor Fidel continued exining.


    "This the Grandmaster and I dug deeper into the matter, doing our best to verify the history from our founding fathers before we deem the information reliable.


    With the Emperor''s permission, we were able to retrieve information from the royal archives about the events that happened before the founding of the Empire.


    That led us to search for the memoirs of the First Victor. To tell you this, I felt like I was doing something useless by digging into his memoirs when everything has already been properly narrated by our history who had decades of years in analyzing the First Victor''s records.


    But then, we managed to stumble into a statement that seemed to be irrelevant to his memoirs -" After the lengthy exnation, Governor Fidel then shed a snippet of the First Victor''s memoirs during his reign.


    "Every time there would be a tribute made of the amethyst gemstone¡­ I pondered what caused our deep enmity with each other¡­


    In my heart, I could find no reason to wipe out his existence on the earth, even though he had done such an abominable thing.


    But I had no choice but to end his life for it is the right thing to do to protect the people. I feel bad for his children¡­ I heard that he had two sons, but too bad, I could only find one after the war had ended. Most probably the other one didn''t manage to survive."


    "The Vess already had a deep grudge against the Seirende Family even before the Empire''s founding. It was a shame that we do not have any records on who were the families that went against the First Victor'' for us to verify if it was the Vess whom he was pertaining to." Governor Fidel theorized.


    "What this means for all of us is the possibility that the Ves family residing in the Empire was a branch of the main family who disappeared somewhere¡­" Grandmaster Andi concluded.


    "But the Vess have been a loyal subject in the Empire. This was the main reason why they grew to be powerful and prosperous alongside the Imperial Family." Antoine furrowed in disbelief. How could a long-standing ally to the Empire stay silent for centuries without even attempting revenge?


    "Indeed, we cannot also reconcile the fact that the Vess never moved to threaten the Empire until the war broke out.'''' The others voiced their doubts too.


    "Well if you look into the chronological event of what has happened, it seems that the Vess only started to move after thete duke''s execution due to Carolina''s offense back then¡­ From here we could think of two possible reasons why they stayed silent.


    First was that the preceding heirs of the n were no longer interested in the Seirende grudge which was only reignited by thete duke''s execution.


    Or that they were still uncertain of their victory that is why they patiently waited for generations after generations to ensure that they could get the revenge they wanted." Governor Fidel looked at the others as they contemted deeply.


    "There''s another possible reason¡­." Leon raised his hands and shared his thoughts, "It may also be that they were waiting for someone who was strong enough to understand and wield the power of the curse that they believed would lead their family to victory."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "..." Upon hearing Leon''s hypothesis, the men in the room remained silent but they surely had a conclusion in their hearts.


    Especially the elders who were present during the time that Vess started to ''change''.


    What was more convincing was that all the misfortune happened the moment Carolina came back from her self exile in the Temple.


    "Have we found any trace of this so-called branch of the Ves Family?" Emperor Valentin asked as he rubbed his temples in distress.


    "Unfortunately no¡­ The information we have was not enough to bring us a clue. But I suspect that it had something to do with the Spectre. We may need to either interrogate the captives in order to extract information or to personally go outside the Empire and fish for some intel." Governor Fidel replied.


    "That is also why we invited His Eminence, High Priest, to ask for permission in interrogating the captives." Grandmaster Andi looked at the High Priest as he waited for his response.


    "I could allow it but with the supervision of the Temple¡­ However, you may not have enough time until the envoyse to the Empire in a few months." High Priest Enoch did not make it hard for them to open the interrogations.


    "Sigh¡­ indeed. Aside from this one, we have to prepare for the security of the Empire for the uing major events. With the matter of the curse still vaguely understood, I am not sure if we could host the event without experiencing any mishaps." Emperor Valentin sighed.


    "The Imperial Family, Council, the Temple, and even the Institute could no longer afford to take matters into their own hands as we will have to force ourselves to start preparing for the events," Kazimirmented.


    "Indeed." The men sighed in chorus.


    "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion¡­ Why not rmend someone as our respective representative in order to establish an Anti-Curse Committee?


    This council will beposed of the most talented, loyal, and reliable individuals who would work to study everything about the curse, how to detect it, how to counter it, and even how to prevent it from harming people." Grandmaster Reuben suggested.


    "I have no objection to this idea. What concerns me is that the matter of the curse might be leaked haphazardly if the representative we chose betrayed us." Surprisingly, it was Kazimir who was worried about someone betraying the empire like his mother and maternal family did.


    "Hmm¡­ it is actually a good idea. We can take the representatives to the temple and have them swear an oath governed by the guardians in order to ensure their loyalty. What do you say?" High Priest Enoch brushed his beard as he swept a nce to the men in the room.


    "We have already taken one step forward by finding out how to cure the curses inflicted on the victims. If establishing the council would also lead us to discover a way to fully detect and prevent it from ever harming people, then it would be a worthwhile investment." Grandpa Reuben also supported.


    The rest also nodded their heads in agreement as they looked at each other thinking of what to do.


    "Alright then. Tomorrow in the morning council, I will announce the establishment of the Anti-Curse Committee. Please also think of who to rmend to be a part of this endeavor. If this would be well received by the council then we willmission these people immediately." Emperor Valentin concluded.


    It was not that they needed the noble''s consent to formally establish the council. It is just that the Emperor believed that for the Anti-Curse Committee to be sessful, they have to have real authority in the Empire.


    Both themon people and the nobility have to recognize them and support them in whatever activities they have to do in order to deal with the matters of the curse.


    After discussing the other matters for the empire, the men finally proceeded to eat the feast that was prepared for them.


    Soon, these people who had unterally supported the creation and selection of the members of the Anti-Curse Committee would praise the heavens for allowing them to conceptualize this team.


    That is because, in the near future, the works and studies published by the Anti-Curse Committee will remain in history and would even be passed down from generation to generation.


    What''s more, the Anti-Curse Committee itself would be dubbed as the ''Curse to the Curse'' for they will move to render the curse users helpless with their works!

 Chapter 350 Hopes And Plots

    ?Days after the banquet there were two great waves of news that dominated the Empire.


    The first one was the announcement to establish the Anti-Curse Committee which would spearhead thebat of the Empire against the curse users and help the victims recover.


    Every noble gathering and even themoner''s topic on an idle chat was who would be the members that would be rmended by the greatest forces in the Empire.


    This will also signify that there will soon be a bnce in the authority since the Anti-Curse Committee would be the very first inclusive yet neutral oversight body in the Empire.


    Whether it was the temple, the imperial family, nobles, themoners, or even the foreign visitors inside the Empire, as long as one was involved in using the curse magic, the Anti Curse Committee will have the right to detain, apprehend and investigate it.


    Knowing this, every citizen of the Empire became hopeful that the matter of the curse would finally be eliminated in the Empire.


    Remembering that there was even a curse user in the Imperial Family (which was also once affiliated with the Temple), they felt relieved that not even the Temple nor the Imperial family would stop them from executing their duties when curse magic is involved.


    The second and the most talked-about topic in the Empire was the rumored love affair of the Third Prince and the Greatest Inventor of the Seirende Empire, Lady Eli!


    Who would have expected that the cold-blooded warlord would even approach ady to the point that he would even wait at the gates of the Farauld Research Institute just to ask thedy to dine with him?


    What''s more, thedy even appeared beside the Third Prince during the entrance of the Imperial Family! Everyone knew that not all could act as a femalepanion of the Prince in cases where the Imperial Family had to enter together in an official event.


    And so everyone spected that Lady Eli''s appearance with the rest of the members of the Imperial Family was an implication of the soon-to-be betrothal of the Third Prince and the Genius Inventor.


    There were mixed reactions to this news, however. Most of the noblewomen were displeased that they were about to lose the chance to be the bride of the now strongest and most eligible man in the Empire.


    The noblemen were also equally displeased as they knew that if the Third Prince marries the Genius Inventor, the Faraulds and the Forgeworns would finally have the power equivalent to the power of a ducal family.


    This would in turn signify the weakening of the aristocratic function as the Faraulds and Forgeworns weren''t even nobles. They initially obtained their high standing because of their specialties in business and education. Then they became formidable because of the Grandmasters.


    Now if an S-level mage, the Third Prince, marries the preciously adopted granddaughter of the two S-ss Grandmasters, then the two families'' reputation and value would skyrocket inevitably.


    In a secret gathering of the noble factions that aimed to affiliate with the Third Prince, there was an intense discussion.


    "How can we influence the Third Prince to stop his rtionship with Lady Eli?" They all furrowed their brows in frustration.


    They used the word ''influence'' not ''pressure'' because they knew that no one could pressure an S-ss Mage.


    Leon would only need the acknowledgments from the living Grandmasters in Prasinos before he would obtain the title of ''Grandmaster'' himself.


    Upon gaining the title, his responsibility and authority would now transcend beyond the borders of the Empire, just like Grandmasters Andvari and Reuben.


    However, that still depends on Leon''s decision to gain the title. If not, he will still be revered as an S ss mage, still far above others.


    "I don''t know¡­ We know that he never even shows interest in the throne¡­"


    "Think about it, he was already an S ss mage a few years back and even an open path, and yet he never showed the intention to be the sessor to the throne."


    "I think it''s time for us to rethink our choice."


    "Prince Kazimir still holds a stable favor to the Emperor, so I am sure that he can still make it even without the Vess."


    "Prince Antoine will also do. Haven''t you noticed that ever since his near-death experience, he had shown a significant increase in talents and strength?"


    Soon almost half of the nobles wavered. They were starting to realize that even if Leon would want to take the throne, they couldn''t control him after all. With his overwhelming strength, he might even put a leash on each of the noble''s necks.


    Bam!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Gentlemen! Listen to what you are saying!" The noblemen bellowed and demanded the people to calm down.


    Count Risalle was a neutral count who shared territory in the East with the Vess. He had been long suppressed by the Duke''s powers and now that the Duke was now long gone, he thought that this was finally a chance for his family to grow their influence.


    He looked at his fellow noblemen and finally took a deep breath to calm down. In the room, the highest noble ranking was only at the level of a Count, which was numerous at the moment. It might not be good for him to arrogantly assume leadership when their faction was just in the infancy stage.


    Clearing his throat he looked apologetically to the people who looked at him warily and shot them an apologetic smile, "I apologize for such a rude action. I just wanted to calm down everyone and slowly rethink the matter."


    There was silence in the room. Count Risalle was certain that the noblemen did not ept his superficial apologies.


    However, he didn''t mind and just continued, "With the Emperor''s announcement of the Anti-Curse Committee, this only signified he was anxious. He was scrambling to prepare the Empire for a bigger enemy!"


    "Remember, that the secret force who aided the Vess to obtain the curse power has not yet revealed themselves. The First and the Second Prince might have great leadership skills, influence and intelligence, however, what our Empire needs right now is strength."


    "And that strength could only be found in the Third Prince. So in my opinion, for as long as we have not yet fully freed the Empire from the threats of the hidden enemy¡­ we need to rely on the Third Prince for our lives!"


    "..." There was a calm silence in the room. It was different from the previous silence a while ago, now the noblemen were genuinely contemting the truth in Count Risalle''s words.


    "But really¡­ it would be hard for us to persuade the Third Prince to assume leadership, much more to reconsider his rtionship with the Great Inventor¡­" The nobles voiced their concern.


    "Well¡­ I have an idea¡­ If you all don''t mind." Count Risalle''s eyes squinted in delight as he looked at his fellows.


    "Let''s not target the Prince¡­ let''s target thedy instead." He coldly smiled as he brought out the newspaper holding the article containing the gossip between Eli and Anderson.


    "T-this¡­" The noblemen looked at each other as if they understood Count Risalle''s idea. "But didn''t the Young Master Anderson clear that there was nothing going on between them? Besides implicating the young master in this, we''ll have to prepare for the retaliation¡­"


    "I am not saying that we have to use the young master! I am saying that we target the youngdy''s reputation! Whether it was her love life, her unknown origins, her etiquette¡­ we must do something to discredit her enough to make the Prince falter!" Count Risalle borated.


    He looked at the men who were still uncertain about his idea and with a cunning smile he concluded.


    "We''ll use everything against her¡­ even her own works!"


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, Eli, who was unknowingly the subject of the noblemen''s conversation, was now busy meeting each of the research groups to give some guidance and advice on their research.


    After toiling for months in order to strengthen the foundations of the researchers in terms of research methods, sciences, and mathematics, she could finally assume her original function which was to be the consultant of the research institute.


    Her expertise and knowledge were now highly relevant because the researchers had to prepare for the researchpetition in less than five months.


    With Eli guiding the researchers on the right path, the researchers could now think of much stronger and more relevant studies to start with.


    Today, there were a total of five main research going on, each in the field of magic, medicine, agriculture, and the sciences. All of these are deemed relevant to the current state of the Empire.


    "Whew!!! That''s thest one for today! I think I can go home early!" Eli stretched her back after finishing the final consultation.


    Just as she was about to get up and start packing, there was a hasty knocking on the door with Athena''s panicked voice ringing outside.


    Eli felt the urgency in Dean Athena''s actions and so she immediately opened the door only to see Dean''s troubled expression.


    "Councilor Eli! We greatly need you! Please if you are free, would you mind having a word with me?"

 Chapter 351 Events For The Grand Tournament

    ?"Alright." Eli did not dy and followed Dean Athena in the school of academics office.


    In the conference room, all the faculty members and the deans assembled to wait for the two of them. Every one of them wore a serious and even a nervous expression.


    After settling everyone down, Athena presided over the meeting and she took an envelope before them. "The categories of the tournament are finally here." She announced.


    There was a heavy silence in the room, it seemed like the announcement of the categories was a major event in the Farauld Institute. Eli remained observant as it was the very first time she was witnessing everyone in a panicked expression.


    She was also wondering why they were this tense. Fraud Magic institute was one of the top schools in the entire Prasinos. To Eli''s understanding, there was no reason for the deans and the faculty members to be this uneasy.


    "As you all know, the Grand Tournament will be hosted by us in just a few months. The education council haspletely decided on the matter regarding who will host and now what would be the categories of thepetition." Athena exined.


    "While we are busy rebuilding our Empire, the council were already deliberating on how to target the Farauld Institute as they saw that we are in no way ready for evenpeting with the tournament. Now we were driven into the corner by forcefully making us the host¡­


    I am sure that all of you also expect that the categories that the council has selected were also disadvantageous to us.


    Now we have no choice but to face this matter head-on. Because we need to fight, we have to fight. Regardless of the categories that were chosen weren''t the school''s specialty." Athena looked at everyone who was still nervous about the announcement.


    She opened the letter as everyone held their breaths. When she read the contents, a sh of surprise appeared in her eyes before she changed her expression to calm down. Eli along with Dean Simmone and Dean Zeke managed to notice her sudden change in expression.


    She took a deep breath and finally looked towards the Deans as well as the rest who were in the room. Then Athena read the contents of the letter.


    "As usual, for the Research Institute, there is a selected area of study, as long as the subject matter is proven not to harm the society and ournd." Athena first announced the mechanics of the research institute.


    Everyone nodded in understanding. As research was an area that would be very hard to take advantage of, it seems like the council did not ce any rules that would hinder the Farauld Magic Institute which was now renowned due to Eli and the recent releases of the institute.


    Athena then continued with the announcement, "The events for the School of magic will still be, as usual, a battle of strengths for the devourers, casters, and summoners. There will be three categories for each event, however¡­ Unlike the previous tournaments, there would be no segregation between the ss A mages to the lower-tiered ones!"


    "Ah, as I thought! They figured us out really well!" Dean Simone rubbed his head in distress.


    "I can''t help but think that it was Vanderford who pushed this idea¡­ Everyone knows that they boast of the high rate of A ss Mages from their school aspared to us and any other institute in Prasinos!" Some agitated faculty members could not help but express their usations and frustration.


    "Sigh¡­ we have to prepare ourselves for the events for the School of Academics. For sure they would not select the categories where our institute excels very well." Another teacher voiced out.


    Dean Simone raised his hand to signal the teachers to pause as Athena still has to finish announcing the rest of the categories.


    "Last but not least, the School of Academics¡­ the chosen category for this year''s tournament are¡­


    Economics, Fine Arts and Music¡­" This time, Athena could no longer hold herposure as she finally announced the categories.


    Even the teachers, Simonne and Zeke joined the st of discussions over the chosen categories. Disbelief and frustration were written on their faces.


    "Seriously?! Do they still call this tournament? They were practically asking us to take them on with their specialties!" Zeke eximed in annoyance, he could not help but feel bad with his two senior deans who were now in a tight spot.


    "Heh.. might as well take out Economics in the category and rece it with medicine so they would be sure that the Vanderford and the Green Wave institute will most likely take the first ce in this category!" Dean Simonemented.


    "I know right¡­ fine arts and music¡­ it was something that both the Green Wave Institute and Vanderford specialize in!" The rest of the faculty membersmented.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli raised her hand as she was not able to fully understand the situation as to why they seemed to have been discouraged the moment they found out that their Institute might lose in the tournament.


    "Pardon my ignorant question, I would like to know why is it a big deal that we should not lose the tournament?"


    Zeke was the one who answered Eli''s question patiently. "It''s like this Councilor, for the three schools that we have and every event we won will be tallied ording to our rankings on each event. The material prize was not at all these emotions that we are letting out.


    It was actually the main prize in which the overall champion could select two institutes andpel them to ept 10 students and 2 faculty members at most to learn the knowledge taught in those schools.


    This would in turn allow the winning institute to learn the selected school''s exclusive learning techniques, principles and ideas. Bringing them back to their own institute to help them develop. Is it not too enticing as a price? You get to demand a school to teach you the knowledge that they worked hard to develop!"


    "Right, Councilor, their intent was really obvious! They wanted for the Farauld Institute to definitely not get the first ce because they wanted to get the knowledge that you taught us!" The teachers cried foul.


    "I see¡­" Eli nodded in understanding. It seems like the schools in this era had a strong sense of propriety in the knowledge they impart to their students.


    Although it was kind of umon in the modern era because the government is usually on top of the decision as to what area of knowledge a school has to teach to their students.


    "Well¡­ let''s not stress the matter of whether our institute will win or lose. Besides, whatever knowledge I have previously shared, there is no way that we could keep it a secret forever especially if it would be frequently applied in real life.


    What is more important was the well-being of our students. We have to ensure that even in this unfavorable situation, their spirits were not weakened! That''s our role as an educator." Eli then mentioned her final thoughts on the situation.


    With her words, the deans and the teachers started to calm down. It seems that their emotions started to subside upon Eli''s reminder not to dwell too much in winning, but to instead protect the student''s spirit.


    "The councilor''s words are right." Dean Athena cast a grateful look at Eli for reminding everyone to focus on the right track. "For now we have to start selecting and preparing the students that would represent our school in each of the categories. Faculty members, you are dismissed."


    After the announcements and a few reminders, the faculty members excited the room and resumed their duties. Only Eli and the three deans remained in the office.


    "Sigh¡­ this tournament will be harder to manage¡­" Dean Simonemented.


    "Indeed, although my problem is obviously heavier¡­ for I worry about the number of students that I could send for the music category¡­


    You all know that we have abolished the fine arts and music department and instead made it an elective subject. I am even doubting if we could even send 10 students for both categories!"


    "Howe this happened? Do we have a few enrollees for music and fine arts?" Eli asked curiously.


    "It was because fine arts and music were the foundational learning area for most of the nobles, and so they find no value in attending the institute just to exclusively learn the art.


    Moreover, instead of staying in the Empire to learn, they could go to other kingdoms that do really well in music and fine arts.


    Just like the fashionnd the Belizia Kingdom, the Vanderford which boast numerous talents in painting and sculpting and the Green Wave institute, particrly the Sirens and the Elves who are good in music." Athena exined dejectedly.


    "We tried to sustain the fine arts and music department but then, no noblemen were really interested in enrolling. In fact, the students we have now weremoners, however, we ourselves felt pity for thesemoner children because our faculty even started to leave to go to specialized schools!


    We could no longer find a teacher to cater to their area of interest¡­


    Therefore, we have no choice but to ask some artists and musicians in the Empire to temporarily take them in as an apprentice in exchange for the institute''s sponsorship."

 Chapter 352 Lost Eight

    ?"I see¡­ I never knew that the situation was this grave for the fine arts and music department." Eli, who once aspired to attend a music school, was deeply burdened with the matter.


    "I know¡­ but we had no choice. If not for the vice chairman negotiating with these artists and musicians, we might have to give up on the students.


    They were also extremely unwilling to go out of the Empire because these students aspire to revive the arts and music industry in the Empire and so even if we convince them that we will send them abroad to learn, they insist on staying." Simone alsomented on the issue.


    "May I know what are the profiles of these students who are now on their apprenticeship training?" Eli asked Athena.


    "Oh, I have a record of that, let me fetch it for you!" Athena stood up and asked her attendant who was waiting outside the conference room. After a few minutes, the attendant came back with the records of the students that remained ''enrolled'' under the Farauld Institute''s Department of Culture, Fine Arts, and Performing Arts.


    "Two students majoring in painting, one in sculpting and wood carving, three students majoring in each of the three string instruments, one in piano, then one was interested in¡­posing and arrangement?!" As Eli nced at the report, she could not help but be amazed by the profile of these students.


    They weremoners and yet from their records she could clearly see that these students hold great pride in their passion. Too bad, they were left without a proper teacher and were even forced to be apprentices tomon artists and musicians.


    "We didn''t even know if they were being taught properly or if they were still under the wings of their so-called masters." Dean Athena said.


    In their case, Eli could attest that the terms ''apprentice'' and ''disciple'' can be used interchangeably. Because Grandpa Andi took Randel with the intent to fully pass all of his knowledge in crafting.


    Seeing the profiles of the students, Eli thought deeply. Hearing the story of these students greatly reminded her of her previous life where she struggled to get by while keeping on the desire to learn music.


    She could not help but bepelled to do something because the situation resonates with her very well


    However, could she afford to help them? Aside from her work as a research councilor, she was still secretly an agent of the Temple, apart from being a mother.


    She once looked at the profile again and immediately widened her eyes to see a familiar face.


    "!!!" She lifted the student''s profile and scrutinized her face again, indeed she knew this person!


    It was none other than the youngdy, Lainie Yseult! The one who sold the violin in the flea market as well as the one who ran towards the Argentum to frantically warn Eli and Leon of the kidnappers approaching the Silver Dew Forest!


    This time, she could no longer turn her back on someone who helped her before and was now involved. She remembers how amazed Lainie was in her ying before, and how adorable she is.


    When she nced at the profile, she was surprised that Lainie was actually interested inposing rather than the violin which brought their fates together.


    "Alright... I have an idea¡­ I am not sure if the Deans, Vice Chairman, and GrandMaster would allow me to implement my suggestion." Eli decided.


    "Really counselor?! Let''s hear it first! If it is possible then I will fully support you as we present the idea to the higher-ups!" Athena looked at her excitedly, her face showing that the very reason she invited Eli to this meeting was that she was really expecting Eli to think of an idea on how to address the matter.


    "Well this idea won''t work if we were not able to recall all of these students back in the institute, and the people I have in mind will not be willing to participate.


    Since we have to recall the students anyways because they had to participate, I''ll leave it to the Deans to arrange for this. But the second part would be much harder."


    The deans looked at Eli in anticipation, what kind of strategy will the great inventor think of?


    "I am thinking of convincing a painting, sculpting, and music teacher to train these students back in the capital," Eli exined.


    When they heard Eli''s suggestion, they felt a little bit rejected. For they have already done this before. "Councilor, this might be a little offensive for you, but this might not work. For we have already tried doing this before, but no one was willing to do it."


    Eli just chuckled lightly at their concern, she did not take offense to theirments but instead tried to exin her case patiently.


    "Well, it is indeed hard to persuade people. In fact, I, too, was not confident if I could even manage to convince the people I have in mind."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Does the Counselor know people that would be good enough to teach our students?'' Dean Simone could not help but ask in curiosity.


    "Well, even you knew them too. For painting, I am thinking of convincing the First Princess Consort, Arielle who was formerly the princess of the Vanderfords prior to marrying the First Prince.


    Then for sculpting, I was thinking of asking Randel himself to teach the student. They even share the same lightning attributes, I bet that they would be verypatible.


    For the Cello and the Vi, I was thinking of convincing the First Queen Lucia and the Second Princess Consort Evelyn! I once had the privilege to join them in a string triost week. They are definitely good.


    Finally, for the violin, I was thinking of asking Second Queen Teh to mentor."


    "How about the piano and arranging??" Simone asked.


    "That would be me," Eli answered with certainty. "But I might say that I do not have any experience inposing, but I did arrange music in my early years¡­ I am also quite confident with my repertoire."


    "..." The deans could not react for a moment. To be precise they did not know on which part they would react first.


    Is it based on the fact that Eli was nning to involve the Imperial Family in this problem?


    Or the fact that she herself would be personally teaching two students. Isn''t she an inventor? Howe she was now saying that she was willing to teach music?


    "Councilor¡­ I know how talented you are in music¡­ but are you sure about this idea?" Zeke, who knew Eli''s talent in music because he spent months with her and the project team in the Silver Dew forest, asked in nervousness.


    "Well, I am not confident that I will be able to persuade the people I mentioned. But for Piano and Arranging, I am confident I can impart knowledge to these two students here." Eli looked at them and replied calmly. Her tone was rather straightforward but did not show any trace of consciousness or bragging.


    "But can you handle these additional tasks on top of your current work?" The deans asked worriedly.


    "Well, actually I couldn''t say that I could fit them into my schedule. But seeing the situation, I''ll have to make it work. I am trying because I owed a great favor to one of these students. I want to give back to her somehow." Eliid down all her motives for the deans to fully understand her standpoint.


    "Well, it''ll not hurt for us to try to persuade these distinguished people and also the eight students." Athena dered, looking at Eli with a gentle smile.


    ¨C


    While this was happening, a piano quartet was performing on the za somewhere in the neighboring kingdom.


    They were ying seriously with just a little shade of a tree cooling them in the middle of the day, while the people passed by and asionally threw a few cents on their basket.


    In a county in the southern part of the Empire, a young sculptor just finished an order for a wood-carved bed frame. Wiping the sweat on his forehead, he took a look at the sky realizing that it was lunchtime.


    With that, he took a cloth containing a piece of coarse rye bread and went beside themunity well to fetch some drinking water. He sat on a nearby tree and at his ''lunch'' quietly.


    In a certain noble house, a youngdy was down to her third hour in ying a waltz on the piano. She had to y the tune for the young children of the family to learn how to dance.


    Another had just finished painting a portrait of the newly wedded baroness on the other side of the Empire.


    While another was on the side of the road trying to sell a few paintings to passing people.


    Finally, in Silvertown, Lainie was diligently sweeping the floor of her father''s workshop. This was now looking good for her father as he was just now fully recovered and able to get back on making instruments again.


    But deep inside her, she was longing that she could also somehow get back on her own passion.

 Chapter 353 Little Han Wants To Play

    ?After discussing the matter with Deputy Chairman Bramwell and Grandpa Ben, Eli finally managed to go home.


    The moment she reached the living room, a small figure immediately walked toward her excitedly.


    "Mommiiii!!!!" Little Han immediately hugged Eli''s leg the moment Eli appeared from the teleportation array.


    "Ohhh, My Little Han, have you been waiting for me here?" Eli was delighted to see Little Han in his white bear hoodie. She lifted him up and greeted him with kisses and hugs as Little Han giggled cheerfully.


    "Aye!!!! Jiheeeheee!" Little Han ced his hands on Eli''s cheeks and kissed her cheerfully. Then he leaned over to rest on Eli''s embrace and happily closed his eyes while he hummed a happy tune.


    "Baby¡­ where''s your daddy?" Eli asked as she rubbed Little Han''s back.


    "Daddi¡­" Little Han raised his head and looked at Eli with his round crystal blue eyes as he pointed in the direction of the kitchen.


    "Alright, I see¡­ is my baby hungry? Let''s ask Daddy if the food is already ready." Eli smiled at Little Han''s adorable replies.


    These days, Little Han''sprehension has be more apparent. He was already able to respond ordingly with his actions and a few words, but his speech was still limited.


    When they went to the kitchen, Leon was already cing the food on the table with Baobao helping with arranging the utensils.


    "Wee back Master!" Baobao greeted with delight when he saw Eli enter the kitchen.


    "You''re just in time, I have just finished thest dish¡­" Leon also smiled while he approached Eli. Almost naturally, he bent over to give her a kiss on the cheek.


    "Meeee Meee!!" Little Han also demanded his father''s kisses. It was such an adorable sight that Leon and Eli couldn''t help but chuckle in delight.


    After the hearty meal, it was piano time for Eli and the resting time for the rest of the bunch gathered in the living room to listen to what she will y for the night.


    "Peeeenooo! Peeeenoo!!!" Little Han shouted excitedly as he walked beside Eli''s bench. He looked at Eli as if he wanted to sit on herp and y the piano himself.


    "You want to try it, baby?" Eli asked gently.


    "Aye!!! Peeeeno!" Little Han grinned enthusiastically. He was particrly active today and he was also now even more curious about his surroundings.


    Leon and Eli could now see that Little Han was starting to get more interested in what was around him and so they thought that their little son might have to be taken more outside to explore.


    ''I''ll ask Leon if I could bring Little Han again to the Emperor and Her Highness Second Queen¡­'' Eli decided as she lifted the happy little man.


    She made him sitfortably on herp while he faced the piano.


    Upon seeing the ck and white keys, Little Han''s eyes twinkled with amazement as he tried to touch a key and press it gently.


    Ding! A soft sound came out of the piano, but it was enough for Little Han to squeal in delight while he looked at his Daddy and Mommy like he was asking for praise.


    "Great! My son has made his first note!" Eli smiled and praised little Han generously. Leon looked at him with a nod of approval as well.


    "Jiheee heee!"


    Seeing his parents praise him, Little Hanughed proudly as he now extended his palms on the keys, then with all his might, he pressed them haphazardly. But then everyone saw that his expression, posture, and even how he ced his hands on the keys were exactly like how Eli would look whenever she yed the piano.


    The knights, Leon and Baobao looked at each other in amazement. Could Little Han be mimicking how Eli was doing whenever she yed music? Howe he could copy it very well?


    Eli also noticed this matter as she was the one closest to Little Han. He even mimicked the way she breathes whenever she was about to enter a passage that wasplicated to y.


    ''The onlycking thing about him was ying an actual piece.!'' Eli couldn''t help exin in marvel.


    Could it be that Little Han is one of those geniuses who could learn things from others by way of mimicking and imitation? If that''s the case, then she must ensure that Little Han would only learn from those who are of good character andpetent enough in their area of expertise!


    "Hmmm¡­"


    While the adults were surprised by his actions, Little Han frowned and pouted aggrievedly. Then he tried to y again.


    Krang¡­ ng¡­ kring¡­ ng¡­ ding.. dang¡­ dang¡­


    He yed random notes that would have repeatedly murdered the ears of everyone in the room, and yet, because they saw that Little Han was trying to y with such a serious expression, they could not help but look at what he wanted to do.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This¡­" After some time, Eli''s eyes widened as she recognized the rhythm of the piece Little Han was ying.


    There was not a single note yed right, but the rhythm of each phrase is recognizable because Little Han repeatedly did it.


    "My baby, are you trying to y twinkle twinkle?" Eli asked softly.


    "Aye¡­. winkle winkle¡­" Little Han was now sporting a dejected expression¡­ After many tries, he was not able to produce the sound he wanted to make.


    "That''s what I thought!" Eli replied in astonishment. She gently patted Little Han''s head which was strikingly simr to his Daddy''s red blood hair as she tried to appease him, "Little Han, you got the rhythm right¡­ Now, let''s get the notes."


    Then she showed Little Han the first seven notes that made the first line of the piece, ''Twinkle Twinkle Little Star''.


    "Ooooohhhh¡­" Little Han was amazed after seeing his Mommy y his favorite tune in front of him.


    After that, he stretched out his hands, then yed by memory the single notes that Eli yed.


    !!!


    "Oh, my heavens!"


    "My goodness! Little Master is a genius!"


    "Ohhh! The great talent in music runs to the family indeed!"


    The Rosea, the des, and Baobao could not help but praise and marvel at Little Han''s sudden feat. Even Leon and Eli were impressed.


    Everyone witnessed that Little Han had only seen Eli y those seven notes once, and yet he got it all in one try!


    And so the night was filled with the excitement of Little Han''s disy of talent in piano. Before their bedtime approached he was able toplete the entire line of the piece making everyone delighted with his show of talent.


    As they tucked Little Han to sleep, the couple could not help but still talk about that.


    "My mother would be delighted to know that Little Han also had a talent in music¡­" Leon smiled sweetly.


    It was known by all that Leon looked up to his mother''s musical talent a lot. He could not help but feel excited to let his mother know that Little Han might also share the same talent as his grandma.


    "Yes, I could already see how she would be so happy about that¡­" Eli also looked at the sleeping Little Han with love and affection.


    As a musician herself, it was a good feeling that your very own child shares the same passion as yours.


    "Oh, by the way¡­ I might also have to personally go to the pce and ask for the highnesses'' help¡­" Eli looked at Leon as she remembered what happened in the institute.


    She then started to exin everything, even mentioning Lanie, who was the one to give them early warning of a possible attack previously.


    "I see¡­ then just go with the Grandmaster and the Deans whenever you are already able to confirm that the students would be going back to the institute.


    I will also help you by saying a good word to my mother. I am sure that she would be happy to do that.


    But for the First Queen and the two princess consort, I am not sure¡­ I''ll leave the persuasion to you and the Grandmaster for that." Leon replied as he let Eli rest on his arm as they shared the bed together.


    "No, it''s fine¡­ you saying that the Second Queen might respond to our request affirmatively is a hopeful situation already¡­" Eli then closed her eyes while she leaned on Leon''s chest warmly.


    "When¡­ when will you change how you address my queen mother¡­" Leon paused for a while, before carefully asking the question. As he was asking this, he hugged Eli gently, as if he was afraid that she would get offended by his question.


    "I''d have to address her appropriately regardless of you and Little Han''s blood rtionship with her¡­" Eli replied calmly.


    Leon stared nkly at the wall¡­ he knew the underlying meaning of Eli''s reply.


    Even if they were now practically living as husband and wife with Little Han as their child, Eli was still the outsider.


    She could not bring herself to think that she also belonged to the Imperial Family as she was not publicly recognized, even after the good reception and rtionship she had with the rest of the women of the Imperial family.


    ''If we can just marry right now¡­ maybe¡­ you wouldn''t have to think thisplicated¡­'' Leon thought as he tightened his embrace on Eli.

 Chapter 354 Assemble Of The Eight

    ?A few dayster¡­


    Eight young students assembled in front of the academy gates, all bringing their own equipment and instruments with them. They looked at the familiar majestic facade of the Farauld Magic institute, they all wore nostalgic yet strained expressions.


    They seemed to have taken pride in the fact that they were wearing the same uniform as the other, however, there was an obvious sadness in their eyes.


    "We came back¡­ surprisingly¡­" One of them, a youth with a tall build yet a docile expression mumbled to hispanions.


    They were once deemed students by the institute, but because of the sudden decline of their own departments, the school had no choice but topletely abolish their department.


    They were given a choice to be sent abroad at the institute''s expense but they could not bring themselves to ept it because the fact that they were epted by the institute without any tuition for their first year was already something they could never repay.


    They were ready to go out and hone their crafts for themselves as they thought that the learnings they gained during their one year of attending the school were already more than enough for them.


    However, the Deputy Chairman was insistent to have their education continue in other ways. And so he found several willing professionals to take them in as apprentices, to immerse them with the real-life application of their own areas of expertise for the next two years.


    But these so-called professionals were just out to take the money from the institute.


    They appeared to have epted the job by taking in the students only to leave them right after receiving payment. Some of them still managed to teach a thing or two, but the others werepletely abandoned.


    Even so, these eight unfortunate students agreed not to worry the deans and instead tried to make a living on their own while trying as much as possible to hone their crafts.


    Until they reach the two-year period, they hoped toe back with great improvements so as to give back to the institute and volunteer as teachers to revive their lost department.


    But who would have known that they would be summoned back to the institute before their two-year immersion periodpsed?


    "Shall we head inside?" Lainie suggested to everyone after she took a few nervous breaths.


    "Alright, we should head in¡­ Deputy Chairman and Dean Athena might have been waiting." One of them answered.


    Upon entering, they were asked to patiently wait in the conference room while the assistant informed Deputy Chairman Bramwell and the rest of their arrival.


    "What could be the reason why the Deputy Chairman called us?" A shy-lookingdy quivered nervously as she looked around.


    "Well¡­ maybe he was here to ask for some updates about our ''apprenticeship'', though I have to remind everyone that we have to stick to what we have decided to tell them.." Anotherd answered.


    Everyone nodded as if they had already agreed to something beforehand.


    After some time, the door opened, revealing Deputy Chairman Bramwell, Dean Athena, and Eli. Upon seeing them, the eight young people got up and greeted them respectfully. Although they count not help themselves throw some curious nces toward Eli, whom they were unfamiliar with.


    Except for one person, Lainie.


    "!!!" Lainie was surprised to see Eli in the deputy chairman''s entourage.


    Even though Eli hadpletely disguised herself during the flea market encounter with Lainie she was still able to recognize Eli''s current appearance. That was because they had once met before Eli finally moved into the Capital with her ''official appearance'' the only difference was Eli was now ''dyed'' with dark hair.


    Eli met Lainie''s gaze and ced her index finger in her mouth, asking Lainie to keep their previous encounter a secret from anyone in the room.


    Lainie gave a slight nod of understanding as she shifted her focus to the elders in the room.


    "It is good to see you all, Anna, Raphael, Max, Haley, Marie, Raya, Lainie, and Desmond," Deputy Chairman Bramwell smiled amicably to the young students as he gestured for everyone to sit down and hear what he wanted to say.


    "Before I say my reason why I called you here all of a sudden, I''d have to introduce someone to you. Although you might have heard of her name before¡­" Bramwell looked at Eli proudly before announcing her name.


    "Thedy in front of you was none other than Eli, the great inventor¡­ and also my niece¡­" Bramwell cheerfully announced.


    Everyone was struck with surprise, even Lainie who had met Eli earlier on. They never thought that the legendary young inventor who has made countless households'' lives easier was now in their midst.


    "I-its a p-pleasure to meet you¡­ Great Inventor!" They all shyly greeted, their eyes which were once curious were now filled with admiration and respect.


    "Nice to meet all of you¡­" Eli replied with a curt smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although she was excited to meet them deep inside, she was currently wearing a hat of a future instructor to some of them.


    And so, while she was still figuring out their personalities and attitude towards the matter that will soon be brought up by her Uncle Bramwell, she maintained a docile yet businesswoman-like demeanor in front of them.


    The youth did not take it wrong as well because of Eli''s profession. Everyone in Prasinos would view researchers and inventors like Eli to have an entric personality, and so they somehow expected her to act this way.


    Instead, her calmness made them recover from the initial shock and started to properly introduce themselves.


    "My name is Anna, I am a student learning Painting." The girl with a shy expression yet gentle-looking amber eyes greeted Eli nervously.


    "Great Inventor, my name is Raphael, I am also learning the art of painting¡­" Thed with a tall build yet a slightly tannedplexion added.


    "Please call me Max, great inventor¡­ I am an aspiring sculptor¡­" Anotherd with a slightly ragged appearance that might be due to the harsh conditions of his work environment introduced himself.


    "My name is Haley, Great Inventor¡­ I y the Cello¡­" A cheerful youngdy with lush curly hair greeted Eli.


    "I am called Marie¡­ I y the Vi¡­" A petitedy with a cute bunch of freckles on her youthful cheeks greeted shyly.


    "Raya¡­ violin¡­" Another youngdy with quite a silent demeanor in contrast with her lively bronze hair shortly introduced herself.


    "Desmond, a student in piano¡­ Nice to meet you, Great Inventor¡­" Another youngd with features sharing the same as Raya but with a more approachable countenance greeted Eli.


    Finally, Lanie introduced herself, "Lanie, I am currently studying music arrangement andposition."


    "Now we are done with the introductions, let us move to the main topic." Deputy Bramwell looked at everyone as he now navigated the discussion.


    Suddenly the atmosphere in the room became serious.


    "The reason why we have called all of you back was that the Institute needs you¡­" The vice chairman exined.


    The young people looked at each other, then back to Bramwell and Dean Athena. They all had a look of confusion on their faces.


    "Do you remember the Grand Tournament that was done every five years?" He asked the young ones, to which the young ones nodded in affirmation.


    "It turns out that thepetition would be held here in our empire, and that two of the chosen topics under the Academic Division were Music and Fine Arts."


    The young people were shocked by the news. If it was not for the fact that they were talking to the elders, they would have reacted in their usual rowdy ways.


    And so Desmond, who seemed to have been acting as the leader of the group raised his hands and asked the Vice Chairman''s permission to speak.


    "Ask away¡­" Vice Chairman Bramwell asked.


    "Deputy Chairman¡­ If I am not mistaken, the tournament seldom takes music and fine arts as subjects of thepetition for various reasons. Why suddenly choose it now¡­" Desmond asked with a careful tone.


    "Sigh¡­ it was actually because some people wanted to take advantage of the fact that we are not in any way ready to host a big event and that our department was virtually non-existent that they wanted to get this opportunity to get something from the academy.


    "Deputy Chairman, you mean¡­ for the tournament prize?" The young ones asked, it was known to every student at the institute to know of the real prize of the tournament.


    Subconsciously they looked at Eli. In their minds, they were thinking that the rival schools might want to take advantage of the tournament to get the great inventor''s knowledge.


    "It is as you have said." Deputy Chairman Bramwell answered. "That is why we have called you to be representatives of the institute."


    The young people looked at each other, clearly troubled by the information they were given.


    Lost as to what they wanted to answer, Desmond sighed. Looking as if he was about to say something that might cause him to lose his life, he mustered his courage and finally replied,


    "Not to offend the Deputy Chairman, the Dean, and the Great Inventor. I must speak for myself only¡­ that I''d have to decline to participate in this matter¡­"


    "I/we feel the same, Deputy Chairman¡­" The rest replied with fearful expressions.

 Chapter 355 Persuading The Eight

    ?Upon hearing the collective rejection of the eight students, Vice Chairman Bramwell and the rest remained calm. Their expressions told the youngsters to continue stating their case.


    "We may have been looking forward to an opportunity to give back to the grace you have given us. An opportunity to be epted in this great institution for free¡­ However, we cannot afford to lead the institute to ruin in this matter¡­


    We knew for ourselves how much progress we made from the time you sent us out to study under our assigned masters. But we can say that that progress was only meager.


    To send us topete with the best representatives of the top schools in Prasinos, we cannot allow ourselves to be instruments that would bring dismay to our beloved school.


    We''re very sorry Deputy Chairman¡­ Dean¡­" Desmond exined with a humble expression.


    "We''re very sorry¡­" The rest of the youngsters also followed.


    "Hmm¡­ I see¡­" Deputy Chairman Bramwell brushed his bread calmly as he scrutinized the reactions of the youngsters.


    The eight students held their breaths, bracing themselves for the reprimand that they expected the elders to give for their rejection. But the worst case they were expecting did not happen.


    Instead, Bramwell looked at Eli and said, "You heard them¡­ What do you say, Niece?"


    Eli looked at the eight youngsters. Her initial rxed position changed as she leaned forward to cross her hands like a businesswoman out to state her terms for negotiation.


    Subconsciously, everyone in the room felt stifling intimidation, not from fear that Eli might be saying something rather heavy, but from the anxiousness that they might not keep up with her level of eloquence.


    "Rejection rejected." Eli finally opened her mouth and the words she said were something that no one expected to hear in the room.


    Dean Athena and Deputy Chairman Bramwell leaned back as if allowing Eli topletely take over the conversation and persuade the young ones.


    Their eyes looked at Eli with interest, curious as to how she would handle the youngsters who were known to be one-track-minded.


    Eli was just two to three years older than them and they could be considered peers. So the two elders were adamant to know how Eli would have to handle this on her own.


    The students looked at each other with uncertain expressions. They were quite unsure how to approach Eli''s reaction, for they did not know what was her real role in the conversation.


    Desmond, as the leader also thought twice, clearly intimidated. If Deputy Bramwell did not introduce her, he would have immediately questioned her role in the conversation.


    But the fact that Deputy Chairman Bramwell introduced her in such a high-profile manner and that he remained vague as to why she was brought here made him quite hesitant.


    And so in the end, they kept their mouth shut, allowing Eli to gain momentum in the conversation.


    "I get that you are hesitant and that you do not want to disappoint the institute, but I believe that you were the best people we can bring to thepetition." Eli gazed at them deeply with an expression that couldn''t be deciphered.


    "W-why is it that you think so, Great Inventor¡­" Desmond stuttered but he was trying to hold on to the team who had be strong together as they shared the same adversaries.


    "Because I know that you had a hard time out there," Eli replied with a tone that was certain.


    "!!!" The students were shocked by Eli''s conclusion.


    When they came back to the institute, they made sure that their uniforms, their appearance, and even their equipment and instruments were cleaned and prepared well. This is to make the Deputy Chairman and the Dean believe that they were doing fine outside so that the good-hearted elders would not worry.


    "I know¡­ because I have investigated all of you before you even received the letters." Eli crossed her hands once again and leaned on the chair with a rxed posture, indicating that she had already dominated the situation.


    "Raphael, haven''t you been going out every day in the park to offer painting services for the lovers who visited the pce?


    Anna was doing the same too, but it seems like you were quite lucky to asionally find noble families.


    However, before you two manage to get more clients, who would suffer countless rejections first until you could get by with just a few pennies.


    Max, I know that you have been working in a furniture shop and had no choice but to hone your skills with wood because you couldn''t afford a good material.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Haley, Raya, Desmond, and Marie, haven''t you been going around from town to town to busk on the streets as a quartet?


    And Lainie¡­ in fact, you are the luckiest among the eight students for it was only you who had been taught by your assigned master for a few months.


    Too bad, your master had a habit to gamble and immediately abandoned you when the money the institute paid for your internship ran out. Thus you went back to your father''s workshop and helped him in his sickness."


    One by one, Eli narrated the hardships that they suffered outside. They lowered their heads and clenched their fists, they felt like their bodies were exposed naked in front of them.


    The two elders remained silent and calm, it seems that they have known everything before the meeting happened. This was because Eli asked Leon if he could make use of the Roaming des to get their information.


    "But I am not saying all these ones out because I wanted to expose you and bring you to humiliation. I am saying this because I, along with the Deans, recognize your perseverance and passion for your chosen crafts.


    And that''s why I think that you are the best candidates to be sent to thepetition. No other young one could take on what you were about to face.


    The Deputy Chairman had already exined everything regarding the Institute''s awkward position in thepetition.


    This also means that we cannot afford to take students that are weak-hearted. For your rivals wille at you in full force!" Eli continued to persuade them.


    "If you¡­ the eight of you who took on life and gave you nothing but hardships, why would you get intimidated by mere young ones who lived in privileged conditions? Think about it?


    And finally as for your skills¡­ it will be a different matter. I have found a proper teacher to taking you on. However, it would bepletely up to you to convince these teachers that you deserve to be taught by them.


    I can assure you that none of these special teachers could lose out to those teachers from the rival academies.


    So Anna, Raphael, Max, Haley, Raya, Marie, Desmond, and Lainie, will you take time to consider everything and try to take on this challenge?


    Should you want to try and grab the opportunity,e back again tomorrow¡­ We will meet those special teachers and try to gain their acknowledgment.


    You have nothing to lose.


    If the teachers recognize you then that means that not only do you have a chance to grow, but also you have a great chance topete. If not, then we will have nothing to say.


    Also, when did the Vice Chairman ever say that you need to win?


    We just wanted you to proudly represent our school regardless of the oue. We wanted you to be the ones who would tell the entire world that even if they gang up on our institute, we will not back down!"


    Eli gave her passionate speech that left the eight students'' hearts thumping hard. On the side, Athena and Bramwell all gave her an approving look as they knew that Eli had won over their hearts.


    Even so, the youngsters remained modest and allowed themselves to think more before answering Eli and the two elders. "We will think about it ande back to you with our answer¡­"


    "It''s alright¡­ But I really do hope to hear your affirmative answer." Eli smiled gently.


    As the meeting ended, the youngsters kept quiet as if they were in a trance. Even as they finally reached the rundown inn they stayed, they were still feeling like their minds were blown by the wind.


    "W-what shall we do?" Raya looked at her older brother who was thinking deeply from the time they ended the meeting.


    "I don''t know the right answer¡­" Desmond frowned as he realized how they were helplessly swept away by Eli''s persuasion. He thought that they were level-headed enough but then, looking back, he waspletely powerless against Eli''s eloquence.


    The rest of the youngsters were at a loss. If Desmond himself were quite unsure, they were even more helpless.


    But then, Lainie immediately stood up and looked at everyone, she took a deep breath and dered, "I have decided to go back tomorrow and ept the Great Inventor''s offer."


    Lainie could not help but trust Eli for she helped her during the times when she was desperate. She is sure that Eli was not someone who wouldn''t abandon them just like the ''masters'' they were assigned previously!

 Chapter 356 Timely Chance

    ?"Lainie! Are you sure about that? What if the deans be disappointed in us when we fail?" Marie asked, she was surprised that Lainie was persuaded so easily.


    "What can go wrong? Besides the Great Inventor is right, it still depends on the teachers if they would ept us to be their trainees. If not, we could all go back to the lives we had previously.


    But as for me, I want to grab this opportunity, even if there''s little hope for me." Lainie answered sincerely.


    "Screw it! I''m tired of carving cheap wooden blocks! I''ll join Lainie tomorrow!" Max was the second to persuade.


    "Well, there''s no harm in trying. They even said that they will not pressure us to win. They will just need us to be proper representatives of our school¡­ I believe that I have gone through enough insults on a daily basis to get intimidated by the rivals¡­" Raphael shrugged as he looked at Anna who also had an expression of agreement.


    With the four agreeing, only the piano quartet members remained. This could not be helped too, because the quartered have been together ever since they found out that they were collectively abandoned by their masters.


    And so they decided to just put up the quartet as they try to get by with how many shinies they were able to gain in a day of ying who knows how many pieces.


    The three of the quartet looked at Desmond to try to figure out what his decision was. But Desmond remained silent.


    In the end, they let the day end withouting up with a decision.


    The next day, Lainie, Max, Anna, and Raphael eagerly dressed up to meet Eli and the so-called teachers to audition.


    "Lainie, I am feeling nervous¡­" Anna clutched her chest nervously as they took breakfast before heading out.


    "Everything will be fine¡­ think of all this as just trying our luck¡­" Lainie was also equally nervous yet in her heart the sense of anticipation is continually growing as the designated time of the meeting gets nearer.


    "Let''s eat a not well enough so that we won''t think of anything but the auditionster on. Whatever happens, happens. We are just trying." Max eagerly took the bowl of soup and the rye bread that they ordered from the inn.


    Raphael also did the same, in their eyes a fiery look eager to take on the challenges which they firmly believe might change their life to something a little better.


    As they were eating, they were started as they saw four neatly dressed figures approaching them calmly. They paused in surprise as they recognized who they were - the Piano Quartet team.


    "We''ve made up our minds¡­" Desmond calmly dered as he sat at a nearby table across them, signaling the innkeeper to serve them meals. The other three also had the same determined look on their faces.


    Lainie and the rest smiled in relief. Eight of them have gone through something none of the students in Prasinos might ever experience and each one of them hoped that they would pull through together.


    Now that they all tried to take the chance, all they had to do is to showcase everything they got through sheer hard work and passion.


    "We have decided to not stress ourselves with the tournament for now, that we will take things step by step¡­" Marie added.


    "That''s how it was supposed to be!" Raphael gave a sunny smile as he looked at them happily.


    ¨C


    While the eight young people prepare for their auditions, Eli and the three deans including Grandpa Ben went busy weing the important guests they had for today - the women of the Imperial Family.


    At first, Grandpa Ben and the rest thought that Eli was a little reckless for thinking that she could ask not only one but all the Imperial women in the pce to be the teachers of their students!


    What''s more, the people they had to teach weremoners!


    However, Eli didn''t seem to see the situation as something problematic. Instead, she immediately asked for Leon''s support for the matter and quickly organized a meeting with the women.


    Too nervous that Eli might incur the ridicule of the Queens and Princess Consorts, Grandpa Ben and Bramwell and the three Deans insisted on apanying Eli in case everything would go sideways.


    When they finally met the Queens and Consort, they werepletely dumbfounded about how the women treated Eli differently.


    "Oh, young Eli! You''re finally here! It''s good to see you too Grandmaster, Vice Chairman, and Deans!" Queen Teh smiled amicably. In her eyes was an unmasked pleasure to meet Eli once again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "When we saw your letter saying that you wanted to discuss something for us and that it was something fun, we couldn''t wait for this day toe¡­" Queen Lucia also greeted them gently. She had a smile that showed that Eli''s presence was genuinely wee in the pce.


    "Yes! You kept me awake for a few nights, I was thinking what kind of thing you had for us that would take away our boredom!" Evelyn seconded.


    "Indeed, I am excited too.." Arielle who was the shyest among the four also said her piece.


    Eli let out a light chuckle and reciprocated the women''s wee like they were old friends. Shortly they moved to discuss the matter with the women.


    Exining everything from start to finish, the Imperial women did not talk for a little while which made Grandpa Ben and the rest be nervous.


    Eli on the other hand remained calm and confident. Her expression says that she believed that the Queens and Consorts would ept her proposal.


    "So¡­ what would be yourpensation for this Lady Eli~~~" Evelyn who was slowly gaining back her sociable personality, looked at Eli teasingly.


    "Of course, I did note unprepared." Eli sipped her tea before taking out something from her pouch.


    Everyone''s eyes opened wide as they saw the things Eli had taken out. It was a bunch of books and a few booklets probably regarding the women''s interests.


    "This¡­" They stood up and inspected the books.


    The next thing that Grandpa Ben and the rest saw was the women gasping in interest as they looked at the books excitedly.


    "That was just a taste of all the collections I have¡­ This is just a show of my goodwill, it''s yours even if you declined my request." Eli calmly told them as she gave the books one by one.


    Only then did Grandpa Ben and the rest realize that the books that Eli gave were the rarest books of painting and music from their respective instruments.


    The women quietly took the book and browsed its contents slowly. The more they read through the pages, the more the sparkle of interest appeared in their eyes.


    "If you ever agree, I would be even willing to donate more of these books to the exclusive Imperial Library." Eli squinted cunningly as she finally took out her biggest and strongest bait.


    For the short time she interacted with these women, Eli concluded one thing - they were extremely bored. With Carolina and her minions out in the pce, they were able to finally rx and live more freely.


    But years of beingpletely suppressed by her, forcing them to live like hermits in their own pces hadpletely changed their habits.


    And so, they all found themselves feeling useless unless their spouses needed them around.


    With that, Eli took time to get to know them more as part of her preparation for making Little Han enter the pce and figured out their interest. Coincidentally she needs people who will help the students be prepared for the tournament.


    So why not engage them to cure their boredom and regain the student''s confidence at the same time?


    True enough they all agreed with the excited look on their faces. In fact, they pressed Eli and Bramwell as to when they would see the students.


    If not for Eli saying that they must first assess if these students are worth the effort, they would have asked Eli to immediately summon the students the next day.


    And so they were back at the present time, still quite nervous and in disbelief that the women were really epting Eli''s request to teach the young ones.


    Eli on the other hand looked at Randel who was already waiting calmly in the hall, "Randel, thank you for epting my request. You don''t know how much relief I felt when you epted my request."


    "It''s all good. Besides, Master has been going at me aggressively in making me find an apprentice to teach. He said that I could no longer grow if I remained by myself and not look for someone to teach." Randel nodded as he replied to Eli.


    For some people, it looked like Randel was rather cold towards Eli but only those who were familiar with him knew that he was already treating Eli gently.


    "Well, I admit that there''s a lot of things you''ll learn when you start teaching others. Maybe it''s also time for you to figure out what those things are. Isn''t this chance timely?" Eli replied with a smile.

 Chapter 357 Auditions Start!

    ?"Indeed¡­ this chance was probably made by the heavens for each of us that were involved," Randel replied softly as they watched the eight studentse inside in an orderly yet nervous manner.


    His eyes shed with surprise upon seeing a familiar face among the eight - Lainie. Only then did he truly know what Eli meant when she said that this chance was indeed timely.


    Soon the room livened up upon the arrival of the eight.


    They looked around and were surprised to see even the Headmaster of the Institute, Grandmaster Reuben, and the well-known mysterious-looking apprentice of the Grandmaster Andvari in the empire, Randel.


    While just being in front of Eli and the officials of the school could already affect their state of mind significantly, having Randen and Grandmaster Reuben had already made them feel cold in anxious.


    "Young ones, this might be the day where a great chance will finally be in your hands. Whoever enters here will not look into your background or appearance. They are only interested in what you can do with your skills." Deputy Chairman Bramwell led them to the waiting seats and let them rx for a while.


    They looked at Bramwell gratefully, obediently waiting for the event to start. They watched as the officials and even the familiar faculty members were getting busy with the auditions.


    They couldn''t help but ask themselves, was it really necessary to have a lot of people involved with just a mere audition for students like them?


    After some time the hall seemed to have paused as four regal-looking women who were walking with grace and dignity appeared from the doorway as they were escorted by their respective knights.


    Grandmaster Ben and the officials, along with Eli stood up and met them immediately, greeting them politely.


    The eight students seemed to have been struck by lightning the moment they recognized the identities of the four women - they were none other than the First and Second Queens and the Princess Consorts!


    "Is this for real? What kind of thing did we even involve ourselves with?" Raya could not help but cling to her older brother''s hands and ask nervously.


    "I¡­ I don''t even know what to feel right now¡­" Desmond replied clearly troubled. His inner self was already debating whether it was still right for him to stay in the hall or not, or whether they chose the right decision or not.


    "Still, let''s stand tall. We are already here and we can only stay strong and do what we have decided to do." Max reminded them as he clenched his fist, trying to calm his nerves down.


    He had never been this nervous in his life, even the first time he held his tools to work on the most expensive piece of material for the first time.


    But then there''s no turning back. They can no longer run as it would be an insult to the royalties who had gone all the way here to witness their auditions.


    "That''s right, keep your heart calm and face everything head on. If you ever manage to conquer this first hurdle, you will be able to meet more formidable personalities during the tournament. You will also be watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes as you do your work. So do not falter and take this situation as a practice."


    Dean Athena approached them as they gave them a piece of advice seeing them visibly panic.


    Soon the program started. Although it was merely an ''audition'' for the eight students, it was still by nature a formal selection of student representatives for the grand tournament, and so right after the arrival of the main guests of honors, the audiences were already allowed to enter the hall.


    These were the students and other members of the faculty and staff that were interested in witnessing the selection happening.


    "A pleasant evening for our distinguished guests, Her Highness''s First and Second Queen and the Princess Consorts, Sir Randel of the Forgeworn Merchant Group and the Headmaster, Deans of each school, students and teachers that were here today. Wee to our first round of selection for the student representative of the grand tournament!"


    Deputy Bramwell stood up on the host''s stage and addressed everyone.


    "Today, we are testing eight students who were also the only members of the Department of Culture, Fine Arts, and Performing Arts.


    There''s no meaning for me here to conceal what was the state of our institute in terms of the area of Music and Fine Arts, for everyone knew that it was almost on the verge of being discontinued, if not for the eight students who passionately stayed.


    Coincidentally their department was now chosen to represent us in the grand tournament. Now they are trying their best to prove whether they are worthy to represent our institute or not.


    Everyone here will bear them witness that our department will attempt to be reborn by the hands of these eight strong-willed students!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Everyone had a solemn look on their faces, even the students who were watching did not look at the eight students with ridicule or contempt.


    If they fail to qualify to represent the school, then they might as well wave the white g in surrender. And so all of them were wishing that the eight students were strong enough to bear the weight of the institute on their shoulders.


    "Our guests of honor, along with the Councilor, the Deans and selected faculty members will be judging their performance from this point forward." Deputy Bramwell raised his hands and signaled the assistants to enter from backstage.


    The assistants stood orderly in front and waited for Bramwell''s further instruction.


    "Let us first start our test for the fine arts students, sculptor Max and painters Raphael and Anna!" Bramwell looked at the trio and signaled them to go to the center of the hall.


    "The three of you will be transferred into your designated workrooms where we will be remotely watching your progress. All the materials needed were already prepared in these areas and the time limit is only three hours for painting and eight hours for sculpting.


    The theme for your creation would be¡­ Resilience!"


    The trio recognized Deputy Bramwell''s instruction before following the respective assistants to their workrooms.


    As soon as the three entered their respective spaces, three surveince screens appeared in the hall for everyone to see. Every spectator could now watch what was transpiring inside the workspaces.


    "Hmmm¡­ the deputy Chairman really didn''t hold back. Resilience is such a hard topic to interpret." Arielle, who was most interested in the painters, unusually opened her mouth first and conveyed her opinion.


    "Indeed¡­ but what I am really worried about is the young sculptor. To only have eight hours to conceptualize and materialize his interpretation, would be a lot tougher." Queen Teh looked at Randel to ask for his opinion.


    "It may really be his hurdle if he would choose the wrong material to work on¡­" Randel obliged to answer Queen Teh''s curiosity as they all watched Max choose his main material.


    "Hmm¡­ in just eight hours¡­ wood might be the best material¡­ however¡­ there is a risk that it might be underwhelming¡­ especially when it was in situations like a tournament¡­" Grandpa Ben also watched with interest.


    "It could be¡­ but a lump of mud can be the most prized piece of pottery to a master''s hand¡­" Elimented. In this era, people were yet to appreciate the modern perspective of art interpretation.


    Like in sculpture, there''s still a strong belief that the more rare and challenging the material to work on, the more valuable and beautiful the piece was.


    In the modern world, the sculpture is now perceived as the artist''s way of shaping space, in which elements of openness or empty spaces were already incorporated into the sculpture.


    This is unlike the the traditional sculpture was mostly a representation of the artist''s imagination in three-dimensional solid form.


    The same is true with painting, this era only knew the traditional painting mediums like oil on canvas. In the modern world, there were artists who painted on different mediums like fabric, watercolor, waxes, and even through fire.


    And so Eli wanted to know if she could spark a revolution by engaging Randel and Arielle along with these students to bring forth a new era for fine arts.


    With her books, she wanted to feed Randle and Arielle inspirations for their medium of work and hopefully find their own interpretations. The best part would be their proteges will also do the same.


    Thinking about this, Eli watched the trio as they started to conceptualize their artwork.


    The first one to move was Raphael who immediately set up his canvas and tried to sketch the outline of his work.


    Anna also started to move, but she paused for a while when she came into a dilemma about which type of medium she would use.


    Max on the other hand remained standing in a daze looking at the four blocks of materials that he could choose from. There''s wood, bronze, marble, and limestone. The observers are very curious as to what type of material he would use.


    However, thirty minutes have already passed, yet he still remained in a daze that they thought that he had already given up on the challenge!

 Chapter 358 Auditions (1)

    ?"What is he doing¡­" As someone who was not familiar with sculpting, Evelyn looked at the rest of the women with a curious yet polite expression.


    Outwardly, Max looked like he was trapped in something as he stayed unmoving while his eyes were focused on the four materials entrapped by something.


    Randel remained calm, however, he wanted to give a light exnation that Max might still be in a trance because he was conceptualizing his work, but he didn''t want to preempt everyone about what the young sculptor was doing."He''s moving¡­" Finally, Randel detected a clear sh in Max''s eyes as he uttered the words.


    Max finally moved, stretching his hands to reach for the bronze material then he put in it the center to start working with it.


    "Bronze? Isn''t it hard to use the material with the time he was only given?" Grandpa Reuben couldn''t help butment in confusion.


    "It would be hard if you don''t use your very own aptitude. Suppose he had the constitution of a devourer, or a lightning or wind element that are best for piercing, even earth elements could do too." Deputy Chairman Bramwell replied.


    "I see¡­" The Imperial women who were also interested in the sculpting process all listened intently to the discussion.


    They remained like that for an hour, clearly watching the first stage of the process done by Raphael, Anna, and Max. After that, they decided to move to the testing of the other five of the group.


    "Alright, while the artists were in the process ofpleting their work, we will now test the musicians with your abilities."


    Bramwell stood up and looked toward the five remaining students. "First up would be Lainie Yseult, student forposing and arrangement. Pleasee forward."


    Lainie took a deep breath and stood up. Walking towards the center she waited for the instructions as a faculty assistant handed out a musical score on her hands.


    "Your task would be to arrange two interpretations of the Empire''s march. You have three hours toplete the arrangement and then, the students behind you try to sight-read your first arrangement which is for a piano quartet. The second arrangement will be for a full-size orchestra which will be evaluated by the judges."


    Lainie acknowledged the instructions before she followed the assistant to her workroom. As she exited the hall the students and even the judges could not help but sigh andment on how stringent the selection procedures were.


    Although the Empire''s anthem is a piece that was familiar and known by all, it is also a piece that represents the history and glory of their Empire. To have this as the assignment for the selection would put great pressure on Lainie as she would even be judged by the royalties who were present in the hall.


    "Well, the council had already not shown us mercy with the tournament format. It is better for the candidates to get used to this kind of situation, for their challenges in the tournament would surely be tougher and more ruthless than this." Grandpa Ben rubbed his long beard as he looked at the remaining four with anticipation.


    "As for the four of you, we will assess you individually. But bear in mind that the tournament not only had an individual category but the grouped ones. So anticipate that you will all work together to create one great piece of music." Bramwell looked at them and remembered.


    "Next up will be Student Marie, Vi. Come and show us the most confident piece you know." He announced.


    As soon as Bramwell called Marie, she gracefully stood up and prepared her instrument. After checking her bow and fine-tuning her vi, she looked at the audience and the judges as she started to introduce the piece she will y.


    "The piece that I will be performing for all is the Bade of the Wanting Forest."


    "Oh, isn''t that a good piece!" Princess Consort Evelyn, who yed the vi excitedlymented. Vi yers were kind of underrated in their era because of the range that their musical instruments could do.


    They said that those who yed the vi were likely to be people who do not like to be in the limelight, as like the violins or the one who would be the backbone of the tune which would be the cello and the double bass.


    However, Evelyn believed that there''s beauty in every instrument, which is why even though she was an outgoing and sociable person, she chose to ignore the stereotypes of the personalities behind someone''s chosen instrument and believed that she can make good music with the vi.


    Seeing someone performing a solo piece using her instrument, she had an unmasked expression of anticipation. She wondered how Marie would y the piece which is actually about a forest''s desire to survive.


    Marie stood calmly as she ced her vi in position. With her elegant bow hold and an apuding posture, she started to y the first part of the music.


    Vrr¡­.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Starting from a hollow low tone that was added with such a haunting intensity by her bowing, the notes slowly painted a forest that was barren and burnt.


    Devoid of life, not even the life of a weed.


    Deste solitude, dark like an abyss.


    The listeners need not to even close their eyes to imagine the imagery of the forest that Maria was trying to paint with her music.


    When the listeners were now on the verge of being carried away by the despair of the scene that they were experiencing, a series of swift, flowy notes came to caress their ears. It was like the gentle howl of the wind, hovering between the forest, sweeping away the ashes in the burnt ground.


    Then the gentle and soft wind became flowier and more desperate as if wanting to ascend to the heavens. Soon the feeling of wanting to ascend turned into a cry¡­ a call for heaven''s mercy.


    The sound became so intense and dramatic that the listeners were brought to a falling stop. Like dandelions carried by the winds high above the skies, only to fall down so suddenly.


    However, the notes that came next were light and cool sounding, falling like little droplets of rain. It depicts the cleansing of the burnt forest and the answer to its cries. The rain nourished the ground and the wounds.


    Soon an ascending harmony of the notes took the listeners high up again, denoting that the sun finally shines into the forest, and finally, after the cleansing of the waters, a small sprout of seedling emerged, gathering up the light from the sun.


    ¡­


    Everyone was still in a trance even after they heard thest note. After a long pause, Evelyn was the first one to p, followed by the rest of the judges and then the entire hall.


    Marie was astounded by the amazing reaction. She never thought that she would be able to garner such a reaction to the piece.


    "Well done Marie! It was a very lovely performance! The judges will be assessing your performance and the results will be announced after all the others are done." Bramwell apuded.


    Marie happily went back to her seat, greeted by her mates cheerily. But before they were able to talk among themselves, Haley was already called.


    "Student Haley, Cello. It''s your turn." Bramwell announced.


    Haley was more nervous as she had to immediately follow Marie''s amazing performance. Even though they were notpetitors at the moment, they were ying for the same listeners.


    The longer this goes, the higher the standards would be, and so from Haley to thest performer, the bar will slowly increase as the judges listen to their music.


    "The piece I wanted to y for today is Suite for Cello by Maestro Nortag." Haley quickly introduced her piece which immediately gathered the curiosity of the elders who were in the hall.


    "Maestro Nortag¡­ that legendaryposer. He was well acimed for his pieces that were beyond magical!" Queen Lucia, who was a cello yer,mented in interest. "Although he only had one solo cello piece, this one requires a greater effort to y as it was written without apaniment, I wonder if she could pull this through."


    "I think that she could, she was not even faced by the sight of so many people watching her perform." Eli calmly replied. While in most cases, even a violin solo was usually apanied by an instrument, there are pieces that were at their most beautiful form when they were ying alone.


    The chosen piece Haley was about to y was one of those pieces, and so Eli could not help but firmly watch how the young petite cellist would perform.


    Haley breathed softly, trying to focus only on the music she would create, what she needed was not only the stillness from the environment outside but also the stillness of her heart to be able to resonate with the music that she wanted to project.


    And so with the slow movement of her bow, a crisp sound of the first chord rang that made everyone shift in their seats and finally looked at Haley intently.


    She just announced her presence dominantly with her first chord!

 Chapter 359 Auditions (2)

    ?"Not bad¡­" Queen Lucia squinted her ever-calm eyes, there was a light of interest showing on her jewel-like pupils.


    As Haley performed her piece, her music showcased her profound arsenal of techniques and the very good foundation of her musicality.


    "The violist, Marie, is a sensible yer. In her music, imagery is more apparent than the techniques. Haley on the other hand was very solid in her technique. I can see that she was a very well-rounded cellist that could work very well both on her own and with apany." Eli looked pleased while she was intently listening to Haley''s performance.


    Moreover, the sound of her Cello sounded very good in the big hall. It seems like Haley was very well aware of how she had to project her music in different kinds of environments.


    Haley''s piece ended with a majestic harmony until a very clean sound of thest note, making the audience feel wanting for more. However, her piece was already done and so they could only raise their hands and p in response to the beautiful performance.


    Only then did Haley manage to sigh in relief. With a smile, she bowed and went back to her seats weed by her colleagues with an encouraging smile.


    "Wonderful performance Student Haley! Now we have to immediately call on the next student, Student Raya, Violin." Deputy Chairman Bramwell did not dy the introductions and called Raya.


    Raya nced at Desmond signaling him to be her apaniment.


    "Good day everyone, the piece I will perform is Violin Sonata in A major by Besilius Lerant." Raya quickly introduced her piece before signaling Desmond that she was ready.


    Standing with confidence and a delicate demeanor, Raya started her piece with a series of strong notes paired with her intense yet controlled bowing.


    "This sonata is quite challenging. Wait for the cadenza where she will y a series of intricately hard quick notes along with a lot of bow crossing and left-hand pizzicato." This time it was Queen Teh who was immediately absorbed withmenting on Raya''s piece.


    Eli and the rest listened and observed the performance with interest. To Eli''s ears, the sonata was a decent piece that could be executed beautifully by a violinist with a strong foundation of the required techniques.


    With the way Raya was ying the piece with ease topped by Desmond''s apaniment, the music they created was appealing and rxing.


    If Marie''s piece brought the audience to despair while Haley was a delectable showcase of her good techniques with the perfectbination of notes, Marie''s music was like a trip to the magical realm of the mystic woods with the dancing fairies hovering around the ce.


    "She''s a good student! Don''t you think young Eli?" Queen Teh was now slowly showing her satisfaction with her soon-to-be student. With the way she wasmenting and praising Raya, Eli and the rest felt that the Queen had already dly epted Raya as her student.


    "She is, indeed. I believe that she will improve by leaps and bounds under your care, Young Highness Second Queen," Eli replied in affirmation.


    "Oh¡­ the cadenza part is already approaching¡­" Queen Lucia shifted on her seat as she leaned forward excitedly. Queen Teh and the others too.


    In thest measure of the piece just before the cadenza was about to be yed, Raya was still looking demure and graceful with her aura and notes.


    But as soon as the apaniment stopped, and the cadenza had already started, she became like a different person. Like a queen of the fairies showing her majestic might and agility, Raya cleanly performed the series of quick notes that required flexible and urate hands.


    While she was achieving this, her intonation did not falter, not even once and her phrasing stayed to the beat.


    Everyone held their breaths afraid that their breathing would interrupt the enthralling part of the cadenza. And as she continued ying she seemed to be the only person in the hall, not minding the widened eyes that were staring at her in amazement.


    The listener''s heart pounded as the cadenza was now approaching to end by meeting the climax with the apaniment. With Desmond''s on-point build-up, Raya finished her piece with astounding execution.


    Almost immediately, the listeners stood up and pped clearly still under the excitement of the beautiful cadenza that she yed just before the conclusion of the piece.


    Desmond looked at her little sister proudly as Raya took a bow towards the audience and then to him as a sign of etiquette.


    "What a mesmerizing piece from Student Raya! Now, let''s call on ourst musician, Desmond, to y the piano." Bramwell finally signaled Desmond who had already stayed at the piano.


    "The piece I would like to y is Autumn Rain by Franciscus Lyle."


    "A nocturne? Did he want to sabotage his own auditions?" The students and the faculty watching the event could not help but discuss it among themselves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The sound of murmuring could be heard around clearly not understanding why Desmond chose to y a nocturne piece.


    Nocturnes are in no doubt one of the most rxing and beautiful pieces of music however, in a setting forpetitions such as this, the pianists tend to keep nocturnes away from the list of their showmanship.


    Even the judges were quite taken aback by his choice, except for Eli who kept calm. Desmond was someone who was considered the leader of the group, but there was something in him that Eli could feel about his personal take on music.


    As to its shape, she doesn''t mind if Desmond would present it through a nocturne, the important thing is that he was able to show his abilities while ying the piece.


    With Grandmaster Reuben''s signal for everyone to keep quiet, Desmond finally started to y his piece.


    Ding!


    The first note was so gentle as it was supported by the next fluid set of notes. It was like a drop of water falling into a stillke causing ripples of waves.


    Everyone who was not expecting anything good from the piece was suddenly taken aback. Their ears continued to listen to the notes Desmond yed like they were being cleansed by the harmonic notes which he carefully executed ording to the dynamics he had decided for each of them.


    They were left in awe, some had their mouths left wide open as they fell into a trance. They were like dazed people who were looking far beyond the horizon as the sunlight hadpletely faded away. Only the warm light on the windows to their home was present as not even the moonlight could be seen.


    Suddenly they found themselves standing in the middle of the rain, soaking in its gentle bathing. They were not even motivated to walk into their houses for shade, instead, they closed their eyes and basked in the falling rain drops.


    The ground suddenly turned wet, feeling the earthy scent of around them while the wind blew gently as if caressing them in the cold night.


    "These kids¡­" Eli finally understood what the four kids had done. Shaking her head as she finally saw how everyone was enthralled with their music, Eli saw the big picture.


    From Marie''s piece down to Desmond''s, it was aplete journey for the audience to experience, regardless of the event''s objective.


    Marie started the act by taking them into a tragic story of falling into despair while ending with hope.


    Haley''s piece was a message of thriving and excelling in the craft they belonged to.


    Raya''s music is for transformation, how a person who had gone through despair, hard work, and skill perfection transformed into someone who is astounding.


    Finally, Desmond''s music is a message of contentment and rest.


    While after journeying high and low to make a name for themselves, they came to the point that they had found afortable ground where they could ept whatever the world was giving to them.


    They are at peace and content that not even the rain nor the wind could take away the peace they had in their hearts.


    It is their story. Their very own, loudly incorporated in their music, and amazingly they put it together even without ying all at once!


    Right after his piece everyone apuded, the murmurs suddenly turned into praises, saying that their souls seemed to have been cleansed by the piece that Desmond had performed.


    In the judge''s area, everyone looked around Eli with astonished gazes. After they were done listening to the piece, they felt like they were caught in an borate trap to watch a four-man y.


    "I told you, these kids are the best and only options we could have. Look at what they have done to you¡­ they put you all under a spell¡­" Eli shook her head as she exined her analysis of their ying.


    "However, I still think that the show is iplete. We still have Anna, Raphael, Max, and Lainie¡­"


    "I wonder if their work would be cohesive with their friends'' performances¡­" Eli looked at the four surveince screens overhead.

 Chapter 360 Auditions (3)

    ?The judges also followed where Eli was looking and saw the current situation of the three people.


    Each was still concentrated on their work, still absorbed in finishing their respective crafts. For the painters and Lainie however, the time limit was about to approach. Everyone became curious about what their oues would be.


    Just a few minutes after observing, Lainie suddenly stood from her chair and started to organize the music sheets she had filled with her own arrangement.


    Eli raised her brows in amusement, in actuality, she was not expecting Lainie to finish an arrangement for a full-sized orchestra and a piano quartet in just a few hours of work. There is more work and effort to be done for one to be able to finish arranging a single piece, which Eli understood the most.


    So even though Lainie was not able to finish the arrangement for a full-sized orchestra, she would still get her as her apprentice if her piano quartet arrangement is up to her standards. But seeing her stand up before her time is up, it might mean that Lainie was able to finish the two tasks.


    It took around ten minutes for Lainie to finally go back to the hall as she still had the assistants to help her copy the manuscript she created.


    When she finally showed up, Bramwell instructed that the manuscripts for the orchestra arrangement be passed on to them while the score for the piano quartet would be distributed to Marie, Haley, Raya, and Desmond for them to performter on.


    "Lainie, allow the judges to scrutinize the score for the full-sized orchestra. In the meantime, you have another two hours to help the piano quartet to be able to perform your arrangement and an hour to take your lunch. The practice room is prepared for the five of you." Bramwell announced as she signaled the five musicians to move and work together.


    "Thank you, Vice Chairman." The young people bowed toward the judges and excited the rooms.


    After that, the first part of the auditions was concluded and a break was issued as it was already noon time. Eli and the institute''s officials invited Randel and the Royals to a well-prepared dining room where a massive array of food was lined up.


    The eight were also asked to take a break and get their meals that were prepared by the school too.


    In the campus cafeteria, the people who went to witness the selection enthusiastically discussed their amazement and impressions of the performances earlier. The others who were around could not help but be curious and decided to join in the next half of the session.


    At first, everyone was saddened by the announcement of the category of events for the uing grand tournament. That was because they also knew of the tragic situation of the department. So when they heard that the institute will still hold a selection for the music and fine arts category, the students were curious about who the representatives will be.


    There was a lot of skepticism towards the representatives of a virtually nonexistent department. However, since the institute did not give an exception and still ensured that the representatives would go through the right process, they took the chance to see for themselves if these representatives are also worthy to stand for the Empire and for the institute.


    And if they saw with their own eyes the abilities of the representatives, the students, particrly those belonging to the School of Academics decided to support the candidates with all their might.


    The selection event resumed two hours after the break as the judges still spent the time scrutinizing the arrangement that was made by Lainie for the full-sized orchestra.


    Overall, the score she passed was rough and she only chose to write the key instruments to y on a particr measure or bar. But Eli and the rest were actually impressed that Lainie was able toe up with something distinct yet majestic at the same time.


    The Empire''s March was actually just a one-minute piece that was intricately written as a depiction of how the Seirende Empire emerged to be the one who unified the continent.


    However as it was a march, there were many instruments that had to be involved and a lot of challenges will arise for the arranger, especially the pressure of making the Empire''s own music it''s new sound without deviating from its core tonality.


    Nevertheless, Lainie managed to pull through and gain the approval of the Imperial Family themselves.


    Now it was time for the two painters to present their work, with the theme of resilience.


    "This was a very hard theme for me, I could only think of a few icons here and there to be my subject for ''resilience''. I wonder if the young ones had more than what I had in mind." Grandpa Reuben looked at Anna and Raphael who were standing beside their respective canvases that were still covered in a cloth.


    "Well, without further adieu, let''s take a look at the painter''s works. Let''s start with Anna who was the first one to finish her work." Bramwell then announced and signaled for Anna to present her artwork.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Young Highnesses, this Institute''s great officials, faculty members, and my fellow students, I present to you my own take on resilience¡­ Rain on the Droughted Blossom!"


    Anna gently took away the cloth and revealed a beautiful impressionist painting that used the bold colors of the earth and orange, representing the extreme heat in the world that she painted.


    The subject of the painting was a single flower that was proudly facing the skies while standing alone in the midst of barrennd. Anna used a coldvender color to entuate its white petals and a fresh shade of green on the stems and leaves to indicate that it had just grown and blossomed.


    It was already beautiful, looking at the subject alone, with the impressionist style of painting, Eli and the rest felt like they were about to be drawn by the painting into its own world and experience the heat and barrenness depicted on it.


    But Anna decided to defy the heavens and added fine thin strokes of colors that rained down gently on the drynd and the flower itself.


    "The painting had transcended! More than resilience, it speaks of how it overcame the odds with just resilience alone, marketing the heavens to look on it seriously and bless her with rain!" Arielle, who was the one that was well versed in painting revealed her analysis of Anna''s painting.


    Everyone looked at Anna, a youngdy with a seemingly demure and gentle expression, yet her art was bold and overbearing with personality and ideals!


    Hearing the praises of the judges Anna rxed and gave an encouraging look at Raphael who was now the next one to present his work.


    "I present to you my simple take on Resilience¡­ the Victor." Raphael took a deep breath and presented his work to everyone.


    Upon taking out the cloth, Raphael revealed a stunning portrait of a man striking a valiant pose with an unsheathed sword he held upright in front of his face.


    "Ahhh Eli¡­ this is what your books told me about!!! This¡­ this is cubism! Cubism!!!" Arielle immediately freaked out and shook Eli in excitement as she saw up close the painting that Raphael made.


    The concept of Raphael''s painting was pretty straightforward, as his own words implied, simple.


    The man in the portrait was actually the first Victor, who worked with his blood and sweat in order to give his people a safe ce to live in Prasinos. Apart from the adjectives valiant, courageous, and upright, resilience was also one of the adjectives affixed to his name, and so Raphael had indeedplied to them rather simply.


    But what sets his painting apart was actually the concept.


    The painting was divided into two parts which were obviously divided by the sword in Victor''s hand. The left half of his body was drawn with the traditional realism technique which made the audience clearly recognize who the man was, his magnificence and splendor.


    Upon looking at the other half of Victor''s portrait, this was actually the element that told the deep and dark story. What''s more, Raphael managed to use fragmented geometric elements to emphasize the message of his work.


    Each of the shapes and boxes showing the other half of his face and body was made of thorns, scars, blood, fire, and other elements that Raphael thought might have represented the things that Victor went through for him to get to the height of his glory.


    As Arielle was saying, the other half of the painting clearly had the elements of a revolutionary approach to painting - Cubism.


    Eli was also impressed. If Prasinos were following the timeline of earth, cubism should have been invented a few more centuries from now.


    She felt like she was witnessing the awakening of someone that might have been a counterpart of Pablo Picasso in Prasinos!


    ",

 Chapter 361 Auditions (4)

    ?The hall was filled with exciting discussions as they all saw the two painters'' work. It was a new experience for every spectator in the hall.


    What excited them more was that these students would soon represent the institute and the empire!


    They couldn''t be more excited about the grand tournament knowing that their representatives were not someone who would give up the fight easily!


    Grandmaster Reuben, Deputy Chairman Bramwell, and the three Deans all had relieved and satisfied looks on their faces, in their hearts they were so d that they supported Eli ining up with this idea to convince them.


    Now, all they have to do is to pray that the mentoring session that willeter on would also be sessful and helpful to the children.


    But it was still too early for them to be rxed as there were still two remaining demonstrations prior to announcing what was next for the eight students.


    And so Bramwell called Max who was still drenched in sweat and was slightly pale when he presented himself to the audience.


    "This young one, I am quite worried for him¡­" Ariellemented about Max who was walking toward the center of the tform.


    "Why so, Princess Consort?" Grandmaster Reuben asked curiously.


    "Well, earlier, didn''t he choose to work on bronze for the sculpture? But I nced at him from time to time¡­ at one point I saw him getting the limestone¡­ then after some time, he took the wood¡­ maybe he was not able to do it within the time frame and so he tried to change his mediums until it worked on his side¡­" Arielle narrated her observation.


    "Hmm¡­ but looking at him, he seemed to be not anxious enough to present something substandard¡­ Let''s see... Maybe he was able to pull through¡­" Queen Lucia and the others all became worried at Arielle''s remarks.


    It was only Randel and Eli who maintained their calmness over the situation.


    They both noticed that among the eight, it was Max who had a fiery expression on his face. It would be safe to say that among the eight, he was the one who wanted to turn around his life the most.


    They believe that Max will pull through and that he will deliver exemry results. It was only a matter of time for them to witness his talents.


    "Now we will be evaluating the work done by our student sculptor, Max!" Bramwell gestured for the people to settle down.


    "A pleasant afternoon to everyone, this is my work that speaks about resilience - Lone Tree!" He then pulled the sculpture which was half as tall as him, but because of the base tform, its height became a little over his head.


    When everyone saw his sculpture, their eyes couldn''t help but blink again to check twice. It turns out that Max was able to incorporate three materials in his work in the most unexpected way.


    The sculpture was quite moving as it depicted a tree that was standing strong and unmoving with its roots deeply nted at the side of the cliff.


    The limestone which Arielle saw before was actually made into the portion of the cliff. Max did a good job in shaping the block of limestone into something that is akin to the texture and formations of the cliff on the seaside.


    As for the tree, this is where Max was able to catch everyone''s attention. The moment everyone saw him use the bronze, they thought that he would make something that is solid and full of details through casting.


    But who would have known that it was just an embellishment?


    The trunk of the tree was actually intricately sculpted with wood. But from the roots to the big and fine branches as well as the leaves, the brass elements came into the ce where Max actually used the bronze as twisted wires.


    It gave an effect that the roots were the ones that nourished the tree on the dry surface of the cliff of rocks. The branches and the bronze leaves were all pointing in a certain direction, thus suggesting to the observers that there was a harsh strong wind that was making the tree look that way.


    In the end, it really is a visualization of resilience.


    "Amazing! I never thought that you could bring together these three materials so beautifully!" Queen Teh couldn''t help but praise Max for his effort and creativity.


    Randel and Eli looked at him with approval, clearly satisfied with his hard work. Only then did Max decide to breathe a sigh of relief and pull out a polite smile on his face.


    Once again another uproar ensued in the hall, but it was only for a short amount of time as thest demonstration was about to happen.


    "Alright, for thest demonstration, student Lainie, along with students, Marie, Haley, Raya, and Desmond will now perform the arrangement made for the Empire''s march! Let us wee them back on stage!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    At his signal, the five music students entered the hall and immediately prepared their own instruments.


    Although it was not a proper orchestra, Lainie still assumed the conductor position to guide her colleagues throughout the performance.


    It was just a performance of under two minutes, however, for Lainie, this will be the turning point of her career and so she prayed that what she had written would turn out pleasing to other people''s ears.


    For what is the use of music that no one appreciates?


    Can it be even called music?


    With that, she cast a grateful look towards the four musicians who in turn answered her with an assuring nod, ''We are with you¡­''


    Lainie took a deep breath and finally raised the baton signaling the start of the piece.


    The four breathed in preparation as they waited for Lainie''s baton to move.


    Dun dan dan!


    A heavy yet glorious set of notes came from the four musicians simultaneously. It was a challenge because the march form was actually quite challenging to execute in a piano quartet especially when the piece was meant to have percussion and brass instruments to it.


    With just the piano and strings, Lainie had to make sure that the four instruments would fill in the missing elements that were not around in their full form.


    Desmond''s dextrous execution in the piano was supported by Haley''s cello, mimicking the sound of the percussion, blending along with the baseline.


    Raya and Marie on the other handpensated for the middle and first voices with their high and mid-tone ranges. Their notes were also arranged in a way that a portion of the brass parts would be covered in the piece.


    All in all the four worked together to make the Empire''s March sound fuller and uplifting at the same time with only four instruments. Needless to say, it was Lainie who taught hard in order to arrange the notes in a way that the four could execute it very well even when they were only practically sight reading.


    During thest measure, there was an intense build-up at the end of the piece which made everyone''s heart pound and boils with patriotism before it ended like a fleeting whirlwind.


    "Ah¡­ it''s done?" The watchers all felt like the performance was extremely short and craved more.


    If not for Eli standing gracefully to initiate a p in a standing ovation, everyone would still be in a daze as they were still caught in the intense music that they just heard.


    "Marvelous arrangement! Wonderful performance!" She eximed as she looked at them with an approving nce.


    Seeing the great inventor standing as soon as they finished and generously giving thempliments, the five of them could not help but feel their eyes turn hot as tears were about to follow their eyes.


    Especially, when Randel who was sitting beside her also followed the Great Inventor''s gesture, then the queens and princesses, then the grandmaster¡­ in a blink of an eye, everyone inside the hall all stood up and gave them a warm standing ovation.


    This was their first taste of glory, which they would never even dare to think of. Yet they still lived to see for themselves.


    It took a long while before everyone managed to calm down, only then did Bramwell summon the eight to finally hear the verdict of the judges.


    "To end this selection, each of the judges holds a badge that represents their approval for you to be representatives of the school for the fine arts and music categories.


    The judges will decide if you receive the badge or not, so without further adieu, I would like to request for our distinguished guests to reveal your decisions." Bramwell then announced how the results would be revealed.


    "Remember, this badge will be the symbol of you bing not only the representative of the institute but our beloved Empire, and so understand the burden and responsibility thates with this prestige." He warnedstly.


    At the center of the hall, the eight students tried to stay as calm as they could as they responded to Bramwell with a nod.

 Chapter 362 Greet Your Mentors!

    ?The distinguished judges went down on the elevated tform to meet the students who were now standing stiffly in suspense.


    There were only six judges and there were eight who were trying out for the audition. Deputy Chairman also did not say if they would all be given a slot as representatives and so, if there will only be one badge per judge, then that must mean that two of them would be left out.


    The judges, however, wished to no longer prolong the agony of the students who obviously gave their all during the selection activity.


    The first one who handed out his badge was actually Randel, quietly pinning the shiny badge on the right side of Max''s chest.


    "Congrattions," Randel uttered calmly as he looked at Max whose eyes widened and his body trembled in shock upon seeing the shiny badge affixed to his chest.


    "T-thank you, Sire!" He uttered with a shaky voice as he tried hard not to cry at the moment.


    After awarding, Randel led Max to another position in front of the stage to allow the other judges to pin the badge.


    Soon, Queen Lucia awarded Haley a badge, while Queen Teh gave Raya one too.


    Princess Evelyn also awarded Marie a badge while Arielle also awarded the two painters Anna and Raphael, much to their surprise.


    Finally, it was Eli''s turn to award the badge, and since Princess Consort Arielle had given two badges, everyone thought that Eli would give the remaining two a badge too.


    Although everyone''s spection was right, Eli did not forget to talk to Desmond first prior to awarding the badge.


    "Desmond, in my eyes, I have determined that you deserve to receive this badge. However¡­ I must ask you, do you want this badge?" She asked looking straight into Desmond''s eyes who was looking at the badge hesitantly.


    Among the eight students, he was the only one who had chosen the theme of rest and contentment in his performance. Everyone, even Lainie showed their drive to fight their current situation and defy what was pinning them down.


    But it was only Desmond, who from the start had already said that he was not ready to carry the burden of being the representative of the school who did not show the same drive as the other seven.


    Yes, he indeed participated and has performed with exemry results. Eli could not fault him in anything as she could also see that he gave a great effort in his performance¡­ but not his best.


    Clearly, Desmond held back, for some reason.


    As one who would go out of her way to teach them, Eli wanted to know what was in Desmond''s heart. What makes him hesitate, what would be his biggest roadblock.


    Desmond flinched the moment he heard Eli''s question.


    He lifted his gaze up and met Eli''s calm yet scrutinizing gaze. In his vision, Eli''s eyes were dark brown yet he could feel like her eyes were like two pairs of obsidian gems staring right into his soul exposing everything within him.


    Desmond subconsciously gulped. He found himself unable to endure Eli''s intimidating stare and so his eyes looked at his friends who were standing in front of him with the judges on their side, looking at him with worry.


    Raya was especially anxious as he saw his brother get scrutinized by the judges.


    "I-i¡­ I want to try¡­ changing myself." Desmond clutched his right hand which was shaking at the moment. Although Eli might not have exined the context of her question, he already knew what she meant.


    He closed his eyes and shes of images that he didn''t want to remember appeared in his mind. "I want the badge Great Inventor¡­ please give me the chance." He bit his lip tensely clearly trying to wake himself up in the nightmare as he uttered the words.


    "Very well. You do not need to beg, because you deserve it in the first ce." Eli looked at Desmond''s sorry figure and immediately answered aloud for everyone to hear.


    "There is no need to beg for what is actually yours. It''s just a matter of wanting it or not."


    Desmond looked down at his chest, there hung a golden badge with intricate details that symbolizes his status as the official representative of the Empire.


    His mind was still filled with negative thoughts but the glimmer of the badge seemed to be a beacon of light.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Congrattions." Eli patted his shoulders and smiled at him reassuringly.


    She then led him and Lainie to the line of the other candidates and judges. As the awarding wasplete, the fourteen people were now facing everyone watching the entire hall.


    "Ladies and gentlemen. I present to you, the eight representatives who will bepeting for us under the Fine Arts and Music category events during the Grand Tournament!" Bramwell looked at everyone and announced the results.


    Upon the announcement, there is great and overwhelming apuse in the entire hall. They all stood up and praised the eight students with sincere intentions.


    Eli looked around and was pleased because the students in the Farauld Magic Institute, or at least the ones who were present at the moment were sensible and supportive.


    Even though most of them were nobles that might have prejudice towards the eight students who were of low status, she had not received any reports of objection during the course of the selection of the moment.


    She also thought that maybe, involving the Imperial Family in the selection had also set a good standard on how the students should treat the eight people.


    With that, Eli determined that it is now time to strengthen the status of the eight students and the prestige of the institute as well. She cast a nce at the five judges then to Grandpa Reuben and Uncle Bramwell.


    The two elders nodded in understanding upon meeting her gaze, with that, Grandmaster Reuben stood up and took the floor. Seeing the headmaster stand up, everyone became silent and settled down.


    "Alright. Now that we have already selected the representatives, the next step is to equip and train them for the more tediouspetition that is yet toe in just roughly four months. With that, we have invited the most distinguished people in the Empire to be their mentors until the tournament."


    Upon hearing Grandmaster Reuben, the audience engages in another wave of discussion. They all knew that the institute had failed to get a permanent teacher to keep teaching under the department, but now the Headmaster actually announced that they have gotten teachers once again.


    Who could these teachers be?


    The answer was given right away as Grandmaster Reuben immediately continued his announcement. He looked at the eight students who were standing alongside the judges who had awarded their badges and continued.


    "Student representatives, the ones standing with you who have been awarded the badges were actually the great people who agreed to be your mentors during the course of the training. Once again let me introduce to you the distinguished judges and mentors from this point forward!"


    "First one, to teach Student Haley. Known for her prowess in ying the Cello which was acimed during her prime years, none other than the First Queen of the Empire, Queen Lucia de Seirende!"


    "Next, to teach Student Raya. During her youth, she was acimed as the most famous bard of all time who was well versed in multiple instruments, poetry, singing, and storytelling. Now she was one of the mother figures alongside the first queen who looked after our empire, the Second Queen, Teh De Seirende!"


    "To teach Student Marie was considered the rose of the high society, reigning as the noblestdy in her youth, talented and intelligent, married to our dear Highness Second Prince, Princess Consort Evelyn!"


    "To teach our two painting students, Anna and Raphael, was someone who has grown with the love of fine arts in her blood as the former princess of the Vanderford Empire, the heart of culture and fine arts, now happily wedded to our beloved First Prince, Princess Consort Arielle!"


    "Second to thest, teaching our sculpting student Max, was none other than the only disciple of our Empire''s Grandmaster Andvari of the Forgeworn n. He was also a strong mage at the peak of S ss and is one of the master craftsmen of the Forgeworn Group of Companies, Randel Forgeworn!"


    "Finally, teaching two different musical disciplines for students Desmond and Lainie. She was known to be the brain behind thetest and groundbreaking inventions that had already helped countless households in and outside the Empire. Apart from her inventions, she has a strong prowess in music which will now be revealed to everyone¡­


    Our very own Research Counselor, the Great Inventor, Eli!"


    "Woah¡­ what a surprising turn of events!"


    Everyone who was listening to the introduction almost dropped their jaws on the floor. They were not expecting this to happen.


    Grandmaster Reuben finally closed his announcement with a teasing look toward the dumbfounded students,


    "Student Representatives,e and greet your respective mentors!"

 Chapter 363 Selection Event Ends

    ?It was more intense for the students who were standing beside their now conferred mentors¡­ They looked at the person beside them with disbelief in their eyes.


    "... is this for real?" Their heads were ringing due to the surprise and the uproar as they nkly looked at their respective mentors whose identities were formidable!


    The four imperial women seemed to enjoy the surprised looks on the student''s faces. Only Eli and Randel kept calm and collected.


    The students felt pressured upon seeing the judges and now turned to their very own mentors waiting for them to pay respects.


    The very first one to step forwards and face his own mentor with a humble 90-degree bow was Max who was now doing his best not to explode from excitement upon slowly realizing what kind of future he would have with the opportunity to be thought by Randel.


    The others followed quickly as they were now also starting to realize how the turn of events suddenly came into their lives.


    Every one of them subconsciously looked at Eli who was the one who firmly persuaded them to try.


    When she said that she found teachers for them they did not think of it much. But who would have known that the very teachers she was pertaining to were formidable people?


    "Good! Good! Let''s work hard together!" The Imperial women warmly weed their respective students while Max and Randel seemed to have been a great contrast, one man who is passionate and bulky, and his teacher was silent and mysterious.


    Eli''s group was rather a little bit tense, to begin with, becauseLainie was actually an acquaintance who knew more of Eli''s and Desmond who had been reprimanded earlier.


    However, Grandmaster Reuben and Deputy Chairman Bramwell felt optimistic that these tandems would work great in theing days.


    The proceedings of the selection event not only spread rapidly in the entire campus but even throughout the entire capital.


    Even during the intermission of the official council, it was the main topic of the men of the political world.


    For some, this was a great development because it might be a good impression for the Imperial Family to have the Queens and the Princess consorts do such activity.


    This is also a way to somehow tell the people that the imperial family is still for the people and Carolina''s case is just something that is unfortunate.


    But for some in the aristocratic function, there were hidden frowns as they discussed the matter. It was because once again, Eli''s name was involved in another uproar.


    "It is here again¡­ that inventor."A noble from the rising new faction could not help but whine in disdain.


    "Why must she also involve herself in music and the likes? I thought she was someone who prefers to bury herself in books and experimentation?" Another alsomented irritatingly.


    "If this continues, then her prestige would be unrivaled even when our noble daughters would join forces topete with her poprity."


    "Haaaa! What a nuisance! Common people should have just stayed where they should be! They were not to meddle in the affairs of the empire."


    "Indeed! And what''s the Imperial family doing with teaching a bunch of poormoners?"


    "Well, this is what I heard from my useless son who knew nothing but to speak of his admiration over that young inventor. Apparently, it was the young inventor''s idea to assemble the eight as well as their teachers!


    Hah! For her to be able to even convince the Imperial women, how far must her influence go?"


    "Her rising reputation must be stopped, we can no longer dy anymore!"


    "Yes, we have to move. Or else, our daughters will be the ones to suffer!"


    "Men, we must alreadymence our n to disrupt the inventor''s momentum before the Third Prince moves to propose to her."


    "What''s the rush, the Prince might be too busy to even bother about that because of the empire''s preparation for the Temple''s visitation and the Grand Tournament."


    "That must be the case, but once the inventor manages to even get one of those students and researchers to win an event in the tournament, her prestige will be solid as ever!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes, it won''t hurt for us to disturb her momentum at the earlier stages. Remember, our goal is to not let her seed anymore."


    The men continued to discuss their ns to bother Eli, but unbeknownst to them, their entire conversation was actually falling into the ears of an undercover roaming de who sessfully infiltrated the group.


    The roaming de immediately reported the matter to Leon and Eli, who were now rxing after a long day in the cottage which was now relocated once again to the Forgeworn territory because of the increasingly busy activities of the two.


    "What do you say about that, Eli?" Leon''s face was actually dark and gloomy, seeing that many men would like to bother Eli with their nonsense.


    But instead of bing anxious, Eli just shrugged as she let out an amusedugh,


    "What were those men thinking? They want their daughters to be your partner so they wanted to put me down. If so, did they ever think of what would happen if they were sessful? Aren''t they going to start biting each other then?"


    "Well, I am sure that they wouldn''t even seed in their ns, but it might be quite amusing to see them go at each other, those greedy men."


    Leon''s mood was suddenly lifted seeing that Eli was not even bothered by the schemes of those men, however, he took a mental note to give the rising new faction trouble in theing days.


    "Well it is just sad that after all the work everyone did to purge the curse users in the Empire, it did not resolve the greed in these noblemen''s hearts. Instead, after the disappearance of a greatpetitor, they are now starting to think that they will soon be kings."


    Eli shook her head as she looked at Leon and the des who were listening sympathetically.


    "As for the so-called n, you need not jeopardize your cover just to let me know exactly what their scheme was. The important thing is that they were not nning on killing anyone in the course of the process." Eli looked at the undercover agent and advised him genuinely.


    She knew that it took a lot of preparation and effort for the de to infiltrate the faction. So Eli was not willing for him to waste his effort in dealing with such a scheme. His purpose there was to make sure that the faction was not doing something that was as gruesome as what the Vess had done.


    "Are you sure about it Eli? It''s really no bother for us if we need more people to infiltrate." Leon furrowed his brows worriedly.


    "I know that you can now protect yourself, even though it makes me feel sad that I will now have a lesser chance to be your knight in shining armor¡­ but then, your work will be disrupted by those nuisances."


    Eli could not help butugh at Leon''s words. These days, Leon was bing more vocal and open in showing his affections towards her, almost as if he turned back to his old ways when he almost chopped half of the Silver Dew Forest just to impress her.


    "No need, really. Apart from my improvement in my magical aptitude, Zeke and Uncle Bramwell are always around so you do not need to worry." Eli stood up this time and moved towards Leon''s seat.


    From his back, Eli leaned down and enveloped Leon''s body with her arms. Leon held her hand and kissed her sweetly.


    "Eherm¡­" The single dogs who were initially listening to the discussion attentively had awkward expressions on their faces. They employed different techniques to look away and not watch their masters turn lovey-dovey in front of them.


    Soon looking at the ceiling, others even pretended to y with Little Han''s toys, the others also tried to check if their swords were fastened well and if their nails were clean.


    "Look, your men are now waiting for you to finish the meeting." Eli gave a light peck on Leon''s cheek as she pointed out the amusing reactions of the des. "I''ll check Little Han inside."


    Eli gave Leon and the des some space as she knew that there would be more discussion points that they needed to tackle.


    "Master, will you really just do nothing about the men who were trying to trouble madam?" They asked.


    "Of course not. But I have a different n in mind." Leon, who had a gentle expression earlier, suddenly became cold and frigid. It was apparent on his face that he was not pleased with the men from the rising faction.


    "Let us agitate them even further. Tomorrow, Father Emperor will finally announce the members of the Anti Curse Committee. I am sure that hearing Eli''s name will trigger them so much."


    "Now what you will do is to spread the news as fast as you could, emphasize that Eli is included. Then they will hastily move."


    "By that time, they will be more likely to fail because they do not have enough preparation to retaliate!"

 Chapter 364 Third

    ?"Master, but how about our Madam? Aren''t you worried about how troublesome it will be for her?" The des asked rather carefully.


    Leon was not offended by their inquiry, but instead, he smiled as he remembered Eli''s unbothered expression while they learned about the n of the new faction.


    "Didn''t she say earlier that there is no need to worry? Besides, you knew that your Madam was not an easy opponent." Leon replied, there was a proud and infatuated expression on his face as he continued, "Your Madam could even crush a person with her words alone, what more if she uses her strength and wits?"


    The des were dumbfounded as they saw Leon''s love-sick expression. After all, they grew up seeing Leone and go to the battlefield with an ever-cold expression. But now, their master was now capable of showing such a gentle and affectionate expression.


    "Another thing, it would be advantageous for her if we are able to trigger the men to move earlier, because Eli will just get busier as the date of the tournament approaches. The earlier their schemes were exposed and debunked the more convenient it is for your Madam."


    As Leon continued to exin everything, the des also realized the advantages of forcing the old men to reveal their schemes prematurely. Besides, these men cannot afford toe up with another scheme as Leon will ensure that they will be busier than Eli.


    "I see, master. Now we understand. We thank Master for enlightening us with your wisdom." The des then responded and dismissed themselves.


    Leon stretched his stiff body upon standing on the couch. The days seemed to have been longer in the past few weeks and he was now feeling that his body was now slowly demanding rest. And so, he immediately proceeded to the bedroom where Eli and Little Han were now dressed in their sleeping attire.


    "Jiheeeheee!"


    The mother and son looked so cute and adorable as they were both wearing soft white pajamas. They were giggling as they yed with each other, with Eli tickling Little Han.


    Their yful giggles filled the room and warmed up Leon''s heart. A smile bloomed on his exhausted face as he told his heart, ''home is where these two would be¡­''


    "Ohhh Daddi!!!!" Little Han felt Leon''s presence and looked in his direction.


    Leon stepped forward and saw the cute scenery which almost made him jump to the bed and act out of his usual character.


    Two pairs of twinkling eyes looked at him dearly, Little Han and Eli''s heads were close to each other as Little Han was actually hugging his mommy''s face. Now with their cheeks touching each other, they looked at Leon who was approaching from the entrance of the bedroom door.


    "You guys ended quite early," Eli remarked as freed Little Han in her embrace.


    Little Han immediately scooted over his father, smiling happily. He called out to Leon with his charming gaze asking his dad for warm cuddles.


    "Hmm.. aren''t you going to sleep, little one?" Leon indulged his son, bruising the top of Little Han''s head who was now closing his eyes like a little puppy, extremely content with his daddy''s touch.


    "Johann wait daddi~~~ Heee heee!" Little Han responded. Every day he has been growing so fast and hisprehension of the conversations around people was now slowly bing more apparent.


    As such, Eli and Leon became more careful about allowing Little Han to hear their conversations especially when it is about the things that were happening around the Empire.


    "Alright, now Daddy is here. You should sleep now, ok? Mommy must rest early too." Leon allowed Little Han to curl up in hisp while his two little crystal blue eyes looked up at him dependently.


    "Aye¡­ Johann sweep¡­" The little one responded as he yawned softly, his eyes fluttering as he looked at his mom and dad before hepletely closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


    "How''s your day?" While Leon was continually stroking Little Han''s hair gently, he put his attention to Eli who was watching the two silently.


    "It''s amazing, everything worked fine in the end. Now, all we have to do is to train them in theing days." Eli smiled as she summarized the happenings in the selection event. As she narrated the happenings, Leon listened intently as he observed the excitement on Eli''s face.


    It was always like this when Eli talks about music, her usually assertive demeanor disappears and a child-like personality would appear. Knowing that music was Eli''s true aspiration and that she was somehow able to pursue it even with so many responsibilities made him feel relieved.


    At first, he was worried that Eli could no longer handle everything in her hands if she would insist on training the young ones in music. But looking at her excited eyes and the way she talked about the happenings in the academy, Leon knew Eli was genuinely happy.


    "Oh, by the way, Leon. Her Highness Second Queen told me something about your childhood." As if she remembered something, Eli looked at Leon with an expression of amusement.


    "Really, I''m curious, did mother divulge some embarrassing memories I had when I was a child?" Leon responded, raising his brows in vignce.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''His mom wouldn''t make it so that Eli would be disappointed in my childhood, would she?''


    ''Maybe she told Eli how I was a gloomy kid back then¡­''


    "Fufufu~~ I see you are nervous." Eli immediately detected the change in Leon''s calm expression and so she took the chance to tease him.


    "Hmm¡­ not really¡­" Leon kept an expressionless face as he tried not to look at Eli. He tried to put his attention back on the sleeping Little Han.


    Eli let out a delightful chuckle, it brought her great amusement whenever she would catch Leon like this, for it was hard to catch him off guard. It was such a rare instance that she wanted to enjoy this.


    Thest time she saw him that embarrassed was when she first asked him to call her by her nickname, and his reaction was golden!


    "Oh, well~ Her Highness Second Queen only happened to tell me a small tale about your childhood. She said that you were fascinated by her musical prowess and that you learned the violin which she ys best.


    But one day, you suddenly ditched all those because you wanted to be able to y the cello. She said that she could not forget how you look like a cello that has grown a little human at the side.


    Then when she asked you why you said that you could not bear to let your mother y alone without apaniment and that you will stop being a prince and be a bard instead.


    When His Majesty heard your words he chased you all over the pce and spanked your little bum because you dared to trample your identity as a prince.


    However, you didn''t stop insisting that you would stop being a prince but be a bard instead so you and His Majesty went on for days ying cat and mouse in the pce!


    Oh, I also won''t forget the fact that you tried one-up His Majesty by putting a wooden nk on your behind because you were already tired of his spanking?!"


    As Eli went on and told this¡­ glorious exploits of the young and naive Leon, the hero of the tale was getting more and more embarrassed.


    The way Eli retold the story was so vivid and detailed that Leon thought that his bum was starting to throb as he remembered the pain of Emperor Valentin''s discipline.


    "Eli¡­ p-please stop¡­ and also I beg you to at least not tell this story to the des nor Kayden¡­ Or I will no longer lift my head to them if that happens," Leon could no longer contain his embarrassment upon meeting Eli''s teasing eyes.


    Eli let out another chuckle as she decided to no longer tease Leon. She instead scooted near Leon and rested her face on his, rubbing her nose gently against his.


    "Yes, I won''t¡­ But more than that I am happy¡­" Eli looked at Leon and touched the side of his face, stroking it gently.


    "I am happy to know that your childhood was not purely gloomy and dark¡­ that you still had some normal days back then¡­" She continued as her hands trailed down to Leon''s neck, shoulders, and chest, tracing down all the old scars his body had that were a testament to his difficult past.


    "I may not be around during that time. But Leon, can we make more good memories with Little Han from today on?" Eli asked gently while her hand moved to take Leon''s.


    Leon was puzzled when he felt something cold wrapping around his wrist.


    He looked down and saw that Eli had actually fastened a sleek tinum bracelet that was ridden with intricate patterns and runes.


    The thinness and the design of the bracelet is elegant yet not overbearing, he could see that the design was specially made for him.


    "Eli this¡­" Startled about Eli''s gift, Leon looked at him with eyes widened in surprise.


    "In my previous world, some couples usually celebrated the day they became lovers not once a year but every month.


    We might have missed celebrating a few months, but we can start this day¡­" Eli looked at him with a loving gaze and affection as she continued,


    "Leon, happy 3rd monthsary!"

 Chapter 365 The Establishment Of The Anti Curse Committee

    ?Leon''s heart stirred when he heard Eli''s exnation. He never expected that Eli would give him such a gift and that the gift had such a deep meaning.


    He looked at the bracelet on his wrist, his eyes reddening, deeply moved by the gesture.


    "Eli¡­" he stretched out his hands cupping Eli''s cheeks as Leon called out her name in a quivering voice.


    "I''m sorry I have not prepared for anything¡­" He muttered apologetically.


    Eli touched Leon''s hand that was on her cheeks, nuzzling closely to feel the warmth of his big palms.


    "You do not have to feel sorry, we have just started, aren''t we?" Eli replied.


    "Yes, and we will celebrate more of this in the months toe¡­"Leon leaned closer and gave Eli a sweet lingering kiss.


    The night for the little family of three is warm and loving. Heavens and the earth had brought them the blessing of a good night''s sleep for theing day would be busier than the previous one.


    ¨C


    The next morning was another hectic one for Leon and Eli, but this time, the two must show up together for the first time in the Imperial Pce.


    For the first time, Eli will be joining the general assembly of not only the council but all of the influential people in the Empire for an important announcement - the establishment of the Anti Curse Committee!


    The establishment of the Anti-cursemittee has been announced a day after the victory banquet. But just as predicted, the nobles will not allow the establishment of the saidmittee without cing their own alternatives.


    And so with the back-and-forth discussion with the nobles, the Emperor decreed that themittee will be nominated by the selected key personalities of the Empire.


    Although they came together in the Imperial Pce Leon and Eli did not enter the hall together. Instead, Eli went with Randel to avoid sparking more discussion from the people.


    As they entered Eli could already hear the hushed discussion around her.


    "As expected, the young inventor is also here¡­"


    "I''ve heard from my wife that she also dabbled with music and even volunteered to put herself to the level of the great musicians to teach the representatives of the Farauld Magic Institute in the tournament."


    "Goodness! It might be inappropriate to say, but she is actually a show-off!"


    "Well¡­ I could not think of another word too!"


    "Definitely an arrogant and a show-off. How did the Third Prince be attracted to her? It is so clear that she only does these things to attract his attention?"


    "What can we do? With the Grandmasters on her side, who would stop her? Not even the Emperor would dare to stop the precious granddaughter of the Forgeworn and Farauld ns!"


    The murmurs around were not at all pleasing to anyone''s ears.


    "How ironic, these men were ought to be the most dignified men in the Empire, yet they have loose tongues." Randel emitted a cold aura as he could hear clearly what kind of words the men were saying regarding his sister.


    He eyed the men and made sure to emit an aura of a mage that was now close to S ss. Instantly the old men shut up and nervously made their way toward the two until they reached their designated seats.


    As people who had high aptitude in magic, Eli and Randel had a stronger sense of hearing than the others.


    In fact, even as they were about to enter the gate, Eli was already frowning utterly displeased by the rattling of the so-called nobles. She did not actually care about the things they say about her, but she needed to hold on at least until the assembly ended.


    If not for the report she and Leon received earlier regarding the ns of the New Rising Faction against her, she would have long shut off her amplified senses to have some piece of mind. But Eli needed to get more information so that she could gauge if she could handle their schemes.


    In a matter of minutes, the great hall was slowly filled with prominent men and even some high-ranking nobledies were also allowed to witness the proceedings of the assembly.


    "Everyone! Make way for His Majesty King and the Princes of the Empire!" The grand chambein cleared his throat to announce the Imperial Family''s arrival.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The next moment Emperor Valentin, Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon entered the hall.


    Different from the previous grand assembly, the three princes no longer had an intense enmity with each other. Although they remained restrained in their actions, one could see that the rtionship between the three brothers was improving.


    Kazimir and Antoine no longer sport contempt and disgust whenever they gaze at their youngest brother. Leon on the other hand no longer treated the two as if they were air, his aura towards the crowd was still swordlike, ready to strike at any moment. But his aura toward his brother has visibly softened.


    When everyone settled down, Emperor Valentin announced the start of the assembly.


    Governor Fidel and the Grandmasters took the floor as the proponent of the establishment of the Anti-Curse Committee. They discussed the rationale and responsibility of themittee and its members, detailing their authority once a curse-rted incident emerges in the Empire.


    Then they alsoid down to everyone the ssifications in order to be considered a nominee for themittee.


    One they must have a great contribution or they have the high potential to contribute to the welfare of the Empire using their talents and abilities.


    Second, they must be of A-ss and above regardless of their constitution.


    As they announced this, the people of the New Rising Faction smirked. Their expressions clearly said that they were up to something, and that would be of no good.


    After the introduction, the confirmedmittee members were announced one by one.


    The Emperor nominated Kayden and Nathan for both having the pivotal role during the internal war.


    Grandmaster Andvari and Reuben, of course, nominated Randel and Eli as they were the ones who were very well experienced in the family when ites to curses apart from Nathan.


    The Temple also nominated their mysterious Captain of the Temple knights, Mishael. In his absence, however, vice captains Joab and Keren will jointly assume the role of managing the temple knights.


    Finally, the nominees from the noble council themselves. As there were no more Ves Faction, the Astazea and the New Rising Factionpeted hard to make their own candidates elected to themittee.


    It was such an intense fight between the two that even the Emperor had a hard time settling down the chaotic council. In the end, by Kazimir''s suggestion, the council gets to nominate two people for a seat on themittee.


    With that, the New Rising Faction chose Anderson Cross as their representative while the Astaze Faction nominated Siegfried Astaze, the one who expended all his mana in order to bring the cornered Kazimir and his men to safety during the encounter in the third district.


    After the names were announced, the sevenmittee members were called in front to show themselves to the Emperor. This is to have them pronounce an oath of loyalty to protect the Seirende Empire as they see fit to their purpose as the members of themittee.


    The seven brilliant people lined up quietly in the hall, paying respects to the Emperor with a bow. Leon sweep a calm yet cold gaze towards the seven. Only when his eyes reached Eli that his stare softened, as to Anderson however, a subtle frown appeared on his face.


    This obvious difort was detected by his closest friend who was watching his every move, Kayden. If not for the fact that they were in the presence of the Grandmasters and the Emperor, he would have sniggered.


    Emperor Valentin stood up and blessed the seven of them with a sword one by one.


    "Now the seven of you have been chosen by the elders and officials of this assembly. As the head of the Empire, I implore you to do your duty well and protect the people from the sinister curses. With that, the seven of you must make a sacred oath to the throne¡­"


    They were asked to half kneel to the throne, toughing the crest that was engraved on the right armrest of the throne which was the seal of the Seirende''s first Victor.


    One by one, the members stepped forwards and pronounced their oaths. Once they have finished the oath-taking, they will now be officially part of the Anti-Curse Committee.


    But when it was Eli''s turn to approach the throne to say her oath, a few men started amotion, interrupting the ceremony.


    "The men out there, I hope you have a good reason to disrupt this solemn ceremony!" Grandpa Andi was utterly displeased by the disrespect of the men who were trying to approach Emperor Valentin and the rest.


    "Your Majesty, t-this humble one d-dared to interrupt the oath-taking ceremony because¡­"


    "We object to having Lady Eli, the great inventor be part of themittee!"

 Chapter 366 Accusation

    ?"Count Maller is it?" Emperor Valentin''s eyes squinted coldly as he eyed the group of novels headed by a count at the center of the hall.


    Strangely, as he was doing it, the temperature of the entire room suddenly turned cold. An invisible intimidating force came from the direction of the throne and the honored seats of the High Priest and the grandmasters.


    "Yes, your majesty." Count Maller looked at his allies nervously. They already knew that Eli would be backed up by the grandmasters but they never knew that this was the kind of pressure they have to take on.


    Even the nobles who were in his side were trying their best to stop their legs from shaking. The other nobles around had also realized that the pressure was high on their area and so, they stepped back and avoided the nobles who tried to object.


    "Then, you must have a valid case to state in the assembly as to why you led your men to object in the middle of the appointment?" Emperor Valentin''s cold and authoritative demeanor did not change as he slowly demanded the men to exin.


    "I-it''s¡­it''s¡­" Count Maller shivered in anxiousness as the pressure around them doubled making him hard to even open his mouth.


    But then he received more piercing gazes towards his allies. Their eyes told him that he must pull through since themotion was actually his idea and that they will be willing to betray him if he messed the matter up.


    Leaving him with no escape route, Count Maller gulped fearfully before taking a deep breath to finally open his mouth and exin the reason for their objections.


    "Y-your Majesty, forgive us for our insolence. I-it''s like this.


    We have heard the qualifications of being a member of themittee and we knew that the Great Inventor Lady Eli had already given countless contributions to the Empire.


    However, we knew that thedy has not yet reached the second requirement as we knew that in the registry, she was just a ss D summoner¡­


    It is not that we look down on the ldy¡­ but the Anti Curse Committee is also a highly dangerous position for a ss D mage like her. E-even the B-ss and above were helpless with the curse users, how much more for mages like her?"


    As Count Maller revealed his reasons, the onlookers seemed to have also realized this point so they started to debate among themselves if Eli should be disqualified for such a case.


    The elders on the other hand continued to express their displease with their frowning expressions. Much to the noblemen''s dismay, theypletely shut their mouths and refrained from talking further as to nor incur the wrath of the greatest men in the Empire.


    "Count Maller and your group of gentlemen, you are saying that the Grandmasters who personally nominated thedy took a blind eye on this matter and still insisted on getting her into the ranks?" Emperor Valentin asked cunningly.


    The men flinched,pletely bbergasted by how the Emperor himself twisted their words and put them against their throats.


    Not only did he defend Eli without even mentioning his personal judgment, he had also roped in the Grandmasters to further put them into a corner.


    The noblemen who were watching the scene could not help but light a candle silently to the insolent foolish noblemen who were blinded by their own schemes. In their eyes, the nobles from the new faction thought highly of themselves, but in the end, showed how inexperienced and foolish they were.


    This New Rising Faction thought that they could already cause a big wave in the pce just by doing such a clumsy scheme because the Ves was no longer around.


    "No, Your Majesty and Your Excellencies! We don''t dare to insult you¡­" Flustered by the sudden usation, Count Maller and his allies could no longer keep calm.


    In unison, they all sincerely knelt and professed that questioning the Grandmaster''s judgment was never their intention. "We apologize for causing such an unpleasant impression."


    "You may say so, but that is what you meant by causing such a disruption in the appointment ceremony." Emperor Valentin looked at them frigidly, his tone was saying that he was not a bit convinced with their exnation.


    "You lot were trying to tell everyone here that the great grandmasters, who went on their way to assist ournd to clean up the mess made by the curse users, were only interested in putting their people in a position of power without even the proper qualifications right?!"


    The peak of his anger emanated from his voice as he roared angrily while he pointed his staff at them as if to pronounce their crimes.


    "Your Majesty, may I respectfully ask to speak for myself regarding this matter?"


    Not wanting to make the matter be prolonged, Eli signaled Leon, Grandpa Ben, Grandpa Andi, and High Priest Enoch with a gaze, hinting to them that she will involve herself in the matter.


    Upon hearing his future daughter-inw''s calm tone, the anger that was brewing in Emperor Valentin''s heart slowly started to calm down. With a softened tone, he cleared his throat and nodded at Eli while responding,<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You have every right to speak for yourself as there were people who were trying to denounce you. This is a fairground, and no one could unjustly discredit one''s abilities under my watch."


    While Emperor Valentin was saying this, not only did he sweep his eyes toward Count Maller''s party, but the entire hall. He was giving them a warning not to take the same foolish actions because of their own greed and interest.


    "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Eli smiled calmly while giving a graceful bow toward Emperor Valentin.


    Then after that, she cast another nce toward Leon who nodded in the assurance that he will back her up if anything happens.


    Seeing her partner''s permission, Eli finally faced the crowd and her users. Her respectful and docile demeanor infront of the Emperor was gone, but instead, the gaze on her dark brown eyes seemed to emit a dangerous feeling to the crowd, especially to Count Maller''s party.


    She then slowly stepped down from the ceremony tform, with her steps ringing through the hall. No one dared to breathe loudly, as they were subconsciously lost in her intimidating aura.


    Kazimir and Antoine felt the uncontroble shivers on the back of their head as they realize how scary Eli really was.


    At first, they thought that she was just an ordinarymonerdy who had more intelligence than all other nobledies in the Empire.


    Straightforward and highly intellectual, but now, they could not help but thank the heavens that even though the two of them eyed her for their own selfish agenda before, they have not really offended her for real.


    As they saw Eli step down with her confident figure descending like a queen toward the crowd, the two princes turned their gazes toward Leon who was looking at Eli with a deep sense of pride and adoration in his eyes.


    "..." They were left speechless by their madman brother''s disy of love.


    ''They were truly a match made in heaven¡­'' The two elder brothers concluded in their hearts.


    On Eli''s side, she did not have any change of expression. During the entiremotion, she remained calm and unbothered, not even the most cunning noblemen around could figure out what she was thinking at the moment.


    As she stepped closer, the people who were watching started to spectate with interest as to how the genius inventor would debunk the conspiracies thrown at her.


    "Gentlemen, first and foremost, who gave you the authority to investigate my background when I had the status of an honorary contributor?


    Didn''t you yourselves propose thew of forbidding to have a conferred person''s record be arbitrarily released without the approval of the Emperor himself?"


    "For all I know, the moment I received the honor from the Emperor, my records in the registry werepletely sealed from the public, unless I personally reveal it or was demanded by the Imperial orders¡­ Tell me gentlemen, who gave you the authority to present information that was ILLEGALLY obtained?"


    "Oh my goodness!"


    "This did not even cross my mind?!"


    "These men were doomed!"


    As soon as Eli mentioned thew and her status, everyone understood what it truly meant. The ministry of the registry has beenpromised and they have epted bribes in order for Count Maller''s party to get a hold of her magical aptitude assessment.


    This time, not only the Emperor was visibly displeased but also the princes and the upright members of the council. To think that these men wouldmit such a foolish act.


    "Gentlemen¡­Sigh¡­" Eli squinted her eyes and a subtle smile appeared on her face as she looked at the panicked expressions of the men.


    "How could you even not think such a simple matter??


    To think that you wouldpletely forget about that fact! Hmm, in this case, it was either of these two reasons. First, you might look down on every distinguished personality in this hall, underestimating their intelligence¡­


    Or that, you simply looked down on me that you dared to carelessly do it?"

 Chapter 367 Test

    ?Eli''s words increased the displease of everyone towards the using group, even the nobles that were part of the council. As Eli has said, the fact that Count Maller''s party used her records even though they knew that they vited thew was a challenge to their judgment.


    Moreover, they also agreed to them at one point, proving Eli''s words were spot on. Her two hypotheses were both correct, in the end, Count Maller''s party looked down on everyone in the hall.


    Count Maller and his entire crew could not utter any words to articte their case, instead, they only scrambled to deny Eli''s usations.


    They thought that the Emperor''s doubt was already much of a burden to them, but Eli was able to pin down a heavier offense.


    "We are foolish! Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, Lady Eli, we deeply apologize for our insolence!!!" Count Mallers allies started to kneel before the Emperor and the Grandmasters to apologize.


    They might be able to at least appease the displease of thedy, but once the Emperor focuses on the fact that they bribed the ministry of registry, they might be severely punished.


    "Oh, gentlemen, not so fast! What I said earlier were just my thoughts based on what I knew of the Empire''sw. In the end, my words are just mere bber if there would be no solid evidence." Eli maintained an unreadable expression while she suddenly seemed to retract her statements.


    "You-Lady¡­ what do you want to say?" As flustered and puzzled as they were, Count Maller and his party were utterly lost with Eli''s words.


    ''What does she want?'' They wondered in their minds, ''For her to be acting like this, what is she up to?''


    Their thoughts were immediately answered by Eli''s next words and actions.


    "Well, what would be a better way to clear my status than by showing you my aptitude?" Eli calmly snapped her fingers before everyone and summoned Baobao in his peak state.


    "Master, I havee to respond to your summons!" Baobao looked at Eli and bowed to her in submission, not even minding the people around them.


    But even as he already did a submissive pose, his giant panda body was still towering in the eyes of the people who did not know of Baobao''s true origin.


    "C-cursed bear!" The people cried in panic as they started to stand up in a hurry and leave the ce in terror.


    Count Maller and the rest of the noblemen could no longer react as they remained frozen and still in front of Eli and Baobao.


    Who doesn''t know of the fact that cursed bears were terrifying animals? They were the type of beast that needed an entire battalion of knights to subdue just one of them.


    Now they were seeing in their own eyes how the cursed bear bowed to Eli submissively and how Eli stood before him inplete control.


    D ss for all they care! The fact that she has the cursed bear as a contracted familiar was already formidable enough to put her at the same level as the young masters of the Astaze n.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, please do not panic. Baobao is not a cursed bear but a bear species. He is not something rted to the curse. To prove that fact, why not have the inaugurated member of the Anti Cursemittee verify my im?" Eli looked at the rest of the members and suggested her idea, sessfully diverting the attention back to the main issue.


    "Hmm, that will also work, have it as the first mission of the Anti cursemittee!" Emperor Valentin was pleased and intrigued with Eli''s sudden suggestion. So he raised his imperial staff and gave Eli his approval.


    As soon as the Emperor gave his approval, Nathan, Seigfried, and Anderson, who were known as strong knights, stood up from their seats and went to face Baobao who was still sitting beside Eli in the middle of the hall with a docile expression.


    The imperial guards moved the people away to clear a space for them and to also build a protection array to prevent damaging the pce.


    The three well-known knights were now vigntly facing the Baobao who was sitting unperturbed while Eli was gently stroking his fur. Nathan was more rxed than the others because he already knew Baobao beforehand.


    "Baobao, show them how strong you are but do not hurt them, they are friends." Eli looked at Baobao and instructed him.


    "Okay," Baobao nodded, then lifted his chubby belly to stand on all fours and looked at the three knights.


    As soon as Emperor Valentin shouted start, the knights have already charged and Baobao stood still. Anderson and Seigfried thought that because of his big body structure Baobao would be slower like any other beast.


    So the two coordinated and alternatively went on Baobao''s blind spot only to find themselves flying towards the barrier in a blink of an eye.


    "W-what just happened?!" The people who were intensely watching the small duel were bbergasted, even their naked eyes could not keep up with Baobao''s attack!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nathan on the other hand eyed Baobao signaling that he will be approaching.


    Unlike the first two knights, Nathan has been painstakingly trained by his maternal grandfather in the northern mountain range. Hence, he was quite ustomed to fighting monstrous beasts.


    With a rxed position, he remained with his sword unsheathed and rapidly charged at Baobao up front.


    Baobao stood on guard as he could already feel themanding aura from Nathan even if the other party hadn''t drawn his sword yet.


    When Baobao was already at Nathan''s attacking range, he swiftly drew his sword and swung it full force.


    Baobao squinted his eyes and brandished his sharp ws to defend against Nathan''s sword attack.


    sh!!!


    The entire assembly hall rumbled because of the strong force that Baobao and Nathan were emitting.


    At the time, Siegfried and Anderson have already recovered from their initial shock and now went carefully to approach Baobao. This time, they tried to match Nathan''s movement, for they saw how he was well versed in dealing with big animals like Baobao.


    The three of them moved to attack Baobao with all their might, but Baobao remained calm and collected no matter how much he could have been agitated by their tricky attacks.


    He knew that his master''s words must be followed and that the people attacking them are friends. He could also feel that even if the men''s attacks were getting nastier, not one of their attacks intended to kill him.


    Even so, he heard that the people were looking down on his master because they thought that his master was weak, so he also started to get heavier with his attacks.


    Every attack that he executes would cause the entire hall to tremble even with the presence of a barrier. The people around were getting more and more terrified as they watched him take on three of the most promising knights after the three princes.


    Emperor Valentin thought that it was about time to step things up and so with hismanding voice, he instructed the three knights to give their all.


    The knights immediately became pressured, because all of them knew that they were already facing Baobao to the best of their abilities. But if the Emperor instructed to, then he must have been referring to the use of their own aptitudes.


    And so the three knights started to use their magic and went towards Baobao head-on.


    The on-lookers held their breaths as they could see how terrifying the three''s attacks could be for an enemy. To add even further, Siegfried started to summon his spatial fairies and made Anderson and Nathan disappear and teleport from different ces at different speeds.


    Even for the strong Baobao, it was now quite hard to defend without inflicting a heavy injury to the three knights.


    At one point Nathan and Anderson both appeared from opposite directions, one from the ground and another overhead. Everyone knew that this time, Baobao will really receive at least one heavy blow and so they had already imagined the end of the duel.


    With no choice but to choose one, Baobao chose to face Nathan and give his back to Anderson as the former one''s attack is much more formidable than the other.


    Just as Anderson''s attack was about tond on Baobao''s back, a small figure appeared to face his attack out of nowhere.


    Ching!


    The sound of a sword being stopped sounded piercingly in the hall.


    What they saw next had left the lookers'' mouths agape.


    That was because the one who faced Anderson was none other than Eli!


    Meeting Anderson''s sword attack iid with enhancement magic, Eli''s hand that was now transformed into a furry paw simr to Baobao''s was firmly holding his sword in ce!!!


    What''s more, she was standing very casually, not even raising her other hand, as if Anderson''s attack was just a mere child''s y before her!

 Chapter 368 The Test Ends!

    ?"T-this! This!" Anderson was left speechless, suddenly her sister''s friend appeared infront of him calmly answering his attack.


    Siegfried and the rest of the people were also surprised, especially the Astazes.


    Every summoner would know that the higher the summoner level you obtained the higher the synchronization rate the more the master can use the contractor''s power.


    "How could she interfere with the duel!" Count Maller''s party on the other hand seized the opportunity to find fault in Eli''s action.


    Initially, when they could see that Baobao was about to be beaten up by the knights, their party could help but anticipate Eli''s loss even though it wouldn''t prove anything but Eli''s ability to handle three strong knights with her contracted familiar.


    It just felt like they have tofort themselves by seeing Baobao lose in the end. But now, with Eli in the picture and her stance which tells everyone that she could also wield the same power as her contracted beast, they felt yet another ping violently on the other side of their cheeks.


    Unbelievable! She already had the intelligence, the formidable backing of the two Grandmasters, and now, they are seeing that she is also strong enough to face three strong knights of the Empire?!


    Why couldn''t this woman just sit on the side and talk about dresses and tea parties?


    There was also aplicated feeling rousing from the hearts of the nobles who were watching from the sideline.


    A woman too capable as Eli was someone that may not be good for society, especially when shepletely defeated all the noble women of her generation.


    "Everyone, why are you so surprised? Haven''t we talked about testing my aptitude, not only my Baobao''s?" Eli looked at everyone calmly as if asking if she had done anything wrong.


    She eyed Count Maller''s party and met their dumfounded looks. Then she looked at Emperor Valentin as if seeking her opinion, all while she was firmly holding the de of Anderson''s sword in one hand!


    Kazimir and Antoine felt goosebumps on their back as they saw Eli sweeping her gaze towards their Father Emperor.


    That was because, of the aura that Eli was emitting right now, even the way how she acted nonchntly, was like how Leon was whenever he fights the enemy!


    Cold-blooded, hard to read, and overwhelmingly strong!


    They all looked at Leon who was looking at Eli back with a subtle smile on his lips as if he could not be even prouder the moment she saw Eli step into the battle area!


    This couple is truly a match made in heaven! The brothers looked at each other and resigned to their hearts, the more they observe the two of them, the more they could see thepatibilities and simrities between the two.


    Emperor Valentin on the other hand had a pleased expression on his face. He could not help but silently apud his future daughter-inw in his heart for repeatedly putting the arrogant nobles in ce.


    Appearing as neutral and calm as he could, he raised his hand while dering righteously,


    "What the Great inventor said is right, everything was done because you questioned her aptitude in the first ce. Why does it seem so ridiculous to you that she participates in her demonstration of aptitude?!"


    At the Emperor''s words, everyone in the hall swallowed the words they wanted to say in protest. The appearance of Baobao made them forget the reason why he was here in the first ce, and so they lowered their heads and no longer dared to open their mouth to whine.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Siegfried did not wait for the Emperor''s confirmation and immediately did a follow-up attack on Eli to rescue the restrained Anderson.


    Eli immediately released Anderson upon seeing Siegfried stepping in. She used Baobao''s strength to push Anderson away from her and quickly reverted the transformation of her hand to normal for her to grab her short sword.


    The synergy between Baobao and Eli was actually beyond what summoners can do.


    Even if she wouldn''t transform with Baobao''s physical features, she could still use his powers. The only thing that was kept secret was that Baobao can also tap on Eli''s spiritual energy to augment his already overwhelming strength.


    Wielding her short sword, Eli stood unafraid before Anderson and Siegfried, who were veteran soldiers before they were high-level magic users.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This was because her constant sparing partners were the ever merciless crimson de and the vice captains of the temple knights, Joab and Keren!


    Even when Eli''s way of parrying the sword attacks by Anderson and dodging the sneaky attacks by Siegfried was clumsy, she was effectivelypensating for her physical disadvantage andck of experience with Baobao''s power and her devourer''s power sneakily.


    Her devourer''s power was attributed to the act of borrowing strength from Baobao anyways!


    Nathan, Anderson, and Siegfried could not help but be in awe of how, Eli who looked like a frail woman who could not defend herself, exchanged blows with them consecutively.


    If this was a true fight, Anderson and Siegfried were quite curious as to how she wouldst in a life-and-death battle.


    But what she demonstrated was enough for everyone to prove that she had enough abilities to be part of themittee.


    It was just a matter of how this duel would end in the most neutral way. For if Eli would appear to defeat them, it would mean that the three of them would be ridiculed for not being able to hold down Eli and Baobao.


    If they would appear to defeat the other party, then this would also be something that could be used against Eli. And so, they were now unsure how to conclude the sparring match when the Emperor did not even set the time limit for the duel.


    Just as they were debating in their minds on how they had to conclude the duel, Mishael, who appeared to be sitting calmly on the appointee''s seat stood up and spoke to the Emperor. "Your Majesty Emperor, I have enough information for the assessment. I propose that the assessment be ended."


    In his hands was a strange yellow-colored crystal glowing in the faint light, it was asrge as a football.


    Emperor Valentin eyed Mishael and looked at the battlefield, then he waved his hand and asked the grand chambein to stop the duel.


    As soon as the grand chambein''s voice echoed in the halls, Eli and Baobao, along with the three knights stopped at what they were doing and attentively faced the Emperor.


    An eerie silence invaded the hall, the onlookers were clearly confused as to why the Emperor suddenly stopped the duel and why Mishael, the Captain of the Temple Knights suddenly stood to speak.


    Getting everyone''s attention, Emperor Valentin addressed the people with a tone that is calm and full of wisdom,


    "As I said earlier, what we are doing is to assess if Lady Eli''s aptitude met the set qualifications of the Anti-Curse Committee, and second was to determine if her contracted familiar has something to do with the curses."


    The Lady showing what her contracted familiar could do was already enough to prove that she had met the qualifications to join themittee. But I had the Captain of the Temple Knights, Sir Mishael to detect any traces of curse power on the Lady''s familiar."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd started to murmur and discuss amongst themselves what the results would be.


    Since Eli imed that Baobao is not a cursed bear and does not have any powers rting to the curse magic, they were also interested in what the representative from the Temple would say.


    Receiving Emperor Valentin''s signal, Mishael stepped infront and activated the glowing stone before the people.


    In an instant, a recording of a masked cursed user appeared on the screen, he was clearly agitated and kept cursing the Temple and the Empire. But since his face was covered, no one could recognize his identity.


    Only the ck smoke that kepting out of his body and bashing on an invisible array could be seen so clearly.


    Instantly, the people gasped in fear as they knew that this person was indeed a curse user.


    Upon seeing that the crowd understood the video, Mishael proceeded to exin, "This is a special projection stone that is used by the Temple to detect people who use curse magic. Every time they use their magic power, ck smoke will appear out of their bodies and the stone will glow dark red as a warning¡­"


    Then he proceeded to sh the recording of Baobao and Eli''s fight using the same projection stone. He let the people see for themselves that Eli and Baobao fought without traces of the ck smoke.


    "As you can see on the entire course of the sparring, Lady Eli and her contracted familiar did not have any trace of the curse magic even when using the summoner''s abilities. Thus, this proves that Lady Eli and her familiar''s im to have no connection with the curse is true!"

 Chapter 369 Surprise Escape

    ?As Mishael dered this, Emperor Valentin remained calm with an unreadable expression and looked at the council, "What do you say, gentlemen?"


    The council regained theirposure and discussed amongst themselves. With all the blinding proof that was presented infront of them, they could not refute Eli''s qualifications. Thus, it will deem Count Maller''s party in the wrong.


    "We have no words to say against the Lady''s appointment either, Your Majesty." Marquis Astaze looked at his son Siegfried with aplicated look, then to Emperor Valentin. As the most influential nobleman in the council, he was the one who answered the Emperor''s inquiry.


    "Then, let''s proceed with the inauguration. We have wasted so much time today." Emperor Valentin waved his staff to finally dismiss the farce and signaled for the ceremony to finally continue.


    But that was before he eyed Count Maller and his men coldly, "As for you, after the investigations, I will ensure that all of you who caused such dismay in this assembly shall receive the appropriate sanctions!"


    With that, the inauguration of the Anti-curse Committee was finally concluded, and the members'' names immediately spread throughout the Empire.


    Themotion caused by the new rising faction with Count Maller has made Eli''s reputation soar to another peak!


    "D*mn it!" The nobles from the new rising faction could not help but grit their teeth upon seeing the glorifying headlines featuring Eli''s name. Not only did they cause a dent in her reputation, their n even backfired and propelled Eli''s status in society!


    "Now we can''t even move that much now because we are under surveince!" A member of the faction frustratingly said as he eyed Count Maller with disdain.


    "With the Emperor highly suspicious of nobles because of the Vess'' we truly cannot make any more mistakes than this. Luckily, I asked the department of legition and ensured that our offense would not lead to usation of treason as long as we thread carefully."


    "Well, that is the only thing we hope for! But the sanctions aren''t that light either!"


    "Speaking of which, why did Count Cross no longer join our assembly?" A noble noticed that the head of the Cross Family that has initially joined the new faction was no longer attending their rendezvous.


    "We could not be bothered by the old man! He is almost at the end of this life! What''s more, he was just a noble who was lucky to survive even after being under the Ves faction for so long."


    "But the young master Anderson¡­"


    "That''s what we need to keep paying attention with! As long as we rope in Anderson or at least, coax him to do as we want, we can still reign in this battle of influence!"


    "Yes indeed!!"


    The nobles all looked at each other and looked a little bit relieved.


    "As for the young inventor, let her soar high as long as she could, when the timees for us to strike, her fall would be much more painful!"


    ¨C


    Days after the inauguration, Eli could finally take a breather.


    Following the announcement of her membership with the Anti Curse Committee, the high-profile task to train the student representative of the tournament and the resource person for the research teams, Eli had been attending meetings from here and there to the point that she would copse on the sofa as soon as she teleported home.


    Seeing her like this for five straight days, Leon became increasingly worried and immediately arranged for his Father Emperor and Deputy Chairman Bramwell to not disturb Eli for the entire weekend.


    Unfamiliar with Leon''s ns for the family, Eli and Little Han silently sat on the back of Olivier''srge griffin and soared to the skies with Leon.


    The sky was like a canvass painted by faint strips of white clouds as the horizon was deeply divided into therge expanse of greennd and the gentle rays of the morning sun.


    "Whuaaaah!!!" Little Han looked around as he raised his two chubby hands as if enjoying the breeze blowing around them as they move in a certain direction. He was wearing a fluffy brown hoodie and cute khaki shorts, with a pair of outdoor kiddie boots meant for trekking outdoors.


    "Leon, where are we going?" Eli turned towards Leon while her hands held Little Han securely yetfortably. Before the sun rose, she was wakened up by the father and son wearing a matching outdoor outfit.


    Without evening around from waking up, the two urged her to prepare to go outside until she found herself sitting on top of Olivier''s giant griffin.


    Leon looked at her gently, tracing her face that was tinged in exhaustion, he caressed her cheek and answered him with a doting tone, "You''ll know when we get there. All I can assure you is that it has nothing to do with any work you are involved in right now."


    Eli found Leon''s hands warm andforting. She closed her eyes and nudged closer to his palms, replying with a sweet voice, "Alright then, I trust you¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even without Leon spelling out everything to her, she knew that Leon wanted her to take a break from everything, so she decided to just follow his lead and think only of how she will spend time with her man and son.


    Far from their position, a group of alert young men was staring in their direction. One of them was holding a scope and finally spotted the griffin where Leon, Eli, and Little Han were riding.


    "Quick! Master, Madame, and Little Master are fast approaching! Check everything within the vicinity!" He shouted.


    "Yes, team leader!" The other young men moved from their posts and immediately counterchecked the perimeters, shing like nimble shadows.


    After some time, various notifications paper lit up and the team leader immediately saw the messages popping in his paper one by one.


    "West group counterchecked, no issues!"


    "East group, cleared!"


    "South group ready!"


    "North group all done!"


    The team leader looked at their reports and looked at his surroundings. With a satisfied look on his face, he let out a smile and swiftly replied on the notification paper, "Disperse! Not one of us must be seen by the Madame and the Little Master!"


    "Yes, team leader!"


    "To the Master''s sess!"


    "To the Master''s sess!!!"


    Instantly the area in the forest where they initially stood became void of any trace of people.


    From above, a few minutester, Eli could feel the griffin gently slowing down and starting to lower his altitude.


    Little Han and Eli craned their necks to see the view of thendscape below and they were in awe.


    The griffin was heading towards a majestic-looking cliff with fine traces of falls flowing like white fine threads down to the lusciousndscapes on thend below.


    The massive rock and mountain formation forming the cliff was lined with healthy flora of moss and wild herbs, resiliently living even in the perfectly vertical cliff walls.


    As the water cascaded down from the tall majestic cliff, thend seemed to have been parted so beautifully with the bright green meadows hugging the river trail.


    "Waaaaah!!!!" Little Han could not help but exim excitedly.


    Eli''s obsidian eyes glowed in awe. She had been living in the Silver Dew forest and already had her fair share of the beauty of the woods, however, the sight she was now seeing was far beyondpare.


    It was as if, the paradise people had been dying to find on earth had actually appeared before her eyes.


    "Beautiful, is it?" Leon took the excited Little Han in his arm and held Eli''s hand on another.


    "Yes, it is indeed beautiful!" Eli replied, still in a trance of the ce''s beauty.


    The griffin did not immediatelynd but stayed hovering on above ground, allowing the family of three to savor the nice view above.


    "What is this ce?" She asked as her eyes stayed on the sight that seemed to have captivated her senses.


    "This is deemed to be the most beautiful ce in thend. Most people even called it the Green Jade Cliff."

 Chapter 370 Picnic

    ?"Green Jade Cliff¡­" Eli mumbled in a trance as her eyes darted to the vertical cliff wall.


    As the morning sun shined upon the luscious flora around the cliff, the morning dew sparkled gently making an illusion that they were tiny sparkly jewels that decorated the awe-striking rock formation of the cliff.


    "It''s really beautiful!" Eli smiled as she looked so happy upon seeing such an amazing sight.


    Leon thought that it was enough for the three of them to be hovering mid-air, and so he instructed the griffin to finallynd on the foot of the cliff.


    Uponnding, Leon carefully assisted Eli and led her to a tent that appeared as if it was just set up a little while ago.


    The tent was not as big as the log cabin, but it was spacious enough for a family of three to sleep.


    Beside the tent was also another shaded extension that had an outdoor set of table and chairs for three, not far from the area was a pile of firewood and even a grilling stand.


    "Have you prepared all of this beforehand?" Eli looked at Leon in surprise.


    "I had the des help me set up everything." Leon did not like taking credit for himself and honestly replied.


    "Do you like it? You once said that camping in the woods was also a fun thing to do¡­" Leon asked rather nervously.


    They had been living in a log cabin, so it might not be a little different from their usual habitat.


    He had initially nned to bring her to the sea, but with the current situation of the Empire, he could not afford for Eli and Little Han to be exposed outside the borders of the capital.


    So, he had the des help him setup up the tent and the outdoor kitchen into something as different as possible from the ambiance of their log cabin.


    Leon thought of everything, nning the route and the ce they will be staying.


    He is set to let Eli experience a total break from her busy work and unwind with the presence of nature.


    The only thing that was bothering him was whether will Eli was genuinely satisfied with all of these.


    Holding his breath to wait for Eli''s answer, he did not notice that Eli had scooted beside him and nted a light fluttery kiss on his cheeks.


    With a tone that was full of love and excitement, he heard her say, "I like it very much! I never thought that we would have time for this! This is our very first outing as a family!"


    ''A family¡­'' Leon could feel his heart skip a beat upon hearing the wording out of Eli''s mouth.


    Indeed, they were a family of three, regardless of their marital status, and even if Little Han was not yet recognized as an official member of the Imperial family, they were a family.


    "Ehhhh Mommi! Me too¡­ Me too," Little Han saw his mommy kiss his daddy, and so he pouted and demanded that Eli give him a kiss too.


    "Of course, my baby!" Eli chuckled delightfully and kissed Little Han, who was giggling mischievously. Little Han also tilted his head and kissed the other side of his daddy''s cheeks.


    Far from the top side of the cliff, were several men who were wearing something that blended with the luscious greens around them. They could not help but squeal tearfully as they saw the family of three spend such a sweet moment.


    "Wah¡­ look! Our master is really smiling! I never thought that he could even smile and look so fatherly!"


    "Look at how he gazes at Madame and the little master! He is so gentle!!!"


    "Sigh¡­ seeing this makes me want to get a wife too and have a cute baby!"


    "Ahh! Me too!"


    Down below, Leon took out a space pouch and gave it to Eli, "This is what I have packed for you. Little Han and my things are in my own space pouch. Before anything else, shall we eat first?"


    "That sounds good!" Eli nodded, feeling giddy inside.


    She was deeply moved by Leon''s gestures and even the thought that Leon had packed everything that she might need along the way.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Looking at the contents of the space bag, Eli blushed in embarrassment, ''H-he even packed my underwear¡­''


    Just as she wondered how the mighty prince of the Empire would go his way to pack her garments, Leon had already taken her hand and let her sit on a pic mat, which she didn''t notice beingid out.


    Leon let Little Han wander around the soft meadows and explore the nearby surrounding as he carefully took the pic basket with several kinds of food inside.


    "Let me help you¡­" Eli felt like she was so free at the moment. She felt guilty seeing Leon busying himself with the pic setup that he prepared beforehand.


    "It''s alright, I intended for this entire trip to let you rest¡­" Leon smiled and did not allow Eli to move.


    "..." Eli felt awkward, she had been doing so much ever since she gave birth, and having nothing in her hands right now makes her feel uneasy. "T-then, I''ll look after Little Han, lest he drifted far away from our sight."


    "Eli, don''t worry about that, look!" Leon smiled and patted Eli''s hand, then he gestured her to look in Little Han''s direction.


    To her surprise, Little Han was actually apanied by Baobao, rolling happily in the meadows!


    "T-this¡­ I didn''t even summon Baobao in here! How?!" Eli looked at Leon and then at the two cute figures, clearly baffled.


    "Remember when you said that Baobao and Wisey were actually half familiars to Little Han because you entered into a contract with them while you were pregnant?


    It turns out that Little Han''s hand could really summon Baobao at will.


    There was a time when I sent Baobao out to pick out some herbs, while I put Little Han in the plushie yground. Without even managing to turn around, our son suddenly made Baobao appear within the plushie yground!


    And so I decided to teach him how to properly summon Baobao and when it is necessary to summon him. Don''t worry, I strictly told him that he could only summon Baobao when both of us are busy or not around."


    "But Little Han is just a year old, he was yet to awaken his aptitudes. How could he disy his magical abilities?" Eli frowned in confusion.


    No matter how talented they were, everyone would have their constitution awakened at the age of seven. "I never knew of anyone who did not awaken their abilities until they were seven."


    Leon looked at the confused Eli and didn''t answer. He didn''t tell Eli the entire truth. Before they went back to the earthly realm to fetch Little Han, the guardians told him everything about Little Han''s condition.


    The guardians and Leon agreed that they will not let Eli know of this fact until Leon feels like she was ready to take in the news.


    Right at this moment, when Eli had a lot to care about, he deemed that it wasn''t the right time to know about theplications regarding Little Han''s sealed powers.


    The reason why he taught Little Han of summoner''s magic was to let his body expel the umting power beyond what the guardians have initially sealed.


    The guardians told him that as he grows, the mana around him will be extremely attracted to his body because of the power they have sealed within. And so, Leon has to make a way for Little Han to spend that mana, without causing Eli to suspect anything.


    Deciding to protect both Little Han and Eli''s well-being, Leon took a deep breath, meeting Eli''s eyes to finally answered,


    "Well, think about it, we are both of open paths, I could say, both of us are not normal. It would be quite expected for our son to have something that goes against the normal too."


    Eli pondered Leon''s word and was convinced.


    Little Han''s peculiarities have manifested as early as his infant stage, so it was correct to say that Leon and her could only see more of his gifts and talents as he grows.


    "Alright, everything is ready." Leon finally pped his hands and looked at the pic mat he set up.


    Pancakes, sunny-side-up eggs, bacon and ham, french toast, breaded chicken, fruit kebabs, sliced cheese, and several cold cuts. He obliged and took the guardian''s gift from the modern world, the butane stove, to warm Little Han''s milk and brew their coffee.


    Finally, he took a jar of mixed berry vinaigrette and drizzled it into the fresh garden sd that was garnished with nuts and cheese.


    Eli''s eyes glowed in delight as the enticing aroma of the food teased her sense of smell. Suddenly she could feel her stomach grumbling, demanding for the breakfast to start.


    Leon gave a satisfied smile and immediately called Baobao and Little Han, "Breakfast is ready!"

 Chapter 371 Exploring

    ?The family of three with their furrypanion Baobao shared a lovely pic breakfast until the sun was brightly shining into the river to which the gigantic waterfall cascaded.


    After resting for some time, Leon invited everyone in the stream to check out the crystal clear river.


    Eli and Little Han marveled at the sight of the river the cold clean water touched their hands as they saw the freshwater fishes freely swimming around as if it was their yground.


    Leon and Baobao went into the river to catch some fish, while Eli and Little Han changed into something light so that they can enjoy the waters.


    Soon the riverbed was filled with giggles and chuckles as Eli and Little Han yfully cheer Baobao and Leon in catching their fish.


    In the warmth of the morning sun, Eli could not help but take a nervous gulp as her eyes drifted towards Leon''s exposed chest muscles and legs.


    As he was in the middle of the river with a handheld fishing, the sshes of water went on his thin white shirt, hugging his perfectly lean and muscr body so alluringly. In Eli''s eyes, his charm suddenly changed from a cold dignified prince to an aloof yet bewitching vige man.


    Eli could not help but remember the image of Leon''s naked chest that was stored in Elise''s mind. She could not help but reprimand herself for thinking so naughtily while they were in the midst of bonding together.


    "Are you tired? You and Little Han may go to the tent for shade, the sun might hurt youter on¡­" Leon looked at the dazed Eli while he held the basin full of freshwater fish, oblivious to Eli''s thoughts.


    "N-no, I was wondering if you have caught enough fish¡­ I feel bad that you had to do a lot of work, so much that you cannot enjoy the ce." Eli''s eyes looked away, pretending to watch over Little Han who was happily waddling on the riverbed.


    Leon looked at her obsidian eyes which were ridden with uncertainty, he thought that Eli was indeed uneasy because she was suddenly prohibited from doing any work. Letting out a helpless sigh, he responded indulgently, "No worries, I''ll just keep this catch properly stored then I''ll join you in a minute."


    "Alright, we''ll wait for you." Finally convincing Leon to enjoy the trip himself and realizing that he did not notice anything amiss, Eli felt much better, hiding the guilt of checking out Leon''s body earlier.


    Just as he promised, Leon soon joined the mother and son.


    Baobao attentively watched over the little family with a smile on his face as he remembered his buddy who was still sleeping inside the egg. "Wisey buddy, hope you wake up soon. Come and see what our family has be, we miss you a lot."


    Soon after ying in the water, Leon led the three of them behind the waterfall. Using his magic to ensure that they would not be crushed by the raging water, Leon let them see the majestic cave behind the curtain of water.


    "Wow, this is such a beautiful ce!" Eli eximed in wonder.


    Even after living for more than twenty years on modern earth, Eli did not have the privilege to travel and explore nature''s wonders. And so, it was her first time seeing such a sight that she was only used to seeing on the inte.


    "There''s more to this ce than the cave entrance, but before that¡­" Leon cast a spell on Little Han and Eli, instantly their wet clothes became dry as if they have not even spent time waddling in the waters.


    "Yay!!!" Little Han was so amazed by his daddy''s magic, that he raised his little head and stretched his hands out in happiness, then he looked at his father as if he was a big hero.


    "Shoooze! Shooze!" He then pointed at his bare feet, reminding his daddy that he took off his shoes earlier.


    "Easy there, little one. Mommy kept your shoes earlier. Come sit here, Daddy will put on your shoes again." Leon lovingly rubbed Little Han''s fluffy redhead.


    The only time he thought that the Seirende''s blood-red hair was adorable, was when he was caressing his little son''s head.


    "Hee hee, aye!" Little Han grinned happily and obediently stayed seated on top of a wide rock.


    Leon lifted his foot to put on his kiddie outdoor boots again, while Eli held the other pair with eyes full of unspeakable joy, seeing the two people she cared for the most interact sweetly.


    After putting on the shoes, Leon once again cast his magic to make the boots feathery light, to which their little son squealed happily and was amazed yet again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon seeing this, Eli could not help but chuckle, no wonder Leon would still put on the shoes on Little Han.


    It turns out that the little guy wanted his outfit to be cohesive all over, but because he is still a year old and his bones were really not strong enough for the boots, Leon took it upon himself to fulfill his son''s wishes and used magic.


    As they finished, Leon took Eli by the hand while Baobao carried Little Han as they walk deeper into the cave. Slowly, the mystical view greeted their eyes.


    The stctites were ridden with colorful crystallites all over the ce, glimmering faintly as the ball of light made by Leon lit up the walkway.


    "These are the gems that were left unmined to preserve the beauty of this ce," Leon exined calmly as he eyed the ce with a great sense of pride.


    "It was a great debate during the time it was discovered, for jewels are still jewels, even if their deposits weren''t big enough to supply the Empire''s economic growth, it could still help quite a lot.


    But with Grandfather and Father Emperor''s strong leadership,plemented by my Uncle''s iron-d will to protect the northern mountain range, the nobles could not touch this area to mine. I just hope that the next generation of leaders of the Empire and the North would do the same."


    Eli listened to Leon''s exnation, noting the hint of respect he had for his elders who protected the ce. "Indeed, such a beautiful ce needs to be protected from greedy people."


    "We''re yet to get to the heart of the cave." Leon tightened his hold on Eli''s arms as he warned, "The walkway ahead is downslope and slippery. Please be careful."


    Eli responded with a nod and allowed Leon to escort her as they go. Although she had more or less be a good fighter due to the constant sparing with the des and the Temple knights, she would let Leon assist her like this and enjoy the feeling of having someone by her side.


    She did not want to deprive Leon of this simple thing, instead, she is all out to experience all that lovers experience despite how different they were from normal people.


    After carefully threading the way towards the heart of the cave, they finally arrived at their destination.


    The cave''s heart is arge hollow hall, that was lit up by a hole that lets them have a peak at the blue sky. With the crystal jewels left unmined, it was reflecting speckles of colorful light that seemed to be dancing in their eyes.


    Since the sunlight is abundant in the center of the cave, various herbs and vegetation decorated the rock formation, making it more magical and mystical. Birds of different colors, sizes, and types sang happily as they hover up and around the hollow, sometimes going down to take a sip of the small spring below.


    "Beautiful!" Eli was awestruck in wonder, how the heavens have made such a beautiful ce to form.


    Everything from the rock formation to the spring below seemed to be in the perfect ce. Her excitement reflected in her obsidian dark eyes as the hand that was holding Leon''srge warm hand tightened gently.


    Leon felt Eli''s emotions, he looked at her expression and was deeply satisfied.


    Seeing Baobao and Little Han be busy exploring the crystal-like spring, he pulled Eli gently to a hidden corner of the cave.


    "L-leo¡­n," At first, Eli was startled and worried, him and her suddenly disappearing made her flustered, but upon seeing Baobao''s expression, nodding in assurance, her words of objection started to disappear.


    Following, Leon''s lead, she felt her back resting on the cave wall, with her hands still intertwined with Leon. They did not go that far from Little Han''s side, as Leon only led her to hide in the corner.


    Eli locked her eyes towards his ever crystal blue eyes, her heart pounding hard at the thought of the two of them sneaking off like young passionate lovers.


    However, Eli did not cower and waited for what Leon wanted to do.


    Holding her breath, meeting Leon''s eyes as she anticipated his next move, Eli parted her lips and weed Leon''s gentle feathery kiss.

 Chapter 372 In The Corner

    ?Leon''s lips pressed on her ever so gently, like he was afraid of breaking her like a fragile ss. His tongue danced with hers, letting themselves have a taste of each other''s sweetness.


    As Leon went deeper, she felt her chest tight as if she was not having enough air to breathe, her heart pounding hard with every second she weed Leon''s actions.


    Feeling her tremble for air, Leon reluctantly parted her lips, and tenderly rested his forehead against hers. His hot breath caressed the surface of Eli''s skin, sending a wave of triggering heat all over the back of her nape.


    Eli looked at Leon in protest, like she was suddenly deprived of a dish she was savoring at the moment. Her dark obsidian eyes locked with his, looking at him dependently.


    There were thousands, if not millions of colorful jewels all around the cave, and yet, nothing could everpare to the beauty of Leon''s crystal blue eyes.


    She lifted her hands, gently touching Leon''s face, tracing every part of his handsome features, especially the alluring beauty mark at the side of his eyes.


    She felt her throat suddenly dry as her heart kept eximing, ''How lovely her man is!''


    At that moment, Eli realized that with all the things going on around them, she felt like they weren''t progressing enough as a couple.


    Does she go out of her way to appreciate Leon? She thanked him all the time, but now, she was doubting herself if her words of thanks would be enough for their rtionship.


    Which is just not enough?


    Which is too much?


    Which is too much?


    She felt like she did not deserve Leon''s love and affection, even if she could not deny how smitten they were with each other.


    It was very seldom for her to take initiative most of the time, it was Leon who kept their rtionship going.


    She was afraid that because they were cohabiting together and even understood each other''s feelings, she was taking their rtionship for granted.


    Feeling the unpleasantness from the thought of having unconsciously hurt her other half because of her passiveness, Eli felt a great sense of urgency to act and step forward.


    "Leon¡­" she uttered softly under her breath, "I never knew that I would miss you this much¡­" After she uttered these words, she felt a wave of shyness thinking that her words seem too bold for her.


    Leon froze like he was struck by lightning.


    Eli''s words might sound ridiculous for some, but only he understood what she truly meant.


    The two of them have been so busy with their respective work outside and at night, that they had to fulfill their parental duties with Little Han. After all of these, they were too tired to interact with each other as they would both lie exhaustively in bed.


    Leon was the first one to notice the change thus his heart became worried as the day went by. But when Eli started her new responsibilities, his worry turned into rm as not only he could foresee their rtionship failing but also Eli''s health and well-being.


    And so in his heart, he was also feeling a suffocating fear that one that he had in his grasp would uncontrobly slip away with his eyes wide open.


    Leon trembled, seeing the pleading gleam on Eli''s eyes, the same fear mirrored in her dark midnight eyes, reflecting the little yet lingering fear he hid deep in his heart.


    Simultaneously, they both felt a sense of desperation in each other''s presence. Eli clung to Leon''s clothes with her eyes fluttering in anxiousness as she looked down to hide her thoughts.


    "En¡­ I miss you too. I miss you so much, my love." Leon leaned down once again and nted a soft, moist kiss on Eli''s forehead as his arms pulled her gently into the warmth of his embrace.


    Eli looked up, with Leon''s encouraging gesture, she boldly wrapped her arms around Leon''s neck and pressed her back on the cave wall to use gravity and pull Leon closer.


    She tilted her head and found her way to Leon''s lips, demanding to taste more of his lips.


    Seeing Eli take initiative, Leon, swiftly guided her tongue to dance with his, the more they intertwined, the more they felt their hunger for each other''s warmth.


    Eli never thought that she would be this forward and that she will get her mind lost in the heat from Leon''s lips.


    The longer their lips dance, the more her mind goes nk in surrender. She felt like she had to let go of everything and just take more of this fieryfortable presence that was being poured into her entire body.


    She wanted it yet she felt like she would drown in it uncontrobly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She longed for it, but she feared it at the same time.


    "Hngn¡­ Leon¡­" She let out an amorous whisper, as she felt Leon''s hand touch the bare skin on her waist. It was a call to stop and demand at the same time, she felt like she was losing her mind, not finding the same ground between what her mind and body wanted.


    "Eli, I¡­" Leon''s eyes were reddening, it was apparent that he was about to lose control, especially, when Eli clung to his thin white shirt ripping a part of it in the process, exposing the muscles on his chest. He looked at Eli with a great sense of longing and desire, he really wants to¡­


    When he heard Eli''s breathy moan, a fire swiftly ignited in his entire being, immediately he mustered his strength and lifted Eli up holding her legs securely.


    Finally, he can look at Eli''s face, as she was now literally a head above him.


    He could see every detail of her face, her longing, her struggle, and her emotions. She could see how her face flushed in excitement and embarrassment.


    His eyes locked on his beloved''s eyes, not even wanting to turn away. He was looking for her soul, the one whom he deeply loved.


    ''No matter what face, nor form you use¡­ I''ll know it is you¡­ For it is you whom I love with all my being¡­''


    He professed in his heart, keeping these words unsaid for the meantime. For he decided, to say this to her, the day he will bring her in front of the heavens.


    Eli''s heart beat harder and faster. Leon and her position¡­ was really naughty and dangerous. But then she could not find the strength in her body to stop Leon.


    She felt like all her limbs have melted along with her heart.


    The only thing she could do was to lean forward, her hands wrapping seductively on Leon''s neck, her chest, a few inches away from touching Leon''s chin.


    The moment she did this, she saw how Leon''s adam''s apple bobbed up and down, gulping nervously. But none of them were willing to back down.


    Leon caressed her legs, pressing his body, to support her weight as he wanted to move his arms free to explore her body.


    "Hah¡­" Eli could not help but let out a restrained gasp.


    She could not take Leon''s teasing anymore, so she leaned down and aggressively imed his lips once more. This time, she was the one who was fiercely going deep as she wanted Leon to be busier with her kissing.


    But to her dismay, the more aggressive she became, the more Leon would run his hands on top of her legs and on the side of her waist.


    She could feel her heart rise the moment Leon would barely go beyond the ces where he could keep his hands off. Then her heart would fall the moment his hands would part on her body as if her body desperately needed the warmth that he gives.


    Her body moved, desperately, her legs clung to Leon''s body like an octopus, making his mind go nk.


    This time, thest string of his self-control had finally broken. Sumbing to his desire, he decided that he would go beyond their set boundaries.


    In his mind, he was thinking of many ways, to take Eli away for a little while, and have her for his own.


    He could pull her deeper into the dark part of the cave, where Little Han could not hear them or he could also use his magic to teleport away andfortably spend time with Eli.


    "Daddiiiiiii??? Mommi???"


    But just as he was about to execute the thing in his mind, the two of them were awakened from their passionate rendezvous by Little Han''s adorable call.


    "Mommi? Daddi? Whehh you???" Little Han''s voice echoed in the cave this time it was clearer, indicating that he was getting closer to their position.


    Leon''s expression turned dark and frustrated.


    He never thought that his beloved son woulde at the very right time just as he was about to make a move with his mommy!


    He decided that once they go home, he will teach his kid to be sensible and not disturb his parents when they are ''spending time'' with each other.


    "Hmm¡­ maybe it''s time for Little Han to have his own room¡­" He mumbled with a frown on his forehead.

 Chapter 373 Back To Work!

    ?Eli saw Leon''s change in expression and could not help but chuckle.


    She embraced Leon from her position and sweetly nted a kiss in order to cate his plummeting mood.


    "Calm down my darling¡­ Once we are wedded, I''m all yours. I guess, we can take everything slow¡­" Her sweet words blew on Leon''s ears, triggering another intense look from her lover.


    Looking at Eli''s earnest expression, Leon could not help but begrudgingly pout.


    He let Eli down carefully and ensured that her outfit was all in good condition before he shouted and answered his now anxious son.


    Little Han''s anxious eyes suddenly brightened upon catching a glimpse of his parents. Strangely, he ignored his father and clung to his mother unwilling to let go until they went out of the cave.


    "..." Leon was left speechless regarding the matter. It seems like his son was trying to monopolize Eli after they just disappeared for so long.


    ''Could it be that he thought that I took Eli for myself during the time we disappeared?'' He could not help but wonder as he observed the clingy attitude of Little Han during their camping.


    Even at night, Little Han refused to be carried by Baobao or Leon, instead, he insisted to let Eli hold him until they sleep.


    ''Hmm¡­ My son seemed to be challenging me¡­'' His eyes flickered as he met Little Han''s wary eyes, afraid that Leon would take away Eli again.


    ''Wait until your mommy and I be official husband and wife.''


    ''When that timees, I''ll make sure you would not disturb us anymore¡­''


    ''Hmm¡­ letting him stay with Father Emperor and Mother Queen would be good, during our honeymoon¡­''


    ''That might be good.''


    Leon could not help but n in his heart how he would handle the suddenpetition that aroused between him and his little son. In the future, Little Han would be helpless especially when Leon woulde to talk to him about spending time with Eli.


    And so, when bedtime arrived, Leon made sure that Eli and Little Han werefortable in the tent they were staying at.


    He even had the canopy of the tent doubled with a mesh so that Eli and Little Han could see the stars in the sky as they lie on the soft bed.


    He then excused himself to check the surroundings, but as he go around the area, four men appeared before him.


    "Master!" They knelt down respectfully and greeted him with low voices.


    "Assign someone to send a message to my Father and Mother¡­ prepare for them to officially receive Eli as their daughter-inw and Little Han as their grandson!" Leon maintained his serious cold expression as he ordered the des, but his crystal blue eyes were not able to hide the longing and excitement his eyes.


    The des were startled upon hearing Leon''s orders, but the next second, they became ted and happy for Leon.


    "We will arrange for this, Master!!" They answered with a tone that was full of goodwill.


    "Also, gather our men and have them prepare. I want to n a better setup to propose to your Madame. It has to be something that would show how much I cherish her¡­" Leon looked at them earnestly, without his des, he would have been clueless as to organizing things like this.


    These days, the des have temporarily stopped their investigations and concentrated on helping Leon please Eli. From the most excellent spies, warriors and informants, they became Leon''s love consultant!


    But they did not mind because they could see how happier Leon would be day by day. Now he was someone who could look gently at someone. It was not like before when even when he sleeps, his cold aura would emit continually.


    "Yes, Master! It would be a great honor for us to help you in this matter! In our hearts, we wish you and Madamme well!" They answered.


    After giving a few more instructions, Leon dispersed the des and let them assign people who would guard the vicinity.


    Heter joined Eli and Little Han in star gazing until the mother and son duo drifted into a peaceful sleep.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The next day, Leon busied himself with preparing breakfast. His hands worked naturally as if he had been doing these things in the long run.


    Upon waking up, however, Eli joined him in doing so. Leon had no choice but to allow her upon her insistence. Soon, the couple worked together in preparing the dishes they would happily shareter on.


    After sharing a good meal, Leon took them into a brook deeper into the forest. The family of three rode a raft and enjoyed the calm and serene atmosphere of the brook that was at the center of the deep green forest.


    Eli could not help but close her eyes and take a deep breath. The environment was very rxing and refreshing. She felt like all the exhaustion she went through during the past few days was being absorbed by the cool breeze and the harmonic rustling of the trees.


    Leon smiled as he saw Eli''s rxed expression, all the preparations he did with the des were worth it.


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when they started to pack up and travel back to the Capital.


    This time, Eli insisted that Leon would take it easy and sitfortably as she yed a rxing piano sonata with Little Han on herp.


    She had Baobao prepare a warm tea and let Leon rest on the couch until he fell into a slumber with a faint smile on his face.


    Eli looked at Leon with her heart full of warmth and appreciation. She was d that she had Leon on her side. Taking a warm nket to drape on Leon''s exhausted body, Eli took Little Han to the kitchen and started to prepare dinner.


    The next days ahead will be much more intense as the major events of the Empiree near. Who knows when they will have to spend a moment like this after today?


    ¨C


    The next day, Leon and Eli immediately went to their respective work not before leaving Little Han to Tyce and his wife.


    Being Eli''s adoptive parents, they were ted that Eli and Leon gave them a chance to take care of Little Han as grandparents. Oftentimes, they would quarrel with dame Aqu and General Forgeworn because they feel like Little Han was spending more time with the Faraulds than the Forgeworns.


    Helpless, Eli had to strike a bnce in pleasing the elders of both families. It was lucky that Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh were not yet joining thepetition, if that happens she might not know how to handle the three groups of elders.


    Nevertheless, Eli managed to convince the Farauld elders to let Little Han stay with the Forgeworns because the eight student candidates were staying at the Farauld Estate until thepetition ends.


    During their stay, Eli was afraid that Little Han might be discovered by one of the students triggering an untimely announcement for him to recognize his lineage, should he stay in the Farauld estate. So the elders had no choice but to also agree, but not before nning that they would be the ones to go to the Forgeworn estate instead.


    Just like her usual schedule, Eli went with Randel to meet their respective proteges. They would pick them up and lead them to the Imperial Pce, where Queens Lucia and Teh, Princess Consort Arielle, and Evelyn waiting to train them.


    As for Lainie, Max, and Desmond, they will still be trained in the Imperial pce because right after their sessions, Eli and Randel had to report to the Anti-Curse Committee for the preparation of the Empire''s security.


    Meanwhile, Eli''s role in the institute haspletely shifted to bing a consultant. She was confident enough to leave everything to Dean Zeke especially now that he had surprisingly gotten a new helper in looking after the research branch.


    Only at times, when the research branch needed Eli''s insights on particr research, would she be involved in their matters.


    With that, it became easier for her to focus on the two most important things at hand, thepetition and the Empire''s security.


    As the other students go with their respective mentors, Eli started to also check with Lainie and Desmond''s progress on the work that she assigned to them.


    Training Desmond was quite easy, for as a fellow pianist, Eli could already identify the areas where Desmond could greatly improve within a short amount of time.


    To facilitate his improvement, Eli opted to let him study three of Chopin''s etudes all throughout the remaining duration of the training.


    On the side, she had intentionally given him notable pieces of all forms, like La Campane by Franz Liszt, Mozart''s Piano Sonata K333 in B t major, and many others for him to study and explore to develop his own form of music.


    She opted for Desmond to take the remaining few months to develop his hand techniques and if they were lucky to have more time, to discover his musical identity.

 Chapter 374 A Typical Busy Day

    ?As for Lainie, helping her was more difficult as Eli was not aposer nor an arranger.


    The only thing she could rely on was the information about the foundations of music, musical theory, and all other fundamental topics helpful for improving Lainie''s craft.


    Even in the modern world, the path toward being aposer is a long hard journey.


    It entails years of practicing and learning, immersing in the beauty of music, then breaking them down to analyze and know their musical structures.


    After that, one would now have to spend time creating melodies ording to their chosen forms. Some took a few weeks or months, others even take years until they were satisfied with their creation.


    One thing Eli did was to try and match the musical period, against the history of music in Prasinos. With that, she would try to let Lainie hear pieces that match the era in Prasinos, to give her another perspective.


    It was quite convenient that she was now able to record the music from the book of knowledge into the recording crystals. With this, she could let Lainie hear them without exposing the existence of the book.


    Eli was also adamant to retain the information and identity of theposers who made the pieces she would give to Desmond and Lainie. This was because she valued and honored the legendaryposers who brought wonderful music in her two lifetimes.


    Although puzzled as to how they weren''t able to know the names Eli was mentioning, Desmond and Lainie would ept everything without a doubt.


    This was because Bramwell told them that Eli had a master who owned a lot of books that could never be seen in any ce in the world.


    After making sure that Desmond and Lainie would understand everything she thought, Eli would stay a little longer and observe them as they do their practice. Along the way, she would point out things to improve.


    The next half of her day was spent on the Anti-Curse Committee.


    The first week of being appointed as a member was quite tedious for they have to get familiar with each other''s specialties. Aside from that, they have to figure out the specifics of how they nned to operate themittee.


    Today, their main goal is to figure out how to protect the Empire from curse users. To do that, they have to think of a way to detect who among the people were curse users.


    Walking towards the assigned hall where they would convene, Eli and Randel rushed to meet the other members of themittee.


    Upon reaching the hall, they found Kayden and the rest of themittee waiting silently.


    Seeing the two, Nathan and Kayden''s eyes lit up as they surrounded Eli immediately. Mishael looked in their direction and acknowledged their presence while Siegfried and Anderson observed without a word.


    "Sorry for beingte," Eli looked at everyone and calmly apologized before going to her seat.


    Upon seeing everyone settle down, Mishael lifted the gavel to signify that their meeting is about to start. As the only membering from the Temple, Mishael was automatically elected as the Chairman of themittee.


    "Today and hopefully for the next days, we have to think of a way to detect curse users upon entry to the Empire.


    Currently, the only way to detect curse magic is through a special recording crystal from the Temple, as you have witnessed during the inauguration ceremony. However, this is quite inconvenient to use.


    The crystal could only record a particr event and even if we retrieve it on time, if the curse user will not use the mana around him or her, the record crystal will not recognize the curse magic sitting within the user''s body."


    Mishael did not dy any further and dived straight into the topic.


    The entire hall went silent upon hearing Mishael''s introduction.


    Eli and Kayden remained silent as they observed everyone''s reaction, especially Siegfried and Anderson who wereing from the aristocratic faction.


    Everyone''s expressions became deep as they contemted a solution to this matter. After some time, it was Anderson who broke the silence, taking the initiative to raise his idea.


    "Since even after going through the existing records from Dr. Einz, why not opt for implementing a more stringent diplomatic policy for the visitorsing from the outside?"


    "Hmm¡­ It seems that it is also a good approach, but Lady Eli had alreadye up with the passport system for the iing and outgoing travels in thend¡­Don''t you think it would be a bit too redundant and restrictive?"


    Siegfried did not reject Anderson''s idea outright, however, he respectfully expressed his concern about the other party''s suggestion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Your concern is valid, but Anderson''s idea is not bad either. Perhaps we can think of something like a special permit that would be only applicable for the Competition and the Grand Temple''s entry.


    Anyone who was not able to get the special entry permit cannot be permitted to enter the capital." Randel thought for a moment and suggested.


    "We can also suggest to the Emperor and the Council to freeze epting new trades and instead stick to the parties we have been engaging with. With this move, our trade partners will also benefit as our needs will also increase when thepetition and the visitationes."


    As he was a part of the Forgeworn Business Family, Randel strengthened his proposition by considering the economic aspect of their ideas.


    "Hmm¡­ with this we can initially control the volume of the entry from the other territories. The fewer people entering the premises, the easier for us to monitor themter on." Nathan nodded in approval.


    Eli remained calm and exhibited a satisfied expression as she witnessed how everyone helped each other to create, validate and improve an idea that would soon be an instrument to protect the Empire.


    It was indeed true that once bright mindse together, the task would be easier.


    The next few parts of the discussion were spent solidifying their proposal so that they could soon present it to the elders and see if they agree with the idea.


    After managing to figure out the structure of their proposal, Mishael once again presided over the discussion with a conclusion.


    "Now that we have the framework for the proposal, all we have to do is to study more of it from a different perspective. If possible we can have this presented to the Emperor, the elders, and the council before the month ends."


    Everyone looked at each other with a satisfied smile.


    "Hopefully, this idea would be epted by them. If that happens we can now think about the bigger problem, which is finding a way to detect the presence of Magic in people. Perhaps it can be something like a detection tool or array¡­" Siegfriedmented with an optimistic expression.


    "Indeed, I sincerely hope so. Anyways, the discussion today has been meaningful. It is all thanks to everyone''s cooperation." Mishael agreed and thanked everyone for sharing their ideas.


    As the meeting adjourned, Eli was left in deep thought. She was immersed in her thinking that Randel, Kayden, and Nathan, who was going home together with her could not help but be worried and curious.


    "Sister, what''s on your mind?" Nathan asked in a hushed tone while they finally boarded the carriage.


    Eli looked around and activated an istion spell to mask their entire conversation before looking at the three brother figures.


    "I was thinking about the solution for curse magic detection¡­"


    Hearing Eli''s words, the three men looked at each other and could not help but sigh in resignation. Eli is indeed a workaholic.


    But Eli''s next words made them forget about their worry as itpletely got their attention.


    "How could I forget, that there was one instance that we have managed to detect the curse magic once!" Eli rubbed her temples and told them in a self-deprecating tone.


    She looked at Randel and Kayden who was present during that time and continued,


    "Did you not also remember? Baobao managed to detect the curse imnted on Her Highness Second Queen''s hand before it touched me, who was pregnant at that time?"


    "!!!" Hearing this the three men started and their eyes were left wide open in surprise and realization.


    "Baobao?!" Nathan asked with disbelief, he had always thought that Baobao was just an extremely strong mythical beast who apanied his little sister and nephew.


    "Ah! How could I forget! That time on the renewal of the treaty!" Kayden eximed while Randel nodded wordlessly but his expression was also full ofplicated emotions.


    "Yes indeed. If not for Baobao detecting the trace of curse at that time, I would have been badly hurt¡­ and Little Han¡­ might not even be around anymore¡­" Eli''s body started to shiver as she remembered how close she was to danger during that time.


    But she quickly recovered and looked at the three men, "We have to figure out how and why was he able to do that. Perhaps, it could give us some clues¡­"

 Chapter 375 Leons Report

    ?"If that''s the case, then will you allow us to observe and confirm Baobao''s ability to detect the curse first before we open this up to themittee?" Kayden looked at Eli and carefully asked for her permission as Baobao''s master.


    Eli did not answer right away, instead, she looked conflicted and worried. It took her a while before she gathered the words to respond, to which Randel, Kayden, and Nathan patiently listened.


    "It''s like this, I am afraid that if we really discover that Baobao has the ability to detect curses, it might pose a risk to his entire race. What if other people would disturb his fellow pandas'' peaceful living to try and let them detect the curse magic?


    Even worse, what if the curse users hunt all of them down so that they could continue to spread evil in Prasinos? It is extremely dangerous to even let other people know what he can do, especially when not many would know that they weren''t even cursed bears."


    Eli could not help but be anxious as she considered the possibility of all these things happening to Baobao''s kind. On earth, pandas became endangered species. If not for the good people who worked together to protect their kind and elevate their endangered status one level down, they would have long be extinct.


    She could not allow herself to be the trigger of the disturbance of the panda''s mysterious race in Prasinos. In her heart, although she wanted a way to save the people from the curse, not at the expense of another race.


    The three men listened to her concerns and did not show any sign of dismissal. Instead, they deemed Eli''s concern as valid for not only did Eli''s words are true, but they also knew the extent how which the nobles could be greedy for power and protection.


    "Well, why not do it like this? We can think of a way to test your hypothesis first without involving Baobao. All you have to do is to list Baobao''s abilities at the moment and try to validate it one by one on other means, like research or looking for someone with simr abilities." Nathan suggested.


    "En, we can do that. We can keep it to just us in the meantime." Randel agreed with Nathan''s idea.


    Kayden nodded as he gave Eli an assuring look, "There''s still a lot of work we have to do in order to really determine if Baobao really did have the ability, or if that ability can be developed. What''s important is that we already have a starting point."


    "Alright, I have everything will work just fine," Eli replied as she heaved an anxious sigh.


    There were many things on her te, and all of them are urgent and highly needed. She prayed in her heart that before thepetition starts, these matters would be resolved one by one.


    On the other hand, Leon was now at the luncheon table with his two brothers and father Emperor, Valentin.


    An unexined pressure was brewing within the Imperial Family.


    With the expected flow of visitors during the tournament, coinciding with the visitation of the envoys from the main temple, the Imperial family started to feel the anxiousness and burden of the uing events.


    Even if the Anti-Curse Committee was already established, the threat is still around. Even if themittee managed to put up ways to prohibit entry for the curse users, there were still people who deemed the Empire as their enemy.


    They are still vulnerable to force attacks.


    And so, Emperor Valentin had no choice but to let Leon and his brothers think of a way to physically strengthen the forces of the Empire.


    With Leon''s real abilities being revealed, the status of the Crimson des has also be elevated. No one from the other knight corps dared to bully them anymore, nor did they even try to show discrimination toward them.


    This was because the mystery as to why the Crimson des did not have any casualties from the day they were first sent to the battlefield, has been answered by Leon''s true abilities and their collective performance during the internal war.


    All of the members of the Crimson de showed a great ability to survive and fight with enemies that were even higher than their own aptitudes. The knights who were with them during that time could not deny their true strength and wholeheartedly recognize them as true-blooded knights.


    It was a fortunate thing that the three princes themselves were demonstrating harmony in these hard times. This also helped the atmosphere between the different knight corps be less awkward and ufortable.


    Especially when unordained knights who expressed their support for Leon''s team used to be bullied.


    Emperor Valentin could not be happier to see the harmony inside the Empire''s military arms.


    The more they were cooperative with each other, the stronger the Empire''s defense would be. He was also able to obtain helping from the north through his estranged brother Governor Fidel.


    However, being blind as to who the opponent is, it did not give any of them a single drop of relief. As long as Lord Raven is not found and utterly defeated, they will be targeted by the Spectre.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Carolina and the Ves''s faction were still in jail waiting to be punished, and he could not even exact vengeance for the grievance his family suffered because of their evil doings.


    "Just a little more, the matter with the trials for the Vess will soon start upon the arrival of the envoys. What we need right now is to increase our ability to secure and defend our premises. We only have less than four months to do everything. Let''s be as prepared as possible." Emperor Valentin looked at his sons and encouraged them to do their best.


    "Father, the volume of the young men enlisting for the knight''s training has been increasing day by day. I am optimistic that upon their graduation, we would have an even more strong military power deployable on the day of thepetition." Kazimir reported calmly.


    "As for the trades we have, it was quite worrisome because there has been a bulk of neers wanting to take advantage of our hosting of the grand tournament. I am afraid that the evaluation team will not be enough for us to screen these traders." Antoine ryed his concern.


    "Hmm¡­ that is a valid concern. Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon, why not rmend someone from your side who could be engaged to help with screening the new trade partners?" Emperor Valentin asked.


    "Although the council might be the best people to handle this, I want that all of you to be involved with taking care of the economic progress of the Empire. Regardless if you would be chosen as the next leader, you will still be a leader of your own territories. This will all be beneficial to you." He continued.


    "We''ll look into it father." The three princes responded diligently.


    With Kazimir and Antoine saying their piece, they all looked at Leon, waiting for him to also ry his report or concern.


    Leon was calmly eating his meal, undisturbed by the curious nces of the three. His ever-expressionless face remained the same even as he ate the best dishes the Imperial Chef had to offer.


    Finally, after a minute of awkward silence, Leon lifted his head. He paused from eating his meal, looking at Kazimir, Antoine, and Emperor Valentin who were patiently waiting.


    "I want to marry." He said straightforwardly.


    ng!


    The three men looked at Leon, utterly baffled by his sudden words. They were so surprised that they were not able to maintain their grace at the table and lost grip of their utensils all at the same time.


    Luckily, they quickly recovered by hastily reaching out the ss of water on their table.


    "I want to marry as soon as possible," Leon repeated his words, now with a heavy emphasis on the timing he wanted his wish to happen. "I want to propose grandly to Eli and let the entire capital know she''s mydy."


    Urkkk! Poofff!


    Kazimir and Antoine were too unfortunate to be a secondte in swallowing the mouthful of water.


    For they could only spit their drink in front of the table as they did not expect to hear Leon saying such bold and straightforward words.


    ''Am I hearing it clearly?''


    ''Is this our warlord brother who lived all his life on the battlefield almost not showing any trace of gentleness to other human beings, even himself?!''


    ''Could he really be too in love with thedy, for him to rush like this?!''


    While they were thinking this, Emperor Valentin cleared his throat awkwardly and asked Leon, doing his best to stay calm, "I thought that you would take things slow and even wait until the major matters are over¡­ Why the rush now?"


    Leon did not even think of the words he has to say next. His eyes remained steady and his tone rxed as he answered his father,


    "Nothing much¡­ I just want to¡­ do that thing that a husband does with their wife!"

 Chapter 376 Arrangement For Little Han

    ?"Nothing much¡­ I just want to¡­ do that thing that a husband does with their wife!"


    "What the-" Poor Kazimir and Antoine could not get used to Leon talking like a normal man smitten with his lover, they choked on their drink and were now coughing crazily at the luncheon table.


    Emperor Valentin could just meaningfully nce at his son before he replied,


    "I get that you couldn''t wait to show your love to the Lady. But rushing the marriage may have stopped her from doing what she wants, especially now that she had a lot on her te. The consequence of the marriage is not something that could be done simply."


    His words meant that, "Have you not seen that my daughter inw was already busy with the matters in the empire and being a mother to my grandson? You are telling me now that you wanted to go and n for another baby?"


    Leon frowned clearly catching the meaning of Emperor Valentin''s words, but he calmly replied, "Dear Father, these days family nning is a thing. Besides I know that Eli could no longer take it should there have anothering on our way. I don''t like her time for me to be smaller and smaller."


    Trantion: "Why will I be so careless to have baby no. 2 again? My son has now learned topete with me over Eli''s affection. I won''t be so foolish to have another one when I have never really spent a lot of time with Eli alone."


    Emperor Valentin studied Leon''s expression and could not help but see his younger self back when he first fell in love with Teh. He deeply understood Leon''s feelings of wanting to enjoy his time with Eli as a proper couple, but just like him and Teh, it might not be easy to do so.


    However, he still wanted his children to no longerck what hecked. Deep in his heart he had always supported his sons in their love life and had never once stopped them from caring for their respective partners.


    "I understand your concern. But really, it would be not convenient for you nor for thedy to hold a marriage ceremony before thepetition and the visitation finishes. What I would suggest is an engagement between the two of you. After all the major matters in the Empire, then I can allow you to go and prepare for the wedding." Emperor Valentin replied.


    Although he too could not wait to ept Eli as her official daughter-inw and Little Han as his grandson, they really could not afford to stop their tasks and prepare for a royal wedding.


    Besides, with Eli''s real identity and backing from the temple, a rushed wedding could not be permitted by the High Priest, who cherishes Eli deeply.


    "Alright Father, this son will listen." Leon did not insist to push through the wedding and was contented to hear that Emperor Valentin allowed the engagement to be held earlier than what they have initially nned.


    His goal was to announce to the entirend that Eli is meant for him. He wanted to also stop the noblemen from thinking foolishly and bothering Eli just because of their greedy agenda.


    Kazimir and Antoine looked at each other and felt helpless. Their hearts feltplicated as they see how different Leon could get when he talks about Lady Eli.


    But since they did not really be someone whom Leon could rely on when ites to this matter due to their dark past, they could only wholeheartedly wish that everything will go well for him and Lady Eli.


    After the conversation, everyone moved to go on with their work.


    With less than four months to prepare for the uing event, everyone went on to give their best and prepare for receiving arge number of people from foreignnds.


    While this was happening, Little Han seemed to have been getting more active and yful.


    Although Eli and Leon struggled to keep themselves and stay connected with him for at least an hour each day, the curiosity and interest Little Han had in his environment made him more in need of an adult to supervise.


    This is a great dilemma for Eli and Leon as they were now hesitant to disturb someone just to keep Little Han attended to.


    "Leon, what do we do¡­ Although the elder says that they do not have any problem looking after Little Han, we both knew how busy they would be in theing days toe. I really find it ufortable to trouble them.." Eli looked worriedly at Little Han''s sleeping face while the two of them watched him sleep.


    The Forgeworn and Faraulds were both busy assisting with thepetition and the business trades, all the more was the Imperial Family.


    The Silver Dew elves themselves were also busy because they agreed to be the representative to liaise with the delegatesing from the Green Wave Continent, which majority of their citizens weren''t humans.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Temple was also busy and so were the des. It is fortunate that Baobao would still be there to protect him, however, it would not be enough as there are limits as to what he could do because of his physique.


    Leon stretched out his hands and hugged Eli from behind. He wanted to lessen the anxiousness she feels about how things go around them, especially for Little Han.


    "Would you consider, sending him to my mother''s ce then? The Secret Chamber may be a ce where we could leave him be for a short while. With him around the pce, we can alsoe to his side more frequently." Leon suggested.


    He remembered that his Father and Mother have the secret chamber as their only means to interact with each other as a family away from Ves''s eyes. Now that they needed a ce for Little Han, Leon thinks that the ce might work in the current situation.


    "But¡­ will His Majesty and Her Highness allow it?" Eli replied after thinking about it for a moment.


    "They would be happy doing that so. Besides, Mother would only have to stay for half a day training her protege, she could even join Little Han after each session. We have Baobao I think that had grown enough to know how to look after Little Han for a longer period of time." Leon carefully considered everything.


    Eli listened to Leon''s reasoning and found that it would be the best possible option in the current situation. Although she was guilty that they have to do this for Little Han in his developing stage, they really could not divide themselves.


    "Alright¡­ Let us try doing it like that. I really hope that Little Han would not get sick or hurt¡­" Eli replied, trusting Leon''s judgment.


    "Stay here for a little while, I''ll teleport back to the pce and directly tell Father and Mother about this." Leon kissed Eli''s forehead before heading out of the bedroom to arrange everything.


    As Eli was exhausted from everything that happened during the day, she hummed in affirmation and went to bed.


    It was already midnight when she felt the presence of Leon in the room. But Leon immediately coaxed her to continue to sleep until the morninge.


    The next day, Leon and Eli prepared everything for Little Han''s new daycare - the secret chamber.


    With his space pouch shaped like a bear sling bag, he obediently stayed in Eli''s arms as they prepare to step into the teleporter.


    Leon signaled Baobao to alsoe, as for Rosea, since the chamber is a ssified royal secret, she was not permitted to go there. Therefore, Eli and Leon entrusted the cottage for her to look out for.


    "Grampa! Gramma!" As soon as Little Han''s eyes adjusted from the light from the teleportation array, he immediately greeted Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh with a warm and charming smile.


    Instantly the elder''s heart melted upon seeing Little Han''s sweet expression. They even started to tear up when Eli allowed Little Han to walk on his own and ran towards the old couple, each being greeted by a sweet kiss on the cheek.


    "Oh, my precious grandson. Finally, your father allowed us to see you this often!" Emperor Valentin looked begrudgingly at Leon ming the fact that among Little Han''s grandparents, they were the only ones who sees him the least.


    Leon just shrugged while Eli smiled awkwardly, looking at them with an apologetic smile.


    "Oh Eli,e! Have you had breakfast? We have prepared a lot for everyone! Why not join before we go to our respective work?" Queen Teh happily invited Eli, her hands gently linked to hers, treating her like her preciously raised daughter.


    "Thank you, Your Highness." Eli did not decline and followed Teh obediently.


    Emperor Valentin, Leon, and Little Han followed too. Soon they spent a warm time for breakfast with the old couple pampering Eli and Little Han to death.


    On the other hand, Leon, who was their only son, sat still and quietly. But being the dense person that he is to other people apart from Eli and Little Han, he just shrugged and calmly sip his coffee while he inwardly concluded;


    ''Oh well, they forgot about me¡­''

 Chapter 377 Braving The Seasons

    ?After breakfast, the old couple has to dismiss themselves to go with their respective activities. Eli had to go first to meet Desmond and Lainie.


    With that, only Leon, Little Han, and Baobao remained in the chamber.


    Little Han looked at his father blinking his eyes innocently while Leon looked at him calmly while he helped the little guy finish his breakfast.


    "Daddi, y?" Little Han tilted his head as he asked his father curiously. It was not a long time since his Dad took him and mommy out to y outside, and so Little Han thinks that Leon also took him to the secret chamber to y around.


    Leon''s heart instantly broke as he saw Little Han''s excited yet clueless expression. He too wanted to spend time with his son. Because he can only be a one-year-old once in his life. Soon he will wake up and have found that Little Han was already a grown-up.


    He wanted to exin that he cannot be with him to y, but seeing the same crystal blue eyes staring back at him so excitedly, Leon was lost for words.


    "Sorry little one¡­ but daddy can not leave you to y¡­" Leon''s hand was trembling as he reached out and gently rubbed Little Han''s head.


    "Awieee¡­" Little Han uttered sadly, but he did not whine nor threw tantrums. Instead, he hung his head low and obediently let his Daddy rub his head as he tried holding his breath to stop his eyes from warming up to cry.


    These days, his mommy and daddy would onlye when it is dark outside.


    Daddy does not let him help in the kitchen like they used to.


    Mommyes home veryte he was already too sleepy to listen to her piano ying.


    There''s only him, Rosea, and Baobao. Wisey is still sleeping in an egg.


    Today might be another day without them yet again¡­


    *sniff* *sniff*


    *hic* *hic*


    Even if Little Han tried to hold back his crying, his eyes were too hot not to let the tears flow. With muffled sniffles, he tried to exin, "Owkay¡­ Johan¡­ miss daddi¡­ hic! Johan miss mommi, Johan miss sisi¡­ hic!"


    "Johan owkay¡­ Johan y with Baobao¡­ hic,"


    At this point, Little Han was now pitifully crying as he tried to rub away his tears with his nose and cheeks reddening.


    Leon''s eyes also reddened upon seeing his little son get heartbroken because of their absence. Eli and he knew how much they were missing out on Little Han''s growth.


    However, it was only this time when he saw the sadness on Little Han''s face that he realized how big the impact of their absence was on their son. He felt like his heart was being crushed into pieces when he heard Little Han''s pitiful cries.


    "It''s ok¡­ it''s ok¡­ Daddy is here¡­" Without thinking, he stood up and took Little Han in his arms. He tried tofort his son with his trembling arms.


    Little Han could only nuzzle closer to Leon''s neck, clinging to it like he was highly dependent on his father''s arms.


    Leon closed his eyes in pain, as he felt helpless over the situation. He gently soothed Little Han''s back as hefort him tenderly.


    Baobao also looked sadly at the father and son, he also could not help but be sad over how this supposedly warm and lively family of four be so different like this.


    As a panda who had lived in the wild, he knew that seasons change no matter how bad he wanted the springtime to end. Over his years living outside, he knew how to ept that constant change.


    But, he did not know that it would be this hard to ept that seasons might also change in the warm family to whom he was already used too.


    He was so used to watching them smile, he was so used to listening to their music, their giggles andughter.


    Their cries were something he would never want to hear. But what could he do? He only knew how to wield his strength to ward off the enemy and to lend his fur in case they needed his warmth.


    But it is clear that what his little master needed the most was his parents.


    No, he knew that his master and Prince master were hurting too.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That they need each other.


    And so, Baobao decided to mind link with Eli.


    "Master¡­ You may want to go back to the chamber¡­ Little Master and Prince Master are not in a good condition¡­"


    In the practice room where Eli was listening to Desmond''s ying, she suddenly stood up and informed Desmond and Lainie to continue what they do.


    She rushed to a secret spot and immediately essed the chamber.


    There she saw Leon and Little Han''s haunting figures. Even from afar, Eli could already figure out what really happened, for the father and son looked as if they wereforting each other.


    Eli took a deep breath and calmly stepped forward. Seeing that the two were already in an emotional state she had to remain calm to support the two of them.


    When she was already in front of the two, she stretched out her hands and embraced the two them.


    She just took them in her arms without saying another word, two people who had red blood hair was in her arms.


    Soon after staying like that for a good few minutes, she could feel their breathing gradually turn calm and steady. After a bit more time, the two lifted their heads up and looked at Eli.


    Eli gave them a gentle smile. She looked at Leon while she took Little Han in her arms. No longer feeling the need to know why she saw them in that situation, Eli asked Leon, "Where are you heading to this morning?"


    "I''ll be on the barracks inspecting the new equipment that has been ordered for the des and the rest of the knights," Leon answered calmly.


    "I cannot expose Little Han to my students yet, although Lainie surely knew that we already have a son. Letting Little Han in the practice room might pose some risk from the passerby." Eli pondered.


    "But I think, he would be ok in the de''s barracks, what do you think?" Eli continued, but this time she was a little bit unsure. But for now, they could see that leaving Little Han without at least one of them around might not be a good moment.


    "In the barracks, well I think it''s good. But I still have to make Baobao and one of the des guard him. Barracks were filled with heavy equipment and weapons, he must not wander around without supervision lest he might get hurt." Leon paused and genuinely considered Eli''s suggestion.


    "Alright, let''s try doing this than in the meantime. I''ll also try to re-arrange my schedule with Lainie and Desmond so that I can also keep Little Hanpany when you are out in the barracks." Eli nodded in agreement.


    Arranging their schedules in the morning was crucial for Little Han. Fortunately, Queen Teh has already given her consent to look after Little Han during the afternoon.


    The two of them hoped that this idea would work. Looking at Little Han who was still feeling a bit gloomy because he bawled himself out, Eli and Leon could not bare to dismiss the fact that their child needs them at this moment.


    Though they have their own responsibilities in society, they were parents too.


    And even if it is hard, they had to think of a way to give Little Han what he needs.


    After agreeing to the arrangement, Eli kissed them sweetly before proceeding back to her workroom.


    Leon then took a look at Little Han and said,


    "Have you heard your mommy earlier? Daddi can''t y with you but I will bring you my office. You will see many big brothers there, you can y with Uncle Olivier too."


    Leon softly coaxed Little Han to start changing his gloomy mood. As soon as he exined where they will be going, Little Han''s eyes started to twinkle in excitement.


    "Daddi¡­.owffish!" Little Han repeated.


    Leon rubbed his son''s head and replied, "Yes, I will take you to my office. But Little Han, you have to promise Daddy that you would not wander around without Baobao and the big brothers. Because Daddy''s office is a little dangerous. If you get hurt, mommy will cry, do you like that?"


    "Non non! No like mommy cry cry!" Little Han vehemently shook his head at the thought of seeing his mommi cry.


    "Alright, will Johann promise daddy that he will stay with Baobao and big brothers, and behave obediently in daddy''s office?" Leon used a gentle voice before holding out his pinky finger initiating a pinky promise with Little Han.


    "Johann behave!" He linked his chubby little pinky with Leon''s and looked at him with a determined look, "Pwomise!"

 Chapter 378 Little Han Visits The Barracks

    ?"Alright. Let''s go then, little buddy¡­" Leon could not help but affectionately rub Little Han''s cheeks before carrying him up, "To my office!"


    "Daddi Owffish!!" Little Han''s crystal blue eyes twinkled in excitement as he lifted his hands and shouted cheerfully.


    Using a mana stone for teleportation, the Baobao and the father-son duo immediately appeared at Leon''s office in the Crimson de''s barracks.


    Little Han immediately became curious about the new environment. With his eyes full of anticipation and interest, he looked around to see what kind of ce is his daddy''s office.


    "Let''s go and meet the uncles and big brothers." Leon immediately stepped out of the office and went to the open ground where the des were busy.


    Some were assigned to check and maintain the armor and weaponry while the others are on the training field sparring with each other.


    As soon as Leon stepped out of the room, everyone looked in their direction and was surprised.


    ''Master brought the little prince!''


    ''He also brought the legendary beast of our Madamme!''


    The excitement and amazement could not be hidden in their eyes as they looked at Baobao and Little Han.


    However, since they were in front of the Third Prince, their Master, they held themselves back to respectfully greet him.


    "Greetings! Wielder of the Crimson de, Master! Greetings Little Master! Greetings great beast, Baobao!"


    "At ease!" Leon signaled them in response while Baobao gave them a quiet nod.


    "Hewwooo!" Little Han grinned charmingly and waved his hand to greet the men. He even giggled when he saw the familiar face of Olivier, Neil, and the rest.


    ''Ahhhh! My heart!''


    ''Little Master is so cute and charming!''


    ''Aaaaahhh this is a lucky day! To have the opportunity to see the cute master even when we are busy!''


    "Theseing days, my son, Johann might have to visit the barracks during the morning. Though he would be apanied by Baobao, I still have to assign a person to keep himpany."


    Leon exined the situation to the des and asked them with a serious tone, "Who would like to volunteer?"


    "Me!"


    "Choose me, Master!"


    "I''m good with kids!"


    "Nah, you can even make a child cry with your face!"


    Instantly the atmosphere became apetition as to who would guard Little Han. Leon did not expect that all the des would volunteer. Even ze who had a hard time interacting with humans he was not familiar with due to his descent excitedly raised his hand.


    And so Leon was taken aback and unsure how he would go about the matter. He stood in a daze not knowing what to do. If he could just propose to have them draw lots in choosing who to send on a scout mission, he would not hesitate to do so.


    But this time the mission is taking care of a child - a thing that none of the des had an opportunity to do often, thus they had no experience.


    ''Should I choose between Olivier and the five des assigned before?'' He wondered.


    "Daddi~~~" While Leon was thinking of a way to select, he was interrupted by Little Han''s call.


    "What is it, son?" He asked.


    "Umcle¡­y y!" He stuck his index finger out to point towards ze''s direction. Then he looked at Leon with pleading eyes, "Umcle y y!"


    !!!


    Everyone looked at ze with widened eyes.


    ''Did the Little Master choose Vice Captain ze as his guard?!''


    Leon looked at ze and then at Little Han, after thinking for a while he then responded, ''Alright but only for today. Your Uncle ze will be busy in the days toe, so you can only y with him today."


    "Weeeee!!! Aye!!!" Little Han squealed happily as he nodded at Leon''s words.


    Then he twisted his body and stretched out his two hands toward the direction of ze, with his twinkling eyes he called out, "Umcle ze!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    !!!


    The de''s heart melted when they saw Little Han''s gesture. Even ze who was a stiff burly young man could not help but feel moved.


    But even though he felt happy about it, ze still waited for Leon''s permission before he reached out to take Little Han in his arms.


    "Yieeee!" Little Han squealed in delight when ze reached out to take him from his father. He shed his teeth in a huge grin as hefortably rest in his arms.


    ze stood in a daze, it was like a new experience for him to even touch such a fragile yet precious creature.


    To him, Little Han is very tiny, vulnerable yet precious. He is someone, apart from the Madamme who would thaw the coldness of their every frigid master. Therefore Little Han is someone he must serve to the best of his abilities.


    Seeing that Little Han was obediently going with ze, Leon dismissed the three of them to go around and y while he proceeded to his job for today.


    "Little Master, where do you like to go?" ze asked rather helplessly. It was only when there were the three of them that he realized that there was nothing much to do in the barracks rather than spar and train.


    There was nothing in the barracks that could be appealing to a child!!!


    ze wanted to put a palm on his face in distress, but it is toote.


    "Ummm¡­" Little Han looked up and thought for a moment, then he randomly pointed his finger at a luscious tree beside the training area.


    It was a wide old oak tree that had branches that expands widely, it became the best spot for the des to cool down after rigorous training.


    ze thought that it was indeed a good spot for resting and so he immediately carried Little Han under the shade of the giant oak tree.


    As soon as they arrived on the spot, Little Han gestured to be down and immediately rummaged into his cute bear bag.


    "Hmm~~ Hmm~~" Humming the ''tune of twinkle twinkle little stars'' he pulled out a piece of cloth into his bag and looked up at ze who was watching him curiously.


    "Umcle¡­ help pwease?" His eyes widened like a pleading puppy as he raised his bear bag with a piece of cloth hanging out of the bag''s opening.


    "A-alright¡­" ze then slowly pulled the rest of the cloth and soon he discovered that it was arge fluffy mat.


    At first, he was clueless about what he was going to do, but when he looked down again and saw Little Han''s anticipating eyes he was confused, ''What am I supposed to do with a fluffy mat?''


    "Eherm. Sir ze, you cany it on the ground so that you and Little Master would have a ce to sit on." Baobao could not help but interject carefully.


    He initially just kept quiet because he wanted the two to have a moment in getting acquainted with each other. However, seeing the interaction between the two, he decided to assist them from time to time.


    "O-oh!" ze soon realized that Baobao was assisting him and so he quickly moved andid the mat on the ground.


    "Yay!" Little Han happily crawled onto the mat then he lied on his back and giggled happily as he saw how beautiful it was to see the oak tree''s branches from the ground.


    After rolling for some time, he started to pull out all sorts of things.


    There were plushies, a music box, and even his favorite toys given by the Guardians - the shape sorter. But this time, the shape sorter was a little more difficult as it contained slots of the Empire''s Alphabet.


    Thenstly he took out a weird-looking egg that wasrge enough to cover Little Han''s tummy and chest. Uponying eyes on the egg, Little Han''s mood seemed to plummet.


    He looked at ze who was still confused by his actions and called out, "Umcle¡­ birdy Sisi¡­ need wakey!"


    "Bird? Sisi?" ze took the egg in his hands and realized that it was no ordinary egg. Since he doesn''t know about the situation, he nced at Baobao for an answer.


    "Sisi is Wisey. It was my Master''s first contractor, which is a spirit owl. She went into this state after using all his powers to help Master defeat the first spirit fragment connected to the Ves."


    Baobao exined the matter to ze. He knew that ze could be trusted like Olivier and so he did not find wrong to tell about Wisey.


    "I see¡­" ze looked at the deep sadness in Baobao''s eyes and the look of longing in Little Han''s eyes, he figured out the situation. It seems like the three of them were supposed to be inseparable since the little master''s birth, but due to the curse users, Wisey was now in this state.


    And if Wisey remained in this state even after everyone had already recovered from the curse, this means that their Madame was also helpless in the situation.


    Taking sympathy over his Little Master, he took the egg and reached out to his space pouch.


    Instantly, there was a golden metallic nest before them, which made everyone, even the des who were sneaking nces at them curious.


    "This is a dragon''s cradle, this is where the dragon eggs were kept until they hatch¡­"

 Chapter 379 Dragons Nest

    ?While ze was saying these things, he suddenly felt that the entire training area fell into silence.


    "D-dragon''s nest?! Why is our vice-captain carrying such an item in his space pouch!" The des around asked in shock.


    "D-don''t tell me that¡­" They looked at each other with grim looks on their faces.


    "No, it can''t be¡­" The others shook their heads in disbelief.


    "Our vice-captain is a half-dragon, and there is only one reason for him to carry a nest! That is, he was seeing a she-dragon!" One de eximed in conclusion.


    Dragons are mythical beasts and as long as they are strong enough, they can take the form of a human. But whenever they reproduce, they still have to carry a nest for their offspring.


    In ze''s case, he would have no need to carry a dragon nest if his partner was a human, but if it was a pureblooded she-dragon, then it was absolutely a necessity!


    "Our Vice Captain is nning to have a baby!!!"


    "No! Look at him. With his demeanor second to our Master''s coldness and his fiery hair, which she-dragon would he be seeing?"


    "How can you still deny it? How will you exin his enthusiasm in looking after the Little Master then?"


    "..." As if they have connected the dots, they looked at ze who was now assisting Little Han in carefully putting Wisey''s egg into the nest. Suddenly they all felt aggrieved as another person in the brotherhood was discovered to have some love escapades.


    "Since when did our vice-captain sneak to see a woman!!! Arggg!!!"


    "How about meeee? Will I be a singleton until I grow old? Boohoo!!!"


    "Waaaah! Don''t curse yourself, or I will feel anxious too!!!"


    "Waaaah!!!"


    The strong and fierce group of young men be crestfallen as they started toment like an abused puppy. It became so apparent that ze could not help but twitch his brows and asked Baobao to look after Little Han for a while.


    When he was near the area where the des were gossiping, the overwhelming aura of a vice-captain began to ooze into his body, sending cold shivers to the back of the des.


    "Are you not busy enough that you started gossiping about your vice-captain?" He said with a cold low voice as he was afraid that if he shouted, Little Han would be scared.


    However, his low tone bes extremely eerie in the ears of the des, and so they all hang their heads up in the punishment position and was about to confess their talks.


    But before they could do so, ze waved his hand with a frown and said, "No need, do you not think that I could not hear what you guys are talking about in that distance?"


    "..." They all choked for having nothing to say about his words.


    "Anyways, it''s not appropriate to talk behind the back of any other people, especially when it is not urate." ze swept a nce at the apologetic young men.


    "But vice-captain¡­ we can''t help but be curious~~" A more courageous de tried to get closure over the issue and asked ze.


    "..." ze eyed the des once again with his eyes that resemble the fiery sun and sighed, "That dragon''s nest was actually the nest that apanied me during my infancy period. That nest is where I was hatched."


    "!!!" Hearing the truth from ze, the curious young men now felt a wave ofplicated emotions.


    They thought that the story of the dragon nest was actually something joyous but it turns out that it was connected to ze''s awkward origin.


    For the des, probably except for Olivier who was of noble birth, it was taboo to talk about their lives before they were rescued by Leon.


    For it was a past that they wish to no longer remember. After a few seconds of silence, they all meekly apologized,


    "Vice-captain, we sincerely apologize for jumping to conclusions¡­ We did not think that-"


    "No bother¡­ Just be careful next time. Also, behave properly so that our Little Master won''t catch any bad habits in the barracks." ze benevolently answered before turning around to go back to where Little Han and Baobao were.


    "Umcle!! See!" When Little Han saw ze approaching their spot, he stood up enthusiastically and waved his chubby hand excitedly. Then he pointed at the dragon''s nest where Wisey was staying.


    "Little Master, what have you been up to?" He asked as he looked at Wisey''s egg which was now not only resting on his dragon''s nest but was covered with all sorts of warm clothing as if Little Han was afraid that the egg would shiver in cold¡­ on a hot springtime.


    "Sisi, hatchie!" Little Han confidently raised his round head as hefortably sat beside the nest, looking at ze adorably.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The young vice-captain held his breath so as to not let his expression break apart. Just looking at the innocent yet lively look from his Little Master''s eyes, ze''s heart was instantly captivated.


    In an instant, he had the urge to spoil Little Han whenever he had a chance!


    ¨C


    Weeks have passed and the family of three has long been used to their current set-up.


    Little Han was now used to getting to and fro the Crimson de''s barracks. During those times, he had already met and yed with almost all the des.


    In special circumstances, Leon would bring him to the secret base in the North Mountain Range, where he would meet the equally enthusiastic Roaming des. With just a few visits, he totally dominated his father''s core forces with his charm!


    Eli on the other hand was now starting to be more at ease with training Desmond and Lainie.


    Desmond has now improved his left and right-hand technique. He was now working on how he will put depth and intention into his music by carefully analyzing and connecting it to the piece he has to y.


    Lainie''s progress was also equally optimistic.


    As Eli was alreadyfortable with Lainie before, she was able to closely give her advice and methods to improve her musicality.


    Over the time they trained, Eli noticed that Lainie was not only a creative arranger andposer, but she was a sensible musician. She was able to create the mood and imagery exactly how she wanted it in the music sheet.


    With the influences and resources, she gave to Lainie that came from the modern earth, she also managed to develop her unique style in each form that she tried.


    Today, on the third month of their training, which was less than two weeks before the expected date of arrival of the foreign delegates, the mechanics of thepetition for the events under the Academic division arrived.


    Queen Teh, Queen Lucia, Evelyn, Eli, and their respective proteges were now gathered in the Farauld Institute''s meeting room to listen to Dean Athena''s announcement.


    Thepetition will generally be like the modern earth''s sports fest, where each of the subjects will have their own schedule for thepetition.


    It was a straightforward event where every delegate of whatever instruments wouldpete who among them was the best yer for that said instrument.


    But thepetition for theposing/arrangement event was different and much harder.


    The delegates are required to pick a group of musicians amongst all of the candidates that have ever participated in the tournament.


    From them, the student will have to organize an orchestra of their own, and have them perform a piece that would soon be revealed at themencement of the Grand Tournament.


    "Mentor¡­" Hearing the details of thepetition, Lainie nervously looked at Eli as the anxiousness started to overwhelm her.


    It was not only her, everyone looked at Eli anxiously, as if whenever they stumble upon something unbearable they would unconsciously seek Eli''s assistance on the matter.


    It was one thing to gather people for the orchestra, but it is another thing to convince the people who were hostile to the Empire at this moment.


    Since there were only four delegatesing from the Farauld Magic Institute, it is certain that Lainie had to go and convince the other foreign delegates to join her orchestra.


    Who would be willing to join them when everyone knew that their team was already weak in the first ce?


    It was known that whatever the results of the symphonypetition would be added to the individual scores of the musicians to their own events.


    So, how could she convince the others to join a losing band?


    Eli ced her hands on Lainie''s trembling shoulders as she tried to calm them down.


    "Lainie¡­ do not think of such unnecessary things."


    "If ites to that point where no one joins, then let no one join!"


    "Prepare yourself on both sides! Whether to arrange for an orchestra or a piano quartet, it should not stop you to show how good your arrangements were!"


    She also looked at the four musicians who were feeling anxious not only for Lainie but for themselves.


    "This also applies to all of you."

 Chapter 380 Anti Curse Committees Progress

    ?"As a musician and a performer, you will stumble upon things that wouldn''t go your way. Sometimes you have to perform a piece with grace under pressure. Sometimes it will happen in the middle of the piece."


    "More than that, sometimes you will meet audiences that will be hostile towards you. All of these have the power to affect your state of mind, and therefore your music!"


    "And so I advise you young ones to ready yourselves in whatever may happen that could affect your way of thinking. Train your mind if need be, that''s your key to standing above others!"


    "Hahhaha¡­look at her addressing young people just a few years younger than her as young ones." Watching from the sidelines, Grandmaster Reuben could not help but whisper these words to Vice Chairman Bramwell.


    "Well, no one would remain unfazed after hearing that. Only our Eli would. It''s really a fortune to have her as the leading person on the team. Look at the eyes of the delegates. Earlier, they were ridden with anxiousness, now they were full of determination!"


    Bramwell answered enthusiastically, he could not be happier to see that Eli was able to navigate the nervous delegates.


    The meeting ended with the delegates all under the Academic Division recharged and inspired by Eli''s speech.


    Eli and the elders have no idea, that what seemed to be the words meant to just calm the nervous music students would be a motto for the entire batch of delegates of the institute regardless of what they belonged to.


    Be it the Magic division, the Academic, or the Research Branch, Eli''s speech spread throughout the entire campus, earning her another soar in her reputation.


    After the assembly in the institute, Eli came straight to the new headquarters of the Anti Curse Committee.


    A building was dedicated for them to be the base of their operations, like all of the other agencies in the Empire, the Imperial Family did not hold back from giving what they needed.


    These days, the Anti-Curse Committee was in full swing in implementing and researching ways to protect the Empire of the curse users.


    Their initial proposal of making the travel processing stricter has been easily approved by the council and the Emperor himself. The next move that they did was to strengthen the arrays that has been used up during the war with the Vess.


    Eli and Mishael was the one who did this, while the others all went to the walls and other key areas of the capital to also imnt more protective arrays for protection.


    Kayden on the other hand buried himself to study two things, the hell wolves and the constitution of Baobao.


    Using the urate information from the book of knowledge, Eli provided Kayden with detailed information regarding Baobao and the entire Panda''s anatomy.


    With this, they worked to identify the features they thought that Baobao has that he was able to detect traces of the curse.


    Entering the headquarters, Eli went straight to Kayden''s researchboratory.


    Out of all the researchboratories made for Kayden, this was was the most conservative and simple.


    This was because many greedy officials might try to steal data and information in theboratory, and so even if the facility had enough security features, Kayden was notfortable going all out in researching in this area.


    And so he dared not to do his experiments inside the head quarter''sboratory but instead does his investigative studies here.


    Besides, he still preferred the research facility underground of the temple for it was near the vicinity of the curse users aside from those who were locked in the Court of Sinners.


    "Big Brother, how is the task going?" Eli entered the ce and stumbled upon Kayden who was deeply immersed in crunching the numbers from the data he just collected.


    As she entered she carefully brought a tray of fresh coffee and a slice of sweet cake which she ordered along the way to the headquarters and put it beside him.


    Without even looking at Eli or the food she brought, Kayden''s hand automatically moved to take the cup and drink a few sips. After that, he took the fork and took a mouthful of the cake.


    Eli did not take offense, as she knew that it was Kayden''s habit whenever he was in the zone. She sat beside him as quietly as possible and started browsing through the notes that were on his table.


    After some time, Kayden finally noticed her presence and informed her, "Little Sister, what we have initially suspected could be right after all!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli looked at Kayden and saw a trace of excitement in his eyes as if he was about to reach an epiphany.


    "You mean the mutated sensory receptors on the Panda race''s noses?" She confirmed.


    "Yes! The key might be in the sensory receptors. After weeks of observing many animals who had the exceptional ability to use their sense of smell, only Baobao, and the hell wolves were the ones who were able to detect curse traces!"


    "Hmm, I can understand Baobao but howe the hell wolves could do that also?" Eli touched her chin and looked at the notes Kayden was holding earlier.


    "You remember that hell wolves were nothing but mutant wolves if they did not smell the berserk potion? In any way, the potion contained the power of the curse, and so whenever they smell it, they would be driven into a state of madness."


    Eli thought deeply for a while as she analyzed the data in the table. Rationalizing everything that was in the papers and her personal observation of the hell wolves'' behavior, it seems like this was the case.


    Nodding in agreement, Eli suddenly felt a sense of loss over the tens of hell wolves that were killed during the war. To this day, they only managed the hell wolves that Leon was able to capture during the encounter in Silver Dew Forest.


    "Too bad, if we knew this beforehand, we could have made an effort to capture the Ves''s hell wolves alive." She mumbled in regret.


    "Oh, Little Sister! Hehehehehe you need not worry about that!" At Eli''s mention of the dead hell wolves, Kayden seemed to have been triggered and his entric mood became apparent.


    With a mischievous look on his face as he smiled like a child who managed to swindle the adults of candy, he continued,


    "I had Leon''s men preserve the bodies of the hell wolves, every receptor they had were intact! Hehehehe! We don''t need the hell wolves alive anyways, we only need their receptors!"


    Eli felt a wave of goosebumps as he saw this side of Kayden, he was now like a mad scientist who was out to get hispetitor, "Say, Little Sister, how would those evil scientists react if they see their own weapons be ours and used against them?"


    Seeing the seriousness and the trace of vindication in Kayden''s eyes, Eli was reminded of how Kayden''s life was made miserable by the same group of people from the Spectre. "They might even make their teeth fall off from their seething anger!" She replied.


    "Hahahaha! I know right?" Kayden chuckled excitedly.


    "But Big Brother, how will you use the receptors? Are you going to imnt them on another wolf like the hell wolves?" Eli carefully threaded through asking this question. As much as possible, she doesn''t want Kayden to resort to the same methods as the mad scientist in Spectre.


    Kayden looked at Eli and immediately understood her worries. Instantly, his gaze turned gentle as he patted Eli''s head as he replied, "Whatever you are thinking, it won''t happen¡­"


    Then with his eyes full of wisdom and confidence he continued, "The reason they resorted to such methods was that they were too ipetent!"


    "They could not think outside of the box and resort to such inhuman and malevolent ways!"


    "Your big brother is different and is way much better than them! That''s why you do not need to worry!"


    "Because unlike them, I have a way to use those receptors without making mutant wolves and humans!''


    "??? How do you n to do that Big Brother?" Eli became curious as Kayden teased her enough to be interested.


    "Hehehe, the answer is cultivation! Microbiology of course!"


    "You mean you will treat them like bacteria?" Eli''s eyes widened in surprise, she didn''t know that receptors have this nature.


    "Not exactly like that, to be more urate, it''s little rted to how vines were developed in the world you were in. I n to go by that route." Kayden exined to her briefly, for because of the ring he inherited from his father, he also had knowledge of the modern earth.


    "Anyways, I still need to verify my ims after all. And we only have a limited number of receptors we can extract. For now, I still have to solidify my theories." Kayden started to wrap up the discussion so as to not let Eli dive deeper into the matter.


    To divert her attention, Kayden intentionally shifted to another topic, "By the way, have you thought of the gift you would give at the Second Queen''s Birthday Banquet?"

 Chapter 381 Queen Tehilas Birthday Banquet

    ?"Queen Teh''s banquet¡­" Eli fell into deep contemtion, during her way to the headquarters she noticed that everyone was preparing for the celebration of the second queen.


    "Now that you mentioned it, I still haven''t thought of a gift for Her Highness¡­" Eli replied as she realized.


    Kayden smiled meaningfully as he looked at Eli and teased, "Better prepare for that. You only have a week to do so, or else, you''ll disappoint your future mother-inw."


    Eli let out a chuckle and did not take Kayden''s teasing heavily. In fact, she knew that someday, their rtionship will have to be revealed. It''s just a matter of timing as to when will all of them be free to say how they were rted to each other.


    ¨C


    A weekter, the banquet halls were opened in full swing.


    It was not only the pce that was lively on the day of Queen Teh''s birthday celebration.


    The capital''s streets were also joining the celebration of the Queen who was before amoner. They have put up tents and booths for the night market as a sign of celebration.


    To themon people, Queen Teh was a symbol of equality and fair treatment as even she had the chance to be a spouse of the Emperor.


    It was only unfortunate that behind those seemingly inspiring cause, what happened inside the pce walls were far from being a fairytale.


    In the pce, the nobles were dressed extravagantly as they entered the banquet halls one by one. The youngdies of the aristocratic families wore excited faces as they go around the halls.


    It was not because they genuinely wished well to the unpopr Queen Teh, it was only because they were interested in her son, who was now the most sought-after bachelor in the Empire. Thus, even if they do not approve of her origins, they have to appear noble and gentle in order to impress her and be their future mother-inw.


    "Have you heard? The Third Prince seemed to have dumped the Great Inventor?" One of the lower nobledies opened the gossip in the banquet hall where a group ofdies are conversing.


    "I know right?! Back then, the Third Prince would wait for thedy almost every day. They would go out like a newlywed couple."


    Then one day, it seemed like it suddenly stopped! What could it be but the Third Prince losing interest in the so-called talented Lady?!"


    "Well is it though? I don''t see the Great Inventor going around these days, neither was the Third Prince. Isn''t it just because the two were both busy because of the preparation for the uing event in the Empire?"


    "It doesn''t matter. I just hope that the Third Prince would not be so blinded by thedy''s brilliance. For at the end of the day, her background is still questionable and not befitting for the Imperial Family."


    Thedies let out a round ofughter then one said, "Oh, Lady Biorre, your words were stinging sharp!"


    Lady Biorre only unfolded her fan and replied, "Well I am just telling the truth."


    "Take away the fact that she was gracefully adopted by the Grandmasters, even with her achievement, she could have been only treated as a dame at most. Nothing more, nothing less!"


    "I think so too! And are you not annoyed that she puts her nose in everything that was happening in the Empire? May it be the tournament or themittee¡­ is there no end for her involvement in the matter?"


    "Sounds nothing but an attention seeker to me?"


    "Well, if the Prince ditched her, maybe she was trying to make her image better so that she could at least marry a low-rank noble!!"


    "Ahahhaha! That might be the case! Let''s wish her luck then!"


    "Hahaha right!"


    While they were engaging in a mocking, a tall domineering woman suddenly interjected the hall with her intimidating tone,


    "My¡­ my¡­ who could it be but the daughters of the noble houses who turned out to have vulgar tongues!"


    Thedies were startled and they slowly looked in the direction of the voice, it turns out the woman who interjected was none other than Alicia who was wearing a bold dark blue dress that amplified her elegance and intelligent aura.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "G-greetings Ldy Alicia." In truth, Alicia was not considered as the highest noble rankingdy in the crowd, however, her achievements and the Cross Family''s prominence could not be beaten by any of thedies present.


    To date, only ady from the marquis family or ady of Eli''s caliber could subdue her boldness and aggressiveness.


    "I guess, for youdies who did not even qualify to enter the institute to get educated, can only use limited vocabries to mock a person ridden with des." She eyed thedies coldly as she hid a mocking smile behind her embellished fan.


    Seeing their angry yet constrained expression, Alicia felt satisfied so she let out a chuckle, "Hahaha! I pity you poordies who could only stay at home and depend on your tutors just to learn a little bit of the outside world!"


    "Ldy Alicia, your words are a bit¡­" Alicia''s words were actually loud enough that the men and other older women around could hear her mocking, and so thedies could not help but be embarrassed by her words.


    "What? Hurt about what I said? It''s nothing but the truth?! If you have a bit of a brain, you would not go around the pce to let people hear your low intelligence mocking!"


    "Hah! Just hearing how you rationalize your thoughts earlier, do you guys even know logic?"


    "Hahaha! Just because you didn''t see the third prince and thedy together you concluded that they weren''t together?! Hahaha! Tell me,dies, are you seriously using your brain''s ability for sound reasoning?!"


    "Yikes! I had goosebumps just remembering your statements earlier! One piece of advice, tell your fathers to get you a tutor who graduated from the Farauld Magic Institute and demand that the first thing they have to teach you is logical reasoning and sentence construction!"


    The banquet hall be awkward as they heard Alicia''s words, especially the parents of thedies to whom Alicia was pertaining.


    If they could dig a hole right now, they would immediately jump and bury themselves in it, for they cannot bear the humiliation of their daughters getting called out helplessly in an Imperial banquet.


    Fortunately, the music in the hall changed as a cue for everyone to prepare to wee the members of the Imperial Family.


    The grand chambein once again announced the entrance of the Imperial Family. Kazimir and Arielle, Antoine and Evelyn, and since it was Queen Teh''s birthday, Governor Fidel was the one who stepped to escort First Queen Lucia.


    Finally, Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh entered the hall, d in white and red matching outfits. With their demeanor and subtle interaction, everyone could conclude the mutual respect and love they have for each other.


    Pausing to address the people on the tform, Emperor Valentin signaled Queen Teh to address the people as the birthday celebrant.


    "Thank you foring here to celebrate the day of my birth. I am d that every one of us had already moved forward after a terrible storm that happened in the Empire. Let the rest of the night be joyous and wonderful for everyone here in the hall!"


    "We wish Her Highness the Second Queen a Happy Birthday!" The people raised their sses in a toast as a response to her speech.


    However, just as they thought that the music will start to kick in, Emperor Valentin stepped forward and also addressed the crowd.


    "Before we officially start the banquet, let me announce another joyous event to celebrate for the night!" As Emperor Valentin spoke, there was an unconcealed trace of excitement in his voice.


    "It is my pleasure and my great joy to announce to everyone in this banquet hall, that my youngest son, Leon Andrae de Seirende, Third Prince of the Empire, is now engaged to the Youngest Lady of the Farauld and Forgeworn Family, the Great Inventor, Lady Eli!"


    As he waved his hands to point at the stairs, the music kicked in and all the members of the Imperial Family faced the direction where Leon and Eli were about to descend.


    Too speechless and surprised about the announcement, the noblemen and aristocraticdies could not do anything but watch in their own eyes as the couple descended like they were a pair of angels of love.


    Eli was wearing an elegant beige dress with a fabric hugging her curves as the trail draped down like a gentle river. Her hair was trailing down her shoulders and neck as it was only adorned by a half braid and a trail of crystal flowers, embellished by a tinum ear cuff on her right ear.


    Leon was dressed in his prince suit, but to match Eli''s dress, his cuff links, and sash have a hint of silver. He looked extremely dashing as his red blood hair was gently brushed up on one side, showcasing his exemry chiseled jawline.


    The on-lookers held their breaths as they were left in awe of Eli and Leon''s chemistry.


    One had a demeanor of a woman filled with grace and wisdom, while the other was brimming with strength and fierceness, and yet they are both beautiful!

 Chapter 382 Sudden Concern

    ?Thedies who were mocking Eli could not help but grit their teeth and look at the couple with great envy.


    Just earlier, they were still having a st mocking Eli''s background only to be pped by the reality of Alicia''s words and the Emperor''s announcement.


    The noblemen of the New Rising Faction were also signaling each other in the eyes. It seems that they have something in their minds as they look like they were in panic.


    Oblivious to the subtle tension in the crowd, Queen Teh and Emperor Valentin were smiling brightly, Kazimir, Antoine, and the rest of the family also looked satisfied with the couple.


    "Tomorrow, the Third Prince and Lady Eli will be having their engagement ceremony hosted by the High Priest himself. I hope that everyone will also be there to witness the betrothal of the two, to be blessed by the heavens!"


    "A betrothal in the Temple? With the High Priest blessing their engagement?!"


    "Oh, my heavens! The Third Prince really loves thedy!!!"


    "Ah! I envy the Lady! To have someone willing to convince the High Priest to bless their engagement! What could be more romantic than that!"


    "I know! I just hope my future beloved would be this nice too!"


    Thedies in the room who were secretly supporting the tandem between Eli and Leon suddenly became vocal in their words.


    In fact, there were a number of young noblemen and women who looked up to the pairing, however, because of the strong opposition of most of the noble families, they decided to hide their intent to support the two.


    Now that it was all in the open, they could not help but exim happily like fan girls.


    In the Empire, when a couple is engaged, it would be enough for them to have their arrangement announced in an event like this. Even the members of the Imperial Family were also like this.


    However, for men who would want to express their love and affection to their betrothed, they would being to the Temple to convince the heavens to bless their marriage.


    Why is it romantic?


    It was because the man must show to the heavens how much he wanted his beloved and their uing marriage to be blessed.


    During those times, the man would stay in the Temple, praying, fasting, and serving the Temple until the heavens would light up the Altar of Matrimony.


    If the Altar of Matrimony lit up, it means that the heavens permitted the man to take the hand of the woman in marriage to be bound together as a couple and that they will witness their union until the end of their lives.


    No one knows how many days or nights or months will it takes, no one, not even the Emperor nor the High Priest could influence the duration of their sacrifice and the permission of the heavens.


    There were many men who attempted to try to light up the altar before asking for their beloved''s hand in marriage however, most of them gave up in the end.


    They just opted to go straight with the engagement and hoped that in another way, the heavens could bless them somehow.


    Now knowing that Leon had been permitted to hold his engagement ceremony in the Temple, it meant that he has done the sacrifice until he convinced the heavens, and had eventually managed to light up the Altar of Matrimony.


    In the Empire, the one who was able to do this tradition was thete Emperor Idelfonso with his one and only Empress. Emperor Valentin had been nning to do that for Queen Teh however, the thing with the Ves happened.


    "Best wishes to the His Highness Third Prince and Lady Eli!"


    "Best wishes!"


    Emperor Valentin looked at everyone with an ecstatic expression. He waved his hands at the Maestro and gestured for the banquet to start.


    The first one to join the dance floor was of course the birthday celebrant, Queen Teh with Emperor Valentin.


    After that, it was Eli and Leon''s turn along with the rest of the Imperial Family pairs.


    While they were on the dance floor, Leon did not take his gaze off Eli''s sight.


    Waltzing through the beat of the romantic music, Leon caressed Eli''s right hand andmented, "Your hand is cold¡­"


    "I am surprised and nervous¡­ I did not expect all of this to happen¡­" Eli''s face remained calm, however her dark obsidian eyes were the only evidence of her real emotions at the moment.


    "I apologize for not telling you in advance¡­ Actually, this isn''t what I wanted¡­" Leon looked at her with an apologetic smile.


    He was telling the truth, he had nned for something even more romantic than this. But the circumstances pushed them to be a side event of his Mother''s birthday party.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even if he had already announced to the Empire that he would only marry Eli, his heart still feels aggrieved that he had not given her the best engagement arrangement he has in mind.


    "Why the long face? Even if you proposed to me quietly in the cottage, I would still ept your proposal. Leon, other things do not matter." Eli smiled as she responded to ease Leon''s worried expression.


    The reason for this sudden engagement happened a few days ago when Emperor Valentin received a proposal for Leon.


    ¨C


    Days before the birthday banquet¡­


    The High Priest suddenly requested a visit to the Emperor.


    Sitting in the Emperor''s luxurious lounge, Emperor Valentin weed High Priest Enoch with great care and reverence.


    "Your Eminence, what brings you here so suddenly? Is there anything that happened?" Emperor Valentin looked at the elderly High Priest who hade to the pce in a sh.


    "I came here because I have received two letters from the Main Temple. One letter seems to be addressed to you, the Emperor of Seirende Empire." High Priest Enoch dived straight into the topic and handed over the letter with a golden seal pattern.


    Emperor Valentin carefully received the letter and opened it in High Priest Enoch''s presence.


    There was a long silence in the room as Emperor Valentin read the letter. Slowly, as he read through the contents, Emperor Valentin trembled inplex emotions.


    "This¡­ this!!!"


    "What does it say?" High Priest Enoch, did not hide his intention to know the contents of the letter, for he had already seen what happened in the main Temple due to his irvoyance ability.


    Asking the Emperor was just his form of convincing himself that what he saw in the vision is true. Because he could not believe what he saw there.


    "T-the main Temple is proposing to Leon¡­ They wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the newly found Pdin."


    High Priest Enoch''s eyes darkened. "What is the Main Temple up to? How can they conclude such a thing?"


    Emperor Valentin also trembled as he responded,


    "Pdin? Isn''t the Pdin my future daughter-inw, Eli? Howe they were iming that they have found the identity of the Pdin and even force an engagement with my son?"


    High Priest Enoch could only frown and shake his head, "I am also as confused as you are. This is the first time that the Temple did this thing And even if I tried to use my powers once again to find out what was happening in the main Temple¡­ it feels like something has been blocking me from seeing."


    "..." Emperor Valentin could only clench his hands and think deeper. "I can always reject this proposal, however¡­ they were iming that the engagement with the ''Pdin'' is the will of the heavens¡­"


    Emperor Valentin clenched his fist, it seems like his son was also about to go through the same struggle he went through before, being unable to marry their beloved that easily.


    "This decision is not yours to take, young Valentin. We need to ask your son." High Priest Enoch knew what was on Valentin''s mind and so he reminded him of his role and let him calm down.


    Immediately summoning Leon to the lounge the two elders exined the situation for Leon to decide on.


    Upon hearing the details, Leon''s demeanor looked cold as he looked at the two andmented, "It seems like we can not fully trust the Main Temple for the secrets we have regarding Eli''s identity¡­ If they became this careless, how are they going to prove that they were still hearing from the heavens?"


    "That''s what I thought¡­ However, going against the Main Temple will not be an easy task." High Priest Enoch felt heartbroken and ashamed upon hearing Leon''s judgment towards the Main Temple.


    However, he could not refute his evaluation, for they know the truth, Eli is the Pdin.


    For the Main Temple to suddenly im a random person as Pdin without even asking for an oracle, how could he still justify that they were hearing from the heavens?


    Leon on the other hand remained calm as he asked, "When will they wait for the answer?"


    Emperor Valentin replied, "Five days from now, the day of your Mother''s birthday celebration."


    "Alright¡­" Leon suddenly stood up and looked at his Father. "Father, I want to ask for your help in telling Eli that I will be confined in the Temple for a while¡­"


    "Confined? You mean!!!" Emperor Valentin and High Priest Enoch eximed in shock.


    "Yes, there''s no better way to fight the Main Temple''s ims than presenting heaven''s proof! The Altar of Matrimony!"

 Chapter 383 Before The Banquet

    ?"Ahahaha! Why didn''t I think of it!" Upon hearing Leon''s move, High Priest Enoch could not help but let out a heartyugh releasing all the tension he was feeling towards the suspicious movement of the Main Temple.


    "B-but¡­ what if the altar did not light up on time?" Emperor Valentin asked worriedly, no one could control when will the heavens permit a marriage.


    Besides, he could not afford to have Leon go missing for a long time at this crucial time. There are only less than two months for them to prepare the Empire.


    "Young Valentin, the Heaven is not blind. He will not neglect your Empire nor ignore the plea of the righteous. If we run out of time, we can always use the very fact that he subjected himself to the sacrifice to light up the Altar. Even the Main Temple has no right to stop someone from doing so. Only the person who sacrificed would have the decision to continue or stop what he was doing."


    High Priest Enoc stood up and put a hand on Leon''s shoulders. "Young one, let us not waste time. Plead to the heavens with all you have. Do not let others take away what was gifted to you."


    "Father¡­ I entrust to you the rest. I''ll be going with the High Priest." Leon bowed towards his father with a pleading expression before he exited the room with High Priest Enoch.


    Emperor Valentin could only sigh and pray that their ns would work.


    Up until then, he must deal with the things that would happen due to Leon''s abrupt exit.


    He had no choice but to delegate his assignments to Kazimir and Antoine.


    The two both choked on their own drink upon hearing that their younger brother had not only be lovesick, he even went as far as to make a sacrifice to light up the Altar of Matrimony!


    Eli on the other hand was kept blind to the real reason for Leon''s disappearance. The only thing she knew was that Leon was suddenly sent to a top-secret mission without a definitive time of return.


    She initially wanted to send him off, but because it was so sudden, she could only pray for his safety and ept the news.


    While they were on the way to the Temple, High Priest Enoch could not help butment, "I can''t help but ask for an apology that you have to go through this in order for Young Eli and you to be a family¡­"


    Leon shook his head and smiled lightly. There was a trace of tender affection in his seemingly expressionless face as he replied,


    "Your Eminence, actually I have already nned to do this right after the major events in the Empire."


    "Eli deserves the best and this is the best way for me to show to her and the whole world how much I want her to be my lifetimepanion."


    "My n had just pushed forward, but nevertheless I would never think of sacrificing my efforts and time to light up the altar as a troublesome task."


    There was a sh of approving gaze in High Priest Enoch''s eyes, "If that is so, then I think it must be the heavens who was telling you that this is the path to take."


    Days passed by just like that and Eli had already epted that Leon would not be around on the day of her Mother Queen''s birthday.


    However, before she could even start dressing for the banquet, she received a call from Queen Teh, asking her toe to the pce immediately.


    Uponing to Queen Teh''s pce, Eli was immediately ''kidnapped'' by Queen Teh''s servants and they started to work on dressing and preparing her for the banquet.


    "What is going on¡­" Eli could not help but ask in confusion.


    However, the maids only replied, "My Lady, Her Highness, the Second Queen ordered for us to dress you for the banquet. She also told us to escort you to the Imperial Lounge while waiting for your escort to enter the banquet halls. Other than that, we do not know the details."


    Eli was still confused about what was happening but she only knew one thing, Queen Teh has something stored for her.


    Although she did not show it outwardly, she started to anticipate that it was Leon who would appear out of nowhere to escort her to the banquet hall. For she had been missing him since he suddenly disappeared for the mission.


    And so the desire of her heart was quickly satisfied when she saw Leon knocking at the door of the Imperial lounge, wearing a handsome prince suit that was made to match her dress.


    "Leon!" She did not mind running while wearing avish dress with pointed heel sandals. She immediately stood up from the couch and rushed toward Leon to give her a hug. "Goodness! Where have you been? Are you alright? No injuries?"


    She started to ask him a lot of questions which made Leon a little helpless.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After a while he allowed her to calm down while he briefly exined the reason why he suddenly disappeared, "Something extremely important came up and so I have to immediately do my best to fulfill it as soon as possible."


    Eli still did not understand as she tried to guess what was that "extremely important thing" that Leon had to do for him to leave her and Little Han just like that. She doesn''t want to acknowledge what she was feeling, however, there was a tiny bit of jealousy in her heart.


    "Anyways you''ll know about itter on. We are quitete so we have to hurry and enter the banquet." Leon did not miss that trace of jealousy in her eyes but he did not tease her.


    Instead, he was feeling satisfied that Eli was now able to show adorable emotions such as this towards him.


    "Oh yes, I bet the banquet already started! Would Her Highness not take offense to ourte attendance?" Eli was reminded of the current situation by Leon''s words.


    "Do not worry, they will be waiting for us patiently with a smile." Leon stretched out his hands for Eli to take then they proceeded to the banquet hall.


    It was as Leon said, they stepped down into the entrance, and she heard Emperor Valentin''s enthusiastic voice:


    "Before we officially start the banquet, let me announce another joyous event to celebrate for the night!"


    "It is my pleasure and my great joy to announce to everyone in this banquet hall, that my youngest son, Leon Andrae de Seirende, Third Prince of the Empire, is now engaged to the Youngest Lady of the Farauld and Forgeworn Family, the Great Inventor, Lady Eli!"


    "... what?" Eli looked at Leon in surprise as looked at Leon who was looking back at her with an assuring smile.


    "It was the extremely important thing that I mentioned earlier." He took her hand and kissed it sweetly, looking in her eyes with a loving gaze.


    "I will exin to you the details earlier, but to sum it up, my ns for our engagement have been moved forward. I know it may have been too sudden, but would you like to give your consent to walk down with me and ept our engagement?"


    "This is too sudden¡­" Eli could not help but sigh helplessly, she did not really mentally prepare for this thing to happen.


    However, she did not dy a second and replied, "But I will not hesitate to take your hand. Leon, from the moment I told you I love you, I meant it for my lifetime."


    For Eli, there is no reason for her to decline Leon''s proposal because she had long decided to take the risk and love him hard until the end of this lifetime!


    Eli held his hand and gave a nod, together they finally stepped into the light and met Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh''s ecstatic gazes.


    The rest of the Imperial family was also there looking at them with a genuine smile, there was also her Forgeworn and Farauld family. Even Alicia and Anderson were there to cheer her up.


    However, bing the center of the situation again, Eli could not help but feel like she was walking in clouds. She felt like she would fall down any time and so, she tightened her hold on Leon''s hand until they reached their spot.


    Emperor Valentin, Queen Teh, and the rest of the Imperial Family met them first to extend their greetings and well wishes.


    After that she only heard Emperor Valentin saying;


    "Tomorrow, the Third Prince and Lady Eli will be having their engagement ceremony hosted by the High Priest himself. I hope that everyone will also be there to witness the betrothal of the two, to be blessed by the heavens!"


    Eli''s heart skipped a beat.


    ''To have an engagement in the Temple means¡­'' She inwardly eximed and looked at Leon with a surprised look in her eyes.


    Leon only smiled and gazed at her meaningfully.


    Eli''s entire body froze in realization¡­


    ''Oh, my heavens! He lit up the altar of matrimony!''

 Chapter 384 End Of Banquet

    ?Eli felt like she was stepping on clouds and that she was living in a dream.


    Everything around her seemed to fall into ce, especially regarding her rtionship with Leon.


    It feels too good to be true!


    Eli would be lying if she said that she did not want topletely settle down with Leon as soon as possible. Deep inside her, she wanted to let everyone know that Leon, Little Han, and she are family.


    She envied the nobledies who could just go out with their fiance and announce their marriage without considering their own safety.


    She envied them marrying without care, having children as many as they want, and celebrating their offspring''s birthdays as joyous and grand as possible.


    Because of theplications of their identities, they had to hold back in everything they do.


    They have to hide the fact that they already have a son, that they were already lovers deeply in love with each other.


    They have to work hard to solve the possible threats around them, to deal with the people who would surelye at them the moment they reveal their true selves.


    Now, one day, in the midst of working hard to be a step closer to their end goal, Eli suddenly woke up marching in the banquet hall beside Leon with every person in the room looking at them as an engaged couple.


    Add to the fact that it was not a normal engagement, but an engagement that brings the highest glory and respect to a woman - an engagement blessed by the Heavens!


    She was afraid and nervous, that all of this was just a dream.


    And that she would wake up realizing that this scenario was not her reality.


    Her reality is to work hard with Leon to prepare everything on their way, especially for Little Han, for them to be recognized as family.


    "Your hand is cold¡­" She was awoken from her thoughts by Leon''s worried voice. Only then did she realize that they were in the middle of the dance floor, swaying to the melody of the orchestra with all eyes focused on them.


    "I am surprised and nervous¡­ I did not expect all of this to happen¡­" Eli replied in all honesty.


    "I apologize for not telling you in advance¡­ Actually, this isn''t what I wanted¡­" Leon knew that Eli will not hesitate to say yes if ever he would propose to her at any moment, however, what he nned in mind was not as hasty as this.


    "Why the long face? Even if you proposed to me quietly in the cottage, I would still ept your proposal. Leon, other things do not matter."


    Eli could also feel that even though Leon had already nned to do these things someday, he was a bit regretful that he had to take action hastily for reasons she did not know yet.


    Leon pulled Eli closer to his embrace as their breath touched each other''s faces. "I promise to tell you everythingter on. For now, please hold on until the banquet ends¡­" Leon kissed Eli''s forehead, disregarding the surprised gasps of the people who were watching them.


    "L-leon there''s people around¡­" It was not the first time Leon acted sweetly in public, however, she could not help but be embarrassed now that even the Emperor and the highest official in the Empire were watching them.


    Leon let out a chuckle and looked satisfied because their tense shoulders of Eli finally rxed. He found her very rare expression cute and so he teased her a bit more, "Why were you embarrassed? Tomorrow we will have to even kiss in front of everyone in the Temple. Probably the entire heaves were watching."


    Eli was so taken aback that she stepped on Leon''s foot several times. Leon was not a bit irritated but instead could not help but chuckle a few more times.


    Watching their interaction the people could not help but engage in a heated conversation as they were really convinced that the Third Prince was really smitten with Eli because it was only towards her that they could see the Prince turn gentle and evenugh.


    After the dance, the people started to swarm toward Leon and Eli.


    Leon stayed beside Queen Teh, supporting her throughout the banquet. As she should still be the center of the banquet, Leon staying with him showed that he was filial towards her.


    Alicia immediately went with Eli to help her navigate the conversation among thedies. Because of her presence, thedies who were looking down on Eli did not have a chance to trouble her until the end of the banquet.


    Those who approached her were thedies who genuinely admire her works and her rtionship with the prince.


    "You really rocked that moment Eli!" Alicia linked arms with Eli and grinned proudly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I guess, forcing you to be my friend is worth it now. Look at the faces of those b*tches! Gaaah! They are so entertaining to look at!"


    "I will never get bored of watching you create chaos every time you appear!" Aliciaughed heartily as she passed a drink to Eli so that they can toast.


    "So you mean, you only befriended me because I am entertaining enough?" Eli''s eyebrows twitched in helplessness.


    Alicia and she started really bad. Alicia treated her with contempt and even nned to steal her books in exchange for a good position in Vanderford.


    But circumstances brought them together, or rather, a simple decision she made to drag her to the coffee shop led the two of them to evolve from enemies to friends.


    From then on, they slowly improved from awkward friends to this stage where they could tease each other at this level.


    "Yes and no! You are entertaining enough and you are intelligent enough to be my friend." Alicia put her hands on her chest as she answered Eli''s rebuttal proudly.


    "Hahahaha just admit that you just like me!" Eli teased her straightforwardly.


    Alicia was a prideful person, and would not hesitate to cling to people who benefited her¡­ but that was before she was enlightened.


    Now she''s just a simple girl who does not like superficial connections with shallow people. She wanted people who aren''t pretentious.


    "Well, I won''t tell that because I am still sulking. How could you not tell me that you and the Third Prince are a thing? I thought you are my friend." Alicia pointed and looked at her as if she was aggrieved.


    "Well, there''s a lot of things that Leon and I had to fix first before announcing to everyone our state. I know that you knew some of them. But still, even if our rtionship were revealed, there''s still a lot for us to do¡­" Eli exined.


    Even though Alicia told it in a joking manner, she could feel that Alicia was feeling quite a bit sad for being left out.


    "I know¡­ you do not have to look that guilty about it. I know you have your own circumstance. Besides, you have been that way before too. Just do not forget to tell me everything once everything was settled." Alicia patted Eli''s shoulders, she was reminded of the time when she dragged Eli to the salon to dye her hair ck.


    That time they talked about the winter banquet, where Eli kept silent about her being the main reason for the winter banquet itself.


    As they deepen their friendship, she kind of figures out that Eli''s identity was a littleplicated. From the way, the Grandmasters protect her, up to the abilities she slowly revealed to everyone.


    It was like something very big andpelling was stopping her friend to reveal who she really is in the entire world.


    "Thank you¡­" Eli looked at her and shed a grateful smile.


    "But!!! I will take dibs on the maid of honor''s position on your wedding day! No otherdy should take that position away from me! Is that a deal?" Before Eli could finish her words of gratitude, she indignantly demanded to be Eli''s closest bridesmaid during her wedding.


    Eli could not help but chuckle, Alicia acting like this is quite cute and childish. "Alright, that position is reserved for you!"


    "Yay!!!! That''s more like it!" Alicia pped her hands excitedly as she smiled victoriously at Eli''s reply. It was as of she was able to win a good deal out of their conversation.


    The next part of the banquet was presenting gifts to Queen Teh.


    Envoys from the Allied Kingdom including the Rubino Kingdom whose current royal family was connected to the Seirendes have givenvish gifts to the Queen.


    Eli also presented her gift, which was actually a violin made by Lainie''s luthier father.


    It caused a great uproar in the banquet as it turned out that the Yseult family was actually a famous artisan in the early years of the Empire!


    Who would have known that Lainie was actually a descendant of such a reputed n?


    Once again, Eli was able to create another miracle by paving a way for Lainie''s family to slowly go back to their original prestige.

 Chapter 385 The Day Of Engagement

    ?The banquet finished rather smoothly and explosively.


    The next day, everyone in the entire capital was in an uproar. How could they find themselves waking up with the news that the Third Prince will be holding his engagement ceremony today in the Temple?


    He is getting gloriously engaged to the most capable woman in the empire, Lady Eli of the Forgeworn and Farauld family!


    As soon as this news was verified in the Empire''s newspaper, the people did not take down the celebratory gs and the night market booths.


    Instead, they added more glets and even prepared a basket of petals to throwter when the newly engaged couple marched out of the Temple.


    After such a hard time for the Empire, joyous after joyous events kept on happening which made the people in high spirits.


    In the pce, Eli was given her own private chamber in Queen Teh''s ce.


    There she could interact with Little Han as she listened to Leon''s exnation when the morning came.


    Leon exined to her the matter with the ''fake pdin'' who suddenly appeared and imed credit for Eli''s work.


    From there Elipletely understood why Leon had to hasten his ns to propose and get engaged with her.


    "Our ceremony is scheduled this afternoon. You and Little Han can still rest for the entire morning before we prepare for the engagement."


    "Alright, see youter then," Eli replied after she nted a peck on Leon''s lips.


    Little Han also kissed his daddy goodbye while he spent his entire morning ying with her mommy.


    Today, she was allowed to not attend her mentoring training with Desmond and Lainie. The rest of the Anti Curse Committee team also persuaded herst night to not attend the daily assembly because of the engagement.


    While she was ying with Little Han a familiar-looking eagle hovered on their room''s balcony catching Little Han''s attention.


    "Eeegle! Eeegle! Mommi!" Little Han stood excitedly as he pointed towards the direction where the eagle was flying.


    "Alright baby,e here¡­ Let''s look at the eagle." Eli carried Little Han into her arms before she opened the window and let the eagle in.


    It was the same eagle who delivered the very first letter Eli received from the Silver Dew Elves.


    "Hello Mr. Eagle, long time no see." Eli greeted the eagle the same way she treated the eagle before.


    The eagle looked at Eli and it pped its majestic wings in recognition. Then it tilted its head and stared at Little Han.


    As if he was wondering if the baby in Eli''s womb before was Little Han now.


    "Oh¡­ Mr. Eagle, this is my son Johann." Eli seemed to catch the curiosity of the eagle and so she introduced the curious Little Han immediately.


    "Hewooo Misteww Eeegle!" Little Han blinked his round eyes twice as he mimicked the way the eagle titled its head.


    Little Han reached out his hands in an attempt to pet the eagle, but it immediately worried Eli and so she tried to stop him.


    But the eagle instead bowed his head and closed his eyes as if he was permitting the little one to pet him.


    "Jiheeeheee!" Little Han moved his little feet as he coaxed Eli to bring him to the floor and meet the eagle on his own.


    He giggled in satisfaction as soon as his hands tenderly patted the eagle''s head and neck.


    The eagle seemed to enjoy Little Han''s petting, so much that he let out a low satisfied screech while it kept its eyes closed.


    Only then did Eli heave a sigh of relief. It seems like Little Han could even charm animals. Could it be because of his prematurely awakened summoner abilities?


    After the little one and the eagle''s interaction, the eagle then walked toward Eli and lifted one of its feet. There was a piece of paper attached to it.


    Eli carefully took it out while Little Han summoned Baobao and convinced him to y with Mr. Eagle. The little piece of paper transformed into an elegant letter as soon as Eli let out a drop of mana in it.


    Just like before, the letter came from the Silver Dew Elf Vige and it was addressed to her. The letter was written by none other than Azayn.


    "To Eli,


    The news came to us and I would just like to wholeheartedly express my joy in engagement with the Third Prince!


    Oh finally! My friend will soon get married!


    You will be freer to create baby number two!!!!"


    Eli could not help but twitch her brows as soon as she read Azayn''s opening. Truly, Azayn will never miss the chance to tease her with Leon.


    "I am sorry that I would not be there to witness how you too promise to marry each other, aside from our nature as elves, there is anotherpelling reason as to why I and my dad would not be there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Everything started a month ago when the relic that was left behind by Guardian Asa which has been used to reinforce the treaty between our vige and the Seirende Empire started to act up.


    But please do not worry because we have long determined that it was not threatening. It was only that, it was the first time that it happened in the entire history of our vige.


    Father and the elders were afraid that this could be something that would disturb the eternal sleep of the guardian and so all of us who were in the vige were now investigating the entire forest to reinforce the barriers.


    We also have this information to the Emperor beforehand. Though we felt quite at a loss because our protector Lord Sylvain did not give us any further instructions other than to keep checking if there was some unauthorized intrusion in the forest.


    And so once again, I apologize that I could only send my best wishes through this letter. But worry not, on the day that you are wedded, I, Azayn of the Silver Dew elves wille personally and witness your marriage!


    Oh, we might also see each other during the grand tournament! Because my son has joined as one of the delegates under the Green Wave Institute!


    Until then, I pray for you, my dear Little Han, and the Third Prince''s safety.


    Sincerely,


    Azayn."


    Eli kept the letter and looked at the window nkly, there was a wave of warmth and worry in her eyes.


    Warmth because her dear friend Azayn did not forget her on the day that would be marked special for her.


    Worry because of the news she mentioned in her letter. Could it be something rted to the curses?


    She hopes deep in her heart that it wasn''t the case.


    Even so, she looked forward to seeing Azayn and her family soon.


    After that, she lingered a little bit more before Rosea entered the room and started dressing Little Han.


    Fortunately, High Priest Enoch arranged for Little Han to also witness the engagement of his mommy and daddy secretly.


    Guided by Rosea and Kayden, they will stay up in a secret room above the Temple hall.


    Everyone was already going back and forth to prepare as the people outside waited with anticipation as the most famous couple was about to be engaged.


    Themon people also gathered in the za just in front of the Temple where a projection stone was activated for those who wanted to witness what was happening outside.


    In no time, people had already arrived at the Altar of Matrimony, where everyone who attended as witnesses could see for themselves how true his sacrifice was.


    ¨C


    Somewhere in the Vanderford Territory,


    On a certain ce called the Holy Ind.


    The Pope sat quietly in his study, with a graceful and dignified-lookingdy sitting on the right side in front of him.


    They were listening to the report being made by the cleric from the Temple.


    "Your Holiness, the Pope, the report from the Seirende Temple has arrived.


    The High Priest gave your message immediately to the Emperor of the Seirende Empire as soon as possible.


    However, the Emperor opted not to decide on the matter and passed the right of decision to the Third Prince himself.


    The Third Prince''s response was actually the opposite of what our temple intended.


    He instead entered the Seirende Temple and asked the heavens directly to allow him to be betrothed to his lover, the newly famous Inventor in their Empire!


    Today, they will be going to the Temple to have everyone witness the lighting up of the Altar of Matrimony!"


    As the two people listened to the report, the more the Pope''s expression darkened.


    Thedy''s eyes, however, remained unperturbed. As if the report did not affect her the slightest bit.


    There was a strong trace of confidence in her eyes that seemed to say that she will still get what she wants no even if it was the heavens who said otherwise.


    But despite the difference in their expressions, there was one thing obviouslymon between these two people¡­


    The aura they emitted was totally opposite to the kind of garment they wore.

 Chapter 386 Will You Marry Me?

    ?The ceremony was solemn and simple at the same time.


    There was no trace ofvishness and luxury in the background.


    However, everything about it did not trante negatively to the reputation of the Imperial Family.


    Instead, it only made the reputation of the imperial family more holy and attuned to the will of the Heavens.


    Finally, it is time for the couple to march down the aisle.


    Leon stood with Eli as they walked toward the altar. Both dressed in off-white attire.


    Leon''s suite was decorated with a red-colored sash and undershirt, which matches the color of his hair and was the very symbol of the Seirende Imperial Family. There is also a golden brooch that was intricately carved with the crest of the Crimson de.


    Eli''s dress was equally beautiful and elegant. Wearing an off-white tea-length halter dress with intricately embroideredce sleeves that hugged her slender arms so beautifully.


    With her dress and posture alone, there was no need for her to usevish jewelry. And so her stylist, which came from the Forgeworn Family opted to decorate her hair with a floral headdress that made everyone think of her youth.


    "Waaah! Mommi, Daddiii!!! Beauty!!! Hansum!!" Little Han, who was watching with Baobao, Rosea, and Kayden, exined at the window ss in the Vip room.


    His eyes were so excited to see his mommy and daddy dress so elegantly.


    "Yes, that''s right my nephew¡­ Your mommy and daddy are so beautiful today!" Kayden rubbed Little Han''s head lovingly as he peacefully smiled.


    If he appeared as Kayden, the Third Prince''s close friend and legendary doctor, he would stir a lot of talk in the Empire and would also agitate the Spectre who was after his knowledge.


    And so he volunteered to be with Little Han, witnessing their engagement from afar.


    High Priest Enoch was waiting right in front of the altar, looking at Eli and Leon with great satisfaction in her eyes.


    If one would even scrutinize closely, one would be able to detect a trace of proudness in his expression.


    The ceremony was not long.


    It was only High Priest Enoch pronouncing his opening statement, Leon and Eli''s names, and asking their consent if they allow themselves to be betrothed to each other.


    Next was asking their respective families if they permit the engagement, to which, Emperor Valentin and Queen Teh replied without hesitation.


    General Eugine and Tyce, along with their respective wives stood as parents for Eli. Together they wholeheartedly gave Eli their consent in marriage.


    Overall, the ceremony looked like marriage, only that the involved people retained their status as single. and the one who was asked the question was their families, not the couple themselves.


    Finally came the portion where Leon will now prove to the witnesses that he had obtained heaven''s permission to take Eli''s hand in marriage.


    This was the first time in several years that the citizens of the Empire would witness a sessful engagement that was blessed by the heavens.


    In order to prove that there were no tricks done on the altar, High Priest Enoch let a cleric in the Temple drop his blood into the altar''s receptor.


    The Altar did not react one bit.


    Next was a young man who was also engaged but had not gone through the sacrifice on the altar of matrimony.


    Just as expected, the Altar did not also react.


    And finally, it was Leon''s turn.


    Everyone kept their eyes open and every little movement of Leon was there for everyone to see.


    As soon as his blood fell into the receptor, the Altar which was connected to the Temple''s ceiling buzzed loudly.


    !!!


    Instantly, everyone in the room was on high alert, albeit they outwardly remained in their seats.


    And before their eyes the altar lit up in yellow light, then in white, in green, in blue, and finally in fiery orange, representing all the known guardians in Prasinos.


    "Goodness! All the guardians gave their permission!!!" The people in the hall eximed.


    Themon people who were in the za


    Even the representative in the Temple was also astonished. It was the first time they saw the guardians'' presence manifest on the ground all at once.


    Normally, only one of the five guardians would reveal their presence asionally. But this time, all of them generously did.


    And that was even for an engagement of the Empire''s Prince and his beloved!


    Eli stood there with an astonished expression. She looked at Leon who was looking back at her lovingly.


    Her heart stirred.


    The man which took her two lifetimes to know has demonstrated how much he cherished her not only in the Empire but to the heavens.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon slowly walked towards her, who stayed in a daze as she felt her eyes heat up from tears that were threatening to fall.


    "Eli¡­" He called out, meeting Eli''s eyes which were filled with so much emotion, Leon''s voice trembled.


    This was one step closer for the two of them, not the three of them to being recognized as aplete family.


    And for him and Eli, it was another stage of their rtionship.


    Before the Emperor, the High Priest, and the Guardians watching from another realm;


    Before the nobles and even themon people;


    Before his son, who was watching happily in the secret room;


    Leon, the Third Prince of the current Seirende Family knelt before Eli.


    In his hand was a red brocade box, with a beautifully crafted ring, which was studded in the finest diamond.


    From the way it reflected the light from the Altar of Matrimony, the ring emitted a colorful rainbow lighting up the entire hall.


    "T-thats!! The Rainbow Seed!!! The rarest diamond which can only be found in the jewel kingdom, Rubino!!!!"


    Everyone who was watching couldn''t help but exim in amazement.


    "Oh, how much will the Prince show his love towards the Lady!!!"


    But even as the crowd rose in an uproar, Leon and Eli felt that they were the only people in the hall.


    "Eli¡­ I have asked my parents, our families, and even the Heavens¡­"


    "Now, the only thing I want to ask of you is this¡­"


    "Elise, will you marry me?"


    Leon''s voice was clear and gentle. It was far from his cold and authoritative demeanor. His crystal blue eyes looked at Eli nervously, like he was afraid that Eli would say otherwise.


    Eli, on the other hand, felt like she was floating. Just as she thought that everything was over, Leon knelt down and let her experience a proposal she never thought she would even go through.


    Her heart was beating fast and her chest felt tighter as she tried to contain the joy and surprise of the moment.


    But then, Leon needed an answer, so she took a deep breath and looked at him with a bright smile.


    "How could I not? Leon, I will marry you!"


    "Wooaaaaaah!!!"


    "Yeaaaah!!!"


    "Finally!!!"


    As soon as Eli said these words, the entire hall, the za, and all of the locations where their engagement was broadcasted cheered in victory.


    It was as if they won the lottery or more than that, they won a long-standing battle with the enemy.


    "All hail the Third Prince and Lady Eli, the future Third Princes Consort!" They cheered in delight.


    The hall also went on a great wave of apuse, thedies and women could not help but also teared up.


    "Sister, your make-up will be ruined." Anderson took out his handkerchief as he helplessly looked at his sister who was already bawling in tears.


    "Shut up¡­ I''m not crying¡­boohoo¡­ I''m not!"


    "Ahhh, my Master and Madame will soon be official husband and wife!!! Who would have known!!!" The des who were also there to witness everything could not help but shed a tear.


    "Ah Valentin, our son has grown up¡­" Queen Teh looked at the couple blissfully, "Look, he really learned how to smile like that.


    Emperor Valentin, General Farauld, Kazimir, Antoine, and the rest of the Imperial Family, watched as Leon stood up and gently ced the ring on Eli''s finger. He was smiling so brightly as he took Eli''s hand and kissed it so tenderly.


    "Weeee!!! Mommi! Daddi!!! Kiiiiisss~~" Little Johann on the other hand, cheered in the secret room, with his chaperones looking at him with surprise.


    How on earth did Little Han have the idea of kissing at this particr moment?


    "Why are you crying, Leon¡­ Don''t cry¡­ I will cry too.." When Eli finally looked at Leon''s face, her entire body trembled with so many emotions.


    Leon''s handsome face had a tinge of red as his eyes moistened in tears, all while he was smiling so happily.


    He cupped Eli''s cheeks with his trembling hands, as he said while leaning his forehead sweetly into hers, "I can''t help it, I am too happy to be with you¡­"


    Then even without the crowd''s coaxing, the two exchanged tender looks as their lips leaned closer into a soft, sweet, and fluttering kiss.

 Chapter 387 Anti Curse Councils Moves

    ?Following the most romantic engagement ceremony of the decade, the entire Empire celebrated along with the blissful newly betrothed couple.


    Leon''s seemingly rushed decision to move forward with his ns for his proposal dominated the Empire and even the nearby territories.


    Even the other kingdoms and governments from afar have heard of the proposal of the Third Prince of the Mighty Seirende Empire to the most intelligent and capable Lady of the decade, the great inventor Eli!


    This became the talk of everyone regardless of ss and has be everydy''s standard of dating and courtship.


    Of course, they do not go as far as to force their own partners to be as expressive as Leon. But there was no doubt that Leon and Eli''s love story had be akin to a fairytale.


    While all this was happening, our couple on the other hand immediately came back to their respective jobs.


    Theirrades could only sigh helplessly as they saw how busy they had be because both of them happened to y major roles in the uing big events for the Empire.


    "Lady Eli, we were finally granted permission to enter the Imperial archives. With this, we can dig deep into Governor Fidel''s report regarding the Ves''s history." Anderson and Siegfried excitedly reported.


    With less than two months until the visitors and envoyse to the Empire, the Anti Cursemittee also divided their work into three focus areas.


    Mishael along with Kayden worked on the experimentation for the curse detection device.


    Nathan worked with the Imperial Knights on the reinforcement of the Empire''s security.


    Anderson and Seigfried joined Eli to lead the investigations rted to the origin of the curse and the clue leading to the Spectre''s involvement with the Ves.


    "That''s good! We can start digging into the archives for any clue about the first great war!" Eli pped her hands excitedly.


    "We can start as soon as tomorrow my Lady, the First Prince will also be the one to guide us to the archives." Siegfried informed politely.


    Ever since the moment when Leon''s true powers were revealed, his impression of the Third Prince and Olivier, his youngest brother, became awkward.


    All the more when he found out that Eli and Leon were lovers.


    But thanks to the way Eli handled work rtionships, he started to befortable around her and was able topletely focus on his role as a member of themittee without thinking needlessly about the awkward rtionship between the Third Prince and his Cousin Antoine''s allies.


    "First Prince Kazimir¡­ huh¡­ Alright!" Eli muttered before she nodded in acknowledgment.


    After the briefing, Eli immediately set off to visit Kayden and Mishael who was now at the peak of the research for the Curse Detection Equipment.


    "To think that you would cultivate the receptors with mana! Dr. Einz, how deep does your brain work?" Mishael was astonished as they were focused on observing the extracted receptors in a spherical crystal ball that was fed with mana.


    "It''s not my knowledge alone. This is a product of countless research by me and our colleagues." Kayden replied as he recorded the data to derive the figures on how much mana they need to ensure that the receptors are kept alive.


    "So you are already at this stage?" Eli gently knocked on the door and greeted them with a smile.


    "We are very optimistic about this Pdin! With the rate of our progress, we may be able to finish the device in no time." Mishael was all smiles when he heard Eli from the entrance.


    "The only problem is, the mutant receptors are limited, and we were still unable to measure the lifespan of the device." Kayden remained prudent as he dared not to let his guard down when it came to his research.


    "How about the recent information I have given you, Big Brother? Do you think it is feasible at the moment?" Eli asked.


    Mishael was unable to read the real meaning behind Eli''s question, all he thought was Eli was asking if Kayden could verify it with the remaining time that they have before the date of the tournament arrived.


    "It would be nice if that could work, but for that, I have to have the capability and knowledge of microbiology. Besides, our tools aren''t enough for that." Kayden answered, noting that it was virtually impossible at the moment.


    "Don''t worry, remember the research students whom I wanted you to guide before? They are currently following your works and have identified what kind of equipment they need to study further.


    Thest time I checked, they were trying to develop a magical tool, the most advanced microscope. It may take years, but hopefully, all that you need might be invented in no time." Eli replied.


    "En¡­ it seems like I have to carefully finish this work and start working with the Research Branch then¡­" Kayden rubbed his chin as he considered Eli''s words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Microbiology? Microscope? Magical Tool?" Mishael, as a Temple Knight who was more inclined to be a schr, was highly interested in what Eli and Kayden were talking about.


    "It''s rted to the problem that we have regarding the receptors." Kayden generously exined.


    "At the moment, we are able to sessfully extract the very tiny receptors by using a lot of mental energy and precise mana maniption. However, there''s a limit to what our natural aptitudes could do. Eventually, we needed tools to make our work more efficient and convenient." He continued.


    "Big Brother and I were actually thinking of artificially replicating the mutant receptors by copying the receptor''s DNA¡­ With this, we would no longer worry about running out of mutant receptors." Eli continued to exin.


    "I see, I see. Although I could not fully understand everything, I think it was a pretty good idea. Hopefully, that woulde to fruition before we run out of receptors." Mishael''s eyes brightened when Eli and Kayden exined the idea.


    "We also hope so." The two agreed.


    The next day, after meeting the two proteges, Eli went with Anderson and Seigfried to meet with Kazimir for their entrance to the Royal Archives.


    "The Imperial Archives is quite mysterious. Only Father Emperor could give the key to his blood kin and open their doors. The keeper of the Imperial Archive is a Leprechaun, and during the course of my stay back then, I never figured out what was on his mind."


    These were Leon''s words when he told Eli about how to navigate the Imperial Archive. With Kazimir joining them throughout the research, it was better for her to know beforehand how to navigate inside without wasting everyone''s time.


    "Greetings, His Highness First Prince!" They greeted upon seeing Kazimir enter the meeting area.


    "At ease," Kazimir immediately waved his hands and looked at Eli with a smile.


    If it was before Eli became friends with Arielle, the interaction between the two would have been awkward. However, since Eli is one of the first friends his beloved wife had in the Empire and she will also be Leon''s future wife, Kazimir started to treat Elifortably.


    "Is everyone ready?" Kazimir asked.


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Then let''s head over to the Imperial Archives." He nodded and immediately guided them to the passageway leading to the door of the Imperial Archives.


    ''This is totally different from what Leon has described. Could it be that there are multiple ways to enter the archives?'' While they were walking around the pce corridor, Eli was wondering about how they would be transported into the most secured library in the Empire.


    Soon, they stopped at a dead end, in a part of the pce where no one is allowed to enter but only those who were permitted.


    Kazimir lifted the key and immediately used his mana to activate a secret entrance.


    Brrr!! The walls opened as they revealed a massive door that had a keyhole matching the key that was in Kazimir''s hands.


    "The Imperial Archives is actually in a different ce, no one actually knows its physical location. But the only way to enter it is through a Key and a guide, which should be of Seirende blood." Kazimir exined as he opened the doorway.


    The door actually did not open when Kazimir inserted the key, instead, the door lit up brightly so much that all of them were forced to close their eyes.


    When the light faded and their visions were restored, they found themselves at the center of arge library.


    The library was filled with hundreds of bookshelves stacked as high as a two-story building.


    The three men had their mouths agape, they did not expect that the archives would be this massive.


    "Y-your Highness, would you know how are we going to search for the information we want?" Siegfried could not help but ask nervously.


    "His Majesty Emperor said to ask for the assistance of The Guardian."


    "The Guardian? But I scanned the entire area, there were no other existences alive other than the four of us." Anderson frowned.


    "Of course, if I could be detected that easily, then I do not have the qualifications to guard this library¡­" Suddenly there sounded an ancient-like voice in all directions of the library.

 Chapter 388 In The Imperial Archives (1)

    ?Anderson and Siegfried instinctively assume a battle stance.


    Eli remained unperturbed as she guessed that this must be the mysterious Leprechaun that Leon was talking aboutst night.


    Kazimir raised his hand to signal Anderson and Siegfried that everything was already before he calmly put his hand on his chest and bowed.


    "Greetings, Esteemed Guardian of the Archives. Kazimir Nox De Seirende, the current First Prince of the Empire, brought my team here to look into the records of the First Great War."


    At Kazimir''s cue, the rest of the group also introduced themselves to the being that was not yet revealing himself.


    "Hmm¡­ so many young ones. The Empire has already been here for centuries, and yet, it took your generation to be curious about the details of the first war¡­" The voice sounded, it seemed to be amused with the presence of the four.


    "Hmmm, amazing¡­"


    "Really¡­ splendid!"


    The four remained silent as they let the Guardian reveal himself.


    Soon, they finally saw the source of the voice, it was an elder-looking leprechaun.


    Dressed in a green hat and robe, with his white beard as long as the hem of his robes. There was also a pair of spectacles in his eyes that he kept on touching while he looked at Kazimir and Eli, clearly amused.


    "It is such a miracle that a blood mixed with two heavenly beings bes cleansed like this¡­"


    "I always warned your Father that your body would never withstand the blood of two guardians, but look at you¡­ You lived past thirty and even had a family¡­ How much sacrifice did your old man do to sustain your life?" The Guardian, Leprechaun circled around Kazimir; he was half as tall as him yet everyone did not treat him lightly.


    "Sacrifice?" It was the first time Kazimir had heard of this thing. His eyes were full of questions as he tried to ask for more answers from the Leprechaun.


    "Well, you do not have to worry, everything is all good anyways! Look, someone even permanently fixed the issue for you. Now the other power who almost destroyed your body no longer had any trace in your entire being.


    Oh, if you happen to see the One who helped you, make sure to bring your son to her too. So that you would be sure that he would not encounter the same problem as yours."


    The Leprechaun continued circling around Kazimir, but as soon as he mentioned thest sentence, he cast a nce at Eli who was behind the three of them.


    Eli met the eyes of the Leprechaun and she put a finger on top of her lips, signaling to not talk and reveal anything about her.


    It was lucky that Leon also mentioned how the Leprechaun would carelessly mutter a lot of crucial information. No wonder, the Emperors sealed him in the Archives, he was a total chatterbox.


    The Guardian Leprechaun pouted like an aggrieved grandpa upon seeing Eli''s gesture.


    "Alright, enough, I''ll bring you to the section where you wanted to go." He raised his head and snapped his fingers.


    In an instant, they were transported to another section of the library. Books and memoirs about the First Great War were stacked neatly on the shelves around them


    "Feel free to start browsing, of course, handle them all with care or else¡­" He looked at them and gave a warning nce.


    "Esteemed Guardian of the Archives, we dare not insult these precious materials. We will ensure that they are intact and damage free." Kazimir politely bowed once again, leading the other three to do as he did.


    The Leprechaun gave a nod before stepping out to fade into the darkness slowly.


    They watched his body slowly blend in the shadows as they hear his voice saying, "If you want to know how to be efficient I suggest that the First Prince take the books in the North Wing, thedy on the South, the Son of Astaze on the West and the Heir of the Cross on the East¡­"


    "We will heed your wise words¡­" They replied.


    As soon as his presence faded, the people looked at each other and started their research.


    Once they started their research, they immediately lost track of their time. They did not even have the time to bother each other.


    On the south wing, Eli was browsing the book catalog so that she could start filtering out what books she had to read first. However, before she could even select a book, she felt a presence behind her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli calmly turned around and saw the Leprechaun with an aggrieved face. Deeply confused as to why the Leprechaun revealed himself, she asked carefully, "Esteemed Guardian, do you have anything to say?"


    But the Leprechaun only stretched out his aged palm, a gesture that is demanding payment, "Compensation!"


    "Compensation?" Eli blinked while looking at the elderly leprechaun who was now acting like a swindled grandpa.


    "You asked me to keep your identity secret, now give mepensation!" He demanded.


    "Err¡­ how about this one?" Eli reached into her space pocket and gave a pouch of supreme mana stones. These are the most valuable item in her pouch at the moment that could not even be bought with money.


    Besides she does not have gold and jewelry in her space pouch either.


    "Young Lady, you think that I, the Leprechaun, who has lived as the book spirit in this archive would have a need for mana stones?" The elderly man shook his head as if looking at Eli with a disappointed look.


    "Apologies¡­ This humble one still had a lot to learn from this world. I have only ever lived with the protection of my loved ones (to be precise, just less than two years of this world) and so I am still not familiar with what the Esteemed Guardian wants." Eli did not get annoyed by the Leprechaun''s behavior.


    If Leon and even Kazimir had to treat him with respect, then all the more that she had to be more patient and amodating towards the Leprechaun without a second thought.


    "Hmm.. since you, thest descendant of the Asani asked this nicely, then I will spell it for you. What more would be valuable to a Leprechaun like me but another set of new books!"


    "..." Eli was taken aback for a few seconds before she could properly reply. She had always thought that leprechauns liked gold and sparkly things¡­ but it seems like the Leprechaun guardian doesn''t.


    Could it be because he was stuck in the library?


    "O-oh¡­ Indeed the Esteemed Guardian is wise!" She immediately replied. "Errr what kind of books does the Leprechaun find interesting then?''


    "Hmm¡­ everything here is so in and boring. You know, this guardian is stuck here for centuries and I only hear entertainment when the earth sprites gossip around. So give me something interesting and entertaining!" The Leprechaun crossed his arms and told his tale like an aggrieved child.


    Eli kind of sympathized with his situation, being cooped up and isted would definitely be mind-boggling for anyone.


    "Alright¡­" Eli then pretended to rummage in her space pouch but in reality, she was searching and recreating a book through the book of knowledge.


    Ever since she became stronger, she could already directly produce a book out of the searched information she does in the book of knowledge.


    ''Hmmm¡­ the ssical literature that has a medieval setup may be the best choice for him¡­'' She thought.


    And so she took out a few ssic novels and writings such as Les Miserables, Romeo and Juliet, and Pride and Prejudice.


    Looking at Eli''s books, the Leprechaun''s elderly eyes lit up.


    "Hmmm not bad¡­ not bad!" He immediately snapped his fingers and the book flew beside him in an instant.


    "Tell me if you wanted more¡­" Eli was relieved that the guardian was satisfied.


    "Alright! Alright¡­ I won''t disturb you any further¡­" The Leprechaun happily nced at the book and there was even a trace of excitement in his eyes. As if he couldn''t wait to open the books that Eli gave him.


    But before hepletely disappeared, he snapped his fingers once again and several books floated and stacked neatly on the table at the center of all the books where she and her team decided to convene.


    "These are the books that would certainly give you the most valuable information. You need not search for the entire library and focus on those books that I have organized." The Leprechaun looked pleased and satisfied.


    "Thank you so much, Esteemed Guardian! You do not know how valuable it is for the time that was saved in our research!" Eli thanked him profusely. She did not expect that the Leprechaun could be ''bribed'' this easily and that they could gain his favor this way.


    With the books already filtered out, there was so much time saved for them to do other things!


    "Well if you are that pleased, just send me more interesting books. I''ll tell you what kind of books I like after I read through all of this¡­" He replied nonchntly before disappearing in the dark once again.

 Chapter 389 In The Imperial Archives (2)

    ?With that, Eli immediately used a notification paper to call back her teammates.


    "W-wow! I guess you really have a knack for pleasing elderly people. With him pointing out the materials we need to look into, we have already managed to save so much time." Kazimir could not help butment about how Eli managed to get the favor of the Leprechaun.


    He could not help but remember how Eli was able to be under the protection of the two grandmasters of the Empire and he can also tell that even the High Priest treats her nicely.


    "Well, it''s just really luck and coincidence. I dare not to boast about anything." Eli replied humbly.


    "Nevertheless, we have saved so much time. Who knows how many days we would spend if we tried to go through each of the shelves one by one¡­" Anderson said.


    "Yes¡­ and look at how many books we have to look into even after the guardian took them all out for us. I reckon that we might need a little more than two weeks to organize information." Siegfried looked at the pile of books and sighed.


    "Then there''s no need to dy further¡­ The earlier we start the more time we could save to prepare. Perhaps, we can even discover crucial things that would help us battle the perpetrators of the curse magic!" Eli pped her hands and cued the team to start digging into the pile of information.


    With that, the group dived into research once again.


    It was already evening when they came out, however, due to the rising interest in the information they found during the first hour of their research, they decided to stay inside the library on their second day of entering.


    "Hmm¡­ you''re back, young ones." The Leprechaun was visibly more amiable than his attitude the first time they entered.


    "I hope you have prepared well on your second time to enter¡­ hmmm¡­" He habitually touched his spectacles before snapping his fingers again.


    Instantly, the group was once again transported to their workce. They thanked the Leprechaun and proceeded to dive into the research again.


    This went on for five straight days, except for Eli being able to exit every day because of her ''duties'' as a mentor outside. But in reality, she had to go home because of Little Han.


    And as the day went on with their research, the atmosphere between the four people became increasingly heavy and dark.


    Especially for Kazimir.


    As he read through the memoirs, the more he understood why his Father, Emperor Valentin chose him to apany the Anti Curse Committee, instead of Leon who was most involved in the retaliation force back then.


    It was because Emperor Valentin wanted him to understand one message.


    Moreover, the words of the Leprechaun during the first meeting weighed on his shoulders throughout the process. What does his word mean?


    "So¡­ this is the truth about the war before the founding of the Empire¡­" Anderson, Eli, Seigfried, and Kazimir all sat in a daze as they looked at each other and the notes they were able to organize for the past five days.


    "To think that the First Great War involved not only the Prasinons but even the heavenly citizens that descended over thend¡­"


    They frowned in puzzlement.


    Eli was in deep contemtion. When she tried to search about the origin of the curse before, and why there was a war in the first ce, the information in the book was concealed and tagged as heavenly secrets.


    But the more she discovered about the spirit fragment, Lord Raven, and now the origin of the war, the book of knowledge also proportionately revealed information about it. Deeming what they read in the library true and urate.


    "So let us summarize everything¡­ all of us should agree on the truths we have found before leaving the ce." Eli looked at the shaken expression of her colleagues and announced.


    "Yes¡­ we should do that before going out to disseminate this information to the Emperor and the Council¡­" Kazimir weakly responded. Among the group of people, he was the one who was greatly shaken by the truths that they found out.


    "The origin of the First Great War was actually caused by a fallen heavenly creature named Birsha¡­"


    Birsha, the records say that he was the strongest among the angels, so much so that he could be considered one step away from bing an archangel, the same rank as the Guardians of Prasinos.


    But for Birsha, instead of aiding the guardians, he chose to rebel and hold control over the creatures living in Prasinos.


    Taking advantage of the fact that angels have more freedom in roaming the surface of the earth than any other heavenly citizens, he started to use a power that belongs neither to mana nor to divine power.


    Cursed magic, or in modern earth''s terms, Demonic Power.


    A power solely created to spite the heavens.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Birsha manifested this power to those who were unwilling to sumb to the natural order of the world - where those who were born with magical aptitude take all glory while those who are weaker and considered non-magic individuals had no choice but to submit.


    Because of Birsha''s works¡­ the order in Prasinos turned upside down.


    Back then the temple was not yet established, and the governors of the world were still inexistent.


    Prasinos are divided into tribes or kingdoms, both weak and poor, human and non-human. And they were blessed by the guardians who oversee each of their dominions - the earth and fire, the skies and seas, and finally the forest and wind.


    And with Birsha spreading the use of curse magic, the weak tribes were devoured and the strong tribes barely managed to save themselves.


    From all over the world, the chaos spread, and the luscious green Prasinos started to darken. The guardians started to be bothered and did their best to protect what was left of Prasinos to preserve them.


    They were forced to descend to the surface to rally those who were untainted by curse power.


    Celeste, the guardian of the Seas and Skies worked to save the creatures in her domains, some of them including the dragons, mermaids, and other sea creatures.


    Sylvain, the guardian of the forest, protected the citizens of the forest, the elves, the fairies, werewolves, and so on.


    Lastly, the guardian of earth and fire protected the humans and other creatures close to them, the halflings.


    With that, the impending extinction of their lives in Prasinos was slowed down¡­ but it did not solve the problem.


    However, since the Prasinons were given the chance.


    They started to gather their forces to finally retaliate against the followers of Birsha.


    Among them, all, was an exceptional warrior, from the human race, the man that only carried his tribe''s name - Seirende.


    He was a courageous man, who helped his own tribe to survive and save the nearby tribes even before the guardians were forced to take them to a safe ce.


    It is recorded that when the guardians took him and his tribes, he had already got more than ten tribes under his wings.


    After they were transported to a safe ce, the guardians saw him because really did stand out among the leaders of the remaining kingdoms and tribes that were rescued.


    He was appointed as the leader of the retaliation to reim the kingdoms that were destroyed and affected by the war.


    At that time, he had a wife whom he had only wedded for a few months before the rebellion started and so he was reluctant to ept the mission, afraid to leave his wife behind.


    However, the guardians needed him as the leader and so Ignis transferred a part of his power to him and promised that his wife will be protected by the guardians until the war ended.


    Organizing his own force, he finally blew the trumpet of the First Great War, the battle to reim thend that was ridden by the followers of Birsha.


    The very first territory they were able to reim was the Ves''s kingdom, where the head of the Ves was held hostage by the rebel leader.


    This was the very first victory of the prasinons against the followers of Birsha.


    That was also the time that the leader gained the title and name, The First Victor, Seirende.


    And not long after that, he was able to conquer and push back the forces reiming all the territories on the maind.


    But there are still two more continents to reim, one in the northeast and another in the southwest.


    However, his troops were halted because after rescuing the territories, he was now put into an internal struggle.


    His forces and the territories he had rescued were now debating if they would follow him, or if they would go on their own.


    Most of the tribes absorbed by the First Victor had a strong loyalty toward him.


    However, those who were already in a kingdom and had a taste of power before the war, could not just ept that they had to submit to him - the Conqueror.

 Chapter 390 In The Imperial Archives (3)

    ?People were ready to submit to anything as long as their lives are threatened. That''s why they were willing to do as the First Victor says during the time of their rescue.


    However, people''s greed knows no end until they themselves recognize that it is enough.


    And so after asserting that they were no longer in a perilous situation, they started to move and bite the hand of the person who fed them.


    The First Victor was enraged upon realizing the extent of the greed of the people he rescued.


    However, there was arger mission ahead that he desired to swiftly resolve the issue so that he could continue to reim the remaining continents.


    And so he gave an order to his people that they must wait for the war to end before settling down the matter of the territories.


    If they resist, the First Victor will have no choice but to withdraw his protection over those territories and leave them to die when the followers of Birsha attack once again.


    "Give me three years¡­ I willplete my rescue conquest and we will talk about this matter once again." He looked at the self-proimed leaders and pleaded.


    In no time, they managed to reim these two continents which were now the Green Wave and the Vanderford Continents.


    As the war has now ended and all the followers of Birsha were defeated for good, the First Victor fulfilled his promise and returned to the main continent to meet the acting leaders and talk about the distribution of thend.


    First and foremost, the Green Wave Continent was unanimously given to the non-humans because it was only their kind who could easily brave the harsh waters in reaching thend.


    As for the others, the First Victor asked who among them wanted to be under his territory in the central maind and those who want to insist on going back to their own territories and be independent.


    As soon as they were given a choice, those who wanted to retain their prestige and authority insisted to be independent from the First Victor.


    But many of them were loyal to the First Victor, those whose tribes and kingdoms were first rescued by him.


    They pledged their allegiance to the First Victor and also pronounced their disinterest to have their own territory if this would result in betraying the one that saved them.


    After knowing who''s who, the First Victor banished those who did not want to continue on the journey to the third and second continents.


    Thinking that the First Victor was benevolent, the separating leaders were so eager to reim their previous territories and did not even thank the First Victor for his magnanimity.


    The leaders who were loyal to the First Victor were furious because of how these people had disrespected their savior, but the First Victor told them to stay put.


    Although they were unwilling, they still followed First Victor''s orders.


    When his followers asked why did he nonchntly distribute thend like that, he answered with an unwavering tone.


    "My goal is to make sure that this world remains peaceful and safe. As for owning the territories, as much as possible, I would want for each tribe and kingdom to stay in the ce they originally were¡­"


    "As for you¡­ my loyal subjects, let us settle in my homnd and make it flourish. For as long as my blood lives, you will be under my wing and the Guardian''s protection."


    "For the others who decided to walk away¡­ they should now depend on themselves."


    With that, the First Great War finally ended, with the First Victor iming the central and northern territory of the main continent. Here, he had his followers settled ording to their tribe and he called it the Seirende Kingdom.


    Finally, after a total of four-year wars with Birsha''s followers, there was a year of peace.


    Due to their absolute loyalty to the First Victor the Seirende Kingdom undeniably flourished. They managed to make their littlend fertile and be exceptional among those surrounding them who were trying to reinstate their authority.


    One of those surrounding forces was the Ves Kingdom, which was one of the first kingdoms rescued by Birsha. They were envious of the Seirende Kingdom''s prosperity and fast-growing economy.


    They all attributed this sess because of the First Victor who was a mighty S-ss Mage.


    And so the Vess spent all of their remaining resources to raise up their mages. They started to also send mages to infiltrate the Seirende Kingdom and assassinate their forces bit by bit.


    The failed attempts to make trouble for the Seirende incurred deep hatred among the Vess and so the Ves Kingdom started to rally the other separated kingdoms to bully the Seirende.


    However, this kind of move had no effect on the Seirende Kingdom, which was under the leadership of the First Victor.


    He just easily defended his territory and pushed back the Ves and its allied forces.


    However, the enemy decided not to give up until they see the Seirende Kingdom''s fall and so another 10-year war started, and the history books coined this event as the second stage of the First Great War.


    During the first stage of the war, the Seirende Kingdom could not be pushed back by the allied forces of the Ves because the core followers of the First Victor were the same people who had endured the rigorous four-year war with Birsha''s followers.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The difference in experience and familiarization with military tactics had brought the Seirende Kingdom to victory.


    To add to that, the Seirende Kingdom did not only focus on defending theirnd.


    "I have been magnanimous enough to send them out to go on their ways without anything in return. But they still choose to be greedy and evil!"


    "And so, from this day forth¡­ the Seirende Kingdom and my loyal followers, raise up your sword and take the verynd these enemies were proud of!!" These were the First Victor''s words when he dered the unification war to start.


    The direction of the war has now be the subduing of all of the four territories that surrounded the original location of his tribe.


    One by one, they will defeat one kingdom and take the territory as their own, decreasing Ves Kingdom''s allies and expanding their territory.


    This continued for a few years until the Vess finally had an S-ss Mage who can stand head to head with the First Victor.


    This became the great turning point of the war which almost pushed the Seirende Kingdom to the brink of defeat.


    Many people died and many innocent lives were lost because of the Ves n''s ruthless attacks.


    On the final stand, the First Victor and the Head of the Ves n who was the one who ascended into the S-level confronted each other.


    It was an overwhelming fight as the First Victor was now visibly weaker than the newly awakened Head of the Ves.


    Moreover, it seems like his power was made to really counter First Victor''s powers.


    Even the First Victor''s followers suspected that the opposing party used the powers of Birsha because it was overwhelmingly stronger than the First Victor who was also an S-ss mage.


    However, they have no evidence to support their ims as the Head of the Ves did not manifest anything close to what the followers of Birsha showed back then.


    So they could only grit their teeth, watch and pray for their King to defeat the Ves.


    But then the First Victor¡­ the man of many victories chose neither to advance nor surrender.


    Instead, he stood still, abandoned the heavens, and lifted his hand up.


    He shouted at the top of his lungs and uttered a short prayer while he left himself unguarded against the iing attack from the Head of the Ves n.


    "Oh, Guardians and the Great Creatore and see my case.


    If I am still standing on the side of the righteous then let me have the power to win!


    But if I am no longer¡­ the spare the people behind me!"


    Rumble!!!


    The heavens immediately answered and a strong series of lightning descended from the skies.


    Striking the First Victor mercilessly and yet, blocking the attack from the Seirende.


    "This is the end¡­" People from both sides of the war muttered, the first group in a heartbroken sigh while the others in excitement and victory.


    sh! Boom!


    However, in the next second, a powerful sword sh appeared and rushed toward the direction of the Head of the Ves n.


    Using his might and power, he tried to defend himself from the attack but to no avail.


    He just found his vision slowly falling on the ground, his eyes locked in the direction of the First Victor whose hair had be increasingly blood red and eyes be as deeper as the deep blue sea.


    "He received yet another blessing!" The people eximed, but to the head of the Ves n, it was the end of his road.


    He was defeated.


    Utterly defeated.

 Chapter 391 In The Imperial Archives (4)

    ?With the long-standing rival finally gone, The First Victor clenched his fist and bowed to the heavens.


    The moment he raised his sword and looked at his people, he dered that the entire continent would be unified under one Empire.


    His people and his followers finally picked up swords, shields, and all sorts of weapons and joined the subjugation of the entire continent.


    In no time thend was finally unified.


    To his most loyalmanders and generals, he gave them the territories each of them had the right to exist as allied kingdoms to the empire. These loyal subjects swore an oath that they will never be Seirende''s enemies as long as their bloodline exists in this world.


    To the third continent, he sent all of the families of the opposing tribes and kingdoms who were left without a leader because of their rebellion and gave the entire continent to be managed by his right-hand man and most trusted confidante, Vanderford. Thus the continent was now called Vanderford with his kin ruling thend until today.


    To the Ves Kingdom and other major forces which led the battle to invade the Seirende, they were assimted under the Seirende''s jurisdiction living as fallen nobles.


    Of course, the direct perpetrators were executed and only their young descendants and women were left to survive. This is thest mercy given by the First Victor towards them, the oppressors.


    Such was the birth of thergest Empire in Prasinos, Seirende, and its allied kingdoms.


    And also the birth of the Prasinos that we know today.


    Atst, the First Victor finally had some peace. He never attributed the victory to himself but always preached that it was due to the mercy of the heavens that he was able to obtain such a feat.


    Thus, he took an ind at the center of all three continents and dedicated this to bing a ce of worship towards the Creator andmunion with the guardians.


    On that ind, he made a Temple that will be a reminder that once in the Prasinos history, the heavens looked below and sent their mercies to the prasinons in peril.


    Today, this ind is where the main Temple was located.


    Peaceful years started and the rebuilding was in full st.


    But since the Seirende Empire was now toorge and the effects of the war were too much for the original citizens of the Seirende to manage, the First Victor came up with a decree.


    The remaining members of the fallen families which opposed the Seirende Empire will have a chance to be granted nobility in the Empire.


    The condition is that they must show their loyalty and worth by contributing to the progress and restoration of the Seirende Empire. Once they were granted nobility, they would no longer be discriminated against and their honor would be restored.


    But they only have one year to prove their worth. Once the time is up and they fail, they lose the chance to be treated as noble and will live asmoners instead.


    The reason why the First Victor decided to recruit them was that he knew that their upbringing and education would be advantageous as they already had experience in managing their own territories before the war started.


    With the decree, the nobles who were interested in restoring their dignity worked hard to regain some of their former glory.


    Of course, the condition is hard because of the one-year deadline and only a few of them managed to get qualified. Such is how the Ves regained its nobility among all other families which survived nowadays.


    Now after working with the stability of the Empire, the First Victor finally had the time to investigate the mystery of the followers of Birsha.


    What is the nature of their powers and howe they were stronger than most of the mages?


    They did not manage to know the exact answer but there was something that they were able to extract from one of the surviving followers during the interrogation.


    Birsha wants a vessel.


    A strong vessel that can make him manifest his being on the surface of Prasinos. Once he had a vessel, the heavens could no longer detect him unless they themselves went down to the earthly realm and found his host.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Also, Birsha is clever enough to not only choose one host. He decided to divide his spirit into fragments and bury his power in relics.


    All the people who carried his relics are either his host or a host candidate, this serves as a mark that the host themselves are qualified to be Birsha''s Vessel.


    However, this revtion was buried as unverified information along with the other information about the curse.


    For he was the only one alive among those who could exin the thing further. As such, the First Victor had no way to know if he would believe in the information or not.


    ¡ª


    Eli, Anderson, Siegfried, and Kazimir looked at each other with grave expressions.


    The information was too much for them to process, in fact, it was too mind-boggling knowing that the matter of the curse has been missing from any other readings for a millennium now.


    "Birsha''s Vessel¡­ spirit fragment¡­ and relic¡­ Who knew that some of the information that was just buried in the archives thousands of years back would be proven usible today¡­" They all sighed, trying to ease away the overwhelming information they managed to uncover.


    "Among the three points, we have already verified the existence of the spirit fragment. As for the relic and vessel¡­ we cannot conclude yet if the ones we all witnessed during the internal war are the same as what has been described in the records¡­" Andersonmented, a worried look appeared on his face as he looked at Kazimir.


    Even if he put it in a lighter way, his words meant that Carolina''s disy of curse power, even the book that hovered in front of her during her battle could be easily identified as the relic. Her ability to nt and recall the fragments might also be an indication of being a vessel.


    However, he dared not to say it. No one in the room dared to say it, not even Eli.


    Because Carolina was still Kazimir''s biological mother.


    "No¡­ as one who had experienced the power first hand¡­ Mothe- the culprit, Carolina Ves might at least be a vessel candidate. At least before our very eyes, she disyed the power to manipte and control the spirit fragments at will¡­ and even¡­ nt it to people." Surprisingly, Kazimir was the one who directly spelled out the words for everyone.


    "I could still remember everything about that day¡­ The feeling of something being forced into your consciousness¡­ eating away every bit of your sanity¡­" Kazimir trembled as his eyes turned dull like he was reliving that moment of despair.


    "That moment, it was like my soul was being crushed into the dark corner of my being¡­ I have no power over my body¡­ and something was trying to take control. But reading the First Victor''s origin I finally understand the fiery existence that fought against that dark being invading my being¡­ it was actually a blessing from the guardian Ignis¡­"


    "In my veins runs the Seirende blood, and because the protection of the Guardian was in it¡­ the spirit fragment failed to easily invade me."


    "Then another existence came in, helping the dark existence to defeat the power of Ignis in my blood. It was the Vess bloodline. Which now I confirm had the power of Birsha in it."


    "It was a mercy from the heavens¡­ because the very moment that the fiery existence was about to be defeated, the Pdin appeared on time. She asked me if I wanted to live but that entails erasing the Ves''s existence in my entire being."


    "I told her yes. For that moment, I knew¡­ existence will haunt me even if I have survived."


    Everyone was silent, the moment Kazimir opened up about the darkest experience of his past. They felt sympathy and admiration towards Kazimir who was willing to open his wounds once again and bring light to their doubts regarding the information.


    Eli looked at the trembling Kazimir with conflicted emotions. It was so bizarre to hear the tale where she was involved, but no one at the table knew that it was her who saved Kazimir.


    Looking at the once haughty prince now trembling in fear and anxiousness at the thought that he might have been a vessel to such an abominable being, Eli knew that Kazimir decided to risk what was salvaged from his reputation and is ready to subject himself as a testimony proving the ims against his very own maternal family.


    Once this information spreads, his very existence will be looked down upon by everyone.


    And so, Eli decided to also give Kazimir her utmost signal of respect.


    She stood up and looked at Kazimir. Then she ced her hand in her heart and pronounced an oath to the heavens.


    "I, Eli of the Forgeoworn and Farauld n, vow not to arbitrarily spread the information about the First Prince of the Empire Kazimir Nox De Seirende unless otherwise ordered by the Imperial Law!"

 Chapter 392 In The Imperial Archives (5)

    ?"Lady Eli¡­" Kazimir was shocked at Eli''s gesture. "Y-you need not do this¡­ everyone will know about it anyways once the investigation starts."


    "Your Highness First Prince, even if will be eventually known no one will mock you if this information has been discovered during the trials. Thus I, Anderson Cross, also swear upon the heavens that this information will not carelessly spread through my mouth!!" Anderson was the second one who followed Eli''s actions.


    "While the history of our families may not be that good, I, Siegfried Astaze, honor you as the First Prince of the Empire. Thus, I swear in my name to also uphold the dignity of the First Prince, until the trial begins."


    During the time that he was reading and studying the information in the library, he had been thinking of revealing this information to the empire in the first ce.


    He was ready to be the subject of future studies and investigation regardless if he was the prince of the Empire.


    The fact that he was the only one who happened to experience these things to tell the tale was more than enough for him. From the moment he allowed the pdin to rescue him, he knew that this was his purpose.


    But who knew that someone out there, one that he viewed as someone to use before, chose not to take advantage of him but rather express their goodwill towards him and protect his dignity as the First Prince at all cost?


    Seeing everything in front of him, his blue eyes started to tremble, trying to hold back the emotions he was keeping in check.


    "You guys¡­" He felt a hot sensationing from his eyes. He could no longer make out the earnest expression the trio was having at the moment.


    "Thank you¡­"


    "I, Kazimir Nox De Seirende, ept your oath and will owe each one of you a favor."


    Anderson and Siegfried smiled and nodded. Eli also gave a rxed smile as if she was looking at someone whose life changed for the better.


    ''It is no wonder that Leon forgave them rather easily. Take away the influence of other people, this brother of his is not bad.'' Eli thought as she observed Kazimir''s moved expression.


    "Hmm, not bad at all. With the way you disyed your goodwill to each other, I could see that the future of the Seirende Empire is in good hands." Suddenly they were interrupted by a familiar voice that they never heard during the days they focused on researching.


    The Leprechaun appeared from the darkness once again and looked at the four with approval in his eyes.


    "Whatever information you get, make sure that it will only be told to the right people." He reminded all of them.


    "We heed your words, Esteemed Guardian of this Imperial Archive." The bunch answered.


    "En¡­" The Leprechaun nodded.


    He looked at Kazimir and told him, "I purposely said those words to you before so that you may be ready for what kind of facts you would discover during your stay here. As for the rest, ask your father."


    "I will, Esteemed Guardian, thank you for your words."


    "Hmmm¡­ remember, even if the skies disappear, the blessing of the Guardian Ignis is in your veins. And for as long as it exists, you are a Seirende."


    Kazimir''s body trembled, it was as if a thorn in his heart was pulled out gently by these words. "Y-yes¡­" His voice quivered but he still gave a respectful salute to the Leprechaun.


    "Before you go, may you give me time to talk to the youngdy privately. I must ask her for more books before I go lonely once again!! Who knows when my next visitor would arrive!!!"


    "Ermm¡­ Of course¡­" Kazimir and the two retreated awkwardly.


    They excused themselves upon remembering that Eli managed to earn the favor of the Leprechaun because of something. To think that it was boosks had they known about it they could have gone through their own collections and helped Eli please the Leprechaun.


    Leaving the two alone, the Leprechaun still snapped his fingers and isted their surroundings.


    "Esteemed Guardian, thank you for helping us with the information. By the way, how do you like the books I gave?" When Eli determined that it would be safe enough to talk, she initiated the conversation.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Those books you brought were very entertaining¡­ Especially that book, Lord of the Rings, it was a very refreshing read. Tell me do you have the sequel of that book?"


    "Of course Sire, I do¡­" Eli was inwardly relieved that the Leprechaun was pleased with the books that she gave.


    It was kind of surprising that the Leprechaun actually likes those kinds of novels instead of books that are about knowledge. She concluded that it was most likely because he had been guarding the library for centuries now that he almost read all the knowledge kept here in the ce.


    "En¡­ though I must admit, just a few wouldn''t do¡­ look how fast I read through all the books you gave me!" The Leprechaun sighed, he was feeling regretful that Eli could only bring a few books for him to be entertained with.


    "Well, I could only bring much. Also, going back to this ce is beyond my control." Eli shook her head.


    It was not that she could only print a number of books through the book of knowledge, it is just that, if she managed to take out more books, the Leprechaun might be suspicious.


    "Hmm, I know. I know. Anyways we might see each other again in the future. Who knows?" The Leprechaun sighed once again and looked at Eli with a profound gaze.


    "Young one, before you go to the surface, let me tell you onest thing. This is the most important thing I want to tell you¡­" After a while, the Leprechaun''s expression turned serious as she said these words.


    "I am listening to Great Sire¡­" Eli responded."


    "You must remember¡­ that you are thest descendant of the Asanis. You are the only one."


    "Last descendant?" It''s been a long while since she heard the word Asani. But it is the first time that she heard the fact that she was thest descendant.


    "Yes, all of your kin has been wiped out¡­ you are the only surviving member of the Asanis." The Leprechaun enunciated every word.


    But suddenly a thought came to him and his eyes flicked, then he awkwardly coughed and talked once again, "Well, technically, you are thest full-blooded descendant. Err¡­ your son and your future offspring could be considered also. But remember, the Asani bloodline could only continue through you, and no more."


    "I understand." Eli nodded, although her mind was full of questions, she decided to no longer ask why the Leprechaun suddenly talked about this matter.


    From the way the Leprechaun told her this fact, Eli could already see that he did not have the n to exin the matter further.


    "Good! I will leave you this book. This one is written by me because you cannot bring out the books here so I had to write my own and give it to you. But you must only open it with your identity as an Asani is being questioned." The Leprechaun warned with a forlorn expression.


    This time, Eli could no longer take the confusion and finally asked, "What would be the kind of situation that you are pertaining to? And what was the reason why you are prohibiting me to read this if not for a particr situation?"


    The Leprechaun sighed. But he looked at Eli with an earnest expression and answered, "To answer your second question, it was because you are too preupied with the matters you have at hand right now. Knowing what''s in that book will not help you either."


    "For your first question, only you could know when. But based on what was happening on the surface, that moment might not be for long. So¡­ you just have to be patient for a short period of time. But young Eli, believe me, it will benefit you to not know things beforehand until it is the right time."


    "I just do not know when I would have the chance to tell you these things again. You see, I am stuck here and I can not even influence the visitors outside to leak any more information for you.. That is highly dangerous."


    "So while you are here in front of me, I will entrust to you this information and I believe that you will use this well."


    The Leprechaun exined with worry and anxiousness in his eyes. It was like he was looking at Eli like she was hisst kin.


    As an elder who advises the young to listen and be careful, Eli could feel that the Leprechaun meant no harm.


    But the more the Leprechaun acted like this, the more Eli wondered, who was he?


    Why is he stuck in the archive?


    And why does he look so worried about her identity as an Asani?

 Chapter 393 Prelude To The Major Event

    ?With all the preparations made, days went by and soon it was only two weeks before the opening ceremony of the Grand Tournament.


    Kazimir and the rest immediately went back to their own assignments after reporting all of their findings directly to the Emperor.


    The crucial part right now is to ensure that the Empire can amodate the iing delegates from the different kingdoms and continents in the entire Prasinos.


    Aside from having their own sleeping quarters, they have to also amodate the specific needs of some guests, especially the onesing from the Green Wave Continent, who were all non-human representatives.


    It would have been easy to set up a separate ce for them way up in the peaceful north, however, that would also mean that the Imperial Family had to set up the teleportation tforms for them to go to and for the tournament venue.


    Teleportation arrays use mana stones, and the abundance of mana stones could also be an indication of a rich territory. So Emperor Valentin opted to not do anything suspicious that would make the other forces conclude that they possess a lot of Supreme Mana stones.


    Besides, this supreme mana stone does not belong to him at all but is owned by his dear grandson.


    So he could only decree to set up an intermediate teleportation tform so as to maintain an impression fitting to what the other territories thought of the Seirende Empire.


    As for Eli and the rest of the participants for the tournament, their training has been on full st upon her return.


    She set aside everything, even the cryptic words left by the Leprechaun for her before their departure at the Imperial archives.


    Having contributed to the best that she could among the Anti Curse Committee, she also asked for a temporary leave to focus more on training Lainie and Desmond.


    The two of them improved by leaps and bounds. Eli could not be any more proud of what kind of musician they have be.


    The other students from the academic department also had a Bootcamp, re-learning most of the mathematical principles and some other fundamental principles for their respective categories.


    There was also the Magic Branch who trained with General Farauld himself to increase theirbat sense.


    And finally, the research team who were still locking themselves up in their own branch. No one in the empire knew what they were up to, but because it wasmon knowledge that they were somehow trained by Eli to some extent, they held high expectations over their works.


    Among the three schools of knowledge, it was the research branch that had the highest chance of winning the entire category. But that would still depend greatly on the theme and mechanics of the tournament.


    As for the side of the Imperial Family, it was now Leon who worked busily to gather and summarize all the evidence and information to support the charges against the Ves and the other curse users.


    "With this information, we could inform the temple of something that might be of help for solving the origin of the curse magic." Leon presented the files he possessed and had Emperor Valentin and the High Priest see its contents.


    "Hmm¡­ with this the Main Temple cannot also deny that the Vess were at fault in this matter." High Priest Enoch looked at Emperor Valentin.


    Remembering the matter of the Main Temple, their expression changes.


    "Something is really wrong inside the Main Temple¡­" Leon read the atmosphere and also added his concern.


    He sympathized with the elderly High Priest Enoch who was now in a very awkward position.


    In fact, he should not have been keeping a close interaction with Emperor Valentin to ensure that he would remain consecrated from the matters of politics, however, the Main Temple forces him to put the matters into his hand.


    "The Vanderford filed an appeal to the Main Temple, to lessen the probable sanctions of the former Empress and Former Duke. From the way the Main Temple felt silent, it seemed that they were actually considering this issue." High Priest Enoch''s voice was trembling in disappointment, he did not know if he could still trust the Main Temple because of this.


    "This is ridiculous¡­ they are up to something¡­ I could feel it, but too bad, we do not have any evidence to back it up." Emperor Valentin sighed heavily.


    "If I may ask something¡­" Leon looked at the two elders and got a few pages containing a part of the report made by Kazimir from their research.


    "Go on¡­" Emperor Valentin nodded and permitted Leon to ask.


    "From the First Victor''s memoirs, there has been no recorded hostility between the Vanderfords and the Seirende. In fact, the ancestor of the Vanderfords was actually the confidante of the First Victor. Then why is it that for years now, the two Empires were wary of each other?" Leon asked.


    Even when he was educated in the pce, the question regarding the awkward andpetitive rtionship between the Vanderford and Seirende Empire was a big question for him. Now that he knew that Vanderfords used to be standing close beside his ancestor, his curiosity reached its peak.


    What could have happened in between that brought the two nation''s rtionship like this today?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon hearing the question the two elders froze and shook their heads, indicating that they also had no clue at all.


    "That¡­ I also don''t know when it started. There were many spections from the previous generation as to why the rtionship with the Vanderfords suddenly changed, but it was not enough for a famedradeship to crumble that way just like that."


    "Besides, it is not like the Vanderfords had ever shown the intent to invade the Seirende Empire all these centuries.. And so all of the previous emperors dismissed this as just a case of a simple rivalry."


    Emperor Valentin told his piece, there was also confusion in his eyes.


    "Your Highness Third Prince, if I may ask, what is the reason why you are asking these things?" High Priest Enoch was asked in curiosity.


    Leon looked at them and answered earnestly, "It was because, from what I could observe as someone who had not been basically an outsider towards this matter, my instincts told me that it has something to do with the Three Continent''s rtionship with the Main Temple."


    Then Leon looked at the map of Prasinos and pointed at a tiny ind that was ced at the center of the three continents.


    "Initially the First Victor chose this Ind to be the ce for the Main Temple so that all of the continents could ess it easily should they want to worship the heavens. But as you can see, the Vanderford Empire was the closest to the holy ind.


    So I was actually guessing whether this fact might be a link to the sudden change that we were observing from the Temple. It could be that Vanderford was influencing them, or vice versa. But the only fact that we know now is that¡­"


    Leon looked at the two with a serious and cold expression.


    "We cannot trust either of them¡­"


    ¨C


    Green Wave continent.


    All of the student representatives stood orderly at the square where their eyes were fixed on the tform of a building where the imposing crest of their nation was affixed.


    Trumpets sounded and drums rolled, upon their call pairs of humanoid griffins and dragons soared above the air. The shore trembled as arge wave emerged above ground, where the merfolk appeared and joined the ranks.


    Finally were multiple groups of forest creatures such as elves, dryad, dwarves, and werewolves.


    All of them were just a few among all other nonhuman creatures who transformed into their humanoid persona, looking intently at the lineup of students as if they were sending off the younglings.


    The next second, the biggest dragon hovering above stopped midair and looked at the students while he announced.


    "Now all of you, steel your hearts as we start our journey to go to the maind andpete for our nation!"


    "Yes, headmaster!" The student''s eyes blinked in excitement as they shouted in eagerness.


    ¨C


    Vanderford Institute.


    Arge assembly of students also stood in their campus square waiting for their headmasters to finally announce themencement of their journey to the Seirende Empire.


    These students carried an undeniable sense of dignity, pride, and superiority in their expressions. It could be said that they looked like soldiers who were about to go to the war fully prepared after a hellish training.


    The Headmaster looked at them calmly, his eyes were a kind of expression that is too profound to understand.


    "Lift your head high and carry this institution''s prestige with every move you make. You are the cream of the crop of this institute. You have done all you can to be in your best shape."


    "Now it''s time for you to finally snag the victory we''ve all been thirsty to attain. A perfect time for all of us to finally snatch the top ce!"


    "To the top!"


    "To the top!"

 Chapter 394 Preparing The Empires Security

    ?"Three days from now, the first wave of guests is expected to arrive in the teleportation stations and the city gates. Is all our curse detection orbs in ce?"


    In arge conference hall, there was a great assembly of people who were working with the Anti-Curse Committee.


    Mishael, the Captain of the Temple Knights took the lead in ensuring that all the preparations for receiving the guest that woulde to visit the Empire for the tournament.


    It was not only the members of the faculty and the delegates who were expected toe to the Empire to watch the tournament, even some of the other territories'' citizens and their royal families mighte.


    "Yes every curse detection orb has been installed on every possible teleportation station and Empire gates. We also had the permission of the Spatial Spirit King through His Highness, Third Prince Leon to restrict all unauthorized teleportation arrays within the Empire." Nathan reported.


    "The Third Prince is so amazing! We''re basically the owner of the teleportation voids in the Empire!"


    "I know right, it''s basically the best scenario we can get! No one could sneak inside the Empire without any authority!"


    "We have be like an imprable fortress!"


    The other knights who were invited to take part of the security briefing all discussed it excitedly. In reality, maintaining security in this world was quite hard because of the existence of teleportation magic.


    So even when there are established teleportation arrays, strong mages can still make a way to infiltrate the territory as long as they circumvent thews inside the void space which is the doorway to any part of Prasinos in teleportation magic.


    But having Leon being contracted by the king, partnered by Siegfried Astaze, who is well known to contract spatial creatures, the coboration with setting up rules of trespass within the doorway to the Empire has been easily set up.


    "The way spatial security works is that the spatial sentries inside the void space will just deny arbitrary ess to the surface of the Empire except for the designated teleportation spots in our borders. That means that the intruders may stille here; however, they would be concentrated on the teleportation stations we have set up in the Empire." Leon looked at the relieved knights and exined.


    "That meant that the intruders would most likely appear on the teleportations and those ces would be the probable ces of conflict." As soon as Leon pointed this one out, everyone in the hall became silent and the atmosphere became tense and serious.


    "And if we fail to detain these infiltrators then it would entail another skirmish along the different parts of the Empire. Remember, we are to protect not only the capital but our entire territory, for the enemy would most likely assume that we would concentrate our forces here and neglect the others."


    "That''s right. Moreover, it is another thing to encounter the infiltrators but it is another thing to handle the problematic guests who would refuse to perform our security procedures, especially the magic detection array." Antoine supplemented Leon''s exnation with other possible challenges in handling the guests of the Empire.


    "We tried our best to hide the fact about the detection orb, however, the hidden forces who were against our Empire had already anticipated that we would do a lot of extreme measures to keep our security intact. But they would surely take advantage of the nobles and royalties who would act offended by our tight measures." He continued.


    "What we need from you, honorable men right now is to ensure that all the forces under you would never waver from the instigations of these people. Remember the despair that we have been into during the recent war. One careless move would cost ourrades and our families'' lives." Surprisingly, it was Kazimir who ended the speech and even highlighted the most recent war which he was probably the most affected one.


    At the three princes'' reminder, the leaders inside the hall changed their view of the things about the security setup of the empire. As they listened they understood the crucial part of their role as the leader of their own toons.


    It would be futile for the Empire to employ even the most strict security measures when their own military power does not have any way to resist the hostile attacks from the enemy, may it be physical or physiological attacks made by the irate guests who were denied entry.


    "We will heed your words, Your Highnesses!" They all stood and saluted in unison.


    "Alright, now that you have understood we will be discussing the rotation strategy that we will do. The event, including the Main Temple''s visitation, would take ce for at least two months, but that does not mean that we would easily loosen our entry and exit measures after that¡­" Mishael then proceeded to the next agenda.


    The meeting actually took half a day, discussing everything that needed to be done by everyone who was involved in protecting the empire.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After the meeting, the excited look on the knights'' faces was reced with a serious and determined look. They were reminded and informed of the possible oues of anyck of security and so everyone believed that they have to take everything seriously.


    "It is somehow a relief to know that we have enough cure potions to store for every security point." Mishael sighed upon looking at the faces of the knights who exited the room."


    "How was the Main Temple''s stance regarding the cure potions?" Leon asked as the core team stayed in the room to talk a little bit more about what would happen.


    "The High Priest feared that the Main Temple would have to demand all the stocks of the cure potion that our Temple had in stock¡­" Upon Leon''s mention of the Main Temple, Mishael''s expression darkened.


    Kazimir, Antoine, and the rest of the Anti Curse Committee core members were shocked by his reaction.


    And so it was Kayden who exined to them, "The Main Temple is actually pressuring our side to give up not only the form of the potion but also the stocks that we had at hand iming that this is the Temple''s propriety."


    "What!" Antoine and the others mmed the table in disbelief.


    "How ridiculous! It was you Dr. Einz and your team who were able to discover the cure?! Why would they even im that it is a property of the Temple!" Kazimir also exploded.


    "Indeed, but they argue that all the matters of the curses should have been under their jurisdiction since it was a concern for the entire Prasinos. They went on to say that we would not even know if the form was effective until the cursed users appeared in the Empire." Mishael answered with a disheartened expression.


    "Ha! The audacity to im glory after someone had done the work! Hahaha! For decades, no¡­ centuries, the matter of the curse has been left unresolved by the Main Temple and now they are acting like this!" Grandmaster Andi was also present in the meeting hall and had stayed for a while with Randel, who would have thought that he would hear this ridiculous matter.


    "Grandpa, everyone¡­ don''t worry. Dr. Einz and I have already taken countermeasures for this thing." Eli tried to soothe the raging Grandpa Andi as she looked at everyone and exined.


    "After the first discovery of the cure potion, I informed Dr. Einz that I will immediately publish the form and receive his patent through the Prasinos Medical Association. That was even before the war actually started.


    And so, that meant that the form had already been tested outside our Empire by the medical council, which we could also conclude that the potion was certified as Dr. Einz''s creation before its first usage.


    Therefore, he has been properly credited for this form which even the temple could not deny."


    "What? How and when did you have time to do all that?!" Grandpa Andi looked at Eli with surprise.


    "Ahaha¡­ people like me had our distinct entricities." Eli vaguely answered as she could not exin to them that she had long foreseen that there would be a dispute regarding the ownership of the form.


    From the moment the High Priest warned her that there was still a higher authority of the Temple other than the Temple in Seirende, she had already persuaded Kayden to protect his work.


    "It was the first version anyways¡­ Now since it was already a public form, every territory had already ess to making the cure potion as long as their local temples would cooperate and cultivate the ingredients with divine powers." Kayden smiled at Eli and dered to everyone.


    He was actually relieved that Eli and he had already decided to have two versions of the form. One that would be made public, which would also not require Eli''s powers, and of course the other one with only Eli could make.


    "Well, what you did was not bad, at least the Temple could not do whatever they wanted upon getting the form¡­"


    "However, are we still good? We have already offended the Main Temple twice¡­ can we bear the consequences of going against them?" Kazimir looked at Leon, Kayden, and Eli as he asked the question that haunted everyone''s minds that night.

 Chapter 395 Unease And Ranting

    ?"Hmm hmm hmm¡­" Eli''s voice sounded in the serene living room as she sang Little Han a luby.


    Sitting on her favorite couch which was facing the moon that could be seen through the window, she looked dazed as she caressed Little Han, sleeping in her bosomfortably.


    "Nervous?" Suddenly a low masculine voice came from behind her, then a pair ofrge yet warm hands worked on the side of her temples giving her a head massage.


    "Hmnn¡­" Eli closed her eyes as she answered, Leon''s head massage was another addition to her list of things that made her eager to go home.


    Feeling her body rx as she enjoys Leon''s sweet act of service, Eli rests her headpletely on the couch.


    For a second, she opened her eyes to lock on Leon''s crystal blue eyes as she continued, "I''m thinking of Kazimir''sment earlier¡­"


    "Don''t mind about Kazimir''s words¡­" Leon''s hands paused, he bent over and gave a light fluttery kiss on Eli''s forehead.


    The way Eli looked at him made his heart stir aggressively. He would always be lost in her dark midnight eyes.


    Ever since they got engaged, although they were both busy with their work and had to fulfill their role as parents to Little Han, Leon could see that Eli was getting more and morefortable with the two of them getting intimate.


    Back then, Eli was like an unattainable flower.


    A friend to all but aloof to romance.


    Wise in life but awkward in love.


    She is easy to make others feelfortable, yet she herself struggles to open up to others, especially to him.


    Now, their rtionship is getting better and better, as they both excel in their own fields and even as they both get used to the life of being working parents.


    But one thing has made Leon impatient and dissatisfied.


    The more Eli acted like this, the more he was grumbling about how he could not marry her immediately.


    So that he could do all he wanted with his wife!


    "You''re grumpy again." Eli chuckled as she opened her eyes once more to find out why Leon no longer continued his massage. As Little Han was already secured in herp, she lifted her hand and caressed Leon''s face gently to soothe his mood.


    After kissing her, Leon pouted impatiently as he looked aggrieved about their situation. In fact, Eli knew Leon''s struggle all along.


    The first time she met Leon, she thought that Leon was too naive to even seriously suggest that they marry with love as if it was so easily obtained.


    Then one day, Leon came knocking at her door, courting her so foolishly because she believed Wisey''s ''dating lessons''.


    From that Leon turned into a kind of man that is careful, gentle, and thoughtful towards her and Little Han.


    And as a romantic partner, he too was notcking in making her feel that she is wanted and loved.


    Eli knew that Leon wanted to take their rtionship to the next level, and she sympathized with that too. For they are a couple who did not follow the typical process of courting.


    The baby came first before they even realized each other''s feelings. Eli could only journey with Leon patiently on this unique road, holding his hands at times he was feeling impatient and frustrated.


    "Sometimes, I want to curse those who thought of the Grand Tournament and even the people at the Main Temple¡­ They were really giving us a hard time.." Leon sighed as he held the hand that caressed his cheeks.


    He turned his hand and kissed it warmly. The warm breath of his nose tickled Eli''s senses and made her heart flutter.


    "We can marry as soon as they go back to their homnd, I guess?" Eli smiled and even teased Leon.


    "I hate the imperialw¡­ we could have just be husband and wife that day in the temple if not for the restriction¡­" Leon continued to grumble and rant. But Eli only smiled and held his hand, she would listen to his frustration patiently, like how he does with her.


    The reason why they could not hold the wedding right away was that they must aplish the Imperial wedding rites before actually getting married.


    Eli continued to caress his face as Leon rested his chin on the headrest of the couch. In that way, Eli could just turn her head sideways and clean a few inches closer to Leon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Out of nowhere, Eli gave Leon a peck on his cheeks.


    Too surprised, Leon forgot the words he was about to say all he was caring about was that Eli kissed him teasingly. When he looked at Eli''s expression, his love smiled mischievously, a rare expression that Eli would only show to him and him alone.


    "You really know how to make me feel helpless¡­" Leon could only sigh while he dotingly rub Eli''s nose in surrender.


    "I love you. That''s all I want to say." As if she was not yet satisfied to make Leon surrender, she once again professed her feelings towards Leon, making the other one be embarrassed like a youngdy.


    "Am I thedy or you are? How could you do these things so smoothly¡­" Leon looked away, hiding the uncontroble expression of shyness behind his hand, but then, his flushing pink ears gave it all away.


    Eli could only let out a chuckle as she gently stood up, carrying Little Han in her arms. Even after their bickering, Little Han remained fast asleep because Eli and Leon maintained a low voice to not disturb his sleep.


    "Come, my love, let''s rest for the night. Tomorrow might be the start of the long battle ahead." Eli called Leon to finally prepare to retire for the night. The visitors maye as early as tomorrow and so, she was worried that Leon would not have an opportunity to sleep as soon as the event started.


    "En.. I''ll follow you in a bit." Leon smiled and gestured to her to go on first.


    Eli did not insist, for she thought that Leon might have to secretly meet his men first before rest.


    Stepping outside the peaceful cottage, Leon was indeed meeting someone, but it was not a member of the des.


    Instead, it was actually one of his contracted familiars, the Spatial beast.


    He conjured a portal and entered the void space.


    The void space was actually a dimension that belonged neither to the surface nor to the heavenly realm. However, it was still definitely a part of Prasinos as it was a ce that is maintained and governed by the very same type of mana that was used on the surface.


    Leon walked straight to the pathway, not minding the dancing spatial fairies around the void space which looked like colorful gxies.


    There were many stars in the void space, but Leon continued to walk to approach a certain star. "Contractor, you are here¡­ How could you find me so easily¡­"


    The star that emitted the weakest light started to twinkle as the voice spoke.


    "You know that I can feel your presence even if you disguise yourself." Leon calmly answered. Only then did the little star shined brightly and materialized into a small child that looked yful and mischievous.


    Contrary to what the people witnessed during the war, the spatial king was actually this young looking!


    But only Leon, as his contractor, knew his true form. On the outside, people would always think that he is a mysterious ancient being that was impossible to contract.


    "Hmm.. so cold¡­ My master is so cold. After letting me and my subjects work hard, he would not even y with me!" The Spatial King pouted aggrievedly and stumped his feet.


    Leon looked at his rebellious expression but he did not react angrily. Instead, he patiently gave in and said, "When my son is big enough, I can bring him here to y with you¡­"


    "Waaaah! Master''s son? Yay!!! Master is really good to me!!!" The moment the spatial king heard that Leon allowed him to see Little Han, he became delighted and happy as if he did not even feel aggrieved earlier.


    "Tell me, master, what is it that you wanted this King to do?" He crossed his chubby arms and feet, and sat in the air, floating to see Leon eye to eye.


    "It is just simple, I want you to send me the record of all the people who tried to illegally infiltrate the Empire through the spatial void," Leon ordered.


    "Eh, Master? You knew that my subjects could not have known everyone''s name in the surface right?'''' The Spatial King asked cluelessly.


    "I know, that''s why you have to record their faces and mana constitution," Leon replied as he patiently exined to him.


    "Hmm.. ok if it is the face and the constitution, my spatial army can record and detect it right away. Even if they are in disguise, they cannot conceal their real faces here!" As soon as Leon exined everything, the Spatial King understood.


    Leon lifted his hand and rubbed the Spatial King''s head.


    "Alright, I will rely on you in rooting out the potential invaders. Especially those who wanted to sneak back to the Empire¡­" As he said this, his eyes turned cold and ruthless.

 Chapter 396 First Wave Of Guests Arrives!

    ?"Okay~~~" The Spatial King grinned happily as he hovered among the stars.


    "ymate¡­ ymate!!! I''ll have a ymate soon~~~" His childish voice rang in the spatial void as his image faded from Leon''s vision.


    Giggles¡­


    The spatial fairies around seemed to also delight with the Spatial King as he happily chanted having a new ymate.


    Leon did not show any annoyance towards the spatial king. Since this was the void, time did not flow for the citizens inside the dimension. And so, the Spatial King has always been a child from its first creation.


    Living for who knows how many years, the Spatial King remained with the mentality of a child.


    As the Spatial King''s first master, which was actually an impossible feat until Leon managed to contract him, Leon treated him kindly and was patient to teach him the ways of life.


    The only thing that would make the Spatial King angry was if there was someone who would try to desecrate his territory.


    After meeting the Spatial King, Leon immediately went back to the earthly realm. He stared nkly at the sky, letting out a deep anxious breath.


    He is worried.


    Extremely worried.


    That he might not be able to handle everything that was on his te right now.


    He looked down and stared at his two hands and silently mumbled, "I can only do this much with my own hands¡­"


    Then he looked up to the heavens once again as he continued, "I just entrust to you everything¡­ Oh, Heavens¡­."


    As if answering his prayers, a cold gentle breeze danced around him.


    Only then did he proceed to go inside.


    The night is quite short for him and his family these days, and so, he hastily changed his clothes and joined the two lovely people in bed, sleeping beside Little Han while his arm extended to cover Eli warmly.


    ¨C


    It was as all had expected, the first wave of guests started toe as early as the next two days.


    As early as midday, countless reports had been encountered on the Empire''s borders. The esteemed guests and delegates from other territories were shocked by the very stringent security inspection.


    "This is ridiculous! My master is the 4th Prince of the Medrod Kingdom! We are even a part of the allied nations for the Seirende Empire! How could you treat your ally like this?!!" A butler has been angrily growling at a knight at one of the border inspections of the Empire.


    "We''ve traveled quite far just to support your Empire! To treat us like this!"


    "Sire, forgive us if this inconvenienced you but we really cannot give you and His Highness a leeway for this. If you refuse, I could only deny your entry and let you camp outside the borders until you make your decision." The Commander of the toon already stepped forward to mediate the situation.


    As one of the senior knights of the Imperial Sky and a direct student of General Farauld, his aura is mighty and strong. With just him standing in front of the Medrod Knights, everyone around was already intimidated, even the guests from other territories who were joining the Prince of Medrod''s protest.


    Themander looked at the agitated crowd calmly, but his aura was cold, "Do not worry aboutcking any provision in camping outside the borders, our Emperor ordered that we make sure the basic provisions are provided."


    "However, if you really wanted to see if the Emperor would change his mind, it''s better now to start your journey back."


    "What!?!" All of the guests became more agitated when themander announced this.


    "We are delegates representing our own territories! It is unfair to deny our entry to the Tournament Area!"


    "That''s right! We willpletely me the Empire if we would not able toe to participate in the Tournament on time!"


    "Yea!!!"


    "If we arrivete, it''s all your fault!" The crowd roared angrily and tried to even forcefully find their way in.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But themander didn''t even show any sign of wavering. Instead, he lifted his hands up. Instantly, countless magical attack arrays that could be rated at A-level were conjured behind him, and all of them were ready to execute at hismand.


    "Forcefully trespassing the Empire is considered an assault on our territory. We will have no choice but to apprehend you immediately."


    "Y-you dare!" The elders and teachers, and even the butler stared at the hostile array in disbelief.


    How could the Seirende Empire act like this? It was so aggressive and intimidating. They were like an irritated lion that was about to leap and attack once it was agitated once more.


    "We dare¡­ Our Emperor dares! Do not be too foolish to neglect the fact that we have just suffered a grave attack. Now everyone outside can be our enemy." He squinted his eyes and looked at a few people who were keen to instigate the crowd and maintained eye-to-eye contact with them, which made the others shudder.


    "Though I understand your concerns, everything would be resolved when you obediently follow our security procedures.


    If you are still hesitating then I sincerely suggest that you camp for a few days in the area until youe up with a decision. You also don''t have to worry about beingte for the Tournament.


    As soon as you agree, the Emperor arranged that all of those who decided toply beyond the designated travel time will have to be teleported half a day before the Tournament!" Themander announced with his might.


    The faculty representatives and even the royalty''s party could not help but grit their teeth. The Seirende Empire was really keen on not giving the outsiders any face.


    The arrangement also ensured that they could never take advantage of the time they could have been there in advance should they hesitate toply with their security standards.


    "Butler¡­" Just as the butler was about to engage in another argument, a young man''s voice sounded in the carriage calling him back to his post.


    "Your Highness¡­" The butler jogged back and waited for his master''s instruction.


    "Leave it be¡­ I''ll have to contact my father and inform them of the situation. We may not even need to camp should everything go right." The Fourth Prince of Medrod answered.


    "As Your Highness wished."


    Simr cases happened to the other entry points of the Empire. They were also handled by themanders in the same way as the former. Leaving all the prideful guests unsure.


    To those who were not minding to be subjected to the security check, the knights no longer gave them a hard time and allowed them entry as long as they passed the security procedure.


    The security procedure was actually quite shocking for those who experienced it. The first was actually the documentation scan, in which they would have no problems as the Seirende Empire had long announced their diplomatic requirements for entry.


    The second stage of checking was actually a spatial scan. Which no territory would dare to implement in such arge area like the Empire. A spatial scan will actually check all of their physical and dimensional storage to ensure that they would not bring any banned items inside the empire.


    Even the doctors and healers were required to submit their proof of profession should they detect them carrying substances.


    Finally, was a mysterious mana test, which no knight was willing to exin. This left those who entered curious about the mana scan. However after they injected a drop of mana, the crystal ball would just project the word cleared and nothing more.


    And so they were not able to really figure out how it works. But they could easily guess it. It seems to have something to do with curse magic, they thought.


    These people were actually the scouts of other territories. Immediately after they entered the premises, they directly reported it to their masters who were curious about how the Seirende Empire would present itself after being suddenly hurt by an internal war.


    Somewhere in the Vanderford Empire, Lord Raven waszily lying on a couch while he continued to admire the sparkly gems in his hand.


    Suddenly, his movements paused as he felt another presence in the room.


    "Report¡­" He ordered.


    "The security of the Seirende Empire is overwhelming and peculiar. The gate inspection includes a spatial scan and mana scan¡­ The scout believed that the mana scan was actually something that detects curse magic within the mana of a person. Although he had no idea how it works."


    "Hmmm.. curse detection¡­ How futile? Does the Emperor think that I could only send curse users to infiltrate his little territory? Hahaha!" Heughed mockingly as he finally got up in his chair and walked towards the raven that was waiting on a perch.


    "But I am quite curious about that device¡­" He let out an interesting chuckle.


    He looked at the shadow who was reporting to him and ordered, "Use some of our disposable mages, let them be guinea pigs to see if that thing works¡­"


    His deep purple eyes sneered yfully as he grinned, "If it actually works¡­"

 Chapter 397 Debate

    ?"Emperor Valentin¡­ Headmaster Reuben¡­ High Priest Enoch, would you mind exining to us what the denial of entry was about? What was with the unannounced security procedures?"


    In the Imperial meeting lounge, Emperor Valentin coldly sat at the head position of the table with High Priest Enoch and Grandmaster Reuben on the left and right positions.


    The remaining seats were all different kinds of messenger emblems upon which their respective owner''s image is reflected.


    Some of them used a mechanical bird as a medium, others used letters and other familiars to force the Emperor to conduct an emergency conference with them.


    It is no doubt that the owners of these messenger emblems were the respective leaders of the majority members of the three great continents.


    While most of them remained neutral and calm, more than half of them had a displeased expression as they were looking at the three elders with indignation.


    The one who first spoke was none other than the Vanderford Emperor.


    "How could you catch us off-guard by suddenly imposing such a ridiculous security check!!! You are disregarding our dignity!" He continued.


    "We are just protecting my own territory. It is not like I made it hard for your subjects to enter. All I require is that they undergo the security procedures." Emperor Valentin calmly answered while his two hands sped together, resting on the table.


    "But to even subject them to a spatial scan!!! Even the royal families of other territories could not bear such humiliation!!!" Another king roared angrily. "Your knights even dared to conjure arge-scale hostile array to threaten our people! This is tant disrespect!"


    "In what area are your subjects humiliated?" Emperor Valentin looked directly at the holographic image of the angry leaders as he raised his brow coldly. Then he snapped his fingers, a projection stone activated, and showed one of the scenes on the border.


    "My knights politely exined to them the situation. Even in handling the royalties and other diplomats, they have exercised due respect towards them.


    As for the denial of entry, didn''t all of us here have the right to deny entry to any citizen should they show a tant intention to disregard the territory''sws?


    Are you saying that I, as the Emperor of Seirende, had no right to deny entry to a noplying member of your territory because he is an entitled royal?!!" Emperor Valentin''s tone became more oppressive and harsher.


    He is indeed the Emperor of thergest and mighties empire in the entire Prasinos. Even if the leaders were not in the room physically, Emperor Valentin''s tone and aura still affected themrgely. Some even tried their best not to shudder in fear.


    "Oh, if one of you argues that I am just showing you one recording of all the entry points in Seirende¡­ Then just tell me what specific time and entry point you wanted to watch.


    Let''s see with our own eyes whether my knights indeed acted disrespectful and unreasonable! We have a live recording of all entry points too!


    Try me!"


    The room finally became silent as they were taken aback by Emperor Valentin''s retort. They did not expect that he would just sit in front of them and p them with evidence like this!


    Setting up a projection stone that continuously records the entry and exit point proceedings?! Just how many projection stones did the Seirende Empire possess?


    Even the Emperor of the Vanderford Empire was left speechless because of this. How could he now stir the people to force Emperor Valentin topromise?


    Fortunately, the head of the grand tournament council, which was also the headmaster of Vanderford, spoke up.


    "Emperor Valentin, we understand that you have the very right to impose your regtions on your own territory. However, this really has put the Grand Tournament council on the spot. How can we now jeopardize the holding of the tournament because of this dispute? Could you consider giving us face?"


    "Hahhahaha!!!" This time, it was not Emperor Valentin who spoke but Grandmaster Reuben.


    "Ohhh, Headmaster Heron! You now have the nerve to mention being considerate?! Hahaha of all the people in this conference, you and the members of your council have no right to even speak of that word in this context!


    You knew and His Majesty Emperor had broadcasted that they have just undergone arge-scale internal war, and yet you and your GOOD council still forced the Empire to amodate the entire Prasinos to host the grand tournament?!"


    "..."


    As Grandmaster Reuben shouted angrily and tantly pointed it out, everyone was yet again speechless.


    "I also me you¡­ you leaders, for not being considerate. Thank Heavens. Oh, just thank Heavens, that none of our students were killed during the war, for if not, I don''t know what to think of you here.


    Have any of you, who were clearly in the academy which made an oath to the heavens to be the guide to the younger generations, thought that many unfortunate young ones could have experienced trauma or even been injured for you to even insist on holding the tournament this year?!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not to mention six months, even one year would not be enough to return our student''s mental health condition that fast! You really wanted to kill the Seirende Empire and their allied Kingdom''s future generation do you?!


    Don''t tell me that you failed to judge the situation. I, as the representative of the Empire''s academy, had already pleaded and reminded you MANY times but you kept pushing your own agenda and kicked us down.


    Now we just imposed some additional measures to protect not only our citizens but most importantly the younger generation who had the highest possibility to be exposed to a terrorist attack, but youe to us and cry murder?!


    Who now had no mercy?


    Who now had been inconsiderate?


    How pretentious!!"


    With Grandmaster Reuben putting it this way, the council members were put on the spot. That was also the same for the leader of the Allied government of the Greenwave Continent and the Vanderford Emperor.


    Grandmaster Reuben''s words, really exposed their impatience toe to the Empire and kick them down.


    Grandmaster Reuben did not hold back his words at all, because he just received a notification paper from Leon that even this every conference was a scheme for some of the hostile leaders to ''expose'' the Seirende Empire.


    Leon''s roaming de intelligencework confirmed that the very proceedings of this meeting were actually being broadcasted to other territories.


    In the end, their n backfired, and now the leaders are put in an awkward moral spot.


    All the hostile leaders racked their brains for retort while the allied forces of the kingdom just watched withoutint. It is not that theypletely agree with Emperor Valentin''s methods, it is just that their sons and daughter were also studying at the Farauld Magic Institute.


    Even the smaller kingdoms who were part of the scheme to force the Seirende Empire to open their gates to the world became ashamed. Yes, they were even sending their own kin to participate in the tournament.


    What''s wrong with the Seirende Empire imposing stricter regtions? Isn''t this also for their kins'' safety?


    Now that they heard Grandmaster Reuben''s words, they also thought of their children. What the Emperor did was not only to protect his own territory but to protect future generations.


    "It seems that everyone in this conference now understands your point of being vignt with the curse users¡­" Just as when the people were anxious that this session would end this way, an elderly yet dignified voice sounded to raise a question toward the three elders.


    "What about my Main Temple''s envoys who are set toe there to investigate in a few weeks'' time?"


    "Will they be also subjected to the same security procedures?"


    "Yes, there will be no exemptions. Even if the Pope personally came, he would be subjected to inspection." Emperor Valentin did not even think for a second and answered decisively.


    A hushed discussion ensued in the conference room. Even if they were meeting through magical messenger emblems, it allowed a multiway interaction. Though this could only be used by the greatest leaders in Prasinos.


    There was a cunning sh on the Pope''s face.


    As if he was satisfied with Emperor Valentin''s answer, he leaned his back on his chair and replied, "So Emperor Valentin, you are saying that not even the royals nor the people of the Temple who were directly conferred by the heavens are all subject to Seirende Empire''s doubt?"


    This time the overwhelming effect of Grandmaster Reuben''s speech weakened as the ce of the Main Temple in every leader''s mind is high. Soon the overall opinion halved so easily.


    But how could Emperor Valentin, who had already been so exposed to Eli''s way of thinking be perturbed by the Pope''s words?


    "Why not, Pope? Have you forgotten, that the main instigator that caused our Empire to almost vanish is actually the Former Empress of this Empire, she was even my wife?


    Oh, and have you forgotten that that very Empress has been awarded by your Main Temple with a precious holy relic just because she had given an ''exemry'' voluntary service back then?


    In the end, Pope, who is she?


    She was a curse user, who caused millions of innocent lives destroyed and killed. She even tried to kill her very own son by using him as a vessel for a spirit fragment!"

 Chapter 398 Debates End

    ?The smile on the Pope''s face froze, but it did not fade.


    Everyone in the call, even the spectators, felt like their backs were dripping with sweat because of how venomous the Emperor''s retort was.


    Not only did he bluntly state that the culprit was closely rted to him, but she was also closely rted to the Temple.


    Bu Emperor''s message was clear, so clear that even the Pope was taken aback for a minute.


    "Any more questions? Or is there someone here in the call still unconvinced with my, the Seirende Emperor''s decision?"


    "..."


    "Now there are no more questions, I''ll leave the decision to you. There is only one way to enter our territory other than to go through the security gates.


    And if the Tournament was not held because most of the delegates were not able toe to the venue on time, then it''s not my Empire''s fault but yours."


    With that, Emperor Valentin unsped his hands and prepared to exit, which made the other resistant leaders panic.


    "Emperor Valentin?! Are you not afraid that you will make everyone here, even your own allies and the Main Temple your enemy? What about your young people, what if the Farauld Magic Institute will be forever cklisted in the tournament." One of the kings shouted hastily.


    "Go ahead, do not support our Empire if you want. Even the main temple can do so, but remember¡­ The cure potion came from our Empire. I dare you to be shameless dogs and keep on using my Empire''s form.


    Oh, I forgot¡­ even if the form has been publicized, the ingredients can only be found in my Empire too!" Emperor Valentin shrugged and looked at them haughtily.


    He continued, "Well, you can try to cultivate your own if you want. It''s not like the ingredients were hard to make. That is if your territories have enough fertilends to cultivate them all¡­"


    Once again, the leaders'' words remained stuck in their mouths. How could they forget that the Seirende Empire was thergest exporter of medicinal herbs and potion ingredients?!


    More importantly, the modified herbs used for the cure potion were only found in their Empire!


    Emperor Valentin''s words were like a p on their faces. Yes, they can live without the cure potion, however, since the Empire closed off its gates, it would not be long before their own territories were the next target of the curse users.


    Even if they have the form, could they source the ingredients? The form has been announced to the public a few days ago, and many doctors have tried concocting it but to no avail. They have to know what kind of nts were used in the potion!


    "And don''t worry about the Farauld Magic Institute not joining the tournament. We will just be fine without it.


    In the end, it was just an added experience for the children and we still have Lady Eli and our outstanding talents inside the Empire to hone the next generation stronger." This time, it was Grandmaster Farauld who answered the question regarding the banning of the Farauld Institute.


    With a cunning smile, Grandmaster Reuben continued, "It is also not like we were the ones who were hungry to send our students to learn from the other schools. For decades, the winners of our institute have always treated the learning exchange as a vacation trip."


    "..." The headmaster of Vanderford Institute and the other delegates from the educational council all had colorful faces. They wanted to retaliate but they knew that Grandmaster Reuben''s words were right.


    For years they had one, the delegates of the Farauld Magic Institute only treated their winning prize as a field trip for the chosen teachers and kids. They even drew lots on which school they would have to visit!


    Meanwhile in the Farauld institute''s za where the students were also gathered to watch the entire farce all had a look as if they have seen a different world


    "Wow!!! I never thought our headmaster could trash-talk like that! I could not help but admit, he is so cool and eloquent!"


    "Not to mention, His Majesty Emperor''s words are fiery and ruthless too!"


    "Indeed! But listening to their words, I could not help but feel proud that we are part of the Empire."


    "Oh¡­ I am going to call my Father King to not give a hard time to His Majesty! I must convince him to maintain a good rtionship with the Empire!"


    "Ah! Me too! I can''t let my father be swayed by the old fogeys in there! The Institute and the Empire were protected as well! We must stand by their side too as part of the allied kingdoms!"


    "We will join too! I''ll ask my parents too!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In a sh, all of the children who were enrolled in the Farauld Institute sent an express message to their parents to give a good word.


    Everyone could see in the broadcast that one by one, the allied kingdoms started to express their willingness to cooperate the reason that the Emperor''s extreme security measures were still reasonable.


    "Alright¡­ I do not need to hear all of your answers one by one. You still have a few weeks to decide. However, do not me me should my knights see anyone from your territory trying to sneak and circumvent our procedure. They will be treated harshly should they try to bypass our gates, even if you yourselves plead." Emperor Valentin looked at them coldly with fierce eyes.


    "Zero tolerance for those who want to enter and exit the Empire. If anyone, even if he is a royal is caught sneaking, they will be treated as the Empire''s terrorist enemies! Do not say I did not warn you!"


    With that, Emperor Valentin cut his connection to his own messenger emblem and soon all the mediums disappeared without a trace.


    In the room, only three of them were left, and the broadcast on their side was also stopped.


    The three elders did not say a word, but theypletely understood each other. The Seirende will stand by their own rules to protect their own.


    ¨C


    Crash! In the Vanderford Empire, the Emperor could not help but throw his ss in anger as not only did he see Emperor Valentin condemned by the leaders, but he was also repeatedly pped in the face.


    In the same room, the crown prince silently watched his father vent his anger at the things around him with an indifferent gaze.


    "Ranon, Son! Go ahead and do what you think is right for this matter. You know our goal right? Do not let the empire down!" After he had vented his anger the Vanderford Emperor looked at Ranon with a frenzied expression as he ordered him to be sent out to the Seirende Empire.


    "I will father. You can rest assured." Even if his father was looking like a crazed beast, the indifference in Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes remained the same. He only nodded and went on his way to prepare for leaving.


    He was supposed to go with the delegates to the Empire to represent the Vanderford but the advanced parties were denied entry. So he waited for the conference to finish before he made a move.


    As soon as he exited the hall and went to the council room, a group of elderly noblemen swarmed at him with anxiousness.


    "Your Highness Crown Prince¡­" They greeted, " What is his majesty''s decision?"


    "He said that we can do what we think is right to reach the goal. He does not care about anything else."


    The council member sighed but they still looked rather relieved.


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness, I have already sent some men to check any weak spots in their security. Even if they could maintain tight security on the entry points, I''m sure they could not protect their void, underground and aerial borders."


    "That''s right, Your Highness, leave it to us!"


    "We will try our best!" They all dered in a fawning expression.


    "Do what you need to do. I''ll give you three days. If not, we will just walk through their doors andply with their wishes. It''s not like they would see anything wrong on our end anyways." The Crown Prince shrugged and waved them goodbye.


    Just like that, the leader''s conference ended in an awkward state, leaving each of the head figures to rack their brains and think of their gains and losses.


    Especially those smaller kingdoms who tried to join the bandwagon and openly supported the oppression of the Empire!


    How could they be so foolish to forget how many benefits their little kingdoms get just because the Seirende Empire exists?


    And even now that they refused to let people in, just the thought of publicizing the cure potion form had already put the Empire on the highest moral pedestal!!!


    Now, how could they persecute such a magnanimous and capable Empire filled with extraordinary talents?


    In the end, these kingdoms could only grit their teeth and thicken their faces,


    "Screw it! Tell all the delegates to peacefullyply with the Seirende Emperor''s rules! Should they protest, the kingdom will not back them up!!!

 Chapter 399 Opening Ceremony

    ?Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of firework magic was released into the air. The mor on the streets and city gates was as lively as ever.


    People from different territories were walking around the Seirende Empire''s city as they enjoyed the bustle onest time before they got busy with the tournament.


    Today is the opening ceremony of the Grand Tournament of the Three Continents. People were gathered everywhere as they excitedly waited for the parade of delegates around the city.


    Recording stones were also set up all around the city, ensuring that the proceedings of the tournament could be broadcasted all around the Prasinos.


    The opening march will start on the Seirende Capital''s za. They will march around a certain route before they get to the Capital''s grand colosseum which could house not only all the outside delegates but also arge percentage of the local and foreign spectators.


    The overall atmosphere outside sparked a lot of interest in the visitors as they could not help but admire the ce.


    "Seirende Empire is truly grand and huge! They could easily amodate more than three thousand delegates over the entire Prasinos and there wasn''t even any news of spillovers!"


    "I know, I even thought that we would even lose a ce to stay since we have already entered the territoryte. But who knew that the Imperial Family would manage this issue really well!"


    "I heard that the Emperor entrusted these matters to his three sons. One of them is tasked for restoration, the other for the trades, and thest for security!"


    "Indeed, they live up to their names as the next generation of Seirende! Whenever I look around, I could not even imagine that six months ago this ce was a battlefield!"


    "I can say, even if the council had indeed schemed to force the Seirende Empire to host the tournament, it was by far the most well thought off and well-managed venue for the past twenty years.."


    "Oh, senior¡­ you really have gone through times!''


    "Eherm! Anyways, I am saying this because back then, the council always chose a small kingdom to host the tournament, to also promote tourism in these small territories. It was the first time that it was held in a mega territory like Seirende!"


    "I see¡­ The Seirende Empire really showed the entire world what they were capable of!!"


    "It''s early to say, we are still on our first day of the tournament¡­"


    "Oh! The Parade is starting! Look, those are the delegates from the allied kingdom!"


    While the people were immersed in their discussion, the sound of festive drums and trumpets was heard from a distance.


    They all started to clear up the path as they saw that the parade already started!


    Cheers were all over the ce! The children looked at the delegates of the tournament with great admiration.


    Today these children saw many valiant-looking young people. There were also beautiful men and women whose parents were dragons, mermen, and even werewolves!


    They also saw a lot of princes and princesses dressed nicely as they were seated on beautifully decorated carriages!


    But the highlight of the crowd would still be their very own delegates.


    "Woah! It''s the great inventor!!!"


    "All hail her highness''s queens and consorts!!!"


    "You can do it, Farauld Academy Students!!!"


    The locals all threw fragrant flower petals and shouted with all their might as the representatives of the Farauld Magic Institute were marching towards the Grand Colosseum.


    In the Colosseum, the council and all the headmasters were already dressed in their respective academic and wizard gowns as they waited patiently on the arrival of the delegates.


    The envoys from the participating territories were alsofortably sitting in their designated seats as they watched the entire venue slowly be filled with the tournament contestants.


    "Hmm¡­ Headmaster Farauld, I did not expect that this tournament would be as grand as this! I am pretty impressed!" The other headmasters praised Grandmaster Reuben as they watched the entire proceedings go.


    "It was all thanks to His Majesty and all that has helped the empire prepare. If not, you would all sleep on dpidated tents while your students toil to win gold¡­" Grandmaster Reuben has never been one who enjoyed ttery, much more sarcasm.


    So he did not indulge these men and replied bluntly. "The Empire just pitied these students so we sacrificed not sleeping for six months just to let you sleep with a roof."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The other headmasters: "..."


    They could not refute his words no matter how rude they could be. That is because they were the first ones who forced them to host such arge-scale event without regard that the Empire had just experienced civil war.


    "Eherm¡­ It seems that Headmaster still bears a grudge toward us for this incident. We apologize sincerely¡­" One of them answered to smoothen the awkward atmosphere between the headmasters.


    "I am indeed holding a grudge, you do not need to imply that you are merely guessing. Enough of the talk, the parade of delegates is almost done." Grandmaster Reuben replied grumpily and waved his hand to gesture to the headmasters to not give him any more attention.


    It was as Grandmaster Reuben said, the delegates have almost arrived and soon they will be hosting the opening ceremony which would mark the officialmencement of the tournament!


    Boom! Boom! Whoosh!!


    Just as all of the delegates lined up orderly in therge open ground in the colosseum, the fireworks were once again released, making the people around excited with their hearts beating fast.


    The marching band also intensified their music as the colosseum was filled with loud cheers.


    As the time for the official ceremony arrived. The crowd and all the music temporarily halted. The next moment, the Chairman of the Tournament Organization, Headmaster Heron Vanderford stood up and addressed the crowd with a speech.


    "Distinguished guests and the Imperial Family of our host Empire, Seirende, my fellow headmasters and faculty members, delegates, envoys,dies, and gentlemen, wee to the Grand Tournament of the Three Continents!"


    "Today is a historical day as three thousand sixty students gathered here to showcase and exchange their learnings with each other through the events that the council had prepared for them all."


    "This might be called apetition among the students, but this is also the best avenue for them to have a life-changing experience that would contribute to their growth as the next generation."


    "I plead to everyone that the proceedings of this tournament will go smoothly and cleanly. Let us keep in mind the value of integrity, sportsmanship, and excellence throughout the end of this tournament!"


    "With that, I officially dere the start of the Grand Tournament!"


    After Headmaster Heron gave his speech, the ceremonial goblet was lit up by the selected deans of the magic institute. The bright multicolored me danced vigorously at the tform of the Colosseum.


    After that, there were some intermissions and the official presentation of all the participating institutes and their delegates consumed the time allotted for the ceremony.


    One by one, the institutes raised their g and showed themselves to the crowd, making all the spectators guess who among them might be a good seed throughout thepetition.


    It was very apparent when the top three institutes, Vanderford, Greenwave, and Farauld Magic Institute were introduced.


    They stayed on high alert to see who among the delegates and their mentors they must watch out for so that they could follow their performances in the future.


    Of course, the crowd could not be controlled when the Farauld Institute''s Academic Department was introduced.


    Standing in front of them were Dean Athena and the top mentors of the branch. Eli, Randel, Queen Teh, Queen Lucia, Princess Evelyn, and Princess Arielle stood out among them.


    On the envoy''s side, the group of men could not help but spark a lively discussion the moment they saw the neglected princess of the Vanderford standing proudly beside Eli, the legendary inventor, and the respected royalties and faculty members.


    "Hmm¡­ It seems like the Princess was doing well outside the territory¡­ What do you think, Your Highness Crown Prince?" They all looked at the mysterious man at the center of the private booth.


    "Hmmm¡­ she''s just something that we gave away to the Empire who likes to take care of stray animals. Let her y around, we do not need to bother." The Crown Prince, Ranon, replied coldly.


    His eyes were not even directed on Princess Arielle, but rather at a certain woman whose countenance would make a man like him interested at first nce.


    "Oh, that intimidating young woman beside the Second Queen of Seirende is the legendary inventor, Lady Eli, who was also the fiance of the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire!"


    "For real! Wow! Look at her¡­ she looks so intimidating even at this distance!"


    Crown Prince Ranon smiled alluringly as he heard thements from the noblemen beside him.


    "Young Inventor Eli, it is¡­" He mumbled, but no one in the room understood his mood and thoughts at the moment.


    Eli seemed to have felt his intense gaze from afar because without any warning, she lifted up her head and immediately nced in the direction of his private booth.


    At that moment, their eyes met.

 Chapter 400 Enemies Lurking Around

    ?"Master¡­ I can sense multiple curse presence around¡­" Baobao mentallymunicated to Eli as she stood with the delegates in the Colosseum.


    "Can you estimate how many there are?" Eli''s heart grew cold the moment she heard the news from Baobao.


    It seems like the enemies and curse users were still able to find a way to infiltrate the Empire. Though she and Kayden had already expected that the detecting device could not perfectly detect the presence of curse magic, the reliability rate was still close to ny-eight percent.


    "Not too many¡­ Probably around ten, some of them were just faint presence but three of them were quite strong¡­" Baobao replied with uncertainty. "And they were all concentrated in one direction."


    "Could you tell precisely where these three presences are right now?" Eli''s eyes remained calm, but her mind was already buzzing with alertness.


    "I could sense them all at the top floor, thirty-six degrees."


    As soon as Eli heard the location, her head immediately moved to look in that direction. The top floor is where all the foreign envoys were seated.


    Though she could no longer see who they were with her naked eye, she still stared in their direction.


    But in order to make it not obvious, her gaze did not linger in that direction, and slowly turned her head as if she was looking at her surroundings in the most natural manner.


    Outwardly she may look like a person who was calmly looking at the vast crowd, but she was already calcting in her mind the exact position of the cubicle where the three presences are located.


    "Thanks, Baobao. Tell me if there are any other suspicious presences around. I''ll report this immediately to Mishael and Leon once the ceremony is done." Eli thanked Baobao.


    "On it, master¡­" Baobao replied before cutting off their mentalmunication.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, on the balcony, Crown Prince Renon''s eyes flickered in interest when he saw Eli''s eyes suddenly looking in their direction.


    But not even a second has passed when he figured out that Eli''s unfocused gaze scanned not only his balcony but the other ones.


    ''For a minute¡­ I thought that she was looking at me¡­'' His deep purple eyes glimmered cunningly before he resumed hiszy posture on his chair and watched the rest of the proceedings.


    It was not only he who noticed Eli looking in their direction, at the far corner of Crown Prince Renon''s cubicle but there were also two hooded mages who appeared to be attentive standing with the knights to guard the Crown Prince.


    There was a mysterious air emanating from their seemingly low-key figures however, because of theck of reaction and movement, the other noblemen in the room soon treated them as bodyguards.


    But if one looked closely, their eyes were also focused on Eli''s direction, particrly at the line of Imperial Women standing beside her. There was a deep sense of hatred in their eyes, which caused the colors of their irises to change.


    ¨C


    After the ceremony, there was a three-hour intermission before the elimination stages started in the second half of the day.


    Eli thought that she could use this time to look for the organizers in charge of arranging the rooms on the top floor.


    However on second thought, asking for theyout definitely raised suspicions, for those who were on the top floors were definitely the leaders'' representatives to spectate the tournament.


    And so she decided to course her inquiry to Grandpa Reuben and Uncle Bramwell.


    "Oh, Eli! You made the right choice to tell this matter to us instead." Uncle Bramwell smiled at Eli, feeling relieved that she did not act on her own but instead sought the help of the elders before making any moves.


    "Here is the approvedyout of the Colosseum''s top floor, attached in the list of the envoys assigned to each cubicle. However, of course, we would not know if they would somehow keep insisting to take a cubicle of their liking." Uncle Bramwell immediately gave Eli the information.


    "Alright, thank you, Uncle¡­ Thank you, Grandpa. I''ll contact Mishael and Leon about the matter too. But do not worry, I''ll ask big brother Nathan to apany me just in case.


    "Good girl, go ahead. Just remember, this matter is quite a delicate one. We cannot let the enemy know that we are already aware of their presence." Grandpa Reuben warned Eli worriedly.


    "Okay grandpa, I will also pass your word to them." With that, Eli bade them farewell and immediately moved to contact Mishael and Leon secretly.


    Since they have detected multiple curse users in the crowd, she is tasked to inform the representative of the Imperial Family and the Temple. Therefore, she had to report to Leon and Mishael as they were the chosen representatives of the two parties.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ll be back before the start of the preliminary rounds¡­" Eli affectionately hugged Grandpa Ben and Uncle Bramwell as she said goodbye.


    Without dying any further, she came back to her own office in the Research Branch, activated the istion barriers, and immediately called Leon and Mishael.


    Exining her findings, the two immediately understood.


    "Alright, we will investigate," Mishael replied with a tone of assurance.


    "Let our site handle the situation, I''ll send a roaming de to get the documents from Grandmaster Reuben to you. Just focus on the Tournament and rest assured." Leon also seconded.


    "Alright, I will¡­ Thank you." Eli did as they suggested and agreed to their words. In fact, this was the best course of action, to act normally before they figured out the enemy''s intention.


    Leon and Mishael also know enough not to raise the rm of the public by suddenly sending more reinforcements to the venue. This will also unnecessarily send a signal to the enemy to be more sneaky and hidden on their watch.


    Eli just sincerely prayed that Leon and Mishael''s forces will be able to figure out the enemy''s ns and apprehend them before these people would make a move to kill people''s lives.


    Just thinking about how many young people were here in the Colosseum, Eli''s hair stood on end. These are thousands of young people, not to mention, the most talented ones!


    The Empire must protect them at all costs!


    Deciding that in her heart, she took a deep breath and refocused herself. There''s still half an hour before the preliminary round starts. She had to reunite with Dean Athena and the rest to support Lainie and Desmond on their rounds.


    Since Eli''s team was in the Academic Division, the Preliminary round was carried out on the Farauld Magic Institute''s Campus instead.


    The Colosseum, however, would be the main location for the Magic division where a lot of fighting and duels would happen.


    After a walk from the Research Branch to the Academic Branch, Eli''s eyes turned wide in nostalgia and amazement.


    The volume of the people around was overwhelming, there were countless teacher-student groups around, using the remaining time to encourage the delegates and keep them from being nervous.


    It was like when Eli participated in a lot ofpetitions back then¡­ Only that, this scene is arge-scale musicalpetition. She could not help but feel her heart pumping with fighting spirit.


    "Councilor Eli! Here!" Dean Athena spotted Eli who was looking around to locate them. She raised her hands and waved at Eli.


    Eli greeted everyone. In the group, only hers, Queen Teh, Queen Lucia and Princess Evelyn''s students were around waiting for her in the crowd.


    "Let''s go¡­Her Highnesses were already seated inside." Dean Athena looked at everyone and guided them to their waiting rooms.


    The preliminary rounds were divided ording to their instruments and clusters. Except for theposer''spetition, everyone had a nervous expression on their faces, which made their mentors a little helpless.


    "Aiyooo¡­ I told you, this is just the preliminary round, how could you let yourself be affected by nervousness.." Queen Teh patted her protegee, Raya who was holding her violin while visibly shaking.


    "I-i saw the contenders from the Vanderford Empire rehearsing earlier¡­ They¡­ they were scarily good!" Raya appeared to be losing her confidence and will to fight.


    "Their intonation is so urate¡­ even the distribution of their bow and the projection of their sound¡­ it was so good¡­ One look and I knew that they picked up the violin and studied it for years!"


    "How are we supposed to beat them, who were only trained for a few months¡­" She continued to mumble.


    The rest of the music group was also affected by her actions. Raya was the most outspoken and fearless in the group, so seeing her act like she already lost the fight also nted a seed of doubt in Hailey and Marrie.


    Eli sighed, it seemed like she had to speak up once again.


    But before she was able to open her mouth, Desmond, her student, and also Raya''s older brother, stepped forward and looked at Raya with a stern expression.


    "Wake up! Why are you beating yourself up with the thought of not being able to defeat them? Don''t you remember our mentor''s words? From the start, they did not ask us to join to win, they chose us to fight and hold our chin up to proudly represent our Institute and Empire!"

 Chapter 401 Preliminaries (1)

    ?Raya and the rest of the students were taken aback at Desmond''s sudden reprimand. Eli and the rest of the mentors, however, looked at Desmond with approval. It seems that Desmond was chosen as their leader for a reason.


    "Today is the preliminary rounds, the goal for today is to make it to the next stage. Then after that next stage, that''s when we will worry about how we can strive to get on to the next and see how far we can go."


    "Sorry Big brother¡­" Raya contemted Desmond''s words, and so were the other members of the team.


    "Desmond is right. Our goal today is to pass the preliminary rounds. There''s a time to recognize the pressure of beating a certainponent, but clearly now is not the time for that. Because before you face the Vanderford delegates, you have to qualify for this round first." Queen Teh patted Raya''s shoulders as she supported Desmond''s words.


    "We understand, Mentor, Desmond, everyone¡­ I apologize for worrying you all.." Raya, Marie, and Hailey looked at everyone with an apologetic expression. But everyone could see that they no longer carry the tense feeling in their heart.


    "Alright¡­ close your eyes and take a deep breath. Focus and maintain a good state of mind." Eli looked at them and advised.


    "In thirty minutes, the stringpetition will start. It is a shame that we will not be able to watch all of your performances but we wish you well." Dean Athena briefed everyone.


    The contenders nodded at Dean Athena as they went with their respective mentors and assistants to wait for their turn.


    "As for Lainie, you could start to go around to scout for possible members of your ensemble as I apany Desmond on the piano division. Should it end early, we will join you afterward¡­"


    "I will do as you say, Mentor!" Lainie''s eyes flickered in excitement, Eli was right, since she would have to work hard to find foreign delegates to join her ensemble, she had to go around and start as early as today.


    After saying their final thoughts, the music division started to disperse and go to their respective audition rooms.


    Because the volume of the contestants was too much to handle, they were divided into clusters and would have to attend their auditions separately.


    The highest number of contestants would be for the strings and pianopetition. As for the other musical instruments, they would be scheduled in the seeding days.


    Desmond and Eli soon reached their room number. There were already a bunch of students waiting around for their numbers to be called.


    "I am number 14, it might take time for me to finish the auditions." Desmond looked at the number on his card and informed Eli.


    Seeing the busy and noisy corridor, Desmond was quite reluctant to let his mentor stand with the crowd to wait for his turn. She is not only his mentor and the legendary inventor, but also the future Third Prince Consort.


    Desmond frantically looked around to see if there was any space they could go to. His youthful face frowned as he could see that there was really no ce to go.


    "Mentor, would you like to stay in your waiting lounge first? I think I can manage to wait here until my turn is up." He scratched his head with aplicated look in his eyes and sheepishly asked Eli.


    Seeing the youngd in trouble, Eli chuckled and shed a bright smile. She patted Desmond''s shoulders and said in an assuring tone, "Do not worry about me. I have been through situations like this a lot and it''s no big deal. It''s better for me to stay with you since this will be your very first time performing for people other than me and your teammates right?"


    "This¡­ but¡­"


    "No buts¡­ now stand properly and calm your nerves, in no time you will be called. Don''t me me if your hands turn out to be stiff because you are thinking so many unnecessary things." Eli teased Desmond.


    During the time they trained, Eli figured out that because Desmond acted like he was the oldest in the group, he had a strong sense of responsibility to the people around him. Most of the time, Eli had to talk to him a lot in order to remind him to be less of a worry wart to focus on himself.


    But it is not too much that would make Desmond feel like he had be a different person. A youngd like him is hard to find, and his music is gentle, thoughtful, and deep, just like his personality.


    They waited for more than an hour before he was finally called inside the audition area.


    Entering the room, there was only a seat for the mentor or guardian and three judges. At the center of the room, was a full-sized grand piano.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Delegate number 14, Farauld Magic Institute, Desmond." One of the judges looked at Eli and Desmond.


    "Here, Sire!" Desmond raised his hand in acknowledgment. He took a step forward and handed his authentication card.


    The judge tapped the card on a magic device and it correspondingly disyed Desmond''s details. "Alright, you may get into your position." After checking he gave the card back to Desmond and handed him a folder as well.


    Carrying the folder, Desmond sat on the sleek ck piano bench and waited for the judge''s instruction.


    "In that is the piece of one of the legendary piano sonatas in Prasinos. You are to y one movement of the piece if you are not familiar with it, but try your best to y it as the score intended." The judge sitting at the center of the long table exined the instructions to him in an unhurried manner.


    "This hourss is about ten minutes. We will give you time to be familiar with the score sheet and after that, you have to y it as urately as possible."


    "I understood, Sires." Desmond gave a polite nod to the judge and Eli before he opened the folder to see what piece the organizers chose.


    Moline Piano Sonata In E major.


    Desmond''s eyes flicked. Indeed they have chosen one legendary piano sonata. It was a sonata with four movements and the recurring theme of this sonata was the rigorous double octave lines coupled with a three-voice melody.


    Without wasting a second, Desmond focused on getting acquainted with the piece while his hands moved to n his fingerings. This was a technique Eli taught him to do when he encountered an unfamiliar piece.


    First is to know the tempo and the overall flow and direction of the piece. It was the first part of the analysis.


    The second is to know the author of the piece and when was the time he wrote it. This is important so that Desmond will be able to interpret the music ording to the original author''s intention.


    This was also why Eli was adamant to let Desmond read almost all the biography and anecdotes of the most prominentposers in Prasinos. This is for Desmond to have an easy time figuring out theposer''s intention during the time theyposed the piece.


    The third is to n how to y the piece. With his two hands, he has to see which part of the piano piece would be quite challenging and from there, he would n how he will press the keys using his left and right hands.


    Eli looked at how Desmond immediately took out his pen and scanned the pages to encircle some parts of the piece. She figured out that Desmond was pointing out the trickiest part of the piece and he was nning how to execute it.


    She looked at the judges and smiled as she saw that they were looking at Desmond with interest.


    The intention of the challenge was not actually to gauge how technically inclined the pianist was. But to see for themselves if they have the most basic principle of a musician - knowing the piece you are about to y.


    This means that as soon as the judges turned the hourss to time Desmond''s preparation, he had already been scored ording to his actions.


    The judges were indeed amused and surprised by Desmond''s action. Seeing him looking intently at the piece, even singing some lines and marking around the sheet to scribble something, he was indeed different from the previous contestants.


    Most of them immediately went ahead and tried to frantically sight-read the piece until the time was up, praying that they would be able to y a part or two of the first movement.


    Some of them just flipped on the pages and chose to practice the part that they thought would impress the judges the most.


    Only Desmond, so far, was the only one who manifested the intent to really be acquainted with the piece. He didn''t even touch the piano keys until he had not figured out how the melodies were sung.


    The judges straightened their backs in excitement. They looked at Desmond with anticipation. In their hearts, they wanted to know what kind of music would this young man create!

 Chapter 402 Premilinaries (2)

    ?"Young man, your time is up." One of the judges finally announced as the contents of the hourss ran out.


    Desmond nodded and proceeded to prepare for his performance.


    He looked at Eli as if seeking a little bit of encouragement, to which she replied with a gentle smile and nod.


    Desmond gently ced his fingers on the piano keys and took a deep breath.


    A smooth and slow series of arpeggio followed by the melodic voices on the right hand was heard in the room.


    The judge''s eyes immediately lit up the moment Desmond yed the first few bars of the songs. True enough, the music of thed is different from the previous auditionees!


    They looked at each other and carefully listened to Desmond''s practice. Eli revealed a rxed smile and watched Desmond reveal a glimpse of his growth to the judges.


    She felt like a mother bird looking at her chick flying for the first time. She knew at this moment, Desmond is now taking his first step to bing the musician he was always meant to be.


    Desmond''s performance was not perfect, he had some mistakes that could be openly nitpicked by the judges. But overall his performance pleased the judges as they knew what to expect from pianists that yed a piece for the first time.


    In fact, they were amazed that Desmond even attempted to y the entire sonata sessfully. But the most impressive thing was, that he was even able to bring out a little of the intention of theposer within the short time he was given to understand the piece.


    "The results will be disyed in the bulletin three days from now. Should you pass, the next stage would be exactly a week after." The judges visibly treated him softer than when they first stepped into the room.


    Desmond bade goodbye to the judges and heaved a sigh of relief as soon as they exited the room.


    "You did a good job!" Eli patted thed''s shoulders which were visibly stiff at the moment.


    Desmond was still mulling over the mistakes he made during the performance, but looking at Eli''s expression while she said her words, he decided to believe in her and entrust the results to the judge.


    "While you wait for the results for three days, try to find time to practice what we have prepared as your main pieces. You''ll never know when you will have to y them throughout the tournament." Eli smiled mischievously and assigned more practice time since Desmond would clearly have a few more days to prepare for the next stages.


    "Mentor, you really believe that I will have the chance to use them?" Desmond sighed as he helplessly replied to Eli''s orders.


    "Yes, in fact, I have the confidence that you would y all of them." Eli gazed at him with confidence. "I thought you, you know? Everything I knew and experienced, was passed it down to you¡­ so have the confidence that you will seed."


    With that, Eli turned to exit the hall with Desmond but not before saying, "As for how you define the word sess, it is up to you. I have no right to dictate your own view of sess."


    Desmond was startled as he listened to Eli''s words.


    Sometimes, she felt like his mentor had gone through several lifetimes, that''s why she could tell such profound words and still be convincing despite her young age!


    Sometime after exiting the audition area for piano, Eli reunited with Lainie who was busy organizing the information in her notebook.


    "How have you been, Lainie? Did you find people we can recruit for your ensemble?" Eli looked at her, who seemed like she had just been through a feast. Eli thought that she might have seen a lot of musicians which sparked her creativity in arranging andposing.


    "Indeed, mentor! All I could say is that there were really a lot of people who were talented and in Prasinos! I''ve discovered another world!" Lainie excitedly shared her experience going around the area. "Too bad, some sections do not allow spectating so I was not able to check out the other instruments.


    "Don''t worry you will have more time when the main tournamentes," Desmond replied. Soon the trio started to engage in telling stories of their experiences on the first day of the tournament while they were checking out the other''s situation.


    It was a very good day for everyone as the rest of their teammates were also confident that they would be chosen for the next round.


    On the fine arts side, Anna and Raphael''s situations were also as optimistic as the music bunch. Overall, it was only Max and Lainie who had to wait until their turns before they could fight on their own preliminary rounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    And so the first round of the tournament ended like that. Eli internally heaved a sigh of relief as the day ended without any mishaps.


    However, knowing that the enemies were still roaming freely among them, she dared not to let her guard down.


    Before she went on her way home, she thought that she should check the situation in the research branch. Unlike the other events, there was only one round for the research branch, and that was to present their thesis in front of arge panel of critiques.


    Eli thought that aside from the strength and confidence the research branch had for their work, they should have the capacity to present their case well.


    Since she was pretty free after the preliminary round, she wanted to spend this time giving the chosen research thesis presentation.


    "Little Sister! You''re here!" As she walked outside the campus, she heard Kayden''s voice from afar.


    Turning to look in Kayden''s direction she smiled quite surprised, "Big brother Einz! Dr. Sophie!"


    Einz and Sophie smiled as they walked towards Eli, both were out not wearing their white doctor''s gowns but the gowns of the Farauld Research Professor gowns.


    "Are you on your way to the research branch, my little Eli?" Sophie looked at Eli with doting in her eyes, she immediately linked her hands with hers as she asked her.


    "Yes, I figured that I should check the group before they finalize their routine for the presentation," Eli replied with a smile.


    She had a very good impression on Sophie, not only on Elise''s original memory but based on her recent interactions.


    Dr. Sophie is one of the few people, apart from her and Dr. Thomas, who could assist Kayden and keep up with his thought process during research. She was also a very good subordinate and teammate to Kayden as she not only supported him through the work but also reminded him to stop and rest when he gets too engrossed in the research.


    Sometime after the internal war, Sophie temporarily took Kayden''s ce as the medical advisor for the three researchers who were interested in the medical field. She was now working in the Farauld Institute as a part-time assistant professor in the research branch!


    "Then, we''re just in time! We are on our way to check on our own teams too!" Dr. Sophie smiled happily as it was now so seldom for her to see Eli because of her busy schedule.


    "Alright, let''s go!" Kayden looked at the twodies, and a rare smile bloomed on his usually serious face.


    He felt like it had been so long since the two women reunited. Just like the old days in Riverfront. Though it was only that, it was Eli who was present, not Elise. But he knew that wherever Elise was at this moment, his little sister was in a happy ce.


    While the trio was absorbed in a sweet reunion, they did not notice that far from their location, the hooded mages that apanied Crown Prince Renon a while ago were looking in their direction.


    "It seems like the genius inventor had a good life after getting engaged with the crown prince¡­" The other onemented, quite amused as he observed Eli from afar with a telescope.


    "Tsk¡­ Crown Prince Renon was quite a paranoid person. Why is he thinking that this little woman was able to detect our presence? She looked quite weak to me!"


    "Without her cursed bear, she was just so so¡­"


    The man of the duo continued to bber as he observed Eli''s every move. It turns out that Crown Prince Renon did not let go of her act earlier and is quite adamant to ensure that she was not a threat to him.


    The mage''s partner kept silent, but she did not take her telescope out and seemed to continue to watch the trio until they entered the Research Branch Campus.


    But if one would take out her hood, they would see that her eyes were filled with a crazed obsession and a creepy smile on her face.


    She looked so ecstatic as the hand that was holding her telescope started to tremble.


    Soon she was unable to contain her excitement and let out a chuckle, "Dr. Einz¡­ we meet again¡­ Ah¡­!"

 Chapter 403 Forehead Kiss

    ?The other mage looked at his partner with disgust on his face, "I really could not get used to that side of yours¡­"


    "You did not have to¡­ big brother¡­ Just leave me be¡­" The other party replied, her eyes still fixed on Kayden whose figure slowly disappeared from what their sight could reach.


    "Arabe¡­"


    "Big brother¡­ you must not call me that way. I am now called Lizette and you are Ond. We cannot afford to have our cover blown." Lizette looked at his big brother with a serious look, as if she was reprimanding him.


    Ond raised his eyebrows looking at his little sister, ever since they heard that their family has been imprisoned, their lives changed, and so was their rtionship.


    "Hah! It is you who would make our cover blow!" He bellowed in exasperation.


    Ond faced Lizette with a cold nce and threatened, "If you do not stop stalking that puny doctor and would cause us to fail our mission to rescue our family, I will chase you to the ends of Prasinos. I will make you pay for your foolishness!"


    Lizette did not reply, nor did she have any hint of anxiousness on her face. It was as if she did not take Ond''s words as a threat but merely a bber.


    "You do not have to remind me of our mission." She turned away and shed like a shadow.


    Ond could not figure out what was on her mind. In the end, he could only sigh and look at her with a trace of sadness.


    ¨C


    "Mommi!!!" Little Han happily ran to Eli''s arms as soon as she reached the Forgeworn Estate.


    "Hahahaha! Look at you, you could not even wait to leave your grandma and grandpa for your mother!" Tyce and his wife could not help but chuckle as they teased Little Han. They were a little helpless about the little one who has been so active all day long.


    But indeed, it is always a delight to have kids at home, so they would never be tired of seeing Little Han and all their other grandchildren running around in the house.


    "Pops! Mom!" Eli hugged her adoptive parents affectionately before she picked up her excited son.


    Tyce and his wife Kristina were a dwarf couple that belonged to the same generation as Emperor Valentin and General Farauld.


    Because their respective grandfathers became sworn brothers andrades as S-ss grandmasters, they, as their sons became childhood friends.


    The couple got married and had a son, but it was quite unfortunate that they did not have a daughter and so they were more than happy to have Eli as their adopted daughter.


    "My dear! How has your day been? I finally managed to finish the blend I was making!" Kristina tended to dote on Eli a lot so she smiled sweetly upon seeing her and quickly invited her for tea.


    "Alright, it''s been a while since I had tea with Mom and Pops!" Eli obliged as well.


    Sometimes, Eli was worried that she was taking her adoptive family for granted because of so much on her te. Thus, Eli wanted to also spare what time she could get to spend time with them.


    Tyce and Kristina beamed delightedly. They called in the servants immediately. In an instant they were in the sunroom, sitting on a table filled with lots of pastries.


    "Skeez! (Biscuits!)" Little Han shed a wide grin upon seeing the wide array of desserts on the table.


    "Aiyoooo, this little glutton!" Tyce looked at Little Han who was wiggling excitedly on Eli''sp. His words seemed to be reprimanding him but his expression and tone were full of doting and affection.


    He took a little te and selected some sweets that Little Han could eat at his age, then he pushed it on Little Han''s side.


    "Jiheeheee! Taykuuu Gwan Pops~~~ " Little Han''s eyes glimmered excitedly, then he immediately thanked his grandpa with a charming smile.


    Tyce and Kristina gave up the urge to pinch Little Han''s cheeks and smiled blissfully. "It''s really a joy to have Little Han around, this little charmer!"


    Eli rubbed Little Han''s head while saying, "Indeed, but I hope he was not giving you any troubles¡­ I feel really guilty, Mom, Pops¡­"


    "Aiyooo, please do not say that! What are we here for if not to support you, my dear?" Kristina replied as she gracefully brewed the fragrant tea.


    "Thank you so much for being there for me¡­ You don''t know how much it means to me, Pops¡­ Mom¡­" Eli teared up upon hearing the couple''s good words.


    For her, who had not experienced parental love for a long time since her mum passed away, having Tyce, Kristine, Eugine, and Aqu was such a heaven-sent blessing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "C''mon, tea is ready. Tell me if you like it alright? I''ll pack some for you!" Kristine handed a cup of tea to her, the gentle and delicate fragrance lingered on their noses. "I thought that you might need this blend to relieve your fatigue."


    Eli thanked Kristine and then took a sip of the tea. Her eyes beamed in surprise as the vor of the tea greeted her tongue. "Mom! This tea is really good!"


    "Is it?" Kristine''s eyes formed two crescent moons as she happily listened to Eli''s praises. "It''s a relief then. I''ll pack you some so that you can bring it home to His Highness to try too!"


    "I have to thank Mom then!" Eli did not reject the offer.


    The trio along with the happy Little Han munching his biscuits giggled along as they spent their time together.


    Soon Grandpa Andi and Grandma Brygid also caught wind of their session. They immediately invited themselves in.


    Not long after, the younger generation also heard about it and it did not take long for the Forgeworn house to hold an impromptu tea party.


    It was already evening when Eli, Little Han, and Leon, who managed to join the tea party, got to their little cottage.


    After tucking Little Han to bed, Eli saw Leon stretching his back in a daze.


    "Back pain?" Eli asked worriedly, he knew that Leon might be physically tired because he had been roaming around the entry and exit points all day.


    She knew that there is arge possibility that Leon might even have to fight while he was doing his rounds without the public knowing.


    Seeing the anxiousness on Eli''s face, Leon replied assuringly,"It''s nothing. Must be just fatigue, it will be gone after I get some sleep"


    "Shall I call on Big Brother Kayden to check your back?" Eli did not buy Leon''s answer, she reached for her bracelet ridden withmunication stones and was about to activate one that corresponds to Kayden''s line.


    "No need, my love. Kayden must be equally tired too as he has been researching back and forth on multiple things." Leon shook his head, afraid that Eli might be overreacting.


    "But you are hurt¡­" Eli retorted, looking at Leon worriedly.


    Seeing her worried face, Leon felt a sweet sensation in his heart. Eli worrying about him makes his heart feel warm and giddy, it was so full that he thought he might explode at the moment.


    "I''m really fine. It''s just back pain, if you would still insist then we can visit Kayden tomorrow and have him check it. But now is not the time, you have to sleep." Leon pulled Eli to his side and caressed her hand to coax her.


    Although Eli is still unwilling since Leonpromised then she no longer pushed her own opinion. She looked at Leon, whose face remained gant and handsome even after being out in the field for more than six months.


    His red hair was still as deep as ever, and his crystal blue eyes were still like a clearke in the bright morning sky. The only change that happened to his appearance was his slightly tannedplexion, which Eli found rather attractivebined with the stubble growing on his face.


    Leon gulped nervously at Eli''s intense gaze. This little woman in front of her will never fails to make his heart skip a bit especially when she would gaze upon him with her midnight deep eyes.


    There were no words said between the two, but they already knew what their gazes meant. They longed for each other and wanted to show it with their actions.


    And so slowly and gently, Leon leaned down to cup Eli''s face as he gave her soft flutter kisses. Eli did not resist, she remained looking at him with the same affectionate expression as earlier.


    Wrapping her arms around Leon''s neck, she also leaned closer and met his lips. The sweet taste of love ignited their deep desire for each other.


    In a sh, Eli was already sitting on Leon''sp while Leon was holding her on her waist. Just a little few movements and they might no longer hold themselves back.


    Fortunately, the amorous light on Leon''s eyes cleared and he ended their intimate actions with a forehead kiss.


    "I want you so much, my love. But I love you more than that, so I will uphold my promise to you." Leon''s voice was hoarse but his gaze was sincere.


    "I will wait for that day¡­ my love," Eli replied as she embraced Leon, resting softly on the side of his neck. "I wanna stay like this¡­" She demanded.


    "Sure thing, good night my love." Leon gently moved to lie on the side, keeping Eli nestled on his shoulders and his arms covering her securely.


    The night for the two of them ended sweetly once again, with a forehead kiss.

 Chapter 404 Next Round Of The Tournament (1)

    ?Days passed by and the time for the next round is up in the corner.


    Fortunately, the eight students from the Music and Fine Arts department were all going to the next round.


    What''s more, even with the Magic institute, all student delegates from the Farauld Magic Institute were going to the next round. Not one student was eliminated!


    As such, it has be more prominent that even with the Farauld Magic Institute and the Seirende Empire having gone through a tough time with the civil war, they were still one of the strongest contenders in the tournament!


    Now, whenever the Farauld Institute students walk around the tournament venue, they will now be weed with serious and wary nces aspared to the atmosphere before the tournament where everybody looked at them as if they were just normal candidates they could trample at an early stage.


    "Look now, they are now looking at us as if they are finally looking at us as worthy rivals." Max scoffed coldly as they all went to the venue of thepetition.


    This time, their schedules weren''t colliding with each other and so, they had time to watch each other''s matches.


    "Then all the more that we have to be serious and down to earth at the same time. We do not like to encounter any troubles with them while we still need to get more members for Lainie''s orchestra." Marie looked at Max to gently remind him that they must not act carelessly.


    "Oh¡­" Max scratched his head, Marie''s words reminded them of the fact that Lainie still has not gone with herpetition.


    "No worries, I am really d that I have you here to help me spot suitable members," Lainie replied with a grateful tone.


    "It''s also good that Mentor Eli is here with us! Finally, we can spend time with my idol~" Raphael beamed happily, although he and Ana are from the paintingpetition, it did not stop them from admiring Eli''s achievement.


    Everyone in the group was also happy, they had Eli as their chaperone because their respective mentors were not around at the moment.


    And so when they were about to sit on the bench, they made it so that Eli was at the center and they surrounded her attentively.


    Today is the next round for the brass yers. As the Farauld team does not have any participants for the brass, wind, and percussion section, watching the match is an important task for Lainie.


    Of course, she still had to add more members to the string section if she could.


    "Some of the divisions may have to end soon because they have less number of contestants aspared to the others¡­" Lainiemented.


    "Yea, just like Marie''s and my division, the vi and cello section does not have as many participants aspared with the violin and piano," Haileymented.


    "Then we must make this our chance to finalize the list of students we have to approach to join your team. You might not have any more chances after this." Eli softly reminded Lainie.


    And so the bunch watched the tournament entirely, making sure that Lainie would receive some of their inputs and thoughts about the contestant.


    "Mentor, please take this! I thought you might be hungry!"


    "Mentor, are you feeling the heat of the weather? I have a little talent for wind magic! Let me create a gentle breeze for you!"


    "Mentor, is your back stiff? I am good at massaging! You should give it a try!!"


    While they were at the tournament, Raphael, Anna, and Max who were from the fine arts section fawned around Eli and tried to attend to her every need much to her dismay.


    "Hey! Why are you trying to monopolize OUR mentor? We are still here!" Lainie teasingly pped Max''s shoulders as she looked at Eli''s helpless expression over their fawning.


    "Yeah! Are you trying to snatch my mentor? Ha! Are you not afraid that your respective mentors will be angry at you or be like this?" Desmond also chimed in.


    "Hey¡­ it''s not like that! You''re so lucky you get to spend time with our Lady! Why must you be so calctive against us?" Anna, who was actually a quiet member of the bunch, answered them with an aggrieved tone.


    "Well well, enough with the bickering. It''s nice to stay and spend time with you but of course, you should focus on the matter at hand." Eli decided to step up and smooth things out. Although her words were quite distant and formal, her tone was gentle and kind.


    At the end of the day, Eli''s role among the bunch was a teacher and so it was not appropriate for her to take for granted what the young students do.


    "Yes, mentor!" Hearing the soft reprimand from Eli, the students did not take offense but obediently responded to her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With asional bickering, Lanie was able to finalize her list of possible recruits in her notebook.


    Staring at it closely, she closed her notebook with an expression full of hope and anticipation, "I hope I could convince them to join our team!"


    "We hope so too!" The others answered.


    "We also see to it that we had participants who belong to the allied nations, so I think you should be fine Lanie!" Her teammates patted her shoulders and tried to assure her.


    Watching the group encourage each other, Eli could not help but smile. Although she was also equally anxious about Lainie''s orchestra. It is one thing to convince the other participants, but it is another story to let them cooperate with Lainie''s arrangement.


    In the modern world, there has to be a sense of camaraderie between each of the orchestra members in order to create the music beautifully. If they all work individually, no matter how good Lainie''s arrangement would be in the sheets, it might not turn out as beautiful in the ears.


    The next day, the bunch went together to watch Desmond''s round. This time, he was quitefortable with the mechanics.


    Unlike thest audition, the piece that had to be yed was a popr study piece that everyone knew. This time, thepetition all boiled down to how urately and beautifully they yed the piece.


    Hearing his name get called for the third and final round, the entire bunch could not help but be in tears.


    "At this point, I am really happy that you reached this stage, big brother!" Raya sniffled while hugging his brother tightly.


    All of the eight students had their eyes reddened in tears. Desmond, who was usually serious and stoic, answered with a crack in his voice, "You surely look down on your brother a lot? I believe in my mentor¡­ who trained me to get to this point."


    Then everyone looked at Eli, grateful that she was the one who stood up and convinced them to join thepetition.


    Eli smiled and did not spoil the mood for them, instead, she uttered, "Give yourself a shot in thest round. No matter what happens, you already are a great musician!"


    She looked at the others,


    "There''s a reason why we opted to convince you, Desmond just happened to be the first one to show it to everyone. But all of you have the ability to obtain the championship.


    You all have done your best during the training and the people who trained you are also the best in the Empire. So have confidence and do not get intimidated by others."


    "Mentor, you sure have praised yourself with your words too! It is so rare for you to be like that!" Lainie teased coquettishly.


    "Well, I like indulging myself sometimes," Eli chuckled to which the restughed too.


    "In the next few days, it will be your fight too! But before that, let''s celebrate our first spot in the finals with a nice dinner! And of course, it''s my treat!" Eli rubbed Desmond''s hair and announced it to everyone.


    "Yay!" They all cheered up.


    But the next moment, their jaws could not help but drop upon seeing the restaurant Eli took them to, it was one of the most prominent restaurants under the Forgeworn group - Ristorante de Rion!


    "M-mentor¡­ isn''t it expensive here? Why don''t we just go to the academy cafeteria?" They all stepped back scared witless. They were worried that Eli would have to pay arge amount of money to treat eight of them.


    "C''mon, don''t think about the price, and are you forgetting something? My adoptive family is the Forgeworn and Farauld n, so even if I paid for the meal, I will still be ultimately helping my family on their business!" Eli winked and teased them.


    "Now, let''s not dy, food is already waiting!" Eli dragged Lainie and Marie, who were closest to her and they walked towards the restaurant.


    To their surprise, the servers bowed to them respectfully and led them to a private room. As they sat at the table, the server once again knocked on the door and announced that the food was ready!


    The students looked at Eli clearly puzzled. How and when did she have time to inform the restaurant of their arrival?


    "I told them this morning before the start of the tournament." Eli figured out the question in the youngster''s minds and answered straightforwardly.

 Chapter 405 Next Round Of The Tournament (2)

    ?"¡­"


    The bunch was speechless at Eli''s answer. Her words could only mean either of the two things.


    First is that she nned for this to happen regardless of Desmond''s results today or that she is confident that Desmond will have a spot for the finals.


    Regardless of the reason, the students admired Eli''s actions. It reflected how highly she viewed her role in Desmond''s growth and that she also had her mind for them.


    Not that they wanted to disregard their respective mentors, they were the perfect fit for them. But Eli was the one who convinced them to enter this tournament and so everything that Eli did for them had such a great impact.


    "What are you waiting for? Eat up, tomorrow is another hard fight for all of you." Eli knew what was on their minds however, she really did not want them to vilify her. All she did was treat them with a nice meal, like how a manager would treat her subordinates.


    She grabbed the baked scallops and handed it over to Desmond who was sitting nearest to her and continued with a soft smile, "We''ll never even know if we could eat like this in the next few days, for your schedules will be tighter as the tournament goes."


    The students looked at each other and nodded, beaming in delight, they started to taste the delectable array of food on the table. Never in their lives did they imagine that they would have a chance to eat in such a glorious restaurant, but here they were!


    Outside the private room, there were many eyes that saw Eli''s group entering in a careless manner.


    Most of them belong to the Vanderford Empire and their allied territories. When they saw Eli''s face, they immediately scrutinized her appearance.


    As Eli was seen wearing the Farauld Faculty Uniform, they could not ess Eli''s overall appearance and so they immediately assumed that she was just a normal-lookingdy with a stern personality.


    Because of this, they clicked their tongues in disdain and immediately discussed at their respective tables.


    "So that''s the legendary inventor whom the Seirende Empire is excessively proud of?"


    "She looks so ordinary¡­"


    "Right! I think that the rumors were quite exaggerated, maybe she''s just a little bit smarter than our researchers, but give our schrs a little more time, then they might achieve what she has done!"


    "Well it does not matter now, look how she is so busy caring for the music and fine arts department? I do not really understand why she would do that instead of supporting the research and the other academic branches of their institution?"


    "Heh, what do we know? Even the noblemen in Seirende said that she is quite addicted to putting her nose on things she did not know about! And since she''s an adopted granddaughter of Grandmaster Farauld, the elders indulged her to do whatever she wants!"


    "If that is not an attention seeker then I do not know what she could be called¡­"


    "Hahaha, I know right?!"


    "Well, do not care too much. In fact, her leaving the research and academic teams might be a blessing in disguise for our teams too! Since what could she have given them in such a short time to make the research team and the academic team formidable?"


    "Hahaha! You''re right! But I want to watch her own colleagues me her for being naive in coaching the music and fine arts departments."


    "I pity the mentors she asked for help though, did you not hear? Their identities were also prominent, they were the Imperial women!"


    "Well, one day they would me her or even banish her after this tournament due to humiliation!"


    Back in the counter and the back kitchen, the general manager of Ristorante de Rion was fuming in anger.


    "How atrocious these foreigners were! How could they talk behind our Lady''s back! I will kick them all out!" The general manager growled in anger, his face was red and there were a bunch of veins bulging on his forehead.


    He was also a dwarf sponsored by the Forgeworn Family, along with the rest of the crew of the restaurant.


    "Manager¡­ hold your heart! If you go out now, it will only bring trouble to mdy! If that happens more people will nder her!" The chef and the rest of the assistants held the general manager''s agitated body back.


    "But you would just allow them to bully ourdy? I''ll tell you! We do not deserve to stay in the Forgeworn family if we would just ignore one of our masters to get bullied by foreigners like this!" The general manager increased his strength once again and moved to barge out of the back office.


    "Sigh! I know the manager, but we did not say that we will not do anything. Let''s get back at them, but not through straightforward means!"


    "Not through straightforward means?" The general manager raised his brows and looked at his assistant in interest.


    "Yes¡­ this is what I think we shall do¡­" The assistant bent over and everyone in the room listened to his hushed words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While all these were happening, Eli and the bunch were enjoying their dinner harmoniously. She also got to know more about the youngsters and their personalities.


    Marie was quite an assertive youngdy, but she usually keeps up with Raya every time thetter would joke around and animatedly tell a story. Anna and Hailey were the quiet ones.


    Raphael is a little bit more like Desmond, but he is more aloof, probably because of his inclination on expressing himself on the canvas. While Max was the rowdy one.


    Not long after, they were already sighing in satisfaction. This has been one of the best meals of their lives.


    Eli smiled, seeing the content faces of the bunch, "Are you all ready to go home?" She asked.


    "Yes, mentor!" They replied.


    Calling the manager, Eli asks for the billing.


    Moments after, the general manager strode inside with a wide amiable smile on his face, in his hands a silver tray with a few things.


    "Mydy, it''s an honor to have you and your students dine in Ristorante di Rion! In fact, even the diners outside were so delighted by your presence that they all insisted on paying for your meal! And so mydy need not pay a single cent, for it has already been paid by them!"


    "Woah!?"


    "For real?"


    When the youngsters heard it, they all eximed in amazement. How famous must their mentor be to have many random people scramble to give her a favor?


    Eli was also shocked but she contained herself and took out an appropriate amount of shinies in her space pouch, "If so then, you can have this as a tip. Treat the entire crew nicely, you have done such a nice service for everyone."


    The general manager almost cried on the spot after hearing Eli''s praises, he did not even nce at the shinies ced on his tray. What mattered to him is the fact that Eli had just praised him and his entire crew!


    Such a lovely day!


    "Ah, it''s an honor, mdy! You need not do this!" He said frantically,


    "No, I insist," Eli said with a smile. "I only request that the next time that happens, please help me respectfully decline."


    "T-thank you so much, Mdy!!!" He bowed respectfully.


    "Oh, before I forget! Mdy, since everyone outside insisted on paying a portion of your meal, there was a lot of excesses. So I have decided to divide all the excess to pay for the lifetime silver membership of your eight students to all of the Forgeworn affiliate stores! I hope you do not mind that I went ahead of you to decide on this matter."


    "What?!"


    "Just how much did the patrons outside give? How could those be enough for the eight of us to have a silver membership card?!" The youngsters were in the shock of their lives once again.


    "Well¡­" The general manager was quite helpless, he also did not expect that those foreigners would not suspect anything at all.


    "ept it, anyways it is still a silver membership card. 15% discount on all the stores from the Forgeworn group is not bad." Eli no longer wanted to trouble the manager and so she did not refuse their kindness.


    Although she was quite sure that something uncanny happened outside that caused this string of events, she decided to go with the flow and not delve into the matter deeply. She trusts that the Forgeworn employees will not harm her, a member of the Forgeworn n.


    Besides, the General Manager was quite sensible enough to not exaggerate the memberships of the youngsters, and so she deemed it no harm to ept.


    When they exited the room, there was already a batch of people outside and so they no longer had a chance to figure out who were the ones who sponsored their meals.


    Sending the VIPs off, the General Manager went back to the back kitchen and ryed everything to the team.


    "Hahaha! I told you, General manager! Increasing their charges to 10 percent will do the magic! Hahaha, I wonder how they would feel if they knew that they paid a lot of money to the person they were gossiping with earlier!"


    "How satisfying! Hahaha!

 Chapter 406 In Trouble (1)

    ?"Sigh¡­" Lainie sat dejectedly on the bench as she looked at her notebook.


    She crossed out one of the names in it once again, each of the names struck out diminishes her hope.


    "No luck again today¡­" She mumbled as closed her notebook and looked around.


    The busy surroundings drowned the anxiousness she was feeling. She had to assemble her team within a week''s time because the mechanics for theposer''s match would be around two weeks.


    She could not afford to fight with a team who just met their team members at the time of the performance!


    "What to do¡­" Lainie teared up, feeling lost.


    "Lainie!" Just then, a soft familiar voice came from a certain direction. For some reason, this voice gave her a deep sense of relief and assurance.


    "Mentor¡­" She put up a smile and greeted Eli as she walked with Randel and Max as they approached her.


    "You looked dejected¡­ Are you having trouble with the recruitment?" Eli asked.


    At first, Eli wanted to apany Lainie to go around and help her convince people, however, Lainie was afraid to trouble her when she knew that not only was she doing her duties as a coach but also as a member of themittee.


    But now, it looks like her student might even lose the battle before it starts.


    "Well¡­ it looks like it Mentor¡­" She blushed in embarrassment and answered shyly. "I feel like I let Mentor down." She continued with her head hung low.


    "Cheer up, we''ll find our members soon. I''ll join you in the search so that we can persuade more people toe." Eli patted Lainie''s shoulders and gave a reassuring smile.


    "Yes, I''ll tell the others to help too!" Max also tried to ease Lainie''s blues with a few words.


    Randel only nodded, but his eyes also thought deeply of something. Then he bent to whisper close to Eli with a few words.


    "Hmmm¡­ alright, that works too." Eli nodded as she listened to Randels words.


    Soon, Randel dragged Max away leaving the twodies alone.


    "Don''t give up. The day is still young, so we can still do a lot of things." Eli ced her hands on Lainie''s. "We can start by going to the string section''s venue, it should be the third round for Raya''s section today."


    "Alright¡­" Lainie could only nod absentmindedly.


    When she came to, they were already at the spectator''s seat watching the auditions proceed.


    "The jury is quite harsh. They will immediately tell if the students are qualified or not." Lainiemented in a whisper.


    "Well, they could no longer afford to tally all the scores for the winners of each cluster and then announce itter. It is quite inefficient for so many contenders." Eli softly replied.


    "Oh, this seemed like the contestants from the fourth cluster. That means Raya was already done with her match¡­" Lainie realized as the number of the next contestant was called.


    The twodies frowned, they had not heard the news on Raya and Athena''s side. Does that mean that Raya was not able to advance to the finals?


    As if on cue, amotion suddenly arose in the contender''s area.


    The venue of the audition is a small auditorium, and so it was part of the etiquette to maintain a quiet atmosphere. And so everyone in the hall could hear themotion even from the audience seats.


    "I firmly object to the judges'' decision! This girl should not even be granted a slot in the finals because of her malicious actions!"


    In the hall, the usative voice of an old woman rang loudly. The jury, even the current contestant, had no choice but to pause her performance because of it.


    "Madam, will you please calm down? We can talk about it outside the auditorium, we cannot disturb the next cluster here." One of the organizers tried to calm the woman down, he was already sweating profusely because he was intimidated by the old woman''s stern aura.


    "Teacher, the organizers were right¡­ we can appeal outside¡­ I''m sure that the jury will hear it once we exined the matter right away¡­They would not turn their heads from justice just because the other party is the Seirende Queen''s student." Following the dialogue was a youngdy''s voice.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When Eli heard the word ''Seirende Queen," the aura around her turned cold. Someone is ndering Raya and Queen Teh it seems.


    "Let''s take a look, Raya is in trouble." She looked at Lainie and stood up hastily.


    The jury could also no longer set the matters aside. One of them stood and asked the organizers to notify the pause of the audition while they attended the matter.


    It was not because the one who was causing amotion was important in their eyes. It was because of the fact that the incident had insensitively brought the name of the royalty of the Empire!


    "May I know what thismotion is all about?" The head jury immediately stepped to the ce ofmotion and looked at the pair of the old woman and a youngdy.


    On the other side was the helpless Raya and Dean Athena, who apanied the student on behalf of Queen Teh.


    At that same moment, Eli and Lainie also arrived.


    "Your excellency, this student here must be stripped of her spot in the finals! She is malicious enough to tamper with my student''s violin!"


    Just as the old woman was saying this, her student lifted the ''tampered'' violin in her hands, the bridge of the violin was misaligned and the top te was looking unusual.


    One of the juries took a glove and carefully inspected the violin. His expression darkened immediately as he dered "The violin is in a bad state, the sound post was misaligned so much that a little more ying, it would be dislodged."


    "Boohoo!! That''s why I could not understand why my violin sounded so different earlier. I was already performing when I felt like something was unusual and so I did not even have the chance to y appropriately! Boohoo!" As if on cue, the using student wept in a heartbroken manner.


    The jury frowned upon seeing the state of the violin and hearing the teacher-student tandem narration, but they maintained a neutral expression. "And why would two of you me the youngdy over here?"


    They looked at Raya who was dumbfounded and speechless over what happened. It was obvious from her face that she was lost and unable to react because of the sudden usation.


    "It''s like this. My student was cued before this malicious girl during the audition. Since there were only two contestants away before her turn, she already took out her violin and set it up.


    But because my student needed to quickly excuse herself in the restroom. She kindly asked this girl to hold her violin for a little bit and immediately run to the restroom.


    By the time my student came back, it was already her turn to perform and so she no longer had the time to check if there was something wrong with her instrument!


    And she only found out about it in the middle of the performance! Tell me, how could she even y appropriately with a violin that is about to break apart in the middle of the performance?!"


    The teacher was fuming in anger while she was narrating the story, she did not forget to look at Raya with disdain before she continued.


    "I would not have to be this angry if I saw that she also did not qualify for the final round, but for her to be scored highest among her cluster! This is too unfair!"


    "I have already told you, that I did not tamper with the violin at all. I handled it with care and I have not even the slightest chance to scrutinize it because of my nervousness!" At this point, Raya was already on the verge of crying.


    "Madam, please tone down your usations, you were only narrating the story when we coaches were not even there to witness the scene." This time, Athena supported the trembling Raya in a protective manner.


    "Hah! You said that I do not have a witness? I have these three students here! They all belong to the same batch as my student and that girl!" She then pointed at the three reluctant students who were strangely familiar to Raya.


    The queuing for a batch was actually done in fives. When the batch is about to perform, they have to go on backstage to wait for their call, and so during the time of the said incident only these three students could have testified of what really happened backstage.


    The head jury massaged his forehead in distress. This is quite aplicated situation.


    With no other choice he sternly asked the three students, "Tell me honestly, did you see this student here tamper her violin?"


    The students shuddered at the Head Jury''s question, then they anxiously looked at Raya and their faces changed from worry to helplessness.


    After that one finally answered, "Sorry head jury, but I want to keep my conscience clear. I saw this student tamper the violin in my own eyes."


    To Raya''s dismay, the other two witnesses testified too, "We saw it two, she sneakily disced the bridge and the sound post!"

 Chapter 407 In Trouble (2)

    ?"Lies! I did not do anything about it at all!" Raya felt like the world was about to fall on her shoulders when she heard the witness''s testimony.


    "Heh! You are still thick-skinned to deny?! The witnesses are all here! The evidence is all here! There was no other person who touched the violin other than you! Say, are you not ashamed? Hah, so much for being the Seirende Second Queen''s student!" The teacher bellowed at Raya as she looked at her mockingly.


    "Watch your mouth, Madam. Even if you are the ones that were inconvenienced, you have no right to carelessly trample on the honor of her Highness Second Queen." Suddenly a strong authoritative voice disrupted the discussion.


    Everyone looked at the direction where the voice came from and realized that the owner of the voice was Eli.


    Eli looked at the woman and the students using Raya and continued in a frigid voice, "Remember two whose territory you are standing right now. I get that you are in trouble but this is no ce for you to tarnish the Second Queen''s dignity."


    For a minute there was silence, no one could break free of Eli''s intimidating aura. Even Athena, Raya, and Lainie took a good few seconds to recover.


    This was the first time seeing the legendary inventor get angry! She was not far from how Leon would conduct himself, they were truly a couple!


    The old woman was next to recover her senses. Her expression turned grim again and looked at Eli in distaste. In her eyes, the woman was only wearing a typical uniform of a Farauld Faculty member.


    "Who are y-!" She was about to retort her words when Dean Athena called her name,


    "Counselor Eli!"


    "Counselor Eli? Could it be the legendary inventor?"


    "Is she the genius youngdy?"


    "It seems like she is, look at how she carries herself! No doubts, she''s the one!"


    When everyone heard Dean Athena call her name, hushed discussions started around.


    The old woman also thought twice before she continued. She did not miss the depended look on Dean Athena''s face. It seems like thedy in front of her is not ordinary! She is the real deal, the Genius Inventor Eli!


    However, she had to stand her ground, for it was the mission she was given at hand. If she sessfully did this, she and her student will have the chance to join the Vanderford institute!


    "Even so, it could not discount the fact that she definitely did something malicious! I was merelymenting on behalf of the Second Queen to have such a student! I have not an ounce of intent to nder the Queen." The old woman finally retorted with the most careful words she could think of.


    Then the old woman turned to the jury and demanded, "Your excellencies we already brought you the evidence and witnesses, I implore you to decide on this matter!"


    The jury discussed it for themselves. On the onlookers'' side, there was irrefutable evidence and there was no need to doubt that Raya was indeed guilty.


    But the head jury and the members still did not dare to be hasty at the moment, and so they still gave Raya a chance to speak for herself.


    "I really did not, if you need it I can make a heaven''s oath that I am not lying.." Raya was already shaking and on the verge of copse, if not for Lanie and Dean Athena constantly protecting her side by side she would have long fainted in so much pressure and humiliation.


    "See? Till the end, this girl still chose to lie! What oath of the heavens? Are you not just trying to sway the jury''s thoughts to your side? How shameless!"


    "This¡­ I am afraid you cannot prove your innocence then we are helpless too. The evidence pointed to you¡­" The jury looked at Raya in regret, they actually recognized the girl because she had performed outstandingly not only earlier but during the first round of auditions.


    They could not believe that such a good contender would be eliminated in such a manner like this.


    "I apologize youngdy, but we have no choice but to revoke your spot in the finals." The head jury closed his eyes and uttered weekly.


    "No! This can''t be!" Dean Athena and Lainie were the ones who eximed, for Raya was no longer in the right condition to take in everything. The poor seventeen-year-old girl was too shocked to even understand what would be the aftermath of this incident in her future as a musician.


    A sh of triumph appeared on the teacher-student duo, there was also a sh of relief from the witnesses'' reaction.


    "Not so fast, respected juries." Just as themotion was about to die down, Eli stepped forward to hide Raya behind her.


    "What are you up to,dy? Did you not hear the jury''s decision?" The old woman gloatingly uttered.


    "I heard it loud and clear. But I want to appeal." Eli replied calmly.


    The old woman raised her brow and challenged her, "Trying to prove the innocence of the guilty? Young Lady, I heard that you are a genius, could it be that you are a genius in vilifying the malicious too?" She mocked, deliberately raising her voice for everyone to hear.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, I will always stand on the side of the innocent." Eli did not care about the woman''s bber but instead looked at the four students.


    "I will ask you once again, are you sure that our student Raya tampered with the violin? And to the three of you who stand at witnesses, have you seen it done by Raya in your own eyes?"


    "Y-yes¡­ we saw it with our own eyes."


    "Well that can''t be helped." Eli shrugged. The others were shocked at her words.


    ''Aren''t you trying to appeal to your students?''


    ''That can''t be helped?''


    ''It seems like the genius inventor knew her limits too.''


    But just as they were thinking about Eli''s action, her voice rang in the hall once again, "Just a few months ago, I had dabbled upon a certain invention secretly."


    Then she took out a tiny piece of gemstone and a tablet, which resembles the modern-day Ipad.


    Then she gave the ''tablet'' to the jury and ced the tiny gemstone in her hand.


    "You see, this invention is quite unique¡­ The jury, can you ce a little bit of mana on that tablet?" Eli asked as she lifted her palm that carried the tiny stone forward.


    "What are you up to¡­" Everyone could not help but curiously watch her. They did not understand how Eli''s demonstration of her invention was rted to Raya''s crime.


    Ding!


    Instantly, an image appeared on the tablet - it was the faces of the woman and the using students!


    "Oh heavens!" The jury holding the tablet was shocked! The tablet was disying the images in real-time.


    "Isn''t it amazing? This is one of my newest and unreleased inventions which I nned to release after the busy tournament! I called it a surveince camera with a portable disy monitor!"


    "You can monitor any ce installed with this tiny dot realtime, anywhere within a 50-kilometer radius!" Eli proudly announced, while she was saying this, her hand was hovering around her, proving that the ''camera'' was functioning in real-time.


    "50 kilometer radius? That''s as big as the entire Farauld Magic Institute!"


    "Amazing!" The juries could not help but twinkle in excitement as they watched the footage on the tablet.


    What an honor to be the one to hold the Genius Inventor''s newest invention!


    While everyone was ted, an ominous feeling was looming on the using student-teacher tandem and their aplices. "Let''s get out of here¡­" The teacher grabbed the hand of her student intending to run.


    "Woah, not so fast, madam. I am not yet done with a lot of you." Then Eli gestured to the organizers to block their way.


    "Let us go! The matter is done and the verdict is pronounced!" The olddy put on a tough facade and dered righteously.


    "But I remembered, and now I shall prove my student''s innocence." Eli smiled cunningly.


    "I know that by this time, you already knew where my actions lead to next. With this surveince camera, invented months ago, this technology was already being used by our institute. You know what I mean¡­" Eli looked at the group mysteriously.


    "You¡­"


    "Yes¡­ There''s a camera installed backstage in the hall. Not only that, in all the public ces too. This is to ensure that no one was doing ''something malicious'' around the campus." Eli shed an evil intimidating smile.


    "So I am giving your students a chance before I would have to pull the strings and submit the footage directly to the Emperor to judge since Her Highness Second Queen''s name was also tarnished by your usation¡­


    This will easily escte into a national issue. And of course, the entiremotion was also recorded earlier, you cannot take back the words you all have said!" Eli threatened.


    With her words, the students panicked, and even the old woman staggered in fright!

 Chapter 408 In Trouble (3)

    ?Thud!


    "We lied, counselor¡­. Great juries! We did not see student Raya tampering with the violin!"


    "He is right, all throughout the event, all Raya did was hold the violin carefully under our watch!"


    "We''re sorry, we are just enticed by their offer to be part of their orchestra in theposer''s matches to get some bonus points!"


    "We lied!"


    Instantly, the three false witnesses fell to their knees to confess their wrongdoings.


    Eli knew that the students were already dealt with but she still maintained her scrutinizing gaze.


    "You!" The student-teacher duo could not believe that the students would sell them out.


    But she still did not want to end it like this and so she pointed at the three students and dered aggrievedly,


    "You kids, how could you bear false witness! Now we looked like we framed up the student! If not for you saying that student Raya tampered with my student''s violin I would not have used her!"


    With a self-righteous tone and demeaning she looked at everyone as if she and her students were the greatest victims.


    "Listen, youngdy and respective juries, since we have no valid witness now, we can only bite our loss and retract ourint. We''re sorry for themotion we caused." She then quickly apologized to the jury and turned to walk away.


    "You! Get back here, the matter is not yet finished!" Athena was immediately infuriated by how the old woman threw away the matter just like that, she didn''t even properly apologize to Raya who was humiliated and bullied earlier!


    "Are you sure that you are innocent? From what I could see you are dead set to pin everything down to my student, if not for Counselor Eli revealing the top technology of our institute, my dear student has to suffer a dark future by your framing!" She angrily dered.


    Seeing the turn of tables, the onlookers could not help but crave some snacks as the situation turned exciting!


    Even the juries could no longer keep up with the sudden change!


    Eli looked at Athena and personally apuded her for being able to maintain the momentum back on their side. But since Raya was still not reacting very well, she thought that they had to settle the matter immediately.


    "Oh, did I forget to mention that there is also one of these installed on the storeroom door of the south wing?" She asked.


    "Based on historical data, there are LOTS of things happening on that side, and so the headmaster ensured that the ce must have a surveince camera installed!"


    "Oh, get me the tablet, and let us watch the footage there!" Eli reached her hands and was about to take the tablet and control it.


    Upon hearing Eli''s words, the duo finally surrendered.


    "We are wrong! Great Juries, Student Raya! We are wrong!"


    "We are just blinded by the coaxing of others, that is we did this!"


    "We apologize to student Raya! She did not do a thing, it is us who deliberately set her up!"


    "Please have mercy on us and do not report us to the Emperor!"


    "We will dly exit the tournament¡­ just please be merciful to us!"


    With crying faces, they all confessed their sins and dered that someone had coaxed them to do something like this.


    Athena, Lainie, and especially Raya were shocked by the entire scene. The situation was hopeless earlier, but with just a few words and a demonstration from Eli, the truth suddenly came to light!


    Athena looked at everyone, all of them were set to condemn the team who framed up Raya. Even the judges reprimanded them harshly and revoked their decision earlier.


    As they profusely apologize to her and Raya, she felt a little dazed. These people had been utterly convinced by Eli without even realizing that she turned the tables to her side without even presenting single solid evidence!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Realizing this, Athena buried the excitement in her heart and maintained a dignified demeanor outside. She had to maintain this facade until the matter died down, or else one will notice!


    She can just gloat with Eli afterward!


    With that, the matter was settled ordingly and the jury also personally apologized to Eli''s party.


    After that, the people swarmed to get closer to Eli so that they could take a closer look at her invention. But the organizers are quick to react, giving Eli time to properly announce the invention.


    Convincing everyone that the invention is still in the works and that even if it was already functioning, there were still a lot of areas to improve, Eli sessfully managed to make them more excited about the surveince camera.


    In their minds, Eli''s prototype was already incredible, and she is saying that it could still be improved?!


    The people who heard about it immediately gave Eli some space and respected her decision because they looked forward to how it will be better than the prototype they have just witnessed by now.


    Finally escaping the excited crowd, Eli brought the bunch to the Head Master''s office immediately to make Raya calm down and report what happened to Grandpa Ben and Uncle Bramwell.


    "Eli, you are quick to think of a solution! Thank you very much! As Dean Athena has said, I would be equally helpless too!" Uncle Bramwell looked at Eli with praise.


    Raya and Lainie were also sitting in the headmaster''s office in a daze. Raya was still silent all throughout the conversation. But she looked better than before.


    "Well, a little lie was enough to expose them. But we are still lucky enough that I had this in my space pouch or else, we really had to resolve it in a manner that involved the higher authorities." Elimented.


    Upon hearing that the surveince camera was being installed backstage was a lie Raya and Lainie finally reacted. They didn''t know that Eli was really bluffing earlier because they were also convinced by her invention!


    "The way you executed it really got me too! If not for the hints you dropped earlier, I would have believed that you really have the footage of the backstage! Oh but I''m curious, why did the old woman surrender upon the mention of the storage room in the south wing? What''s in it?" Dean Athena could not help but curiously ask.


    "I had my earth sprites inform me that the student-teacher tandem tampered with the violin in that ce¡­ so in order for them to confess, I used it as one final push for them. In the end, it was effective." Eli exined very well.


    "Wahahaha! My Granddaughter is so cunning! So cunning! Hahahaha!" Grandpa Ben could not help but heartilyugh upon hearing Eli''s exnation.


    In the eyes of everyone in the room, Eli''s way of handling the situation is impable and only she could pull a stunt like that in a blink of an eye.


    On the other hand, Eli was actually helpless, in the end, she bluffed to expose the other party''s lie. And so she was no different from the other party.


    It seems like she had to apologize to her Dear Great Father, the Great er on.


    ¨C


    The incident has caused Eli''s name to be famous again.


    In a blink of an eye, everyone was now curious about her, and so the first people they approached were the students under her wing.


    Lainie and Eli were taken aback because many musicians suddenly approached them. They knew that they finally agreed to join Lainie''s team because they liked to be acquainted with her mentor, Eli.


    "Although I want you to have many musicians joining your group, we should be warier. Raya''s incident earlier proved that there were people out there that targeted our school. There is a high possibility that they will take advantage of the people''s interest, and infiltrate your team." Eli carefully warned Lainie.


    "I understand my mentor¡­ I will be careful to choose who I will recruit to join our musicians. Besides¡­ Sir Randel talked to me earlier and handed me this list¡­" Lainie respectfully nodded and gave Eli a neat piece of paper with a series of names printed nicely.


    "ording to Sir Randel, they were part of the offsprings of the employees working within the Forgeworn Merchant Group outside the Empire. He listed out these students and believed that they would be of help to us. There aren''t many but I think they could be trusted." Lainie exined.


    Eli was surprised that Randel woulde up with this idea, in fact, she had forgotten that Forgeworn Group was not only prominent in Seirende but outside too. Randel has given her a great clue!


    "This is a great development then! We can start by gathering these people in the Forgeworn Estate so that they will be informed that this is a favor I am asking as a member of the Forgeworn n!"


    "Erhm¡­ mentor¡­ is it alright to use your identity like this?" Lainie reluctantly asked.


    Eli could only chuckle and winked yfully as she replied, "Believe me, I have too little opportunity to use both my identities and this is one of them, so don''t mind about it!"

 Chapter 409 Movements

    ?"Have you heard the news about the great inventor, Lady Eli, Your Highness?"


    In a luxurious lounge room at one of the noble townhouses in the Capital, a group of nobles was gathered for a party.


    The center of this gathering was actually the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire. He was leisurely holding the ss of wine, swirling the clear ss in his hands.


    His eyes were amethyst, if one did not know that he was a Vanderford, they would immediately associate the color of his eyes with the Ves.


    "I have heard of her a lot, not only back in Vanderford, but everywhere in the capital. It was quite unusual for me not to hear about her when even the street children knew of her name." Crown Prince Renon smiled with a light in his eyes that is unfathomable.


    "Well, Your Highness, then have you heard about her newest unreleased invention? It enables a person to record everything remotely from afar. She imed that everything could be monitored within a 50-kilometer radius as long as the surveince camera was installed around the vicinity!"


    "Indeed! It was actually amazing! I was quite thankful that someone caused amotion yesterday! Because of it, I will not witness the young inventor demonstrating her invention to us in advance! It was quite an experience!"


    "It was really unbelievable! How could she have thought of this matter?! Say, do you think that she also had a hand in the invention of that unusual device during the security checking in the borders?"


    "Most possibly! But the Lady has not imed anything about it, so it must not be her but one of the research teams!"


    "Heavens! Now that I remember, Seirende has the best talents when ites to these things!"


    "Remember that legendary Doctor Kayden, who opened a breakthrough in the medical field through surgical procedures?"


    "Well, the researchers of Seirende have developed a lot of technologies too!"


    "Aside from the Lady Inventor, we still have another brilliant doctorparable to Dr. Kayden! That''s the inventor of the curse cure potion, Dr. Einz!"


    "Sigh! Truly and bursting with talents, I must admit. However, our empire does not fail in terms of culture, arts, and of course magic! While Seirende has the best minds, our Vanderford empire has the best and strongest mages!"


    Crown Prince Renon just shed a cryptic smile and listened to the conversation of the nobles around him.


    It seems like these fawning nobles who went with him from Vanderford was fond of gossiping carelessly.


    But there are things that caught his mind for sure. Three names specifically.


    Eli, the great inventor.


    Einz, the creator of the cure potion.


    And the missing Dr. Kayden, the genius doctor surgeon, a half-elf.


    These three people managed to create great waves of change in the entire Prasinos. But he did not like the changes they brought a single bit.


    Renon became bored at the party and graciously excused himself, dering that he would retire early.


    Going to his bedroom, he immediately sat on the sofa while he looked in the direction of the balcony.


    "Come." He uttered.


    In an instant, two hooded mages went on the balcony and entered his chambers. These mages were none other than Lizette and Ond.


    "Report." Not even looking in their direction, Crown Prince Renonzily leaned on the sofa with the ss of wine in his hands.


    "Reporting to the Crown Prince, it may look like there were no people on guard outside but the entire venue was ridden with multiple defense arrays. We are still in the process of understanding how these arrays wereid out, but as of now, we are only able to decipher five percent of it¡­" Ond nervously exined.


    "A month is about to be over yet you only managed to destroy five percent?" This time, Crown Prince Renon''sidback expression finally showed a trace of interest. "Do you seriously think that I would believe that you are only able to do this much?


    "We¡­" Ond is lost for words, he really had no exnation for this, the Empire really prepared a lot.


    "You have been a member of the knights in this Empire before right? What could be the cause of why you were not able to figure out what is happening in your former homnd, Niki?" Crown Prince Renon coldly looked at Ond, who was actually Niki, the son of Duke Ves.


    Niki shuddered as he felt the piercing gaze from the crown prince.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He felt it.


    If he would not speak to answer the other party''s question, his head might roll on the ground at any second. "T-too much time had passed, I no longer recognize the ce I left a few months ago."


    "Is that also the same as what you think, Arabe?" Crown Prince Renon looked at the Lizette, who was actually Arabe Ves.


    "It is as he says. I also heard that a few months ago, the Imperial Family established amittee called Anti Curse Committee, it seems like they were the brain behind all of the security procedures and the anti-terrorist mechanisms nted all over the capital."


    Arabe answered firmly, her amethyst eyes appeared to be dead as if she does not feel any fear towards Crown Prince Renon at all.


    In fact, the only time Niki saw emotions in his little sister''s eyes after knowing the news of their family''s downfall, was when she saw the doctor named Einz.


    Crown Prince Renon did not mind Arabe''s attitude, he liked subordinates that did not care about anything, even death. Subordinates like Arabe are perfect to carry out ns that are outrageous and dangerous.


    "Is that so¡­ how about our men trying to infiltrate? Have we found a way to safely enter?" Crown Prince Renon shrugged and moved to the next topic. "We have to find a way to get it before the Holy Ind''s party arrives."


    "Unfortunately, only people at our level could enter, the lower ones were not able to enter, because they could not pass the detection. Also¡­" Ond continued.


    "The spatial void is the Third Prince''s domain. All of our men who tried to circumvent the teleportation rules targeted at any part of Seirende were apprehended."


    Crown Prince Renon did not react harshly, his face kept calm as he hummed his reply, "Hmmm¡­ well¡­ they were our sacrificialmbs anyways."


    "What I want is for the two of you to figure out who these members of the Anti Cursemittee were. What are the things they can do, and why were they able to get this strong in just a short period of time!" He waved his hands to dismiss the two as he continued sipping his wine in leisure.


    Left by the siblings alone, the nonchnce in his eyes disappeared. His captivating amethyst eyes suddenly shed into deep red, emitting a ruthless aura. "Seirende¡­ why are you like a puny weed? I have destroyed you countless times and yet you are still growing your way back?"


    ¨C


    Leon was staying overnight in the pce. That was because they had to prepare everything in the Court of Sinners.


    He was walking in the dark corridors of the Court of Sinners with Emperor Valentin on their side.


    "The envoys of the Main Temple from the Holy Ind wille by the final week of the tournament," Leon reported to his father the Emperor.


    "That''s more or less a month from now." Emperor Valentin nodded in understanding.


    "The prisoners were already organized as to the gravity of their involvement with the curse trade. The main perpetrators were all in solitary confinement, we have enhanced the security arrays and anti-self-harm shackles. These hopefully would be enough until theye to inspect." Leon said to Emperor Valentin as they went along.


    They could see Carolina, the Duke, and his wife in their respective cells, isted from any sounds outside.


    Seeing them inside staring at the nk. Their appearances no longer carry their former grace and glory, Emperor Valentin feltplicated. These people had oppressed them for so long, but he could not help butment how far they have fallen because of their evil deeds.


    After inspecting once more, they immediately went back to the pce.


    But before they could even enter the Emperor''s ce, the chambein rushed over frantically as he informed the two, "Your Majesty, Your Highness¡­ the High Priest, and the captains of the Temple Knights are all here."


    Emperor Valentin and Leon immediately proceeded to the lounge, they were surprised about the hasty visit but they immediately entertained them nheless.


    Entering the private chambers, they saw High Priest Enoch, Mishael, Joab, Keren, Julian, and Mort.


    They were shocked to realize that they had alle to the pce with such arge group.


    But seeing High Priest Enoch''s grievous expression, they immediately sat and asked him what was wrong.


    The atmosphere of the chambers is heavy, especially when Mishael and Leon activate double istion arrays to maintain the secrecy of the conversation.


    High Priest Enoch looked at the two and said with a grave sense of urgency, "I need for you to let use to the memoryke!"

 Chapter 410 Desperate Enoch

    ?"The memoryke? Esteemed High Priest¡­ What''s making you in haste?" Emperor Valentin could notprehend why High Priest Enoch acted like this.


    In the old man''s eyes was a visible sense of desperation and panic. What could have happened to the High Priest?


    "T-the pope¡­ is an enemy¡­ That is all I can say¡­" The High Priest''s lips trembled as he uttered these words. It was as if he had discovered something that he could not believe.


    "H-he.. we cannot trust him¡­ I must go to the memoryke, it''s the only way!" He looked at Leon and Valentin with hopeless eyes.


    In his desperation, he wanted to approach Valentin to hold his shoulders and convince him, but his raging emotions made his body unwell.


    High Priest Enoch staggered, his body almost falling to the floor.


    "High Priest, please calm yourself down!" Mishael, Joab, and Keren quickly went to his side and protected him frompletely falling. They were so worried and so they looked at each other and helped the High Priest sit down on the sofa.


    Emperor Valentin cast a grateful nce toward the three temple knights. Finally, they managed to calm down the old High Priest.


    "By the way, you were talking earlier, I could deduce that you used your power, Esteemed High Priest." Emperor Valentin finally started the conversation with the calmed High Priest Enoch.


    "Yes¡­ I could not believe what I saw¡­" High Priest Enoch answered.


    "Judging from your insistence to go to the memoryke, you would want to either take away your memory or tamper it with another¡­ High Priest, what could you have seen to make you do such a drastic thing immediately?" Emperor Valentin asked worriedly.


    Leon and the knights stayed silent and just listened to the conversation, allowing the two to discuss without interruptions.


    "H-his gift is telepathy. He could read people''s minds by touch¡­" High Priest Enoch''s face darkened in horror as he revealed the crucial information. "And from the tiny fragment I was able to see, their goal is to get the identity of the Pdin¡­ and dispose of her¡­"


    Shock overwhelmed the entire group as they finally heard High Priest Enoch''s words. No wonder High Priest Enoch was desperate to go to the memoryke¡­ the Pope''s powers were actually troublesome.


    "If¡­ if he managed to touch someone who knew of the Pdin''s identity¡­" Keren dared not to continue her words.


    "What was scary was that¡­ not only her identity would be discovered¡­ but Little Han will also be exposed¡­" Said the High Priest.


    "Remember, they need someone who has a bloodline, a person with guardian''s descent¡­ that''s why the Pope wanted Leon to marry the fake pdin. Little Han is what they need! He is of both Asani blood and Seirende blood!" He continued.


    There was an eerie silence in the room. Such a great danger that approaches them!


    "I will not allow my fiance and son to be in their hands! They have to go through me before they can do that!" Leon for the first time in such a long time emitted his deathly bloodlust, making all the people in the room suffocate in intimidation.


    "Calm down, young man¡­ That is why I proposed for the four of us to go to the memoryke to have our memories altered. I am sure that that would be enough." High Priest Enoch said.


    "I am afraid it will not work, your Eminence¡­" Leon answered in a low tone. "There will be a lot of chances for him to touch anyone from the Imperial Family as it was part of the diplomatic rtions.


    "Then shall we gather all those who knew of Eli''s real identity?" Joab suggested.


    "The memoryke really can alter memories, but it has restrictions. Those kinds of things can only be done to one person! After that, we have to wait for ten years for the memoryke to allow someone to alter memories again." Emperor Valentin signed as he exined the information.


    "That is because altering memories means to damage a part of one''s soul. I am afraid that even if we had no choice, I would allow the High Priest to jeopardize your life in the process of altering memories."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Finally, have you ever thought about how my future daughter-inw would react the moment she knew about it? You know what kind of person she was! She will definitely be devastated." Emperor Valentin told everything that everyone needs to know about the memoryke.


    The mood in the room could only fall deeper and heavier as they try to think of a way to solve the problem.


    "No matter what, getting to the memoryke can only do that much." Emperor Valentin sighed. He too was feeling helpless over the matter.


    They were fortunate enough to receive an advanced warning of the opponent''s next move, but they simply had no way to counter it.


    "I know that we cannot hide Eli''s identity forever, but I just wished that we could still stall the inevitable for a few more months, or maybe years. Until we are all ready." High Priest Enoch clenched his fingers as he was saying this.


    "We can only face it now¡­ what we can do is to be ready. We have to do everything to protect as many people as possible!" Emperor Valentin dered. "Besides, we have to tell this matter to young Eli too."


    "I shall inform her of your summons tomorrow." Leon immediately understood and replied.


    "She recently reported that Baobao managed to detect around ten curse users that have sessfully infiltrated the Empire." Leon continued.


    "Any leads on who they were?" Mishael''s eyes darkened, these people still managed to think of a way to get past the tight security that they had, how despicable these enemies were.


    "Eli managed to get a hint of the location of the three strongest once. Upon my investigation, it belongs to the envoys from Vanderford. But as to who specifically they were, we still had to verify.


    My men also were on the lookout for anything peculiar happening around the area and discovered that a part of the Capital''s defense array had been deactivated. But it looks like they had a hard time deactivating a significant part of it because their progress is slow." Leon exined.


    "Well that is to be expected, it is I and Eli who reinforced the arrays! Hahahaha! How can they think that they could easily solve our runes!" Mishael could not help butugh proudly, knowing that someone was having a hard time during their work was quite a pleasant feeling.


    "All we need to do right now is to figure out what they need to do. But from the recent reports, it seems like they were trying to find a way to infiltrate the city and cause chaos. They also seemed like they were not in a hurry, so I could only deduce that they target to do their n either on the finals of the tournament or the arrival of the envoys from the main temple."


    "..." The people in the room paused to think deeply about Leon''s report, hearing his analysis, they also agree that these people might have two targets, the people attending the tournament or the captives that are the subject to the Main Temple''s attention.


    The worst-case scenario was for the enemy to target both.


    "Alright¡­ Mishael, I''ll be entrusting to your team once again the task to keep the public safe from curse users. As for Leon, you have to ensure that the prisoners do not have any chance to escape regardless of the Pope''s moves."


    "I understand, Your Majesty!" Leon and Mishael nodded in response.


    "Joab, Keren, we too shall not stay idle and wait for trouble to happen. If the enemies are out in the open, we shall also announce our presence. The temple knights were still someone they had to keep an eye on!" High Priest Enoch ordered.


    "We understand, Your Eminence." Joab and Keren replied.


    "As for the matter of the memory, we have to tell this to Eli. She had to mentally prepare for the worst-case scenario. We also have to ept the fact that we have no means to stop the Priest from reading what was on our minds." Emperor Valentin said to High Priest Enoch.


    "Alright¡­ we have no choice but to confront these enemies head on." High Priest Enoch replied, his eyes turning serious and fierce.


    "Even if they had to touch everyone in the Empire, I will not let them get their way to Eli and my son. Should they insist, please¡­ run as fast as you can for I will be going all out to destroy them all!" Leon said with a cold ruthless voice.


    ¨CIf you are reading this outside Webnovel, it means that my work is stolen. Please continue to support my work by going to Webnovel and giving me a review or ament. Love love!!--

 Chapter 411 Silent Treatment

    ?The next day.


    Eli joined Leon and the rest to hear of what happened the other night.


    However, in the end, they were not able toe up with a solution other than staying vignt and stalling the Pope from discovering the matter.


    "Is it really going to be like this? Then if that''s the case, it would be inevitable for us to prepare for another war!"


    Seeing that even Eli had no other way but to confront the matter head the High Priest became anxious.


    "We really have no solution on the matter¡­ developing a mind-altering potion will also take time and it will not be possible given this situation." Kayden who was also called in to consult if there could be any other solution also exined.


    "As long as we do not know what the Pope''s intentions were, we cannot be sure what lengths he would be willing to go just to get the identity of the Pdin." Mishaelmented.


    Eli frowned deeply, thinking about ways to stall the process of the Pope''s most drastic action to read people''s minds.


    Suddenly, an idea came to her but she hesitated to tell it.


    Emperor Valentin had been observing Eli''s reaction and did not miss the sh in her eyes, "Young Eli, do you have something on your mind?"


    Eli was startled by Emperor Valentin''s question, but seeing everyone look at her curiously she sighed and told them what she thinks,


    "I was thinking of staging a situation where the pdin would appear the moment the Pope and his envoys set off on their way to the Empire. It is much better if we can make it so that the Pdin''s appearance was far from the Empire¡­"


    "But that means that you would make yourself a bait outside the Empire! What''s more, you cannot be absent for so long because eyes have been on you in this tournament." Keren objected worriedly.


    She kept hearing Eli''s name these days whenever she heard other people talk about the happenings in the tournament. This only meant that her moves were being noticed despite not being one of the delegates but only a mentor.


    The others also frowned upon the idea.


    "Eli, Captain Keren is right. It is not that your idea is bad, it is just that it would be hard to execute. Now that you have a very crucial role in the tournament you cannot afford to leave for a day or two.


    Besides, it is not like a day or two would be enough for the Pope''s interest to divert. You have to stay in that region for at least a week in order to make the Pope waver and follow your tracks."


    Eli looked at them and sighed heavily,


    "But this is the only option I could think of. If we can not make him think that the person he was looking for was not in the Empire, then we will really be doomed.


    Also, it is not the only thing I had in mind. Instead of theming at us, we have to think of a way for our party toe on theirnd instead.


    Since all of our suspicions fall toward the Vanderford Continent and the Holy Ind, then that must be the ce where the enemy was hiding."


    "So you mean, we have to both trick the Pope and find a way to go to Vanderford and the Holy Ind at the same time?" Emperor Valentin''s eyes darkened.


    The others also realized how brilliant Eli''s idea could have been if not for theplications it would entail for her to do.


    Leon looked at Eli and saw that she had no fear in her eyes. Rather he could find a trace of determination in her midnight obsidian eyes as she was telling what was on her mind.


    He was taken aback.


    "We will talk about this another day¡­ there''s still a few weeks before the Pope''s movement anyways. Who knows we cane up with another solution." Leon took Eli''s hand that had been clenched into a fist and suggested to the people in the room.


    Only then did the men realize that they might have been too hasty.


    "Alright, I''ll also find time to discuss the matter with the grandmasters. The more heads thinking about it, the more the chances of us finding a better solution." Emperor Valentin also adjourned the meeting.


    "Let''s meet again three days from now. We will also try to find information on our end." High Priest Enoch also understood that it is really no good in rushing over the matter and so they set off.


    Leon stood up and took Eli by the hand.


    The rest opted to no longer follow. They looked at the couple and sighed, there are really too manyplications in their rtionship.


    Kayden looked at the couple''s back and shook his head. He deeply hopes that the two would talk to each other properly and ovee the obstacle in the best way possible.


    Eli and Leon walked silently until they were alone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli did not know but she felt something was wrong with Leon ever since the meeting ended. She looked at Leon''s side profile only to see that there was no ripple of emotions on his face and that his grip was as gentle as ever.


    She opened her mouth to speak, but seeing Leon wordlessly taking her by the hand to the teleportation array to the cottage, she decided to go against it.


    ''He probably does not want to talk here in the castle.'' She concluded.


    ''Or he is probably tired¡­ he did not get a wink of sleepst night¡­''


    But even as they teleport, there was a suffocating distance being created between the two that made Eli anxious. She could not pinpoint what was wrong but there was something that seemed to be brewing between them.


    Eli felt a little helpless. This was the first time she experienced this in their rtionship.


    ''Leon seemed to be in a bad mood. How do I navigate through this?'' She frowned.


    Finally, they were in the familiar living room. The silent atmosphere and the empty plushie yground added to the tension between them. That was because Little Han along with Roxy and the rest were still at the Forgeworn Residence.


    At this moment, Leon let go of Eli''s hand and still did not speak.


    Eli could not take it anymore and faced Leon, scrutinizing his face. Only then she noticed that his face was actually full of conflicted emotions, seeming to be bottled up inside.


    "Leon¡­ what''s wrong? Talk to me," Eli took Leon''s hand which was only hanging nkly on his side.


    But the other party did not react. Only frowning and closing his eyes.


    "Are you tired? Have you had breakfast? I can whip up something for you in just a moment."


    "Oh, I''ll prepare the bath, if you want to refresh yourself while I make you something to eat."


    "You had a sleepless night¡­ so it has to be something light, lest you could no longer keep yourself awake."


    But even as Eli busied herself, Leon still did not move on his spot. Eli had already filled the bath and had already put the water to boil for coffee or tea, yet Leon was still frozen in the same spot.


    The frown on Eli''s face deepened, and there was a brewing displease growing in her heart. However, she knew very well not tosh at Leon today, because she knew what he had been through the night.


    Therefore, she takes deep breaths to calm herself down, telling herself to be patient.


    Then she approached Leon and took his hand, she gently dragged him to the room.


    "Whatever is wrong, we can talk about it after you take a bath. You still need to rest right after¡­" She softly said as she coaxed him to take the bath towel from her hand and enter the bathroom.


    Finally, Leon took a quick nce at her and silently went to the bathroom.


    Only when Eli heard the faint sounds of water inside did she sigh in relief and proceeded to the kitchen again.


    When she was done, she opted to bring the set of breakfast to the bedroom. Leon probably had no energy to go back to the kitchen.


    When she reached the bedroom, she saw that Leon was already done.


    He was sitting on his bed wrapped in a loose fluffy bathrobe.


    The morning light shined on his lonely countenance, making him look like a fallen angel nkly staring at a distance. His red blood hair was still wet, and drops of water glistened as they fell into his exposed shoulders and neck.


    "Your breakfast is ready. I''ll dry your hair while you take it¡­" Eli quickly put the food on the bedside table and busied herself with getting a fresh towel.


    But when she turned around, Leon still did not move. His face darkened, and the food was still untouched.


    This time, Eli finally snapped, this silent treatment was killing her and she couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Leon Andrae De Seirende, what is wrong with you?!!"


    ¡ªIf you are reading this outside Webnovel, it means that my work is stolen. Please continue to support my work by going to Webnovel and giving me a review or ament. Love love!!---

 Chapter 412 Quarrel

    ?Hearing Eli''s agitated voice, Leon''s nk eyes finally reacted.


    He looked at Eli and examined her impatient expression. He pursed his lips as he looked away, seemingly refusing to talk.


    ''Oh c''mon¡­'' Eli almost rolled her eyes in realization.


    No wonder my friends in the previous life appeared to be losing patience whenever they quarreled with their boyfriends!


    Look at her boyfriend! He refused to talk and she was left to guess what was wrong!


    Did she do anything wrong?


    Did something happenst night that made him in a bad mood?


    Did she irritate him somehow?


    But he never expressed his anger or grievance, how is she supposed to know?


    ''Men areplicated!''


    ''No wonder my female colleagues were irritated every time they talked about their fights with their boyfriends. Before I used to roll my eyes and me them forck of impatience!''


    ''But look at me now¡­ I''m such a hypocrite! I am doing the same thing!''


    Just thinking about these things, Eli could feel a wave of headache on her forehead.


    ''Wait, let''s give him the benefit of the doubt. It''s not like Leon always does this. In fact, this is the first time¡­ Let''s be patient¡­ patient¡­''


    Eli closed her eyes and breathed once again, it looks like she will be doing this a lot today.


    "Leon¡­ please talk to me."


    "..." No answer.


    "Did something bad happen in the pce other than what was discussed at the meeting?"


    "..." Still, no answer.


    Sigh¡­ Eli counted for ten seconds before opening her mouth again. He looked at Leon''s solitary figure


    She did not know but, looking at the view of his back, there was a wave of heartbreak rolling in her chest.


    Finally deciding to abandon her aggressive questioning, Eli sat beside him, gently touching his back.


    With a coaxing tone, she finally asked, "Darling¡­ Did I do anything wrong?"


    As she was gently caressing Leon''s back, she felt the sudden flinch on his body.


    Eli''s eyes lit up on his reaction, however, she was disappointed when she heard his response.


    "... No¡­"


    ''How am I supposed to take that?'' Eli''s eyebrows twitched. However, she did not give up and continued what she was doing. "Is there a reason why you are in a bad mood?"


    "..." No answer.


    "Perhaps you want to sleep and eatter?"


    "..." No answer.


    "Are you perhaps angry at me, Darling?"


    "..." No answer.


    "My love¡­ I''m out of ideas¡­ Please speak to me and tell me what''s wrong¡­" Eli was now utterly dejected, the exasperation in her voice was now evident.


    Finally, Leon looked at her, his lips still pursed in displease as he looked straight at Eli''s midnight eyes.


    "So you finally remembered that I was ''your love''?" Leon answered, his eyes were still not looking at Eli directly but there was evidence of grievance in his tone.


    Eli was taken aback by Leon''s response. So she did something wrong after all?


    But what is it? Did she somehow make Leon jealous and insecure?


    Eli kept wondering.


    "You are my love, indeed! My only..." Eli knew how cheesy her lines were at the moment, but at this point, she was really clueless as to how she would coax Leon to reconcile and talk.


    The big guy is sulking.


    "Then¡­ why do you act like I was not?" Leon replied, this time his tone was quite frustrated yet Eli could feel that he was doing his best to hold back.


    "Leon, I don''t quite understand what you are saying. Please, help me understand and know what you are really thinking¡­" Eli was almost drained, both of them were already physically and mentally exhausted, and so she no longer had the energy to prolong their quarrel.


    "Because you think and act like I was not in your life!"


    "I was hurt! You know¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But it frustrates me¡­ the fact that whenever you think of a solution, you do not consider that I am around¡­"


    "You do not consider that I can also do things to help you¡­"


    "You do not realize that even if you have such aplicated identity, this is no longer only your problem, it is OUR problem!"


    "But why are you singling me out?"


    "I was always debating myself, am I that unreliable as a partner? As your future husband?"


    "Am I really that incapable?"


    "I am your fiance, the father of your child¡­ if I can not do even one thing to help you in your predicament, how do I even deserve to call myself your husband in the future?"


    "Can''t you rely on me just this once?"


    "I am not saying that I want you to follow my opinion outright, I just want you to give me a chance to hear what I think. Especially, when ites to the things that involve you and Little Han''s safety."


    "It really makes me feel irrelevant¡­"


    "But I can''t bring myself to be angry at you¡­"


    "And so I kept quiet, I want to deal with it on my own."


    "Because maybe it''s only in my head, and there''s really nothing wrong with how you tried to solve the problem by endangering yourself outside the empire."


    Hearing Leon''s rant, Eli became speechless. The more she listened, the more she could feel the emotions Leon was bottling up earlier.


    Indeed he was telling how he felt, but in the end, he did not even raise his tone once to make Eli feel startled, it was just enough for Eli to feel the extent of his disappointment.


    She did not react for a long time and started to think about how she acted all this while. It was probably because of the fact that she suggested something bold earlier.


    Thinking back, even the High Priest and Emperor Valentin showed their approval of her suggestion earlier.


    ''I must have been used to being heard and having to solve problems on my own¡­''


    ''I often forget that I have people around me whom I can rely on¡­ who were just waiting for me to ask for their help¡­''


    ''I got ahead of myself¡­ Leon is right¡­''


    Eli felt a great wave of guilt in her heart as soon as she realized that she was indeed in the wrong.


    Although it was never her intention to make Leon feel excluded, being unable to remember the fact that she was already at a different stage of her life, where she must also consider the views of her other half would really make the other party aggrieved.


    "Leon¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Eli slowly uttered, she did not know how tofort Leon as well. All she knew was that she definitely owed Leon an apology for excluding him earlier.


    Leon''s back was still facing Eli, and so Eli could not see his struggle on whether he would give in or not.


    It was also the first time he ever quarreled with Eli and was quite unsure how to reconcile now that Eli had given in.


    It felt good to be heard, and for his feelings to be recognized by the most important person in his heart.


    But he was afraid that his words may have hurt Eli in some way. This was also the reason why he kept silent and unmoving earlier, he did not want that his surging emotions would hurt Eli at their peak.


    On the other hand, Eli knew that Leon was indeed hurt and he needed time to recollect himself. So she nudged closer to Leon''s back and hugged him from behind.


    The couple stayed like that for a few minutes, nothing could be heard in the room but their calm breaths.


    After a while, Leon finally managed to have the courage to face Eli again. He moved his body to answer Eli''s embrace.


    "I''m sorry for sulking¡­ and¡­ thank you for hearing me out."


    Eli became relieved now that Leon had already calmed down. "Uhn¡­" Eli hummed and nuzzled in his embrace.


    It was unknown when, but after staying like that, the couple seemed to be overwhelmed by exhaustion and ended up sleeping until thete afternoon.


    It was Eli who woke up first.


    Seeing Leon beside him, his eyes ridden with exhaustion, Eli felt heartbroken.


    Deciding that she did not want Leon to be disturbed, she carefully moved out of bed. However before she was able to do so, she felt Leon''s hand stopping her from moving away.


    "Stay a little bit more¡­" Leon''s voice was hoarse, his alluring crystal blue eyes opened partly.


    Then he scooted closer to Eli''s chest and hugged him tightly. It was so close that Eli was sure that Leon could hear the sound of her heartbeat.


    However, Eli did not protest and allowed Leon to make her his pillow. Caressing Leon''s hair, Eli watched him as he drifted to sleep again.


    In her mind, not only that she felt like she had to indulge Leon a little bit, but also, she too wanted to spend some idle times like this with him.


    Today and as they grow old, Leon''s words reminded Eli that from now on, she will no longer be alone struggling through hard times and idling through easy times.


    He now had Leon, and Little Han.


    Her family.

 Chapter 413 Recruiting The Students

    ?The next day, Eli is back to assist in the tournament.


    As for the matter about the Pope, she and Leon decided to talk about itter once Leon was able to confirm something on his end.


    For now, Eli had to focus on assisting Lainie to meet the delegates she was able to recruit for the past few days.


    ording to Lainie, aside from the people that were personally endorsed by Randel, there were a couple of musicians that expressed interest in helping her fight theposing section.


    It was true that Lainie still needed a few more musicians and even if they add up the people whom Randel rmended, they would still be needing for Lainie to be able to assemble a small chamber orchestra.


    "Mentor, you are here¡­" As soon as Eli reached the designated music room in the Farauld institute, Lainie immediately led her to meet the members of Lainie''s team.


    "Good morning Mentor!" Desmond, Raya, Marie, and even Hailey were there as well.


    Since they would also be a part of the orchestra they had to also ensure that they would be able to work with the other members of the team.


    Eli could feel the curious gazes directed at her the moment she entered the rehearsal room.


    The room is wide and spacious, Dean Athena made a lot of effort to renovate this area in order to amodate Eli and the music team, and so even with around 40 members inside, the atmosphere was still rxing and not suffocating.


    "Hello everyone, as I have mentioned earlier, I will be introducing to you, my mentor¡­ Lady Eli. Most of you knew her by her works in the innovation and research field, but she is also a strong and reliable mentor for music. In the Farauld music delegates group, she was directly mentoring yours truly and our pianist, Desmond."


    Lainie enthusiastically introduced Eli to the members of the group. However, the atmosphere of the entire room was quite awkward as every one of them was not yet used to each other.


    These student delegates were all from the eliminated batches of the recent rounds of the music tournament.


    Obviously, all those who were retained to proceed to the final section were from the top schools of the major continent, and so these students had no more chance to participate other than joining the battle for the arrangers.


    Eli stepped forward and smiled amiably, she knew the kinds of nces that were directed at her. Some of them were from curiosity, but most of them were from skepticism and distrust.


    It seems like these musicians were still hesitant to recognize her as the mentor for this orchestra which is why Lainie was quite having a hard time making these assembled groups of musicians truly befortable with each other.


    "Good morning everyone. As Lainie has said, I am Eli. Although many of you might not have heard of me being involved in the musical field, I can assure you that I was able to guide Desmond and Lainie through this tournament. In the future, I will also do my best to guide all of you as well."


    The tense atmosphere still did not change, but Eli remained calm as she continued.


    "As you all know, you are assembled here to be part of Lainie''s chamber orchestra to fight for the battle of the arrangers.


    This was not only a battle of how proficient Lainie was in arranging a musical piece, but also a battle for every member of this team. Think of it as a revenge match from the recent elimination rounds.


    Our goal was to make everyone here befortable and used to each other as you will all create one beautiful music together¡­" Eli continued.


    She swept a nce at everyone and smiled once again, like a teacher trying to navigate her ss on the first day of school, "For starters, don''t we use this time to raise questions and ask away? I''ll be sure to answer it as long as it is connected to our objective, which is to be able to form a group that would create beautiful music."


    She pped her hands and encouraged the students to participate.


    The students looked at each other, the skeptical ones frowned in hesitation and remained silent.


    "Me! Me! Mentor, I have a question!" Suddenly, Raya''s voice sounded in the hall. After the incident, she was able to recover with the help of her friends and mentors, and now she is back to her usual lively self.


    "What instrument did Mentor y?" She asked. "Oh, of course, I know that mentor knew how to y the piano because you were mentoring my big brother¡­ but do you have any more instruments you were able to y?"


    "Hmm¡­" Eli smiled and cast a quick nce at the students. She was relieved that Raya took the first step to ease the situation and so Eli decided to reply,


    "Aside from the piano, which is my main instrument, I also knew how to y the violin and an instrument simr to the lute¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Suddenly murmurs appeared around, there were surprised gasps and hushed discussion. Clearly, the reaction of the students was that of disbelief and surprise.


    "Are there any more questions? Feel free to ask away?"


    "Mentor, how long have you been practicing these instruments?"


    "Hmmm¡­ that''s tricky¡­ if you asked when I started to learn, my answer would be from childhood. However, due to some circumstances, I was forced to do away with it and I only had a chance to seriously pursue them a few years ago."


    Eli carefully answered, she used half-truths to ensure that her answer would still fit Elise''s original circumstance, should other people investigate.


    "Any more?" She asked, she could see that some of the students were already at ease, but she wanted topletely win the entire group so that Lainie will not have a hard time leading her members.


    "How much do you practice a day, Mentor?"


    "What piece do you like the most?"


    Questions after questions were asked for the next few minutes. Lainie and the rest of the bunch could not help but smile with relief seeing how Eli was able to make the atmosphere turn lively.


    Finally one of the skeptical students felt that it wasfortable enough to raise her question and so she took the courage to stand and meet Eli''s gaze.


    "Mentor¡­ This tournament is meaningful for me and my ssmates here¡­" She turned her head and looked at the students beside her, "We wanted to at least not end our journey here as eliminated musicians¡­ and so we take the arranger''spetition seriously¡­"


    The room was silent as they were drawn by the girl''s opening statement. Eli also kept silent, she knew that it was finally time to prove to the students her and Lainie''s ability, only then will the group be truly willing to participate.


    "If it is not offensive on your side, I would like to ask if you could y us a piece and show us a little extent of your abilities. Just for us to know that you and Junior Conductor Lainie also take thispetition seriously?" She fidgeted and hung her head low, fearing that she would face Eli''sshing.


    "Hmm.. that''s a good idea. Why not?" Eli nonchntly replied, she had been waiting for this chance after all.


    "Alright, but I will only demonstrate it today. For you know that this is not time for me to show off my ability, but rather, the abilities of the team behind me." She pointed at Lainie, Desmond, and the rest who were behind her in front.


    "Then¡­ Why don''t we show them what we have been practicing together?" Eli looked at the group behind her and smiled.


    Desmond and the rest immediately took their instruments and positioned themselves on the instruments up front.


    "Let''s y Vivaldi''s Winter," Eli announced, picking up the violin from her space pouch.


    Lainie also did her duty and took out her arrangement for Vivaldi''s winter and gave it out to Desmond who is ying the harpsichord instead of piano to match the piece, Raya on the second violin, Marie on the vi, and Hailey on the cello.


    Finally, she positioned herself on the third violin''s position and looked at Eli gesturing that they were all ready.


    The melody started on an eerie string of notes, depicting the harsh winter storm that is about toe. After a few measures, Eli finally entered as the soloist, ying the fastbination of notes while taking turns with the ensemble to answer with the melodies.


    The students watching were shocked, not only because of Eli''s prowess but because of how amazing the music they were able to create.


    Even as Eli yed the solo part of the piece, the students never thought that she was making herself stand out. All they could see and hear was that they were ying as one.


    No one tried to best another, and they were able to create such beautiful music, with a melody that is unheard of!


    When the piece ended, they were already on their toes, pping passionately at their performance! Praises flew left and right, overwhelming Eli and the rest.


    Finally, they all took a respectful bow. Eli looked at the students and asked, "So what do you think? What to join our music ensemble?"


    "We¡­we want to truly join your team!" They dly answered.

 Chapter 414 Sudden Summons

    ?The room is filled with apuse and excitement.


    Eli could feel that the student''s attitude towards her, Lainie, and the rest of the team went up to another level.


    "Now now¡­ settle down everyone!" Eli pped her hands and reminded them to calm down.


    "Since everyone was willing to be part of this team, the Farauld Magic Institute also prepared something for everyone.


    This contract is signed by the Headmaster, the Vice Chairman, and the Dean, this formalizes your membership in the Farauld''s tournament chamber orchestra.


    With this, the Farauld Magic Institute offers you benefits ording to the stiption of the contract. Of course, there are handsome rewards especially if this team managed to snag first ce in the tournament.


    One of these prizes is that all of you can enjoy a three-month exchange program to the Farauld Magic Institute, with all expenses paid and no course restriction, meaning, you can join any ss you want!" Eli exined.


    "Woah! For real?"


    "That''s awesome!"


    "Ah! I''m d I decided to join!"


    As soon as Eli exined the details of the contract, everyone got excited.


    Since the incident with Raya being framed, Grandpa Reuben and Uncle Bramwell became anxious that those who would eventually join the orchestra would choose to join because they wanted to sabotage the entire team.


    And so the elders decided to add ayer of extra protection, which is the contract, offering handsome rewards that are hard to let go of even for musicians like them.


    After settling the matter of the orchestra, Eli proceeded to perform her duties with the Anti-cursemittee.


    But even before she was able to get out of the campus, she received a summon back to the Imperial Pce.


    "Eli!" While walking towards the exit she heard Kayden''s voice behind her.


    "Big brother Kayden!" Eli smiled gently as she replied.


    Kayden jogged to catch up with Eli as he immediately patted her head affectionately, his eyes looking at Eli with a knowing nce, "You seem to be fine after all¡­Have you also received the summons from the Imperial Pce? Let''s go together¡­"


    "Hmm?" Eli became confused about Kayden''s first statement, however, she still answered, "I''m alright. We can go together then."


    "Alright let''s go¡­" Kayden nodded and they soon called in the carriage to the Imperial Pce.


    At a far distance, Arabe was watching them with her fist clenched tightly. It was lucky that Niki was assigned to a different task and could not see the seething anger brewing around Arabe''s countenance.


    Her eyes were filled with jealousy and anger, not leaving her gaze on Eli, "This b*tch¡­ why are there so many b*tches around him whenever I see him!"


    "I must kill her! I have killed once before! I''ll do it again!" She gnashed her teeth as she swore to take action. However, at thest second, she was able to meet Eli''s gaze before the other partypletely entered the carriage.


    Arabe felt her heart drop, feeling like she was exposed. Her face darkened as she was contemting whether Eli had only coincidentally looked in her direction or she had really felt her presence.


    No wonder, the Crown Prince became wary of her during the opening ceremony, it seems like the woman was not simple.


    "Very well¡­ I''ll y with you Eli¡­ hehehe¡­" Arabe shed an eerie smile. A mere inventor like her was no big deal to Arabe, after all, she had already sized her up during the time she was able to interact with her during the banquet.


    "At the same time, she''ll finally disappear by my love''s side!" She happily beamed.


    In the carriage, Eli''s face darkened as she sat quietly with Kayden.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Little Sister, is there anything wrong?" Kayden saw Eli''s frown and asked.


    "Someone was watching us earlier¡­ and he or she did not even bother to hide the evil intent directed towards us." Eli did not hide her suspicions from Kayden, in fact, while they were outside waiting for the carriage, Baobao had already warned her that there was someone who was watching them from afar.


    A sh of surprise and vignce appeared on Kayden''s face. He knew that Eli was able to detect hostile presence from a distance because of Baobao''s powers but he could not help but be shocked that they were being watched for that long.


    "Don''t worry big brother¡­ the presence seemed to be watching me more rather than you¡­ it seems like this person wanted to target me after all. But¡­ I have no idea whose force it belongs to." Eli said.


    "But still¡­ the threat dares to roam around in the open! They clearly viewed us as nothing¡­ as if we are set to disappear once they make a move." Kayden replied with indignance, these people who were aiming to destroy the Empire are really audacious.


    "Well, they would never be interested in attacking us in the first ce if they were not confident enough to deal with us. I only pray that we are ready enough to retaliate once it happens." Eli''s eyes became cold, she did not stop her training no matter how busy she was. And so, she was ready to fight whenever it was needed.


    Upon arriving at the pce, Kayden and Eli realized that all the members of themittee had been summoned. They quickly headed toward the meeting area and respectfully greeted Emperor Valentin and the three princes.


    "Now we can start!" Emperor Valentin looked at his sons and announced.


    "We called you here today to inform you about thetest results of our investigations¡­" Leon immediately stood up and handed out a report.


    "In this report, you can see how many people had been detained trying to forcibly bypass the security checkpoints in the Empire. Arge number of them attempted to use the spatial void to try to randomly teleport in¡­"


    "More than a hundred people? This is many¡­" Anderson frowned, he had expected that many would attempt to sneak into the borders of the Empire, but he did not expect it to be this many.


    "Indeed, it is unexpected knowing that we have already announced and showed the entire Prasinos how strict and capable our security checks were," Leon replied.


    He continued, "As you also have known, during the opening ceremony Eli has verified ten people with confirmed curse presences inside their bodies."


    "Yes, we knew about it¡­ but we are clueless about how these people were able to bypass the curse detection magic."


    "We have conducted several tests with the help of Doctor Einz here in order to identify the potential reasons why. We have the First and Second Prince also cooperate with the experiments since they were confirmed as severe victims of the curse magic¡­ Dr. Einz can best exin the proceedings of this research." Leon looked at Kayden and gestured to him to take over.


    "We have conducted a series of tests to identify under what circumstances the detection device would fail and came up with two theories¡­


    The first one was to create a vessel that would carry the dormant curse power. It was concealed fairly well because it would be installed in a body that has been damaged by curse magic.


    My warmest gratitude to the First and Second Prince foring up with this theory and also going out of their way to be the subject themselves of the matter.


    In this test, we also verified that only those who had been severely victimized by the curse power would be the perfect temporary vessel because the detection device would immediately bypass the curse''s presence as a damage remnant, not an active trace¡­" Kayden handed in the report.


    This time it was Prince Antoine who continued the presentation, "We have noticed that once the carrier sessfully bypasses the detection device, the curse power will remain dormant until the third day, where the curse power will have to search for the host to settle into.


    With this, the temporary carrier will exhibit flu-like symptoms prompting the real one to harvest the power.


    It can be even done in a way that the temporary carrier had no idea that they had been a mule to smuggle the curse magic. We have proven this by matching the data from the hospitals and clinics, looking for cases of extreme life and death symptoms but suddenly recovering for no reason.


    The total cases of these people were seven."


    "So this means that the other three were the cases that fell under the second theory?" Mishael had it figured out.


    "Yes¡­ Kayden nodded and continued to exin.


    "Aside from being a mule, I did not rule out the possibility that the third case users were most likely a controller of the spirit fragments."


    "You mean!!!" Mishael and the rest were startled, they were not able to continue but all of them knew what the second theory meant - there are three curse users roaming freely in the empire that was as strong or even stronger than Carolina Ves!

 Chapter 415 Afterwork Bonding

    ?The entire room is silent. They knew that even if the matter is only backed up by the theory, it was still something that they did not dare to neglect.


    "What can we say that these three people will have to attack at any moment inside the Empire?" Randel asked with a serious tone.


    "Yes, but we are not yet sure if they have alreadyid out anything before they move," Kayden replied and looked at Eli.


    "It was just a while ago when I and Eli were on our way to this ce, Baobao was able to detect a hostile presence directed at us. However, the other party clearly decided not to reveal themselves yet. They were just out there, watching us in the open." He continued.


    "We also received some reports that a group of unidentified people was now looking for any information about the members of the Anti-cursemittee. It seems like the enemy was also intimidated by themittee and wanted to gauge what they can do to perhaps affect their ns." Nathan reported.


    Hearing all of these happen, everyone knew that they could not let their guard down even one bit. This was a highly stressful phase for them all, yet they have no choice but to endure until the end of these events.


    "Then we have to double our security in the tournament. We cannot afford to let the students be hurt by these people¡­" Emperor Valentin concluded.


    "Yes¡­" The team then started to brainstorm about the additional measures they have to do with the remaining duration of the events.


    Later that night, although exhausted, Eli and Leon still went on with their parental duties and spent time with Little Han while talking about their ns on how to deal with the pope.


    "I have already confirmed everything outside, and I already have a set n in mind. This n is basically crafted from your initial n to lure the Pope into believing that the real Pdin appeared outside the Empire¡­ only that you are not the one going there to pose as the ''Pdin''..."


    Eli was surprised that Leon still considered her initial suggestion. She was moved by his gesture as she listened to how Leon wanted to carry out the n. From time to time she would interject and raise some things that she thought could work better than the original.


    If one would look at the two of them at the moment, they would probably sigh in awe. These two people looked like they were a match with each other and theyplement each other''s thoughts very well.


    Seeing his mommy and daddy bing busy as they seriously talk, Little Han did not throw a tantrum. Instead, he quietly nuzzled into his daddy''s embrace as he hugged a fluffy plush toy while behaving like he was listening to the two''s conversation, even if he did not understand a single thing.


    After a few minutes of talking, Eli and Leon actually noticed how Little Han behaved, and their hearts trembled.


    Oh, how could they have such a lovely kid?


    They felt like they owed too much to Little Han and yet, their little bun was still there supporting the two of them in his own little way.


    "Baby, are you sleepy?" Eli endearingly caressed Little Han''s rxed face as she smiled gently.


    "Non non¡­ Johann wann y¡­ peeeno¡­" (No no¡­ Johan wants to y piano.."


    "Oh¡­ you like it?" Eli could not help but chuckle. Little Han''s must have been influenced by the music-loving Baobao as both of them looked so cheerfully obsessed whenever Eli would y the piano.


    "Uhmm¡­ daddi y too.." Little Han looked up and his crystal blue eyes looked at Leon pleadingly.


    "You want daddy to y too?" Leon raised his brows in surprise.


    "Hmmm¡­ wann wann y!" Little Han nodded his head with anticipation as if he could not wait to see his parents y the piano together.


    "Alright then¡­but you will y with us too¡­" Eli cupped Little Han''s chubby cheeks as he giggled contently from seeing his mommy and daddy indulge him with the sudden request.


    Then Leon carried Little Han as he pulled a stool and sat beside Eli on the grand piano.


    "What do you wanna y, my baby?" Eli asked softly.


    "Winkle winkle! (Twinkle twinkle!)" Little Han happily cheered.


    "Alright then¡­ we y together¡­" Leon smiled as he guided Little Han''s fingers on the first notes. As for him, he had long known the tune because it was actually Little Han''s favorite piece, he had no problems ying it on the piano.


    Soon the little cottage was filled with the lighthearted melody of the famous tune, making Eli and Leon who were filled with thoughts of defending the Empire''s peace and security until the events end be rxed.


    It was as if nothing mattered at the moment but Little Han''s charming giggles and warm smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Jiheeeheee!" Little Han shed a grin. Then he stood from his father''sp, with Leon''s hands securing him from falling.


    Then he pressed the keys of the tune on a single note. It was the perfect notes yed on the main melody, surprising the two.


    "Well done, my little love!" Eli pped her hands and looked at Little Han proudly.


    This was not Little Han''s first time doing it, but it has be more apparent that Little Han is gifted to y music by ear!


    "Jiheeeheee¡­ Johann want peeno¡­" (Johann wants piano¡­) Little Han replied.


    "Do you really want to learn one?" Leon asked as he gently rubbed Little Han''s head. His eyes were also full of pride and doting, knowing that Little Han is also talented in music.


    "Aye! Johann y peeno! Daddi y sello (cello)... mommi y violeee (violin)!" Little Han told his parents like he had it nned in his head.


    The two were taken aback. How did Little Han know that Leon could y the cello?


    They will not be surprised to know if Little Han understood that Eli knew how to y the violin, but as for Leon, it was quite surprising as not many knew that he could y the instrument!


    "When did you learn about that? Little gossiper?" Leon teasingly rubbed the tip of Little Han''s nose and asked lightly.


    "Gwammy H! (Granny Teh!)" Little Han wiggled his chubby arms and narrated in broken words how Queen Teh yed with him when he was left with Grandpa Tyce and Grandma Kristine during day time.


    "I see, I see!" Eli chuckled as she finally figured out, if it was Queen Teh, then it was to be expected.


    "Then you have no choice but to show your talents, my love." Eli nced at Leon and yfully winked, making the other party shake his head in an indulgent resignation.


    Seeing the two dearest people in his life asking him to y, how could he not agree to their request?


    "Alright alright¡­ I''ll talk to Devondre and ask if he could customize a piano for Little Han for starters¡­ then we can y together. This grand piano is too huge for Little Han to y at the moment." Leon decided.


    In fact, letting Little Han, who was barely two years old, learn a piano is already ridiculous. But he decided to work with the best Forgeworn craftsman and piano maker.


    "It''s settled then!" Eli smiled and kissed Little Han''s cheek, "Good for you my little bun! Say thanks to daddy.."


    "Taykuu daddi (Thank you daddy!)" Little Han cupped Leon''s face and kissed it affectionately.


    The family of three giggled and stayed for a little bit longer before finally retiring to bed.


    This time, Little Han became clingy and asked for them to sleep together and so they all made themselves a bed of three.


    Morning came and the little family of three once again prepared for their daily routine.


    This time, Little Han insisted on carrying his own backpack and favorite sheep plush toy.


    "Johann big boi! Johann walk alone¡­" When Little Han was about to be carried by Leon, he shook his little head vigorously and refused to be carried.


    Instead, he took Leon''s head and stepped alongside him as they walked outside the Forgeworn forest and went to the main estate.


    However, they were not yet halfway out of the forest, but Eli and Leon would already see Little Han''s face turn red in the struggle.


    They were matching his little steps as they went, patiently waiting for the little one to conquer the way to the estate step by step¡­ but it seems like this time, the limit on Little Han''s chubby little feet is just halfway out of the forest.


    "Can you still make it? Little darling, it''s ok to take things slow¡­ We won''t get mad." Eli wiped the sweat on his face and ensured that the towel affixed to his back was changed to a fresh new one.


    "Mommi¡­ daddi¡­ tired¡­" Little Han''s face teared up in shame. Looking at the long pathway they still had to walk into, Little Han hung his head low to say, "Soweeeee¡­. Johann can''t walk¡­ tired."

 Chapter 416 String Competition Finals (1)

    ?"Your Highness Third Prince, is everything ready on the other side?" High Priest Enoch inquired.


    A weekter, Leon, Eli, and the rest of the team prepared to execute the n to deceive the pope and reveal the whereabouts of the ''Pdin''.


    "Yes, Your Eminence. The person who will pose as the pdin is ready for the show. The only thing we need to do is to deliver this batch of purest cure potion to his side and convince the people out there that he was indeed the pdin." Leon reported.


    Their strategy is to get a powerful mage that specializes in healing magic and let him pose as the pdin.


    Along the way of him healing the victims of curse magic, he will be secretly using the purest batch of cure potions made directly from Eli''s spiritual powers to further convince the public.


    "Once the pope heard of this news, he will surely try something to test the imposter''s abilities¡­ But even so, our goal was not to deceive himpletely but to buy us time.


    A week is enough to make him waver, and once he bit the trap, he will be forced to dy his arrival and go in the direction of the imposter pdin.


    By the time they realized that the pdin was fake, we were already done with the tournament. All of the travel passes of the foreign visitors will also expire. Hence, the Empire will have the right to kick out these people and force them to go back."


    Antoine analyzed Leon''s n and his eyes lit up in realization. This n is well thought out.


    The only thing they have to pray for is that the Pope will not see through this n which would really cause a great dy to his party.


    "The second stage of this n is for our team to find a way to check the situation in the Holy Ind and in the Vanderford. The more we think about it the more we are convinced that there is something fishy going on that side of the map." Kazimirmented.


    "Let''s stay calm and y by ear. We are not to show the enemy that we are eager to know what was going on in their side. One wrong signal will make our n crumble." Emperor Valentin warned everyone.


    One week to go before the start of the Pope''s journey to the Seirende Empire.


    Everyone was praying for the n to work for the tournament to finish as soon as possible.


    ¨C


    After the meeting, Eli and Randel quickly went back to their proteges to watch the finale of the events.


    A few days ago, the finals for the magic tournament were already finished with the mage from the Greenwave Institute iming the top position. He was Calderon Eldir, a hot-blooded youth from the dragon n.


    iming the second spot was a mage from the Farauld Magic Institute which was actually sponsored by the Astaze n.


    Finally, another familiar name made Eli surprised as she heard of the results of the tournament, the third ce was achieved by Elifas Koeth of the Silverdew Elves, who is none other than Azayn''s son.


    Surprisingly, only two mages of Vanderford rest in the lower top ten of the Magic division.


    The fourth and fifth ranks were awarded to the two other mages of the Farauld Magic institute and the rest were dominated by the delegates from the Green Wave institute.


    "It was quite bad, surprisingly¡­" Eli whispered towards Randel.


    All along she had the impression that the Vanderford group was bing stronger and more aggressive in getting a good rank for the Magic division.


    But it turns out their finish is quite pitiful.


    "The warriors from the Greenwave institute were stronger than thest time. It is to be expected that they will dominate the mage''s match.


    As for our representatives, you know how strong our training regimen is in the Institute. A lot of them were even stronger than their registered ranks."


    Randel patiently exined to Eli.


    "That makes sense." Eli nodded as she listened to Randel''s analysis.


    Although Vanderford boasted of having more mages past the B-rank level, the way of training in Farauld Magic institute does not give a heavy emphasis on one''s aptitude assessment.


    It is a holisticbination of talent, strength, and battle experience.


    "Mentor Eli! Mentor Randel, here!" As the two discussed the results of the magic division, their attention was called by Lainie and Max who had already reserved their seats.


    "Did the match start?" Eli asked as the two sat on the seats reserved by the students.


    "Not yet, mentor. But I believe Marie can do well today!" Lainie was obviously anxious but she decided to keep calm and support her friends.


    "They were just waiting for His Majesty toe and witness the finale, for he confirmed his attendance to watch the entire proceedings."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Raya and Haley were also backstage too¡­ along with Her Highnesses," Maxmented.


    Today is the finals of the stringspetition.


    Vi was the first one to conclude and everyone was in the Empire''srgest concert hall to watch the finale.


    "I see¡­" Eli nodded with understanding. She did not mention that Emperor Valentin was just with him earlier during the meeting but she understood why the Emperor wanted to watch.


    It was because the students of Evelyn, First Queen Lucia, and Second Queen Teh will be fighting theirst battle. To support the members of the Imperial family, he had to go and witness the results of their efforts.


    "We shall wait patiently then¡­" Eli looked at the young students and nodded. Along with Randel they patiently waited for the Emperor and all the highest representatives of each dominion to arrive at the venue.


    It did not take long for the formalities to start and soon the finals for the Strings Competition started.


    There were seven contenders for the Vi division and only Marie was the representative of the Farauld Magic institute.


    In the finals, four of the contestants came from the Vanderford institute and all of them had an expression filled with confidence.


    They looked at Marie with a smug provoking look, as if they knew that even if she managed to snag a spot in the finals she would not seed in getting first ce.


    Marie shuddered in nervousness. She felt her hands cold as she could not stand the stares from herpetitors.


    "Marie¡­" Princess Consort Evelyn patted Marie''s shoulder, rubbing it gently to let the youngdy rx.


    "Your Highness¡­" Marie''s eyes glowed in relief seeing her mentor supporting her in this crucial moment.


    "Rx and be proud of yourself. Look how far you have gone and we are more than proud of you already. You have already given me so much pride and happiness seeing how you grew. And so do not pressure yourself and y to your heart''s content."


    Princess Evelyn smiled and encouraged Marie, she was one of the silent members of the eight delegates from the music and fine arts department and so she ensured that the youngdy would not beat her own because of too much pressure.


    "Do not mind the score, the judge, or yourpetitors. y the music you love, and let others hear the beautiful music you''ve been developing these past few months." She continued.


    "I will do as you say, Your Highness, my Mentor¡­" Marie gave a shy nod, but her eyes were now filled with determination.


    "That''s more like it!" Princess Evelyn smiled and stayed with Marie until it was her turn to perform.


    True enough, the delegates from the Vanderford were strong violists and they had enough reason to wear a triumphant expression on their faces.


    Marie closed her eyes and looked at the crowd, her friends Eli and Randel were smiling at her with encouragement.


    She also remembered Princess Evelyn''s words.


    Do not mind the score, the judge or yourpetitors.


    y the music you love.


    Let others hear the beautiful music you''ve been developing these past few months!


    The piece she used was a famous vi caprice that could be yed without piano apaniment.


    The theme of the piece was simr to Henri Vieuxtemps: Caprio in C minor, Op. 55, which was a piece dedicated to his dear friend Nolo Paganini during his passing.


    Paired with her slightly intense bowing and crisp ying of the melody, Marie was able to bring out the emotions of a personmenting over the death of his dearest friend.


    It was heavy and mncholic, to the point that the listeners felt like it was the notes themselves that were actually recounting the life of the person whom the piece was written for. The highs and lows of his life as well as his beautiful end.


    After the piece of the song, one of the juries felt tears rolling from his eyes. The heartbreak and emotion Marie brought to the listeners were real and so hard to get out into.


    Seeing no reaction from the audience, Marie felt calm, even as she bowed.


    p p p!


    The first to recover was actually Eli, who was on her feet, smiling at her proudly.

 Chapter 417 String Competition Finals (2)

    ?Marie''s eyes teared up seeing Eli and then her friends standing up and apuding her proudly.


    And in their cue, the rest of the audience snapped out of their trance.


    Following Eli''s suit, they also stood and apuded her proudly. All the more when she saw that even the Emperor and the three princes themselves were pping in approval.


    Her heart stirred, she took another bow and a nce at her mentor, Princess Evelyn, backstage with a grateful expression.


    If not for her and Eli believing in her talents, she might not be able to experience this kind of thing in her entire musical career.


    But here she was.


    When she heard the jury''s thanks, she then exited backstage. Her eyes were focused on her mentor as she could no longer hold her tears up.


    But as she walked towards it, she heard a voice passing beside her saying, "Your music is good, but not good enough to beat me¡­"


    She paused and saw a delegate violist from the Vanderford Empire preparing to be called onstage.


    Surprisingly, Marie was not even affected by her provocation. Instead, she smiled and answered, "I know¡­ but you are not the one I defeated."


    "Who I defeated was myself!" Marie proudly answered, her words were heard by all the people backstage.


    She did not look at the Vanderford delegate with contempt. Instead, she had a peaceful smile on her face.


    As if she has gained something more valuable than getting the top spot for thepetition, and that was -


    Her confidence!


    "I am so proud of you, little one!"


    Princess Evelyn was over the moon, not only because of Marie''s phenomenal performance but because of how graceful her reply was to herpetitors.


    "Thank you, Your Highness, My mentor! It''s all thanks to you and everyone''s support!" Marie finally wiped the tears of joy falling on her cheeks.


    "Why are you crying?! Look! You made me tear up too¡­" Evelyn''s voice quivered as she quickly took her handkerchief and wiped her tears.


    "Look at yourself, youngdy! Your eyes will be puffy when you receive your awardter on!" Princess Evelyn continued.


    Marie looked at the stage and saw a glimpse of the strong, domineering performance of thest contestant, who was coincidentally the one who told her off earlier.


    "I might not bag the championship anyways¡­" Marie chuckled lightly, but her eyes were not filled with disappointment. But her eyes were full of contentment and liberation.


    "Well, even so! I don''t believe you won''t be within the top three with your stunning performance!" Princess Evelyn huffed proudly and rubbed Marie''s head like she was treating her as a little sister.


    It was as Marie and everyone expected.


    The champion was thest contestant from the Vanderford institute, however, the crowd cheered when Marie got the trophy for second ce.


    Cheers from the students of the Farauld Magic Institute were all over the ce, it was as if she was the one who actually won!


    Realizing that, she blushed shyly, feeling that the trophy was heavier than when she first received it.


    ¨C


    After a short intermission, thepetition proceeded to the Cello section.


    Now everyone from the bunch was giving Hailey their words of encouragement before she proceeded to go backstage.


    "Big Brother¡­ do your best and make sure you have Hailey''s back!" Raya mischievously elbowed Desmond''s side.


    "Hah¡­ Of course! After you pestered me to the fullest, how could I now make our efforts futile now? Hailey just y to your heart''s content, I have your back." Desmond answered lightheartedly.


    When they chose theirpetition pieces, Hailey, Raya, and Marie carefully nned their for them because they did not want to tire Desmond too much for the apaniment.


    They tried to find pieces that would not require apaniment so as to not burden Desmond who also had his own piece to y.


    In the end, Raya and Marie both found the solo pieces to y for the entire tournament and only Hailey ended up with a requirement of apaniment for her final piece.


    This was already the best arrangement for them however, it is a bnce of not giving up their own chances while also helping Desmond have his own time.


    Soon, the cello finals came to a start. This time there were only five contestants and Hailey drew thest slot to perform.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Like the case with Marie, she was the only one representing the Farauld Magic Institute, and the roster was dominated by the Vanderford delegates.


    "It seems like Vanderford had already anticipated their loss in the magical division."


    "They sent in so many candidates for the music and fine arts side to ensure that they could still rack up enough points topensate for their performance in the magic division."


    Elimented after noticing the profile of the finalist.


    Even if Farauld gets the top of the score, in the end, they only have one representative.


    Having multiple representatives increases the possibility to rack up points for the score to determine who will be the overall champion of the Grand Tournament.


    "Well, we still have the other events. Besides, the top rank still gives more points than the other ranks, and our research team is strong as well." Dean Athenamented.


    She firmly believed that Farauld Magic Institute still had a chance to umte enough points to be at the top once again. Especially now that none of the delegates from the mathematics event were eliminated.


    She believed that they would get enough points and dominate the Academic division because they were trained ording to the ideas and knowledge that Eli had brought into the Academy.


    Watching the cellopetition y out, Eli also did not forget to remind Lainie to quietly take note of the inspirations she would umte through the immersion of music.


    It might not help her in thepetition because of the time constraint, but Lainie understood that Eli was letting her do it for her improvement as aposer.


    Finally, it was time for Hailey toe on stage.


    Just like Marie, she looked stiff when she entered the stage which made her friends in the audience sp their hands in prayer.


    ''Oh, heavens¡­ let not Hailey be ovee with pressure and nervousness¡­'' Her friends prayed.


    On stage, Desmond and Marie saw the stiffness in Hailey''s back. But since they were already onstage, it was not appropriate for them to act beyond the roles they were assigned to.


    Desmond waited for Hailey''s signal, only then did he and Marie, as the page-turner shed an assuring smile.


    Hailey seemed to havee to her senses and finally found herself rxed. With a nod, she signaled Desmond to finally start the piece.


    A warm and energetic tone came from Desmond''s ying, but he saw to it that the uing repetition from Hailey''s cello will not be overpowered.


    The piece they were ying was simr to Joseph Haydn''s Cello Concerto in C Major''s first movement.


    The moment Hailey moved her bow, a proud and dignified melody rang in the entire hall that immediately engaged the jury and the audience.


    The melody of the piece is a mix of youthful and energetic fast notes, but what gives it more character was the varying intensity of Hailey''s bowing on the chords along the piece.


    Sometimes the phrase would portray it as something light and warm, which Hailey would ensure that her notes would project properly with the middle and high notes.


    When the phrase is required to exemplify pride and dignity, she will put the appropriate amount of pressure on the bow and embellish it with vibratos.


    Throughout the entire piece, the audience felt like they were in the banquet halls, listening to the orchestra ying joyous music for everyone. It was merry and beautiful at the same time!


    With Desmond''s awareness to keep the apaniment full and bnced, as well as Marie''s support in page-turning, the audience soon became immersed in the music, making them forget about the previous cello performances earlier.


    This was the first time they heard a cello concerto piece that seemed to soundplete and beautiful without an orchestra''s apaniment.


    A music perfect in its current form!


    When the music ended, like Marie, Hailey earned a standing ovation from the judges and the audience.


    The three young musicians triumphantly exited backstage with great satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment in their hearts.


    In the audience''s seats, the people started discussing how the Farauld Institute''s musical representatives came stronger despite the well-known fact that the area of study was on the verge of being discontinued.


    Comments about how the education of the mentors of the institute would most likely revive the dying department in the Farauld Institute soon emerged.


    It made everyone also interested to send their children to learn as long as Farauld Magic Institute decided to keep it open.


    "What do you think, Eli?" Dean Athena whispered at her after hearing the people''s opinions.


    "Our mentors were from the Imperial Family and even Randel is affiliated with another influential group. As for me, I already have enough on my te."


    "However, let''s not decide on it hastily. Let''s see how everything ys out, especially on her highnesses'' end," Eli responded calmly.

 Chapter 418 String Competition Finals (3)

    ?When she said this, she used a tone that neither hints at firm rejection.


    Dean Athena had long been asking her to take charge of the revival of the Music and Fine Arts Department ever since the student delegates showed tremendous improvement.


    Even though she is willing, time does not allow her tomit to taking over the department. But she believes that even if she did not ept this role, the revival of the department is already at sight.


    They just have to wait for the right timing and see things out, especially as the tournament concluded.


    Who knows, perhaps the women of the Imperial Family would be willing to persuade the Emperor and the Elders and allow them to formally take a teaching role in the Institute themselves?


    Or even more probable, that after a few years of gaining more experience and acim on their own, the eight students of the Farauld Institute may be qualified enough to take on the teaching roles at the institute!


    No one knows the future and saw Eli remained calm and believed not to rush things on the institute''s side.


    After a few minutes of deliberation and calction, the juries announced the results. This time everyone already knew that it was Hailey who got the first ce.


    However, even as they announced her name, the crowd, especially all those from the Seirende Empire cheered triumphantly. That was because this is the first tournament win for the Farauld Magic institute!


    When she received the trophy, Hailey was shivering as she tried to hold back her tears and amazement at what was happening.


    She was over the moon when it happened and even if she knew that she yed well, there''s still this lingering doubt if her performance was enough for the championship.


    Weing her backstage was Eli, Dean Athena, Queen Teh, her mentor Queen Lucia and the rest of her friends who were already crying for her backstage.


    "Look at you, Ms. Champion!"


    Raya hugged her dearly, and Marie followed the suit, so as Anna. The four girls cried and teased each other in delight and the rest watched as they were infected by their cheeriness.


    They stayed like that for a while before everyone started to vacate.


    With that only Queen Teh and Raya were left backstage in preparation for the violinpetition which would be thest of the day.


    There were six of thempeting to the top for the finals and all of them were looking at her with vignce.


    "Are you alright Raya? I still worry that you would experience the same thing that happened thest time you went on your round. I still me myself for not apanying you at that time¡­"


    Queen Teh asked Raya with anxiousness feeling the hostility from the rival representatives.


    "I''m alright, Your Highness, my Mentor. They have done the worst to me, which is trying to invalidate me in ying. Now I only want to show them that they do not have the power to do that again¡­"


    Raya responded with confidence.


    She learned a lot during that time that she was framed, the most valuable lesson was to keep calm and assert things thoroughly before reacting to the situation.


    Raya really thanked the heavens that she did not do something foolish in responding to the usation given to her.


    Who knew that her act of not responding would be advantageous for her as she immediately got the jury''s sympathy and tried to hold things out until Eli intervened to smoothen things?


    Besides, even if they provoke her with words,ter on, the piece she chose is the killer piece he pestered her brother from giving it up.


    It was supposedly her brother''s final piece but when she heard from Eli that the piece had a violin score as well, she pestered Desmond to give up the piece for her instead.


    Now she will finally let this piece out in this world, and she is excited about it. Because she, Queen Teh, and even Eli worked on making sure that she can y and interpret the piece right.


    She will not allow her brother''s sacrifice and her mentors'' efforts to go to waste.


    As they waited, someone coincidentally went backstage to check on Queen Teh''s condition and ensure that she was alright in staying backstage.


    Seeing the royalty not paying attention to Raya, the rival students started to gossip behind her back.


    "Heh¡­ look at how smug her face is!"


    "Does she think that she will also get the same luck as her cellist friend?"


    "With Halter, Segev, and Gallia here she might as well prepare to be a pperter on."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thepetitors looked at Raya with contempt in her eyes. They did not even lower their voices to ensure that Raya would hear it all.


    But contrary to their expected reaction, Raya just smiled at their obvious provocation. The one that was ying at the moment was Segev, who came to the top of segment 4 of the violinpetition.


    After him, another student from Vanderford will y, and then she will be followed by Raya. It could be said that her order was quite disadvantageous because immediately following her were two other well-known top seeds from Vanderford -Halter, and Gallia.


    Coincidentally, Segev, Halter, and Gallia were the same people she sawst time who also almost drove her to self-destruction. But now, she was directlypeting against the three of them.


    There was a trace of disappointment in the students'' eyes, as for Halter and Gallia, they treated her like someone insignificant and not worthy of their attention.


    ''It''s alright.. The most important thing is the music I y¡­ not pleasing people with my actions nor personality.''


    Raya took a deep breath and readjusted her state of mind.


    Finally, her turn arrived, after ncing a thoughtful look at Queen Teh, she confidently walked to the stage.


    Unlike the others, the judges were curious about her piece because this was the first time they had ever known such a piece existed.


    "Student Raya, it says here that you will be ying Erlkonig¡­ Can you tell us more about this piece?"


    Raya was prepared for this situation and patiently told them the background of this piece, iming that this was a lost piece after knowing that it came from Eli.


    "Erlkonig is actually a lost piece. It was originally from a poem by Goethe and was put into a song by Schubert. This song was then written for various instruments as a solo piece and the one I will be ying for everyone at the moment was written by Ernst¡­"


    "A lost piece?"


    "Is it so¡­ then that would be interesting?"


    "Cheh¡­ trying to use an unknown piece to hide the fact of mistakes!" Someone from backstage shouted.


    Raya clearly heard thement and she was sure that the judges heard it as well. But she calmed down and continued,


    "I believe before that while submitting the final piece I will be ying, I also included a copy of the piece for the jury''s reference."


    "Yes, indeed. And so we have all the ideas whenever you havemitted an error. Since it was a lost piece, your performance would also be recorded to review if there is anything we need to watch back for deliberation."


    One of the juries said, immediately pping back whoevermented backstage.


    "The reason we wanted to know more about it was that we do not believe that the score you have provided can be yed by one instrument.


    We have been analyzing the song for days now and we still could notprehend how in the world you would y two lines and four voices!"


    "Two lines? Is that a farce?!"


    "My goodness¡­ it must be a stunt."


    The disbelief and heated discussion ensued once again. Hearing the jury explode inmotion they could not help but be curious as to the truth of the ims they were saying about Raya''s piece.


    However, herpetitors at the back were still unconvinced as they discussed while they were trying tofort Halter and Gallia who seemed to be affected by the farce created by the unyed piece by Raya.


    "Don''t you worry¡­ she''s just trying to gain a good impression on the judges to get a ce in the top three. I''m sure two of you and Segev will be enough to destroy her futile efforts!


    On stage, Raya kept calm and exin,


    "It indeed has three voices, for the piece actually has a story to tell. The four voices were the Narrator, the Little Boy, the boy''s Father, and the Erlking.


    The story revolves around the boy trying to tell her father that the Erlking was trying to get him to go with him. Throughout the piece, you will hear their voices and how they are exchanged.


    The Erlking tries to lure the boy along the way, using different tones while the narrator concludes the entire song


    As for how possible this was to y, I could only say that you try to hear it."

 Chapter 419 String Competition Finals (4)

    ?Murmurs and excited discussions continued to emerge from the crowd and the juries discussed for themselves before looking at the unperturbed Raya.


    "The moment I saw this transcription, I immediately took my violin and sight read the piece¡­ I will tell you this is extremely hard even for me¡­" One of the juries told the other.


    "We all did that and so we have all the idea of how hard it is, but since this was the piece she chose¡­ we have to give her a chance."


    "Alright then¡­ we will be recording her performance anyways.


    Soon the judges appeared to have reached a consensus.


    "Well then student Raya, whenever you are ready."


    The judges prepared the music sheets in their hands to be ready to scrutinize Raya''s performance to thest note.


    "She must be insane¡­ now the judges will not let go if shemits a tiny mistake¡­ How arrogant." The contestants backstage were now gloating at her bold action because now it sessfully caught the attention of the judges.


    But that kind of attention was actually pressure for violinists like them.


    Raya was not even a bit bothered by this. She chose this piece because she fell in love with it the first time she saw the music sheet.


    For her, it was a great honor to y this piece in front of many listeners for the first time in ages!


    Raya positioned her violin and lifted her bow. Eli, Desmond, and the rest of the bunch sped their hands in nervousness and anticipation. They prayed that Raya would be able to execute the piece.


    Raya took a deep breath and immediately yed the first bar which sets the tale of the story of the Elf King.


    Double stops with the apaniment of left-hand pizzicato while keeping up the tempo.


    The juries almost stood from their seats!


    Especially when they were already recognizing how Raya yed three different voices while not stopping the repetitive double stops on top of the lyrical lines!


    Everyone was already holding their breath when they felt instantly drawn into the piece''s music and story.


    They felt like they were on a kind of spooky chase by the Elf king while they brave the harsh wind of the night to take the feverish little boy back into their home.


    How the Elf King tried to lure the child to go with him by using different attractive things.


    How the boy told his father that the Elf King wanted to take him and how the father tried tofort him.


    But when the piece ended, they felt the heartbreak of the father.


    As Raya concluded thest part of the piece with extreme solemnity and destion.


    The father held his son''s lifeless body¡­ as they finally reached their home.


    There wasplete silence in the hall.


    "It¡­ it is indeed yable¡­" They were left with their mouths agape when they heard Raya y the piece.


    "Can you hear the voices of each character? My hair stood on end when I realized that I could easily recognize whose character was talking in the piece¡­ Such superb ying ...."


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­ I am overwhelmed." one of the judges looked defeated as he shook his head in awe.


    But the chairman of the jury, who kept silent, stood up and pped his hands. "Bravo youngdy! Thank you for ying such a brilliant piece for us to hear! I have no words but bravo!"


    "Yes! Bravo!" The crowd came to their senses and immediately stood up and cheered in praise.


    Raya kept a calm gentle smile as she bowed in a graceful posture.


    There was not a trace of arrogance or pride on her face, only relief and happiness that she was able to bring this piece out for the listener''s appreciation.


    Even the contestants backstage were caught off guard. Especially Halter and Gallia who would y immediately after Raya. How are they supposed to overpower her performance?


    It was not only because the piece was already something rare and controversial.


    Then they heard how Raya yed it, and all of their hearts turned cold. Clearly, none of them were on a level where they can y that piece as expertly and sensibly as Raya did.


    The violinists that were supposed to y right after her turn were now immediately overwhelmed with pressure and nervousness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even their respective coaches were now looking dark and troubled.


    Queen Teh, however, was all smiles and extremely proud! She remembered how Raya would cry frustratingly as she tried to learn the piece.


    Eli and she repeatedly convinced her that it is alright if she was not able to learn the piece, that they can always look for another piece. But she insisted that this piece was the perfect one for her.


    And so, with the assistance of Eli with regards to interpretation, and her, Queen Teh for the execution, the three of them worked their way until Raya was able to confidently y the piece.


    Now they have seen the fruit and it was overwhelmingly gratifying!


    Just as expected, the next performances were not able to outshine Raya''s performance. The worst part was that Halter and Gallia evenmitted a few mistakes because of extreme pressure.


    The judges could only sigh in disappointment. But they did not pity the two violinists. One of the qualities of a good musician is understanding how precious it is to have an intact state of mind in any situation.


    The moment you are on stage, your mind must be on the music and not on things that do not matter at the moment. These two violinists failed to exercise this, which is why their performance was not executed well.


    In the end, the crowd cheered as Raya received her championship trophy. The second cer was Segev who fortunately yed before her and the third cer was another violinist from the Vanderford alliance nation.


    Halter and Gallia followed to 4th and 5th rank which was to be expected due to their shaky performance.


    Thus the stringpetition concluded with the Farauld Magic Institute bagging top positions in all three categories.


    After it was announced, the entire academy was in celebration.


    Emperor Valentin was also so happy that he immediately invited everyone from the team to go to the pce for a celebratory dinner.


    The eight students were overwhelmed. They did not expect that the Emperor would go all the way to invite them all to dine with him!


    It was such an honor!


    "Wah¡­ I feel pressured¡­" While they were on the way to the dining hall, Max rubbed his shoulders.


    "Marie, Raya, and Hailey all finished within the top three¡­ as for me¡­ I don''t know if I could even get to the top ten!"


    Randel looked at him and calmlymented, "You will, or else you will have to undergo another intensive training with the Forgeworn workshop."


    "Er¡­ mentor¡­ I''d rather not do it once more¡­" As if remembering something horrible and traumatic, Max shuddered and scratched his head meekly.


    Eli lightly chuckled as she watched the mentor-student duo. She never thought that the quiet Randel would have this side. Most possibly it was because of Max''s fiery and energetic personality that he acted like this.


    "Well, that goes the same for me and Anna. Imagine, even in the finals we arepeting with eighteen other people. How are we supposed to keep calm?" Raphael added.


    "Just believe in your mentor and your own growth. There is a reason why all of you were able to hold on until the finals. That already proves how capable you are." Eli smiled and encouraged them.


    "That''s right! Listen to the youngdy Eli! She always amazes me because not only is she brilliant with her talents, but she always carries herself with calmness and confidence!" Suddenly, there was a hearty chuckleing from the intersection of the corridor.


    Emperor Valentin and the three princesses with the women of the Imperial family all marched to enter the dining hall.


    Everyone greeted them with respect and waited for them to be escorted to enter the dining hall.


    "Oh.. no no¡­ there''s no need for such formality! My daughter inws and my queens were your mentors, and so befortable as we all dine!" Emperor Valentin waved his hand to signal everyone to enter the hall simultaneously.


    When the door opened, the golden light of the chandeliers and the magnificent array of food immediately weed all of them making the students hold their breaths in awe.


    They were immediately brought into their seats.


    Surprisingly there was no trace of awkwardness and stiffness in the dining hall probably because most of the students were already close to their respective teachers.


    This sight made Emperor Valentin smile in satisfaction. Especially seeing the women of the imperial family finally look like they were enjoying their time with their proteges.


    Before they would look like they were just going on their own ways as royalties, but now, he could see the sense of fulfillment on their faces.


    Smiling, Emperor Valentin lifted the wine ss to officially start the dinner, "Let''s make a toast for the victories we made today and for the next matches toe!"


    "To the Empire''s Victory!" They all answered.

 Chapter 420 Fine Arts Competition Finals (1)

    ?After the stringpetition.


    Raya, Marie, and Hailey immediately supported Lainie in organizing the orchestra.


    Because of the overwhelming performance of the three youngdies during their respective finals, there were many new applicants who wanted to join Lainie''s orchestra.


    The main reason was that they too wanted to be a part of something historical.


    By joining Lainie''s team, there is a possibility of ying a lost piece once again and being part of the Prasinos Musical History!


    As for Desmond, he had to focus on his uing finals days from now and so, Lainie and he agreed to choose a symphony piece that actually does not require a piano to be a major part of the arrangement.


    Just as everyone expected, Lainie chose another monumental piece from Eli''s ''Lost Piece Collection'' and it was none other than Sergei Prokofiev''s Symphony No. 5 in B-t major, Op. 100!


    Seeing the volume of new applicants, Lainie was confident that they will be able to give justice to this symphony because now, they will no longer worry about theck of orchestra members.


    The previous small chamber orchestra was now close to bing a full-sized youth orchestra!


    It made Lainie and the original members of the orchestra excited.


    "It''s looking good Lainie! We can immediately proceed to the first rehearsal after the formalization procedures." Raya excitedlymented.


    They were able to get the best number of people for all the instruments in Lainie''s musical score. All they needed to do at the moment is to y ording to the theme of the tournament, which is ying a symphony.


    The conductor''s tournament was in no way easy because every contestant is required to assemble their own orchestra from the qualified participants of the tournament and have them train and learn a symphony in just about a month.


    Luckily on Lainie''s side, the core members of the orchestra were already training for two weeks and would only need a little reinforcement.


    The challenge for her was to help the neers catch up with the earlier members of the orchestra and ensure that they would not pull the entire orchestra down.


    "Let''s try to take on the first movement and see where we can adjust." Lainie immediately announced, directing everyone to go into their positions.


    "For the neers, have your seats beside the assigned group leaders in each section. You are to listen and study the piece for this moment. Familiarize your parts and appreciate as much as you can during the first y." She calmly said.


    The team nodded, and all of them were excited.


    Before, they would rather be spectators on the bench until the tournament ends, but because of what happened during the stringpetition, their dejected hearts desired to y more music in the tournament.


    Joining Lainie''s team was theirst chance as Vanderford and other established teams were already closed in their recruitment.


    While they were busy preparing for the uing fight, the painting and sculptingpetition had already started with great intensity.


    --


    Unlike the stringpetition, the fine artspetition is not open to the public. Only the proctors, the judges, the mentors, and the participants were the people involved in the finals.


    Raphael and Anna both concentrated on creating their masterpieces in their secluded rooms, and Max was also giving his all in creating his greatest work in the workshop.


    They were given three days to finish their creation and they were free to use the time as they wished. Whether they have to stay inside the workshop until the presentation time or go home at night time, it is up to the participants to spend their time wisely.


    While they were in the rooms, they were supervised through recording stones in order to ensure that no one would dare to cheat or tamper with one''s work. Their respective workshops could also be essed through their own identity tokens issued during the start of the tournament.


    They were also given the freedom to source out their own raw materials and medium of expression to exemplify the utmost form of their creativity.


    And so Raphael, Anna, and Max toiled their way for three days straight, not wanting to cut the momentum they gained whenever they reached a milestone on their creations.


    They decided to not lose the chance to create their own masterpieces by negligence and exercised utmost concentration.


    Worried about their well-being, Rande and Princess Arielle tried to send them water, food, and clothing to their respective rooms.


    But then the three held on until the third day, as if there was no other thing important to them but the work in progress standing in front of them.


    Finally, the time is up. Three days were over and the time for the presentation came about.


    The painter''s words were now carefully transferred into the gallery for their first disy. After that, each of the judges will have to scrutinize their work and give a score.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The same is true with the sculpting division. Their works were also carefully transported to another gallery.


    From the moment they stepped out of their workshops down to the moment their works were ced in the galleries for scoring, Raphael, Anne, and Max did not leave sight of their masterpieces.


    For they were afraid that something bad might happen along the way.


    The first one to be scored was the painter''s division.


    One by one the paintings of all the delegates were revealed. Everyone in the hall was able to see a glimpse of her works.


    However, at the first nce, only four outstanding paintings were able to catch the jury''s eyes.


    Nevertheless, they still be patient, going around all of the paintings.


    The scoring was rather nerve-wracking for the painters because they were still expected to answer questions from the judges who were suddenly curious about their line of thought during their creation process.


    Finally, it was the turn of one of the Vanderford Students who were able to produce a painting that stunned the judges along with another three.


    "Student Gifford, what do you call this work of yours?" The judges asked the student as their eyes lit up at the painting of a willow tree and a beautifuldy resting under it.


    "This painting is called Love in Solitude." The student painter, Gifford, from the Vanderford institute, answered calmly.


    "???" There was a trace of confusion in the judges'' eyes as they looked at Gifford and then at the painting back and forth.


    "We could understand the solitude element for the painting only depicts ady resting on a beautiful willow tree."


    "Judging from her posture, the details clearly showed that she was in the tree looking for solitude."


    "But where could the love element be¡­ when there was clearly no other being other than her and the willow tree?"


    They all asked Gifford.


    Gifford let out a confident smile and pulled out a magnifying ss. "Esteemed jury, kindly look under the shadow of the willow tree in the direction behind thedy."


    "Hmmm¡­" the first jury took the magnifying ss and was shocked! All he knew was the dark part of the willow tree was a shadow!


    But upon close inspection, there was a silhouette of a man standing behind the willow tree, with his back resting on the tree''s trunkpletely blending into the shadow!


    "Howe you were able to trace the outlines of a silhouette over ck ink? This is fascinating!" The first judge eximed in awe."


    "Indeed! There is a man!" The other judges also eximed.


    Gifford gave a smile and replied one more time, "Over the ck ink I used a graphite pencil that was infused with silver and used my mana to reinforce it over the nk ink in the canvas.


    It was supposed to look like someone would have just randomly drawn on top of the shadows, but incorporating it with mana produced the best effect.


    I have achieved the right texture and effect of the silvery traces while still maintaining the precision I could only get on a pen rather than on a brush."


    "Well thought!!! Clever! Very clever!" The judges praised in awe. The more they studied the painting the more they were amazed by how Gifford was able to execute his work.


    If not for the organizers reminding them to move to the next subject, they would not stop discussing Gifford''s technique until the day ended.


    Watching the judges reluctantly move to the next painting, Gifford let out a triumphant smile.


    His eyes were then directed in a certain direction - Raphael, who was positioned across him on the other side of the gallery.


    Looking at Raphael''s ''ugly'' painting, Gifford appeared to be doing his best not to scoff at this work, but then his eyes did not stop sending provocative nces toward Raphael.


    Raphael only ignored the guy and patiently waited until it was his turn to be scored.


    However, when the judges saw his painting, their eyes darkened.


    Bursting with anger, the judges asked, "Student Raphael, do you take thispetition seriously?!"

 Chapter 421 Fine Arts Competition Finals (2)

    ?Raphael calmly stood and answered without his expression wavering, "Of course esteemed judges, I am taking thispetition seriously."


    "They exin to us why you have painted¡­ an ugly woman on such arge canvas! What''s more, it was all ck!" The judges turned red in anger as they could not get their eyes to look at the painting again.


    The painting was depicting a woman with facial features that were recognizable but it was so out of proportion that one would think that Raphael intentionally deformed her features.


    They could not believe that this kind of painting even deserved to be disyed in the gallery.


    "Ahahaha!" Gifford, who was listening to the farce, could not help butugh as well as the rest of the participants close to Vanderford.


    Anna looked at Raphael encouragingly.


    She believed that Raphael had a n because the two of them trained hard for the finals. She knows that there is a reason why Raphael''s painting turned out to be like this.


    "Please dear juries¡­ would you mind calming down a little and taking time to listen to my introduction?"


    Raphael did not frown at theughter from hispetitors but instead maintained a distant demeanor and politely coaxed the judges.


    The judges'' expressions still remained livid but seeing Raphael''s attitude their tones softened and eyed him to start his exnation.


    Receiving the permission of the judges, Raphael signaled the gallery assistants. Then he looked at the judges and started introducing his work.


    "This painting is called ''Beauty after the Light¡­"


    "Pffft!!! Where''s the beauty of it¡­ I must have turned blind for I cannot see any trace of beauty in that dark ck blob on the canvas! Hahaha!" Gifford led the rest of the painters in taunting Raphael''s work.


    "Silence!" The head jury bellowed, his face was dark. He was already having a hard time dealing with Raphael''s ridiculous work, but now he still had to think clearly while surrounded by such unwanted noise.


    Finally, the gallery became silent, only then did Raphael smile and continue.


    "There is a definite reason why it was called beauty after the light. I am confident that this painting is the first in the world of this kind!"


    Then Raphael pped his hand and signaled the gallery assistants to let down the drapes in the window.


    "What in the wo-" Everyone was shocked at the assistants'' actions but Raphael caught their attention immediately.


    "Dear judges, please do not mind the darkness and keep your eyes on the painting."


    The judges did as Raphael told and were amazed the next moment.


    Before their eyes, a painting of a lovely woman, with silver hair, luscious pink lips, and longshes as it smiled gently with her eyes closed.


    What''s more, she was adorned by glimmering pearl-like jewels making the painting more striking and captivating.


    "Heavens! How?!"


    "Is this real¡­"


    "How could this be!"


    Raphael saw that the juries were now drawn, he then pped once again and in an instant, the assistants pulled the curtains up. Instantly, the beautiful woman in the painting disappeared and went back to her original state.


    "It''s indeed real!"


    "My word!"


    "Student Raphael, how in the world did this happen?!" The judges tried hard to think of how Raphael was able to create his work but no idea came to mind.


    "The process involved grinding a bunch of luminescent pearls and dissolving them into a transparent liquid mixture.


    I purposely used a bunch of colorful luminescent pearls to incorporate the colors but all of them were with my secret mixture." Raphael exined and showed them a jar of the ''invisible ink'' he used.


    "To be able to paint in invisible ink?!"


    "How did he even manage to estimate the color''s intensity?!"


    The juries and the painters started to discuss wildly. Raphael remained calm but his heart was relieved that the judges were no longer aggressive towards his painting.


    Actually, he already thought of this idea when Princess Arielle and he brainstormed about what kind of painting medium will he use for exploration.


    One night, Princess Arielle looked at the bright stars and gently told him, "Did you know that the stars do not actually disappear during the daytime? It was only because the sunlight was so bright that no one could notice the puny twinkling of the stars¡­"


    At that moment, Raphael had an epitome! He wanted to make a painting that would only manifest its true beauty under certain conditions, in this case, the darkness!


    Now that he had an idea in mind, the next problem was how they would do that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They tried searching through all the books in the libraries of the pce but to no avail.


    If not for Princess Arielle suddenlymenting about it during a tea party with the rest of the Imperial women and Eli, they will not find a solution!


    "Oh¡­ you are talking about an ink that would glow in the dark¡­" Eli answered.


    "You can actually make an ink by mixing a type of phosphor into apatible medium." Eli continued.


    "Phosphor?" The women looked at Eli in curiosity.


    "Yes¡­ phosphor! It is a material that is able to absorb light and would emit light when exposed to some type of radiant energy." Eli exined patiently.


    Knowing that they will have a hard time understanding her scientific exnation, she decided to take a luminescent pearl and continued her exnation.


    "The best example would be this luminescent pearl. Usually, phosphors need to be exposed to ultraviolet light in order to glow, however, the atmosphere of Prasinos is rich in mana.


    Therefore there is no need to invent ultraviolet light to trigger the luminescent pearl to emit light in the dark, we only need mana to be present in our surroundings!"


    "I get it! Thank you so much for this idea, Lady Eli!" Suddenly, Arielle''s expression lit up, as if she had an epiphany.


    "d to be of help. Though I only told you about the material, the medium is still important. In terms of the matters of painting, I can not say what kind of carrier will work best on phosphor material." Eli reminded them.


    She was not able to do thorough research on the matter and so she could only give them clues.


    "No worries, Lady Eli¡­ Raphael and I will figure it out!"


    sh forward to the present, Princess Arielle and Raphael experimented a lot in order to find the perfect mixture to carry the luminescent powder and control it as fluid as a normal ink.


    With their hard work, Raphael soon found his brand new medium - Glow in the Dark Painting!


    "This is phenomenal!!!"


    "It is indeed as Student Raphael has said! This painting is the first in the world of this kind!"


    "Good, good! Not only did the painting industry of the Seirende Empire disappear. It turns out, it was in the process of having such an overwhelming breakthrough!" The head jury chuckled in satisfaction.


    While the judges were happy, Gifford and the other rival painters had a sour expressions. They did not expect that Raphael would prepare such a gimmick.


    Remembering what happened during the stringpetition finals, they could not help but taunt the Farauld delegates in their hearts.


    A bunch of dreamers who know a lot of tricks!


    While the painters were bitterly cursing Raphael in their hearts, Anna smiled meaningfully at Raphael the moment their eyes met.


    ''I will not lose to you¡­'' She opened her lips and mouthed these words.


    ''Bring it on¡­'' Raphael returned the smile and responded.


    Themotion died down and the judges had once again reluctantly gone over to go to the next painting.


    The next painter was originally gloating upon seeing Raphael''s work. But after the revtion, he was now preparing himself mentally that his work will not be able to best the creature before him.


    And so the next reviews of the painting ended so easily. Even the two paintings that were at par with Gifford''s first impression no longer sparked such a drastic reaction.


    Finally, the juries were now down to thest painting.


    This painting was also able to catch their eyes because the painting was done so masterfully that it immediately caught their eyes even if it was positioned at the far end of the gallery.


    The creator of the painting was none other than Anna.


    "Student Anna, you are also from the Farauld Institute. This time we learned our lesson not to judge your painting without introduction, and so would you like to introduce your work?" One of the judges said respectfully.


    "Yes¡­ perhaps your painting happened to also be twofold like student Raphael''s?"


    Although they were expecting that it is, the level of anticipation was a little bit lessened because of Raphael''s stunning work and so, there was already a lesser element of surprise on their part.


    Nevertheless, Anna still smiled and nodded,


    "Indeed juries. Please do not take offense because we were inspired by the same mentor. Although what I can guarantee you was that, both Raphael and my techniques were individually developed by ourselves."


    "Alright then¡­ show us, Student Anna¡­ WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The judge was supposed to gently allow Anna to introduce her work but he was not able to do so.


    That was because Anna''s next action told them that thedy was about to destroy her work!

 Chapter 422 Fine Arts Competition Finals (3)

    ?The eyes of the people in the gallery were all widening in shock and nervousness.


    In Anna''s hand was actually an earth spell activated in her hand, and she was about to shoot her very own painting with it!


    "Heavens! Student Anna! What are you about to do with such intricate work?!"


    The judges shouted in rm as they could not believe their eyes seeing Anna on the verge of destroying such an intricate painting of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom.


    The setting of the painting was that the cherry blossom tree stood grandiose and proud among all the nts in such a beautiful garden.


    The reason why this caught the judges was because of Anna''s unusual technique. Unlike most of the painters in the gallery, Anna used the impressionism style of painting.


    The entire picture was painted through small and seemingly random brushstrokes and yet it was able to create such lovely scenery.


    "Calm down dear jury. What I am doing is not destroying the painting but actually showing you another facade of it."


    Anna smiled as she suspended the earth spell on her hand making the judges shudder in nervousness.


    "A new facade?" The judges were taken aback, hearing the calm exnation of thedy.


    "Yes, this painting of mine, just like my fellow Student Raphael actually had more facades other than what you initially see." Anna replied.


    "This painting''s name is called ''Four Seasons'' and the reason for this, I will demonstrate in front of you."


    Then with her words, she waited to see if the judges signaled if they were already ready before she put her spell once again.


    "This painting is actually painted not on an ordinary canvas. But was actually a canvas iid with retired mana stones.


    The inspiration behind this was to make use of those that have been discarded and bring beauty into it once again.


    The retired mana stone I used were of four types, fire, wind, water and earth elements.


    What''s more, the paint that I used was also made by yours truly and so even if one would use normal paint on top of the mana stone, it will not achieve the same effect that this painting was able to achieve."


    Then without dying any further, she activated the earth magic and the magic circle was absorbed by the canvas.


    The next moment their eyes widened in disbelief! The picture actually changed!


    The cherry blossom tree''s bloom changed into its respective colors in autumn and its luster was overwhelmed by the tone of orange as well as the other shrubs surrounding it.


    The clouds about it also changed and the scenery became deste and chilly, however seeing it would still make the onlookers sign on how beautiful the work was.


    "Using earth magic, theyer of painting I have drawn on top of the earth crystals emerged and became visible. This situation will all happen when one uses the fire spell, which denotes summer, water spell will denote winter, and the wind spring."


    Then she encouraged the judges to try embedding their mana on the respective elements one by one and they were amazed by what they saw.


    "So you are saying that you have actually painted four additional scenes in one canvas?!" The judges eximed in astonishment.


    "Indeed, moreover, my technique of painting - Impressionism will be the best style to use because the fine strokes will also put all the colors to not fight with each other in their normal, unactivated state.


    In your eyes it would look like there was a separate picture being shown in the picture, but actually, what the spell activation was doing was to just make the colors painted on the mana fibers pop more."


    "Unbelievable! To hear its process, how are you able to make this within three days? That was also my question when I saw student Raphael''s work!"


    "They are monsters¡­" One student painter had his confidence shattered upon seeing Anna and Raphael''s work.


    This painter''s words also reflected the thoughts of the other painters in the room. They suddenly felt like they had wasted so much time only to be trampled by these two unseemingly painters with such power.


    The judges felt the mood in the room and could only sigh in regret.


    Although it was such a joy to see two unbelievable arts, the cost of this was too much for the rest of the aspiring painters who fought with them. They would not me these young kids if they suddenly went home in their respective hometowns and decided to abandon painting again.


    It is too much of a loss!


    "Isn''t art finding your own way to express oneself in the best and most impactful way possible? Student Raphael and Your''s truly, only stayed true to one goal, develop a technique that could make our creativity be enjoyable with other people as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    We may be the first one to find this, and that we can wholeheartedly credit to the guidance of our mentor, Her Highness Princess Consort Airelle.


    But I am sure that in the future, it would not only be us who would be able to create awestricking paintings such as this."


    Anna felt the dejection too and felt like she had to say something.


    "Besides, there''s beauty in every painting. One''s technique is not superior towards the other¡­ why would wepare each other''s technique when each was iparable in the first ce?" Raphael also stepped forward and gave his thoughts.


    Anna and Him only wanted to show their sincerest gratitude to Eli and their mentor Princess Arielle. Never did they intend to cause a wave of massive confidence destruction towards their fellow student painters.


    "Good words! Good words! Not only you two were good artists, but also sensible young ones!"


    "Alright¡­ you heard them right. All of you must not feel inferior just because of this. Instead, use them as an inspiration for all of you to find your own technique in expressing ourselves through the brush and canvas!"


    The head judge casted a grateful nce towards Raphael and Anna, before he reinforced the two''s words with encouragement.


    This effectively turns the mood in the room into something positive.


    Anna being thest painter to be evaluated, the judges then instructed everyone to vacate the gallery for deliberation.


    After the deliberation, three paintings will be transferred into the center of the gallery, marking the top three winners. Then the other paintings will also be arranged ording to their ranking.


    It was a hard deliberation between Raphael and Anna on who would be the one to receive the top rank.


    The strength of Anna''s painting was the effort in painting five scenes in one canvas and they were all intricately painted. This was the evidence on how Anna visualized what she had in mind and was able to create her own world and have the people ept her style of painting too.


    Butpared to the meaning behind Raphael''s work, being beauty after the light, Raphael''s work has more depth, the transformation from being ugly to something so beautiful and enchanting was the evidence of Raphael''s mastery in using the brush.


    One was industrious and creative, the other was expressive and talented, the jury did not have an easy time to award who would be the champion.


    In the end the voting became a tie and they had no choice but to invite the juries from fine arts events to scrutinize the two paintings without giving information as to who were its painters.


    In the end, the collective decision of the judges from the entire fine arts department was to award Raphael''s work as the champion, with Anna as the second and Giffording in third.


    Princess Arielle and Dean Athena were crying in tears, not only because of the two''s win but also because they were also taken in awe by the paintings done by the two.


    They never imagined that Raphael and Anna would be able to produce such out of this world painting!


    Soon after the awarding, the gallery was temporarily closed to create a designated spot for Anna and Raphael''s works to be viewed, they prepared separate rooms for them and a tight security was installed in ce to preserve the first paintings using new techniques.


    They announced that the gallery will be opened to the public in two days so that everyone will have the chance to see the painting division''s extraordinary works.


    Although Raphael and Anna were lethargic for staying up for three days straight in order to finish their work, their hearts were satisfied.


    "Next time, I''ll defeat you¡­" Anna looked at Raphael with a teasing smile.


    "Hehehe¡­ try again. Maybe add one more scene on top of another five¡­ maybe it will be able to beat me¡­" Raphael stuck his tongue out yfully making Anna pout.


    "Says you who only knows how to draw beautiful girls!" Anna retaliated.


    "What''s wrong with painting beautiful girls?!" Raphael snorted proudly.


    "Pfft! The two of you are still fighting when I am about to copse in exhaustion¡­" Suddenly Max''s voice interrupted them.


    Only then did they notice Max, Eli and Randel approaching.


    "Max, how''s your match?" Dean Athena asked with anticipation.


    Max shed a wide triumphant smile and said,


    "Of course, Dean! I got first ce!!! Hehehehe!"

 Chapter 423 Fine Arts Competition Finals (4)

    ?A few hours back, the submission of the sculptor''s workmenced.


    Lethargic or not, they had to bring their work in the presence of an invigtor to ensure that they would not randomly take things out of their space bags.


    To make the process more rigorous, they have to manually transport their works toward the showcase room for it to be judged by the circle of juries.


    The students lined up readily along with their work, each of them not minding another. They only paid attention to their work and their turn to be interviewed by the judges.


    This was the total opposite of the paintingpetition where the taunting and contempt for one''s rival are apparent.


    In the sculptingpetition, they did not even bother to care about their rival, they only cared about their work.


    Max was already worn out from not having a wink of sleep since the start of thepetition. His eyes fluttered in weariness and he was already fighting with his consciousness so as to not let out a yawn.


    Seeing the long line of works that were yet to be evaluated before his turn arrives, Max pinched his thighs trying to keep himself awake.


    ''Heavens¡­ please make the evaluation fast¡­ I need sleep.'' He prayed as he gazed at the judges that were yet to judge the first work.


    "Hey¡­ hey¡­ keep yourself awake. Are you not excited as to what the judges would think of your work?" Suddenly there was a voice ringing from Max''s back. A few meters away behind him, a boy called him out with a hushed tone, afraid to catch the judges'' attention.


    He is a burly boy with facial features that give the impression that he is a muscle head. It was quite an irony because, in their society, boys with big builds like him would most likely choose to hold the sword or warhammer, but instead, this burly boy chose to hold the chisel.


    "Oh¡­ sorry."


    Max scratched his head, the boy''s reminder was actually on point. How could he not show enthusiasm when he even aimed to get into the top three using the work which he made for three days straight?


    The boy seemed to not mind Max''s embarrassment and even nodded with a light snort while sticking out his thumb up to indicate an ''It''s ok'' sign.


    Soon everyone straightened themselves up as the jury started to scrutinize their works.


    Intricate sculptures made of marble, brass, and other materials. Some were carved, while others used casting, modeling, and assembling. Every student sculptor did their best in order for their works to stand out.


    However, there would really be selected people who work ced ahead above the rest.


    One of them was a sculptor from Vanderford, which has always been known for its rich heritage in fine arts.


    The sculptor''s works stunned the judges as he was able to create a metal tree sculpture. It was stunning and realistic at the same time.


    The judges let out surprised gasps the moment the sculptor revealed his work.


    Indeed, sculpting a tree might be amon subject for a sculptor, however, a life-sized one is not.


    Aside from the question of what kind of still he used to make the tree have such a distinct surface from a metal, another question is how to bnce the weight between the luscious ''canopy'' of the tree to the thin trunk.


    How will it stay standing?


    With this, the work immediately earned lots of praise, and even Max recognized that the sculptor was formidable.


    When it was his time to be evaluated, Max was nervous.


    Seeing how impressed they were in the tree, he felt immediately uneasy.


    That was because he, too, had made a tree sculpture!


    "Student Max, let us now see what you have for us." One of the judges asked.


    Looking at the massive drape behind Max, the judges have their own guesses in mind.


    "Oh¡­" Max was a little flustered because he went into a daze for a second but he quickly recovered.


    "My work''s name is life tree, and my main medium was bronze. Please have a look." Max signaled the assistants to carefully unravel the curtains hiding his work.


    "Oh, it''s a tree again." The judgemented ndly.


    The sculptors looked at Max with sympathy as he was too unfortunate to have chosen the same subject matter as the representative of the Vanderford.


    "But¡­ Why is this tree somehow broken?" Suddenly one judge eximed in curiosity."


    "You''re right¡­ it looks like it was on the verge of falling apart!"


    The judges started to notice that the tree sculpture was not actually intact. In between the massive structure, there were hollow gaps that crept along the trunk, the roots, and even the tiny branches. It was as if one soft push in the sculpture and it would all copse.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Student Max, what happened to your sculpture?" The chairman of the jury demanded to hear Max''s exnation."It is on the verge of falling apart!" He added in panic.


    "Oh, this is just how it is made, I intentionally created cracks along the entire body of the tree," Max answered.


    "But this will make the sculpture unstable!" The judge said.


    "Would you like to go around the sculpture to scrutinize it?" Max smiled and remained unperturbed. "You can also touch the sculpture to see if it is stable."


    And so with his encouragement, the reluctant judges still went around and spent more time figuring out how it happened. Even as they touched the sculpture, it felt intact and the entire work did not even show any sign of being destroyed.


    Their eyes slowly lit up and looked at Max with a newfound respect.


    The student sculptors were also curious as to how Max was able to make it stable, but they decided to ask that probably after thepetition ended.


    "Not bad¡­ not bad¡­" The judges seemed to have grown fond of the sculpture however their reaction was not as generous as how it was on the tree sculpture from the previous student.


    Just as when they were about to put their scores on their notes, they heard Max announce.


    "Now that you managed to test the stability of the sculpture, it''s time to see the reason why I called it The Life Tree¡­"


    His words managed to catch the judge''s attention and they looked at him with curiosity.


    Max then went on the base tform of the sculpture and activated a type of mechanism.


    Suddenly there was a golden light that seemed to light through the cracks of the tree that hade distracting earlier.


    "Oh, my word!"


    "How stunning!"


    "Unbelievable! How could one ever think of his idea?"


    The judges all eximed in awe, even the student sculptors were also looking at Max''s works with an amazed look.


    Then they directed their eyes to Max as if saying, "How on earth did you do that?"


    But Max remained calm and lowkey. He only answered the judges'' questions to a polite extent and never showed any airs.


    While everyone struggled to get back on track, and with great effort, they managed to finish the entire evaluation segment.


    Shortly after the deliberation, the results were announced.


    Max, as he was able to stun the judges with his two-fold surprise, came to the top. Next was the representative from Vanderford.


    Surprisingly following them to the top three was actually the burly boy, whose work was a massive-sized marble sculpture of a man, which one wouldpare to the famous sculpture in the modern earth, The Thinker.


    "Congrattions on your win, the burly boy, lightly elbowed Max with a wide grin.


    "Thank you. I say the same to you, your work is amazing and it''s full of vigor!" Max seeing the burly guy for the first time up close realized that he was actually the sole representative from the Green Wave Institute.


    "Oh? Is it? Is it? Do you like my work? Hahahahaha!"


    The burly boy''s eyes lit up as he chuckled with joy. It seems like the boy was actually a young tree giant. No wonder his physique wasrger than any other sculptures around, including Max.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, they both went to their respective mentors. Randel and Eli met his victory with proud smiles.


    "Have some cold juice. I know you did not take any sip of water¡­" Although Eli wanted to ask Max what happened during the course of the finals, she was more worried about his well-being.


    "Thank you, mentor Eli! Whew! I''m so relieved, for a moment I thought I would not get it because there was someone who also chose the same subject as me¡­" While he was drinking the juice prepared by Eli, Max animatedly exined to the two what happened during his match.


    "Oh¡­ by the way¡­ Anna and Raphael''s match must have been finished too¡­ Can we check them for a while?" Max suddenly remembered something after realizing that he finished all the juice in the canister.


    His friends must also be as tired as him.


    Eli and Randel indulged Max''s request and soon saw that Anna and Raphael were also done with the match and were both carrying trophies from their division!


    Instantly, Max, Randel, and Eli beamed with joy! Victory after victory came upon the group of eight students from the Music and Fine Arts department of the Farauld Academy!

 Chapter 424 News About The Paladin

    ?Croix City is a territory that lies midway between the Vanderford Empire and the ends of the Vanderford Continent.


    A group of priests and temple servants weed the people d in sacred-looking garments as they emerged from the teleportation array.


    "We greet Your Holiness, Pope!" They greeted with enthusiasm.


    "En¡­" The Pope nodded in acknowledgment before stepping forward and gesturing for everyone to look at thedy that was beside him.


    "I would like to introduce to you, the Pdin who made such a big miracle during the war against the curse users"


    The people then saw the youngdy standing beside the Pope and a sh ofplication appeared in their eyes.


    "Oh¡­ it''s an honor to finally see the person behind the pdin mask." Although a trace of doubt clearly appeared in the priest''s eyes, they did not dare to oppose the pope in front of so many people.


    And so they still stiffly greeted the ''Pdin'' introduced to them.


    This reaction did not escape the Pope''s eyes. A sh of alertness shone from his eyes but it was not enough for the people in front to see. Instead, he gestured to thedy beside him to greet them back.


    "It''s an honor to meet the priests and servants of the heavens here in Croix City¡­" The youngdy smiled benevolently, not noticing the stiffness on the faces of the priests.


    "You must have been exhausted crossing the entire continent, Your Holiness. We will lead you to your chambers to rest." The priest''s expressions havepletely recovered by now and immediately executed his role.


    Since Croix City is thest city in the Vanderford Continent before crossing the oceans to get to the Seirende Continent, the Pope and his crew had to stay for a few days to prepare for the journey ahead.


    Since it was traveling by the ocean, teleportation or travel by a winged beast in its entirety is not impossible.


    And so to hasten their travel, they have to ride a ship for about a week and then a horde of strong beasts will meet them halfway on an ind in the ocean to transport them to the next maind - the Seirende Continent.


    All in all the travel will be two weeks by this method, instead of a month and a half via ship sailing.


    While walking towards the living quarters, the Pope observed the priest''s gestures and his reaction towards his ''Pdin'' to know why introducing the ''Pdin'' sparked such a reaction.


    He could not understand why the Priests and the servants did not react the same way as he expected but instead even doubted the ''Pdin''s'' identity.


    ''I must know why they acted that way¡­'' The Pope thought in his mind, shing a scheming light in his eyes.


    Deciding this, he opted to send the pdin and the rest of the crew to retire for the night under the reason that they did multiple teleportation jumps to cross the entire continent from the Holy Ind.


    Then he had the priest of the Croix City summoned, for some ''catching up''.


    "It has been well in this city, Your Holiness. When I heard that High Priest Enoch''s domain was in trouble with the curse users, we were also afraid that it would happen to us, because this city will be the first to be affected should the Seirende Empire fail to defeat the curse users in thisnd¡­"


    "It was also the will of the heavens that they sent the Pdin to help resolve the face and that great form appeared, seemingly being the cure to those who are afflicted by the damaging curse."


    The Priest of Croix city reported all the things that the temple where he was assigned up to. He diligently reported them all to the Pope who was the superior of all the conferred Priests in the entire Prasinos.


    The Pope looked like he was also intently listening to his reports as he assumed a benevolent expression, making the Priest morefortable in sharing his thoughts like he was sharing with a bosom friend.


    "How do you find the Pdin, I have just introduced earlier?" When the Pope thought that the timing was right, he decided to get to the main point.


    Hearing the Pope''s sudden question, the Priest was taken aback and his expression faltered. But looking at the Pope''s expression which says that he will listen to whatever his thoughts really were, the Priest sighed and responded.


    "Your Holiness¡­ I found it hard to say this¡­ As of right now I am confused¡­ really confused." The High Priest shook his head and carefully chose his words, afraid that his next word would offend the pope.


    "Fear nothing and tell what is in your mindfortably." The Pope waved his hand and encouraged him to talk.


    "This¡­ to be honest, we were surprised that the Pope had introduced a pdin earlier, but for a good reason¡­


    That was because a week ago, the news of the Pdin appeared near the Beaufort Territory and healing those who were afflicted by the curse.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Through the reports of the people and witnesses, the description of the Pdin matched one that had appeared in the Beaufort Territory, including her curse healing abilities and the way she appeared from the sky¡­"


    While hearing the Priest''s story, the Pope was not able to hide the puzzlement in his expression. This in turn made the Priest be more encouraged to tell what he wanted.


    "I am afraid¡­ that the Pope was being deceived by the ''Pdin'' with you¡­" He looked at the Pope with concern.


    There was no indication of being offended in the Pope''s face. Instead, he contemted deeply and for a long time, he stayed silent.


    "Let us not be hastened in this matter¡­ The conclusion is not yet final¡­ I''ll look into the matter directly." The Pope answered with an assuring tone.


    "I understand, Your Holiness." Although the Priest expected the Pope not to immediately ept the truth, his assurance to take the matter seriously gave him some relief.


    "Have you heard about thetest whereabouts of the possible ''true'' pdin?" The Pope benevolently asked.


    "Yes¡­ we immediately sent someone to track her whereabouts ever since we confirmed that her appearance matched the one that appeared in Seirende.


    ording to our men, she had actually started her expedition to heal the afflicted in the remote viges away from therge cities. The reason why she appeared in the Beaufort territory must also have been because of this.


    Now ording to her route and phase of travel, this time she might be temporarily serving the people in need at the Mellenberg Territory."


    "Mellenberg Territory¡­ it was the city towards the south on the coastal area of the Seirende Continent¡­" The Pope pointed at the map and appeared to think deeply.


    "Yes, Your Holiness. But this territory is clearly out of the way of your nned route and it was not convenient for you to personally look into the matter to verify the matter¡­ Shall I contact the nearby temple, to go on your behalf?"


    The Priest of Croix City worriedly asked.


    "No¡­ the travel to the Seirende Empire can be dyed for a few more weeks. It is more important to know that the Pdin I will take with me is the true one and not fake...


    For it will entail great humiliation to the heavens and the entire Temple. I must personally solve this matter." The Pope dered.


    "I see, Your Holiness'' words are wise. This humble one will be ready to carry out what you wanted to do to help you prepare for this journey¡­" The Priest bowed and knelt submissively.


    This time, the Pope''s eyes shed a sinister light, it was not identifiable to whom the hostility was directed.


    "Contact the nearby Temple on the Mellenburg Territory and find a way to stall the suspected Pdin. None of you shall mention why, and see to it that this matter will also not reach the pdin that is with me, to avoid necessaryplication.


    Be sure to also tell it to the party who would be weing us on the next continent."


    The Pope ordered as if, he wanted to really know the truth and wanted to seek justice should it be found that the pdin with him is a fraud.


    "I will do as youmanded, Your Holiness¡­" The Priest of Croix answered resolutely.


    "I''ll leave the matter to you¡­" The Pope replied once again and finally dismissed the priest.


    Finally alone in his chambers, the Pope looked into a corner and talked,


    "You heard everything. The real one had already revealed herself."


    "Let''s deal with her quickly¡­" A young woman''s voice sounded behind the curtains, if the Priest would still here, he would have been scared witless.


    That was because the owner of the voice was actually the pdin that traveled with the Pope.


    "Just appear to be oblivious as if nothing happened. We will directly go to that territory to kill the pdin and take her artifacts. That was the only way for you to be treated as the real pdin." The Pope instructed.


    "And when there is no one to threaten your ce as the pdin, let''s start taking the position as the Third Prince''s fiance!"

 Chapter 425 The Target Took The Bait

    ?The Fake Pdin smiled. In her expression, there is a dreamy haze in her eyes.


    The first time she heard that the Pope wanted her to be wedded to the Third Prince, she actually did not care much until she had seen his portrait and heard of his exploits.


    Indeed for a revered person like her, no one is better to stand beside her than the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, Leon Andrae the Seirende.


    As for the mysterious fiance whom the Third Prince was infatuated with, she believes that it will be easy to deal with her once they get to the Seirende Capital.


    In conclusion, she did not see Eli as a threat but rather as a weak excuse for the Emperor and the Third Prince to reject the Pope''s proposal.


    It did not matter if the heavens agreed to the Third Prince''s plea, it would not mean anything if the woman perished anyways.


    However, the real threat to her was the appearance of the real pdin. The thought of the real pdin casting a doubt on her identity irks her a lot.


    "I am confident I will finish her before we go to the Empire¡­" She dered straight to the Pope''s face.


    "We better do, or else, we will lose our leverage upon entering the Empire¡­" The Pope raised his head as he said in a matter-of-factly tone.


    "If you can''t defeat the Pdin, then what''s the use of you being in that position?" He continued.


    The fake pdin chucked as if she had just heard a ridiculous thing. But she did not go against the Pope''s words.


    "Alright¡­ save all your strength. If you could, gather strength as much as possible. You might have to fight with her while we go there." The Pope waved his hand.


    "I have also told the priest to coordinate the change of our course.


    We might be dyed for at least a month longer than the original time of arrival. But this will all be worth it if we manage to catch the pdin and take her artifacts."


    As soon as the Pope finished his sentence, the silhouette of the fake pdin disappeared. It was as if the Pope had been talking with himself all this time.


    ¨C


    Three days after the departure of the Pope and his party in the Croix City to head to Mellenberg, High Priest Enoch contacted the city Priest under the guise of ''checking'' the whereabouts of the Pope.


    When High Priest Enoch heard that the Pope chose to head to Mellenburg rather than their original route, he was deeply ted and relieved


    "Is that the case?" The High Priest feigned surprise and eximed in a tone that was filled with shock.


    "It really is. His Holiness the Pope also says to extend his apologies to Your Eminence and His Majesty for their dyed arrival.


    The matter of the Pdin is very important and the Pope found it valuable to protect the Temple''s reputation and integrity by ensuring that the real Pdin is recognized." Understanding High Priest Enoch''s ''surprised'' reaction, the Priest of Croix City went out of his way tofort him.


    "Alright. It can''t be helped if it is about the pdin. I share the same thought as his holiness. We have to support him in his decision." High Priest Enoch replied as if he was a loyal and understanding servant.


    It was only after he cut the call that his gentle and kind expression faded into one of disappointment.


    Then he lifted the curtain and it revealed several people behind.


    Among them was of course the core member of the Anti Curse Committee, the Emperor, and the Three Princes.


    "The target willingly took the bait." Leon finally announced.


    The air of relief washed the initially heavy atmosphere during the call. Now all of them had a look of determination and focus on their faces.


    "Then, now is the time for us to carry our work. We have to use this time to settle all the matters in the Capital and quietly prepare for a confrontation¡­" Mishael said.


    "We will not prepare for confrontation, for it would surely be not enough. We are to prepare for war." Emperor Valentin dered with a rather cold voice.


    Upon hearing the Emperor''s words, everyone in the room seemed to have tacitly agreed to him using the word ''War'' instead of ''Confrontation''.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because they knew very well that the moment the Pope knew that the ''Pdin'' they were chasing was not even the real one, it would also directly say to the Pope''s face that the Seirende Empire viewed him and the Holy Ind as an enemy.


    "But we might not only face the Holy Ind, the Vanderford might also take this chance to ally with them and press us down to ruins." General Farauld said with a dark expression.


    "That''s why I and the Grandmasters will try to use the remaining duration of the tournament to negotiate with the Green Wave Continent." Emperor Valentin announced.


    "The Green Wave Continent? Didn''t they explicitly announce their neutrality towards the matter?" Anderson politely voiced his opinion. This also reflected Antoine and Kazimir''s doubts.


    "Indeed they were known as neutral. However, we have something that might convince them to join the war." Leon announced and then presented to the rest of the group the matter of the hell wolves.


    "ording to the research, the hell wolves were an experiment to create a mutant breed of human mages and werewolves. These were no ordinary werewolves, but a particr tribe in the Eastern coast of the Green Wave territory which faces the Holy Ind."


    "We will have them see the hell wolves for themselves and decide on their own. We will also have Great Elder Eirllon of the Silver Dew Elves participate in the negotiation."


    Hearing the n, everyone nodded and prayed that this would be enough to convince the Green Wave Unified Government to participate.


    "Alright¡­ we will have to discuss the matter in depthter on. The priority right now is to ensure that the tournament will end sessfully and that we will have enough time to send the majority of the people¡­"


    Just as the Emperor was about to conclude the short meeting, High Priest Enoch''smunication stone lit up once again, leading the people in the room to look at each other in silence.


    With the Emperor''s permission, the curtains were let down once more and hid it in a way that only the High Priest appeared in the room.


    "Your Eminence¡­ apologies for disturbing you once again¡­" The Priest of the Croix City called back once again.


    "No problem, is there something wrong for you to hurriedly call back?" High Priest Enoch replied patiently.


    "It''s like this... I have mentioned that included in his holiness'' party was a woman that was said to be the pdin right?"


    "Yes, indeed." High Priest Enoch answered.


    "Well¡­ we were able to see her bare face and her appearance surprised me and my entire team greatly¡­." The Priest said in a tone ridden with disbelief and confusion.


    "Your Eminence¡­ the one that we saw actually bears the features of an Asani! Midnight ck hair and Obsidian eyes! There is no doubt that she was of Asani descent!"


    "Ridiculous¡­ the Asani''s have long been wiped out during the battle of the blood valley¡­ So howe? And why are you only telling me this now?" High Priest Enoch stood from his seat, he was actually quite affected by the information ryed by the priest.


    "I apologize to your Eminence for myck of discernment. Truthfully at first, I only dismissed the case with the possibility of the Pdin dyeing her hair ck like most women. However, it had only dawned on me that there would be no other exnation for her ck eyes¡­


    For we all know that the inner pce prohibits appearance concealment magic! And ording to the servant''s report, there has been no change in her eye color.


    We can exin the change of hair color, but no one in the temple can be deceived when ites to the color of the eyes!


    Thus¡­ there might only be one exnation for this¡­ That the rumored pdin on the Pope''s side is actually an Asani!" The priest exined.


    "Impossible¡­" High Priest Enoch stopped himself from pulling the curtains up and looked at Eli. However, he exercised all his self-control and managed to keep his calm until he ended the call.


    Lifting the curtains up, he met the shocked expressions of the people behind.


    "That was supposed to be a trick right?" Nathan was the one who first opened his mouth. He then looked at Eli who had an extremely confused expression.


    But the most drastic expression of them all was not actually Eli, nor the Emperor, not even the Grandmasters¡­


    It was actually Governor Fidel whose entire body was trembling in fear as if he was reliving a horrible sin in his past¡­


    "There must be something wrong¡­ I personally saw the corpses of the entire Asani country¡­. That time¡­ I was not able to do anything¡­." Governor Fidel mumbled as his eyes reddened in agitation.

 Chapter 426 I Will Cause A Scene (1)

    ?Seeing the reaction of Governor Fidel, the expressions of the older generations darkened.


    For they knew where Governor Fidel wasing from.


    Although the younger generation - Eli, the Princes, and the rest were clueless about the reason for his reaction, they knew what Governor Fidel was talking about.


    The Asanis were actually dered to have perished more than twenty years ago.


    To the informed ones, especially in higher society, the Asani race is actually a group of very rare people. They were but a small tribe with mysterious origins and striking features - ck hair and obsidian eyes.


    There were legends that they could change their constitution once in their lifetime and so their small tribe sought refuge in the Seirende Borders, to the secluded Portia Valley.


    Since the war of the first victor, the Asanis lived in seclusion and in mystery, only participating in the Empire''s activities on special asions. And these asions were only for them to announce that they still exist and that people should not treat them as outsiders or monsters.


    During thest years of the Late Idelfonso, however, devastating news spread in the entire Prasinos.


    The Asani tribe was actually held captive by the mysterious terrorist group, The Spectre.


    The confrontation with this group was the trigger of the infamous battle in the blood valley which not only caused the rumors of Emperor Idelfonso being killed but also the entire tribe being massacred.


    Men, women, and children, all were mercilessly killed.


    If any, it was only Eli and Little Han who was confirmed to have remained with the Asani bloodline.


    So, how could they receive the news that there was another Asani alive and kicking?


    Moreover, this ''asani'' was now posing as the holy mage, the pdin who helped the Seirende Empire to survive their internal war.


    Hearing the discussion, Eli remained silent.


    But in her heart, she remembered the words of the mysterious leprechaun, the guardian of the Imperial Archives.


    "You must remember¡­ that you are thest descendant of the Asanis. You are the only one."


    That was the word the elder leprechaun left to her before giving her a book which she is bound to open the moment her identity as an Asani was questioned.


    ''Could it be that the leprechaun was pertaining to this moment?'' She asked herself.


    However, as there were people around, she opted not to speak for a moment.


    Besides, she had to wait until she came home with Leon. This was because she promised him that they would solve everything together now that they are betrothed with each other.


    "Clearly, there''s more to this than what we currently know¡­" Emperor Valentin navigated the assembly and calmed the people down.


    "What we need to do is to ensure that there will be no mishaps happening in the tournament that would cause the schedule to dy significantly."


    "We have no other choice but to silently and ever so stealthily prepare for war!"


    Hearing Emperor Valentin''s voice, the room became even more tense and serious. The reality will not change no matter what the truth about the fake pdin was.


    They will still have to confront the people hidden among the other nations who were actually part of the Spectre.


    There''s nothing they can do but prepare for a sudden war, should the enemies hidden in the dark decide to make a move.


    And so everyone adjusted their state of mind and continued discussing the more pressing matters.


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when the meeting ended.


    Randel and Eli rushed to go to the finals venue of the pianopetition.


    After studying for so long, it was finally Desmond''s turn to fight for the championship.


    Truthfully, it was quite pressuring for him and Lainie to move with thepetition because their friends have all finished their respectivepetitions with flying colors.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nevertheless, both of Eli''s proteges were determined to finish strong so that they could secure the honor of their Institute and themselves.


    As soon as they entered the grand auditorium, the duo greeted the rest of the bunch and immediately asked about the current situation.


    "I''ll go backstage¡­" Eli looked at Randel signaling him to stay with the rest so that she can support Desmond.


    "Alright, Good luck to the both of you¡­" Randel nodded and stayed with the students.


    Eli found her way backstage and immediately saw Raya and Desmond sitting solemnly in one corner of the waiting room.


    From Eli''s perspective, the two seemed to have been clouded by gloom and anxiousness as they observed the mixed gazes of the people around them.


    "Desmond¡­ Raya." She greeted.


    "Mentor!" The siblings'' eyes lit up the moment they turned their heads in Eli''s direction.


    "How''s everything¡­ have you conditioned yourself well?" Eli smiled at the two and immediately asked Desmond about his state of mind.


    "My hands are sweaty¡­ and a little bit cold¡­" Desmond lowered his head and told his condition with a quiver in his voice.


    As he was saying this, Raya''s expression also choked.


    In an instant, Eli knew that something wrong must have happened earlier that the two siblings were reluctant to tell.


    And knowing that it was such a crucial time, Eli did not even think twice. She was sure whatever happened had something to do with thepetition.


    Her face turned serious, and her signature intimidating aura emanated with her thin yet eye-catching figure.


    "Tell me, what''s the matter?" Her voice was lowered by several pitches that everyone in the room felt that the temperature immediately dropped.


    "This¡­" A cold wave of shivers ran down Desmond''s back, however, he still bit his lips and refused to talk.


    Eli also understood Desmond''s intention from his expression and so she immediately took his hands and closed her eyes seemingly trying to diagnose his condition like how doctors do it.


    This was a trick she begged Kayden to teach her after she witnessed Little Han get sick back then. With her interaction with Kayden and her growing open path powers, she was able to perform a simple diagnostic procedure such as this.


    She did not have strong medical skills as Kayden but her abilities were enough to detect what was wrong with someone else''s body.


    "Your right-hand nerves were numbed!" Eli cried out in rm. How could this thing happen to him at such a time like this?


    Desmond and Raya showed defeated faces, they never thought that Eli would find a way to know what was going on. Although they were in awe of witnessing another of Eli''s abilities, they could not afford it at the moment


    "I am afraid, mentor, that I do not have time to exin. For I will be the first one to yter on¡­" Desmond tried to calm Eli down.


    He shook his hands and wiggled his fingers to prove that he could still control his fingers while saying, "Besides I can still manage to control it like this mentor. I believe I canst until the first movement of the piece I have prepared.


    He smiled at her but to Eli, it was a smile of defeat, as he was already epting his fate that he would no longer be able to y his best.


    "No¡­ I will do something about it!" Eli squinted her eyes with determination, showing that she will not allow Desmond to y in his condition like this, "If you force it, your hands might be crippled!"


    She was no doctor, but only by seeing the condition of his hands that Eli knew that it was not something they can ignore.


    "I''ll buy you sometime¡­ Raya, quickly call Randell and Dean Athena down here and ask them to summon the judge and the organizers." She quickly ordered.


    "Mentor this¡­" Before Desmond could stop Raya, Eli threw her a warning nce and halted. He had no choice but to see Raya immediately follow Eli''s orders.


    "Mentor, I''m afraid that this will only inconvenience you and everyone." He nervously whispered. If his hands weren''t numbed at the moment, he would have clinched it so hard to contain his emotions.


    "Don''t think too much. I am your mentor, and so even if it means causing a scene in here, I will not allow you to go through this like amb walking in a ughterhouse!"

 Chapter 427 I Will Cause A Scene (2)

    ?"Mentor¡­ you do not need to go to such lengths!" Desmond was tearing up upon seeing Eli''s protectiveness.


    "Tell me what really happened so that I would know the next thing to do." Eli shook her head and patted Desmond''s shoulders encouraging him to talk.


    In reality, she could solve the matter by simply forcing Desmond not to participate.


    However, she knew that will trample on Desmond''s pride and determination. This is his one and only chance to turn his life over, not only as a student but as a musician.


    The fact that he decided to not tell her what was happening and go through thepetition tells everything about his own conviction, which Eli had no heart to hinder.


    And so she also decided to be stubborn with her student.


    She will ensure that she will get to the bottom of this, even if it means using her connections with the Imperial Family!


    Desmond bit his lips and resigned to his fate, he knew that there was no choice but to tell Eli now that she had gotten Raya to call on a bunch of people.


    "Mentor, in truth, we did not even know how it happened¡­ You have been looking at this suspicious reddish-purple dot in my right hand¡­ I did not know when or where I had been pricked by something either."


    "I felt no pain at all, not even a sensation. I only noticed that the strength on my fingers was gone when Raya handed me a ss of water earlier¡­"


    Eli''s eyes went sharper and sharper, as she contemted while listening to Desmond''s exnation.


    "Do you remember if someone bumped into you along the way?" Eli asked.


    Usually, these kinds of wounds can be easily inflicted especially if the victim was physically distracted. This was also the same tactic used by thieves and criminals in the modern world.


    "On our way here in the auditorium, it was extremely crowded, and so I have indeed bumped into a lot of people along the way¡­" Desmond shook his head. Even if they found out the cause of the incident, it would be impossible to identify who the culprit was.


    "Alright. Thank you for telling me everything. Now just sit there and rx¡­" Eli nodded and gave Desmond a look of assurance.


    In just a few moments, several people had already crowded the waiting room, Raya sessfully summoned everyone and even the jury and the tournament physician into the ce.


    This caused a lot of the mentors and pianists to pay attention to what was happening.


    "What''s the matter, Lady Eli? To call us all in here and dy the entire tournament, how urgent and important the matter was?" An irate member of the jury immediately asked Eli.


    In his tone and expression, there was an unmasked hint of disdain and hostility in his eyes.


    Eli on the other hand remained unshaken, the intimidation given by the member of the jury like a child''s threat in her eyes, especially when she remembered how strict and even more difficult the men in the business world were.


    In her voice that carried coldness and a strong sense of justice, Eli replied, "I ask the dear organizers and the head jury to conduct an investigation immediately. For my student was victimized by a malicious trap!"


    "Huh? An investigation? Malicious trap? Lady, I know of your prestige and des, but please do not think that the people in the music world regard your identity in high regard.


    Who are you to ask those at such a time like this? You know very well that you are causing the disturbance in the proceedings!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The member of the jury righteously blurted out.


    "Why not?! My student''s right hand is numb! I suspect that it was most likely caused by poison! Tell me if not for malicious intent, who would dare to do this kind of thing to my student at such a time like this?" She then gestured to Desmond to approach the doctor and have his hands diagnosed.


    But even before the head jury answered and the doctor announced his diagnosis, the member of the jury retaliated once again.


    "Hah! With all due respect, Lady Eli¡­ this matter is not something that is worthy of the tournament being postponed!


    Besides, what happened to your dear student was not something that our tournament should care about¡­ for if we address everything that happened to ill students then we will never proceed in this tournament!


    It is the participant''s responsibility to ensure that they will join the tournament in their best condition!"


    While the rest of the mentors and contestants gloated happily at the jury''s response, Eli, the attending doctor and the rest of the jury frowned at the statement.


    "So dear jury, you are saying that even if the students were deliberately assaulted along the way, it was still the victim''s fault for being an easy target?" Eli answered in a dangerously low town.


    "What?! How could you twist my words that way?!" The jury was taken aback by how Eli interpreted his statement and immediately denied everything.


    "Stop¡­" The head jury finally intervened and looked at the attending physician, "What is the student''s condition?"


    He knew that the longer Eli and his members argued, the more time would be wasted and so, he needed to know what really happened to Desmond so that he could think of a better way to handle the situation.


    "Head jury, it is as Lady Eli has imed. This student was poisoned with a considerable amount of Arid Spider venom. If he remains untreated, he would not only remain numb on his right hand, he would be a cripple!" The doctor said,


    "Then immediately give him the medication!" The chairman of the jury waved his hands and immediately asked the doctor to treat Desmond.


    He then turned to Eli and said,


    "As for the investigation of this matter we will surely do that, but it would be after the tournament as I am afraid that my colleague is right about saying that this problem should not cause the dy of the contest. This also means that should student Desmond''s turne up and he was not ready to y, he would lose by default."


    "Chairman, on what grounds would your statement be?" Eli calmly asked.


    "On the grounds that we cannot identify if it was negligence on your side, or it was a deliberate attempt to dy the tournament¡­ hardly a malicious attack from what I see." The Chairman replied in all honesty.


    "That''s right! Even if he was poisoned, who knows whether you deliberately did this to dy the tournament?!" The member jury echoed.


    Eli let out a light scoff, barely containing her temper. She looked at the Chairman and paid no attention to the noisy jury and asked.


    "So.. if I was able to prove to you that this matter was a malicious attack. Will you postpone the tournament until we get to the bottom of the investigations?"


    The head jury raised his eyebrows taking Eli''s question as a haughty challenge.


    He then waved his hand nonchntly and looked at Eli, "Well then, if thedy can prove it right at this moment, then the entire jury will apologize to you andmence the investigation on the spot!"

 Chapter 428 I Will Cause A Scene (3)

    ?Eli smiled faintly, hiding the cunningness of her expression.


    The jury and the rest of the contestants looked at her as if waiting for her to mess up.


    But Randel, the doctor, Dean Athena, and the rest of the organizers were shaking their heads sympathetically towards the gloating ones, for they knew that Eli would win the case.


    "Alright since you said so then I will prove it to you right here, right now!" Eli raised her voice so that everyone could hear.


    "The reason why I am saying that this matter was a malicious attack towards our institute was because of the fact that Arid Spider Venom has been banned in Seirende for a few months now! That implies that bringing the Arid Spider and any part of it inside the Empire is a crime!


    Every citizen in Prasinos knew that, including the allied kingdoms. Though it would be normal if you do not know about it. However, I shall make this clear now, no one in the Seirende Empire and their allied forces would knowingly bring any trace of Arid Spiders inside our borders."


    "So what?! That doesn''t prove that this was not a self-inflicted attack to dy thepetition!" The jury retaliated.


    "No mister jury, you are mistaken. Please refrain from talking carelessly before you hear my exnation." Eli red at the man coldly.


    She was suspicious as to why the jury was so adamant to dismiss the matter into nothing. His attitude, moreover, is getting on her nerves, so much that she was about to lose her patience.


    The Chairman seemed to have noticed that Eli was on the verge of explosion, so he cast the noisy jury a warning nce before asking Eli to continue.


    "Arid Venom was banned in the Empire because it was proven that the curse users used this ingredient as the main carrier of the purple smoke bomb - one of the artifacts that caused the deaths of countless knights and soldiers who fought for the peace of the Empire during the recent Imperial War."


    Eli then looked into the opposing crowd and asked in a dangerously low voice, "Now¡­"


    "Can someone give me a logical exnation why would anyone in Seirende Empire dare to bring such a thing that has brought tragedy to their own men?


    Even so, use it for such a petty reason as dying a tournament finals? What benefit would it bring to our empire?"


    ¡­


    Everyone was silent.


    But Eli''s words had alreadypleted the story. It was clearly an enemy of the Seirende Empire who brought the venom inside and used it on Desmond.


    Besides, Eli''sst statement was right. Using the venom dy thepetition does not bring any worthy benefit to the Farauld Institute nor the Seirende Empire. For this venom had already caused many deaths on this verynd.


    Watching in the crowd a number of people became displeased, however, they tried to hide their difort immediately.


    But it seems like Eli had already won the case and that whatever result they wanted could never be achieved today.


    "Now, Chairman, what would be your decision?" Eli looked at the chairman with a cold expression.


    Her intimidating aura exuded once more making the rest of the jury unable to help the Chairman get out of the matter smoothly.


    The chairman also understood the situation well. While he did not see the problem of dying the finals, it was troublesome to arrange. Besides, he will be held ountable for the lost resources due to the dy.


    However, if he still refuses, the Empire will surely make a move and will take matters seriously.


    They have already witnessed how far the Emperor of Seirende goes to protect the Empire from outsiders. They do not wish to go through that inconvenience again.


    He cursed the perpetrator, whoever he was, and the jury who fanned the mes for pushing him into such a sticky situation.


    How would they know that some venom was greatly prohibited by the Empire over such a long time?!


    And so with a heavy sigh, he answered,


    "Just as Lady Eli has exined, this matter is no longer something that I nor the jury can dismiss. The matter of bringing such banned material will also bring harm to the rest of the candidates¡­"


    "I will bring this matter up to the council and inform you of our decision. But in the meantime, let the jury handle the crowd and everyone." The Chairman announced.


    With that, he gathered all his members and the organizers, while Eli went with Desmond to be treated.


    She no longer cared about the exasperated expressions of theirpetitors as she only focused on looking after her protege.


    After sending Desmond to the clinic, she immediately informed Leon of the matter.


    Leon rushed into the tournament site in his worry and immediately found Eli standing nkly outside the corridor.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli felt someone approaching and nced at Leon stiffly.


    Now that everything was over, she started to regain some rity in her actions and contemted how she handled the matter.


    Only then did she realize that this may cause a significant dy in the proceedings when what the Empire needed the most was time.


    "I''m sorry, I caused the tournament''s dy when we even agreed with the Emperor to ensure that we will be doing our best to have the tournament finish on time,"


    Eli told Leon guiltily. Her body was shaking from helplessness.


    Leon gently pulled Eli into his embrace and answered with aforting voice.


    "You''ve done the right thing, my love. The existence of the venom inside the Empire is just as threatening as theing of the Pope.


    That also meant that the enemies had already found their way to sneak in the materials they needed to cause chaos.


    They started to find a way to sneak in some of their men as Baobao detected earlier during the tournament ceremony.


    Now they have found a way to sneak banned materials even when they have already gone through a thorough search upon entering the Empire''s borders¡­


    And so you do not have to feel guilty about this¡­ In fact, you have helped us yet again uncover something hidden in the dark."


    Eli closed her eyes and rested on Leon''s chest. She hummed in acknowledgment and took her time to also regain herposure.


    "As for the tournament matters, I have already immediately informed Father Emperor and the Grandmasters. They will talk with the council about it¡­ so just think about resting for now."


    "But Desmond¡­" Eli replied worriedly.


    "Mentor¡­ Your Highness Third Prince." Coincidentally, Desmond and Raya had already left the clinic.


    They managed to hear thest part of the conversation.


    "Pardon us for eavesdropping¡­ but mentor, His Highness is right. You do not have to worry about us. I have Raya and the rest to look after me¡­" Desmond said with understanding.


    All of the students knew that Eli could barely handle the responsibility she had with the Anti Curse Committee and the Institute. So they knew that Eli needed rest the most.


    "Also, thank you mentor for standing up for me. I really thought that I would lose the chance to perform in the finals." The young pianist added.


    "It''s my duty as your mentor. Besides, you deserve to have that fair chance. As long as I can think of a way, I will help you protect that chance!" Eli replied with conviction.


    After bidding their farewell, Leon took Eli back home.


    "Mommi!!! Daddi!!!" Seeing his parents, Little Han squealed happily and immediately hugged Leon''s thighs.


    "My baby! Did you have fun today?" Eli''s exhaustion seemed to have been washed away at the sight of Little Han''s happy face.


    Every minute of seeing Little Han smile made her and Leon think that all their hard work was worth it.


    "Uncle Bleezzz, Baobao y!!" Little Han animatedly tried to tell the couple what happened during his stay today.


    During this time he seemed to have been fascinated by ze''s presence and often insisted that hee and visit the cottage when he was free.


    It lookedical when one little bun with red blood hair and a big valiant man with fiery orange hair sat on the plushie yground and yed with toys.


    However, no one from the Crimson des dared to let out a chuckle upon this sight.


    "I''m d you''ve had another great day. Soon, if mommy and daddy have time. We will also y with you, my little love!" Eli kissed Little Han''s puffy cheeks to which the little one squinted in delight.


    In his mom and dad''s hug, Little Han nestled in satisfaction, "Aye! Mommi¡­ Daddi!"


    Soon the typical family bonding time hase to an end.


    Leon and Eli ensured that Little Han was asleep before going back to the study and discussing the matter that happened in the morning.


    "Leon, I think it''s time for me to open the book¡­ as the elder Leprechaun said¡­" Eli immediately went down to business as soon as they entered the office.

 Chapter 429 Results Of Investigation

    ?Leon took a good look at Eli''s nervous figure.


    Her countenance which had been a symbol of empowerment to most of the women and even the younger generation was now filled with anxiousness and fear of the uncertain.


    Yet in Leon''s eyes, Eli is perfect just the way she is. Her intelligence and even her weaknesses, are all that Leon loved about her.


    And so in the faint glow of the study room, Leon nodded faintly as he approached her to hold her hand, "Alright¡­ I''ll be with you no matter what."


    Eli''s heart calmed down upon hearing Leon''s words. She responded to his touch and gave him a deep look.


    Then she bent down and took out the Elder Leprechaun''s book from her space pouch.


    Before the couple, appeared an ordinary-looking book covered with a simple leather hardbound cover.


    Leading Eli to the seat, Leon sat beside her, ensuring that they were close enough to see the contents of the book written by the mysterious guard of the Imperial Archives.


    Opening the book, they were greeted by a string of words that were elegantly written in ink.


    "To Eli, thest full-blooded Asani¡­Open this book when the timees¡­"


    The two looked at each other. Leon patted Eli''s hand to encourage her to continue flipping the book.


    However, the next page of the book was left nk, much to their confusion.


    Eli furrowed her brows and flipped page after page. But it seems that there was no other text in the book except for the first page.


    "Could it be that the pages of this book will only appear at the right moment?" Leon sensed Eli''s confusion and so he mumbled.


    "Most probably¡­ but how could we determine when is the right time?" Eli replied.


    "The Elder Leprechaun''s words are pretty straightforward, however, the situation this morning might not be the one he was pertaining to¡­" Leon rubbed Eli''s back while he was contemting deeply.


    "When my identity as an Asani is being questioned¡­ Could it be that when I see the fake pdin in my own eyes?" Eli frowned.


    "Most possibly¡­"


    Eli was left speechless. If that were the case, then knowing what was inside the book will not help her at that moment. She could only hold on until she had time to look through the book after meeting the fake pdin.


    Meeting her must be inevitable then¡­


    "If that''s the case, then there is no need in rushing things. Besides, knowing about it will only let us know more advanced information, we will still confront them when the timees." Leon added.


    "Yeah¡­" Eli''s shoulders dropped in frustration. She sighed heavily letting her head rest on Leon''s shoulders.


    "Don''t worry¡­We''re all here no matter what¡­" Leon took Eli to his embrace as he allowed hisdy to fall asleep in his arms.


    "En¡­" Eli mumbled sleepily. In a few minutes, her faint peaceful breathing could be heart.


    ¨C


    The next morning, Eli went straight to the tournament to hear the announcement of the tournament.


    In the end, her request was granted and the pianopetition was held two days before the conductor''spetition.


    Although everyone was shocked to hear about the postponement, they still nodded their heads in agreement as there were only two remaining categories left in the music division.


    Besides, pianists seldom y an integral part in the symphonypetition.


    Another change that happened was the obvious heightening of security measures in the venue.


    Spearheaded by the Anti Curse Committee, the knights employed by the tournament council.


    Since Randel and Eli were busy in thepetition, it was Seigfried who led the investigation. The leads in smuggling the Arid Spider Venom all pointed to suspicious summoners specializing in insect maniption.


    And so all the records of summoners in the Empire, may it be a citizen or a foreigner were extracted and rigorous tracking was done with the information.


    It proved that Seigfried was the best person to lead the case because he came from an established summoner family. And so he knew very well how possible it was for a summoner to smuggle the banned venom.


    In just two days, themittee had already released the suspects in the case.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    To the public''s surprise, it was not only Desmond who had fallen victim to the venom smuggling.


    Numerous participants from different kingdoms have also experienced the same symptoms that they had. Themon denominator of all the victims was they were all candidates for the finalpetitions.


    In short, this is a conspiracy to ensure that a certain person or group bes the winner of the remaining tournament events.


    The Anti-Curse Committee opted to no longer report the information beyond that point. But the public already had their own answers¡­


    At the luxurious townhouse in the capital, a group of men was kneeling nervously in front of Crown Prince Ranon whose eyes looked calm yet terrifying at the same time.


    "So men, tell me¡­ who in the world is foolish to think of doing that scheme and embarrass our delegation to the entire Prasinos?" Crown Prince Ranon''s voice was calm yet cold.


    His words were told neither fast nor slow, however, it was enough to make the men in front of him shudder in fear.


    "This¡­ Your Highness¡­ we know nothing about the case¡­" The Head Master of the Vanderford Institute answered rather carefully.


    "Do not think that I am easier to fool than my father. I know that your men had a hand in this case¡­ It was not even an issue for me to see you pull tricks like that, but why do your men have to be foolish to be found out?" Crown Prince Ranon was displeased by the Headmaster''s answer.


    "This¡­ Your Highness, please let us handle the case and fix the mess."


    "You better be! Clean up this mess and ensure that you will find the right words to exin to Father!" Crown Prince Ranon tilted his hand that was holding a ss of wine at an angle.


    "Lay low and do not cause any more mess than this¡­"


    Before the men''s eyes, the lusciously fragrant wine spilled on the floor.


    However, no one dared to breathe loudly, for, in their eyes, they seemed to envision the spilled wine as their blood flowing carelessly on the floor.


    "Whatever tricks you wanted to y, you better stop it now for it will only embarrass the empire further. After the tournament, do not waste any second and go back to the Empire!" With that Crown Prince Ranon flung the wine ss to the side, making a crashing sound that awakened the men in their own thoughts.


    Only when they knew that the Crown Prince was no longer in the room did they sigh in relief.


    "They are really a bunch of fools¡­" Entering his bed chambers, Crown Prince Ranon heard Arabe''s voice emerging from the dark curtains.


    "Heh, they are indeed dimwits¡­ To think that these men were educators! I am speechless." Crown Prince Ranon sat on the sofa nonchntly.


    He was pretty vexed because of what was happening. The foolish move made by the men in the Vanderford institute event triggered them to lose their chances to stay inside the Empire longer.


    "The Emperor is a cunning man, he will surely throw chaos once the tournament is up. Moreover, we have no choice but toy low too." Arabe reported.


    "How many of our men were caught?" Crown Prince Ranon closed his eyes and brushed the hair resting on his forehead.


    "Out of the ten we were able to painstakingly sneak in, they caught four."


    "...hahaha!" Crown Prince Ranonughed, but Arabe on the side knew that he was angry and so shepletely kept silent and allowed the man in front of him to vent his anger.


    After some time, Arabe could feel that he had already calmed down. Then her amethyst eyes glinted devilishly before saying her next words.


    "Did you know who is the catalyst of it all? It is none other than the inventor Eli¡­ She is the one who triggered the entire chaos that brought this kind of damage to our side."


    She then took out a stack of documents that recorded everything about Eli and her aplishment in a short period of time.


    "Eli¡­ huh¡­" Crown Prince Ranon nced at the pages and read Eli''s files.


    "Proponent of the Passport Act, inventor of countless things. Capable enough to make the Imperial Family and Grandmasters move in her favor¡­"


    "All happened in less than two years after appearing in the capital¡­" Crown Prince Ranon shed an eerie smile as he ced his hand under his chin.


    In his mind, he remembered that time when their eyes met. Something in him stirred, but it was not something threatening.


    ''Could it be interest?''


    "It''s amazing how this little woman''s words could turn the tables back on their side." He chuckled lightly before he threw the pages on the coffee table once again.


    "I really have to meet this person¡­ it seems."

 Chapter 430 Desmond

    ?The day of the pianopetition finals arrived without a hitch.


    Most of the locals and guests from the allied kingdoms were all wearing cheerful expressions, while those from the Vanderfords were all shrouded by gloom.


    The attitudes of the delegates from the Green Wave Continent were still as elusive as people knew they were.


    Regardless of these circumstances, everyone was looking forward to the events before the conclusion of the tournament.


    The venue was already full and jam-packed. This was because more spectators were now avable to watch the finals.


    This also gave the usually unpopr musicpetition to be the main event in the tournament.


    This time, Eli did not leave Desmond''s side from start to finish.


    Moreover, ess to the backstage was also more stringent than before due to the previous incident.


    And so only the mentor and participant are allowed to enter, and they have their own resting spots throughout thepetition. Only a select few from the organizers were also allowed to roam around the area, and all else must be on the audience side.


    Eli took a quick nce at the audience area and immediately noticed the surroundings of the stage.


    She then looked around and whispered to her student, "Desmond, do remember the 3rd lesson I gave to you back then?"


    "Yes mentor¡­ about sound projection and how different would it affect my music if I y in different ces¡­" Desmond softly answered, ensuring that no one else will hear.


    "Indeed¡­ since you are the first person to y, you must keep in mind that you are ying in a venue full of audiences¡­ You have to y differently this time, watch your pedaling and fingering.


    Take advantage that your piece had those slow opening notes and hear how the sound projects. Although you will be at a disadvantage because the first section of your piece lies on the lower register of the piano¡­ but I trust that you will know how to manage that." Eli smiled and gave Desmond herst reminder and tips.


    She knew that Desmond practiced so much for this moment. She will not allow his performance to be dampened by the mere neglect of the surroundings of the hall.


    For ssical music especially in their era, it is important for a musician to know how they will let their music be heard from the front stage to the farthest person at the back.


    Eli saw to it that she taught these basics to Desmond, Lainie, and even their orchestra group, so that they will know how to deal with ying in different types of atmospheres, just like today.


    "Yes, mentor! I have also practiced different sets of pedaling routines so that I can adjust to the music before realizing it toote. Thank you for your reminder!" Desmond nodded and breathed deeply.


    "Alright, off you go!" Eli tapped his shoulder once again as his name was called on stage.


    ''This is it¡­'' Desmond looked at the view of the piano backstage, it was particrly bright in the stage area and he could barely see the people in the audience.


    But he was sure that all eyes were on him at the moment.


    The hall was silent, and all Desmond could hear was the rustling of his tailcoat as he carefully sat on the piano stool.


    The bright yellowish light showered his nervous countenance in the hall. Raya and the bunch sped their hands in prayer to wish him well throughout the performance.


    There were only five finalists in this rigorouspetition, and he was the very first one to perform.


    Now he had two goals.


    First, to perform really well and set the bar high for the seeding pianists.


    Second, to perform so brilliantly that the jury would not even dare to forget his music even as the tournament ended.


    It was a bold and ambitious goal, but Desmond who was stepping out in the open on such a big stage like this felt that it would be worth a try.


    Sonata in B t minor Opus 32, is the very first sonata published by Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Fran?ois Chopin. This is one of the monumental works he made as it was made at the time when the ssical era and romantic era is in the midst of transitioning.


    The piece was created at the point where there was great pressure in Chopin''s life back then. He was dealing with the pressure of making new music that must not hide in the shadows of Beethoven''s works while dealing with society, his health issues, and matters of the heart.


    For Desmond, the story behind this music captured his heart really well and he felt that he had an affinity with theposer of the music.


    And so he decided to y this even at the risk of being questioned like Raya for ying another ''lost piece''.


    Dun¡­ dun dun¡­


    Feeling his fingers run across the keys, a haunting melody started to y.


    Desmond took time, a slightly slower tempo to let the sound travel in therge hall. On the first measure, he was able to get the audience''s attention.


    Dun¡­


    After another string of notes, exciting yet panicky music started to y. It was like the sound of horses running fast from something, afraid that the one that chases would catch up.


    Thus the first theme was introduced, and it was death.


    In just a few measures, the jury and the audience all knew what the music was all about, and they were able to connect with the fear of death catching them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Suddenly, the music slowed down. As if entering a different world, lovely and romantic. The audience was taken aback, from death, there was love.


    Howe?


    Desmond took this moment to feed their interest by ying the next part of the first movement, which is actually a fight between the two themes, death and love.


    A shocking battle of melodies flowed in the ears of the audience, making them immersed with intrigue and fascination.


    The chasing melody of death and the gentle caressing notes of love, how could this sound so perfectly like this?


    How does such a contrasting theme sound perfectly in their ears?


    After that, they were carried away by a dramatic exchange of the two themes in the recapittion stage.


    In a moment of rest, the listeners prepared for another journey for the second movement. Since the first movement was such an aggressive melody, the people somehow expected that the music would be slower and more rxed.


    However, the next movements of the sonata were getting deeper, deste, and emotional.


    Only when they heard the third movement that they realized that Desmond was already ying a funeral march.


    Instantly, the people understood what the music was all about - especially the citizens of Prasinos.


    In their minds was the imagery of death and chaos that was brought by the curse users during the war.


    And the funeral march triggered them to remember their lost loved ones whom they shared a part of themselves with.


    Destion, emptiness, and confusion.


    Why do they have to go?


    Why do they have to run?


    Why do they have to hide?


    Why do they have to watch their loved ones die helplessly under the oppression of evil ones?


    These, and all their emotions and experiences awakened their minds as tears and pain flowed into their eyes.


    Yes, they were the blessed ones who survived.


    But they were also the ones cursed to live through the pain of being left behind.


    Left behind to remember the lost lives¡­


    The entire auditorium was destroyed by the pain and the struggle, reliving the hard times.


    The music was not only able to affect the locals who witnessed the pain of the war. Even the jury and the rest of the foreign spectators were also affected by the piece.


    It was such a sorrowful, painfully beautiful piece written in such an ingenious way.


    To end it with a funeral march could not bring them any more pain¡­ and so they thought.


    Thest movement was actually short, simple in construction and melody, and yet, it was the perfect conclusion in such a piece that contained a theme of death.


    Notes weaved upward and downward, like a struggle of a person going up and falling down the stairs.


    Continuously repeating struggling in many different ways.


    Up until the end, the audience finally understood thest part - it was the tale of man''s life and the beauty of his death.


    After thest note, the hall waspletely silent.


    How could the people, including the jury, recover from such a heavy and spiritual piece?


    Moreso when they were listening to it in the middle of apetition?


    Generations will pass, yet the tale of a young pianist would continue to be told to the young ones.


    Here is a man, who brought such a profound piece.


    Brought a piece of lost music to life through the music about death.


    The pianist Desmond, the student of the great inventor and musician Eli, made his name known at this very moment, on this very stage.

 Chapter 431 Brazen Approach

    ?There was an astounding silence in the room.


    As Desmond stood, he took a quiet bow and left the stage without hearing the audience''s response.


    It was because he knew that it would take them a long time to recover from the music he yed.


    In his heart, he was rejoicing the more that he heard the silence. This was because he knew that he was able to achieve the effect he was aiming for.


    "Good job¡­ You did it very well." Eli smiled and praised him in a hushed tone.


    Desmond smiled in relief. He knew that his mentor was just as ted as him as he saw the contained excitement in her smile.


    No one knew when or how, but it was only for a few minutes that the jury and the audience were able to snap out of their trance.


    When they turned their eyes to the stage, they realized that Desmond had already long exited.


    At the backstage, the waiting pianist all had terrified looks on their faces.


    This time, they finally recognized how formidable Desmond''s ability was. They themselves were not confident that they could create music that would leave such an impact as he did!


    It became more evident when the rest of thepetitors performed on stage.


    Although they were amazing in their own right, no one had created such an effect as Desmond did.


    And so the cheers of the people surged to the highest when he was named the champion of the Pianopetition.


    Yet again, a delegate from the Farauld Magic Institute won the top ce!


    "I know you could do it!" Desmond''s friends swarmed at him as soon as thepetition ended.


    "I was really thankful that Mentor did her best to make the conditions easier for me to y. If not for her efforts, I would have yed in a bad condition and everything would be in vain." Desmond''s eyes were red as he tried to hold back the tears in his eyes.


    The hand that held the trophy during the awarding was still shaking even after the end of the program.


    Eli let out a light chuckle as she replied, "I was just there to support you. But this honor, you got it all because of your passion and hard work."


    "Indeed! Now let''s go to the restaurant and celebrate your win once again!" Dean Athena happily cheered as she coaxed the group to go with her to eat at Ristorante de Rion.


    "Yay!" The young students eximed in delight as soon as they heard the name of the restaurant. They could still remember the moment when Eli took them there.


    Back then, they were just a bunch of students, easily satisfied with having to pass the preliminary stage.


    Now, who would have known¡­


    Almost all of them stood until the finals and were even able to get the top ces!


    It was still early afternoon when thepetition ended. And so everyone headed to Ristorante de Rion to have theirte lunch as a celebration.


    After the sumptuous meal, the bunch along with Eli headed back to the rehearsal room to meet the rest of the members of the orchestra.


    "Master¡­ someone is tailing us!" Suddenly, Eli was startled by Baobao''s mental warning.


    Eli acknowledged Baobao''s report through their mind link while she tried her best not to show outwardly that she was wary and aware of whoever was watching her.


    There is only one meaning when Baobao reports that someone was tailing her. It means that the pursuer had something to do with curse magic.


    "Oh¡­ my word! I suddenly remembered that I left an urgent matter at headquarters that had to be done by the end of the day! I might no longer apany you to your rehearsal.." Eli suddenly eximed, announcing that she had to go separately.


    "It''s alright, mentor. We just needed a little more enhancement here and there before thepetition day arrived. We can handle it." Lainie smiled in understanding as she replied to Eli''s words.


    "Alright¡­ though I''ll be sure to make it on your final rehearsals tomorrow," Eli replied, she looked rather guilty.


    After waving them goodbye Eli calmly went to the carriage station to go to the Anti-Curse Committee headquarters.


    The stalker seemed to be determined to stay close to her and Baobao kept telling her that he or she was near.


    ''Who on earth are they?''


    Eli pondered. Why would they target her?


    ''Could it be because I caused a lot ofmotion during these days?'' She was trying to remember some events that could have triggered the enemy''s intrigue toward her.


    ''In any case, I have to get inside the carriage to hide from his eyes.'' She decided.


    Since she was being watched, she knew that hiding in a secluded area would be more dangerous and suspicious. So she decided to head to the headquarters where there would surely be reinforcements should a confrontation arise.


    Besides, the interval of being inside the carriage would give her time to contact Leon and the rest.


    Talking out a notification paper, Eli quickly sent Leon, Nathan, and Mishael.


    "Tailed¡­ heading to the headquarters.. 4th road." A short message that gave all the details she could give.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She prayed that they would see the message so that she would also know what to do next.


    Although she was heading to the headquarters, she also knew that where she was heading had many innocent bystanders. She prayed that there would be no confrontation as much as possible.


    "Master! Not good¡­ the evil scent was also in this carriage!" Baobao cried out in rm.


    ''What!'' Eli''s heart skipped a beat.


    How in the world would it be possible? She did not even feel any presence nearby nor hear any unusual sound other than the sound of the carriage moving!


    ''Calm down¡­'' Eli breathed slowly.


    ''If he was not up in the carriage then it could only mean that he is in front¡­''


    ''But since when did the stalker manage to get into the exact carriage I''ve been into?''


    ¨C


    Leon was actually in the Crimson de barracks when he heard Little Han scream in panic.


    "Daddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!" Little Han shouted while he was crying in great rm.


    "What happened?" Leon ran towards Little who was originally ying with the assigned ''desitter'' for the day.


    "Master, I don''t know¡­ he just suddenly cried without any warning." Helpless, Neil exined.


    "Sush¡­ Daddy is here¡­" Leon did not me the des and immediately picked up the panicking Little Han into his arms.


    "Daddiii¡­ Mommi¡­ Baobao¡­ danger¡­" Little Han mumbled beneath his cries. One could see that he was frustrated because he could onlymunicate through limited words.


    But as soon as Leon heard it, he understood.


    Just like Eli, Little Han is mentally connected to Baobao and so he must have known through Baobao that Eli''s side was in great danger.


    "Alright¡­ Daddy will save mommy so behave here ok?" Leon looked at Little Han''s puffy eyes and soothed his son''s emotion.


    "Humm.." As if it was a spell, Little Han gradually calmed down.


    "Neil, go immediately to the cottage and keep Little Han safe. Do not forget to inform the Forgeworn elders."


    "Master, our madam¡­" Niel nodded but could not help but asked worriedly.


    "I''ll go immediately and look for her. Inform the others to stay alert on their post." Leon replied hastily. After that, his image shed like a shadow and could no longer be seen in the Crimson de''s Barracks.


    Moments after he was rushing, Eli''s message arrived.


    "4th street¡­ heading towards the Committee Headquarters" Leon immediately pivoted to change direction and headed immediately to the area where Eli was heading too.


    However, just a few minutes after, he received yet another notification,


    "17th street.."


    "Delica alley¡­"


    "Moze gate¡­"


    Leon''s face darkened. He immediately conjured more mana and sped up.


    For the ces sent by Eli were no longer heading towards the headquarters but to a secluded ce away from the city!


    He was not afraid that Eli would be immediately harmed for he knew that she was strong enough to hold her ground.


    What Leon was worried about was the possibility of the enemy pushing her to the corner, so much so that she would be able to use her divine powers.


    That would also mean that she would reveal her identity as the true Pdin, the real holy mage!


    "I''m tracking you¡­ stay calm." Leon immediately sent a reply, letting Eli know not to move hastily.


    On the other side, Eli closed her eyes and calmed her breathing as she read Leon''s reply.


    Judging from the situation, the culprit was taking her somewhere remote.


    And since the other party did not show any signs of speeding up, this meant he knew that Eli had already noticed something but chose not to panic.


    This also meant that even if Eli confronted him or called reinforcement, the other party was not afraid.


    Eli could not help but show a vignt glint in her eyes, to think that they woulde at her in open daylight¡­


    Just how confident and brazen are they?''

 Chapter 432 Surrounded

    ?Soon Eli felt the carriage slow down to a stop.


    Eli did not dare to lift the curtain up at the moment for she already knew that the enemy was already aware of her vignce.


    Most probably the enemy also knew that along the journey, she had already managed to call in some reinforcements.


    She waited for the enemy''s next move.


    ''Baobao, standby¡­'' Shemanded.


    Remaining calmly seated in the ordinary-looking carriage, Eli''s enhanced hearing was able to figure out that the supposed chauffeur was now mounting down the front of the carriage.


    Every second felt suffocating as she was uncertain what the culprit would do once he got off the carriage.


    Would he destroy the carriage?


    Would he open it like a typical criminal and attack her at sight?


    Or would he act like a psycho and lure her to get off the carriage and let her guard down?


    "Master! Multiple entities surrounded the carriage! They are fast approaching!" Baobao''s voice rang in Eli''s mind.


    Only then did Eli immediately take out a short sword and used Baobao''s strong force to go out of the carriage.


    Bang!


    After the rubble and dust subsided, Eli finally saw the situation outside.


    In the middle of the forest in the outskirts, Eli was surrounded by eerie-looking beasts that did not resemble a proper animal, not even a wolf.


    They were ferocious-looking four-legged beasts with salivating fangs and turbid gray eyes. They were standing around Eli, surrounding her so that she could not escape.


    ''They seem to have been under control by someone¡­'' Eli thought.


    The creatures were different from the hell wolves they have encountered before. These beasts looked like an upgraded and more terrifying version of it.


    For starters, their sizes were simr to Baobao if he stood upright!


    "Baobao! Fairies!" Eli did not hesitate to summon the giant Panda and her contracted earth fairies.


    That was because even if she had divine powers and an open path, the public knew her as a summoner. Surely, it will bring her more harm to reveal her powers this time.


    As soon as they were summoned, the little fairies appeared from the trees surrounding the area. They were like a swarm of tiny moths around since their sparkle was overpowered by the daylight.


    Baobao immediately positioned himself behind Eli and immediately engaged in the fight.


    As soon as the beasts saw Baobao out, they immediately attacked the two.


    "Weeee!" The fairies sang in chorus.


    Instantly several thorny vines grew from the ground. The trees seemed to alsoe to life and they immediately sprouted branches to hinder the beasts from attacking Eli and Baobao altogether.


    These earth fairies were contracted by Eli to originally help her in rearing the cure potion herb farm. Nheless, it was a relief that Eli was able to find a way to also let them help inbat.


    Thanks to them Baobao and Eli were able to take care of the beasts one at a time.


    Taking one of the beasts was already a tedious task for Baobao and Eli, that was because the creatures were indeed three times more powerful than the hell wolves.


    Moreover, Eli''s fighting style does not do well with bigger opponents like them. Armed with just a short sword, Eli might have to unleash her casting and devourer powers out in the open to take out one beast alone.


    And so the strategy of the two immediately adjusted. Eli acted as the decoy while Baobao used his power and size to deal the damage.


    Using the shadow steps she mastered under the guidance of the Crimson de, Eli rushed toward the beast and immediately rushed under its massive body at an awkward angle.


    As soon as she arrived under the belly of the beast, she swung her short sword and struck one of the beast''s feet!


    Roarrrr!!!! The beast cried in agony while his head fastly moved to bite Eli with her fangs.


    "Huhhhp!" Eli used her shadow steps once again to avoid the beast''s fangs and to get out of Baobao''s attacking range.


    Boom!


    Baobao''s gigantic body fell over the body of the distracted beast, his weight immediately pinned down the enemy.


    The next moment, Baobao brandished his razor-sharp ws and targeted the neck of the beast.


    Shhhheeeee!


    Dark purple blood gushed out of the beast''s neck and a deep wound almost imed his life.


    Eli and Baobao''s eyes darkened. The damage was not deep enough to kill the beast instantly!


    Baobao''s sharp ws only managed to slice a third of its neck.


    "Sorry master¡­" Baobao''s eyes did not leave the enemy, but his eyes were shaken in anxiousness as he knew that the first exchange determine the level of difficulty for Eli to survive at the moment.


    "Don''t think of anything else. Let''s hold on until Leon and the rest arrive." Eli answered Baobao through mind link.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Grrrr!!! Roaaaaar!!!


    The beasts that were stuck by the vines and the tree branches became more agitated as they saw that Eli and Baobao almost managed to kill one of theirrades.


    They seemed to have been triggered by the revolting smell of the dark purple blood and so they began acting crazier.


    They struggled to get out of the deep vine field but the thorns stuck deeper into their flesh making them growl in pain.


    And while they were in pain, the more dark purple blood gushed out and filled the air with its stench, making Eli and Baobao, as devourers, almost vomit their guts out.


    It was so for Baobao, whose sense of smell was greater than any tracking knight alive. "Master, the smell is too much¡­ I feel nauseous."


    "Hang in there Baobao!" Eli cried out in rm as she saw Baobao''s furry body stagger.


    At the same time, the height of the beast''s aggressiveness reached its peak.


    Suddenly, from their mouths came forth balls of fire!


    "What!" Eli immediately summoned back Baobao and the fairies for she knew the cumtive damage of these attacks would have her contracted animals.


    "How could they disy such abilities?!" Eli was bewildered while she was trying her best to run away from the attack range of the fire.


    The next moment was the sight of Eli trying to dodge her way to safety from the group fire attack of the beasts.


    The vines that were hindering them were also slowly burned, more and more beasts were now free to attack her at any time.


    "This is bad!" Eli, for the first time, experienced a true and great sense of danger. For someone who already went through death once, she was shocked.


    Only now did she finally understand the fear and agony of struggling to live in face of death.


    Little did she know hiding behind the shadows of the dense forest, a pair of cruel amethyst eyes were staring at her gloatingly.


    "Die fast¡­" The voice mumbled.


    If Eli was a little bit nearer, she would immediately think that the voice sounded familiar.


    ¨C


    Leon was now frantically searching beyond the outskirts of the city.


    It was already a long while when he got Eli''sst update.


    But he was still unable to determine her location.


    "How could this be?" Leon went into a panic.


    It should not have been this hard for him to search for Eli''s whereabouts because there are only a few ces where the enemy could take her after herst location update.


    Beyond the Moze Gate was a dense forest and nothing more.


    However, even after riding a flying beast to look at the expanse of the forest, he was not able to see any signs ofmotion or distress around.


    It was eerily silent.


    "Could it be a barrier?" Leon thought with great unease.


    He stepped out of the bird''s back and let his body free fall to the forest down below.


    While he was doing it he covered his body with a thickyer of golden mana, protecting him from the impact on the ground.


    But even before he was able to reach the trees, his body met a huge force that fought aggressively with his mana shield.


    Leon''s face darkened, and the enemy came prepared.


    "It can''t be breached with brute force¡­" He frowned while his heart turned cold.


    The eye of the barrier had to be located before he could enter the premises, but that also meant that he would not be able to meet with Eli in time.


    Even so his body was already moving.


    Using arge amount of his mana, he entered the spatial void.


    "Master!" The spatial king greeted him immediately.


    "Can you go past this barrier and take me to Eli? I have no time to search for the eye and break it." Leon decisively asked.


    "Easy peasy!!! But¡­ master you must let me meet my ymate three days ahead of time!" The spatial king''s childish voice demanded.


    "Deal." Leon did not hesitate and epted the Spatial King''s request to meet Little Han earlier than nned.


    "If we do not save Little Han''s mommy, he might even refuse to see you." He said.


    "Oh! Then go quickly and save the madam master!!!" The spatial king''s tone changed, simultaneously a portal appeared behind Leon.


    Without warning, the spatial king pushed Leon to the portal while saying, "Make sure to save madam, or my ymate will cry!"

 Chapter 433 Fighting Together

    ?Leon''s vision distorted from traveling through the spatial void, breaking straight into the barrier.


    But it only took him a few seconds to see the new environment around him.


    He immediately maximized his senses and found Eli who was currently in a pinch because the beasts slowly regaining their freedom from the obstacles.


    "Eli!" Leon cried out as he immediately dashed while his sword cleared the path neatly.


    Swoosh!!


    In just one swing of his sword, a third of the beasts were already eliminated. But his eyes never left Eli''s direction and his speed never faltered to go on her side.


    When Eli heard Leon''s voice, her heart felt a sense of relief.


    Nheless, she still concentrated on dodging the beast''s attacks because she knew that Leon might be trapped as well.


    Around them was a swarm of oversized beasts with strengths several times stronger than the average hell wolves and they can even cast spells too!


    Leon also realized the situation sooner and so he did not hold back.


    He was the Mad Blood Prince after all. Engaging in pure carnage such as this is always his specialty!


    Soon everything around Eli became a rain of purple blood. Inch by inch, Leon was getting closer and closer to her.


    Eli was doing her best to defend and approach his side as well. The earlier they regroup the higher the chances are for them to be safe.


    Brandishing her short sword, Eli took advantage of her small size and agility to asionally strike and poke the beasts around her.


    Her target - the eyes!


    Since she could only wield a short sword, her power was not as explosive as the normal knights.


    Leon and the des, however, saw to it that she had the agility and stamina tost long in situations like this.


    Eli was gaining a lot of first-hand experience at the moment, realizing what shecked and how she increased her drive and instincts to survive.


    If a minute earlier her goal was to stall the enemy until reinforcement arrives, her goal the next moment was to keep her dear life alive.


    Now at Leon''s arrival, her objective was to try to hold on while not causing a fatal distraction for Leon who was on his way to rescue her.


    Then a few momentster, she worked towards doing her best to deal with the beasts with all the deployable resources she had at hand.


    In the far distance, the pair of amethyst eyes were observing the two people struggle. Her eyes, showing a great sense of gloating earlier, suddenly dimmed with frustration and disinterest.


    "I''ve seen enough¡­" A voice came from themunication stone affixed on her like earrings.


    "Come back before the Third Prince tracks you¡­" The voice said once again. It was none other than Crown Prince Ranon.


    "Alright¡­" The observer, Arabe, who watched in the dark answered coldly, but her eyes looked at Eli with great hatred.


    With thest spiteful look, she blended into the shadows once again and her presence disappeared from the area, not minding what would happen to the beasts she had just deployed.


    Even at the busy battlefield, Leon and Eli both felt the change of Arabe''s presence disappearing.


    That was because, suddenly, the beasts acted aimlessly and purely by instinct. If it was before, Eli could say that they were more like puppets being in control by a powerful being.


    Now they were merely savage beasts seeking blood without regard for the situation around them, not even their bodies.


    With this though, Leon and Eli were able to regroup and a few minutes after that, Mishael and Nathan came in with their own troops.


    "What in the¡­" Nathan could not help but curse at the sight of Eli and Leon, bathed in a dark purple mud pool with their hands wielding their weapons as they crawled back to earth from the depths of hell.


    "Let''s go¡­ Leon and Eli must have been exhausted holding on." Mishael pulled Nathan and the troops out of their trance and helped with the cleanup.


    In an instant, all of the beasts werepletely wiped out.


    "Good heavens¡­ this is madness!" After clearing all the monsters, no one could stop Nathan from eximing his thoughts about the situation. "How could there be such monsters inside the Empire?! How was the enemy even able to smuggle these many!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I have no clues either¡­ but he has to swiftly get to the bottom of the matter¡­" Leon replied rather calmly.


    There was a trace of exhaustion in his voice, but it was mainly due to tapping the Spatial King''s power rather than dealing with the beasts earlier.


    However, in his hands, he held Eli carefully. The moment he carried Eli, he felt that her limbs were already trembling.


    Eli could no longer count how many times she used her shadow steps and struck her short sword into the monster''s eyes.


    Her hands had already lost their strength to keep a grip on the short sword and her legs were already feeling numb.


    With that, she obedientlyid on Leon''s arms, not after ensuring that he did not have any injuries hiding behind the thickyer of monster blood around his body. Feeling relieved that they were finally out of danger, her eyelids turned heavy and a great wave of exhaustion made her vision ckout.


    "I''ll call on the rest here and take over. The two of you should quickly go back to the pce to take a rest." Mishael opted to not say his theories about the matter at first.


    What he needed was to be able to converse with Eli and Leon properly when they got back.


    For now, he and Nathan should move to clean the area up and gather enough specimens for Dr. Einz to check as well as find initial clues of the matter.


    It was alreadyte at night when Eli woke up from losing consciousness.


    The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the morous unfamiliar ceiling around her.


    She moved her throbbing head and found thaty beside her was an adorable plump of cuteness, with the corner of his sleeping eyes slightly moistened.


    It was Little Han who slept beside her clung to her clothes like he was afraid that his mommy would not wake up. From the puffy reddish slits of his eyes, Eli knew that her son cried a lot.


    Her heart broke, realizing how much Little Han cried once again. Little Han had a habit of wounding his throat every time she was in distress.


    She thought that it was because of the shared link she had with him, through Baobao and Wisey.


    Now she was once again reminded that her motivation to survive was not only for herself but for Little Han who would also be hurt a lot.


    Eli tried to move her hands to caress Little Han''s sleeping face, but she felt like her hands were numb and heavy.


    This startled her a lot. She knew that she was not injured in any way but how could her hands and even her legs feel like crap.


    "Don''t try to move yet¡­ your body was not used to prolonged fights." Suddenly she heard Leon''s worried voice beside her.


    She turned her head and saw Leon dressed in a thin white sleeping robe.


    He was sitting on a cushioned chair, with the moonlight striking his slightly pale face.


    "Leon, are you all right? Your face is pale." Eli was a little bit regretful because she was in no position to go near Leon to check his situation so she could only figure out his well-being through her sight.


    "It''s fine, I just happened to use a lot of mana from summoning the Spatial King''s powers." Leon stood up, a gentle smile blooming on his pale yet devilishly handsome face.


    He stretched out his hands to caress Eli''s forehead, nting his lips on it before doing the same on Little Han.


    "hmmmuu.." Little Han felt her parents'' warmth and snuggledfortably on Eli''s side. Ease appeared on his adorable face.


    "I''m d you are safe," Leon whispered while he met Eli''s midnight eyes warmly.


    "I''m d you came¡­" Eli smiled and answered back. She knew that she would not survive if Leon did note on time to help her get out of the situation.


    She would not even see Little Han''s lovely face nor heave a breath of relief if not.


    "Stay here with Little Han, I''ll get you some food." Leon stood quickly and remembered that Eli did not have her meal because of losing consciousness.


    Eli did not protest and just bobbed her head in a nod. It is not that she wanted to inconvenience Leon, but she could not afford to let the enemies know that their attack had been effective.


    She had to quickly regain her strength by the morning and act as if nothing happened.


    Only that will make the enemy act cautiously before attacking once again.

 Chapter 434 Rescued

    ?Leon went back to Eli''s bedroom with a light dinner at hand and a bowl of medicinal concoction probably prescribed by Kayden for her recovery.


    Leon carefully positioned Eli to sit up and dutifully helped her eat spoon by spoon.


    At first, Eli was embarrassed and uneasy because it was the first time that she would be spoon-fed by Leon.


    Not even when she gave birth to Little Han that Leon did this.


    Well, probably because Azayn and Queen Teh were there during her weakest moments.


    Nevertheless, it was quite awkward for her to be treated like this by Leon. She felt like a little child in need of Leon''s spoon-feeding.


    Leon observed Eli''s rigid face and instantly knew what was on her mind. He let out a light snort, trying to conceal the chuckle threatening toe out of his mouth.


    Eli looked at her vindictively as if she was saying, "You''reughing at me now?"


    It was only at rare times like this that Eli would show some kind of childishness and naivety in her usual self-reliant demeanor.


    Nheless, he loved Eli no matter what kind of personality she would show for him.


    "C''mon, don''t think about anything but recover your strength." Seeing Eli''s using face Leon tried to appease her mood.


    But in his mind, he was thinking that on these days and even when they would wee their future children, he would not get tired of doing the same thing for her.


    Things as simple as spoon-feeding and carrying her injured body from here and there, he would only do that for her.


    Even as he coaxed her to finish the bitter medicine, he would patiently do so.


    Time passed by, and Eli finally felt the medicine kick in and felt drowsy.


    The only thing she heard was Leon''s calm voice as he tucked her in beside Little Han, "Sleep well, tomorrow your body will significantly recover.."


    ¨C


    The morning came and Eli felt lighter, just as Leon said.


    "Mommi!!!" Little Han squealed on the side as his little head looked at her mommy''s sleeping figure for who knows when.


    "My baby¡­" When Eli realized that Little Han had been anxiously watching her until she woke up, her heart melted. She slowly got up and caressed her son''s face.


    "Aye!" Little Han happilyy sidewards on her mother''sp, enjoying his mommy''s warmth.


    Eli took her in her arms and yed with him with tickles and hugs.


    "Jiheeeheee!" Little Han shed his milk teeth adorably while his chubby hands touched Eli''s face in delight.


    "You too are finally awake." After some time, Leon knocked on the door and saw that the mother and son were having a fun time.


    He smiled as he sat beside the bed and greeted the two.


    "Breakfast is ready, I''ll take Little Han. The maids will assist you to dress up." Leon told Eli, knowing that today will be a crucial day for her and Lainie.


    Eli nodded and replied, "Alright, I''ll follow you too soon."


    She did not mind Leon asking the maids to take care of her. After all, it would cause rumors if she refused to be served appropriately in the Third Prince''s pce where they were at the moment.


    Soon she was dressed and ready for breakfast.


    She was shocked to see Queen Teh and Emperor Valentin at the breakfast table.


    "Good morning, Your Majesty, Your Highness!" Eli greeted the two respectfully.


    "Aiyyaa! You do not need to greet us like this! Come eat up, your body needs to recover!" Queen Teh worriedly gestured for Eli to sit down while Emperor Valentin echoed his wife''s worry while feeding Little Han on hisp.


    The family of five shared their breakfast warmly, making sure not to discuss anything connected to the attack with Little Han around.


    After that, Little Han was sent to his yground for today, the Farauld estate with Estelle and the rest of his adopted cousins eagerly waiting for him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    As for Leon and Eli, they quickly met with Emperor Valentin and the rest to discuss what happened.


    Eli exined the events happening in detail, she also summoned Baobao who was now looking well after being reversed summoned by Eli when he was weakened by the smell of the dark purple blood.


    "I could only conclude that they were trying to test the waters. However¡­ It was quite unusual that they chose to test me all of a sudden." Elimented.


    "It was pretty obvious that they were trying to figure out if you have the ability to threaten the progress of their ns," Mishael replied and quickly gave everyone his own analysis of the matter.


    From Eli''s narration, it was clear that the culprit had investigated Eli beforehand.


    Although most of Eli''s information, especially her abilities other than what was shown in public, there are still many things that the enemy could unravel by the mere impact Eli has created within and outside the Empire.


    It was not hard for the enemy to deduce that Eli might be the proponent of the tight security procedures and regtions governing the entry and exit of the visitors of the Empire.


    Adding to the fact that she was able to halt the entire tournament by her mere words and sessfully let the Anti-Cursemittee meddle in the proceedings of the tournament, the enemy decided to be wary of Eli.


    The attack was merely for the purpose of pressuring Eli to see if she had any more ability other than what was known to the public.


    As to whether the enemy was satisfied or not, they did not know.


    But one thing they are sure of is that the enemy is starting to move with their ns now that they have tested the waters.


    "How about the results of the preliminary investigation?" Emperor Valentin looked at Nathan, who did the investigations about how the beasts entered the Empire''s premises.


    Nathan could only shake his head and exin the matter. "There were no other clues in the area other than the carcass of the beasts and the destroyed eye of the barrier several meters away from the location of the battle.


    But we saw to it preserving the specimens for further investigation. We have also cordoned off arge part of the forest to ensure that no one would stumble there before the investigation finishes."


    "It''s alright. Just continue to conduct the investigation first and keep the matter off from the public ears. The finals will finish this week and we have tomence the exit of the people. We can''t cause any more dys on our side."


    Emperor Valentin understood Nathan''s report.


    It is understandable for them not to have a concrete result overnight and so they could only wait for a few days to gain something about the investigation.


    The meeting ended shortly after and everyone went on their way.


    Randel, Kayden, and Eli went back together for the tournament while Leon and the rest went to the forest to investigate.


    Randel and Eli had to check the rehearsals of the Orchestra, while Kayden had to meet up with Sophia who was now coaching the finalist of the research category with Zeke.


    "Eli, take this. Although the strength of your body is already back, your muscles are still battered by exhaustion. Drink this concoction for today."


    Before they go their separate ways, Kayden gave a canister of concoction for Eli to consume.


    "Thank you, big brother¡­ But can you not make a way for my medicines to taste less bitter? At least?" Eli scratched her head as she remembered the horrifying taste of Kayden''s medicine.


    Even now she still felt goosebumps after remembering how it tasted.


    "No no! It has to taste like this! If not, the efficiency will be reduced! Anyways I also do not have time to research a better-tasting medicine in your case!" Kayden shook his head and firmly declined her request.


    Eli could not help but mumble aggrievedly, "But you can do so if it was Little Han''s medicine."


    "Well of course! I can do everything for my cute little boy!" He eximed proudly. "Alright, we are both busy! Don''t whine and consume all of that."


    Not waiting for Eli''s answer, Kayden waved his hands and turned around. He walked hastily afraid that Eli would refuse the drink once again.


    "I''ll check your conditionter when I go home!" He shouted at Eli once more, before continuing on his way.


    But they did not know that the same pair of Amethyst eyes had already seen the two of them bickering with each other.


    Arabe was now in disguise, as a normal spectator around the Institute, and managed to hear thest sentence Kayden said to Eli.


    Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. However, she did not show any sense of hostility, not letting a drop of her power leak, lest the people monitoring Eli would detect her presence.


    ''This b*tch lives with my Dr. Einz?!'' She cursed Eli a million times in her heart.

 Chapter 435 The Conductors Competition (1)

    ?Oblivious of the situation around them, Eli and Randel went on their way to check the members of the Orchestra.


    The students have already assembled in the rehearsal venue and were ready to start their final round of practice.


    "Mentors!" As soon as they saw Eli and Randel, the student''s eyes glistened excitedly.


    In their eyes, Eli and Randel were top-notch mentors who managed to groom their students from being mere participants for filling the registration gap to real champions in their own events.


    Eli nced at the youth orchestra and Lainie. She looked at them with satisfaction, never did she expect that the wins garnered by Raya and the rest would help Lainie gather more members.


    For their chosen piece, Prokofiev Symphony 5, their numbers were more than enough!


    After interacting with the orchestra members for a little while, Eli signaled Lainie to start their rehearsals.


    Prokofiev 5 is a symphony with four movements running for about 46 minutes. Since it was the final rehearsal, Eli opted to allow them to finish the entire movement first then took some notes along the way.


    However, she allowed Lainie to refine the details of the music and see if she could point out the things that could be improved in the process.


    In the end, Eli was impressed to see that Lainie was able to point out the things she also saw throughout the piece.


    She only gave minimal advice on the way the students could bring color to their own parts. With this, she knew that Lainie will be able to bring out the best of the piece tomorrow.


    It was already night when the rehearsal and refinement of the performance ended. Before they parted ways, Eli gave her final words of encouragement to reinforce the young musician''s state of mind.


    Tomorrow will be the day when they will show the world what kind of music they were able to make, even if they were only assembled and met a few weeks ago, they knew that music can bring amazing things into their lives.


    ¨C


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A barrage of fireworks filled the venue for thepetition of the conductors.


    Since it was a very special category, the venue of thepetition was actually an open square to let everyone witness the greatest music the young generation can make.


    It was also grand as it will be broadcasted to the other parts of Prasinos on their respective open squares.


    A grand stage was prepared for the participating orchestra and seats for the jury and honored guests were prepared.


    A sound enhancement barrier was also carefully set up by the mages to ensure that the music would not bepromised even when they were performing in an open area.


    There''s also a barrier to regte the temperature around the square. As it was broad daylight, it might be humid and hot inside the square which may affect the viewers and even the musician''s instruments.


    All that the venue needed were the participants of thepetition, which was actually quite controversial.


    It was because there were only two participants from the initial five participants who registered.


    Originally, the other four participants all came from the Vanderford Territory and their allied nations.


    However, at thest minute, the four teams decided to merge into one picking only those who were the cream of the crop to be part of the unified team Vanderford Orchestra.


    As for the Green Wave Institute, other than research and fine arts, they did not actually participate in non-magic activities. That was because they limit their close interactions with people.


    Nevertheless, the delegates of the Green Wave Institute reserved a specific view house for them to spectate the battle between humans.


    Soon the crowd started to cheer as the emcee of thepetition entered the hall.


    Following him was a group of professional musicians all dressed neatly in their suits and dresses, some carrying their respective handheld instruments.


    They positioned themselves in the orchestra area and waited for the emcee to start the ceremony.


    "Great mornings, distinguished guests! Juries,dies, and gentlemen!" The emcee''s voice rang excitedly in the square, ming up the excitement of the crowd.


    The crowd cheered with exhration, it was because thepetition is basically a face-off between two great empires.


    "Today is a very special day because we will be witnessing the birth of two great youngposers who will be presenting their respective chosen pieces right at this moment.


    Now behind me was the most famous orchestra in the entire Prasinos, the Haven Light Symphony Orchestra!"


    Another cheer came from the crowd as they were not expecting to have a chance to hear and see the legendary orchestra.


    "Before the tournament started, the conductors submitted their respective pieces for their performance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    During the course of the grand tournament, they were tasked to assemble enough members of their own orchestra to ensure that their chosen pieces could be performed sessfully today!


    Now the scores of their chosen pieces were given to the Haven Light Symphony Orchestra.


    They discussed, analyzed, and broke down each of the scores and before we witness each of the conductors perform with their assembled orchestra, everyone will hear how the pieces sounded when yed by the seasoned musicians!"


    Upon exining the details of thepetition there were mixed reactions in the crowd.


    Most of them were excited but some expressed their shock and bewilderment.


    That was because they would be forcing the two orchestras to make their respective performance distinct enough to not be overshadowed by the legendary orchestra!


    This would then put so much pressure, not only on the conductors but on the young musicians themselves.


    Meanwhile backstage, Lainie stood still and steadfast.


    She did not show the slightest bit of worry or intimidation upon seeing the orchestra who were now at the pinnacle of orchestral music in Prasinos!


    "Do not think about anything. It is normal for us to see a performance far superior to ours, but that is alright. What we bring is the true and sincere interpretation of the piece, which we spent time to internalize and interpret."


    "I believe in our work."


    Lainie''s words touched the trembling hearts of the nervous musicians. Desmond, Raya, Marie, and Hailey smiled proudly, seeing their friend stand firm.


    She became a good leader and a conductor in such a short amount of time, and they could not help but be proud and relieved.


    Seeing their own conductor remain unwavering, the nervous hearts of the orchestra members calmed down.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the backstage waiting area calmed down. The nervousness in the young musician''s eyes was reced by determination and passion.


    Soon the two conductors were summoned by the organizers to decide who will perform first.


    The Lainie obediently followed and saw a young man in his early twenties waiting with a frigid expression beside the organizer.


    Upon seeing Lainie, the young man''s eyes flickered in shock, but soon his eyes calmed down and his temperament came back to its original detached haughty manner.


    The haughtiness he showed, however, does note from mocking the receiving party. Instead, it came from the confidence that he had in his own ability and talents.


    Lainie did not take offense either, at least his rival did not show her a sign of disdain and underestimation.


    She deduced that the other party was shocked because currently, it is a rare sight to have a female conduct an orchestra.


    "Lainie Yseult¡­ and Fredius Yseult?!" As soon as the organizer in charge saw Lainie enter, he took a look at his prompt sheet to call in the conductors.


    However, there was a surprise because the two rivals actually share the same family name?!


    "Are you two¡­" The organizer realized that he had overreacted. But since he had already reacted like that, he took the chance to ask the two about their connection with each other.


    Lainie was just as shocked as the organizer, and so when the other party asked, she just shook her head. Eventually, she looked at the young man named Fredius hoping he knew the answer.


    ''Could that be the reason why he looked a little shocked earlier?'' Now that she realized that they share the same surname, Lainie also started to doubt.


    "Probably a distant rtive. However, this is the first time we saw each other." Fredius Yseult shrugged his shoulders and answered straightforwardly.


    "O-oh¡­ Alright then. Let''s decide who would be the first to perform among you two then." Since it was the cause, the organizer awkwardly officiated the drawing of lots.


    "Alright, the first one to perform would be Fredius¡­ Yseult and your assembled orchestra. Then after that, it will be your turn Lainie¡­ Yseult." The organizer announced in bewilderment.


    The two conductors, however, did not mind and instead looked at each other while extending their arms to shake hands.


    "Best of luck¡­" Lainie said calmly.


    "Ditto.." Fredius answered.


    Even so after that, the two went back to their respective camps without sharing any more words.


    However, their minds were already set to do their best in order to lead their own orchestra to create the best music for the grand tournament!

 Chapter 436 The Conductors Competition (2)

    ?Announcing the first sequence of the performance, the audience sat excitedly in their seats in order to enjoy the music and watch the proceeding of thepetition.


    The emcee gestured to the Haven Light Symphony Orchestra to perform their interpretation of the piece.


    Fredius''s chosen piece was actually his own creation. It was a three-movement symphony that ran for about 50 minutes.


    The other three original conductors that should have beenpeting with them today had chosen the most legendary pieces ever written in the Prasinos'' history.


    They originally wanted to capitalize on the pieces'' fame however, the revolutionary performances of Raya and Desmond of the ''lost pieces'' forced the Vanderford''s camp to change strategy.


    Among their four delegates on the conducting side, only Fredius dared to submit his ownposition.


    With that, they decided that he will remain topete with Lainie, the delegate of the Farauld''s camp, which would most likely perform a ''lost piece'' as well.


    ''Their predictions were correct though¡­'' Eli thought in her mind as she listened to the background of the music that the orchestra was about to y.


    ''However, I feel bad for the youngposer. For he will be fighting against one of the famousposers in my previous world, Prokofiev.'' She thought.


    Even so, she still listened to the piece in curiosity, especially when she heard the young conductor''s family name.


    Soon, a vibrant introduction rang in the entire square. The first bars were a dreamy colorful melody from the string section apanied by the contrabass and the intermittent support of the percussion and the brass section.


    To Eli, it was like an opening of film music whenever she watches a Disney movie back in the modern world.


    Colorful and dreamy, like how the flowers freely bloom during springtime, carelessly showing their beauty in the vibrant sun.


    Added to the fact that it was yed beautifully by the professional orchestra, the people actually enjoyed listening to Fredius''sposition.


    For the second movement, another theme was introduced. In contrast with the first movement, the second movement was somehow cold and empty. Like the chills represented by an uing storm.


    Suddenly the music changed, and just as the people had predicted, the storm came. This was depicted by the careful arrangement and dialogue between the cellos and the wind instruments, intensified by the percussion and the brass.


    Finally, there was calm.


    Like seeing the flicker of light slowly shining into the devastatednd, the third movement had a slow, gentle opening. Then the wind instruments came in, with fluttering melodies depicting the tiny birds and creatures going out for the first time after a terrible storm.


    Slowly the chaos was washed out by the cycle of life moving on like it was just another day.


    And the music ended with the enhanced version of the theme in the first movement, colorful and dreamy, but with more power signaling growth after braving the storm.


    p p p!


    After a few seconds of rest, the audience finally reacted to the performance and cheered happily.


    "What a beautiful piece!" They eximed.


    They could not believe that this music was actually written by such a youngposer!


    Soon waves of praises were thrown at Fredius that only halted when it was his turn to perform the same piece with his assembled orchestra.


    While it may be a disadvantage for some to have the professional orchestra perform his ownposition, he had the advantage of free interpretation.


    That is, if it turned out that there was a difference between the performance of the two orchestras, he could always im it is the real intention of the piece.


    And so when it was his time to y, the orchestra ying for him managed to capture extra details of the piece.


    If before, the color is painted to the listeners where a colorful flower field being ravished by the storm, when it was yed with him conducted, it suddenly turned into a hidden magical kingdom.


    There were melodic lines that made the jury and listeners understand what his original intention was. A slight change in the way the melody was yed totally transformed the piece!


    As the next movements went on, the crowd realized that piece was actually not pertaining to a storm but rather a battlefield.


    Especially when they heard thest movement, which actually connotes recovery from chaos. Small steps are taken toe back up and enjoy the peace once again!


    After the music was performed, the crowd once again cheered.


    It was so exciting!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It doesn''t matter if the audience is from the Seirende Empire or on foreign territory. Everyone was just enjoying the experience of having to savor such beautiful music.


    It was also an eye-opener for them to witness how interpretation really matters for the two performances.


    The cheers from the crowd did not end, even after Fredius and the Head Conductor of the Haven Light Orchestra shook hands and exchanged warm pleasantries.


    From the Head Conductor''s eyes, he was extremely proud and satisfied with Fredius''s creation.


    Max, Anna, and Raphael watched from their reserved viewing spot on the balcony of a building across the square.


    "It seems like¡­ Lainie will have a hard time¡­" Raphael mumbled.


    They were worried about Lainie who was now at a disadvantage because she was being matched to aposer who turned out to be this formidable.


    "Ah¡­ this sucks!!! The music was actually good, and it will automatically be an added point to thatposer guy!" Max pulled his hair depicting that he was in distress.


    Even if he did not say so, the others also thought the same. They bite their lips and sped their hands in prayer, asking the heavens to not let Lainie and the orchestra be disheartened by the formidable rival.


    "It''s alright, let''s believe in Lainie and the rest. I know that they could do this." Anna tried to pacify the two guys'' mood to which Dean Athena and the rest of the faculty members on the balcony agreed.


    Soon the emcee got up on stage and announced an intermission before the program resumed. This is to give time for the audience to take a break and for the jury to also internalize their evaluation of the performance.


    This also gave Fredius a chance to mingle with the legendary orchestra who were obviously satisfied with his creation.


    While Fredius''s side seemed to have been triumphant and rxed, the atmosphere on Lainie''s side was quite tense and silent.


    "What do you think?" Eli, who was beside Lainie through and through, asked her student''s opinions about the original piece.


    "I admit that he was gifted in creating melodious lines and writing them in a way that gives each section the flexibility to interpret the entire piece. However, itckedplexity.


    The structure is straightforward, moving on from one color to another, neither taking the chance to develop the melodious lines into the entire piece.


    But nheless, it is a wonderful piece. I admire the sheer passion that enabled him to create such a piece as this." Lainie gave her evaluation with diligence as if she and Eli were in a ss.


    "Hmm.. not bad¡­" Eli smiled as she nodded at Lainie''s evaluation approvingly.


    It was to be expected though that Lainie and Eli would not be intimidated by Fredius''sposition because the two spent time listening, breaking down, and analyzing many legendary symphonies from Eli''s repertoire,


    Because of her exposure to the earth''s musical repertoire, Lainie''s outlook and taste in music coincided with Eli''s. In fact, Desmond shared the same too.


    So contrary to what their friends had expected, Lainie and the rest were not intimidated by their rival''s performance.


    Instead, they calmly enjoyed the music and took time to admire the other party''s efforts and creativity.


    "However, you have many things you can learn from him. Especially the way he orchestrated the melodies of each section to create the effect he wanted.


    While your advantage is your widened repertoire, always see to it that your creativity will not be caged by it.


    After all, you are not only aiming to be a conductor but an excellentposer too." Eli reminded her student.


    "I will heed your words, mentor!" Lainie nodded and acknowledged Eli''s advice.


    The interaction of the two bewildered the members of the orchestra.


    Here they were, terrified by the oue of thepeting party''s performance. But their conductor and mentor even took this chance to conduct a ss?!


    How carefree would they be? They wondered.


    But after listening to their exchange, they soon realized. It was not because the two were not paying heed to the matter, it was actually the opposite.


    They are so passionate about music that they would not waste such a moment to improve their own perspective and outlook.


    They are confident about their own abilities, however, they see to it that it would not get into their heads. Rather, they take a humble stance and ept every opportunity to learn from their peers!

 Chapter 437 The Conductors Competition (3)

    ?"Where have you been?"


    Crown Prince Ranon nced at Arabe who had sneaked inside their viewing tform, questioning her whereabouts.


    "Nothing¡­ Just looking observing the people around." Arabe answered briefly.


    Crown Prince Ranon cast a long look toward her before he opened his mouth to ask another question, "Any news of the Pope and the Pdin?"


    "Thest contact we have with him was in Croix Town, they left as scheduled so they should have started to enter the boundary of the territory the next few days. However, we have yet to receive any update from his side." She answered once again.


    "Hmm¡­ Try to contact him now... I do not want that our ns would be dyed because of him." Crown Prince Ranon shed an impatient look.


    He already had several ns that could not materialize because of the d*mned security of the Seirende Empire.


    His only hope was to join forces with the Pope who was also on the same side.


    After all, both of them work for the same purpose and person.


    "Roger that¡­" Arabe nodded upon receiving the Crown Prince''s order and immediately exited the viewing tform.


    Meanwhile, the intermission break was now done and thepetition continued.


    This time it was Lainie and she assembled the orchestra''s turn to present the piece. Of course, before that, their piece will be performed by the Haven Light Orchestra.


    Their piece, Prokofiev Symphony number 5 was then introduced by the emcee.


    "A lost piece, yet again!" Upon hearing that what they will hear next was a lost piece, the crowd roared in excitement.


    Raya and Desmond''s rendition of the first two lost pieces had caused a huge shaking not only in the Capital but the entire music industry.


    Now, not only will the public listen to a rendition of another lost piece, the performance would be broadcasted around the world too!


    If this bes sessful, a revolution in music might be triggered after the two performances.


    Moreover, Raya, Desmond, and Lainie''s names will be known as the harbinger of the precious ''lost pieces'' in Prasinos.


    Soon the crowd settled down and waited for the Haven Light Orchestra to start.


    Greeting the total silence was a dreamy duet of the flute and bassoon. A series of beautiful melodies came forth as the strings, basses and cello joined, apanied by the woodwind and brass instrument.


    The music is geared towards being grand and magical, like a march of great beings entering the hall of majesty.


    Soon, there was a suspenseful melody that overshadowed the originally dreamy and magical music.


    Little did the audience know that it was actually a prelude to the suspenseful and torturous themes of the second and third movements.


    In contrast to the light and somewhat foreboding first movement, the second movement and third movements were an epic orchestration of struggle.


    Finally, it ended with triumphant music that alternates with some of the melodies from the first three movements.


    The music intensified and creates a scene that keeps on moving upward strongly and aggressively. It was a kind of virtuosic ending thatpletely disappeared as soon as it reached its peak.


    The people listening to the piece were bewildered and amazed at the same time. That was most likely because just like Fredius''s creation it seems like Prokofiev''s Fifth Symphony also features the same time, albeit a little more deeper andplexly created.


    People did not know how to react, and they could not determine if they were actually amazed by the creation or not after listening to a simr piece beforehand.


    Nevertheless, they still praised and cheered the orchestra for their wonderful performance.


    Eli and Lainie saw the situation and immediately knew what was on the listeners'' minds.


    However, instead of panicking, they were actually ted, because this was the effect they needed in order for Lainie''s arrangement to propel in superiority.


    They nned to capitalize on the listener''s momentary disinterest in order to add an extrayer of surprise and impact to Lainie''s arrangement.


    This was because most of the listeners were not musical experts. They evaluate music ording to the feelings invoked to them, in short, ording to how it impacted them on a personal level.


    While Eli knew that the jury would immediately identify the difference between the Haven Light''s rendition and Lainie''s Orchestra performance, they will still take into consideration the effect brought to the audience by the two rival arrangers.


    And so, this was an opportunity for them.


    "Go and show them what the piece is all about." Eli no longer used lengthy words to the nervous musicians in front of her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She just took a look at them with a confident smile on her face and an assuring gaze. Her words meant that the piece will certainly be even more beautiful if it were they who performed the piece.


    It was mystical that just a few words from her worked magic on their state of mind. Their nerves immediately rxed and they suddenly felt more confident.


    As soon as they were called, they stood straight, some carrying their handheld musical instruments. Stepping onto the stage, they felt that they entered a different world.


    Even so, they were no longer afraid.


    One by one, they went on to their respective sections. Ensuring that their instruments were tuned and waiting for Lainie''s signal to start the music.


    Although the crowd felt that the piececked impact aspared to the rival''s piece, they still pped their hands as a courtesy to the performing young orchestra.


    As soon as the crowd was ready, Lainie smiled gently at the orchestra. Her eyes told them that this is the moment of truth.


    At the beat of her baton, the same melodic duet of the flute and bassoon started the music.


    However, there seems to be something different about the way the music was yed.


    The first to notice this, of course, was the jury who not only intently listened to the first performance of the same piece but spent time analyzing the piece among themselves.


    "It''s the colour! The colour!" Afraid that they will disturb the music with their exmations, the juries mouthed these words to their fellows as they looked at each other.


    The original melodic duet turned out to be a lot more lyrical and uniquely beautiful. It became more prominent when the basses, cellos, and woodwind instruments joined.


    The more instruments joined, the more they realized the significance of the interaction between the different instruments.


    A wonderful story is told without the use of a single word!


    The critics around also immediately noticed this and immediately filled in their notebooks. A number of them were interested in how such melodies were used as lyrical lines that could be attributed to a singer.


    Suddenly they remembered yet another lost piece that was performed just recently, "Erlk?nig" which was performed by Raya. A solo violin piece that featured four characters, the Elf King, the Boy, The Father, and the Narrator!


    "This is a revolution!" The juries and the critiques all thought.


    It was intensely so when they heard the next movement.


    The second movement actually introduces a suspenseful theme. Fast humorous music that depicts a chase-like scene. The Piano, the Strings, the Woodwinds, the Brass, and even the Percussion all had their own ''lyrics'' to say.


    The melody livened up the crowd, as they finally saw the rity of the second movement. It was an borate chase being painted by the alternating sections of each instrument!


    After that, was the third movement, which was now slower and long winding. However, even with a slower melody, this movement features depth and expression.


    Slowly the listeners, whether musical experts orymen understood what the Prokofiev 5 is all about.


    If Fredius''sposition was about a mystical vige that has gone through a battle, the Prokofiev 5 actually only features an Epic of a Hero!


    This was also thanks to Lainie''s own vision of interpreting the piece.


    The first movement is the introduction. Majestic, beautiful and grand, denoting that the subject here was a person destined to do or carry great things.


    The second movement paints the hurdles and challenges hindering the Hero''s way. The increasing intensity also foreshadows his deep internal struggle that would be the subject of the Third Movement.


    More than the battle of the sword is the battle of the heart. This was the listener''s impression of the third movement.


    Finally, they have introduced once again to thest movement. The melody was driving upwards, calmly starting its ascent with a gentle solo from the r.


    The build-up of the music slowly brought the listeners to a wild and triumphant finale - a hard-earned victory!


    Thest note resonated in the entire square, most importantly it resonated in the hearts and minds of listeners.


    Without one initiating the cue, the people stood up and pped to the best of their ability.


    "Epic! It is really epic!!!!"


    "Such a heroic tale! I can''t get over!"


    "My heart is still beating fast! I never knew that the piece could turn out like this?!"

 Chapter 438 The Conductors Competition (4)

    ?The crowd was in an uproar as they could not get over the stark difference between the two interpretations.


    Even the conductor of the Haven Light Symphony was bewildered about the oue of Lainie''s arrangement.


    It is not that he was not able to analyze the piece properly.


    In fact, because Lainie''s party advertised that the Prokofiev was a lost piece, he required Eli and Lainie to provide him with enough information about the writer and the era where the music was yed.


    Although the two interpretations threaded the same theme, he himself would agree that Lainie''s arrangement had more depth and meaning.


    She understood the piece well and was different from him.


    Of course, he did not know that Eli hid some information about the piece that would never connect in the current world because the happenings about ''Prokofiev'' did not happen in this world.


    On the other side backstage, there was a deep look at Fredius''s face. He intently looked at Lainie''s shy and relieved look as she bowed to the crowd before exiting the stage.


    No one knew what was in his mind, and so his members thought that he did not like the oue of the other party''s performance.


    Now both sides were nervous because the fight this time was very close.


    Fredius''s piece and Lainie''s piece were both executed and performed well.


    Even the audience looked at the jury with sympathy, because they thought that they would have a hard time choosing who would remain the winner.


    Indeed, the jury was having a hard time choosing who would win first ce. In the discussion room, there was a great debate between those who favored Fredius and those who favored Lainie.


    "I think that Student Lainie is a better conductor because she was able to build such a united orchestra in just a few weeks when the majority of her members were not from her hometown."


    "Indeed! Besides, she was able to transform that piece into another level!"


    "No, I disagree! Even if you think that Student Lainie performed better during the interpretation, do not forget that Student Fredius''s piece was written by himself!"


    "That''s right! He performed well too! Do not forget that he also had to adjust at thest minute with his ensemble since most of the members of his orchestra were also from the other dissolved ones!"


    "But that''s a different matter, all in all!"


    "Clearly Student Lainie was able to lead her orchestra with the better music!"


    "No, we have to take into ount Student Fredius''s creativity for having a piece that could hold ground with the lost piece!"


    "But thispetition is a conductor''spetition, we have to judge them based on their performance not on the other matters!"


    "Yes indeed, and we both have control over this through Haven Light''s performance. So you all know who did a better job!"


    "I still do not agree. In the end, we have to take into ount the musicality of the two! And clearly, it was Student Fredius who was better!"


    When they voted, it also came to a stalemate. Because of some abstained votes, the voting for the two parties was a tie.


    "Sigh¡­" The chairman of the jury was in distress.


    He did not expect that this seemingly simplepetition would cause a great debate among his colleagues.


    "What do you think, Maestro Gustav?" The chairman had no choice but to turn his eyes to the conductor who led the Haven Light Orchestra, Maestro Gustav.


    "Hmm, if you really cannot decide, we will announce both of them as the winners. In my eyes, they are of the same level of ability and both deserve to be in the first ce."


    "Or you can think of a tiebreaker for them¡­ if and only if you like to go through the inconvenience of it all." Maestro Gustav waved his hand profoundly.


    In his eyes, he did not care about who would win. All that was on his mind was that those two were worth watching and he was excited about their growth.


    ``The Prasinon music will be in good hands with them heading the next generation of musicians!'' He thought.


    As for who won, he knew that whatever the result, this would never hinder the growth of the two young conductors. These men around him were educators after all. They know music but do not genuinely care about it as he did.


    His impression of Fredius was already good from the start, for he came from a well-known musical family in Vanderford.


    But he did not expect to find a conductor like Lainie, whose sense of music was strong enough to smoothly give justice to legendary arrangements such as his. She was a surprise, along with his controversial mentor, whom he believes was also not simple.


    ''Lainie and Lady Eli¡­ hmm'' Maestro Gustav''s ever-strict expression softened upon realizing that his trip in the Seirende Empire was all worth it.


    "This.. ah¡­" Hearing the Maestro''s uncanny opinion, the Chairman awkwardly answered.


    He paused and taught deeply. With Master Gustav''s words, he then led the judges on another round of deliberation.


    With the perspective that the two young conductors both deserve to win, the flow of the discussion tilted in a different direction. Now they started to evaluate them more objectively.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright, it is decided then." Aspared to their expressions earlier, the jury looked satisfied with the oue.


    Outside, the two young orchestra conductors were waiting nervously to hear the results.


    Behind them were their members who were also praying for their sess.


    During the deliberation, they heard the discussion of the people. They realized that this fight will not be easy.


    For Lainie''s party, the fact that Fredius presented a piece that was written by him could not be dismissed, making it the greatest hurdle for their win.


    For Fredius''s side, they could clearly see the stark difference between Lainie''s arrangement aspared to the Haven Light''s performance.


    To them, she was a genius in music, and though she and the Maestro used the same musical score and notes, her''s appealed better to the listeners.


    And so they developed a sense of fear in having to be matched on a musician like her.


    At the thought that at any moment, one of them would be dered the winner and one would be left the loser, left a bitter taste in their hearts.


    "Don''t worry too much. Whatever the oue is, you have proven yourself in the entire world." Eli gently patted Lainie''s back and smiled.


    In truth, even she was not able to predict the oue. The two performances were really strong in their own way. She could only hope that everything would end in the best scenario for their party.


    After some time, the judges finally came to the stage.


    "Finally! We can know who won!"


    "Looks like they had a tough time deciding the winner. I sympathize with them!"


    The people could not help but sigh as they waited for the judges to announce the winner.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen! It''s time for the moment of truth!" The emcee immediately stood in front of the jury and calmed the crowd down.


    Then with his queue, Fredius, Lainie and their respective themes and mentors went to the stage for the result.


    The crowd cheered loudly as they called their favorite conductors, making the young musicians feel like they were drowned in the sea of people.


    "Let''s hear the results from our very own judges!" The emcee respectfully stretched his hands to the tform for the Chairman to announce the results."


    The chairman of the jury smiled gently and scanned the crowd. Subtly clearing his throat he then announced,


    "First of all, we apologize for the long dy in announcing the results. This was because our two youth orchestras really performed beyond our expectations and gave us a hard time deciding who woulde as the final winner."


    "In the end, we had to turn to the top expert in the room, Maestro Gustav to guide us on how to look into the decision."


    "After a deep and thorough deliberation¡­ We announce that¡­."


    The crowd held their breath.


    Fredius, Lainie, and theirpanions felt their hearts stop.


    "The two orchestras would be announced as winners by a tie!"


    "Woah!!"


    "That''s unexpected! But they both deserve it!"


    "Yes! Now that I think about it, it was the best oue for these two groups!"


    On the stage, the two youth orchestras looked at each other. Their expression said, ''We both won?''


    Only when they saw the juries bring forth the gold medals and hung it on their necks one by one did they finally ept that they were convinced.


    "You two young orchestras both deserve it!" The jury smiled and congratted them happily as they awarded the shocked students.


    Slowly, even the ever-prideful Vanderford students all cried. They thought, they really thought that they would lose.


    In fact, they started to prepare their minds to hear their loss. Because the wins brought by Raya, Desmond, Marie, and Hailey made them ept that the Farauld Institute''s candidates would naturally win.


    But now¡­ holding the golden medal resting on their chest, their eyes be blurry and hot.


    It feels good to finally win¡­ and be recognized.


    It really is!

 Chapter 439 The Popes Whereabouts

    ?It was a heartwarming ending for such an intense battle.


    Every one of them went home satisfied.


    As for Lainie and Fredius, both of them got special recognition.


    Fredius received the Creative Composer Award, a special award to recognize his original piece.


    Lainie on the other hand received the Masterful Leadership award for showing an exceptional ability to unite her members who were from different parts of the world.


    Both awards were awarded by the Maestro, Gustav himself!


    "Congrattions, everyone! You did well, you are going home as victors too!" Eli raised her ss and proposed a toast for everyone.


    After the finals, she arranged for a simple victory banquet at one of the vis owned by the Farauld Family.


    She thought that whether it was a win or a loss for Lainie''s orchestra, they deserve to be given such a treatment. Thank heavens, fortunately, they became sessful.


    In addition, they have once again secured the spot for the grand winner of the Tournament, finishing with a hundred points more than the Vanderfords, with the Green Wave Continenting on third.


    This was because, Farauld Magic Institute was also able to clinch the victory for the other categories, especially in economics.


    The delegates from the Farauld Institute basically dominated the Academic division, eliminating all of the others. In the end, the final battle looked like a midterm exam for them because all the finalists came from the same school!


    As for the research branch, theirpetition remained quiet, the announcement was made on the same day.


    Farauld Institute has made it yet again because of its innovative breakthrough in medical research.


    With the help of Eli and Zeke, and the asional help of Kayden and Sophia, the research team was able to propose the idea of an X-ray and Electrocardiogram which will be a breakthrough in the medical field for it will surely improve the diagnostic ability of all the doctors in the world.


    This would also open a lot of different research areas for doctors around the world, so much so that the non-human leaders of the Green Wave Institute finally went out of theirfort zone and approached Grandmaster Farauld for a possible coboration.


    Eli was also satisfied with this, although she wanted advancement to happen in this world, she was actually afraid that she would introduce more impact on the people and the environment.


    However, she did not expect that the researchers in the branch would actually manage to address these issues with the use of magic and other artifacts.


    At one point she thought, what if magic was present in her previous world, would patients like her deceased mum have more chances of surviving?


    Despite that, she was happy that there would be a bright future ahead for the next generation of Prasinos.


    ¨C


    "You failed again¡­" Crown Prince Ranon looked at the crestfallen men coldly. He was still sittingzily on his seat, swirling his ss of wine slowly.


    His cold demeanor partnered with his devilishly alluring smile sent cold chills to the men around him. These men were none other than the trainers and members of the Vanderford Institute.


    "W-we have no words¡­" They could only shakily kneel down and ept their punishment as they really have no excuses for their loss.


    They have already nned a lot of schemes to take the Farauld Institute down, even roping the elusive Green Wave Institute.


    Who knew that even if the Farauld Magic Institute had lost a lot of time educating their students because of the war they would still be overwhelmingly capable?


    Especially under the leadership of their faculty like Eli and even the members of the Imperial Family. They really did not anticipate their loss.


    Crown Prince Ranon showed a displeased face as if looking at the sorry state of the men spoiled his mood.


    "Pack up and exin everything to my Father Emperor. I will not shield you this time. We have already talked about this¡­" He waved and asked the guards to show the men out of the vi.


    "Your Highness! Please help us! Have mercy, my prince!" The men finally showed fear upon hearing that the Crown Prince wanted them to go back first without him.


    This means that they will no longer be shielded by the Crown Prince from the Emperor''s wrath!


    And so they started to prostrate and plead for his mercy, convincing him to go with them on the way back.


    However, Crown Prince Ranon had his own ns.


    He no longer needs these people. He only used this asion to infiltrate the Empire and had no interest in seeing the Vanderford Institute win a little tournament.


    After all, if the Seirende Empire disappeared in the world, would it be the Vanderford sit on time in the end?


    And so he mercilessly let his guards throw the men out of the vi. Even if they refused to go out and stay in the Empire, their permits to stay would expire for five days anyways and so they have no choice but to start their travel on the way back before their passport expires.


    When his surroundings werepletely quiet, he looked into the shadows and gestured for Arabe and Niki to reveal themselves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Any news¡­" He asked the two siblings.


    "You will not like what we found out," Arabe answered.


    "Do tell, nevertheless." A dark vicious light shed on Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes as he ordered the haughty Arabe to continue her report.


    "The Pope did not go all the way to his nned route and changed his itinerary prior to sailing off from the Croix Town." Arabe answered.


    "Apparently, the Pope heard about someone simr to the Pdin healing the sick and cursing all around the Mellenberg Territory."


    "Mellenberg Territory? Isn''t that ce way out of the way en route to Seirende? Howe the Pope insisted on going there?"


    "Probably because he knew that one of ourboratories was there¡­ and if the ''Pdin'' was indeed going around that territory healing the inflicted, then she must be the real one¡­" Niki carefully answered.


    Crown Prince Ranon went silent for a moment and waved the two to leave him alone after that.


    The silence in his room did not diminish the cold aura emanating from his body.


    His mind wandered as he nkly sipped on the wine he had been holding so elegantly.


    Calcting the dy caused by the Pope''s detour, he had to wait for at least a month to do his ns.


    Within that period, most of the delegates from the tournament would be done sightseeing and would start their journey home.


    His eyes darkened in displease.


    That would mean that he would look suspicious if he insisted on staying beyond that time when all his subjects were already going home.


    What would a Crown Prince do in a rival Empire when he had no more excuse than to spectate?


    Although he is sure that the Emperor would not tantly kick him out of the Empire, he knew that they would watch his every move.


    "It seems like I really have to use the Pope as a shield." Crown Prince Ranon decided with a hint of irritation in his eyes.


    It could have been easy if the Pope came to the Empire at their expected time. Everything would have been all set!


    However, to avoid suspicion, he had to do this.


    Besides, his energy was already too exhausted in thinking of a way to bring in the things they needed to subdue the Seirende Imperial Family.


    Just a little more, they will finally own this greatnd and he could do whatever he wanted.


    "I just hope he finds that girl pdin." He uttered as he smiled eerily. He could not wait to hear the good news from the Pope after his trip there.


    That way, no one can stop him from doing what he wanted in the empire.


    ¨C


    Mellenberg Territory.


    On the far opposite end of the Seirende Empire.


    The pope along with the ''Pdin'' finally arrived at the territory borders.


    However, what they wore was quite different from what they usually wear during visitation. Their entire crew was wearing dark travel-worn clothes without a single trace of priestly elements around their body.


    As a group, they even gave off a feeling that they were not good people.


    Most importantly, the group of people who weed them was not the priestly group that should have been the usual greeting party in such a ce.


    Instead, they were only a five-member group also wearing brown cloaks, with their heads covered mysteriously.


    "Master, you are finally here." The leader of the other party greeted. The way he addressed the Pope was also unusual.


    "En¡­" The Pope waved his hand signaling him to lead them to the quarters. Soon he and his party were led into a big yet lowkey vi in the middle of the forest.


    "Any news about the target?" As soon as they were led to the lounge to rest the Pope immediately asked the leader of the men.


    "She was in the town south of this ce, we also ensured that there would be enough for her to be busy so that she won''t be able to leave until you arrive." The leader answered.


    "Hmm¡­ You did well ining up with a way to make her stay in that town." The Pope nodded and a glint of satisfaction shed in his eyes.

 Chapter 440 Dangers And Consequences

    ?"We will head over there at night. For now, let everything be prepared." The Pope listened to the rest of the men''s report and immediately dismissed them right after.


    Across him was actually the ''Pdin'' who was smiling excitedly upon hearing that they will be moving earlier than expected.


    She had a satisfied look on her face when she thought about having to deal with a great hurdle to their ns.


    "Do not smile like that. We will be dealing with the Real Pdin who was able to stop the internal war in Seirende in just a few moments. You will even have to work harder here than when we arrive in Seirende." The Pope caught a glimpse of her expression and immediately reprimanded her.


    "I know, ''Your Holiness''. It''s just that I could not help but be excited to finally have a thorn in my chest getting removedter on." The fake pdin replied there is a trace of sarcasm and cruelty in her voice, added by the gleam on her midnight obsidian eyes.


    "You better do your partter, Rachana." The Pope warned onest time before exiting the room to rest and prepare.


    Left in the room, Rachana, the fake pdin, let out an annoyed scoff upon hearing the Pope nagging. Ever since they left Croix town, he had been repeating the same thing over and over again.


    To be ready to face the ''Real'' Pdin and defeat her at all costs.


    She knew that it was not an easy task to defeat the real one. After all, she knew that the real pdin is her ultimate archnemesis.


    But she felt that there is no need for the Pope to repeatedly state the obvious. She knew it better than anyone!


    If she has no ability to defeat the real pdin, then she could not freely go out and enjoy what is hers.


    "Whoever you are¡­ I will make sure that you no longer exist as soon as I see you¡­" Rachana''s obsidian eyes, one feature that she bears like the Asani''s, are darkened in determination and ruthlessness.


    ¨C


    Back in the Empire, Leon who was currently roaming around the posts received a notification on the decoy team assigned to the Mellenberg Territory.


    "The Pope arrived."


    Leon''s eyes flickered for a moment, the Pope arrived at the site earlier than expected! This is not good for them for it will trigger the same damage as it would if the Pope arrived on time in the Empire.


    ''How could they arrive so early?'' He could not help but wonder.


    Immediately, he summoned his men to give them his reminders before notifying the team he was with that he had to go to the Pce to report.


    Shortly after that, the selected members of the Anti Curse Committee and all the men who knew about Eli''s identity as a Pdin.


    Eli and Randel also rushed from the victory party to hear the instructions.


    "Most likely, the Pope will move immediately¡­ the earliest would be nighttime." Mishael deduced.


    "I guess so too¡­ Especially when he has been willing to postpone getting into the Empire, that means that he has put catching our bait as his priority." Leon agreed.


    The people in the room looked at each other. At this moment, they realized how ridiculous it was to hear of a Pope wanting to ''catch'' the Real Pdin.


    That was so, especially for Mishael and High Priest Enoch, who were from the Temple.


    It has been hard for them to believe that the Pope chose to abandon the heavens and side with evil.


    "What shall we do then?" Nathan raised the question.


    "We have two choices, we use the teleportation trap we set up in the vige and force the Pope''s party to be moved further away from the Empire, or just allow them to find out the truth that they have been deceived."


    "Anyways, both of these options would lead to the Pope linking the incident to our Empire''s doing," Leon told everyone.


    "Hmmm¡­ then why not lure them further away if that is the case?" Nathan asked.


    "That would be dangerous for us right now. There are still a lot of people here in the capital. If he contacted the men who have infiltrated here, then we might trigger an attack on this end." Kayden raised his concern.


    "The second option is a gamble to us too. We do not know if they would immediately associate this incident with us or not. It is a great uncertainty." High Priest Enoch also joined the discussion.


    "Then, what shall we do now?"


    Faced with the question the room became silent. They are not ready for any confrontation at their end.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I must admit, we underestimated the Pope''s determination to eliminate the Pdin." Leon rubbed his forehead in distress. This time they miscalcted and did not think further.


    "Don''t me yourself, we are all in this n." Emperor Valentin cast a kind look at Leon.


    Eli remained silent. She had many things to say, but all of which involved her stepping in the front.


    But she promised Leon that she would inform him first before telling everyone her suggestions and so she looked at Leon meaningfully.


    Leon understood what Eli meant, he froze for a second before announcing.


    "We can take a break for a little while¡­"


    He announced as he could also see the other members bing more stressed out.


    The man heaved a soft sigh before nodding to also agree.


    As for Eli and Leon, they went into the room''s balcony to talk.


    "What do you have in mind?" Leon asked as he stood to her closely while watching the view of the Empire''s city bustling with activity.


    "You know that there is only one way to make the n work." Eli looked at Leon, mustering all of her courage.


    "I know¡­ but I can''t, it is too dangerous for you." Leon shook his head stubbornly.


    Since he was already free to show his powers to everyone, transporting to the Mellenberg Territory will be an easy feat for him.


    But he did not want Eli to face them so early, especially when they did not know who the Pope''spanions were.


    "It will be more dangerous for the Empire¡­ We cannot be sure if we could bear the consequences of him directing the me to us¡­" Eli replied with great worry in her tone.


    "Can we bear to jeopardize the well-being of our family? How about Little Han?"


    Leon listened to Eli''s words and thought deeply. He was extremely unwilling to put Eli on the front line but the consequences right now are too great for them to gamble.


    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Although he knew what would be the best answer, his mouth was still unwilling to pronounce something that would put Eli in danger.


    "Leon, I am not afraid¡­" Seeing that Leon is struggling, Eli took his hand and said these words softly.


    "I know you are with me in this¡­ You will not leave me alone. So I will never be afraid."


    Seeing the determination in Eli''s eyes, Leon could only helplessly sigh.


    "Alright¡­ but just as you said, I will be with you along the way. We will face them together." Leon finally relented.


    He will not allow Eli to face them alone and so Leon immediately nned how they will be confronting the Pope''s party.


    Soon they were back in the meeting room and Leon announced Eli''s decision.


    Although there was hesitation in their expression, all of the members in the meeting agreed in the end. They realized that this was the best course of action if they wanted to save as many people as they can.


    "I will put on a disguise and assist Eli in confronting the Pope''s party. However, I am sure that Eli and that ''fake'' Pdin will confront each other. We need more people to be with us to deal with the Pope and others." Leon looked at everyone and announced his game n.


    "Our goal is to reveal the true existence of the Pdin and injure either the fake pdin or the Pope to let them know that it will be hard to deal with the true pdin¡­."


    "You mean to say, we will even use this opportunity to make the Pope be wary of the next steps?" Mishael asked.


    "Indeed. The thought of having someone who could deal with you so easily like this will make them think twice about their ambitious ns in the Empire." Leon replied.


    "But my dear, are you sure you can manage?" High Priest Enoch had no other concern about the n except the fact that Eli will have to fight someone that is not an ordinary enemy.


    "Teacher, I can! Or even if I cannot, I will be sure to immediately retreat." Eli answered with certainty in her voice.


    "Alright then¡­ What I could only do is to give you blessings and pray for you as you go to the battle." High Priest Enoch nodded and answered.

 Chapter 441 Battle In The Village (1)

    ?The dusk soon arrived with the red-orange tint fighting fiercely with the darkening skies.


    Standing in the remote part of the pce were Eli and Leon along with their selectedpanions, Nathan and Randel.


    Eli was d in her robe and mask that was given by thete High Priest, the same artifact she wore when she first announced her existence during the internal war.


    As for Leon, Nathan, and Randel, they all wore perfect disguises in order to not associate their identities with the Seirende Empire.


    The team did not allow Mishael or any member of the Temple to join because of the possibility that the Pope might recognize them.


    Upon careful deliberation, Nathan and Randel, whose abilities were not yet made public apanied the two.


    "All set?" Leon asked Eli and the two.


    "We''re good." Nathan and Randel replied with seriousness on their faces.


    The mission for tonight will not be a simple one, because they will face someone who was deeply revered by the people and whose extent of abilities were not yet known.


    Apart from that, Leon is only allowed to use one of his abilities because once he used the others, the Pope might catch the clue that he was an open path.


    As for Eli, she can go all out except taking out her contracted beast Baobao and the Earth Fairies, which she had already revealed to the enemy a few days ago.


    Leon looked at Eli as she nodded.


    Then Eli lifted her eyes to the heavens where the stars were already slowly showing their twinkle.


    "Oh, Great One, who showed us favor upon favor,


    Lead us by the hand, do not let us stumble!


    We will face the enemy with you by our side,


    We will wield our sword while we entrust to you our lives!


    Out of our hands will be deliverance,


    From the enemies who were waiting for their chance!


    Oh let their ns crumble to dust!"


    As Eli pronounced her prayers, the wind blew and danced around the four people.


    Leon, Nathan, and Randel felt like something was enveloping their bodies, like imprable armor. They felt their bodies lighten up and their senses sharpen by a notch.


    They also felt that the flow of mana in their bodies became more fluid and efficient. This means that they willst long in a magic battle without exhausting their receptors!


    ''This is the Pdin''s blessing! The Holy Mage!'' Nathan who experienced receiving Eli''s blessing for the first time could not help but exim in his heart.


    His sister is so amazing!


    "Now we''re good to go!" Eli smiled at them before carefully putting on her artifact mask to conceal her identity.


    After that Leon immediately conjured a portal into the spatial void.


    The moment they stepped into the portal, what Eli, Nathan, and Randel saw was a starry path that leads to nowhere. From everywhere they look, it seems that the vast expanse of starfield does not seem to end at all.


    Leon led them in a certain direction, although curious, the three did not ask him how he knew the direction of where to go.


    Unbeknownst to them, the spatial king was actually giving instructions to Leon through his mind as he was not keen on showing himself to other beings.


    A few walks from the spatial void, they finally stumbled upon a ''star''.


    "This leads to the hut where the decoy Pdin is staying. Get ready¡­" Leon looked at hispanions and announced.


    "I''ll go first to set up the barrier to hide the fluctuation of mana outside. Since the spatial void is my familiar''s domain, it will not cause any mana disturbance until you three go out. Wait for my signal¡­" He continued.


    Seeing them nod, Leon touched the ''star'', and immediately, it turned into a portal.


    Stepping into it without further dy, he arrived at a little resting hut where the decoy Pdin was staying rather worried.


    The decoy pdin''s eyes became alert upon noticing a portal opening inside the room. This kind of portal can only be made by his Master, the Third Prince!


    The decoy stood up and waited for Leon toe out. He excitedly saluted and was about to greet them, however, Leon immediately signaled to him that he must keep quiet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Understanding everything, the decoy, which was actually part of the Roaming des, used their very own signnguage tomunicate with each other.


    After exining everything, he helped Leon immediately set up the barrier before waiting excitedly to see the real pdin!


    Too bad, they will be in a battleter on and so he could only bottle his excitement in his mind.


    "Let''s go." Leon peeked through the portal and signaled Eli, Randel, and Nathan to step out.


    Since the barrier is up, they can now converse inside.


    "Dio¡­ thank you for holding up until this time. I am very grateful for your work." Eli greeted the decoy Pdin as soon as she saw him.


    She spoke her heartfelt prayers and immediately cast a blessing that is as strong as the rest of herpanions.


    She had a deep impression of the brave Roaming de who willingly took on the mission when it would entail him disguise as a woman while facing the constant threat of being attacked by the people from the main temple.


    "Madame, it is the honor of my lifetime to help you in this mission!" Dio''s eyes teared up to realize that Eli did not hold back in giving him blessings. "You do not have to give me such a precious blessing, Madame!"


    In his mind, being on a life-threatening mission is nothing. For he had already pledged loyalty to Leon and vowed to help him along the way. To be cared for by his Madam is a surreal dream.


    "You need it for the battleter on. Eli cannot take it if you would be hurt along the process." Leon told Dio as he encouraged the young man.


    Dio has a petite height and his body frame is almost simr to Eli especially when he is covered with the replica of Eli''s artifact coat and mask. He looked so happy when he received his Master and Madame''s affirmation.


    After a while, they started Dio contacting his surveince puppet hidden strategically along the area until the city.


    With that, they waited for updates about the movements of the Pope''s party even without physically going out to check the surroundings.


    Soon the darkness enveloped the skies, the night started to deepen and the surroundings became quieter.


    "They are starting to move," Dio reported.


    Leon, Eli, Nathan, and Randel prepared for the battle.


    "I think their n was to have one of them pose as an inflicted patient to get close to the Madam. Then that''s where they will attack." Dio frowned in worry.


    "Can you get the people who would approach?" They asked.


    "It''s impossible, it''s too far for me to activate the vision transfer, so I can only hear sounds." Dio apologetically replied.


    "Let''s just think of the worst. It might be the Pope or the fake pdin who would approach." Eli told everyone.


    Leon''s face turned sour, however, he knew that there was nothing he could do but be alert to help Eli should she be in a dangerous situation.


    They will be engaging in a battle and there was no assurance that they could resolve the situation without getting hurt. They have to even prepare mentally for the worst.


    "How many are there?" Nathan quickly asked.


    "They were about fifteen, not including those who stayed in the forest that stayed here to watch my movements," Dio answered.


    "Alright, do you think we three can manage them?" Nathan asked once again.


    Dio looked at Nathan and Randel and nodded, "Yes, we can take care of them." He responded with certainty.


    "Eli and I will be facing the Pope and the fake Pdin. Although we are all wearing face-changing skins, we have to be careful not to reveal our identity no matter what. After the goal is done, quickly retreat back to our position and we will transport to the spatial void at once." Leon announced his final instructions.


    "One more thing, once you see the Pope, you have to inform me immediately. You must not be touched by him or else, our disguise will be all in vain."


    "Understood, Third Prince!" Dio, Nathan, and Randel answered. They were reminded from the information given by the High Priest that the Pope had the power to read minds.


    And so to be safe, they are to let the Pope face Leon, who had the highest chance to deal with him without physical contact.


    After a few moments of preparation, there was a soft knock on the door.


    Eli looked at herpanions and stepped out of the boundary of the barrier.


    With the soft creaking of the wooden door, Eli saw two worn-out people.


    One was an aged man with his beard reaching his chest. He was bending with great difficulty as on his shoulders he was supporting a pale-looking youngdy.


    "Oh, healer, please help my daughter! She was infected by the curse!" The old man pleaded with crying in his voice.

 Chapter 442 Battle In The Village (2)

    ?"Oh heavens¡­ Come in, let''s look into the poor girl''s injury." Eli deliberately used a saintly tone to mask the real tone of her voice.


    Hiding behind her mask, in which even her pupils could not be seen, was a great amount of vignce.


    An old man and a young woman about her age appeared in her sight. It is not hard for her to deduce that these two people were the Pope and the fake pdin.


    She had the Pope disguised as an old many down the fake pdin in a wooden bed as she acted busily to prepare for her ''treatment''.


    But while she was doing so, she was watching each and every expression on the enemy''s face.


    Leon and the rest who were hiding on the barrier array clearly saw everything that had transpired. In their hands, were their respective weapons, ready to attack as soon as the Pope or the Fake Pdin made a move.


    Eli examined the Fake Pdin''s face only to see that she looked like she was really infected by the curse with the purple veins in her skin.


    But Eli knew that this was merely a scheme for the two to really gauge whether she was really a holy mage or not.


    A cold smile appeared on her face, these people would not hesitate to kill all hope for humanity just for their own gain.


    ''Why not give them what they wanted?'' Eli decided.


    "I''ll start the treatment." She softly said. She positioned herself on the edge of the bed where the fake pdin''s head was resting.


    This way, every action that she did would be visible to herpanions on the other side of the room, watching from the barrier, and the Old Pope who was watching from the side. This also eliminated her blind spot, on having the Pope ambush her from the back.


    Without a warning, she gathered the purest energy into the tips of her fingers, but she controlled it in such a way that neither the Pope nor the Fake Pdin would feel the true extent of her holy powers.


    It was just enough to prove her identity as a holy mage, but not to reveal her strength.


    ''I will trick you until thest minute¡­'' Eli decided.


    When the Pope saw that Eli was starting her treatment, he immediately increased his senses to see if Eli was actually a holy power user.


    He did detect a little bit of Eli''s power; it was indeed significantly higher than any other high priest in Prasinos but it will be a piece of cake against Rachana!


    And so he smiled in the end, casting Rachana a signal.


    Her powers are weak!


    Seeing the Pope''s signal, Rachana also rejoiced inside. If the holy powers of the true pdin are weak then she can freely deal with her and finally take her position. Be the ''real'' pdin!


    All that is needed was to strike once the pdin channels her holy powers. She would be vulnerable at that moment because she had to focus on ''healing'' the patient.


    Eli saw that the two wanted toplete the entire act and could not figure out when they would be striking back.


    Could it be that while she was healing?


    Or when she finished?


    In the end, she did not think much and did not stand the ceremony.


    Without waiting for the Pope or the Fake Pdin to react, she immediately pressed her fingers on Rachana''s forehead.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!"


    Immediately, an overwhelming surge of pure holy power flooded Rachana''s spirit, it was like she was being fried in an ocean of lightning as she shouted in agony.


    "B*tch!" The Pope did not expect the sudden turn of events and immediately extended his hands straight to Eli''s neck.


    Swosh!!!


    Before he could see, he felt an overwhelming bloodlust directed toward him and the cold wind started to touch his arms.


    The Pope immediately sensed the danger but it was toote for him to retract his hand.


    sh!!


    A spray of cold blood stained the floor and a decapitated aged hand flew into the air.


    "Aaaaaah!!!" Another scream of agony rang in the hut.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Instantly, the men wearing dark cloaks rushed into the hut''s ceiling, walls, and doors, starting a fight.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Randel, Nathan, and Dio immediately assisted Leon and Eli.


    Leon immediately engaged in a fight with the Pope who was now delirious with the pain of having his hand cut off.


    He threw countless words of profanities towards Eli and Leon, "You d*Mned mortals! I will see to it that your soul will be food to my powers!"


    "B*tch! B*tch! B*tch!!!" Rachana was covered in pain as she could feel her head almost explode with the wave of holy energy running to her body.


    Eli did not let her guard down and observed her opponent.


    Rachana already threw several mouthfuls of dark purple blood but she was still able to shakily stand up and face Eli.


    Her dark midnight eyes gleamed with an eerie light as a tint of ckish purple aura seeped out of her body.


    "I will kill you! Kill you!! Kill kill kill!" Without discriminating between enemy and ally, Rachana started to go on a rampage.


    She shot dark purple energy bombs everywhere iming the lives of almost half of their men. Luckily for Leon and the rest, they were quite an expert in fighting in such chaos that they were able to dodge the attacks.


    As for Eli, she was doing her best to dodge the attacks and cast a counterattack with her holy powers.


    Whenever her holy powers intercepted Rachana''s energy ball, a violent shockwave would hit both parties, causing Eli to also sustain injuries.


    ''It seems like she was really a tough opponent.'' Eli realized that her powers were only barely stronger than hers.


    Also, from her perspective, Rachana''s power was bizarre.


    The ckish-purple aura of her powers tells Eli that it was not an ordinary power.


    Something in it was mixed, and Eli found it a great mystery.


    Especially during the sh, she felt like she was not facing a curse user who wields the powers opposite hers, but a mix of both, making her pure holy power twice less efficient as she expected it to be.


    Even so, she knew that it was not time for her to try to think of a way to defeat the Fake Pdin.


    Eli immediately scanned the surroundings and saw that the trio was already almost done with finishing the other men.


    Leon on the other hand has been holding off the Pope to ensure that he could note to rescue the Fake Pdin. The Pope was caught off guard in the first ce and so, his attacks were not a threat to Leon.


    The only thing Leon needed to think of was to avoid getting touched by the Pope.


    As for Rachana, she was struggling to stand and Eli was sure that she was already injured heavily by the surprise attack she did earlier.


    And so with onest attempt, she mustered her powers to force Rachana''s body to crash heavily on the nearby trees before sending the signal to the four men.


    "Go!" She shouted on the battlefield.


    Upon hearing the signal, Leon Dio, Nathan, and Randel threw a smoke bomb to cover the entire battlefield with smoke and they immediately ran to the barrier hopping into the portal.


    As soon as the portal closed, the barrier also quietly dispersed, making it so that there would be no residual mana traces that can be detected at the point of teleportation. Leon and the crew also deliberately attacked the area with their casting magic to conceal any residual traces.


    This would immediately make it look like the traces of mana detected would be associated with their attacks during the battle and not for escape.


    As for their game n to fool the Pope, it is all thanks to Dio''s surveince puppets. Leon had already instructed him even before themencement of the mission to set up decoy traces of the true pdin''s escape.


    Fortunately, even though the n almost failed, it was still used to their benefit.


    It took a few minutes for the smoke to disperse. The smoke bomb used by Eli''s party was mixed with several ingredients by Kayden, and so the air itself was poisonous to the enemy who did not take the antidote beforehand.


    "Find them! They should not be able to run that far!" The Pope looked at the mess around and his bleeding arm, he gritted his teeth and ordered the surviving men tomence the chase.


    "Contact the men left in the Vi! Search the entire ce and even the nearby territory! Let''s see where those wretched people could hide!"


    On the other hand, Eli''s party immediately arrived at their original rendezvous station. They were all panting when they finally got out of the portal.


    "Huh¡­ I''m d we made it back alive¡­" Nathan looked at everyone andmented with great relief.


    "Yes, it is such a relief¡­" Eli answered but at the next moment, she felt the world around her darken and flipped upside down.


    "Eli!!!" The men shouted in rm.

 Chapter 443 Coming Home

    ?Eli felt like her body was being torn into pieces.


    She did not know what happened after she closed her eyes, but the moment she opened her eyes, she was already in Leon''s bed chamber in the Third Prince''s pce.


    "Uh¡­" Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the familiar features in her surroundings.


    "Eli¡­" Leon did not take a wink of sleep and watched Eli until she came to.


    Eli heard someone calling out to her but it seemed muffled and distant, the surge of heaviness from her limbs and chest area also made her weak.


    Leon knew that Eli would have a hard time responding and so he immediately rang the bell to notify everyone in the pce that she was already awake.


    While waiting for Kayden and the crew, Leon worriedly bent on Eli''s bedside. His heart broke and felt very helpless. Seeing her in pain like this, he was filled with self-me.


    He thought that everything was going well when he saw that the entire time, the tides were on their side and everything was smooth. However, they all underestimated the power of Eli''s opponent, the fake pdin.


    ording to Kayden, although Eli did not receive a direct attack from her opponent, she sustained a significant amount of internal injuries due to the shockwave caused by the shing of three different powers.


    "Three different powers?" When they heard Kayden''s diagnosis, Leon and the team thought that he was saying something ridiculous.


    "We are there and we only felt two powers going at each other. The holy powers and the curse power¡­ So howe there are three?" Leon, who was close to Eli at that time asked, extremely puzzled.


    "I also do not know how it became like this. All I can do right now is feed Eli slow healing potions because the sh of mana into her body was aggressive. She can''t be fed with any strong medication or potion. She can only slowly heal." Kayden took away his sses while having a deep sigh.


    It was the first time he had seen this kind of phenomenon, and he is as clueless as the rest. "I suggest that before you face that fake pdin once again, we have to know what was the nature of her powers.


    Because from what I can see, her power is the natural archenemy of Eli''s power. It was like it was made to defeat Eli¡­ I could not help but be scared for her."


    Hearing Kayden''s words, the faces of the team darkened with worry. They were now realizing that the enemy was not someone they can view as ordinary curse users.


    "Don''t me yourself¡­ It was your first encounter and she is in a safe condition now. Unfortunately, we could only have her suffer with the pain for a while because her body might crumble if we fed her some painkillers." As soon as Kayden entered the room, he saw his friend Leon guiltily kneeling beside Eli.


    He was whispering his words of apology while he could only lightly fix the hair on her face. He looked like he had no care about what was going around, his eyes were unfocused and he could only see Eli struggling in pain.


    Leon was awakened in his trance when he heard Kayden''s voice and he was pulled back to the present time.


    "You should go home and check Little Han. Now that Eli is still healing, it will only be you who could look after my poor nephew¡­" Seeing that Leon had no ns on taking a rest himself, he used Little Han to straighten up his thoughts.


    He could not me Leon though, but he knew that Leon must be the one who has to step up and show resilience for their little family. If not, he would see the family of three crumble with just a hurdle like this.


    Upon hearing Little Han''s name, the light came back to Leon''s crystal blue eyes.


    ''Kayden is right¡­''


    The image of Little Han back then who became sick because of his non-stop crying shed in Leon''s mind. He immediately stood up and nodded at Kayden, asking his friend to look after Eli while he checked on Little Han.


    It was only a few hours before the morning light came. Leon arrived at the cottage and saw that it was peacefully quiet and dark.


    He slowly headed towards the bedroom and saw Baobao guarding the sleeping Little Han.


    "Prince Master¡­" Baobao lifted his head and softly acknowledged Leon''s presence.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You''ve done well." Leon nodded and gently answered.


    Baobao''s round eyes shed with worry and concern as he asked Leon before he exited the room, "Prince Master¡­ how is my master''s condition?"


    Leon knew that Baobao could feel that his master was in danger during that time, but he could not go and help her because he was assigned to protect Little Han. And so he could only ask Leon about his master''s condition while he stayed in the cottage to apany Little Han.


    "She''s still in pain, but she is no longer in a dangerous condition. The mission today was a sess, however, we did not anticipate that the power of the enemy had that kind of effect on Eli''s body." Leon truthfully answered Baobao.


    There is a trace of guilt in the way he spoke which even Baobao felt. So, Baobao no longer probed about what happened and carefully walked to exit the room.


    "Alright¡­ Prince Master, please also retire for the night. I am sure that Little Master will also feel at ease the moment he sees you in the morning."


    Leon heaved a heavy sigh once again and looked at his son''s sleeping figure. There was a frown on his head and he was sleeping in a fetal position signaling his extreme uneasiness and worry.


    He immediately went to the bathroom to clean himself, washing all traces of the battlefield. Fortunately, Kayden also checked him up before he went home to see if he also carried a dangerous mana residue that could also affect Little Han.


    After ensuring that he is clean and safe to approach the little one, he gently scooped his son out of his little crib and carried him onto his own bed.


    Sensing his daddy''s presence, Little Han snuggled deeper into his father''s embrace and let out a soft hum. Afraid that his son would wake up, He stretched out his hands and gently patted Little Han''s back until he fell into a deep sleep once again.


    Leon watched his little son finally rx and he also calmed down. He finally felt his body''s exhaustion which he purposely ignored when Eli copsed.


    This weariness and Eli diving into danger are only for the purpose of ensuring that his little son could sleep peacefully like this at night.


    His eyes heated up, remembering how hard it is for him and Eli to deal with these enemies, even sacrificing their time with their son.


    It was hard, painfully hard.


    While he can ignore the physical weariness in his body which they can regain with a few hours of rest, he knew that this stage of their battle was even more taxing to their mental state.


    Eli and he were on constant alert, staying vignt should there be an attack from the enemy.


    He could no longer deny that this was also wearing him out too. That he just wanted to throw away all of these responsibilities and take his fiancee and son to a remote ce and live quietly, not minding the spread of evil in the rest of thend.


    However, that is too good to be true. He knew that even if they run, the ws of the evil will continue to linger and reach the farthest of thends and harm their lives if they do not do anything.


    All this work was for that peace Eli and he was hoping for Little Han''s future.


    And seeing his son peacefullyying beside him like this, he felt that it was all worth it.


    It might be a painful sight for him to see Eli in danger, a traumatic one at that. But he knew that there might be instances like this as long as they were not able to defeat the root of all this evil.


    He did not know when, but as he deeply thought of these things, his body finally screamed rest and fell into a deep sleep.


    While he wanted to stay alert in case there would be news on the other side, his consciousness drifted away as he closed his eyes and covered Little Han in his embrace.


    The image of the father and son peacefully sleeping in the bedroom was a beautiful sight. Especially when the moon was slowly drifting and its gentle light crept onto their faces.


    It was too bad that they were missing Eli, whose conscious state was currently in a bizarre situation.

 Chapter 444 Little Han Wuv~

    ?The temperature on Eli''s body rose up as her consciousness seemed to drift into something far away yet familiar at the same time.


    Her vision shot past the pce walls down to the vast outskirts of the capital, onto the luscious ins of the Empire, past to the deep mountain range, then finally, the image in her dream stopped into the familiar view of the center of the Silver Dew Forest.


    She found herself back at the center of the Silver Dew Vige, where she previously saw visions about the origin of the forest.


    It was mystifying and bizarre at the same time because in front of her was the mysterious artifact staff that she had seen in the vige being used as part of the renewal of the treaty days before Little Han was born.


    "What am I doing here?"


    She was standing in the middle, there were no elves or fairies lingering around.


    It was only her in her phantom-like state with the staff that was pulsating with a gentle light.


    The full moon was above them, lighting up the rest of the surroundings, making almost everything illuminate with a faint light of silver.


    Slowly, the moonlight shone directly on the spot where the staff was affixed. That is when Eli felt a strange pulling sensation towards the core of the staff.


    "Wha-" However, before she found her consciousness beingpletely sucked by the mysterious artifact, her eyes opened.


    Instantly, she realized that she was already in the Prince''s pce and Kayden was at her bedside, nervously calling her name.


    ''So it was a dream?'' She thought to herself.


    "Little Sister! You are finally awake!" Kayden finally had a relieved look on his face when he saw that Eli had already awoken from her nightmare.


    "Brother Kayden¡­" Eli seemed to forget that before she was brought into the mysterious dream, her body had no strength and was filled with pain.


    However, as she called Kayden, she unconsciously got up with her body,ying her back on the headboard in a sitting position.


    "Oh heavens! Why did you get up? Your body will be in so much pain!"


    Kayden was yet to recover from the previous shock of seeing Eli struggle in a nightmare so he was unable to stop Eli from shifting into a sitting position.


    "I''m alright brother¡­ It was actually mysterious¡­ I do not feel pain when I move my body anymore." Eli stretched out her hands and dazedly moved them around, unable to believe that the extreme pain invading her body earlier instantly disappeared after a dream.


    "What? How?" Kayden realized that Eli was indeed not in pain, however, since this phenomenon was already too bizarre for him as a doctor, he moved and immediately checked Eli''s body.


    "I-indeed¡­ how miraculous¡­" Kayden sat on the bedside.


    One part of his mind was relieved that Eli would not be able to suffer the pain he thought she would suffer because of the injuries, but another part of him was curious about what could have happened to trigger such a speedy recovery.


    The next moment, he asked Eli about what happened and she in turn did not hide the mysterious dream she had.


    Listening to Eli''s story, Kayden thought deeply. Although he was a doctor, he knew that there are things that could not be exined with research alone, for instance, the presence of holy powers and magic.


    "This might probably be because the artifact was from a guardian who ceased to exist thousands of years ago¡­ Now that you mentioned it, elder sister Azayn mentioned that there was some bizarre reaction from the artifact recently¡­" As if they have connected the dots, Kayden looked at Eli with a look of understanding.


    Eli also remembered what Azayn had said in her letter, "I think I need to go back to the Silver Dew Vige, Brother Kayden¡­"


    "Alright¡­ Let''s discuss it with Leon when the morning light arrives. I had him go home to look after Little Han, I''m afraid that he would lose himself out of self-me because of what happened. Thank heavens, you do not have to suffer that pain¡­"


    Kayden nodded at Eli''s suggestion. But it was better for her to discuss it with Leon after all. Whatever would be the decision of the two, Kayden made up his mind to pay a quick trip to the vige to also look at the situation back there.


    After that Eli also convinced Kayden to finally get some sleep, to which Kayden did not object. Eli slept until the sun was already bright up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When she fluttered her eyshes awake, she felt something tender squiggle beside her.


    Soon her vision became clearer and was greeted by Little Han''s smiling face.


    "Good mowning mommi!" Little Han seemed to have awoken in a good mood as he crawled on Eli''s side.


    His crystal blue eyes shined brightly as he blinked adorably. Adding the carefree grin on his face, shing his little milk teeth, his cuteness melted Eli''s heart.


    "Good morning my little bundle of joy!" Eli immediately rolled sideways and scoped Little Han''s chubby body. Lifting him up and yfully rubbing his nose to hers.


    "Yieeeee!!! Jihihihihi!!" Little Han happily giggled at the ticklish greeting of his mommy. But hisughter was all it takes for Eli to momentarily forget the puzzling situation she was in at the moment.


    "Eli¡­ You''re finally awake¡­"


    As if he heard the sound of the giggling, Leon suddenly opened the annex room on the bed chamber. He was not d in his usual princely uniform, but a pair of in shirts and pants he usually wore when it was his turn to bathe Little Han.


    Turns out, he was busy preparing the bath for Little Han.


    "Leon¡­" Eli smiled gently, relieved to see that Leon was back to his usual self.


    Even if Kayden did not say anythingst night, she knew that Leon med himself for what happened.


    But seeing him busy himself taking care of Little Han while she was unconscious, Eli thought that Little Han''s presence in their lives was even deeper than being their source of joy, but also their emotional anchor during hard times.


    "It was bizarre of you to take Little Han in these clothes, to your pce, what''s more." Eli opted not to mention what happenedst night, and she was also confident that Leon already knew the improvements in her body from Kayden.


    "Errr¡­ your son insisted not to bathe until he sees you. I am equally helpless so I decided to have him eat and bathe here while I check your condition too¡­" Leon answered gently, his tone had a mix of helplessness and relief.


    "Ah¡­ you cheeky little boy¡­ you''re giving your daddy a hard time?" Eli looked at Little Han and feigned a stern tone as if to reprimand him. It''s not that she was actually angry about his attitude, but she was afraid that Little Han might grow up being used to getting what he wanted which would soon affect his character.


    "Sooweeee mommi¡­" Somehow, Little Han knew that he pressured his father to bring him here by throwing a big tantrum earlier, and so seeing that his mommy was not pleased with his behavior, he guiltily replied.


    "Little Han, don''t do that again to daddy ok? You have to tidy up first before you can go out, so do not give daddy a hard time in the future, ok?" Seeing her son guilty, Eli''s tone softened as she continued to teach him how not to throw tantrums in the morning.


    "Sowweee Daddi¡­" Little Han gave a soft nod and looked at his father with his puppy dog eyes.


    Just seeing him act pitifully like that, how could Eli and Leon keep being harsh on him after that? But of course, as parents, they kept their faces calm, not too warm nor too fierce. Allowing Little Han to feel at ease at the same time.


    Little Han was now more than a year and a half old. Soon, he would be two years old and he would probably start to show the typical signs of an active and willful toddler.


    So the two naturally knew that they had to be careful in interacting with Little Han. While they do not want to limit Little Han''s childhood, they also do not want Little Han to develop habits that might cause problems for himter on.


    "Bye mommi! See youtew!" Little Han being pardoned stretched his hand out to embrace Leon''s neck as his daddy carried him to the bathroom.


    But before he left the bedside, Little Han turned his head around and waved his chubby hand, saying goodbye to his mommy properly.


    "See you twoter, my loves¡­" A warm smile bloomed on Eli''s face.


    The morning sun was gently kissing her seemingly frail figure, yet the smile on her face outshines the brightest light of the day.


    It was such a beautiful sight that the father and son were left speechless in a daze.


    After a few seconds, Little Han blinked and eximed, "Mommi pwetty!!!! Little Han wuv~~~"

 Chapter 445 Going Back To Silver Dew

    ?After getting ready for the day, the family of three, along with Kayden, took their breakfast before going to their meeting with the core member of the team against the Pope.


    As for Little Han, he was temporarily staying with Queen Teh and Baobao in the secret chamber until Eli and Leon finally got their permission to take a quick trip to the Silver Dew Forest.


    Before Eli and Leon met the Emperor, Eli shared everything that happenedst night with Leon. Upon understanding what bothers Eli, Leon also opted to check the SilverDew forest just to ensure that they did not miss any crucial details.


    When Eli, Leon, and Kayden arrived at the secluded meeting room, Mishael and the High Priest were not yet around.


    And so Nathan, Randel, and Emperor Valentin took the time to ask about Eli''s well-being and what really caused her injuries.


    In the end, they were also informed that Kayden is clueless as to the nature of the bizarre power that caused Eli to have internal injuries.


    It was about half an hourter when Mishael and High Priest Enoch finally arrived.


    "Apologies everyone¡­" High Priest Enoch looked at the bunch and asked for their pardon for beingte.


    "Your Eminence, you need not apologize! I''m sure that something important came up for you to be dyed." Emperor Valentin immediately shook his head, not daring to ask the High Priest to bow toward him.


    "Indeed, there''s news about the Pope. What was told on my end was that there seemed to be a failed assassination attempt on their way to the Empire.


    Although the Pope and his team ''did not have any serious injury'' they opted to abort the trip to the Empire and assign an envoy to see the prisoners of the internal war¡­" High Priest Enoch announced.


    Though everyone in the room knew the truth about the ''injuries'' of the Pope and his crew, none of them gloated.


    The second part of the message was also equally tricky.


    "May we know who would be the envoy? Your Eminence, do we have the privilege to know the information beforehand?" Emperor Valentin asked.


    High Priest Enoch shook his head and replied, "The Pope has not yet hinted anything because he has yet to talk to the person he had in mind. But most likely the envoy will be as respectable as him, probably a monarch that was already here."


    "The Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire."


    Leon knew every monarch that visited the Empire during the tournament, and amongst them, it was the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire who had the most prestigious profile apart from the personalities on the Green Wave Territory.


    "Very well, if it was someone from the Vanderford Empire we have to be ready." Emperor Valentin had aplicated look on his face.


    The charades with the enemy were still not done. They have many tricks on their sleeves. And while Eli, Leon, Nathan, and Randel gambled with their lives to find a solution to dy the Pope, there were other tricky circumstances thrown at them.


    "What I think about the Pope''s next step was to insist on having the prisoners be transported back to the Holy Ind under the guise of the Pope needing to see the faces of the prisoners." Mishael voiced his opinion.


    "I have a nagging feeling that the reason why they need to see them was to retrieve something out of them¡­ But I know that the Pdin had already destroyed all their fragments so¡­ I am clueless."


    "It will be easy for us to find a way to send you straight to the Vanderford Empire, but we have to prepare in advance. We cannot leave the empire unguarded after all." Emperor Valentin believed Mishael''s words as well.


    "A formal request from the Pope might arrive on your end within two to three days, Your Majesty." High Priest Enoch reminded him before they decided to temporarily close the matter.


    The next agenda of the meeting was Eli asking permission from the Emperor and the High Priest to take a quick trip to the Silver Dew Empire.


    She exined everything that happened during the encounter and the dream.


    "When I faced the fake pdin, I felt like there was something mixed into her powers. Not only that it contained a curse, but it was something else¡­ distantly familiar, but I swore that I have never seen or felt such a power before¡­


    I didn''t even expect that it would have a grave effect on my body¡­ It was not until I had a vision of the staff that I knew that I might find the answer to that mystery.


    If the staff had the power to neutralize that power, then maybe we can find a clue about the origin of the unfamiliar power that was mixed on the fake pdin''s curse aura." Eli exined.


    "Hmmm¡­ I have indeed heard that the ceremonial staff was acting strange recently¡­ Then go ahead and take a trip there. I pray that you may find what you are looking for." Emperor Valentin immediately gave his approval to Eli.


    As for Kayden and Leon, he had additional instructions before letting everyone be dismissed from the meeting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli, Leon, and Kayden nned to jump straight through the SilverDew Forest through the teleportation array from the Seirende Central Bank.


    However, they need to n their sneaking out of the capital so that no other people should witness that they were going out.


    And so Eli carried on with her typical day after the tournament, reporting on the Anti-Curse Committee headquarters along with Kayden.


    As for Leon, he took a trip to the stations that he needed to inspect while only notifying the Crimson des of his trip to the Silver Dew Forest.


    After another day of hard work, it is time for them to prepare to go into the forest.


    Eli went back home, preparing Little Han''s clothes and necessities as she knew that Little Han might not be able to understand why his parents were once again leaving him home for two consecutive nights.


    Carrying Little Han on her shoulders they teleported through Leon''s pce once again and from there, the group of one toddler and three adults teleported Straight to the Seirende Central Bank, on the silver town.


    "We''re here¡­" Eli saw the familiar room where she was brought by Leon during the time she was living in the Silver Dew forest. She was pregnant back then.


    But this time, they have Little Han, excitedly scanning the surroundings as if he was going on an adventurous field trip.


    But they did not linger any longer as the people in Seirende Central Bank were not yet privy to the information about Little Han, and so the group moved straight to the Argentum, which was an extension of Eli''s Forgeworn family.


    "Your Highness Third Prince, Mi Lady Eli, Great Doctor, and Little master¡­ wee back to Argentum." The Argentum Butler has been waiting for them the entire night, and he was happy to see the trioe back well and healthy.


    Especially Little Han, whom he only got to see with whom he was but an infant.


    "Little Han, say hello to grandpa butler." Eli smiled at the butler who took care of her even during her training under the High Priest.


    "Hewwo Gwanpa¡­ good evening!" Little Han raised his chubby hands and wiggled it in a wave.


    The Old Butler''s heart melted in delight to see such a young child grow up so adorably.


    After a few greetings, the butler assigned the maids to lead everyone in their own quarters. They have to stay here for the night and wait for Azayn to fetch them in the Argentum.


    It was a peaceful night for everyone in Argentum and even in the capital¡­


    But not on the Mellenberg Territory where the Pope and his crew were recuperating.


    "D*mn! D*mn! D*mn! D*mn! That B*tch!" Rachana was lying on the bed, her body full of bandages.


    Every part of her body is painful, even breathing is too painful for her!


    All she could do was to curse in her mind as she could not even lift her mouth open to speak.


    To continue to supplement her body with medicine and food, there was a transparent bag hung overhead, with a tube attached to it down to her hand - a technology that only the modern people on earth would have had knowledge of!


    The dextrose!


    "I swear! If I see that b*tch again I will let her suffer all the pain I am suffering right now!" Rachana vowed in her heart.


    Soon she heard footsteps approaching her slowly.


    "I know you can hear me. I have decided to abort our mission and go back to the Holy Ind." Soon the voice of the Pope rang in her ears.


    "It would only be there that you can restore your body to a normal state. Forget about going to the Empire. I''ll find a way to have the Third Princee by himself on the holy ind¡­" The Pope continued to talk to Rachana''s unresponsive body.


    "He will not be able to resist if we insist on taking the prisoners outside the empire¡­"

 Chapter 446 Visit To The Elven Village

    ?Morning came so peaceful and bright.


    It was especially bright because the Argentum Estate, which had been empty for months after Eli''s going to the capital, was now filled with the warm giggles of Little Han.


    The butler and the servants watched as Kayden and the family of three took their breakfast with delight on their faces.


    Just Little Han''s presence alone could change everything in this seemingly empty estate.


    However, too bad, they''ll be going back right after taking a look at the Silver Dew Vige.


    With that in mind, they could not help but sigh in their hearts because the seemingly bright scenery in front of them was just short-lived.


    After taking their breakfast, it is time to go to the teleport station and wait for Azayn. She arrived right on time and happily greeted everyone.


    "You guys were looking fine as ever!" Azayn looked at Leon, Eli, and Kayden yfully.


    But the trio knew that Azayn was teasing them because they could tell that she was pertaining to the dark shadows that were resting under their eyes.


    "What can we do? We have a lot of work to do, you know¡­" Eli only chuckled and replied back.


    "Well at least still remember to get rest when you can afford." Azayn smiled, her voice was tinged with worry.


    "Aunchieee! Hugsss!" Little Han was also fond of Azayn, most probably because he could recognize that he was the closest one to Eli before and even after he was born. There''s also the time that he almost stayed under Azayn''s care if not for the guardians offering their care.


    "Ah, you little one! You know how to capture your auntie''s heart do you?!" Azayn was so happy that Little Han was showing affection to her and she could not be any prouder.


    "Eli, my dear, you raised your son well!" She squealed in happiness as she carefully stretched her hand and carried Little Han.


    After the quick banter, they did not linger that long and immediately went to the heart of the Silver Dew Forest.


    In a blink of an eye, Eli found herself back in the vige which up until now was strange and mysterious for her.


    "Wee back to Silver Dew Vige, Your Highness Third Prince, Lady Eli, and Kayden¡­ of course, wee back once again, Little One~" Chief Eirllon was apanied by Koehthar and the rest of the elders of the vige.


    While his voice seemed to be stern and serious due to his status as the chief of the elven vige, his voice could not help but be gentler in the part where he was greeting Little Han.


    "It is nice to meet you and the vige once again, Chief. It is my greatest honor to be allowed to be in your vige once again." Leon bowed and greeted the Chief in a diplomatic way.


    Eli and Kayden also said their respective greetings, then finally Little Han.


    "Hewwoo Gwampa Chief." He said with a smile.


    Two crescent moons formed in Chief Eirllon''s eyes as he heard Little Han''s greetings. Too bad he needed to deal with the adults or else, he would ask Eli and Leon to allow the little one to stay in his lounge and y.


    "I heard from the Emperor about the matter you are concerned with today. Let''s go to the vige hall so we canfortably talk about the matter." Chief Eirllon said as she gestured to them to follow him into the vige.


    "As for the two of us, your aunt Azayn will look after you today! Is that alright with you Little Charmer?" Azayn on the other hand looked at the obedient Little Han in her arms and talked.


    "Okiee aunchieee¡­" Little Han seemed to be used to having someone look after him whenever his mommy and daddy were busy and so he only smiled with understanding.


    "Can Johann call Baobao?" If it was the Crimson de office or the Forgeworn or Farauld Estates, Little Han was sure that Baobao is allowed to go, however, he only went into the silver dew vige two times so he did not know if Baobao is allowed to appear in here.


    "Of course! No one will be angry if you call him here. In fact, we will be happy to see him once again!" Azayn smiled and replied to the little one.


    She was surprised that an almost two-year-old toddler like him was able to be this sensitive.


    If it was any other two-year-olds, forget about asking for permission, some of them might not even be able to hold a conversation as Little Han could!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Thaykuuu Aunchy!" Little Han smiled and pped his hands happily. Then after that, he turned his head in a specific direction, and there at that same spot he started a summoning circle with Baobao appearing right after!


    Azayn''s eyes flickered in wonder. She had known that Little Han can summon Baobao on one of her letters, but she didn''t know that it was to the extent that Little Han could summon him at will.


    As a person who liked research, this piqued her interest a lot. ording to Eli, it was somehow possible because she made the contract while she was pregnant with Little Han.


    It seems like she had to conduct a study about the possibility of female summoners being able to share their contracts if they made it at the time they were pregnant too and see if it is feasible!


    Baobao was not surprised about the sudden summons, instead, he bowed respectfully toward Azayn and immediately stood behind them, guarding the two as they walked toward Azayn and Koehthar''s home.


    "Woah¡­" Little Han was amazed to see that they were instantly transported to the balcony of arge tree house in an instant. From their view, he was able to see therge flower field at the center of the vige where colorful flowers bloom proudly.


    "You like to go there, dear?" Azayn saw that Little Han was attracted to the colorful flower field and so he asked.


    "Yesh, aunchiee!" Little Han blinked his round crystal blue eyes with interest.


    "Alright, we''ll go there in a few minutes. Aunty will just have to do something inside then we will go, okay?" Azayn gently coaxed the excited child.


    ¨C


    Back in the chief''s hall.


    Chief Eirllon led Leon, Eli, and Kayden not really in the hall, but somewhere beyond it.


    They descended a wooden staircase. Eli tried to figure out in her mind how it works.


    She knew that the chief''s hall, just like any other structure in the vige, was sitting on top of a tree, and so seeing that they were descending on a circr staircase, she wondered if the trunk of such a massive tree had been hollowed from the inside.


    ''How could it still hold such a massive structure like the Chief''s hall then?'' She asked herself.


    However, the seriousness of the men around her prevented her from asking, besides they have an even morepelling mystery to uncover.


    When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they came across a very secluded room, which only opened through Chief Eirllon''s mana.


    "This is the ce where I store the ceremonial staff that was a relic left by the rested guardian Asa." Chief Eirllon exined to everyone.


    Leon, Eli, and Kayden then saw the staff, carefully ced on a wooden rectangle box with a ss covering. The storage box was sitting at the center of aplicated-looking circle, most probably to prevent any intruder from stealing the relic.


    "We ced some spells in here not only as security but to also alert us if something triggered the staff. Recently there''s been something strange going on with it, and so we opted to strengthen the protection ced around it." Chief Eirllon continued to exin.


    Thump! Thump!


    Suddenly, Eli once again felt something strange, three times she saw this staff, and three times she experienced something strange. Whether when she sees it face to face, or through her dreams, the staff seemed to have an influence on her that she could not figure out.


    Leon and Kayden looked at Eli in rm, seeing that she suddenly became stiff and her expression changed.


    "Are you alright?" Leon asked but Eli''s dark obsidian eyes seemed to be mindlessly locked on the staff behind the ss cover.


    Chief Eirllon, seemed to have expected this to happen and so he kept calm and asked the two young men,


    "Guard her, never leave your eyes off her. Remember what happened during the renewal of the treaty? That might happen again. Just allow her to see what the staff wanted her to see. As for me, I''ll ensure that the array won''t hurt her, should she move towards the staff."


    Leon and Kayden were puzzled at first, but they remembered something happened to Eli that was also rted to the staff during the renewal of the treaty.


    And so they nodded at the Chief''s advice, keeping calm and collected while they watched Eli stare dazedly at the staff.

 Chapter 447 Child! You Are Finally Here!

    ?Eli was no longer aware of what was happening in the surroundings outside her consciousness.


    All that she could see right now was the same vision she had back when she was pregnant with Little Han, attending the Renewal of Treaty in the elven vige.


    Just like in the past vision, she was still standing in a dark deste forest and the same ethereal-looking young man, with ck long hair and wearing a white silk robe sat on a rock looking solitary.


    He was holding the safe staff which she was looking at earlier together with the Chief, Leon, and Kayden.


    As Chief Eirllon told her, this ethereal-looking man was the deceased Guardian of Mortal Time, Asa.


    And just like the opening of the vision, Guardian Asa''s soulful silver eyes turned in her direction while saying with a gentle smile,


    "Child! You are finally here!"


    Eli stood there wordless, knowing that the guardian was not actually speaking to her but to the young boy who would run from her direction in a few seconds.


    However, ten seconds, twenty seconds, and thirty seconds passed but no child came forth.


    Guardian Asa was still looking in her direction and the scene in front of her seemed to have frozen.


    ''Did the yback of the vision stop?'' She asked as she was confused by the situation.


    "Child, I get that you are confused, but do yourself a favor and sit right there¡­"


    Eli felt a cold wave of goosebumps the moment she heard Guardian Asa say something that was out of her memory. This is not in the vision dialogue!


    Her shock came out her face as she was both confused and in disbelief.


    Guardian Asa seemed to have understood her bewilderment and told her once again, "Child,e and sit. You are brought by my staff here I guess. So it meant that what I saw from the future happened."


    "Guardian Asa?" Eli was left speechless. The deceased guardian should no longer have any spirit, right? How could he talk to me as if he knew the present and he is alive?


    "So many questions, my child but I am afraid that I can only give you something that might even cause you to have more questions¡­" Guardian Asa seemed to have read her mind as he answered.


    Eli on the other hand, finally moved, sitting on another rock that he had been pointing to earlier.


    "It might be hard to understand, but I cannot hear you right now¡­ nor I cannot see your face. All I know is that you are not from this present."


    Guardian Asa''s words had indeed confused Eli.


    ''He cannot see or hear me? But he has been talking to me with a good few sentences as if he knew me and he was really interacting with me¡­ How?''


    ''He said I am not from this present? What does he mean?''


    True enough, what Guardian Asa said was right, she had more questions than before the moment she listened to his words.


    "In fact, I am not even sure if you obediently sat on the rock that I was pointing to¡­" Guardian Asa continued, with a gentle smile, still looking in Eli''s direction.


    "My time is up¡­ I can only faintly feel my connection to the heavenly realm, nor my brothers and sister in the guardian realm¡­


    But I do not regret saving the lives of the people whose fate was not supposed to be corrupted by the enemy Birsha.


    He descended here in Prasinos to steal the destinies of the children of thend. By taking them away, his power grows, and his people also be stronger.


    The nature of his power was utterly merciless because he would take away not only these brethren''s lives but also the time they had been destined toe back in the afterlife.


    Even if they survived Birsha''s power, their souls were corrupted and destroyed¡­ with that, they cannot step beyond the gate I guard."


    And so as guardian of mortal time, I cannot allow more and more souls to vanish and be food for the enemy¡­


    So I begged the Overseer to allow me to leave guarding the gate and descend to Prasinos to handle the matters.


    But I can only do this much¡­" Guardian Asa paused with a sad and regretful expression, but nheless, he continued.


    "I went to thend and saved those whose lives can still be redeemed. However, the very thing that I have to do is to repair their souls, which needs a lot of power¡­


    As my power is only strong in the other realm, not in Prasinos, I can only save a handful of people for a portion of my life.


    Those who received my healing will actually be marked by my powers, My Child, I know that you also bear that mark."


    Through Guardian Asa''s way of talking, Eli guessed that the guardian was actually blindly doing his monologue, hoping that she would hear these words in time.


    And his next word affirmed her deduction.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The reason why I am saying these words, was because I have seen a premonition that would happen in the far future.


    That one who would bear my mark wille here to seek answers from me when the timees.


    And so, knowing that I am on my way to eternal sleep, I am saying these words and leaving this memory on my staff, which I know will stay for a long time through the help of my brothers.


    What I saw in the future devastated me and gave me hope at the same time.


    Devastated because, in that future, most of all the children who bear my mark have already perished.


    Hopeful, because of you, who will revive thest string of their existence.


    However, know that you will be subject to a lot of confusion, because you do not even know if you are really thest person who bore the bloodline, and that out of you wille forth the bloodline''s next generation.


    Now, child, I saw two things. The one you must fight and struggle so that it will be fulfilled, and the one that you must fight and struggle so that it will not seed¡­"


    Eli furrowed her brows.


    The guardian''s words seemed to make no sense to her. However, since the guardian himself told her that he had just prerecorded everything, Eli knew that it is useless to ask him questions.


    "The thing you must fight for to be fulfilled is protecting the bloodlineing forth from you¡­"


    When Eli heard it, Little Han''s image immediately shed in her mind. Could the guardian be saying that Little Han''s life will be in danger and that she should protect him?


    And that out of him will be the continuance of the new Asani bloodline?


    "That future is bright, so bright that even I had a mundane desire to see how it wille true. Too bad¡­ I am almost at the end of the road.


    The one you must fight and struggle not to ever seed is the creation of the new bloodline out of Brisha doing abominable things to my people!


    My child, you must not let them seed! Ever!


    Do not let them seed in defying the heavens with the power of mortal time to forcefully open the gate to the heavenly realm and destroy it!"


    ''Opening the heavenly realm¡­ using the power of mortal time?''


    Eli connected the dots.


    Since the Asani people bear a fraction of the power of Guardian Asa, the enemies nned to gather all that power to be able to have enough to control the mortal gate, which Guardian Asa originally guards.


    She remembered from the guardians that while Guardian Asa was no longer around, it was Ignis who sometimes oversaw the gate, but up until now, no one couldpletely control the gate as Asa did.


    Also, the guardians mentioned in passing during their ranting that the heavenly realm is understaffed because the Overseer did not rece a certain position, could it possibly be Guardian Asa''s position?!


    But why would the Great One not assign another angel to do it?


    Now, from Guardian Asa''s words, it seems like Birsha and his armies would catch wind of this thing in the future and would start to plot something about it!


    The n all along was not only to have a vessel for Birsha but to actually also steal control of the mortal gate to attack the heavenly realm!


    Eli was both apprehensive and angry at the same time.


    She was scared that she would not be able to do something to stop that n from happening but she was also angry that all these tragedies that happened to Prasinos from thousand years ago all happened because some evil angel wanted to rebel against the Great One!


    "Now my child, this is all the wisdom I can give you¡­ for my time is already up." Guardian Asa''s sad and deste voice woke Eli up from her thinking.


    "Know that you are not alone here, and remember to rely on those who love the people as you do."


    After that, he then turned in the direction where Eli was originally standing and smiled once again. His deste expression was now exactly the same as when she saw him in the vision the first time.


    Then he told the exact same words he said during the first vision,


    "Child! You are finally here!"


    This time, Eli finally saw the boy emerging from the direction she was originally standing and her body froze.


    Because the face of the boy, although scrawny and malnourished, seemed to be ny percent familiar to someone she knew.


    It was none other than Little Han!


    ",

 Chapter 448 At Aunty Azayns Tree House

    ?"What does this mea-" Before Eli was able to finish her words, the vision had already turned bright and blurry.


    It was as if Eli''s consciousness was being transported into another dimension yet again.


    When she opened her eyes, she was now back in the same room where the staff was kept.


    Leon and Kayden were by her side, Chief Eirllon, was on the core of the array ensuring that it will not harm Eli whose consciousness has drifted away.


    "Eli, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Leon saw that Eli was back; however, herplexion was pale and beads of sweat appeared from the side of her forehead.


    "I''m fine¡­ I just felt like my body was a little drained¡­" Eli forced herself to speak and recover from the vision she just saw and answered.


    "Carry her up to the resting lounge, she needs to breathe and rest for a while," Kayden suggested to Leon as he observed Eli''s half-dazed condition.


    "Go guide them Kayden. I''ll fix everything here¡­" Chief Eirllon looked at Kayden and signaled them to go back.


    When the trio had already ascended back from the surface, Chief Eirllon contemted for a little while. He saw the reaction of the staff during Eli''s trance, it was like when it acted strangely before.


    ''What should I do?'' He asked himself.


    He tried to contact Lord Sylvain but the guardian did not answer. So he could only decide for himself. The staff was telling them something, however, he could not figure it out.


    "Could it be that only Eli, who is an Asani can control the behavior of the staff?" He mumbled to himself.


    After contemting further, he sighed and with his deep green eyes, he looked gently at the staff and carefully took it out of the array.


    He carried it and brought it back to the surface, where Eli and the rest were.


    When he went up, it was already past midday. To his surprise, the entire event took them more than two hours!


    ¨C


    While Eli and the rest were checking the staff.


    Azayn brought Little Han onto their treehouse. "My little one, will you stay here for a while with Baobao? Auntie will just do something alright?"


    "Yes, Aunchiee!!" Little Han sat obediently on a soft fluffy mat that was purposely filled with pillows.


    Once Little Han was left there, he felt veryfortable and cozy. He nuzzled his little chubby body into the fluff and closed his eyes in satisfaction. He giggled and coaxed Baobao to touch the mat too.


    Azayn ensured that Little Han will not fall or bump into an ident while her eyes were away from him. And so she ensured that the door was closed and the set-up of his little nest was on the wooden floor.


    Her treehouse is spacious and brightly lit.


    From the door, one could already see the living room and the extension of the dining room and kitchen, while there were doors leading to a room.


    Azayn knocked on one of the rooms and called, "Elifas¡­ Calderon, time to wake up¡­"


    She did not use a very loud tone so as not to startle Little Han, so she repeated it a few more times.


    After hearing nothing from the people in the room, she sighed helplessly and looked at Little Han again.


    The little bun started to take out his stuffed toys and ced them on the fluff she set up. He was now talking to Baobao, while the panda was holding another stuffed toy, mimicking its movements.


    And so Azayn went to the kitchen and heated up some food. She did it quickly and fast. In a blink of an eye, breakfast for two people was already prepared at the dining table.


    "Little Han~~ do you want some snacks?" Azayn looked at the sensible Little Han and from time to time, she could see that the toddler was extremely obedient and did not cause trouble.


    "Sn? Yes aunchieee!!! Thayku!!!" Little Han heard food and he beamed in excitement, he grinned at Azayn and gazed at him with a wide toothy grin.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alright, Aunty will prepare for you and Baobao, so please wait for a little while okay?" Azayn chuckled and answered.


    "Owkieeee!" Little Han answered before he continued to y with Baobao.


    When Azayn went back to the kitchen, he knocked and called at the door once again, however it was apparent that she was already losing her patience.


    But nevertheless, she still proceeded to the kitchen once again to make a simple fruit snack for Baobao and Little Han.


    After everything was prepared, she took Little Han to the dining area, and also signaled Baobao to follow them. They sat on the table and with a wave of a hand, a special high chair appeared for Little Han to sit on.


    When Little Han and Baobao started to eat, she no longer bothered to stand at the same door she was knocking on before and just shouted.


    "Elifas, if you do not n to wake up and start the day I will be sure that Calderon will know more about your adventures when you are a child. I will also ask him to tell it directly to whichever girl you fancy at school!"


    After she said those words, Baobao and Little Han froze and looked at Azayn in confusion. Seeing their round innocent eyes, Azayn awkwardly smiled and coaxed them to continue eating.


    Little Han loved Azayn''s fruit snack which was a mix of freshly picked berries and some boiled apples and pears mixed with a drizzle of honey and shaved nuts.


    She ensured that thesebinations will be gentle for Little Han''s tummy and Baobao''s digestive system.


    But just as they were about to continue, a loud scrambling sound could be heard in the room and a panicky voice of a young teenage boy sounded as he frantically opened the door.


    "Mom! Why would you threaten me like that? It''s not nice, my friend is here!" Elifas, Azayn, and Koehthar''s son finally popped his head out of his room.


    His appearance was quite unruly and uncanny for creatures like elves who always looked prim and proper. Elifas had the features of his mom and dad, and the attractiveness of his face was surely taken from his parents.


    But what was distinct about it was the rebellious aura of a teenager in his demeanor.


    "Good morning son, quickly wipe your drool ande to the table to have a meal." Azayn gazed at her son with a nonchnt look before continuing to feed Little Han.


    "I want to sleep.. I''ll eatter and Ahhhh!!! A b-baby! A b-bear!!!!" When his groggy eyes finally saw who was with his mother, Elifas panicked.


    "Calm down Elifas, it is unbing of you to be raising your voice like that in your mother''s presence." Suddenly another young teenage voice was heard behind Elifas.


    He was Calderon, the champion of the tournament in the magic division and also Elifas''s friend.


    His hair and brows were as fiery as fire, andpared to his diplomatic and gentlemanly voice were arger buildpared to his friend Elifas. Probably this was because he was of dragon descent.


    "This is my best friend, Lady Eli''s baby which I told you about, and this is her contracted beast Baobao."


    "O-oh¡­ Lady Eli¡­ is it¡­ b-but¡­" Elifas had known his mom''s friendship with the inventor, because he was still technically part of the vige, he was also part of the mission to protect Eli and Little Han as Protector Sylvainmanded.


    However, Calderon, who was an outsider, was here. He did not know how to approach the situation where Little Han''s identity was supposed to be kept a secret because his best friend was also around.


    "Aunt and Uncle had already told me earlier, don''t worry I swore an oath not to divulge anything. Besides, it will not be long before his existence is announced. I''m sure my grandpa already knew it. Oh, in fact, the Mermaid King also knew it too¡­" Calderon nonchntly patted his shocked friend''s expression and walked towards the table to join the three in a meal.


    "What you said is right, the mermaid king and queen themselves gave this little one his cradle¡­ Many of the leaders from the Greenwave already secretly knew his existence. However, it was not yet time to announce his existence to the world." Azayn told the two boys, as she remembered, there were multiple items used by Eli that could only belong to the leaders of the Greenwave tribe leaders.


    "Nowe up and eat." Azayn looked at her son and reminded him once again.


    In a daze Elifas sat at the table, looking at Little Han and Baobao who were quietly eating.


    "Hewoo??" Little Han felt Elifas''s eyes locking into his and became confused. The little child was unable to detect if the other party was angry at him or not, and so he greeted him with a face full of innocence, interest, and confusion.


    Seeing the little toddler talking at him suddenly, Elifas''s body stiffened. He did not answer Little Han right away and took a bite of his bread pretending not to see the little one.

 Chapter 449 Flower Crown

    ?He was so awkward that both Azayn and his friend Calderon could see the unnatural movements he was doing while eating.


    "Pfft!" When he saw his friend dip the garlic bread into his tea to the cream soup prepared on the side, Calderon could not help butugh.


    Elifas''s face was so contorted when he tasted the tea-dipped garlic bread in his mouth!


    "What!" With a reddened face, he red at his friend and growled like a cat that had stepped on his tail.


    Azayn also saw this and couldn''t help but hide her smiling face in Little Han''s direction. He knew that her son would not be able to interact that well with children.


    He was an only child and during his childhood, all the people in the vige had only young teens and elders.


    Too bored to only see people older than himself, he cried to his mom and dad to send him to school, which is on a faraway continent, Green Wave.


    However, those who were enrolled in the academy were also young students with talented abilities. Therefore, none of them had a normal childhood experience like Little Han.


    And so Elifas, did not know how to really interact with children, moreover, Little Han, a human.


    "Aunchie?" Little Han was confused as to why his aunty Azayn and the fiery boy wereughing at Elifas.


    He looked at the embarrassed Elifas and blinked his crystal blue eyes two times, then at Azayn. He found that they look simr.


    "Never mind them both and just eat little one." Azayn smiled and teased Little Han''s cute nose which the toddler pouted in the ticklish sensation cutely.


    After some time the meal was finished and Little Han was satisfied. Seeing the two were also done, Azayn stood up and pped her hands.


    In a sh, all the dishes on the table were cleaned up and as if they had their own lives, they flew to where they should be stored and ced.


    "Yieeee! *p p p*" Little Han was fascinated with the magic shown by Auntie Azayn and could not help but grin widely and p excitedly.


    From Elifas and Calderon''s perspective, Little Han looked so cute and adorable.


    Calderon saw that Elifas was looking at the child dazedly, so he elbowed him and whispered "Isn''t he cute? Don''t you wanna pinch his chubby cheeks?"


    Elifas rolled his eyes at him and replied, "Shut up¡­"


    "Alright, Little Han and I will just go over the flower fields. Just as usual, y as much as you want but know your limits." Azayn looked at the two boys while she took Little Han out and reminded the boys to which they answered affirmatively.


    Going straight to the flower field with Baobao and Little Han, Azayn did not see that the two boys curiously followed their figures with their eyes on the terrace of the tree house.


    "Weeeeeee!!!" When Little Han saw the colorful flowers and trees he ran happily and rolled at it.


    Baobao and Azayn watched with gentle eyes as they saw the child acting so carefree despite the looming danger happening in the empire.


    The little elf kids also saw his happy figure and could not help but carefully approach him.


    At first, they were only curious about the little human child in their midst. They knew from their parents not to interact with a human unless explicitly permitted by the vige chief and any of the elders.


    And so they looked at Azayn who nodded at them giving permission before they slowly approached Little Han.


    "???" Little Han saw many little elf kids staring at him curiously. Feeling that they are not hostile, he looked at them with his signature smile.


    Soon the flower field was filled with innocent and childish giggles by Little Han and the rest of the elven kids.


    The adult elves around also watched them with gentle smiles on their faces. Some even rested on the shaded corners of the field and watched the young while sipping their morning tea.


    Then one kid started making flower crowns. At the sight of this Little Han was greatly amused and also asked the kid how to do it.


    The adults chuckled when they saw Little Han sitting on his butt with the kids surrounding him at the back while he stuck his tongue as he intently held with his hands the flowers he was trying to shape like a flower crown.


    "No¡­ like this¡­"


    "Good!"


    "Use this color¡­"


    "Almost there!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yay!!!! Done!!" The children screamed and pped happily when Little Han finally finished his clumsy little flower crown.


    It did not actually look like a legitimate flower crown however, he worked hard with his clumsy hands to finish it on his own.


    He took his very first flower crown and raised it high in the air, like it was his trophy, while he giggled in satisfaction.


    One curious elf kid asked, "Wittle Han, to whom will you gib your cwown?"


    "I gib to mommy!" Little Han happily answered. "Flower pwetty¡­ mommy pwetty!"


    When the kids heard it, they thought it was a good idea too. And so they scattered around and got their own flowers once again to make it for their mommies.


    At the end, when these kids came back to their respective houses they suddenly gave the flower crowns to their mommies andplimented them nicely.


    None of the people around knew that this seemingly pure gesture would be the very first celebration of the Silver Dew''s mother''s day!


    "Azayn¡­ something happened inside¡­ I think you need toe and check." Azayn was disturbed by Koehthar who looked at him with worry.


    Azayn understood what could have happened and nodded, "Go back first, I''ll call someone to watch over Little Han."


    She subconsciously looked in the direction of the tree house and saw the two teenage boys watching the events happening to the flower field quietly. Originally he intended to have an adult from the vige take care of Little Han but seeing his son disy curiosity over the child, she thought that it might be a good idea. And so she beckoned the two toe down.


    "Mom¡­" Elifas asked why they were called.


    But instead of answering, he took Elifas''s hand and beckoned Calderon to follow if he wanted.


    Then she crouched beside Little Han who was now making his second flower crown and said, "Little Han, Aunty will just check your mommy inside, will you be ok if Big Brother Elifas and Big Brother Calderon will apany you to y?"


    Little Han looked at the shocked Elifas and Calderon but nheless, he nodded and smiled innocently, "Owkay Aunchie!!"


    "Wait Mom!!!" Just like that, Azayn looked at the two and gave a brief instruction before going straight to the hall.


    Left just like that by Azayn, Elifas stood shocked with Calderon in the middle of the flower field surrounded by children with his mouth agape.


    "Well¡­ let''s just sit around and enjoy it, buddy. The view was not bad here either¡­" Calderon shrugged nonchntly and started to join Little Han sitting on the flower field.


    "Hello kid¡­" Calderon shed a yful smile toward Little Han as he greeted them. His demeanor right now waspletely different from his usual formal and mature facade when he was in the presence of Azayn.


    Perhaps, it was because he was only with Elifas and little kids that he did not bear a stern demeanor.


    "Hewooo.. Big bro Calleroon¡­" Little Han still finds some sybles hard to pronounce and so he tries his best to pronounce Calderon''s name.


    "Woa! You remembered my name, little guy!" Calderon was shocked at Little Han''s reply. "This little guy is not bad!" Greatly amused he looked at Elifas who was still contemting what he has to do.


    "Not bad!" Little Han mimicked Calderon''s gesture innocently to which Calderon happilyughed.


    In an instant, Calderon and Little Han interactedfortably, with the former one sessfully earning the right to lightly pinch thetter''s cute cheeks in between his childish giggles.


    The more that Elifas watched the Calderon satisfyingly pinching Little Han''s face, the more he looked troubled. In the end, he let out a cold snort and finally sat, joining the two.


    Calderon raised his brows and looked at his friend with a smirk.


    Now the two were busy creating Little Han''s second flower crown.


    Watching the two, Elifas gulped and opened his mouth slowly, "Hey¡­ little kid¡­"


    Seeing the third guy open his mouth for the first time, the duo paused and looked at him.


    "C-can you teach me that too? I-i want to create one for my mommy too¡­" Elifas took a lot of effort just to say this sentence, so much so that his face was now tinged with red even at the back of his ears.


    "Pfft!" Calderon tried hard not tough, but he couldn''t because seeing his friend ask a little kid to make a flower crown was so funny to him.


    But with Elifas''s warning re, he swallowed the remaining urge tough and coaxed Little Han, "Little Han, could you help your big brother? He wanted to make one for Aunty Azayn too.."


    "Oh¡­ Aunchie? Owkieee!!" Little Han finally understood what Elifas wanted to say and so he happily answered.

 Chapter 450 Three Boys Played

    ?Just like that, an uncannybination of a little human toddler, a teenage elf, and a dragon busied themselves making some flower crowns.


    After that Little Han felt satisfied with making flower crowns and then moved to taking his stuffed toys and cing them on the flower bed.


    Calderon and Elifas yed with him for a little while and they no longer noticed how the smiles were shing on their faces while they looked after Little Han all this while.


    However, in the next moment, Little Han rummaged into his bear-shaped space pouch once again. This time, what he took out was no longer a stuffed toy, but rather something that shocked the twods, especially Calderon.


    Little Han carefully took out the still dormant Wisey in an egg, which was nested in a dragon nest. As Little Han looked longingly at Wisey''s egg, he took a lot of flowers and ced them around it, making the nest look more like a flower nest than dragon''s.


    "Hey, Little Han¡­ that dragon nest, where did you get it?" The ever-calm Calderon finally showed a strong emotion on his face, as he recognized the nest Little Han was using.


    "Dwagon nezz?" Little Han looked at Calderon and blinked.


    "Yes, this one¡­" Calderon patiently pointed at the nest for Little Han to understand what he was asking for.


    "Oh¡­ Umcle Bleeze!!!" Little Han''s round crystal blue eyes shed with understanding and finally answered. "Umcle Bleeze gib Johann so Sisi can hatchie!"


    "Umcle¡­ Bleeze?" Calderon mimicked Little Han''s answer, but he could not figure out a dragon named Bleeze.


    It is actually not a big deal for him to see some dragon nest outside the Green Wave Institute. He always knew that there would be dragons who would go to the maind from time to time.


    However, this case is of great importance to him. Because he felt an aura simr to his Father''s all over that dragon nest!


    Elifas saw that his friend was acting weird and too emotional, although they were only talking to a child, Baobao is still there and so he cautiously asked his friend, "What''s the matter?"


    "I-i need to know who the owner of the dragon nest was¡­" Calderon softly replied.


    "Is it important to you? We can ask my mother if you want." Elifas worriedly replied.


    "It''s alright, I can just investigate this matter. I can''t let Auntie still worry about this matter when clearly, there''s something happening in your vige right now." Calderon replied.


    Another reason why he was here was that he was sent by his father to also help the vige with the abnormalities shown by the staff relic. So he is quite hesitant to even involve the people in Silver Dew to know who the owner of the nest was.


    Baobao could actually hear their conversation and so he sighed. He sounded out Calderon as soon as his emotions changed a while ago, and he could not detect any hostile feelings toward the owner of the nest, who is actually ze.


    He thought that if the young dragon were to investigate, more and more people would have to watch Little Han from afar just to know who the owner of the dragon nest was. And so it''s better to direct them to somebody whom they could negotiate with.


    He decided to approach them and said, "I am not in the position to tell you directly who the owner of the nest is. But you can directly ask the Third Prince."


    "The Third Prince?" Calderon and Elifas looked at Baobao with a shocked expressions.


    "Yes¡­" Baobao nodded and said no more.


    "... Alright, I''ll ask him once I have the chance." Seeing that Baobao no longer had the intention to tell more information, he nodded gratefully and answered.


    After that, he no longer went back to the subject matter and continued to y with Little Han. This time, they are trying to ''hatch'' the egg that was sitting on the nest.


    Meanwhile, the adults were now in Chief Eirllon''s office.


    The atmosphere in the room was serious as they listened to Eli''s narration of everything she saw through the vision.


    "This no longer means a war in the Prasinosnd then¡­ it is a war on all realms." Azayn frowned as she thought deeper.


    "But the Protector himself and the rest of the Guardians remained silent about the matter. I asked the youngd Calderon if there were any messages from the Protector Amihan, however, she too was silent." Chief Eirllon told everyone.


    "Then are we alone then, in this fight?" Koehthar asked with a serious expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I know and I believe that we aren''t alone in this. They may have a reason why the Guardians are silent, probably, there is more threat in the heavenly realm than we thought. Besides, receiving this kind of warning through Lady Eli''s vision was more than enough help for us." Chief Eirllon told everyone.


    He did not want them to be disheartened just because the guardians are not saying anything or doing anything tangible.


    "Ultimately, we are the dwellers of thisnd. It is our role to fight for it. As for the matters of another realm, it would be the citizens of those realms who must defend." He continued.


    "One thing is for sure, those who wield the Guardian Asa''s signs apart from me and Little Han are not true descendants of Asani. I think we might have to go directly to the holy ind to see what really is the matter up there." Eli told everyone with a heavy tone.


    "But are we sure that what we need to know can be found on that Ind? What if the ce of the evil people were not in that ce all along?" Kayden asked worriedly.


    "You both were right. As far as I know, the Holy Ind is the most suspicious. But we cannot fix our eyes by only investigating that ce." Leon answered.


    "En¡­ as for this matter, it is not yet good for us to n on our own. Tomorrow, I''ll arrange a meeting with the Emperor and the Head of the Green Wave Alliance. It is time for them to also know of this matter." Chief Eirllon decided.


    "As for you young ones, while I know that you are anxious, do not be too blind to not see the people around you. Instead of thinking of a way to defeat the enemy, think of a way to save the innocent first. We can go to war if we want, as long as we know that we did not leave any innocent soul behind."


    Chief Eirllon looked at Eli, Leon, Kayden, Azayn, and Koehthar.


    In the future, when he and the rest of the elders are no longer in this world, the next generation will be in their care. He wanted to remind them to no longer think impulsively, but think thoroughly and be more level-headed.


    Especially when ites to protecting their own people.


    "We understand Chief." Not ignoring the elders'' good warning and intentions, they all respectfully answered.


    "Alright then, the day is no longer early. Let''s call the children and take our lunch." Chief Eirllon reminded everyone.


    With that, the meeting ended and everyone proceeded outdoors.


    Azayn and Eli went to fetch Little Han in the vige flower field and found that he was ying with two youngds who were of elf and dragon descent.


    "My my! I just left you for a while but you three looked inseparable!" Azayn was happy to see that the three warmed up with each other.


    The adults around might not even notice, but these three boys might be the leaders of their own races¡­ in the far future.


    However, Azayn kept silent about that and chose to cherish the rare moment that the young ones bond with each other regardless of their differences.


    "Auntie!/Mom/Aunchie!!" The boys saw Azayn first and so they greeted each other happily.


    "Mommi!" As soon as Little Han saw Eli behind Azayn, he squealed in delight and greeted her.


    "Eli, by the way, this is my son, Elifas. Then this youngd over here is Calderon, you must have known him as the champion for the magic division." Azayn then quickly introduced the two.


    "It''s nice meeting you Elifas and Calderon! Thank you so much for looking after Little Han!" Eli shed a friendly and grateful smile toward the two boys.


    The two boys also gave their polite greetings to Eli, both of them were fascinated upon seeing the real appearance of Eli as an Asani aspared to what she looked like in public.


    Azayn then told everyone that it was already time to eat and so they had to pack up to go towards the dining area.


    However, before they could move, Little Han walked towards Eli carefully and said with a happy smile, "Mommi!! Johann gib you gift!"


    "Oh, what is it my son?" Eli squatted to approach Little Han with a smile.


    "Hihi!" Little Han shed a shy smile and revealed the flower crown behind him. "Mommi for you!"

 Chapter 451 Giving The Flower Crown

    ?With the clumsy yet colorful flower crown revealed in front of her, Eli''s eyes warmed up with joy.


    "Aw¡­ my son made me something so beautiful! Thank you, Johann, my love!" Eli could not hide the proud expression on her face as she realized that Little Han made the flower crown through great efforts.


    "Hihi¡­ Mommi pleaze wear it!" Little Han tiptoed with a happy grin and raised the flower crown.


    "dly, my little prince!" Eli bowed a little lower so that her son could ce the flower crown on her head.


    "Pat pat¡­ fix fix.." Little Han clumsily patted Eli''s head and frowned in a seriously focused look, afraid that he would mess up his mommy''s hair. He used his little palms to try to fix the crown to rest beautifully on top of his mother''s head.


    Eli smiled and allowed Little Han to do as he wished.


    "Finisssh!" Little Han pped his hands and eximed happily, feeling so proud and satisfied with his masterpiece.


    "Does it look good on mommi?" Eli could no longer hold back and carried Little Han into his arms, while Baobao gently went over and packed up the things they took out when ying.


    "Yesh!!! Mommi so pwetty!" Little Han''s round crystal blue eyes shined brightly as she answered her mommy''s question.


    Eli let out a light fluttery chuckle. She looked at her son who was looking back at her with pure innocence and love, "Thank you for this flower, my love! You made me so happy!"


    "Jiheehee!!!!" Little Han finally heard the words he wanted to hear. When Eli told him that she made him happy, his eyes curved into two crescent moons and leaned over to hug his mommy in satisfaction.


    Seeing the sweet interaction of the mother and son, everyone around them was also affected by the warmth.


    The kids around, saw the human kid demonstrate how to give the flower crowns to their mothers.


    And with his example, the kids ran back to their family homes, looked for their mom, and gave the flower crowns just like how Little Han did it - say your mommy is pretty!


    Seeing the elf kids carry out their ns, Calderon elbowed his best friend once again and said, "Hey, give yours to auntie. Now is the time! Look at the kids, they also went home to find their moms and give the crowns. If you dilly dally any longer, you''ll lose such perfect timing."


    "Hush your words, I ask you as well, you made some flower crowns and so to whom will you give that?" Elifas barked back in a hushed tone so that it could not be heard by the people around them.


    "Oh, don''t mind me, I gave it to Elder Alva earlier. Look!" Calderon proudly pointed at the elderly elf, who was looking peacefully at the scene in the flower field.


    Elder Alva was one of the oldest elves in the vige and all of her have grown and transferred to the Green Wave maind. Unable to bear the thought of leaving her husband''s resting ce, she insisted on staying in the vige thus upying the longest seat as an elder, assisting the Chief in leading the vige.


    Elifas choked upon seeing that Calderon had quickly resolved the issue. He must admit that Calderon''s choice was rather brilliant, for if all children would follow the suit, then the elder will not receive any flower crowns from the younger generation!


    But soon, Elifas was awakened by the pressuring gaze of his friend, who had proudly done his task of offering the flower crown.


    "Tsk¡­" He gave a low grunt and finally stepped to move toward Azayn''s direction. In the back of his mind, he was questioning himself -


    Why did anyone tell him that it was required to make a flower crown and give it to your respective moms?


    Nevertheless, it is not that he was forced to do so, in fact, he wanted to give one too. He missed his mom so much, but his mom had been busy because of the mysterious matters arising from the vige relics.


    The only problem is, he did not know how to do it without feeling too embarrassed.


    "M-mom¡­" He weakly called from behind.


    "En?" Azayn was enjoying the seemingly innocent gestures of the kids and finally looked rxed for the first time in a month. With her easing mood, she dazedly responded to her son.


    "I¡­" Elifas choked once again, not finding any words to say at this crucial moment.


    "Pfft¡­" Calderon could not help but let out a teasing snort as he saw his friend chickening out over such a simple task.


    Elifas felt a huge wave of heat and embarrassment melting the back of his neck. He felt that it was too much to bear as he saw that Eli, Little Han, and Baobao were also looking at him, aside from his confused mother.


    Feeling that he could no longer escape anymore, he nervously pursed his lips and quickly ced the flower crown on her mother''s head.


    He specifically used his wind powers to carry out the entire action, unconsciously showing off the abilities he had to be able to finish the magic tournament in one of the top three spots.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Then with the same ability, he quickly ran and hid to who knows where!


    Blink blink¡­. Azayn remained still as she saw his son quickly approach and quickly disappear. Only when she faintly smelled the delicate fragrance on top of her head did she realize what his awkward son did.


    "Oh¡­ he made me one too¡­" She stood up straight, but she was not able to see what the crown looked like, so she raised her hand and carefully touched the flowers on her head, afraid that she would ruin it.


    "You looked even prettier, Azayn!" Eli saw that Azayn was in a daze, probably because she was not expecting such a gesture to be done by her son. And so, with a little more push, she continued, "Isn''t it right, my love?"


    "Yesh!!! Aunchyyy pwetty!!" Little Han is in perfect sync with his mom as he seconded.


    "That''s right Auntie!" It was Calderon who spoke next, one could still see his watery eyes and his hand firmly clutching his stomach as if he just had a goodugh.


    "You should have known auntie, Elifas even coaxed Little Han here to teach him how to make one just for you!"


    "Yesh!!!" Little Han answered once again.


    Only then did Azayn realize what her son truly did, "Is that so¡­" She answered gently with a beautiful warm smile blooming on her face.


    "Do I look good in it?" She asked once again, this time there was a hint of red heating up her eyes, but she smiled widely nheless.


    "Yes indeed!" The people around her answered affirmatively.


    This warm atmosphere extended all the way to the banquet garden where the meals were prepared for Eli and the rest.


    The men who were waiting at the dining tables all looked surprised to see that all the married women in the vige wore flower crowns on their heads.


    Soon it reached their ears that it was a gesture made by the kids, led by Little Han.


    They were shocked and even more pleased. No one had made such a great wave of action thatpletely made the atmosphere of the vige warm and even livelier.


    The atmosphere became harmonious, even as they took a meal, the fathers, Leon and Koehthar included, looked at their respective children with approval and pride.


    This son of theirs finally knew how to please the only empress of their household!


    Chief Eirllon looked at the people with a gratified expression. His vige has always been harmonious and peaceful, but at this moment, it''s even more beautiful.


    After the wonderfulmunity meal, Chief Eirllon along with the officials meet the family of three and Kayden once again.


    They were on their way to travel back to the capital before the night arrived and so they met once again for their farewells.


    "Young Eli, would you pleasee forward?" Chief Eirllon gently called Eli to which she responded.


    Then as she went near, Chief Eirllon waved his hands and ced something in front of Eli as witnessed by everyone.


    Apart from Kayden, Leon, and Eli, the rest of the people in the room did not show any signs of surprise. In fact, they even looked like they were expecting this situation to happen.


    "Chief, Grandpa Eirllon¡­ this¡­" Eli looked at the elderly elf in front of her and asked in shock.


    "It''s time for the staff to be held by Guardian Asa''s people." Chief Eirllon no longer exined and just briefly left these words.


    "But¡­" Eli protested and once again tried to reason out, the staff is too mysterious and important for her to take. But when she looked around, all she could see was a rxed and assured smile from all the elders and officials of the vige, even Azayn and Koehthar.


    "I am sure that it is also what the Protectors intended." Chief Eirllon answered.


    "Waaaahhh¡­. Mommyyyyyyy!"


    Just as Eli was about to persuade the elven people once again, they were suddenly interrupted by Little Han''s uneasy cry.

 Chapter 452 Thinking Deeply

    ?Leon, who was holding Little Han, was equally startled.


    He protectively supported Little Han''s body, who suddenlyunched toward the direction of the staff from his embrace. In a second, he was afraid that Little Han''s sudden action would cause him to hurt his body.


    "Let hime¡­ the child is more sensitive. He can feel what belongs to him¡­" Chief Eirllon gently advised the flustered Leon.


    Heeding the advice of the elder, Leon walked towards Eli and the staff, letting Little Han see the staff that was ced in the box.


    "*sniff¡­ wuwuwuwu¡­ *sniff*"Little Han leaned down once again, wanting to stand on the wide table to touch the staff.


    Seeing the Chief''s nod, Leon let Little Han do what he wanted to do, with Eli and him watching over him just in case he would fall from the table.


    Little Han still whimpered as he squatted intently looking into the staff. His chubby little hands hovered on the ss covering of the staff while his face looked extremely sad.


    While Chief and the other elves in the room might have thought that Little Han was acting like this because he felt the connection to the staff due to having half of the bloodline of Asani, Eli thought differently.


    Back when she saw the vision the first time, she never really took notice of the appearance of the boy that was with Guardian Asa. Only when she saw the child the second time did Eli finally realize something.


    Little Han might be the soul of the poor boy saved by the Guardian Asa with thest of his life force.


    Although this fact surprised Eli, she easily epted the possibility that Little Han is a reincarnation of that boy, because she herself is a transmigrator.


    "Wuwuwu¡­ *sniff*" With a face full of sadness, Little Han rested his head on top of the ss as if wanting to hug the staff on his own.


    This scene caused heartache for all the adults in the area. They now finally felt that Little Han''s sadness seemed to be unusual.


    "It''s fine, we''ll take it home. Then you can look at it even more closely¡­" Eli gently caressed Little Han''s redhead and gently coaxed him to calm down.


    With her coaxing, finally, Little Han lifted his head and hugged his mommy, resting on her shoulders while he clung dependably to her neck.


    It was the first time Leon and the rest saw the ever-cheery Little Han show a deep sense of insecurity, luckily, Eli seemed to know what to do. They heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that the little one calmed down and slowly fell asleep in his mother''s arms.


    It was almost evening when Eli, Leon, Little Han, and Kayden managed to transport back to the cottage in the capital.


    "Big brother, Leon, I''ll get Little Han to the bedroom for a while," Eli told the two men as she was worried that Little Han''s emotions were still unstable.


    "Alright, don''t mind us here¡­" Kayden knew that Eli wanted to ensure that Little Han is alright and so he did not mind.


    "Why not rest for a little while, I''ll make dinner before we continue the talk," Leon suggested.


    "Alright, besides, I need to record my thoughts properly, might as well talkter¡­" Kayden nodded.


    Supposedly the three of them will have to discuss what happened in the vige and try to organize them before saying it to the Emperor and the rest of the core members of the investigationmittee.


    While Eli had openly told everyone what she saw through the vision, there were many things left undiscussed, especially about the fact that the staff had a certain influence now both on Eli and Little Han, which might be an important thing to note.


    Besides, the Chief also opted not to know a lot. After all, he is just the chief of the Silver Dew Vige and his responsibility is guarding the entire forest. As to the matters of the entire elven and non-human race, the leaders of the Green Wave continent still had the one who had to take over.


    Leon quickly prepared dinner with Rosea and Baobao. During dinner time, Eli and Little Han went out, all freshened up.


    Little Han visibly calmed down already, but his energy is still not as high as before he saw the staff.


    Nheless, the dinner finished smoothly and the three went back to the discussion.


    When everything is settled down, and the night is quiet, Little Han is also peacefully in his dreand, Eli Leon and Kayden go to the study to talk about what happened.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Before everything else, I''d like to tell you something about Little Han¡­" Eli opened the discussion by addressing the most important matter for her.


    With that, she exined Little Han''s possible connection with the staff through the vision she saw.


    Listening to Eli''s exnation, the two did not appear to be in disbelief or in surprise. Just like Eli, it was easier for them to ept this fact because they have already experienced the mysterious transmigration of Eli, as well as the unknown origin of Kayden''s ring.


    Leon, on the other hand, had more thoughts in his head, as he remembered the things the guardian told him before they brought Little Han home after the war. Now, what they said to him made a lot more sense.


    However, he chose not to tell Eli right now, just as the guardians advised.


    "Then that means that Little Han might also demonstrate some ability to interact with the staff like you do?" Kayden asked Eli.


    "It is highly possible, most probably he could have more control over it than I do," Eli confirmed. She looked at Leon to see if he had something to say, but he only answered her with an assuring look.


    No matter what Little Han turned out to be, may he be someone with overwhelming talent or a normal kid, Leon assured Eli that he will be by their side.


    "Eli¡­ how about the strange power you felt from the fake pdin," Kayden asked, but upon hearing the contents of Eli''s vision earlier, he already had some thoughts in his head.


    "You might have thought that what the Guardian Asa was pertaining to might be the fake guardian, but it might not be the entire truth." Eli recognizes the knowing look on Leon and Kayden''s expressions but she immediately tells them what she thinks.


    "When I faced her, I did think that something was mixed into her powers, and after seeing the staff, I must admit that I suspected that she also had the power of Guardian Asa and that his premonition had already been fulfilled without us knowing that it was already happening.


    However, the strength of her powers over the aura the staff gives is far from each other. If I could describe it, what was in the fake pdin''s power was only a drop of Guardian Asa''s power."


    "So it means we still have time. They have not fully seeded in doing it¡­" Leon concluded.


    "Maybe¡­ or maybe not¡­ but I now understand why they needed you in the picture." Eli looked at Leon and reminded the two men, of the fact that the Pope and the Pdin were adamant about Leon marrying the fake pdin.


    Eli''s words also sparked questions in their minds.


    If the Pope''s party had indeed managed to meld Asa''s power into the curse power, then why do they need Leon in the picture?


    "Guardian Ignis also controlled the mortal gate," Eli revealed to the men.


    "Wait¡­ I thought that the Guardian of Fire only governed humankind as their protector?"


    "He did, but after Guardian Asa''s death, he was temporarily assigned as the guardian of the gate, until the emergence of the guardian of Water and Air, who helped the three old guardians in their dominion.


    This meant that Guardian Ignis also had the power to control the mortal gate all along." Eli exined.


    Kayden and Leon stayed silent, this was new information for them. While they knew that Eli interacted with the guardians a lot, they still could notprehend how the heavenly and guardian realms work.


    "My guess is that they found that the remnants of Guardian Asa''s powers left in Prasinos are not enough. As such, they turned their focus on the heirs of Guardian Ignis''s power.


    But at this point I still ask myself, why would they need to insist on marriage with Leon instead of just trying to get him outright?" Eli said in confusion.


    The room was silent for a while, no one talked. They all tried to analyze all the new information they had in hand and try to make sense of it.


    Finally, it was Leon who broke the silence, "This is only my spection, but I think I figured out what they n to do."


    Eli and Kayden looked at him as they waited for his next word.


    "They want tobine the three powers, Birsha''s, Asa''s, and Ignis''s in a natural way¡­ that is, by birthing a child through the fake pdin and me."

 Chapter 453 Uneasiness

    ?Hearing Leon''s words, Kayden frowned with a dark expression.


    "I''m getting goosebumps just by hearing you say that¡­" Hemented.


    On the other hand, Eli''s obsidian eyes emitted a cold dangerous light. Now it was not only an issue of having to stop the Pope from being sessful inbining all the powers to be able to control the mortal gate, but also about some woman coveting her man!


    "I won''t let her even try¡­" Eli said straightforwardly.


    While she knew that at the moment there were manydies who also covet Leon now that he revealed his real powers, it was different when ites to the fake pdin wanting to do the same.


    That woman had the power to make matters hard for her, it will be a tough battle once they meet in a fight once again.


    There is an unpleasant sense of dread and apprehension at the thought of the fake pdin wanting to use Leon in such a way.


    A nagging feeling creeps up in her heart so as to remind her not to becent about the matter, because even if Leon would not be willing to do ''that thing'' with the fake pdin¡­


    Eli will never forget that Leon had once been forced to sleep with ''Elise''s'' body in order to save her.


    It''s not that she thinks Leon would be forced to do that to save another woman. But the fact that the curse power had such a ruthless influence that Eli did not dare to take for granted the fact that a simr scheme might be used once again.


    Looking at Eli''s mood and words, Leon wanted tofort her. However, he just needed to nce at her for a moment to see what she really felt.


    And so he opted to not say anything to make her feel secure.


    In their minds, they both know that the only way for them to feel a sense of security is to defeat all the enemies targeting the peace they were trying so hard to achieve and protect.


    "Records from Lady Elise''s captor show that in order for them to sessfully use a receptor from another body, the receiving one should not have any sense of consciousness. His records pointed out that the best recipients of those were infants or newborn babies.


    And so while we are not sure if there were any changes about that decade-old information, it might not be far from the truth." Leon opted to continue to exin why he was able toe up with that conclusion.


    "What scares me more is that if Little Han''s existence is revealed at this moment, it will not be good." Kayden reminded everyone.


    Leon and Eli''s expressions changed, Kayden is indeed right. More than the fact that the fake pdin coveted Leon''s ''genes'', Little Han''s existence is more threatening to them!


    Especially if they knew that he had the asani blood!


    As parents, Leon and Eli''s hearts turned cold, their auras emitted a dangerous one.


    "Alright then, we have to record all these things and report it to the Emperor and the High Priest." Seeing that the two were now about to freeze the room, Kayden tried to dampen the heavy atmosphere and forcefully ended the discussion.


    Just like that, the serious discussion ended heavily. Each of them had their own thoughts to carry, and resolutions to do.


    However, no matter how much they wanted to resolve things as early as possible, they needed a good rest.


    Going to the bedroom, Leon and Eli quietly entered.


    Eli went directly to check on Little Han while Leon went to the bathroom to freshen up.


    When he finished his shower, he saw Eli standing beside Little Han''s crib while she was staring nkly outside. Leon felt like the matters discussed earlier, coupled with what she saw through the vision upied her mind heavily.


    Now the deep sense of uneasiness had already started to root in her heart her deste figure showed it all.


    "Take a rest, do not dwell on those things for the night." Leon patted her head lovingly as he looked at her silent expression.


    "Whatever it is, we can rely on each other. The situation is different now since we chose to work together. So do not let unpleasant thoughts hinder the peace you can enjoy at the moment." He added.


    Eli looked at Leon and gave a soft nod. She knew that what Leon said was right, but at the moment she could not let go of this uneasy feeling.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing her not saying any word, Leon just looked at her gently and caressed the side of her cheeks.


    Then he softly nted a kiss on her forehead while his arms wrapped around her ever so gently, letting her rest in his embrace to help her reign in her emotions a little bit.


    Leon''s distinct manly scent entered Eli''s nose. It was the scent that brought herfort and calm in the midst of the creeping emotions in her heart.


    She closed her eyes and just let Leon''s warmth cover her for a while.


    Finally, she felt a wave of exhaustion, and the urge to sleep fluttered her eyelids to close. Just Like that, Leon carried her gently to her bed, tucking her in the nket while caressing the top of her head.


    "We''ll get through this, my love¡­" He whispered sincerely.


    nting one soft kiss on her forehead once again, Leon went to Little Han''s crib and did the same, only then did he go to his own bed to take a rest.


    Morning came and another busy day came for Eli and her family.


    Little Han was also an early riser. With his cute spring outdoor outfit, a pair of adorably designed scout shirts and shorts topped with a cap, he walked around the living room giving the adults around a breath of fresh air in the morning.


    "Staffie¡­. Staffie¡­ Johann wants to see!" Little Han pulled his chubby legs and looked at Eli pleadingly, "Can I see mommi?"


    It seems like he had a new favorite thing other than dressing the Wisey''s dormant egg with something warm.


    "I''ll show you for a little while, but son, this staff is not a toy okay? This is important and we should take care of it every time." Eli did not want to spoil her too much, and so while she gave in to his request, she also tried to talk things out with Little Han.


    Little Han tilted his head innocently, probably trying to understand everything his mommy said. Seemingly getting to thest part where they have to take care of the staff, he nodded cutely, "Okiee!"


    Only then did Eli take out the staff and show it to Little Han.


    Like an obedient child, he only really squatted beside the storage box and patiently looked at the staff inside the box through its ss protective cover.


    "Thaykuuu mommi!" After watching it for a while, he finally stood up and smiled at Eli with a face full of contentment.


    After a good breakfast, the family of three along with Baobao prepared to carry on their day.


    Leon and Eli will be reporting to the pce once again while Little Han is scheduled to y right now in the Forgeworn estate with the Farauld and Forgeworn kids.


    Meanwhile, Emperor Valentin is yet to receive any formal notifications from the pope about the investigations of the Ves curse users.


    Though it was roughly only about two days since Eli and the rest sessfully forced the Pope not to enter the Empire, he could not help but be anxious about his next move.


    Nheless, he had to wait for the other party to officially say anything before he thought of a way to respond in the best way possible for his people.


    "Father, the delegates from the other nations were now starting to move out of the capital. Although just like we have predicted, the majority of them chose not to directly leave the Empire but decided to spend their days going to other dominions in the Empire for sightseeing.


    It seems that they n to exhaust the validity of their travel permit." While Emperor Valentin was doing his morning meeting with the council, he listened intently to Kazimir''s report regarding the movements of the guests.


    "It is good then, I''ll leave the smooth sailing transition of these guests to you and Second Prince Antoine." Emperor Valentin looked at both Kazimir and Antoine after hearing their respective reports.


    Seeing them like this, Emperor Valentin''s heart wasforted greatly, despite the impending danger that might arise anywhere in the Empire at any time.


    "Yes, Father Emperor!" Kazimir and Antoine replied with determination.


    Their actions and demeanor were evidently different before they had a change of heart due to their own prejudices against each other.


    The noblemen members of the council were also surprised upon witnessing them grow more cooperative with each other and no longer going at each other''s heads.

 Chapter 454 Contents Of The Book (1)

    ?The most surprising thing was the fact that the Astaze faction became silent.


    They were known before to be those who would aggressively grab the chance to put Antoine in a better position every chance they got.


    Whenever there is a chance to get ahead of the Ves function, they would be the first ones to move.


    However now, it was as if the Astazes have gotten what they wanted and no longer want to brandish their might.


    This gave different reactions from the lesser nobles who could not join any factions. Some were relieved, and others saw it as an opportunity to create their own power and push their own agenda.


    It is just too bad!


    The regtions imposed by the Anti-Curse Committee not only hindered the hidden agenda of the peopleing from outside the empire, but also those who were from the Empire!


    Now that everything is settled, they are now seeing a good opportunity to resume what they want to achieve.


    They looked at the two princes with different thoughts in their minds.


    As of the moment, it seems that the third prince was still the best choice among the three. But looking at the level of trust and confidence Emperor Valentin had given to the two, they were thinking twice.


    After all, the assignment to deal with the foreign delegates of other territories is a very crucial role for a future Emperor.


    For the two princes to be assigned to handle this matter while the Third Prince remained assigned to tasks that involved military and war, might send a subtle message about the Emperor''s preference for his sessor.


    Unbeknownst to them, choosing the heir is not the Emperor''s top priority. His priority has always been protecting his people.


    For what will he leave his sessor when there is no morend to rule and be responsible for?


    While it is his choice not to involve too many people in the matter of the Pope, the danger is wide-scale and real.


    Therefore, while he thinks that these noblemen had their own agenda they wanted to push. He schemed to show in public that he still prefers the first two sons he had as a sessor so as to confuse them and not allow another political battle to start while there is a lingering danger of another war.


    Emperor Valentin looked at the appeased and confused noblemen with concealed satisfaction in his heart.


    Eli''s advice before seemed to be right. Confusing the nobles at this moment proved to help ease a little of the Emperor''s burden and focus on the nning to protect the Empire by confronting the root of evil.


    Nheless, he trusted his two sons to do what they could to hold their ground while he and Leon focused more on the curse users and the Pope''s faction.


    As for the women of the Imperial Family, they are now quite busy because of their recent involvement in the tournament.


    Eli encouraging them to participate in honing the next generation in their own way became the new hobby of the women in the pce.


    And with them and Eli starting a trend, the nobledies also started to take interest in learning beyond etiquette and arts but in other sciences too.


    By now Emperor Valentin prepared everything he could to divert the attention of the majority of the people.


    Now, they only need to see what would be the Pope''s next move. Only then he could mobilize his core team in dealing with the root of all evil.


    It is not that he never nned to involve the other officials. He only wanted to get as much advantage as possible without the enemy catching a clue of their preparations.


    ¨C


    After all the meetings and discussions made by Eli that day, she finally managed to get a short break.


    Instead of going home, she opted to drop by a cafe to take some quiet time for herself.


    The emotions that she had yesterday andst night had yet to settle down in her mind, and while Leon helped her a lot to make herself calm, she really had no time to confront them herself.


    As she was on a carriage to see if there were any quiet cafes around, Eli passed by the block where the Nouvelle Patisserie was located.


    Only then did she remember that she somehow managed to get an honorary membership here because of herical encounter with Anderson and the owner of the Cafe.


    By helping him invent desserts made with matcha, Mr. Nouvelle was so impressed that he awarded her with a membership on the spot.


    "Might as well¡­" Eli decided to drop by the cafe as she told the carriage to stop.


    Greeted by the familiar store owner, she was enthusiastically escorted to a quiet table on the balcony.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While the overall theme of this membership-only cafe was ssic and lowkey, the spot on their balconies was incredibly rxing and cozy, with the right amount of potted greens around.


    She can both enjoy the open city scenery while also enjoying privacy both from the inside of the cafe and out because the railings and nts around her perfectly covered her enough so that people outside could not see her.


    Eli sat on the chair, the wind blowing on her face while the light of thete afternoon sun glowed all around her.


    Waiting for her order might be a little boring because she does not have any smartphone around to fiddle with, so Eli thought that it was a good idea to read.


    Lowering the curtain on the balcony for her privacy, she took her space pouch and browsed for any material to read.


    While she was going through her things, she noticed the ''book'' given by the old leprechaun in the Imperial Archives.


    ''Now that I think about it, I never tried to open it again¡­'' She realized


    ''Maybe I can open it now¡­" Remembering thatst time, she was unable to read any of its contents because for some reason she could not figure out, she did not meet the requirements.


    Now she hoped that she was able to read it as she was sure that her visit to the elven vige might be another requisite.


    No, it could have been the fact that she was able to see the Guardian Asa once again, and she managed to know more about the story of the ''Asanis'' that is why she might be able to read the book this time!


    Before she attempted to open the book, she took some materials to disguise it just in case and she never took it out until her food was served.


    Only then did she secretly set up another privacy barrier and finally took the book out.


    The familiar opening of the first pages of the book greeted her eyes. Seeing it once again made her feel both eager and reluctant at the same time.


    While she wanted to know what information the mysterious leprechaun wrote for her, she was also afraid that it would say yet another pleasant truth about the matters she was having a hard time dealing with.


    But she flipped to the next page, nevertheless, and just like she expected the pages were no longer left nk for her.


    But to her surprise.


    It was not the content she had expected, instead, the next pages were names of people she did not know.


    Eli frowned, yet she tried to look at it one more time.


    "These are the names of the poor souls that met their doom in the ce now called the blood valley¡­"


    What was written on the pages were more than a hundred names, men, women, and children all ounted for.


    She read through the names and noticed that at the end of the roster, the Leprechaun made a note that the number of people in the registry was the same as the number of bodies left in the massacred vige.


    ''So they all died?'' Eli asked herself.


    If they all died, how then did Elise, the asani survive?


    Also, the time when the massacre happened was during the time when Emperor Valentin was not yet even crowned as the sessor to the throne.


    He has yet to marry anyone and also Leon and the rest were not yet born.


    If she remembered, Elise was biologically about four years younger than Kayden and Leon. So even if there would be a surviving child in the vige, it will not grow old enough to match Eli and Leon''s ages.


    The timeline does not add up!


    ''Could it be that there are unounted Asanis in the first ce?'' She thought to herself.


    Deeply confused, she flipped through the next pages hoping that she would find the answers from the leprechaun''s notes.


    "While all are ounted for, there was something they did not manage to record.


    However, even if they manage to get a hold of this information at that time, they would no longer understand it in the first ce.


    Because found in the traces of the vige were mysterious relics that do not belong to this time and world, just like the knowledge you have, Eli¡­" The Leprechaun wrote it in a way that the book talks to Eli and Eli alone.


    "Materials that contain the knowledge of the modern world and several sets of preserved materials from a man and a woman of Asani blood¡­"

 Chapter 455 Contents Of The Book (2)

    ?Huff! Huff! Huff!!


    As soon as she finished reading the rest of the book, she no longer dyed any further.


    She immediately contacted Leon and Kayden to meet her back in the cottage for the things she just found out.


    Waiting in the study, Eli looked at the book on the table with a troubled look on her face. She had a lot of questions after reading the book, however, just as it was written in its contents and the Leprechaun''s words¡­


    That''s all that the Leprechaun could find in his own capacity.


    It did not take that long to see Leon and Kayden rush inside the room. Seeing Eli''s expression they immediately asked her worriedly. "What''s the matter?"


    "I managed to read the contents of this book¡­" Eli looked at Leon and pointed at the book resting on the table.


    "A book?" Kayden, who did not know about the book, asked the two in confusion.


    Since Eli also called Kayden to listen to their discussion, Leon immediately exined, "During their investigation in the imperial archives, the guardian leprechaun gave her this book that might contain everything Eli needed to know about Asanis."


    Kayden shed an enlightened look and nodded. He then gestured to everyone, this might be a long discussion, so why not we all sit down?


    At Kayden''s reminder, the two agreed and did as he suggested. Only when Eli appeared to have calmed down did Kayden ask her to continue.


    Eli took a deep breath and started to narrate the contents of the book,


    "The first part of the book is the roster of all the names of the Asanis registered and dead in the vige. All of them, men, women, children, even those who were unborn were there¡­ Being all that was ounted for, the mystery of Elise''s origin started to arise."


    She then showed the names of the people to the men and Leon nodded, since the information came from the Leprechaun, then it should match the records in the imperial registry.


    But thest sentence Eli uttered made Kayden and Leon look at each other.


    Now that she mentioned it, they never really got to the bottom of Eli''s origin other than the fact that they initially rescued her because it was an imperial order from his father.


    "I have not really asked Father Emperor about how he was able to know about the Asanis but he only said that it was the advice of the Elders at the time. I supposed the old Leprechaun can also be an elder." Leon exined.


    "It is as you said, the old Leprechaun has narrated in here the events that led to the rescue of Elise, the original riverfort asani¡­"Eli confirmed Leon''s words and continued,


    "Back then since the old Leprechaun is bound in the dimension of the Imperial Library, he was only able to get through the information with his ''friends'', the earth fairies asionally visiting him in ce.


    There he was able to keep in touch with the things that happened on the surface and stumbled upon the information about ''a child looking like an asani being held captive by a madman.


    Only then did he conclude that Elise was back then, thest asani who exists.


    Upon hearing of the sessful rescue, the curiosity of the Leprechaun led him to investigate where thest Asani originated.


    He started to trace everything back to the Portia Valley, the only dwelling ce of the Asani tribe, and went over the records of the incident that killed them all and had also managed to trigger a war in the blood valley.


    If it was before, it could be said that the Spectre at that time deliberately chose to attack the Asani and start a war because they were working with Carolina and the Vess to secure a position in the imperial pce.


    But now, from what we have learned in the elf vige and the information from the Elder Leprechaun, we could clearly see that the Asani was the Spectre''s target all along.


    The war eventually happened because it was done as a diversion for their real goal.


    Also, I have found that this war not only almost caused the life of Leon''s grandfather but also was the true reason for Governor Fidel''s to self-exile to the north because of the guilt that he was unable to protect such a small tribe!"


    Eli continued,<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "While going through the reports, the Elder Leprechaun also mentioned the relics left by the Asani which the actual items were never retrieved."


    She looked at Leon and Kayden, then showed them the list of the possible relics taken away from the Portia Valley, which was now called the Blood Valley.


    Seeing the list of items, Leon and Kayden paused upon reading a particr item in the list. "A spatial ring that contained books of knowledge¡­"


    "Indeed." Eli nodded as he looked at Kayden.


    Kayden frowned and said, "But it says here that it contained preserved matter from an Asani male and female. I can assure you, I have gone through the contents of the ring and found no such thing other than the books and stack of records.


    Not even something that mentioned the Asani was in there."


    Kayden took the ring attached to a ne, gesturing to them that they can check its contents. "Besides, does that mean that my parents might be involved in this matter?


    Eli lifted her head and said, "Probably, but there''s more to it than the ring alone¡­."


    "The Elder Leprechaun did look into Brother Kayden''s parents and have found out that the ring your father possessed was indeed one of those rings they have gotten, but he cannot confirm if the ring contained the same things as what was written here.


    Also, the basis of this list was actually the vige records and writings left behind by the dead citizens. Thus, he could no longer verify whether this list was urate.


    Not only that, the old Leprechaun believed that the matter of your parent''s disappearance was also because of their possession of the ring.


    And if I could continue the story, it also made sense why they were hunting you as Doctor Kayden." Eli looked at Kayden with a serious look.


    "So the Leprechaun meant that somehow, the Spectre was hoping to get the ring because of the things listed in here, in particr the preserved matters?" Kayden asked.


    "It''s highly likely¡­ More importantly, the Leprechaun theorized that somehow, your parents did manage to use those matters sessfully, that is why the Spectre searched for them in the first ce."


    "What do you mean?" Leon frowned and was greatly confused, "How could we say that they seeded?"


    Eli looked at the two and told them her own theory, "The sess would be me or to be precise, Elise''s body."


    Leon and Kayden frowned, how does Elise''s survival be the measure of his parent''s sess?


    Eli did not me them either, especially Kayden, because even though his knowledge is advanced for this world, she knew the kind of books he had in the ring, and none of them contained materials about in-vitro fertilization or surrogacy.


    And so Eli slowly exined to them how Kayden''s parents could have possibly used the preserved female eggs and sperm from the mysterious ring. From the basic science of fertilization to the concept of surrogacy, she told them how it was physically possible.


    "So are you saying that my mother might have carried you¡­ no Elise in her womb and gave birth to her as a surrogate mother?" Kayden felt like he was floating in the void.


    The information was too much for him to take and even if this was all theory, how could he possibly imagine that his parents would attempt to do such a thing?


    "Big Brother, it might not be the case, it can also be possible that they asked someone to participate in the experiment as the surrogate." Eli knew that Kayden''s mind and heart would be in turmoil at the moment so she reminded him that it was only a theory she and the Leprechaun came up with.


    Leon looked at his friend and tapped his shoulder as if tofort him. The talk about his long-lost parents is a great thorn in Kayden''s heart and now that there were clues about their disappearance, he knew that Kayden was definitely shaken.


    Kayden shook his head and in his eyes, Leon and Eli could see that he believed in that theory, "It is highly possible¡­


    Because from what I remember, my parents will not stop until they seed in the research they set their eyes on.


    Besides, I was four when they started to leave me to the Silver Dew forest and disappeared for a year and a half because of some medical journey. They did go back for a little while after that but the next time they left, they never came back again."


    "The timelines add up¡­" Leon looked at Eli and Kayden, as he concluded.

 Chapter 456 In A Mans Tears

    ?"Even so¡­ we cannot say the thing about Big Brother Kayden''s mother being ''my'' surrogate mom is not definite. But the Leprechaun firmly believed that I am the only true blood asani alive." Eli was actually afraid that this theory would scare both Kayden and Leon.


    After all, the idea of conceiving someone else''s child was quite impossible in their age and era.


    Leon frowned and asked,pletely confused, "Why so?"


    "That was because the Leprechaun could only provide theories about what could have happened, with his information only gotten through the earth fairies that witnessed certain events, he could only analyze the pieces of information about everything." Eli reminded them.


    Kayden and Leon had the calmest expressions on their faces, but Eli knew that their hearts were now in turmoil.


    It is about Kayden''s parents¡­


    It is about Elise''s origin¡­


    As well as the future of everyone in Prasinos.


    After a long moment of silence, as the room was filled with the orange gloom of the sunset, Leon looked at Eli once again.


    His eyes carried a deepyer of acknowledgment, of a burden and responsibility, "Is there anything else we need to know?"


    Eli sighed and nodded, she looked at the two men once again. Unknowingly, they have be the strongest pir of support she had in her journey in Prasinos.


    One is her lover, a steadfast pir of support and the anchor of her emotions.


    One stood as her brother, the person who took her patiently and acknowledged her ever-entric thinking.


    "In this book, the Leprechaun firmly believed that the only Asani bloodline living was from me. Therefore the only people with the real asani bloodline would be me and Little Han."


    "Even so¡­ why would the Leprechaun believe that you and Little Han were thest Asanis and that the enemy was unable to seed in ''creating'' another one?" Above all this, Kayden was still unconvinced about the evidence of Eli and her son being the only Asani''s alive.


    "ording to the fairies who witnessed the people responsible for the kidnapping of Big Brother''s parents, the first thing they looked for was the preserved egg cell and sperm from the ring. Which was as you said, no longer present in the ring by the time it came to your possession." Eli replied.


    Then she looked at the two and continued, "Moreover there was something he also told me in this book that has to be done immediately¡­"


    Leon and Kayden lifted their heads, meeting Eli''s eyes.


    "The Leprechaun said that the fairies havee to discover something more in the Portia Valley¡­ the old vige of the Asanis.


    But they could not enter the ce.


    When he looked at the records, he discovered that there was no such ce as the fairies have described, and so he concluded that there might be something like a barrier against intrusion in that ce.


    He also wrote that I might be able to get past that barrier and see for myself what that ce has in store for me."


    "That would be too dangerous¡­ We do not know if that ce would have traps as well." Leon did not need to hear from Eli that she needed to go, but his heart was again full of fear, especially when she suffered a lot thest time he allowed her in the front lines, confronting the fake pdin and the pope.


    "Let''s not decide for it hastily. Besides, even if we wanted to go, we have to ask for the Emperor''s permission." Leon added.


    Eli did not protest, Kayden also remained silent.


    After Eli told them most of the things they needed to hear, she took the book and let Kayden read its contents.


    There was some information about his parents in the book, unfortunately, it could only be opened now, and they were unable to find out about it sooner.


    Eli was also afraid that Kayden would resent the Leprechaun who only took out this information after so many years. She did not want Kayden to be shrouded by such darkness, especially when she knew that all he did was research and study for the greater good of people.


    Leon felt Eli''s worries but he did not say anything.


    "Eli, my love. It''s getting dark but I am afraid that I still need to talk to Kayden for a bit longer. May I ask you to fetch Little Han in my stead?" He asked Eli with a coaxing tone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli nodded and got Leon''s intentions. She smiled and left after saying goodbye. She hoped that Leon would help Kayden breeze through the news that surely shook his entire being.


    "What are your thoughts?" It was rare for Leon to be someone who would offer advice to his best friend.


    Since they have known each other, it was always Kayden who would tell him advice and listen to his emotional outbreaks.


    From the time he was thrown to the battlefield at an early age, and the nights when he had to run to Kayden''s ce because he was severely injured.


    From the time that he had to take such a difficult decision to break his morals to save Elise.


    Kayden has been there.


    Now it was Kayden''s turn to have him at this moment.


    He knew all along, that despite the dedication Kayden had for medicine and research, he was still a broken person because of his parent''s loss.


    They were already almost in their 30s yet Kayden was still struggling. His passion for medicine and research was the only one to keep him distracted all these years.


    Watching him create his own bubble, Leon allowed the riverfort crew and Eli to be with him even so. He became especially bright when Little Han was born.


    However, the wounds were still there and it is being exposed out in the open.


    Leon could see from the trembling of his friend''s shoulders the longing he had for his parents.


    "All these years, I have given up finding the truth about them. That all I need is closure for what happened to them all these years." Finally, his friend chose to talk and let out his feelings.


    Kayden''s voice was trembling, which Leon hadn''t heard for a while apart from his mourning about Elise''s passing.


    "I have been happy these days because I felt more fulfilled than I have ever been in Riverfort. But I did not know that hearing something about my parents still had this effect on me."


    Kayden''s eyes were filled with the pain that only ever emerged when he found out that Elise had died.


    "Leon¡­ now I could not help but think that I have no ability after all. If the Leprechaun''s theory is true, then not only did I fail to protect Elise as my sister, but my parent''s very own legacy¡­" The guilt that he thought he had already let go of before was now exposed once again.


    Kayden felt anotheryer of the wound being etched in his heart.


    Guilt, helplessness, confusion, and longing. Not only for his parents but for Elise who could now possibly be his sister if she was cultivated in his mother''s womb.


    "Your parent''s legacy did not die, Elise''s legacy did not die either, because Little Han is alive and well. The heavens looked upon you and sent Eli here¡­ to continue both their legacies."


    Leon knew that more than the fact that Kayden might resent the Leprechaun for only telling this information now, Kayden was tortured by these facts that he mentioned.


    "Leon¡­ I want to know what happened to my parents. I want to know how they really got the ring¡­ before I assumed that it came from the Spectre since they were the ones who went after them, but now reading this information, they might have been involved in something deeper." Kayden''s reddened eyes looked at his friend with determination.


    "I want to resolve this feeling that burdens me now. I buried it for more than twenty years¡­ Would I be selfish if I insisted on finding out about them?" He asked with a somewhat childish tone when his eyes were already wet with tears as his voice quivered in sorrow.


    "Now you weren''t¡­ Kayden you deserve to know the truth." Leon told him what he truly felt.


    He did not mind if by saying so, Kayden would just disappear in these crucial times to get what he wanted, but even so, he wanted to help his friend not leave him alone to solve the matter. "But where do you start?"


    "Portia Valley, I need to go there at all costs," Kayden replied.


    "But you know that almost everything there was cleaned up. Nothing remained there except for the tomb¡­ and the secret ce that the Elder Leprechaun mentioned." Leon frowned, while he supported Kayden''s decision, he did not want him to go in circles.


    "Even so, I need to¡­" Kayden''s expression broke once again, another set of hot searing tears rolled down his cheeks as he brushed his hands on his hair.


    "My dear friend, what should I do now? I am starting to hope that my parents might still be alive...." Kayden muttered between his heartbreaking sobs.

 Chapter 457 Jumping To The Pit Of Danger

    ?"We do not know what to expect from this information, Kayden¡­" Leon worriedly replied.


    For him, it is good for his friend to pursue the truth behind his parents'' disappearance. But it is also important that Kayden would not be hurt by disappointments.


    "I know¡­" Kayden smiled bitterly and sighed.


    After a little more talk, the men decided to set the matter for tomorrow.


    For now, they will face the warmth nurtured in the little cottage before braving through the matters of the past and the future.


    ¨C


    Another busy morning came to the people living in the cottage.


    While it was already a routine for Eli and the bunch to report in the pce first thing in the morning, this time they were summoned by the Emperor himself.


    They were back yet again in the secured conference room, with all the key members of the Temple and the Committee.


    While the room was tense, serious and quiet, the people inside already had a hunch of what could the Emperor possibly say for summoning them like this.


    And so they waited for his announcement, anticipating another intense session of discussion and brainstorming about how they would handle the situation.


    "I have gathered you here yet again, my most trusted and esteemed members of the council, for a reason all of you might have already guessed." Emperor Valentin finally opened the meeting with his address.


    "The Pope''s side had already sent me a preliminarymunication letter exining everything from their end and how he ns to continue the matter about investigating the curse users held captive in our Court of Sinners.


    He has informed us that the proxy envoy that would facilitate the investigations would be none other than the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire, Ranon." He announced it to everyone.


    "It''s just as expected, for he might be the only one with ample status and rank amongst all the other officials that visited our Empire for the tournament." Grandmaster Andimented.


    "Did they already inform you what kind of duties he has to assume? Are they still within the reasonable range?" Grandmaster Reuben asked.


    "He only nominally assigned the Crown Prince to represent him in transporting the criminals back to the holy ind. The Pope surely knew where to stand without raising suspicion. He did not insist for us to treat the crown prince more than what his rank would entail but only emphasized that he would only be there to carry out a favor for him." Emperor Valentin replied.


    "However, they still insist on taking out the prisoners outside the Empire." Leon raised his concern, "I think that they were still aiming for two things, to retrieve their people and lure us out of the Empire." He continued.


    "That is why I called you here. After the formalizations on the holy ind and the Vanderford Family were done in about two weeks'' time, we will have no choice but to amodate the Crown Prince.


    ording to the tentative agreement, the initial discussions and investigations would start right after his introduction and they nned to move with the transport immediately." Emperor Valentin exined.


    The people in the room could not help but frown, while the enemy acted almost ording to what they had imagined in the past, they were feeling something was wrong with the situation.


    "Shall we impose some rules about the interaction of the Crown Prince and the prisoners then?" Mishael was one of the people who felt apprehensive about the fact that someone like the Crown Prince would transport the people captive.


    "We can do that, however, I am more concerned about who will be part of the transport party to the holy ind?"


    A long round of discussion started with everyone in the group shooting up different views and ideas about the matter.


    While it might be safe to send the strongest men to apany the Crown Prince in the transport of the criminals, they never know if there would be an attack on those who were left behind.


    They could neither send the strongest party nor leave them behind. Instead, they had to think it through and strike a bnce.


    Along the discussion, Eli and Kayden''s names were also mentioned, however, it was quickly decided that they do not join the transport party because of the possibility that Eli might reveal her true identity as a pdin.


    Following this, all who knew about her being the Pdin were tacitly disqualified, because this is to factor in the possibility that the Pope would fish information about her through the reading of minds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The only person who could defend against that power is Leon who was strong enough to resist the power. While it seemed to be the most rational choice, Eli could not help but feel uneasy.


    Especially when she knew that some girl wanted her future husband''s genes!


    But because there were people around who did not know of her origins and true abilities, she could onlymunicate her grievances through her eyes.


    To which Emperor Valentin, the Grand Masters, Leon, and the rest of Eli''s adoptive brothers understood.


    Emperor Valentin shed a helpless smile and awkwardly looked at Eli, then after letting the people calm down he said, "Do not worry about not having enough people to apany us. I have already coordinated with the officials of the Green Wave Continent, and they also support us in the investigation of the curse users.


    With them in the picture, even the Pope would have to think twice about making some sneaky moves. Because this time he will realize that many eyes were on him."


    This statement made the people in the room calm down. If the third strongest Empires would join them in counterbncing the obvious teaming up of the holy ind and the Vandeford, it will be less difficult for Seirende Empire to hold their ground.


    In the end, Leon was chosen to lead the transport party along with Anderson and Siegfried. They will be apanied by the prestigious Imperial Sky Knights and the Temple Knights who were not privy to the information about Eli.


    As for Mishael being the captain of the knights, he shrugged and only said that he wille up with a random reason why he will not be able to apany his knights.


    After all, is settled, the Emperor dismissed them and informed them that he will now coordinate with the Green Wave institute for the people they will send to watch over the entire transport.


    Eli, Leon, and Kayden allowed those who were unaware of the true matters of the Asani to leave for a moment, before telling the Emperor that they had something to say.


    The people left behind were only the Grandmasters, High Priest Enoch, and Governor Fidel. While initially, Governor Fidel was not involved in this matter, he had to be the only person in the room who knew about the Portia Valley well, because it lies on the farthest ends of the Northern Borders which is his domain.


    Eli then exined to them what she managed to get through the Leprechaun''s words. She expected that the elders might suspect the information given by the Elder Leprechaun but to her surprise, upon hearing that this came from the entric guardian of the library, they all just nodded and allowed her to continue.


    It seems like the Elder Leprechaun''s identity is far more mysterious than they imagined!


    In the end, Kayden and Eli expressed their desire to go to the Portia Valley and look for more evidence. The risk was that they now know what awaits them should they manage to enter that unknown ce and also could not guarantee that they coulde back safely.


    Hearing the information, Governor Fidel lowered his gaze into deep contemtion.


    There was a trace of sadness and guilt in his eyes, something that was so subtle that only the elder generation in the room caught sight of it.


    "As far as I know, we have already explored the entire vicinity of the Asani vige, but we did not also see something peculiar about it. But if you insist, you can also check it as it was written in the Elder''s book¡­" Governor Fidelmented.


    "But are you sure you wanted to go there even if the journey would be fruitless?" He asked Eli and Kayden once again.


    Kayden nodded with determination. At this point, nothing can stop him from going, not even a possibility of a great breakthroughing in his current research studies.


    As for Eli, she looked at Leon once more.


    The two of them had already talked about itst night, and even almost quarreled.


    Unfortunately, it seems like both of them must be in a ce where they had to separate. ces that would surely be ridden in danger, where the two of them need to face separately alone.


    Leon had a helpless look on his face, but then after a heavy sigh, he looked at Eli and nodded.


    Bottling up the uneasiness in their hearts Eli and Leon epted their roles today.


    Leon and her will both jump into the cliff of danger, and they could do nothing but confront it with all their might!

 Chapter 458 Decisive Travel

    ?The next day, Eli and Kayden are already prepared to embark on their journey to the Portia Valley.


    Governor Fidel will apany them until the entrance of the old asani vige he will immediately go back to assist the Emperor when the envoyse.


    Meanwhile, Leon became a single daddy.


    There was still a little more time before the Crown Prince attends as the envoy of the Pope, and ording to the intelligence they have gathered, he was still going around the Capital exploring some tourist destinations.


    Of course, each and every move he makes did not go unwatched by Leon''s men. So far, none of his movements were suspicious.


    On the other hand, Leon had to take care of Little Han on good days and leave him with either the Forgeworns or Faraulds on busy days.


    "Daddiii! Owfish~~~" Little Han happily cheered as he was carried by Leon to the teleportation array. He is excited to y once again with the brave big brothers in his father''s office.


    "Aren''t you excited, little one?" Leon nced at Little Han with a helpless indulgent smile. Seeing his son''s happy and carefree face, he touched his tiny nose gently.


    He was d to see Little Han act carefree and not uneasy about not seeing Eli. He prayed that it would stay like this until Eli came back, or he would be helpless on what to do.


    "Ayeeee! Johann ys with daddy owfish!!" Little Han answered cheerfully, an unmasked excitement glowed in his crystal blue eyes.


    When they finally finished teleporting, Little Han wiggled excitedly in his father''s arms as his eyes were stuck outside in the training field where the des were doing their morning routine.


    "Yayyy!!!" He eximed while asking his father to let him down so he could walk around therge training field.


    While the father and son were being greeted by the des, Little Han bounced cheerily as he walked towards his favorite spot in the field - it was the shaded part under the tree where he first yed with his Uncle ze.


    The men watched him with delight in their eyes, watching the toddler do his own thing, asionally asking the des to help him spread his ying mat on the grass mat and then politely saying thank you afterward.


    Sometimes, he would interact with the des curiously, like asking them what is the thing (weapon) they are holding.


    Little Han is a sensible child, he knows when they are busy and when they are idling.


    "Umcle umcle¡­ can you teech me how to swoosh??" At one point he asked the de how to use the sword.


    "Errr¡­ young master, this sword is too heavy for you¡­ I can''t teach you the sword yet. But when you grow up a little bit more, all of us can teach you how to handle the sword." While the de was ted that he had finally talked with the little master, he had to unfortunately decline his request to touch the sword.


    "Oww¡­ Awieee¡­" When Little Han heard the de''s gentle refusal, he was downcast and sad. His eyes formed heartbreaking puppy dog eyes as he tried to bargain, "Umcle, can I touchie???"


    "Errr¡­" The de looked around deeply troubled.


    Seeing Little Han''s pitiful puppy dog eyes made him unable to refuse outright. When he looked around all his brother''s des turned their backs on him, unable to help him reject the adorable little prince.


    "You guys¡­" Feeling alone and betrayed by their actions the poor de''s eyebrows twitch uncontrobly.


    In the end, he sighed andpromised, "Young master, this de is truly dangerous for you. Master will also scold us if ever you get hurt by the sword. Why not do it like this, I will make you a little wooden sword for you to use?"


    "Weally?" Little Han looked up at the de with excitement, his eyes beaming in anticipation.


    "Yes, only if you can wait until it is finished, young master." The de reminded me.


    "Owkieee!!! Owkieee!! Thayku umcle!!!!" Little Han pped happily as he smiled and thanked the de.


    The next moment, the de sat beside the shaded tree while Little Han sat beside him sculpting the wooden sword he will give to Little Han.


    He chose a specific wood that was light and suitable for Little Han''s size and he ensured that the edges were smooth and not pointy so that he would not get hurt by it.


    He also made its own leather scabbard, so that Little Han could keep it nicely whenever he wanted it out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Finally, before giving it to Little Han he told Baobao not to let Little Han y unattended with the sword so as to not cause any untoward idents.


    No matter how safe the object can be, it can still hurt the young when they were not under adult supervision. Even a small piece of the toy can choke a child to death when it was swallowed away from the adult''s sight.


    When Little Han received the sword, he was incredibly happy. He even grabbed the hem of the de''s uniform and hugged his thigh happily to say thank you.


    "Thayku Umcle!!! Little Han likes swoosh so much!" He squealed.


    "You''re wee Little Master!" Seeing Little Han''s face made the de feel that the work he did is worth it.


    The next moment, the de taught him some simple moves suitable for Little Han''s current physique. In essence, it could not be considered as sword fighting moves but rather light exercises to improve the toddler''s motor skills.


    For they were very well aware of how fragile and weak a toddler''s body could be aspared to children of suitable ages to start with sword fighting.


    Little Han became highly interested in the exercise, so much so that he would insist on going to the barracks and ''attend practice'' every day. This went on for the seeding days until Leon became truly busy with the envoy''s arrival.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, Eli and Kayden finally reached the entrance of the asani vige in the Portia, or Blood Valley.


    "This is the Portia Vige, the only vige that housed the small tribe of the Asanis." Governor Fidel introduced the ce."


    Eli and Kayden looked around Portia Vige as it was quite remote and hard to locate, especially when it was located beside the mountain wall.


    As it was located in the blood valley, it looked so deste and eerie. There lingered a trace of chaos and deathly struggle in the vast expanse of the valley itself.


    Contrary to the name blood valley, the surroundings were not colored red, rather, it was because of the number of people that died unjustly in thend that it got its new name.


    "I''m sorry that I could only escort you here¡­ up until now, I have had no courage to step inside the vige once more¡­ I''ll leave this troop to apany you on the journey. I''ll be going back to the Capital and reporting to the Emperor."


    Governor Fidel reminded them. In his usually calm face was a trace of destion, regret, and sorrow.


    Kayden and Eli could now understand why he was acting like this, so theyforted the Governor and assured him that they would bepletely fine continuing the journey without him. They also thanked him for giving them troops to apany them further.


    After all, the troops might help them in times when two people were not enough in the fight.


    And so Eli and Kayden with a small troop of seven scouting knights entered the vige and explored the ce.


    As they walked deeper, they finally found traces of the habitations of the previous asanis. However, there was no longer a single hut that remained intact.


    All of them were only remnants, as the remaining wooden poles and huts were burnt and torn down.


    "Are we going to dig these ces?" Eli found the ce rather heavy as if there was something in her that grieved deeply.


    They are here to investigate deeply and find the trace of the remaining relics left by the Asanis, however, with the scarce traces of the previous vige, how are they going to find any clues? The traces were almost wiped out by the passage of time!


    "Governor Fidel gave me the oldyout of the vige, we can refer to this map and start choosing ces to investigate strategically. Also, you have the clues from the Elder Leprechaun''s notes, we have to remember them and consider those in choosing the ce to search." Kayden calmly exined.


    "Alright then¡­" Eli agreed right away.


    Seeing that it was alreadyte in the afternoon, Eli suggested that the troops look for a ce to prepare for camping. While the troops were doing that, she and Kayden started analyzing the map.


    "We will start on these three ces tomorrow. These ces were the previous ces of the elders and the vige chief back then. Assuming that those relics were quite important to the vige, then they might be housed in one of the official''s residences¡­"

 Chapter 459 Searching Through The Old Asani Village

    ?The search and digging started first thing in the morning.


    Because they were racing against time, Eli did not hold back and used the earth fairies to also scout the area while the troops went with Kayden to help with the manual work.


    With their pace, they were able to finish searching the top three spots they have decided to investigate, but to no avail.


    The only things they were able to get were bits and pieces of rubble which were the only evidence that the asanis had once existed in the ce.


    The second night of staying in the vige was rather gloomy, everyone was tired of having to toil in the vige without any fruitful results.


    While the vige is considered small, it still housed a hundred or so people and a team of fewer than ten people would not be enough to search through the vige on the spot.


    "Governor Fidel also mentioned that not far from here was the graveyard for the bodies. Somehow, someone is telling me to take a look at the graveyard¡­ it might be probably my lineage wanting to see my kin after so long." Eli approached Kayden who was engrossed in figuring out which sites to dig and told her concern.


    Realizing the fact that Eli''s body is still of an asani descent, he nodded and replied apologetically, "It''s my fault for not remembering it, I was used to forgetting your real lineage to conceal it from outsiders. We should have visited the graveyard the moment we arrived in the area¡­"


    "It''s fine brother, I know we are pressed for time. I''ll take Baobao and a knight with me. Then we will join you right after, tomorrow." Eli answered.


    "No, let''s go together. I also wanted to pay respects to them." Kayden patted Eli''s head and replied.


    Knowing that his parents might have yed a big role in preserving the supposed to be lost tribe, he had to face the deceased and carry on the promise to protect the remaining ones, Eli and Little Han.


    The next day, they let the troops carry on the digging on the sites he selected while he and Eli along with Baobao followed one of the knights to the Asani graveyard.


    After trekking for half an hour, they stumbled upon a serene greenery that was protected by the tall rocky mountain wall.


    Eli and Kayden looked at the small clearing and saw the luscious meadows.


    "This is the graveyard for the fallen asani tribe¡­ Governor Fidel chose this ce because it is the most secluded part of the Portia Valley. As soon as he heard the news of the Spectre holding them hostage, he rushed back to the vige to try to save them.


    Unfortunately, the Spectre was too wicked.


    Saying that they were hostages was aplete farce, they have already killed off the people, men, women, elders, and children¡­ not even the children in the womb were spared.


    They even deliberately spread the news of the hostage to give my Master the hope of saving them, only topletely crush his spirit and trap him in the valley to fight for his survival¡­"


    Seeing the grave yet once again, the knight recounted the event that had triggered the war on the blood valley.


    The knight was one of the men that went with Governor Fidel. At the time, he was still young like the governor who still carried the title of the second prince.


    They were assigned to guard the northern borders as a way to train the second prince Fidel for his future role in the empire to assist his older brother.


    Who would have thought that the Spectre would deliberately target him and force him to step into the trap? Not only did he fail to protect the only tribe who lived on the border, but the event had also effectively broken his spirit.


    He had failed his first mission. He had failed to protect the people in his jurisdiction.


    To make matter worse, the event triggered a war that even involved his father and the grandmasters.


    This happened when he came back from settling the dead people from the vige. On his way to his base, in his crestfallen state, he failed to detect that they were surrounded by the Spectre''s men.


    With great struggle, he and the remaining men tried to go back to his base only to find out that they were also being attacked. Seeing that the chances of surviving on their own were slim, he had the young knight find a way to escape and call for reinforcements.


    While he and his remaining men were taken as hostage.


    And while he was in the enemy''s hands, only then did he understand that everything was done to lure his father here and force him to be defeated by assemblingrge numbers of A-grade mages to attack his S-ss father.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    No matter how far the gap between an S-ss and A-ss was when the battle is asrge as the scale of war, one S-ss mage cannot have an easy time facing hundreds of A-ss mages.


    Eli and Kayden were shocked at the information that they were given. In fact, they could only guess Governor Fidel''s involvement in the war but did not really exactly know.


    The news released in the history books was only about thete Emperor Idelfonso''s fight with the mages of the Spectre, a rebellious terrorist organization. No one knew about Governor Fidel being taken hostage during that war.


    "However, do keep the fact that you knew it to my Master. It is a deep old wound that he refuses to let heal over the years." The knight continued his face was full of pain and regrets, probably because of how helpless he was during that time.


    He could only nod with trembling as he froze in fear seeing his master getting subdued by the enemy. The only thing he could do was to run and find a way to contact the capital and ask for reinforcements.


    Eli and Kayden nodded with understanding, they now understood why Governor Fidel self-induced his exile and has always viewed himself unworthy of even acknowledging his identity as a member of the Imperial family.


    If not for the matter of the Spectre and the curse users, who knows when Emperor Valentin will be able to call him back to the pce?


    Eli looked at the graveyard once again, it did not look like a graveyard at all, except for the small marking stones that had crude engravings in them. She recognized the names of these people, it was in the Leprechaun''s book.


    "Governor Fidel carved the memorial stones himself. For he knew their names by heart." The knight exined, as the only tribe he was set to protect, his Master grew naturally close with the Asanis.


    Eli bent down to touch one of the tombstones. Their resting ce was quite simr to their guardian protector Asa, it was filled with greens and forest.


    However, the moment she touched the tombstone, there was a strong sense of aggressiveness and apprehension that washed over her body.


    She frowned, something is wrong with the grave!


    "Is there any problem, my Lady?" Seeing Eli''s change in expression the knight asked worriedly.


    There was a nagging feeling in Eli''s heart, it was a deep sense of dread that she could not brush away. However, she knew that this did note from her, or her subconscious, could it be because of her bloodline?


    "Something is wrong in this graveyard¡­" Eli frowned and looked at the men with him.


    "Master¡­" Finally, Baobao who had always stood quite far behind them to give them privacy, went on all four and finally stepped into the graveyard and sniffed on several memorial stones.


    After sniffing several times, he looked at Eli and reported, "Master, the graveyard is empty!"


    Hearing the report, the knight trembled in shock and eximed in disbelief, "How could it be! Master, I and my fallen brothers personally dug this grave and conducted a simple funeral back then!!!"


    "Master personally carried their bodies to the ground and carved their tombstones!!!" He could not believe what he heard. The people that were supposed to be lying in this graveyard are the people who hold a great weight to his master''s heart.


    Although Kayden and Eli were also shocked, they understood the knight''s emotion.


    "Calm down, Sir Knight. We still need to get to the bottom of this." Eli reminded the knight.


    Kayden nced at her with a knowing look that Eli understood.


    She immediately called in her earth fairies and asked them to inspect the tombs. For even if the graveyards were empty, in this world, it was taboo to just dig out someone''s grave.


    With the knight''s words, it is still true that this is the final resting ce of the asanis and a funeral ceremony was held in this very ce, so they are not to desecrate that because they just want to verify.


    But the earth fairies can help them take a look at it.


    In a few moments, the fairies came back and whispered something to Eli. In turn, she looked at the men and said, "The earth fairies discovered that the tombs were dug from the ground¡­ a tunnel was even made in here."

 Chapter 460 Shocking Discovery

    ?The three looked at each other and decided. They followed the earth fairies and Baobao to see where the tunnel was supposed to lead.


    In the end, they were led to the raging riverside of the forest a good few kilometers away from the graveyard.


    "This is?" Kayden saw the traces of digging that were no longer hidden on the riverside.


    It seems that the perpetrators were confident that no one would ever discover what they did and so they just clumsily left the end of the tunnel they dug out with someyer of soil and went off with the asani corpses.


    "Where does this river lead to?" Eli asked the knights who were familiar with the geographical location of thend.


    The knight had an answer however, he still had to check by looking at hispass and map before he replied with a dark expression,


    "This is Hizalle River which springs forth from the deepest part of the blood valley mountain ranges and the Ocean of the Great Three."


    As soon as Eli and Kayden heard it their expressions also changed. Not only because this river was surely the only way for the corpse to be smuggled but the fact because the river leads to the great ocean outside the country.


    This also means that the corpses were either transported to the Green Wave Continent, the Holy Ind, or the Vanderford!


    "We need to immediately report it to the Governor and the Emperor!" The three of them decided to stop their excursion for today and return to the camp.


    Consequently, night was already approaching as they had traveled quite far from tracing the tunnel.


    As soon as they went back to the camp, Kayden and the knight went together to find a way tomunicate the findings on the Emperor''s side.


    Meanwhile, Eli was forced by the two men to take a rest since they took a long time during the trip.


    With everyone busy to cap off the night, Eli sighed and could only sit on a stone bench to watch the skies.


    She wondered how Little Han and Leon were doing.


    Though it was not the first time being away from the two, Eli still found it unbearable to yearn for the two people who warmed her heart.


    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, remembering every detail of the cottage. Its warmth, its peace, the giggles, and voices that she would never get tired of hearing.


    She looked at the clear sky, with the full moon shining gently around her. Remembering everything she, Leon, and her friends have gone through and will go through¡­ she felt really tired and scared.


    Will this fighting ever end?


    Seeing the skies above, she remembered the words of the Great One. That although she did not hear his voice, he is always with her.


    And so every time the day ended, she would always find in her heart to pray and talk to him. Tell him all her cares and worries, even more, vulnerable as she was with Leon.


    She wondered.


    "Oh Great One, I know your eyes are looking upon me. If the life I have lived pleases you, do let these problems be solved ording to your will, and let me and my family finally live under the peace you have granted in our lives."


    As if the heavens wereforting her, a soft gentle wind surrounded her, whispering like a parentforting an anxious child.


    She closed her eyes and continued to linger on the rare peace she was enjoying. At that moment, she felt secure and her courage was renewed.


    When she opened her eyes, the moonlight was no longer shining directly in the spot where she was sitting.


    Instead, it shone on a part of the forest a few meters away. Eli''s obsidian eyes shed with interest as she caught sight of something glimmering as the moonlight struck it.


    She stood up and quickly went in the direction of that mysterious material. Since she was sure that it might only shine when the moonlight hits it directly, she must not dy any further.


    "Baobao, send for Kayden right away, tell him that I found something unusual, ande quickly." Eli knew that the ce she was in was quite near the camp, but since she did not want to miss the opportunity, she had Baobao call Kayden instead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Very well, Master¡­" Baobao understood Eli''s concerns and so after replying to her, he immediately dashed and looked for Kayden.


    She, on the other hand, immediately walked towards the area and carefully scouted the mysterious object.


    When she was near enough to figure out the thing, she found out that it was actually a piece of crystal gem that could only appear upon being reflected by the moonlight.


    But since she was unsure of what it really was, she waited for Kayden toe with Baobao before touching it. Baobao can easily catch her scent and so she was not afraid of Baobao not finding her in this ce.


    "What''s the matter, Eli?" In just a few moments Kayden had arrived at the spot where Eli was. He definitely rushed to get to Eli immediately as he was still panting from running towards her.


    "Look at this gem, it is quite mysterious. At first, I was not able to see it from the side where I was sitting. However, when the moonlight hit its ce, it suddenly appeared." Eli pointed towards the rock where the gem was glowing faintly as she exined to Kayden.


    "Gem? What gem?" Kayden blinked and looked at Eli, he looked confused as if asking Eli where was the gem she was talking about. "All I could see was a random stone¡­"


    "Can''t you see the way it glows on top of the stone?" Eli frowned, if Kayden could not see it, then she might be hallucinating.


    Then she looked at Baobao and asked the same thing, to which the innocent panda replied the same way Kayden did.


    Eli frowned, could it be that she could only see it?


    She tried once more and called the earth fairies, though they also confirmed that they could not see it, they could feel something unusual in the ce she was pointing at.


    Only then did Eli''s eyes flicker in realization, then she exined it to Kayden. The gem was exactly as the Elder Leprechaun recounted in his book, his earth fairy friends could feel that there was something inside the vige but they could not figure it out nor could they break through.


    "What shall we do then? What if only those with Asani blood could really see the gem you are talking about." Kayden looked at Eli and listened to what she wanted to do.


    "We came to find this very thing. Although there would be the possibility of me being the only one who could enter, let us still try." Eli looked at the gem carefully and the full moon which was about to be covered by arge cloud.


    "We are running out of time." She furrowed her brows and took Kayden''s hand, then she reversed and summoned Baobao just in case. "Let''s be straightforward and touch it¡­"


    "Eli wai-" Kayden was deeply shocked at Eli''s actions, she was extremely reckless!


    What if there''s a trap installed for those who wanted to take the gem? Besides they were not even sure that the gem is the key to entering that mysterious space left by the deceased Asani.


    However, it was already toote for him to stop his little sister. She had already grabbed his hand and touched the gem.


    As soon as Eli''s finger touched the mysterious object, her skin was cut and a drop of blood fell into the clear gem. "Oh¡­" Eli was startled by the sharpness of the gem.


    Ring! The next moment, they heard a mysterious sound and saw with their naked eyes, the crystal clear gem shone in a faint light of red as if responding to Eli''s blood.


    When their minds were yet to process what had actually happened a mysterious light surrounded the area they were in and suddenly they felt a strong suction force attacking their bodies.


    "Ugh¡­ they gritted their teeth. This was not like when they travel on any teleportation arrays. This one is quite violent as the arrays they were in."


    The moment they felt the force disappear, they immediately opened their eyes and realized that they were already in a mysterious ce.


    It was not only a mysterious room but argeboratory filled with equipment, books, and materials.


    "This¡­ this¡­" Eli''s entire body trembled, her eyes were mixed with disbelief and amazement.


    She recognized this equipment and she could not help but question what was happening in this world Prasinos.


    "These equipment were from my world, Big Brother! This is impossible. How could someone bring these technologies here?"


    Could there be someone who could time travel and bring over their equipment to this fantasy world?

 Chapter 461 Crown Prince Ranon Arrives (1)

    ?Capital¡­


    It''s been a week since Eli and Kayden went together to search for clues in the Asani vige.


    Leon and the rest were restless when they received the reports a few days ago.


    The corpses of the ughtered asanis were nowhere to be found and the possibility of it being transported to one of the three ces in the Ocean of the Great Three is extremely high!


    Of course, they could always dismiss it as a simple case of grave robbing. But with the new information from Eli in the silver dew vige and the appearance of the fake pdin, they dared not to take the matter lightly.


    This caused quite a great blow to the people in the capital, especially to Governor Fidel, who was most affected during their massacre.


    Now the Emperor is trying his best to cate the Governor''s emotions, which he could clearly sympathize with.


    Moreover, another shocking news came from the Portia Valley right after they received the earlier news.


    Eli and Kayden disappeared!


    This time though, it was not the knights who reported the matter. It was actually Baobao.


    That moment when they disappeared, Baobao was supposedly in Eli''s contracted beast space ready for anything that maye up during the exploration.


    However, he found that instead of being with Eli inside the space, he was reversely teleported to Little Han''s side.


    Shocked to see himself in the cottage, Baobao asked Little Han and also inspected his body if he had ever summoned him unintentionally. But Little Han''s body does not have any traces of mana, meaning he had not used magic to summon him back in the cottage.


    Then he tried to contact Eli through their mind link, but his master was not responding and he could even feel that their connection was blocked.


    However he could still fill the bind between him and Eli and so he was sure that Eli is safe, for now.


    Leon and he figured out that it might be because somehow a contracted beast is not allowed into that mysterious realm.


    But Leon could not help but feel restless about the situation, having no news about their whereabouts.


    While he was in his office at the Crimson de barracks when he received an urgent summon.


    Thinking that it would be about the situation in the Portia Valley, Leon quickly stood up and took Little Han who was also in the barracks ying with his new wooden sword with the Crimson de uncles.


    "Daddi??" Startled upon seeing his father picking him up, he blinked with an innocent question.


    "Let''s go to grandma¡­ Daddy has a meeting in the pce." Leon exined patiently.


    "Ayee! Grandma!!!" Little Han squealed happily when he heard that he would visit his grandma Teh. He always enjoys it when his grandma sings and ys music for him, so he disyed an excited tone.


    With that, the father and son teleported to the secret chamber immediately where Queen Teh was actually spending her afternoon tea time.


    After telling Queen Teh about the matter of the sudden summons, Leon bid Little Han and her goodbye to go straight to the Emperor''s assembly hall.


    The moment he arrived, he was surprised to see many council officials as well as the members of the Temple and the Anti-cursemittee present inside.


    They waited for a little while until many arrived, only then did Emperor Valentin raise his hand to start the meeting.


    "I called all of you here because of one urgent thing." Emperor Valentin looked at his officials and slowly exined the situation.


    "As you all know the Pope was supposedly set toe here and personally see through the investigation and trial of the curse users we have all held captive in the Court of Sinners.


    However, more than a week ago we received news that an assassination attempt was carried out on his way to the Empire, in which he and his troops suffered injuries.


    With that, the Pope appointed a proxy envoy to carry out the procedures and take the prisoners straight to the holy ind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That would be the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire, Crown Prince Ranon!"


    As soon as the officials heard it, they were surprised. That is because the Emperor might have told them the news a little bit toote. Some even tried to hide their displeasure because they were caught off-guard.


    "I heard that the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire has been staying in the Capital since the Tournament¡­"


    "Indeed, I also heard that he was roaming around the nearby cities to sightsee."


    Emperor Valentin observed the officials before he continued speaking.


    "Many of you might be wondering why I am announcing the matter thiste. The reason is that I have been going back and forth with the negotiations on the Pope''s side to establish safeguards during the weing of the envoy.


    In the end, I ask you, men, to help me prepare to officially receive the crown prince, this time, not as a spectator in the tournament, but as an envoy of the Pope. Let us ensure that he is treated well more than the treatment we were given when he first entered during the tournament."


    Even though Emperor Valentin suspected Crown Prince Ranon to be one of the Pope''s minions, he still had to put on a show of diplomacy when it came to having him as an envoy of the main temple.


    Usually, the appointed envoys shoulde from the main temple, however, due to the Pope''s eloquent wording, he made it look like Crown Prince Ranon can carry the name of the main temple as the proxy envoy.


    To any kingdom in Prasinos, this move by the Pope was equivalent to endorsing the Vanderford Empire as an ally of the Temple. That is the same with the Seirende Empire.


    The officials felt like the Pope was dering favor towards the Vanderford Empire by choosing the crown prince as an envoy despite not being a person of the temple.


    And so they finally understood the Emperor''s words. They must unite to receive the prince as a representative of the Temple and ensure that he will not find fault in their Empire which would eventually take out their rights in exercising their joint jurisdiction towards the prisoners in the court of sinners.


    "The Crown Prince is set toe back from his short excursion by next week. I know we are pressed for time but I trust you, honorable and brilliant men of this empire, to help prepare for the reception." Emperor Valentin saw that he had convinced them and finally gave his praises and words of encouragement.


    After receiving the official''s support, Emperor Valentin also told them the details of the negotiation and the schedules to be done prior to the departure of the prince and the prisoners.


    He had proposed that Leon would lead the troops guarding the prisoners and through a great deal of debate andpromises, the Second Prince and First Prince would also join the envoy.


    At first Emperor, Valentin was unwilling because having the three of them out at once is extremely dangerous. It was like sending all your heirs to war without knowing if they wille back alive.


    However, he was caught in the middle, because if he would insist to leave one prince behind, then that would mean that he had already chosen that person as his sessor!


    And so in the end, all three princes will join the envoy on their journey to the holy empire.


    Emperor Valentin was fearful about what would happen to his three sons, but surprisingly, Governor Fidel volunteered to also join the envoy to also ensure the princes'' safety.


    This was actually a surprising development about the matter which effectively startled all the noblemen in the room.


    But Emperor Valentin knew that Governor Fidel had a different motive.


    The demise of the Asanis is the greatest wound in his younger brother''s heart. Volunteering to go to the holy ind meant that he wanted to find the truth about the matter and see if the holy ind is also involved in the stolen asani corpses.


    Thinking that all the men in his family were going out to venture into the territory of the enemy, he closed his eyes to pray to the heavens.


    "Oh Creator, please look upon my kin and keep them safe¡­"


    With that, the preparations for the receptionmenced in full swing. It was not hard for the noblemen to also mobilize because they had been used to it when they were quickly rebuilding the capital for the tournament.


    The receiving of the Crown Prince as the envoy of the Main Temple seems to be a much easier task.


    And so a week passed and all the officials stood at the Seirende Temple gates to wait for the carriage envoys.


    d in a princely suit, Leon stood alongside Kazimir and Antoine. From their vantage point, they finally saw a few yet awe-striking carriages bearing the insignia of the main temple!

 Chapter 462 Crown Prince Ranon Arrives (2)

    ?The carriage was moving neither fast nor slow. One could see the people inside were not to be trifled with and they were surely people of high status.


    Finally, Leon and the rest saw the carriage stop in front of them. Escorted by his knights, Crown Prince Ranon got off from the carriage.


    He was d in a princely white suit with intricate embroideries of silver and gold, agreeing with the theme of the temple. His countenance is that of an amicable yet cunning prince, but his beauty is quite dangerously poisonous.


    His purple eyes scanned the crowd and finallynded on High Priest Enoch who was leading the receiving party.


    "Greetings Crown Prince Ranon, Envoy of the Pope from the Main Temple." High Priest Enoch immediately approached and greeted him ording to the Temple''s etiquette.


    "Greetings, Esteemed High Priest. While I have been in the Empire for quite a while, it feels different to wear a different identity today¡­So please do me a favor and treat me as you have been treating me before. I am just here to carry out specific activities as asked by the Pope."


    Crown Prince Ranon shed an angelic smile, making everyone have the impression that he was the kind of prince whom the people love.


    With his approachable demeanor and seemingly humble approach, the people around them have an impression that he had a good personality which is why the Pope chose him regardless of his status as a nonmember of the Temple.


    Kazimir and Antoine looked like they were also interested in Crown Prince Ranon''s personality.


    However, Leon''s expression remained unchanged but a tinge of coldness aroused in his heart. He could see the smugness behind the Crown Prince''s expression and tone, it was subtle and hard to figure out.


    For him who grew up on a battlefield dealing with cunning enemies and betrayals, he could see it clearly.


    High Priest Enoch maintained a calm and cordial expression before gesturing for Crown Prince Ranon and his entourage to enter the temple''s reception hall.


    "I know that you are tired on the journey, let the knights escort you to your respective quarters to rest while the luncheon is being prepared."


    Since he was an envoy in the temple, his quarters are naturally in the Temple, something that makes High Priest Enoch nervous. And so in order to ensure that none of the things pertaining to Eli and the research done inside the temple is leaked, he had Mishael and the rest clear out any traces of these.


    After all, what was reported was already on the Pope''s side.


    "Surely¡­" Crown Prince Ranon seemed to have expected that he would be staying in the temple instead of a bedroom in the pce and so he only smiled and followed the temple knights.


    While they were on the way to the quarters, Leon and the rest of the officials then proceeded to the dining hall to ensure that everything was prepared. The luncheon was sponsored by the Imperial Family to express the intent to sincerely wee the envoys from the Temple.


    Along the course of getting busy, Leon kept thinking about the members of the Crown Prince''s entourage. None of them seems to have traces of curse magic ording to the detectors and even Baobao who was hiding his presence somewhere in the Temple.


    Could it be that the Crown Prince is really clean and unaware of the matters that the Pope has been involved with?


    Leon could not rest assured, because the people detected by Baobao during the Grand Tournament did not yet show themselves. Besides, the timelines where the Crown Prince is present also coincide with those people.


    Thus for Leon and the team, Crown Prince Ranon is highly suspicious.


    Soon the dining hall was ready and Crown Prince Ranon was then escorted to the main hall. With the officials and the Three Princes representing the Emperor, the first meal went smooth sailing and uneventful.


    During this time, the Temple, the Imperial Family, and the Envoy finalized the activities to be done for the next few days prior to the transportation of the prisoners to the holy ind.


    "Tomorrow, the Emperor and a few leaders from the Green Wave Government will have an audience with you. His Majesty Emperor also looked forward to youring and so I believe that you will have a pleasant time tomorrow."


    Second Prince Antoine led the talking to the Crown Prince.


    It was so because among the three his strength lies in engaging with people and diplomats.


    Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes shed in subtle surprise. He did not expect that this event would cause the non-humanmunity to pay attention. He decided to be more careful and watchful as to the intent of this new yer.


    After all, they are set to target Seirende, because they know that in their current status, they can face them alone. But if the third great continent will join the farce, they might have a hard time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    None but Leon caught this reaction and took note of it. It seems that Crown Prince Ranon really had a different motive for being an envoy of the Main Temple.


    "That is good to hear then! It is a great honor to meet not only His Majesty Emperor but the Excellencies of the Great Green Wave Continent! I look forward to meeting them¡­"


    Crown Prince Ranon smiled and raised his hands to a toast, acting as if the matter of meeting the greatest leaders doesn''t faze him at all.


    Then his eyes looked at Kazimir who was calmly eating his food while also asionally socializing with the men at the table.


    "Now that I remember, Your Highness, First Prince Kazimir, are you sure you are fine with joining us to visit the court of sinners on the third day? I heard that the main culprits were your maternal family, and your mother was the one leading the rebellion..."


    Crown Prince Ranon asked with a smile and expression that looked sincerely worried and innocent.


    "Sigh¡­ If I were in your situation, I would have no face to show the people anymore. I would run to a faraway ce leaving my title behind¡­" As if hisment could not be any more insensitive, he continued.


    If Eli was here she would have rolled her eyes at the Crown Prince''s clumsy acting. He was like the male version of a white lotus, which was amon act for females.


    But with the hall full of rigid and cunning men, his words triggered an awkward and stifled silence. His question was borderline insulting to the First Prince and the Empire.


    The officials dared not to show displease towards the Crown Prince however they could not help but look at him negatively. As expected to the people of the Vanderford Continent! They could not help but hate the Vanderfords guts.


    Leon and Antoine however, did not mask their displease towards the Crown Prince''s question. Yes, the siblings were not that close because of their past upbringing, however, now that they started to slowly restore their familial rtionship, they could not help but be angry with Kazimir.


    Besides, they knew how Kazimir''s spirit and will to live almost vanished due to the deep pain caused by the betrayal of the people he trusted and looked up to since he was a child.


    "Crown Prince you¡­" Antoine was about to retaliate and tell Crown Prince Ranon off, but Kazimir signaled him to pause and let him speak.


    All the men in the room looked at Kazimir.


    Some held their breaths praying that whatever the First Prince answered will not further displease both parties.


    Others put down their sses and utensils, ready to back Kazimir up anytime a fight ensued. Of course, one of those men is Leon.


    Feeling the subtle expression of support from his siblings, Kazimir nced with an assuring look before he opened his mouth to speak.


    "Well¡­ I am quite honored that Crown Prince Ranon is concerned about my well-being. But rest assured that my heart and mind are at peace because I know that I chose to stand on the righteous side.


    Besides, the Empire of Seirende always values people who are firm in their righteous choices.


    From the founding of this empire, up to this day and age, the Imperial Family does not blindly look at people''s family backgrounds or history in order to obtain merits.


    Because if not, then there would not be one aristocratic family existing in thisnd. As a direct descendant of the Vanderford, I have faith that you remember this fact very well, Crown Prince."


    Kazimir lifted his wine ss and gestured a toast in Crown Prince Ranon''s direction, nonchntly sipping the wine under his calm expression.


    Leon, Kazimir, and the rest of the officials wanted to p at Kazimir''s reply.


    Everyone in the room knew about the history of the founding of the Empire.


    Especially the fact that the First Victor allowed the citizens and former officials of the invaded families to regain their status as long as they contributed to the betterment of the Empire.


    What''s more, it was this very same principle that the entire Vanderford continent was awarded to Crown Prince Ranon''s formermoner ancestor as the loyal right-hand man of the First Victor.


    Not only was it polite and diplomatic, but it was also equally venomous as well!

 Chapter 463 The Hunting Activity (1)

    ?When Crown Prince Ranon''s brows raised slightly in surprise. Clearly, he did not expect the frivolously famous Kazimir to retaliate eloquently.


    But he still kept a calm disposition and smiled as if he did not see the masked des on Kazimir''s words,


    "That is a relief to hear then, First Prince. The standpoint of His Majesty Emperor and his predecessors has always been admirable and astonishing. My mind is broadened!"


    Leon silently watched the entire farce and could not help but foresee that the moment the Imperial Family and the Seirende Temple interacted with the Crown Prince, a tiring game of charades ensued.


    He could not help but feel his heart turn cold thinking about how he must put up with his presence not only during the Crown Prince''s time in the capital but until they conclude their journey to the Holy Ind.


    Nevertheless, all these troublesome hardships and work must be done to achieve the piece his family and people deserved.


    After the exchange, the rest of the banquet was uneventful.


    The officials also did not stay for the entire day so as to give Crown Prince Ranon a chance to rest and prepare for the hectic activities in the next few days.


    The next day, the pce is filled with the bustling presence of all the officials and council members due to the Crown Prince''s visit to the pce.


    The second day was meant for the Crown Prince to have an audience with the Emperor and the select Leaders of the Green Wave Non-human Government.


    The audience with the Emperor is quite fast, only for a good half an hour.


    During this time, Leon is still as vignt as ever.


    While his sneaky attempt to scan Crown Prince Ranon and his entire entourage has been running non-stop, he did not dare to rule out the possibility that he had connections with the curse users as well.


    ''As expected, we might not find something when they were just idling. We really need to see them use their mana and strength to see if there are traces of curse magic hiding in them¡­'' Leon thought deeply to himself.


    Fortunately, various activities were also nned both to inform and entertain the two foreign delegates. One of them is a hunting trip in the forest just a few minutes away from the Capital.


    Observing Crown Prince Ranon''s gestures and actions, it seems like none of it was suspicious and he is genuinely doing his best to properly represent the Main Temple.


    But who knows if it is so on the hunting grounds?


    With everything set beforehand, the Imperial Pce arranged for heavily secured and guarded carriages to transport the Crown Prince, the Emperor, and the select Leaders of the Greenwave Continent to the hunting grounds.


    The moment they reach the hunting grounds they would be weed with the guarded tents and thedies of the various households in the Empire waiting for the men to arrive at the ce.


    Leon has already installed concealed detector orbs in different ces in the hunting grounds, all of which were even guarded not by concealment barriers but physical camouges to prevent Crown Prince Ranon and his party from detecting any traces of mana workings.


    Furthermore, he has set the orbs not to rm once curse magic is detected, it will only record the traces of the person who exerted the corrupted mana.


    Of course, to make this hunting activity be sessful, the Seirende Empire has to offer a prize pool that is irresistible to both the curse users and even the rest of the participants.


    So when all had arrived and everything was set, the Emperor immediately opened the hunting activity with a short speech to save time for the actual hunting.


    "Greetings, our distinguished guests and gentlemen. To honor the presence of the esteemed people with us today, we are opening this hunting activity with great excitement!


    Now, to make it more pleasant and thrilling for everyone¡­ the winner of this hunting trip will receive the price we have carefully prepared¡­"


    Emperor Valentin gestured to his aides to take out the array of items that were covered with cloth.


    They lined up in an orderly manner in front of the people on the assembly grounds and one by one, the aides revealed what was hidden underneath the cloth that conceals the items they were holding.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The moment the items were revealed, the crowd which could not help but let out astonished gasps. The items were indeed irresistible!


    Emperor Valentin scanned the reaction of the crowd and introduced the prize pool,


    "As you can see dear gentlemen, the prize for the winner of today''s hunting grounds is five pieces of supreme mana stone and one vial of the purest grade of cure potion that was blessed by the pdin herself before she departed right after the war!


    These supreme mana stones were something that I cherish the most in my treasury but because it is such a rare asion that all the three great continents of Prasinos are well represented, I think that it is worth offering it as a prize.


    The vial of cure potion was bestowed upon me by the pdin herself. You all know that the Empire is notcking in the production of normal cure potions, but the potions blessed by the pdin herself are known to only exist in this empire.


    And so I share the joy of being able to see the pdin herself by bestowing her relic to the winner of this friendlypetition!"


    After the Emperor''s exnation of the prizes, the participants felt that he was not joking about the prize pool and was seriously offering it as the ultimate goal for the hunt.


    At this point, not even Crown Prince Ranon nor the select leaders of the Green Wave institute could keep calm.


    One supreme-grade mana stone alone is extremely rare. It could effectively rece the power of 10 high-grade mana stones, how much more with the lowest-grade ones? And to offer five pieces at once¡­ when did the Emperor of Seirende be this rich?!


    Even Kazimir and Antoine were shocked to see that there exist a few supreme-grade mana stones in the empire''s inventory. They thought that their father was being too generous with the price and was sacrificing too much because of the diplomacy but did not dare to express it outwardly so as to not put him on the spot.


    Most importantly, the vial of cure potion with the pdin''s power is enough to catch the attention of the crowd.


    Nobody knew how many vials were bestowed to the Emperor in this empire, but then he is offering it nheless!


    Crown Prince Ranon was now motivated to get this item because he wanted to know the so-called power of the pdin.


    Granted that he could possibly find a vial to the High Priest of the Seirende Temple as well, but in public, he was only an envoy to the Main Temple and a Crown Prince of a foreign Empire.


    And whether the Pope forced him to demand a vial from the High Priest, it was still inappropriate for him to hold such a relic while carrying out a dangerous mission with the criminals in tow. In the end, it will not be his property but the Pope''s, so he would not take such an unrewarding task.


    Effectively catching his attention, Leon and Emperor Valentin knew in their hearts that Ranon''s party would probably go all out for this activity.


    "Everyone will have the time to hunt until the second to thest hour of the afternoon. So without further adieu, gentlemen I pronounce themencement of the hunting activity!!!"


    Pak!


    The muffled sound of a nk gun echoed in the assembly area, signaling themencement of the hunting.


    On the surface, all the participants were dead set on getting the prize for themselves and also offering their hunts to thedy they had chosen.


    On the other hand, Leon had a different objective. With the godparents of his son being the financier of the supreme grade mana stones, his best friend is the inventor of the cure potion, and finally, his fiance being the pdin, how could he waste time to eye the measly price?


    The price he wanted was to verify if the Crown Prince''s party is clean and free of the curse magic, and so he is dead-set to know if they were clean or corrupted.


    Taking out the notification papers, he sent the signal to his men¡­ "Release the monsters¡­ Concentrate on the target''s party."


    On the receiving end, the Roaming and the Crimson des were positioned strategically in the hunting grounds.


    As soon as they received the signal, they triggered the paper spells made by Leon himself and triggered a small portal from the spatial void.


    The void is connected directly to the northern mountain range where another toon was waiting on standby with several cages of ferocious mountain beasts that were strong enough to significantly increase the difficulty of the hunting!

 Chapter 464 The Hunting Activity (2)

    ?Oblivious to what Leon had prepared for everyone, Crown Prince Ranon did not take action as early as the rest of the participants.


    Instead, he seemed to be leisurely strolling in the forest with his horse while the others were scrambling to find prey.


    A mile appeared on his face as if something is about to happen before he moved forward to continue to stroll.


    ¨C


    An hourter, five mysterious creatures appeared in the forest, and it was the same as what Eli had encountered when she was kidnappedst time!


    In an instant, five distress res exploded in the sky, signaling grave danger and request for reinforcement.


    Back in the assembly area, Emperor Valentin and the remaining elderly leaders from the Green Wave Continent who chose to watch the young ones join the hunting fun were startled.


    "What could have happened?" Emperor Valentin stood up from his seat and looked at the direction of the forest.


    Leon and his squad were also shocked.


    At first they thought that the res were because of the monsters they released. But who would have known that the beasts were the same troublesome ones that made Eli and Leon struggle to take down!


    In the spur of the moment the exciting hunting grounds became a field of chaos. The ground trembled and the birds fled in panic along with the men that were in the forest.


    Leon''s face darkened, true enough, the enemy had its own ns.


    Without dying any further, he summoned magic and hovered on top of the vast forest, carefully observing the situation.


    With his sharp eyes, he saw the situation immediately.


    Five mysterious creatures scattered around the hunting area, jeopardizing the safety of his people and the foreign delegates.


    At his vantage point, he saw that Kazimir and Antoine were already at the ces where the beast appeared, which means he had to look after the other three.


    Immediately he flew to the nearest one to effectively deal with it. Going all out, his figure shot up in the skies in the fastest time possible.


    "Look! It''s the Third Prince!" The people observing the situation below also caught sight of him rushing to the ces where the res were triggered.


    Only then did Emperor Valentin and the Green Wave Leaders calm their hearts down. They watched as Leon dashed in the direction of one of the res in the sky.


    Boom!


    Seeing the first target, Leon decided to immediately engage andnd on top of the gruesome creature''s massive body.


    "Aroooooo!!" The creature growled in agony upon being smashed on the ground. In response, it opened its mouth to cast a spell on the knights who happened to be the ones to send a distress call.


    "Get away! It can cast a spell!" Leon shouted at the top of his lungs, he used hismanding tone and deliberately used mana to amplify his voice so that everyone on the hunting grounds could hear his warning.


    His men were in the scene but only he and Eli and some select few from their circle knew about the abilities of these mysterious creatures. He had no time to inform them of the things that might have caught the people off guard and so he employed this method of informing everyone.


    Fortunately, most of the men in trouble managed to hear his voice at a distance, especially on Kazimir and Antoine''s side. This made them stay alert, not letting their guard down even if they managed to pin the monster down.


    Crown Prince Ranon also heard Leon''s voice but did not care at all. He knew that Leon would know how to deal with Arabe''s monster puppets and so he was not surprised at all.


    Instead, he continued his act and valiantly rushed to one of the directions where the puppet sprouted. He wanted to use this opportunity to blend with the crowd and appear to have defeated the monster.


    It''s a race against time.


    He had to defeat more than one of these monsters and ''offer'' it to the Emperor to snag the win.


    While he did not have to exert effort to fight the creatures and could just easily signal Arabe to cut off the connection between her and the puppets, he knew that the Emperor and the Green Wave''s men were observing him.


    He had to put on a show.


    As such he raised his sword and charged with his horse to valiantlye to the rescue of one of the groups who sent the distress call.


    Along with his men, they appeared to struggle in a fight, but he was obviously shining on the battlefield as their leader. Even the knights from the Seirende noble families could not help but subconsciously move under hismand and help his party to sessfully defeat the mysterious monster.


    After such a heavy half-hour fight, the creature''s lifeless body dropped to the ground. Seeing the creature finally dead, the man''s exhausted body dropped to the ground, and panted with gratitude on their face.


    They looked at the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire, who, while also seemingly tired as them, still remained steadfast and valiant, insisting to stand while ensuring that the beast was really dealt with.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After receiving confirmation from his men, he dragged his battle-worn body, appearing to mount his horse once again.


    "Your Highness Crown Prince, where are you heading to?" The men asked respectfully.


    "You men stay here and replenish your energy, there''s still people who are in trouble. I have to check if they are alright too." He answered while he fixed his saddle to mount on his horse.


    "But Your Highness, you have exhausted a lot of mana earlier¡­ We''re afraid that you would be too exhausted!" They appealed, clearly worrying that their benefactor and lifesaver will end up dead from his desire to rescue people.


    "No can do¡­ What if those people could no longer hold on? A little helping hand might save a life¡­" Crown Prince Ranon said in conviction.


    Lighting up the fire through his words, the men also got up and dragged their exhausted bodies, "Then, will follow the suit and lend a helping hand!"


    At that moment, they were moved by the prince''s character, though there was an innate enmity towards the Vanderfords as the rival empire, in times of chaos, they saw that he was someone who did not put on the airs of his status.


    The stronger men apanied him with the other men who were left behind to control the situation and tend to the injured.


    Their original position happened to be a ce that was far from the assembly area and so, the next ce they were heading to was the farthest.


    Thus, that ce must have not yet been attended to by reinforcements.


    When they were about to arrive in the area, they started to hear the sounds of a rough battle ahead. They looked surprised because, from the looks of it, there were many men in the area.


    ''They were still standing and surviving?''


    The men around were baffled, they had just won the battle with great difficulty and without the leadership of the Crown Prince of Vanderford Empire, they would have been dead in just a matter of minutes.


    But these men were still alive and holding off well, from the way that it sounds, they seemed to be also organized in their attacks.


    Unbeknownst to them, the men who were facing the creatures right now were the Roaming des who were stationed at hunting grounds and they were holding pretty well against the ferocious monster puppet.


    While they were not as experienced in fighting as the Crimson des, they were still equipped with exemry survival andbat skills to protect themselves when carrying out their spying missions.


    On the other hand, despite seeing the confusion and surprise in the men around him, Crown Prince Ranon did not change his expression and only said, "We must rush fast to help them¡­"


    The men nodded and increased the phase.


    When they arrived at the scene they immediately unsheathed their swords and prepared to join the fight.


    However, just as the Crown Prince and his men were about to enter the battlefield, cold shivers ran on their spine.


    One second was enough for them to feel that there was a strong presenceing from the direction behind them.


    Yeeeeehhhhurrr!


    The horses also felt unease and refused to advance forward. Someone with an overwhelming bloodthirst and killing intent was about to approach where they were!


    BOOOOOM!


    Suddenly, a shadow figure shed overhead andnded on the creature''s body. Causing the entire ground to shake and fill the air with rubble.


    When the dust cleared a figure appeared before their eyes standing on top of the now struggling puppet creature. The moment they realized who it was, another wave of goosebumps rushed down their entire body.


    They saw Leon, the Third Prince of the Empire.


    Bathed with purple blood, his eyes extremely cold with an aura that could kill upon first movements.


    In his hand was one¡­


    no three massive heads of the monster puppets!


    Leon looked around and saw the ever-calm Crown Prince Ranon. He did not bother and suddenly turned to the creature that was struggling on his feet.


    He stretched out his free hand and casually touched the puppet''s head.


    CRACK!!!!


    Very casually, he twisted the creature''s neck and separated its head from its body, like he was casually picking up a fruit from a tree!

 Chapter 465 The Hunting Activity (3)

    ?"That makes four¡­" Leon coldly mumbled not suppressing the blood lust and the killing intent that was leaking all over his body.


    The roaming des around blended through the crowd to resist fawning over his admirable disy of abilities. But in their hearts, they were cheering for him and praising him to the highest.


    Meanwhile, the rest were scared witless and finally remembered who Leon was before he became the most adored Prince six months ago.


    He is the Barbaric Blood Prince, the Mad Dog of the Seirende Empire!


    The men who were filled with valiant energy a while ago felt weak on their knees. Fortunately, they were on their horses, so they only have to do their best not to let go of their swords which stayed frozen from thest position.


    This was the very first time they saw Leon act as he did on the battlefield. Before, they only knew he was terrifying on the battlefield. But now, they knew to this extent what his moniker really meant.


    Hell, they did not dare to imagine having to face him on the battlefield! Ever!


    Crown Prince Ranon on the other hand, looked quite shocked, but his eyes looked much calmer as if he had already known that Leon would turn out like this on the battlefield.


    The only thing he did not anticipate was that Leon would easily kill off the puppets while he was ying soldier. He never thought that this maniacal guy would go all out upon the sight of the prize.


    He had always thought that the princes of the Seirende Empire would not take interest in the prize, especially Leon who was most likely the candidate for the crown prince position because of his undeniable strengthpared to the other two.


    ''It seems like this man does not want any outsiders to get the things that only their empire can have¡­'' Crown Prince Ranon concluded in his heart.


    He looked at Leon with a sh of interest. "Looks like we are looking at the winner of the hunt.."


    Leon remained cold and expressionless as the grime and purple blood dripped on his red blood hair. He only had his crystal blue eyes looking at Crown Prince Ranon and the men.


    With a monotonous and frigid tone, he said, "Apologies gentlemen but the hunt is effectively postponed due to the appearance of these creatures.


    As you know these weren''t normal creatures and we believe that an enemy from the curse users is the culprit in this matter.


    And so we sincerely apologize and would like to ask you to go back to the Assembly area for a quick check-up and questioning. His Majesty Emperor has also preparedpensation for this untoward matter."


    Right after telling his announcement, he bade them goodbye and disappeared deep into the forest, leaving the people dumbfounded and confused.


    But as if in the queue, several knights on horses came to take a look at their injuries and assist them back to the assembly area.


    When they arrived at the assembly area, they were surprised that the Anti Curse Committee''s staff were already stationed there and gave each man a cure potion and a thorough checkup to ensure that none of them were injured by the curse powers in many ways.


    It was not only the Crown Prince''s party and the Green Wave Institute who were surprised by this scene, but also the aristocratic men in the empire. This fast response and careful management of the aftermath were beyond their expectations.


    They looked at the Anti-cursemittee staff and were in awe for moving so systematically and rationally.


    Themittee has not existed for an entire year, but each and every member of their staff seemed to have been trained for a lot of years.


    Only the core members of themittee knew that this was all thanks to Eli''s idea. She actually got these concepts from the different organizations in the modern world on how to respond to disasters like fire, earthquake, and so on, only that they deal with curse-rted events.


    They recruited their staff members and all of them had to go through the training which was developed by the core members themselves with Eli''s guidance. Its concept was like first aid, search and rescue training.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing how they moved today, the Emperor was equally pleased, his future daughter-inw''s ideas were really out of this world. And they were all beyond effective!


    Too bad, the Vanderford and the Green Wave manage to see how they work, or else Emperor Valentin would want them to be a secret function that would be their lifeline during the war with the curse users.


    Nevertheless, this may also be a blessing in disguise as it was also dering to the enemies lurking behind that his empire is always ready.


    Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts were somehow true. Because Crown Prince Ranon seemed to have been caught off guard by this matter.


    If the response were this fast and the Emperor was still at the tent, leisurely drinking his tea with the elders of the Green Wave Institute, what other things would he be hiding under his sleeves?


    He remembered all the obstacles he went through just to enter the Empire''s borders. Then all the thinking and brainstorming with Arabe and Niki on how to smuggle their items and hide their powers inside.


    D*mn this Empire is really troublesome!


    He could not wait for the day that they were free to move and attack this empire.


    But the most important thing for them now was to take away the prisoners outside the borders. Only then will their n move forward!


    Soon the men who were at the hunting site were all ounted for, it is to everyone''s relief that none of the people in the area were severely injured and all of them were alive.


    This is also thanks to Leon''s overwhelming speed in handling the creatures.


    As the Emperor did not want them to stay in the forest when something like this happened, he arranged for them to be escorted back to the capital.


    Moreover, to fort'' the envoys and the foreign delegates who were caught in this matter, the Emperor had to fork out medium-grade cure potions to appease them. He also set up a banquet to let them forget about the traumatic experience.


    Crown Prince Ranon did not decline the offer even though he is an envoy of the Main Temple. After all, he is still the Crown Prince of the Vanderford Empire, the future Emperor of thatnd. It is only proper that he was at least treated as such.


    Besides, he will have to officially assume the role of an Envoy tomorrow as the visitation of the Prisoners will take ce.


    On the way back, Crown Prince Ranon heard a voice in his head, "Well that is quite a failed n, don''t you think?"


    The voice had a mocking tone yet it did not irritate the Crown Prince at the slightest.


    Instead, he answered through his mind, "Treat it as testing the waters, after all revealing our cards at this moment is not our goal today¡­"


    "Once we lure them out, then they will finally see hell¡­ it will be best if the three princes will go out at once¡­


    We''ll cut off the Seirende''s descendants and not spare anyone of them until they disappear in the face of Prasinos!!"


    Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes shed with greed as he visualized the Seirende Empire''s end in his mind.


    Then a thought came into him and said once again, "Keep an eye on the Third Prince for me... he is getting suspicious and I don''t like the way he looks at me..."

 Chapter 466 Praying Together

    ?"Sure then¡­ find a way to go near him. Big Brother and I will do the rest." The voice answered.


    "En¡­ maybe do nt one on your cousin and the second prince too."


    The voice seemed to have paused for a short while before she answered with a subtle trace of excitement, "Remember that you are the one who ordered me¡­"


    "Do as I say¡­" After Crown Prince Ranon''s acknowledgment, he did not hear the voice anymore.


    ''Though the Pope told me not to do any movements until we get out of the Empire¡­ It''s not bad to sow some seeds of chaos..'' He smiled sinisterly as he thought to himself.


    After all, he will never let go of an opportunity to sow chaos in thisnd that has always been a thorn in his family''s side.


    If not for the fact that he and his team wasted the entire duration of the tournament to figure out how to move without being detected by the extremely cunning Seirende Knights, he would have long brought chaos during that time.


    If not for the Anti-cursemittee dogs¡­


    Remembering how suffocated and strangled he felt during that time he could not help but curse out. How could the Seirende be so fast in figuring out how to counter curse users like them?


    ''As expected, I have to take down the Anti-cursemittee first.'' He nned for himself. While he was visualizing what kind of chaos and disorder he will be shownter on, he could not help but emit a sinister look in his eyes.


    It was good that no one was in the carriage at the time other than him, for they will be extremely terrified by the way he looks at the moment.


    The evening eventually arrived, and once again, the Seirende Imperial Family showcased their great capability to prepare everything at beyond eptable levels in just a short time.


    Though the banquet is only avable to those who were at the huntingpetition earlier, the grandeur and luxury did not diminish even a bit.


    Just looking at the hall decorations and the selection of food and wine, it would be more than enough tofort the participants who were disrupted in the contest earlier.


    Now everyone is going around, socializing with each other. They kept expressing their admiration for the figures who shined best during the mishap earlier.


    The obvious one would be the terrifying disy of strength by Leon, who unfortunately just showed his face at the start of the banquet and mysteriously disappeared.


    Unbeknownst to them, Leon was rushing to head home because his son, Little Han, was waiting.


    "Daddi~~~" When Little Han saw Leon''s figure approaching the plushie yground, he immediately abandoned the toys he held and rushed to his side.


    Little Han was already brought home by Olivier who was the assigned de-nanny for today.


    After seeing how the toddler left him who sat with him in the plushie yground, Olivier mumbled rather helplessly, "Tsk¡­ look at this little heartbreaker, abandoning me without hesitation upon seeing his father¡­"


    Leon, of course, heard hisment, and so he looked at him and said, "Good work for today¡­ Tomorrow we have something to settle, so have a good rest."


    Olivier smiled and bowed, acknowledging that Leon already dismissed him for today''s mission. He said his goodbyes and retreated. He knew that there was something big that happened earlier and so Leon''s words told him to save strength for a lot of working the next day.


    "Bubbyeee Umcle Owvier!!!" Little Han lifted his head which was originally nestled on Leon''s shoulders as he waved adorably at Olivier who was preparing to leave.


    "Bye bye little master! Let''s y again soon!" Olivier''s heart warmed, having such an adorable child around made him feel happy. For some reason, he also felt the urge of wanting to find a wife so that he too can have cute little children at home.


    Now it was only Leon and Little Han around, Baobao and Rosea had also long retreated.


    "Have you eaten, my son?" He asked while he caressed Little Han''s tiny head whose same shade of red hair was starting to grow out pretty lusciously.


    "Yessh!!! Nanny Rossie''s food is yum!!" Little Han''s eyes sparkled brightly as he started to animatedly describe his day to his daddy by waving his hands and increasing the tone of his voice.


    Leon, despite having to ferociously fight just a while ago, listened to his son who was on hisp. This expression was filled with loving and gentleness, it was as if the person who beheaded the monsters earlier was apletely different person.


    asionally, the living room would have a light sound of chuckles and squeals, it was clearly warm, only that another person in the bright happy cottage is missing.


    After some time, Little Han nced at the grand piano which was left unyed since Eli''s departure.


    "Daddi¡­ Johann miss mommi¡­" Little Han dejectedly mumbled, Leon saw it in his own eyes, the lonely expression of his little son, filled with yearning.


    He realized that while his son appeared to bepletely alright about not seeing Eli¡­ the poor child has been holding back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon was filled with heartbreak, he cupped his son, and let him rest in his arms. Little Han reciprocated by clinging to his father''s chest.


    "Sniff¡­ hic¡­ hic.. Miss mommi¡­. Miss mommi so much¡­sniff." Leon slowly felt something warm wetting his upper garment as he heard his son''s muffled sobs.


    "I miss your mommy too¡­" Leon uttered with trembling as his hands rubbed Little Han''s backfortingly. He was heartbroken and could onlyfort his son who was deeply longing for his mother.


    He wanted to make his pain and heartache go away, but he cannot do anything but stay with him and soothe his crying.


    He prayed that somehow, Eli and Kayden would soone back, because after this¡­


    They will be separated once again.


    He could not bear to lie to his son that they will soon be together, but he could not bear to let him cry like this either.


    "Son¡­ would you like to pray to the Creator, to protect mommy?" Suddenly a thought came to his mind.


    As a pdin and someone who has seen the Creator himself, Leon always saw Eli stop either in the early mornings orte at night, praying to the heavens.


    It was also because of him seeing her like that, that he too developed such a habit. They once talked and agreed about teaching Little Han about the matters of the heavenly realm as well as the existence of Elise, though it has to be when Little Han is already capable enough to understand such matters.


    However, Leon saw that it is time for Little Han to be ustomed to praying. As both an offspring of a Pdin and a Prince of the Empire, he will soon be taught by the curriculum how to do these things as part of his responsibilities.


    "Pway???" Little Han blinked, he seemed to understand a little but still looked confused.


    "Yes¡­ we pray to the heavens to protect your mommy so that she will not get hurt in the farawaynd¡­" Leon exined slowly and simply, the kind that Little Han''s mind can ept.


    "Ohh¡­ Little Han want pway for mommi!" Little Han''s crystal eyes shed a look of understanding as he replied.


    "Alright¡­ then¡­" Leon smiled, carrying his son back to the bedroom and teaching him to pray.


    However, he was quite unsure of what posture he had to teach his son.


    When Eli prayed, she mostly kneeled at her bedside sping her hands together solemnly.


    When they, the members of the imperial family prayed, they were not particr about their posture, sometimes they would just bow, or look at the heavens.


    ''I''m not good with this¡­'' Leon resisted the urge to scratch his head dejectedly. He wondered how Eli would have done this¡­


    Little Han was waiting for him patiently as he watched him struggle in deciding. But in the end, Leon sighed and decided to teach the way Eli does her praying.


    "Since you are still little, you just stay seated here¡­ daddy will kneel while we put our hands together like this¡­" Leon then let Little Han sit crossed-legged in the bed, while he knelt at the bedside.


    Then he taught him to sp his hands and say, "Now we say politely our wishes to the heavens, to the Creator¡­ I say mine first alright? Then you follow¡­"


    "Oh¡­" Little Han cutely mimicked his daddy, sping his chubby little hands and cing them under his chin.


    When he saw his father close his eyes, he closed his eyes as well.


    "Oh Creator who sees from heaven, please protect Eli and my friend Kayden in their journey. Keep them safe and sound¡­" Although Leon is doing this to teach Little Han, his words of prayer came sincerely into his heart.


    Little Han had his eyes closed, but after his father''s words, he sneakily opened one eye to check if Leon was already done with his prayers.


    Leon opened his eyes, to Little Han''s surprise, startling the child. But Leon said gently, "Go on, it''s your turn son¡­"


    "Oh¡­" Little Han firmly closed his eyes once again, firmly not wanting Leon to catch him opening his eyes once again.


    Then with a cute sincere voice, which was still shy yet full of pleading and longing, Little Han uttered his very first prayer,


    "Cweeetor (Creator) pleeze let mommi go home tomorrow¡­ I miss mommi¡­ pleeze? Thaykyuuu¡­"

 Chapter 467 Inside The Room (1)

    ?In the heavenly realm¡­


    A certain Grandpa Creator was so happy he had been bouncing back and forth in the majestic clouds.


    "Look at that¡­ my little child has spoken to me for the first time~~~!" He proudly said as he looked at the five figures who were also familiar with Little Han, the five guardians of Prasinos.


    "Too bad¡­ his first wish will not be granted by the Overseer. He wished for something quite impossible." Ignis was also feeling happy, but upon remembering Little Han''s first prayer he shook his head in regret.


    "Well, it''s not my godson''s loss anyways~ It''s the Overseer''s loss. What if my godson would be heartbroken because his prayer was not heard?" Zale replied, shrugging nonchntly.


    The Great One heard their exchange and he harrumphed, "Hmf! Who said I won''t hear his prayers? Come and see how I listen to my dear child!"


    ¨C


    Back to some dimension within the Portia Valley¡­


    Eli and Kayden were stuck in a room that was filled with everything that belongs not to this world.


    At first, Eli was clearly overwhelmed and dumbfounded, it seems like there was also someone from the modern world that descended from Prasinos.


    However, remembering the spatial ring in Kayden''s possession, she calmed down.


    "Are they from your world, Sister?" Kayden saw that Eli finally got her focus back and so he asked.


    "Possibly yes¡­ but I am not sure if it was our world or another one¡­" Eli, now clear-headed, tried to analyze the situation.


    Kayden was confused but did not interrupt Eli''s words.


    "Looking at this, it seems like these things weren''t built in this world and just kept in this ce. It seems to be directly transported from another world and was preserved using a technology that was clearly not in the world I previously lived in.


    Back when I was a soul, The Great One made me realize that there were other worlds aside from Prasinos and the modern earth.


    The biggest evidence is your spatial ring¡­ and this room¡­" Eli exined.


    "Does this magic not exist in your world?" Kayden had long heard that Eli lived in a ce called modern earth but he was not sure what kind of ce was that other than their world is filled with vast amounts of knowledge and information.


    "No¡­ while the existence of the supernatural has always been debatable in my previous world, there''s no such thing as spatial magic that exists.


    While we do have spatial pouches in this world, our spatial pouches were simply bags that had arger capacitypared to the way it looks.


    It does not have any preservation abilities like your spatial rings.


    Perishable food will spoil and decay the same time and way as when we take it out on our special pouches, but this special ring¡­ might have been able to preserve the egg and sperm cells as the Elder Leprechaun mentioned¡­


    Furthermore, if this space was created through the magicing from Prasinos, then Leon and the Spatial King would have found a way to detect and infiltrate this ce¡­"


    "Indeed¡­" Kayden nodded in understanding. Prior to heading here, Leon and the Spatial king even tried to check the entire Portia valley to search for the existence of this space. They initially thought that it was just a portal connecting to some other ce, like how the Emperor and Queen Teh''s chambers were constructed, but they were wrong.


    Somehow, it was something that even the Spatial King, governor of the void cannot reach.


    "So I suspect that while the creator of this space has a simr situation as I in the previous world, they possess something both Prasinos and Modern Earth do not have¡­"


    "Spatial ring¡­ does that mean that the Spectre and the Pope were after this thing?" Kayden gently pulled his ring and examined it carefully.


    "We could only investigate," Eli replied with a serious look on her face.


    The next moment, Eli and Kayden decided to look around and see if there were any traps hidden somewhere in the room.


    Before they n to touch everything, they wanted to keep a record of everything ensuring that they did not miss out on something important.


    Only after that will they attempt to touch the things in the room.


    Because of this, they were able to discover a lot of things inside.


    The first is that the room ispletely enclosed and they have already discovered that they could not find any mechanism for them to exit at will.


    It seems like they have to dig into things and investigate how this dimension works.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s like a puzzle room, only those who could decipher the way in and out can freely use it¡­" Elimented she examined the things inside.


    "It will be hard for us to keep track of time if not for us bringing a watch¡­" Kayden replied in agreement.


    Now they were trapped inside, not only did they have to investigate the entire room, but they also had to find a way out.


    "How much food rations do you have in your pouch?" Kayden asked.


    "I''ve brought dry rations that canst for a week, then the other perishables that we have to finish in three days. But I have more than enough water tost for a month." Eli truthfully answered. If the worstes to worst, at least they have water to survive.


    Kayden nodded in understanding and said, "Put all the perishables in my ring, they won''t rot in here. At least we can prolong their life and sustain us for longer¡­ Though I believe that if we do our best, we will not be stuck here for long. Let''s be more confident with our abilities."


    With only the two of them around, Kayden immediately encouraged Eli as they could only rely on each other to sessfully finish their mission.


    "Alright¡­" Eli understood Kayden''s intention and so she cooperated as he instructed. He had been most exposed to experimentation and investigation and so she let him lead the operation to escape.


    As they carefully rummage through the files, they were alsobing a lot of information written on it.


    The more they read, the more they were astonished.


    "These were clearly records of attempts on In Vitro Fertilization Experimentation!" Eli was shocked, even though Elder Leprechaun had practically told her about this possibility, it still blows her mind that someone attempted it in this world where the times were so much more backward than the modern earth.


    "Sister¡­ look at this¡­" Kayden on the other hand wore a puzzled expression while carrying a ck object.


    When Eli saw the object, her eyes shed in surprise once again, "Unbelievable¡­ This is aptop¡­ Howe we found this item here?"


    "Laptop?" Kayden asked in confusion.


    The next moment Eli exined to him briefly how theptop works and how powerful it was for experimentation.


    "I see¡­ but you said that it runs on something like a battery¡­ what if it was no longer functional since it has been stuck in here for so long?" Kayden was worried.


    While he was excited to know what information was stored inside, he was also afraid that theptop would not work because of theck of power.


    "If the original owner of this ce dared to use something like this, then there must be a way to charge it," Eli answered.


    With the information they have gone through at the moment, they are sure that the progress of the experiment has already entered its finalization stage. This gave Eli the impression that theptop has been used extensively and that there was a way to power it up.


    "Let''s continue looking around then."


    With that, they continued to carefully rummage around. But Eli and Kayden were not able to find anything that resembled a socket or battery.


    Kayden looked at the clock and sighed, "A day has passed¡­"


    "Brother¡­ take a rest first. I''ll continue searching¡­ Let''s take turns." Eli suggested to which Kayden agreed, after all, Eli is more familiar with the equipment. He only needs to rest his eyes, then he will continue searching again through the mountain of experimentation records.


    Eli continued to rummage through the cabs and examined all the items.


    During the rummaging, she was able to observe that the items were kept perfectly clean even though it''s been two decades since the asani vige existed. Moreover, every item was of superior quality.


    "Could these really be brought directly into this world?" Eli could not help but frown in puzzlement.


    Nevertheless, she continued to search, there were so many questions that needed to be answered.


    Finally, after hours of searching through the cabs and drawers, she was able to find something that might just answer the questions she had in mind.


    Eli carefully picked up a leather-bound journal notebook. It was quite thick, seemingly full of notes and other memorabilia.


    She felt excited, it must be the owner''s diary!


    She no longer dyed and quickly opened its contents.


    The first words she read were not actually the introduction of the owner of the book, but rather the word,


    "Congrattions!"

 Chapter 468 Inside The Room (2)

    ?Eli continued to read the journal and the following words were written in a neat yet rigorous manner:


    ¨C


    Seeing that you can read this journal meant that you have seeded in entering this realm and that my efforts were not in vain.


    My name is Ellyseus, the owner of this dimension. I''m writing this to you¡­ my fellow transmigrator from another world.


    Why am I so sure that you are one?


    First, is because only asanis can contain souls from another world. Remember how there was a rumor that said the asanis can change their constitution at will?


    Not only is it true, but there are rare cases like the two of us that wepletely rece the original soul of the host we have been ced into. Of course, this is properly arranged by the Great One so that we will have noplications.


    Second, is because only those who possess a relic that came from the heavenly realm can enter the dimension you are in right now.


    You must be able to remember that before you go and descend in this world, the Great One will grant you something to be able to start your mission safely in Prasinos.


    As for me, my mission is to help preserve the bloodline of the asanis.


    He told me that inevitable chaos will happen to this special tribe and that only someone like us who could not be detected by the enemies could move to change the certain tragedy.


    I, as someone who spent my life experimenting, would not let go of an opportunity to have another lifetime for me to do the things I wanted to do.


    And so what I have asked is the power to bring and carry theboratory I had in my previous world. The Great one is generous though¡­


    Not only did he grant my wish, but he also enabled the entireboratory to be able to run with mana as electricity. But of course, thisboratory is without inte so just bear with it.


    You must have seen my babies, this equipment is precious to me, so I want you to take good care of it and do not let it be ced in the hands of the enemy.


    Now going back to my mission, the only way for me to do this is to think of a way to preserve their bloodline by preserving several asani eggs and sperm cells.


    I''ve collected as much as I could and experimented. While this is my field of expertise, the task cannot be easily sessful as it did in the world I live in.


    Moreover, the greatest difficulty lies in the womb that would carry the fertilized egg. An asani carrier is out of the question, of course, because this mission is already anticipating our extinction.


    And so I only have to choose women of other races. But who would allow themselves to carry someone that wasn''t their flesh and blood in this backward world?


    Without a choice I spent half of my lifetime, condensing a part of this dimension into rings. I managed to only create three of them.


    I always have the confidence that what I was not able to continue in my second life will eventually be finished.


    And so I took out these rings and each of them contains things, resource books, several preserved asani specimens, and simple equipment to cultivate and fertilize the egg.


    This is to ensure that while I am no longer in this world, the ring would be the hope for the asani blood to continue.


    To one, I gave it to the Asani Vige Chief to guard, Rodelio.


    To another, I gave to my son, Alexandre, who knew everything I was doing.


    To thest one, I wore it myself and went out of the world to search for a worthy possessor.


    Thisst ring is where I put my hopes into.


    When the timees, this ring will find this dimension andpletely find the answers to his questions while the others remain spatial rings once used up.


    Also, the specimens inside the three rings came from none other than me and my wife in this world.


    In other words, the rings were my hope to continue not only with the Asani bloodline but my own bloodline. Especially thest true ring which is in my hands.


    I went around the world to search for someone. But in the end, I found no one¡­


    Perhaps, the chosen one was not yet born in this generation. Nevertheless, I know that the Great One has not sent me here over a failing mission.


    In the end, one of the guardians in Prasinos, you must have also known her, the Guardian of the Skies, Celeste, took me to a dpidated hut.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There were no signs of someone living in it. But to my surprise, I saw that in a dark corner, there was a skinny young boy who was curled up, starving, and struggling to live.


    "Behold, the one who shall bear your ring¡­ Keep him and let him go when hees of age¡­" Guardian Celeste pointed at the half-dead boy and instructed me. After that, she disappeared and only I and the human boy were left.


    Of course, I took the boy in¡­ for it was already instructed by the guardian herself. I fed him and through him all I know about medical research.


    So now, on the day that I write this journal, he wille of age and it''s time for him to go out of the vige to grow his talents.


    And I can feel that my time is already up and I can only prepare everything about this matter through this journal.


    After all, it will be the Great One who puts things together for good, as for me I have done my part.


    I am now at the end of my life and so my time to go home to the Great One is fastly approaching, and so I prayed to Him that this child, whom my son named Cornelius, will be the instrument for my work to be sessful.


    I can only feel the joy, knowing that you¡­ my fellow transmigrator has read this journal. That also meant that my work was not in vain.


    However, the culmination of restoring the Asani tribe is just about to start on your end.


    In the next pages of this journal, I have all the inventory of the specimens preserved here. In theptop, lies the most important information about the experimentation.


    Gically, if it was only you who had survived, then there will be no more pure-blood Asani''s that would exist because your procreating would mean that your offspring will be a half-blood.


    But that is not the case for an Asani who procreated with another race who wielded the power of another Guardian, the Seirende.


    Both the Asanis and Seirendes were mystical, and their DNAs could perfectly meld with each other.


    An offspring of both would be both a full-blooded asani, and a full-blooded seirende. How amazing, right?


    But in the end, I cannot force you to strive to procreate with the Seirende, and so, I have left in this dimension the specimens of each of the heads of the Asani families and their wives.


    I could only ask you to attempt to continue my work through these specimens. Use them carefully for once they are used up, then there is no way to get another.


    With that, I leave to you all the information that was left on theptop and to the other journals inside this dimension.


    Remember, do not let anyone from the enemy side even see the things inside this dimension. For once they get everything in here, then the asani tribe that we strive to preserve is no longer.


    I wish you well my fellow and probably my offspringing from the future and I pray that you would have the heart to continue this mission even if it seems too much to bear in your own hands.


    I''ve been there many times, but as I approach the time of my death, I can say that it is all worth it.


    Sincerely, Ellyseus of the Asani Vige."


    ¨C


    When Eli finished the first part of the journal, she was surprised to see that tears were rolling from her eyes.


    It must be because of the almost absolute certainty that the owner of this journal was her body''s gic father. Eli felt mystified and bizarre at the same time.


    For two lifetimes she did not feel the love of her father. But after reading the journal, she could feel the extreme hopefulness and yearning from his words.


    "Ellyseus, Rodelio and Alexandre¡­" Eli muttered these three names and took the book written by the leprechaun to search for the names of these people.


    In the end, she only found Rodelio and Alexandre''s names in the roster of the deceased during the attack by the Spectre. This also meant that Ellyseus was already dead before it happened.


    "You''ve found something?" Suddenly Kayden woke up from his power nap and asked Eli who was still in tears.


    "Brother¡­ can I ask what was the name of your father?" Eli did not answer but instead asked him a question.


    Kayden was confused, but he still looked into Eli''s eyes and replied,


    "My father''s name is Cornelius."

 Chapter 469 Inside The Room (3)

    ?When Eli heard the name, her body froze and a wave of goosebumps filled her entire body. Hearing it from Kayden she could not help but conclude that everything has been orchestrated so wonderfully.


    Everything fell into ce.


    "What''s the matter, sister?" Kayden noticed the heavy emotions from Eli and could not help but worriedly ask.


    In the end, Eli ced the journal in his hands and let him read everything.


    She gave Kayden some space because she knew that the matter is connected to his father. Truly, the two of them might have been destined as siblings in one way or another.


    With the donor of the DNA being the adopted father of Cornelius, who is Kayden''s father, and most possibly, Kayden''s mother as the most likely surrogate mother, Eli and Kayden''s connection felt much more deeper andplex than natural siblings.


    She gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulders, as she stood up to give him space. While he was reading the journal''s contents, she moved to operate theptop ording to the instructions left by Ellyseus.


    She rummaged through her pouch and found a supreme-grade mana crystal with lightning attributes. Examining theptop, she found the small array on its side and ced the crystal near it.


    Vo! The indicator light lit up as soon as she ced it near the array.


    "It works like a wireless charger¡­ how amazing." Eli was intrigued.


    How meticulous was Elysseus on his requirements that the Great One in the heavenly realm thought of this way to enable these electronics to work perfectly in a world like Prasinos?


    While she was letting theptop charge for some time. She started to organize everything ording to the journal''s information. She was no longer in a hurry to open the contents of theptop because she knew that they weren''t needed yet.


    ording to Ellyseus, most information about the artificial conception of the asanis was in there. Her and Little Han being alive meant that Cornelius had been sessful on the matter that his adopted father failed to finish.


    To her, it was no longer her who should continue the legacy, but Kayden. Whether Kayden would start the continuation of Ellyseus and Cornelius''s legacy ispletely in his hands.


    All she can do right now is to find clues as to what information did the Spectre get that made them aggressive in attacking the Asanis.


    ording to the journal, the asani DNA is very mysterious. Once it was melded to the Seirende DNA, the result would not be a 50/50 proportion of each DNA, but apletely impossible 100/100%.


    Could this be the reason why the Spectre wanted the asani''s? Are they thinking that if the asani DNA isbined with Birsha''s it will also do the same?


    If that''s the case, are they thinking that once it will be sessful, then they would have a way to create and cultivate a body perfect to host Birsha''s spirit?


    "We need to get more information to prove that this is really the case¡­" Eli muttered silently.


    While her gut feeling was strong about this, they cannot present this to the Emperor, the GrandMaster and the High Priest without enough evidence. Especially if they will eventually find out that the Pope is involved.


    They need evidence strong enough to incriminate the people involved, no matter how high their status was.


    Thinking about it, Eli immersed herself in the investigation. After some time, Kayden with reddened eyes joined the suit.


    "How are you feeling, brother?" Eli looked at him. She had called Kayden brother countless times before but now only the two of them know that it has a different meaning.


    Both of them now knew that the body which Eli was living into was not only meant for Elise, but for Eli as well.


    Just like Cornelius, this body is destined to host two souls in its lifetime. Thus, the body ispletely owned by the two, regardless of who upied it first.


    Kayden trembled as he heard the way Eli addressed him. Just like Eli, he also felt the weight of this word in their lives. They were siblings, though through unnatural means, it is undeniable and legitimate.


    "I still feel unwell and overwhelmed. I''m sure you do too. It may take time for us to move on but we still need to carry on. Especially now that we know more than before." Kayden patted his sister''s head, his voice still quivering, obviously stopping himself to cry once again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We can do this¡­ brother." Eli also teared up and gave Kayden an assuring hug.


    "Y-yes¡­ we can do this¡­ for father¡­ for the asanis." When Kadyen felt Eli''s embrace, the sturdy dam in his eyes broke once more. He never knew that he needed this embrace so much that he was not able to stop letting out his vulnerabilities.


    It was aforting release. Something that he never thought he needed ever since he heard the news of his parents'' disappearance and Elise''s death.


    He never knew that he had been bottling up so much, and carrying so much burden on his shoulders. All he knew was he immersed himself in so much work that he could forget it all while also helping other people through his abilities.


    But for the first time in his life, his mind became clear. The very reason he was working was that someone ahead of him aimed for this very moment.


    There''s a reason why he went through all the hardships and heartache.


    It made him strong, mature and capable enough until the time he knew the truth.


    Now a new task is given to him, but he did not feel scared at all, because he knew that he is equipped and ready to continue his father and adoptive grandfather''s legacy.


    After letting themselves calm down, the siblings started to gather the most essential information needed at the moment - the evidence of Asani''s peculiarities that possibly made the Spectres interested in their bodies.


    "I have already found the way to exit the ce, however, we need to strengthen the security of this dimension, just in case the possessor of the two rings will be able to also circumvent the rules of here and infiltrate.


    We will also move silently to ensure that no one from the enemy''s side will be suspicious that we are up to something." Kayden suggested to which Eli also agreed.


    It took them about two weeks to finish their task of gathering enough information about the asanis and strengthening the security of the dimension.


    Finally, after more than two weeks of being inside the seclusiveboratory, Eli and Kayden stepped out of the dimension and saw the bright skies.


    Eli let the warm light of the morning bathe her skin, which has be pale because of being unable to see the sunshine for a long period of time.


    "Dr. Einz! Lady Eli! Oh, thank heavens you have returned safely!" The knight who was with them during the visitation to the asani''s grave.


    "Sir Bernard¡­" Kayden and Eli nodded and warmly acknowledged the knight''s presence.


    "Thank heavens... Thank heavens! Come quickly Dr. Einz and Mdy¡­ we retained the camp to wait for you... We knew that you woulde back¡­" The knight was tearful and full of relief, but he did not forget to quickly let the twoe to the camp to rest.


    After a while, Eli and Kayden took a hot cooked meal after two weeks of eating dry rations. The two visibly lost weight so much that the knights felt heartache for the two of them. In the end, they decided to cook something light yet nutritious and filling at the same time, so that their stomach would not react repulsively.


    After their breakfast was done and they were fully washed up, Bernard came back to them and asked what their ns would be.


    It was Kayden who instructed, "Quickly pack the things up. For those knights who can use earth or restoration magic, quickly erase the tracks where we have camped and searched around the entire vicinity at once.


    We need to deceive the enemies that we did not attempt to investigate here. After all, we are not sure if their eyes are still on thisnd even though they have already done something to steal the asani corpses.


    Then we will depart at once as fast as we can to the nearest teleportation station. We needed to report to the Governor and the Emperor as soon as possible."


    "Roger, Doctor Einz!" Bernard did not question Kayden''s instructions and thought that they made sense.


    While the two did not disclose what they had found in the secret dimension, it was surely something that needed to bemunicated as soon as possible.


    After all, he had reported that Crown Prince Ranon has already started his official visitation and that today is the time when he is supposed to meet the criminals in the Court of Sinners!

 Chapter 470 To The Court Of Sinners (1)

    ?The knights moved fast to clear out the things and traces they left in the vige.


    As Kayden instructed, everyone is to immediately erase all the indications that someone came back to investigate the tragic vige.


    The knights of the Sleeping North were indeed extremely capable. They were able to carry out everything in less than an hour, and in an instant, all of them were already prepared to set off to the nearest teleportation portal to the capital.


    "Rear guards, ensure that our foot tracks we move. Vanguard stays alert and do not let your guard down, same is for the sidenes, keep your senses wide open!" Bernard instructed his men as they mounted their horses for a fast run out of the Blood Valley.


    However, even as they rushed they would certainly not get to the capital before the Emperor and the Governor apanied the representatives of the Main Temple and the Green Wave institute to take a look at the prisoners.


    Even so, they respected Eli and Kayden''s decision to go back as fast as possible. After all, whatever information they were able to find in the mysterious dimension should be of utmost importance.


    ¨C


    That same morning in the cottage¡­


    The father and son were already busy preparing for the day when Baobao carefully knocked on the bedroom door.


    "Good morning Prince Master, it''s Baobao¡­" The giant furrypanion called out.


    Leon took Little Han in his arms along with his bear-themed sling bag and opened the door, "Good morning, what''s the matter?"


    "Prince Master, I finally felt my connection with Master reestablished!" Baobao excitedly reported.


    When Leon heard his words, his eyes also flickered in relief. Finally, he could confirm that Eli is safe and sound.


    Little Han blinked in confusion and asked, "Mommi home?"


    Leon chuckled as he heard Little Han''s question. He did not forget that the toddler actually prayed that his mother would go home today and so, he must be excited upon hearing that Eli''s traces have been re-established.


    "Not yet, son, but she will soon¡­" Although he knows that Eli and Kayden may take time to go back to the capital, he does not have the heart to say to his child that his prayer might not be granted exactly as he wished.


    "Yay!!!" Little Han on the other hand was innocently excited as he bounced his body excitedly, jumping on Leon''s arms.


    With a gentle and doting smile, Leon rubbed Little Han''s head and coaxed him, "Now let''s eat, so that your mommy will not worry. Then soon she wille home."


    "Owkieee Daddi!" Little Han giggled and shed his milk teeth. The excitement could not be hidden in his entire body as he was particrly active today than in the past few days.


    Soon they went to the kitchen where Rosea had already dutifully prepared the breakfast and the snacks that Little Han would take on his daily excursion.


    Today he will stay in the main mansion of the Forgeworns because the entire Imperial Family will be busy along with the two Grand Masters and General Faraulds family.


    This was because the Imperial Family and the Faraulds would most likely stand as witnesses for the important visitationter on.


    As for the Forgeworns, apart from Grandmaster Andi who had the responsibility as S-ss Mage, the presence of their merchant family is not essential to the event.


    But who cares? Today they will be able to monopolize Little Han all day!


    Grandma Brygid and the couple, Tyce and Kristine, were busy preparing everything for the little one''s arrival.


    Of course, the Forgeworn and Farauld kids were also there, excited to see the youngest one among them. They all excitedly ate their breakfast, almost unable to wait for the time they will be spending on the Forgeworn plushie yground.


    The wait did notst long, however, as soon after they ate and waited obediently in the plushie yground, they finally saw Leon and Little Han, with Baobao and Rosea following silently at the back.


    "Wittle Han!!!"


    "Baobao!!!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The children squealed in delight as they ran toward the two excitedly. However, when they saw Leon d in his imperial prince uniform, the kids stopped and clumsily curtsied, "G-greetings His Highness Third Prince!"


    They were at least five to seven years old already, and so they had already taken some lessons about etiquette and could recognize Leon''s appearance and rank at a nce.


    Leon looked at them gently, the kind of look that he will never give in public unless it was Eli or Little Han.


    "At ease kids, there''s no need to do that because we are at home¡­" He told them gently as he bent to let Little Han walk and join the kids.


    "B-but teacher said that we must¡­" Estelle and Benson, who were the closest children around Little Han looked troubled and confused.


    "Then you only have to follow that when there are outsiders around. But if it is only us, then it is alright." Leon patiently coaxed the kids.


    "Besides, if you do that, then you will always have to greet Little Han too, and you can no longer freely y with him if you insist¡­" He added.


    When Little Han heard that, he looked at the children in worry. What if they insist on being polite with Daddi then they won''t y with me anymore?


    "Bwother¡­. Shister¡­" Little Han sped his hands nervously, his eyes were worried and teary.


    Estelle and the rest were worried too, so they looked at each other and then obediently nodded at Leon''s words. If they would really insist then they could really not y with Little Han casually anymore because he is a member of the imperial family.


    "Owkay¡­ we will listen to His Highness¡­" They blinked innocently and replied meekly. "C-can we y with Little Han then, your Highness?" They asked.


    "Yes you can, in fact, can I ask you a favor? Will you look after and protect Little Han for me while I''m not around?" He squatted and patted the kid''s head gently.


    Grandma Brygid and the rest of the elders did not interfere with Leon''s interaction with the kids. They knew that Leon could handle this brilliantly as the prince of the empire.


    Most importantly he had to have good skills with children, because what if Eli and he would have another bunch of kids in the future?


    One way or another, he had to be good at handling kids and get rid of his scary frigid expression when kids are around! Only then will they rest assured when Eli and he will officially marry!


    When he was done coaxing the kids, Leon did not forget to greet and respectfully ask for the elder''s favors in looking after Little Han once again.


    "Ayioo, Your Highness do not worry. We know how hard it is for you and Eli considering the plenty of work you have. We, elders, are here to help you, after all, besides, we love Little Han to death, it makes our day brighter and lively." Grandpa Brygid took pity on Leon''s way of asking for favors.


    Her words were not only a polite agreement but a sincere expression towards the young couple. They did not even have time to spend on each other as a couple and on their young son, yet the burden they carried was too heavy for even the emperor to bear.


    Tyce and Kristine also shared the same sentiments. Tyce looked at him and nodded with assurance before patting his shoulders in a fatherly way, encouraging him to go on his way.


    "Thank you, dear elders." Leon''s heart warmed for receiving such support from the respected elders. Although he very much wanted to stay and talk with them over tea, he still had to rush to the pce and join the activities for the day.


    And so he proceeded to attend to his duties in the pce as they were set to go to the court of sinners for the day.


    "Leon, you are finally here¡­" Antoine saw Leon enter the waiting hall and gestured for him to join the two brothers.


    "How are you feeling?" Leon walked towards the two, he noticed the stiffness and the looming troubled expression on Kazimir''s face.


    "I don''t exactly understand what I feel today." Kazimir was exceptionally handsome today but none of it can hide the uneasiness in his eyes.


    Princess Consort Arielle knew that it was a bizarre day for Kazimir and so she insisted on taking care of everything for him this morning.


    From bathing to choosing his clothes and ornaments, Arielle dutifully apanied her to the best of her abilities. Unfortunately, women of the Imperial Family were not invited to participate in this activity. Mainly because the former empress is imprisoned out there.


    She could only do this to express her support for her husband who will see his mother and maternal family for the first time after the war.


    "We''re just here behind you¡­" Leon looked at him with his ever-expressionless countenance as he stiffly encouraged his eldest brother.

 Chapter 471 To The Court Of Sinners (2)

    ?Kayden looked at his two brothers and trembled.


    These two men in front of him were stiff as a rock, yet their eyes looked at them with concern. It was such a bizarre thing for him to realize that so much time has been wasted until the three of them realize what it means to be each other''s brothers.


    They were strained, stiff, and awkward with each other, almost as if they were learning how to be brothers to each other.


    But then he could not ignore that warmfortable feeling that was nurturing his heart.


    Yes, he lost a great part of his identity, in fact, half of him.


    He lost his mother and his entire maternal family.


    Yet why is it that he was feeling that he had gained more than what he lost? He felt like something stolen from years for many years was finallying back to him.


    Slowly restored, slowly rebuilt.


    From his rtionship with his wife and son to his father, then finally to his brothers. He had the nagging feeling that he could never be moreplete than ever.


    "En¡­" Kazimir nodded, not finding the right words to respond, but his grateful eyes said everything that Leon and Antoine had to know.


    With that, they all proceeded to wait for all the guests.


    Today, not everyone will being to the Court of Sinners, unlike the past few days. Only the Emperor with the three Princes, the High Priest, and the Grand Masters will enter the courts with Crown Prince Ranon.


    They will be escorted by the Imperial Sky knights led by General Farauld. This is to ensure that none of the outsiders and only the trusted members were allowed inside the maximum security prison of the Empire.


    Crown Prince Ranon did not show any signs of displease or unease. He just smiled and nodded with an unperturbed expression. After all, it was not time for him to move.


    The moment they step out of the borders of the Empire that''s when everything will start. And so, he is not keen to start anything and raise the unnecessary rm to the already vignt Seirende Empire.


    As they departed to the Court of Sinners, they were heavily guarded as they entered a route that only the carriage from the Imperial Family can ess.


    The trip was about an hour''s ride from the Imperial Pce to the Court of Sinners. This only proved that the capital itself is already such a massivend that left one unable to imagine howrge the rest of their territory is.


    When Crown Prince Ranon got off the carriage, he could not help but be impressed with the surroundings of the Court of Sinners.


    It was such argeplex that emitted a cold and dark vibe. Just looking at the imposing walls and the deste facade of the prison buildings, one could feel their hearts turn cold.


    There were no visible knights around, but Crown Prince Ranon could feel a hundred pairs of eyes staring at him vigntly. He could not help but skip a beat.


    These guards were no ordinary guards and their strengths were even unfathomable. To Prasinos where strength is measured by the different levels of mage ssification, Crown Prince Ranon wondered if all of these hidden guards were A-ss mages.


    Being an S-ss mage is out of the question because it is prohibited to the entire world to hide any news of S-ss mages. Thus, Crown Prince Ranon was certain that these guards would be at least at the peak of B-ss to the A-ss.


    ''If these people were to join the battleter on¡­ even if we have more than five hundred A ss mages in Vanderford, the battle would be hard¡­'' He thought to himself as he decided to tell this information to the Pope once he got the chance.


    "This is the Court of Sinners." Leon leads the men inside, not using the word wee as this word will only be appropriate to say to the sinner itself.


    They walked towards the main hall, going through the open-air corridor. While it was warm outside, the men felt the air turn colder once they stepped inside the building.


    There was a heavy oppressive atmosphere around. It was as if, the resentment and the evil that was housed inside the prison umted and dominated the entireplex. That feeling intensified the moment they entered the prison cells.


    "This is the first level of the prison cells, all who have been housed here were those involved in multiple counts of rape and human trafficking¡­


    While the investigation and the hall of justice were stillpleting the procedures for their verdict, mainly having to make sure that the counts of offenses were ounted for, they will be executed right away¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon proceeded to exin the offenses of the people around them. The cells were dark and cold, most of them were vacant, yet now that they heard Leon''s words they understood that the prisoners in here do not stay here for long, because they will be executed the moment their verdicts are finalized.


    The design of the prison is straightforward. The upper floors were the office and administrative area, where the guards were housed and the food was prepared. The prison cells start as you go underground.


    The deeper they go on each floor, the graver the sins of the people were.


    Grandpa Andi and Grandpa Ben kept their calm expressions. It was because they were the ones who have frequently brought criminals that were housed here.


    However, it was not the same for Kazimir and Antoine. Their faces revealed shocked expressions as it was their first time visiting thisplex. That was because it was always Leon who was sent to do bloody missions and drag the criminals back to this ce.


    Before, they did not even care to take a look at this ce. In fact, they see this ce disdainfully, as if the mere act of doing an inspection of this ce were such a dirty job. And so they repeatedly schemed to let Leon take the task of checking this ce back then.


    But now that they have seen this with their own eyes, they''ve realized the extent of work made by the Empire''s knights and even Leon who frequented going out of the capital to the battlefield.


    When they saw the vicious eyes of the criminals who were coldly restrained by solid iron chains, they finally understood that the evil not only lies with the curse users but everywhere in the empire.


    As long as there is evil greed and desire, there would be crimes.


    The floors were reserved for those who were aplices of the Vess. Their prison cells were much colder than those on the floors near the ground surface and the conditions inside were much more strict.


    Aside from the chains restraining their limbs with the iron chains, their cells were ridden with security arrays that restricted them from using their curse powers.


    Usually, their tongues and eyes would be taken out, but since they need more information about the curse powers, the Emperor decided not to do that and only reinforced their arrays so as to not let them do anything to self-destruct.


    They were also deprived of the soundsing from the hallway, meaning to say, they could not hear what the people outside of their own prison cells were talking about.


    Leon discretely observed Crown Prince Ranon''s reaction. He was not keen on missing any clues or evidence that he also sided with these evil people. But then the other party seemed to have looked at them apathetically.


    In fact, there was even a trace of righteous condemnation in his eyes. As if he was indignant to see such evil people still alive.


    He was even asking the Emperor and the High Priest about what could have been the punishment for these people should the Main Temple not interfere.


    Leon did not say anything, he knew that the Crown Prince himself was cunning and deceptive.


    "The floor below would be where the main yers of the internal war were detained." He announced coldly.


    This time the men with him took a deep breath, all withplicated expressions on their faces. This was because down below were people who once stood proudly and honorably alongside the Emperor.


    The former empress Carolina and the Ves Ducal Family.


    Nevertheless, this moment will surelye even if they opted to dy it. They will still face these people who let the Empire down.


    Stepping into the corridor, they were weed with an eerie silence and thickened cold walls.


    Along the corridor, they saw several cells that housed the main culprits and saw for the first time their appearances after their defeat.


    Former Empress Carolina Vesy on the cold stone bed, her eyes closed and her body remained pale. The same is true with the Former Duke Maxim Ves and the rest of the dark knights.


    Crown Prince Ranon, Kazimir, and Antoine looked at Leon in confusion.


    It appears to them that the people inside were already dead!

 Chapter 472 What Really Happened

    ?"They were on suspension magic, so as to not enable them to move around and cause a disturbance. But their mind and metabolism are fully active. They are fully conscious." Leon exined.


    "This is our special way of detaining the curse users that hosted spirit fragments. We have to make it so that they are not able to do anything to themselves or to the environment outside. Their powers have no form thus we can only devise a way to restrain their powers this way."


    Only then did the look on the men''s faces shed a hint of understanding. For a moment they thought that Leon and the Court of Sinners had already done the punishment without consulting the Emperor and the Temple.


    All the men in the room could still feel the flicker of life in their bodies, however, they are afraid that the mere fact that they appeared to be unconscious is part of the torture without undue process.


    "Also, the more they use their curse powers, the more the curse power would demand to eat some life force. Since they were inside the prison, there was no other source of life force but themselves. This would also be tantamount to suicide which we do not want to happen before any litigation happens." Leon continued.


    "I see¡­ What a bizarre thing this cursed power was. It is so scary and troublesome." Crown Prince Ranonmented as if he was deeply worried and afraid to get close to these people.


    Unbeknownst to them, apart from Kazimir and Antoine, all others were not buying his acting but rather suspected him to be one with the enemy.


    "Indeed they are troublesome, that is why we have to apprehend all others who are still out there, freely mingling with people, ready to consume them for the sake of keeping and growing their powers." Leon coldly replied.


    He needed not to look in Crown Prince Ranon''s direction, his words were already enough for him to hear.


    "The Third Prince''s words are indeed correct¡­" Crown Prince Ranon looked at everyone and told everything righteously.


    Then he sighed and continued, "It''s a shame that before all of the trials started we still have to think of a way to transfer them all to the Holy Ind¡­ There''s no other thing in the world that could bring us peace and quiet other than being able to see that justice has been served."


    Leon did not reply but only nodded perfunctorily. In the end, Crown Prince Ranon did not seem to do any kind of things inside.


    His every move, even each flick he made with his hands and gaze from his eyes were all seen and recorded. But the Crown Prince did not do anything suspicious at all.


    The observers at the Court of Sinners doubted if he really was someone who had connections to the curse power. But since the Third Prince said that he is highly suspicious, they did not dare to rule him out of the picture.


    Of course, on Crown Prince Ranon''s end, he will not dare to make a move inside. Even as the two beings hiding in their shadows almost rushed towards Maxim Ves, their father, he used his authority to prohibit them from doing something foolish and blowing their cover.


    ''Hold it in for a few more weeks, you will all see your father once we are out of this empire!'' He told them sternly.


    Only then did Arabe and Niki, who were hiding in his shadows, calm down. But their resentment increased to the highest towards the Imperial Family, especially towards Leon and their cousin Kazimir.


    After their inspections, the Crown Prince asionally asked about how they were making sure that the prisoners were kept safe and alive to ensure that they could endure the long journey ahead.


    Then they proceeded to go back not to the pce but to the temple to discuss how the prisoners will be transported.


    ¨C


    While the others were busy discussing the matters of the prisoners, Eli and Kayden finally arrived with the troops in the sun tower.


    "Thank heavens for your safe journey!"


    Waiting for them patiently was Governor Fidel, who upon receiving the notice from his trusted knight Bernard that Eli and Kayden will rush to the capital, chose to miss the inspection in the Court of Sinners to wee them.


    He stepped forward, with his face remaining stoic and lonesome, yet his eyes were filled with relief.


    "Governor Fidel¡­" Eli and Kayden saluted at him in acknowledgement, while the rest of the northern troops bowed in reverence.


    "It''s a relief that you were able toe back before the transportation started. Now, I know that you have many things to say and report. His Majesty allowed me to receive the initial reports first as he will remain upied the entire day due to the Envoy." Governor Fidel exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli and Kayden nodded, after all, the mission was entrusted to the three of them, with Governor Fidel acting as the sponsor of the expedition. He had the right to know as their superiors what had transpired.


    They were then led into Governor Fidel''s designated office while the knights stayed at their temporary barracks. The two were given a short time to breathe, while Governor Fidel sent the necessary notifications to Emperor Valentin and Leon.


    After that, he sat on the couch across from Eli and Kayden, joining them for tea.


    "The vige, have you gotten more information about them?" Governor Fidel went straight on the matter, however, Eli and Kayden could hear the quiver in his voice.


    While it was already more than two decades after the perishing of the asanis in the Portia Valley, it was still such a painful scar for him to face.


    Eli and Kayden looked at each other. Then it was Kayden who spoke of what they had found inside.


    However, he only told Governor Fidel about the necessary things, taking out the fact about the soulsing from another world and the heavenly realm.


    "This is by far the most important matter for us to report. While we must limit the people who knew because once the Pope got in touch with these people, the information managed to get leaked to him."


    "That makes sense¡­" Governor Fidel looked at the report and read it once more, his face turning deeper and more solemn as he read.


    "Then¡­ ording to this information and the fact that there are fake pdin sporting features of an asani, what are your inferences?" Governor Fidel looked at Kayden and Eli and asked in a low voice.


    Eli was the one to answer, "Governor,bining the information we have at hand we can only agree to one theory¡­


    It is possible that long before they knew of the existence of the rings, they were already eyeing the corpses of the Asanis and intended them to be used in their experimentation - to create a vessel to contain the spirit of Birsha.


    But by possessing the corpses, they stumbled upon two of the bearers of the dimension rings, the Vige Chief, Rodelio and the son of the creator of the ring himself, Alexandre.


    With that, they managed to reinforce their knowledge through the medical books inside of it, and also noticed the specimens. After that, they will somehow realize that the books were notplete and would boldly guess that if there were two rings, there would probably be the third one.


    With that, theymenced finding who among the people of thend had medical knowledge and skillsparable to the skills of the books in the first two rings and would,ter on, identify Cornelius as the bearer of the third ring.


    But too bad¡­ Before he left, he was already able to pass the ring to his son, Kayden and the specimens inside were already sessfully used up, through conceiving me.


    Now¡­ Five yearster, for some reason, the Spectres will catch wind that an asani exists. But some mad doctor who wanted to one-up others managed to get me first and use me for experimentation.


    In one of the memoirs written by the mad doctor himself, he threatened to burn my body to death if the Spectre would insist on handing me over.


    With that the Spectre dared not to make a move and could only allow the mad doctor to experiment on me, periodically waiting for the mad doctor''s submitted reports and journals.


    Thatsted until I turned twenty and was rescued by the Imperial Family through the Elder Leprechaun''s words.


    Meanwhile, while they were helpless about getting me, the only Asani alive, they couldy low and rely on his results.


    However, after ten years they started to move once again, this time they hunted Doctor Kayden, the most talented doctor in the history of Prasinos.


    Governor, do you know what event coincides with the year when Kayden started to disappear and be hunted by the Spectre?"


    Governor Fidel frowned and thought for a long while. He tried to remember all the significant events that happened until a sudden realization caused him to widen his eyes and answer,


    "It was the time when the Pope was inaugurated as a High Priest!!"

 Chapter 473 Little Han Boasted

    ?"That''s right," Eli nodded with a serious and dark expression and continued.


    "The High Priest always told me that one of the requisites for a person to be ordained in that position is to awaken those gifts.


    If I am not mistaken, the Pope immediately used his power to read minds and managed to extract the information about Kayden possessing thest ring. Thus, they embarked on the journey to find him."


    Governor Fidel subconsciously touched his chin in deep contemtion and analyzed Kayden and Eli''s theory, then asked,


    "If that was the case, then the Pope would have also known about the dimension and the exact way to artificially conceive asanis¡­ Why did it appear that they were only sessful at that?"


    Kayden then answered,


    "We are gambling the fact that the Pope only had a limitation to his power. Our guess is that it is either he could only read a person''s mind once or he could only superficially read their thoughts because he could not bear the cost of using these gifts.


    The High Priest had already told us that using the gifts they received from heaven could only be used for the people. Once it was used for personal or evil intentions, one has to bear the cost.


    But despite that, he was still able to get this information and force me to seek the Imperial Family''s help in disappearing and taking on a new identity."


    Governor Fidel looked at Kayden with a convincing expression. As a member of the Imperial Family, he also knew what his real identity was.


    "In that case, we can only hold on to this theory for the meantime. But there is no way for us to know if there was progress on their part in the experiment apart from the fake pdin¡­ Now¡­ What would be your next step?"


    Eli looked at the governor and replied,


    "Governor Fidel, we are positive that the asani corpses were under the Spectre''s possession through the Pope. Moreover, if it was before we had gone to investigate the vige, we would never have thought that Big Brother''s parents were still alive.


    But now, knowing how crucial he would be in this mission, then there is still a slim chance that they have kept them alive to extract information.


    Because they needed them to realize the benefits of having the asani DNA in their bodies, which has been listed in this report.


    We also deeply think that their insistence on getting the prisoners to have something to do with the experimentation, after all, the prisoners were still vessels of Birsha''s spirit fragment.


    All of the evidence, as well as the most recent information we have from our intelligenceworks, point to the Main Temple, and so¡­"


    Eli and Kayden clenched their fists and continued with a solemn expressions.


    "We would like to go and appeal to the Governor and to the Emperor himself that we needed to embark on an expedition to sneak into the Main Temple."


    There was a long silence in the room and the heavy atmosphere intensified. Because the matter was indeed quite heavy and dangerous.


    After a while, Governor Fidel could only sigh and look at the two,


    "Give me more time to digest this information. When His Majestyes back after their matters with the envoy, I will immediately pass this report."


    He looked at them and noticed that they visibly lost weight and theirplexions turned pale from not being under the sun,


    "You will hear from us soon. But for now, take the next few days to rest. After all, I knew you had a hard time inside the dimension¡­"


    Eli and Kayden bowed and saluted the Governor.


    They knew that the decision would take time as the Imperial Family was also busy coordinating the traveling of the prisoners to the Holy Ind.


    It''s better for the Emperor and the three princes to finish the matters with the prisoners first before taking another big matter on their te.


    And so, with the Governor''s permission, Eli and Kayden went back to the Forgeworn Estate after thanking the troops who went with them on the journey.


    Eli and Kayden dered that they will be conducting more research about improving the propagation methods for the herbs needed for the cure potion.


    This way, the public and the enemies who were also monitoring their movements will not be rmed by their disappearance nor surprised by theireback.


    As soon as they entered the Forgeworn Estate, they were enthusiastically weed by the butler and the servants, not forgetting to inform them that Little Han is with the family''s elders.


    Eli''s heart immediately warmed at the thought of seeing her baby once again.


    Kayden on the other hand realized the newfound depth of his affection toward his nephew. Not only that Little Han was his best friend''s son, but now her sibling''s child, his true nephew!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mommi!!! Umcleee!!!!" Little Han was first to look towards the door''s entrance and beamed when he saw Eli and Kayden.


    He stood up and hastily walked with his chubby legs toward the entrance of the plushie yground.


    While he was still a year old, he was already capable of unlocking the picket fence and walking outside the yground.


    "Mommi! Mommi!!!" He walked excitedly, his chubby little wobbly figure swayed adorably towards Eli who paused at a distance, squatting as she waited for Little Han toe into her arms open wide.


    "Fairy auntie!!!" Estelle and the rest of the kids also beamed excitedly, they liked their fairy auntie the most who drew them cute dresses and outfits.


    "My good daughter is here! Young Kayden, wee back!" The Elders, Grandma Brygid, Tyce, and Kristine also weed the two warmly.


    Little Han cupped Eli''s face as he pouted his lips and gave her a kiss, then he hugged her neck tight and gently rubbed his cheeks towards his mother as if he wanted her warmth toe to him.


    His soft gentle voice rang to Eli and Kayden''s ears, "Johann miss Mommi¡­"


    "Good boy¡­ We miss you too." Kayden could only helplessly smile as the child had already stuck like a jellyfish to his mother.


    While he wanted to also carry the child, he could only affectionately rub the clingy little boy''s head.


    After greeting the kids, who also weed them with kisses and adorable hugs, Eli and Kayden joined the elders for a quick catch-up.


    They briefly told them the general happenings on the journey, albeit taking out the confidential information about the asanis and Spectre, as it was not yet time for this information to be public.


    The elders also understood that and were already satisfied to know that Eli and Kayden did not spend a thought time in the wilderness in vain.


    While the adults were talking, Little Han happily nestled in Eli''s arms and soon drifted to a happy sleep.


    Kristine noticed this, her eyes warmed as he looked at the mother and son andmented,


    "d that you came back, my dear. Look at Little Han, the poor one did not have any afternoon naps at all since you left. Now he was peacefully sleeping in your arms."


    Eli moved her arms and caressed Little Han''s back, "


    En¡­ I want more than anything to finish all the things I have to do to deal with the enemies outside. After all, my son is growing¡­ and he can only be a child once. The earlier we finish the matter, the more chances for me to witness my son grow into a lovely person."


    The elders signed and agreed to Eli''s words.


    They could only sigh in their hearts how hard it is for Eli and Leon to continue being parents while staying true to their duties. What they could only do is to be a safe source of support for the two and guide them as elders.


    As the evening approached, the elders insisted that the two have dinner before they went back to the cottage.


    In the pce, Leon already received the notification that Eli came back and rushed to the main estate of the Forgeworn.


    Of course, it was not only him who rushed to get back, but Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, and General Farauld''s family too.


    With that, the dinner became lively once again and everyone celebrated Eli and Kayden''s safe return.


    When Leon saw Eli and Little Han, he was greeted by two pairs of misty eyes that were looking at him full of longing.


    "Daddi!!/Leon!" They both greeted as they allowed Leon to embrace them with his trembling arms.


    The little family stayed like that for a long while and everyone gave them space. After a while, Leon finally calmed his emotions and carefully inspected Eli.


    His heart broke to see her lose weight and turn pale, but overall he is relieved to see her uninjured.


    "Daddi.. Daddi¡­" While he was busy asking Eli something, Little Han cutely interrupted him by gently pulling his sleeves.


    "Yes, son?" Leon patiently answered.


    When Little Han saw his father pay attention to him, he then grinned proudly and replied while pumping his chest like a grown-up teenager,


    "Gweat One answered Johann''s prayers!"

 Chapter 474 Lord Raven

    ?Leon was taken aback by Little Han''s words and he almost choked upon seeing his son''s mischievous expression.


    In the end, he could only dotinglyugh as he stretched out his hand and ruffled his son''s little head filled with silky blood-red hair.


    Seeing the two giggling as if sharing a joke with each other, Eli blinked and asked in confusion, "What is this all about?"


    "Jihihi¡­" Little Han clung to embrace her mother''s neck again with a bashful expression as Leon answered,


    "Well, I just taught our son how to pray to the heavensst night. Who would have known that his prayers would be granted at this moment."


    Eli''s eyes beamed brightly, surprised that while she was away, Leon and Little Han found a way to bond with each other.


    "Yes, he actually prayed for you toe back today¡­ and look¡­ you are standing in front of us right now." Leon smiled as he replied, his eyes were full of warmth and affection.


    It took several seconds before Eli understood everything. She was pleasantly surprised but more than that, she could only imagine how heartwarming it must have been for the father and son to pray for her safe returnst night.


    The warm and pleasant feeling bloomed in her heart and answered them with a smile as her dark obsidian eyes looked back with love, "I''m d to be back¡­"


    With such a warm and safe environment, the reunion of the family of three was spent well with the Forgeworns and Faraulds.


    After that, Eli, Leon, and Little Han, together with the bunch went back to the cottage to retire for the night.


    "Alright, stay here obediently while Mommy is taking a shower ok?" Eli patted the freshly dressed Little Han with his warm fluffy onesies while giving a look at Leon to take a look at him while she was in the shower.


    "Aye, Mommi!" Little Han happily rolled in the bed as he looked at his parents who are now together.


    Finally, they were alreadyplete!


    He giggled in satisfaction as he curled and hugged the fluffy pillows around. Soon after, it was Leon''s turn to take a bath so Eli and Little Han bonded for a little while.


    "Mommi, mommi~~ can you pway peeno (y piano)?" Little Han looked up with pleading and anticipation in his eyes.


    "Oh¡­ do you miss listening to the piano, my love?" Eli was surprised to hear the little buddy''s request. She watched her as he coquettishly rolled his body shyly while he looked at her with great anticipation.


    Of course how could Eli resist with that cute pair of misty crystal blue eyes?


    "Alright, all for you little bun!" Eli smiled as she helped Little Han up. She met his cute little face and gently rubbed their noses together.


    "Tickiesss!" Little Han squealed and scrunched his nose with a yful smile as he received his mother''s tickle attack.


    Then the two went to the living room where Baobao was lying peacefully on the carpet. Tonight he had the egg Wisey warmed in his big fur body.


    Little Han and he both believed that Wisey needed enough warmth to wake up and so they kept on doing this no matter how many days it was.


    Rosea on the other hand was sitting on a nearby stool as she continued to knit some little handicrafts to use around the house.


    Baobao lifted his eyelids and looked at the mother and son pair who were walking into the grand piano which had not been yed in such a long time. Rosea nodded at the two with a smile.


    "What do you want to hear me y my dear?" When they sat on the bench, Eli let Little Han sit on herp and asked him what he likes to hear.


    Little Han excitedly looked at the keys that tilted his head up to look at his mom, his legs wiggled in rhythm as he replied, "Mommi, winkle winkle pleezz?"


    Eli chuckled at Little Han''s action and said, "Alright, here we go."


    Soon the soft happy melody sounded in the entire cottage. Everyone smiled as they looked at the pair, Eli ying the arpeggio on the left hand while at some point she allowed Little Han to y the melodic verses.


    Leon and Kayden stepped out of their respective rooms and watched the two with warmth and happiness.


    And so the cottage has once again been filled with liveliness and color.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, on Crown Prince Ranon''s side, it is quite gloomy and eerie.


    Crown Prince Ranon sat nkly in front of the cushioned couch, facing the starry night view outside his sleeping quarters at the Seirente Inner Temple.


    Neither Niki nor Arabe dared to show up inside, it is because they were aware that the inner temple is ridden with countless curse magic detectors.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In order not to raise suspicion, Crown Prince Ranon instructed them to contact them only when he stepped outside the temple and was alone. No matter how much they were itching to cause chaos inside the Empire, they had no choice but to follow the Pope''s arrangement.


    Looking back at everything that happened, Crown Prince Ranon could have thrown tantrums and cursed the Pope for getting ahead of himself. But surprisingly, he did not cause any trouble but instead followed obediently, much to his trusted men''s surprise.


    They would not know that at this moment, the Crown Prince, which was known as the most talented, cunning, and capable prince of the Vanderford Empire was now staring nkly at the night sky.


    With his purple eyes seemingly unfocused and his beautiful charming face remaining nonchnt, one would think that he was just rxing after such a long, heavy day in the Court of Sinners.


    However, the next few seconds were mystifying, as his unfocused amethyst eyes would turn into a dark shade of red, like a ferocious monster living only during the night.


    It remained like that for several minutes, not moving a single inch, not mumbling a single word, not even blinking a single second.


    After that, the bright red glow started to fade, and the lustrous purple shimmer in Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes returned.


    Crown Prince Ranon finally blinked, shook his head in confusion, and turned to look around for anything amiss.


    ''Did I just fall asleep?'' He asked himself, as he had no recollection as to how he remained seated facing the windows on his bed chambers, which is a habit he was not fond of.


    Rubbing his temples after feeling a little lightheaded, he stood carefully and finally came to bed while thinking,


    ''There will be a more strenuous charadeing in the next few days. I must cherish a good night''s sleep before the bloody battle dayse.''


    ¨C


    On the other side of Prasinos, in a certain dark castle that was filled with the darkness of the night.


    There lies a throne where a rather familiar person satnguidly.


    His ckish purple hair draped on the back of his head down to his shoulders and the side of the throne, like a wine river.


    His body was ridden in ornaments and precious jewels as if none of it was enough to satisfy his cravings. His eyes remained closed, like he was asleep, but one could have gulped nervously the moment they looked at his face.


    For his beauty was devilishly poisonous.


    The moment Crown Prince Ranon came to his senses was also the moment he opened his eyes. Which turned from amethyst to blood red.


    "Hmm¡­ it seems like the vessels that were put in the Seirende Empire were no longer of use." His voice drifted softly in the empty throne room.


    To the Ves and even the Duke of Cuervo in the Vanderford Empire, they will immediately recognize this voice.


    It was none other than Lord Raven''s voice.


    There was an eerie smile on his face as hezily stood up, slowly stepping down on the throne as his silky ck robe trailed on his pale porcin skin.


    On the cold carpet, his toes pointed towards the direction he was walking, his nails painted in the darkest ck.


    His feet did not stop when he stepped down the tform, he continued to walk out of the hall and into the pce hallways.


    Mystifyingly, the knights in patrol did not sense his presence at all. It was like he did not exist, like a ghost wandering around the pce.


    He continued to walk into the depths of the castle, with the decorated corridors that were decorated with the portraits of the Vanderford Emperors from the current and seeding generations.


    Surprisingly, while he was the one who sat on the stone earlier, his face does not match the appearance of the current emperor.


    But he continued to move as he mumbled, "All has been set and prepared. What only awaits you, cursed Seirende''s death¡­"


    As he muttered this with crazed excited eyes, he reached the end of the corridor, where a portrait of a couple with crows on their head, on theirp, a young prince, sharing the bits and pieces of the couple''s appearance, then standing behind them was a youngd - The Vanderford First Imperial Family.


    While the father looked like he was not sharing any features simr to the young man, the mother with pale purple hair was simr to his amethyst hair and eyes.


    Only then would one conclude that they are family, albeit the mother''s features became dominant with the firstborn son, while the second had both.


    He looked at the young man that stood behind the King and Queen in the portrait, his facial features were identical.


    "Only then will I reign supreme and would never hide under the shadows again¡­"

 Chapter 475 Deep Thinking And Sweet Nothings

    ?There was a sh of hatred to his eyes as he looked at the portrait, his eyes were focused on the young man, whom he shared the same appearance on as his default appearance of purple hair and amethyst eyes.


    The youngd in the portrait seemed to have a good countenance, however, his eyes were filled with fear and self-belittling. It was as if the life he had now was something that he was forced to take like he had lost something too great for his age.


    Now, whilst he had red blood eyes and dark purple hair he was still the same yet different at the same time.


    All the years that he worked, expanding hiswork was all to fulfill his end of the bargain with Birsha.


    "This form is proof that I have be strong. Far stronger than I was before."


    "Now it''s about time to move¡­ I''ve been waiting for centuries¡­" With a wave of his hands, several dark ravens formed in the air and hovered around his figure.


    "Tell everyone to start the preparation¡­" He uttered as he turned around and disappeared in the shadows with the ravens around him.


    ¨C


    Truly as Governor Fidel had predicted, the Imperial Family, together with the Seirende Temple and the envoys became busy in the preparation of the transport of the prisoners.


    The Imperial Family could have started to construct the modified carriages to be used to house the prisoners; however, the Pope''s party kept on adding a lot of requirements.


    It took them three days to finallye to terms with the structure and features of the prisoners'' cages.


    All in all, they had to transport about fifty prisoners and around ten of them were those who had to be guarded at the highest level.


    With that, the entire empire was mobilized to quickly source out the materials and the best craftsman and array of technicians were assembled to create these transport carriages.


    Eli and Kayden also showed themselves during the preparation.


    As part of the Anti-Cursemittee, they are tasked to reinforce the arrays and mechanisms to keep the prisoners in order. Apart from that, they are also tasked to keep the prisoner vessels sturdy and secured so that no outside personnel could force open these cages and let the criminals loose.


    "The trip to the Holy Ind will be at least three months¡­ We will be traveling at full speed so as to not exceed three months." Leon told Eli and Kayden to fill them up with the recent happenings in the negotiations in which they were not directly involved.


    "If allowing teleportation was not something that could raise suspicions, you could have saved much time¡­" Kayden shook his head in regret as the three of them watched the workers get busy in the construction of the prison wagons.


    "Three months is already a limit for us, allowing the prisoners out for more than that would make it hard for the guards.


    We must also ount for the ambushes along the way, for sure the Spectre would have to put on a good show to disrupt the travel." Leon replied.


    The journey would be challenging, however, this was the risk that they epted to take the moment they nned to attack the Pope back then.


    That is because they have all embedded a tracking mechanism in the bodies of the prisoners and were not at least bothered that they would escape.


    This was a secret they did not tell to any officials in the empire and so only the core members of the original curse investigation team knew about it.


    And so in public, Emperor Valentin appeared reluctant and anxious when it came to the transportation of the prisoners. However, in reality, they were also making these prisoners as bait for the enemies waiting in the dark to attack.


    While the two friends were conversing, Eli remained quiet. While she was observing everyone in the workshop, one would think that her mind seems to have been upied by something far beyond what was around them.


    "Eli, are you all right?" Leon moved to her side and asked her softly.


    Thetter shook her head, unwilling to speak in public. Leon and Kayden immediately understood so they decided to talk to his office back in the barracks.


    "Tell me what bothers you¡­" Leon sat beside her while his other hand was carefully handing her a cup of freshly brewed tea.


    "I could not help but feel like we have failed to consider something here¡­" Eli finally started to exin her thoughts.


    The two did not react and contradict her statement right away but instead allowed her to finishmunicating her thoughts.


    "Days ago, we have already sent you the results of the investigation and the probable reasons why the Spectre wanted to have the asanis on their hands.


    However, this very matter of visiting the prisoners, insisting that they themselves should be the ones to handle the matter up front¡­ Going to the troublesome lengths of transporting the prisoners across two great continents¡­


    What makes the Pope and the Spectre think that all these are worth it?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I could not help but keep thinking what is it that they were after?


    Is it the prisoners themselves? But they were now as useless as they already know that the ''Pdin'' back then destroyed the fragments on the spot.


    The prisoners could not have just be the food for other curse users right? How much work would they make if all of these were for that? If I were in their shoes, attacking a nearby territory would have been much easier¡­


    I tried thinking about something that could have been present in both circumstances. Whether the Pope personally went here to carry out the trials or whether the envoy went here and initiated the transfer of the prisoners.


    But I can''t seem to find the answer." Eli said with a deep anxious frown on her face.


    Leon and Kayden looked at each other seemingly understanding where Eli wasing from. However, the next second, Kayden nodded at his friend seemingly signaling him to say something.


    And so Leon chuckled helplessly and rubbed Eli''s head, while he said in a gentle tone,


    "Eli¡­ it amazes me every time you would point out things that are crucial and detrimental to consider on matters such as this. There has not been one instance where I found your thoughts ridiculous or overly cautious.


    However, my love¡­ for me this trait of yours is both your gift and weakness at the same time."


    Eli did not take offense to Leon''s words, in fact, she was interested in what he had to say, "A gift and a weakness?"


    Leon took her hand and rubbed it affectionately,


    "Yes, it''s¡­


    It is a gift because you are able to remind or make people realize that there are important things that they need to consider to make sure that the ns work as sessfully as they could. You coulde up with a myriad of sensible ideas that would just blow everyone''s mind and are truly praiseworthy.


    Believe me, love, it truly is praiseworthy!" Leon paused and looked her in the eye.


    Meeting Leon''s sincere gaze, Eli''s throat tightened as she felt her heart leap. It has been a long time since Leon talked to her like this. And every time he did, she could never resist that sultry soft voice that he was using every time.


    It might sound like Leon was genuinely affirming her character but to her ears and mind, he is whispering her sweet nothings.


    ''Goodness¡­ Brother Kayden is still around!'' Eli''s obsidian eyes darted around, no longer able to withstand the heat from Leon''s breath and the reddening of the back of her nape.


    "Tsk¡­" Kayden could only flip a random document around and turned away from the two. How bold these two are for openly flirting when the topic is so serious.


    Leon could only chuckle and poke Eli''s nose.


    Then he leaned back to give both of them space to breathe and exined the next part of his thoughts,


    "While most of the time, it is a gift¡­ I said that it was also your weakness purely because of this¡­" He went on to rub her hair while smiling helplessly.


    "Sometimes, you need not think too much about things...


    Sometimes, being straightforward and simple works too.


    For an enemy who was already used to seeing you use such cunning skills. Wouldn''t it catch them off-guard once you suddenly went back from adopting a super simplistic strategy?


    What do you think? Does it make sense?" Leon asked.


    Eli paused and contemted Leon''s answer deeply then finally nodded in understanding.


    Leon was not saying that it is wrong for her to think as she had thought earlier, but is actually replying to the concerns she justmunicated.


    Leon''s words meant that at this moment, it would no longer matter for them to guess what the enemy was nning to do.


    Instead, he was telling her to just be prepared for an all-out war no matter what, because the enemy''s objectives wouldn''t matter anymore.


    These enemies just simply had to be defeated!

 Chapter 476 An Innocent Question

    ?Seeing that Eli understood the main point, Kayden also interjected in a calm yet serious tone,


    "Leon is right this time Little Sister, I am sure the Emperor and the rest of our allies also understood the situation. Whatever it is, there will be a war, and we just have to be prepared for it, no matter where the enemy ns to initiate."


    Leon nodded and sang the same tune as his best friend,


    "Indeed, while the public has been seeing everything peacefully on the surface, the smoke of preparing for war on the other side is already surfacing.


    There were alreadyrge amounts of movements from the ally nations of the Vanderford Empire and there is also evidence of buying weapons and other magical equipment in thest years."


    Eli was shocked about the news, as she had been busy juggling between her responsibilities in the Temple, the Institute, and even the Committee, these matters were no longermunicated to her.


    "So that means that it is just a matter of time before they start attacking¡­" Eli looked at the two only for them to answer with an affirmative nod.


    Leon rubbed Eli''s back infort, understanding the shock in her eyes,


    "Do not worry, we have also been preparing on our end. The Emperor has been working with the Green Wave institute for the alliance as well. Thanks to the Grandmasters too, we are able to persuade the other side to stand with us during this time.


    For sure, the other nearby kingdoms would be there too."


    Eli heaved a heavy sigh, the conversation did not lessen her worries, however, the thought that burdened her heart was already gone, "Alright, I understand. Thank you for listening to me."


    Leon and Kayden smiled. They also heaved a sigh of relief to see that Eli was not offended when they gave her some clues about the impending war.


    It is not that Leon looked down on her as a woman, but it was also because of the fact that Eli tended to burden herself with a lot of things that he decided to keep the news and the covert war preparations on her end.


    Besides, Leon wanted Eli to enjoy more time with Little Han before the war even started.


    While Eli and Kayden haven''t mentioned yet that they wanted to infiltrate the main temple as everyone is busy with the transport, he knew in his heart that this would be the most likely oue when they decided toe to the blood valley to investigate.


    Thus, Leon''s agreement for Eli to investigate the Portia Valley also meant that he would support her decisions thate after it, even if it was as dangerous as her participation in the war.


    Why so? Because he now understood that he had the battle to face as the Pdin, the holy mage.


    If not for Chief Eirllon pointing this out to him when theyst visited the Silver Dew Vige, he would have done his best to argue with Eli once again ande to apromise.


    But this time, the battle is for her to take. No matter how much Leon wanted to shield her away from danger, he had to let her go this time. Much to his dismay.


    "Alright¡­ You two must have many things to discuss. I might as well go out and check how the preparation of the cure potions go." Kayden read the mood and bade goodbye to the couple, giving them space to talk.


    Now with the two of them alone in the office, Eli took a deep breath and leaned on Leon''s shoulders. This kind of sce has been rare for the couple these past few months, they wanted not to waste it.


    "What do we do next?" She asked, clearly anxious about the fact that the family of three will have to be apart once again.


    But this time, everything will be highly dangerous. As they were preparing for war, not only will they think of to whom they will entrust Little Han, but also where to keep them safe.


    Leon wrapped Eli in his arms. His warmth and body gave Eli a space to feel secure at the moment. He did not answer her question for a good while, only just letting the two of them close to each other, feeling each other''s presence.


    "I am as clueless as you as well¡­" Leon''s reply exposed the helplessness in his heart. The trembling of his voice as he said this word made him vulnerable.


    However, with Eli beside him, he knew that it was safe for him to show her what makes him anxious and scared.


    "To be honest, I am disheartened and quite tired of the fact that we have to part ways with our son once again¡­"


    "I want to be boastful and selfish for once¡­ to go out and tell the entire world that I have such a lovable son and a capable fiance."


    "I want to turn down all the responsibilities and tasks given to me and take you all away to a peaceful ce to live there without the care of what is happening to the rest of the world."


    This time, Leon pulled Eli closer, tightening his embrace. His crystal blue eyes shuddered and a warm streak of tears rolled on his cold yet handsome face.


    "I want to just for once¡­ be a happy man¡­ with you and Little Han by my side."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Is my wish that hard to attain?" He asked in a hoarse voice while his lips hid on the top of Eli''s head, trying to stop his body from crying.


    Eli did not respond, but instead took the initiative to lift her body and hide the big guy in her embrace. She rubbed his silky red blood hair and wiped away his tears.


    Her hand moved to guide Leon to lean on her shoulders as the other one worked to rub his wide back.


    Her heart ached to see Leon break down.


    It must have been hard for him these weeks when he was holding everything in. Forcing himself to focus on his job to prepare for the envoys and parenting Little Han while having not one news about Eli for several days.


    The worry and anxiousness he felt must have been unbearable, knowing how protective he was towards her. He must have been keeping his sanity in check while making sure that everything is fine on the surface and at home.


    And even as Eli came back safe and sound, he had no time to confront his emotions because he must quickly move on for the preparation of both the war and the transport of the prisoners.


    The bottled-up emotions triggered by one helpless question broke the wall that kept his deepest fears and heartaches.


    They poured out like rivers, a man, who did not even flinch in a thousand battlefields was now crying like an aggrieved child nestled in his lover''s embrace.


    Eli could have said someforting words like ''Everything should be fine.'' or ''Don''t worry we will find a way together¡­''


    However, what do you do when you yourself do not know the answer?


    When you yourself don''t even have the confidence that everything will really be indeed fine?


    Thus, Eli did not say anything but did her best to support Leon and make him feel that she is with him.


    The couple stayed like that for some time leaning on each other''s warmth.


    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when they managed to calm each other''s emotions. Leon looked at Eli gratefully and ensured that she is fine before suggesting that they go out.


    "I''m feeling fine now¡­ but look at you¡­" Eli replied as she chuckled lightly, "Your eyes are puffy."


    Leon tried to rub his eyes only for the other party to chuckle once again. Eli quite adored the look in his crystal blue eyes. The misty slightly reddened eyes diminished the coldness in his expression and instead made him seem like a big puppy.


    "I''ll put some baby powder in it¡­" Leon decided as he looked in the mirror. He did not even give Eli a chance to react as he reached out his space pouch and took his favorite vanity item - the baby powder.


    Eli''s eyes twitched in surprise, thinking how on earth did she manage to make this man quite obsessed with baby powder.


    Anyhow, the two went home peacefully. Sharing the typical family routine at night, Little Han undeniably brought the liveliness and warmth the two needed the most at the moment.


    While Eli was in the bathroom to take a shower, Leon bused himself in dressing Little Han to sleep.


    The little toddler obediently cooperated with his father however his eyes seemed to have been stuck on his father''s face.


    "Daddi¡­" Little Han called out meekly.


    "Yes, son?" Leon asked.


    "Did Daddy cwy? (cry)" He asked, blinking his eyes innocently.


    Looking at his son''s clear eyes that resembled hispletely, Leon could not bear to say no and replied, "Hmm.. yes a lil'' bit.."


    Little Han blinked again and asked, "Why did Daddi cwy?"


    "Because Daddy did not know what to do¡­ so Daddy cried because of a problem¡­"


    "Oh¡­" Little Han formed a cute ''O'' on his tiny lips as if to tell Leon that he understood.


    Then he furrowed his brows and asked once again, "Why did Daddy cwy? Daddi should pway (pray) instead!"

 Chapter 477 Grandpa Andi Visits

    ?Leon was stumped by Little Han''s question.


    ''Why did he now pray instead?''


    He was rendered speechless as he was unable to refute his son''s words. Days ago, didn''t he teach Little Han how to pray?


    He even told him that praying is when Little Han wants to talk to the heavens. Whether he is happy or sad he can pray and tell his thoughts to the heavens.


    Now the innocent Little Han was reminding him to apply what he had taught himself.


    "Son is right¡­" Leon smiled as he nted a kiss on Little Han''s forehead. "Thank you for reminding daddy." He followed.


    "Jiheehee¡­" Seeing his father smile and agree, Little Han giggled with contentment.


    Then he waited for his parents to finish preparing for bed. Ever since he was taught how to pray, he would stubbornly wait for his mommy and daddy so that they could pray together.


    This little stubbornness from his end became such a warm routine for the little family of three. Thus, Eli and Leon made sure that they finish early so that they can join Little Han in praying as early as possible.


    "Lez pway!" When Little Han finally saw his mom and dad in pajamas ready to sleep, he rolled onto the bed excitedly and shouted.


    Eli and Leon could only look at him helplessly as they went on his side.


    Little Han knew the drill and sat on his legs on the bed and sped his hands as he adorably closed his eyes.


    Eli and Leon also assured the praying posture.


    Little Han cutely opened one of his eyes to see if his mom and dad were ready to pray. When he saw that his mom and dad were ready, he smiled and started the prayer.


    "Dwear Gweat One¡­ Thayku for today. Johann yed a lot!"


    "Pweeze pwotect us to sweep (sleep)...pweeze also make mommy and daddy happi!"


    "Thayku so much, Gwanpa Gweat One! Amen!"


    Then he opened his eyes once again to see if his mom and dad would pray. When he saw Eli open her mouth, he closed his eyes again and determinedly sped his hands as if he wanted to plead to the heavens to listen to his parent''s prayer.


    "Dear Great One, please guide us along the way. Keep my Little Han safe, strong and happy. Give Leon wisdom to do what he needs to do¡­ Amen."


    With that, it was Leon''s turn to utter prayers, "Dear Creator, lead me where to go and guide me in every decision. Take me by the hand towards victory and help my family ovee these burdens ahead¡­ Amen."


    "Amen~~!!!" Little Han agreed happily as he heard his parents finish their prayers. Just like magic, his eyes fluttered as he stretched out his little body in a childish yawn.


    "Good nighty Mommi, Daddi~~" Little Han mumbled as he hugged the pillows.


    Leon and Eli gave him a good night kiss before theyy beside Little Han. Their hands covered his tiny body as they pulled the covers and slept.


    The night peacefully came and went, and the morning hugged them with open arms.


    Eli got up early to prepare for breakfast while Leon packed Little Han''s things for today. Baobao and Rosea also got up and joined her along the way.


    The adults instantly became busy, while Little Han obediently followed his father to the bathroom to take a bath.


    Leon expertly bathed Little Han, selected the set of clothes he will be wearing for the day, and prepared the stuff his son needed when he was outside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He did not forget to also take a dash of baby powder and spread it on Little Han''s back, neck and chest area. "Now you are looking handsome and fresh!" Leon eximed as he looked at the freshly dressed Little Han.


    "Hansum! Fwesh!" Little Han echoed.


    Leon chuckled and carried his son to the kitchen, where the breakfast was already prepared.


    "Let''s eat, breakfast is ready¡­" Eli smiled at the two and gestured to them for lunch.


    "Breakie!" Little Han happily sat on his chair and carried his own spoon and fork while excitedly waiting for Eli to put food in his bowl.


    Soon Kayden joined breakfast as he was dressed and ready for the morning, by then everyone sat and ate in a lively manner seemingly viewing this moment as a brand new day.


    Knock knock knock!


    As they were about to finish their meal, they were interrupted by the sound of knocking at the door.


    "I''ll go and see¡­" Leon immediately stood up and gestured to them to carry on.


    Since their cottage is situated in the Forgeworn Estate, a possible visitor must be from their family. As the head of the house, Leon took the initiative to stand up and see who was visiting.


    He opened the door to see that it was Grandpa Andiing along with two familiards behind him.


    "Grandmaster¡­ Good morning, pleasee inside everyone is talking about breakfast at the moment." Leon was surprised however, he kept a calm expression and very naturally hosted the visitors.


    He also nodded at the two teenageds who introduced themselves formally as he was still the Third Prince of the Empire.


    "A pleasant morning Your Highness Third Prince, I am Calderon from the dragon n and this is Elifas from the Silver Dew vige. We humbly apologize foring to you so abruptly." Calderon led the introduction.


    "No worries, I havee to know that you were also with my son when west visited the vige. Come inside, join our breakfast." Leon nodded amiably at the twods whom Little Han enthusiastically described when he went to narrate what he did while his parents were busy.


    "Thank you for your hospitality." Theds nodded shyly.


    Eli and Little Han were surprised to see the three visitors entering the kitchen. After energetically greeting them, Eli moved to prepare a set of utensils with them and soon the breakfast was finally done.


    While they were taking breakfast, Grandpa Andi quickly gave them a word about why he was here with the twods.


    So after the breakfast was finished, Leon and Eli let Little Han go with Baobao and Rosea while they took the three into the living room. As for Kayden, he went ahead to check hisboratory in the Committee headquarters.


    Grandpa Andi cleared his throat before looking at the young couple and giving his opening statement,


    "As you know, the impending confrontation wille soon¡­ Us, your elders were anxious about the three of you who will eventually part ways again¡­"


    He could not help but sigh in his heart to see how much the two tried their best to be great people and wonderful parents at the same time.


    "We, including His Majesty, thought of a lot of ways to help you¡­ so to put it straightforwardly I am here to bring forth a suggestion." He continued.


    Leon and Eli looked at each other and then at the visitors, although they somehow knew that Grandpa Andi''s suggestion was connected to the twods, they were still unsure.


    "Well, we are thinking of Little Han to take refuge with the rest of the elven and dwarven family in the Green Wave Continent!"

 Chapter 478 Forgetting The Crucial Part

    ?"This¡­" Leon and Eli were shocked by the sudden suggestion.


    What they expect is for Grandpa Andi to suggest something like having Calderon and Elifas take care of Little Han because they were the champions of the Magic Tournament and were most likely as strong as one of the Imperial Sky Knights.


    Traveling all the way to the Green Wave Continent on a different level!


    It is on a different continent and it was even impossible for Eli and Leon to go there without permission from the Green Wave Government to enter there to fetch or visit Little Han.


    Besides, the way of traveling there is either to get under the water with the help of the merfolk or over the air through a mighty flying beast.


    It is because the seas that covered the entire Green Wave Continent are violent and cruel seas that are known for having devastating waves and storms.


    So only by contracting the merfolk to protect them underwater or the mighty flying beasts who can soar beyond the stormy clouds could they safely get to the only non-human continent in Prasinos.


    The dangers involved in traveling to the continent alone made Leon and Eli worried and almost immediately turned down the suggestion on the spot.


    Grandpa Andi knew what they were thinking however, he did not get surprised by his reaction.


    Instead, he calmly looked at the young couple and patiently exined the situation,


    "Hear me, young ones, the elders have discussed this thoroughly and the reason I was the only one discussing this with you is that we wanted to be as discreet as possible in moving around this time¡­"


    "I know that you are worried about how safe it is to travel with the known conditions to the continent that''s why I brought these twods!" Grandpa Andi smiled and waved his hands toward the two teenagers.


    At Grandpa Andi''s cue, Calderon and Elifas straightened their backs to appear how reliable and presentable they were.


    "Let us no longer mention how they were the reigning champions in the tournament, but their background alone can already make the trip to the continent safe and given with extra care!


    Young Calderon here is the grandson of the Chief of the Dragon n, while you know who Elifas is... the Grandson of Chief Eirllon of the Silver Dew Elves. Their identities alone are enough for either the merfolk or the flying beast men to grant them a safe passageway.


    Who would want to go against a Dragon or even the Elves who guarded the resting ce of the fallen Guardian Asa?"


    "Did I forget to mention that since Little Han had been weaned and slept in the cradle when he was an infant that the merfolk would definitely treat him as the Mermaid King''s kin?"


    Then Grandpa Andi let out a chuckle and looked continued to bombard them,


    "Hahaha! The news may not seem to reach here, but Little Han was not only dered as someone to be protected by the Protector of the Silver Dew Forest but the other Guardian Protectors issued an order to the other races too.


    Just a few weeks ago, the Protector of the Dragon and all the Flying Beast ns, Her Ladyship Amihan, gave the order to protect Little Han and the Guardian of the Merfolk, Protector Zale also issued the same mission to the mermaids and the creatures of the sea!


    Of course, how would Protector Sylvain only put one group to protect Little Han from our side? He had already issued that all the elves, dwarves, dryads, and all the fairies of the earth be the little one''s protector!


    So you really do not need to think about who would protect my great-grandson when the entire Green Wave Continent is on his side!


    And you do not have to be burdened too¡­ The Guardians clearly stated that this would onlyst until the battle against the curse users is concluded. Once it was done, they would no longer force them to protect one human."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Grandpa Andi even detected the troubled expression of the couple and immediately countered their thoughts. The knowledge of having an entire continent mobilized to protect their son seemed to be too much of a burden for Eli and Leon to shoulder.


    They could not even think of something that they could offer topensate the entire race.


    "Well, if you are not yet convinced, Young Leon will soon have a meeting with the rest of the allied leaders of the Green Wave Continent to finalize the arrangement regarding the secret preparations for war. You can use that time to also verify your doubts."


    Grandpa Andi finally said his entire piece and gave the two some time to collect their thoughts and ask something.


    Eli and Leon asked a few more questions and realized that the Grandmasters, Elders, and the Emperor had nned everything out.


    In a week''s time before the set time for transporting the prisoners will be transported, the Chief of the Dwarf n will call all his brethren via official summons.


    Of course, the details of the summons would of course be kept confidential to the non-dwarven race, but this matter will be seen as something totally understandable to the public and even to the enemy.


    With that, the Forgeworns will have the perfect reason to travel to the continent and perfectly disguise transporting the young Little Han by having him blend with the young dwarves.


    Eli and Leon also came to know that the youngest of the Faraulds would also be joining and blending with the children.


    It was too bad that Emperor Valentin''s grandsons from Kazimir and Antoine could not join to take refuge because it would be too obvious to the enemies if these two children will be missing.


    After that, Little Han will settle with the rest of the children in the safest ce of the Elven n, as the territory of the Dwarven n is quite unsuitable for children because it is located underground around a giant furnace for forgery.


    "Don''t worry, Lady¡­ Erm¡­ Aunt Eli and Your Highness, we will also protect Little Han¡­ Because we yed with him a lot back then¡­


    And we really get along with Little Han¡­" Elifas also interjected as he was being nudged with an elbow by Calderon.


    "Alright¡­ we heard and asked everything we needed to know." Leon took a deep breath and sighed.


    Although his words mean that they need no more words to convince them. Leon and Eli could not bear to say their agreement without thinking about everything thoroughly.


    "I understand. Think about it during the next few days. The summons will be announced after some time and our preparations will start whatever your decision may be. That is because the Green Wave Continent is determined to have their nsmen go back to the continent to avoid getting into the crossfire."


    Grandpa Andi understood Leon and Eli so he did not insist on getting their decision at the moment.


    He just made them know that the summons will not only happen on the dwarven n but the other races will also find a way to discreetly call back their kin without alerting the enemy, so the trip to the Green Wave Continent will push through no matter what.


    "Oh! How could I forget about another crucial thing!" Suddenly a thought came to Grandpa Andi''s mind and he immediately rubbed his forehead and looked at the couple again.


    "Young Eli, since you are now a Forgeworn, you are also included in the summons!"


    "P-pardon?" Eli was so shocked that she could not react on time.


    "I''m saying that you are also expected to be with us on the journey!"

 Chapter 479 Sun Is A Star!

    ?"..."


    Leon and Eli blinked speechlessly as they once again tried to process the implications of Grandpa Andi''s words.


    "Eherm! Well¡­ though the summons is not exactly the reason for you to join us on the journey¡­ But the Emperor had already heard your ns with young Kayden about sneaking into the Holy Ind¡­


    Having you and Kayden disappear at the same time will be too suspicious. But if you exited from public eyes separately, at most the people would just think it is weird, but they would not suspect anything.


    Therefore, the summons can also act as a legitimate excuse for you to go out of the Empire and find a time to match with young Kayden to investigate the Holy Ind.


    Of course, the details of your expedition shall be discussed separately with the rest¡­


    Now all of the things I need to say have already been saying. Take time to think through it and you can approach any of the elders when you have already decided." Grandpa Andi finished the herbal tea that was served to him and finally pped his thigh to stand.


    Leon and Eli also assured him that they will think about the matter thoroughly. They attentively escorted the Elder out of the cottage.


    As for Calderon and Elifas, they asked Eli if they could be allowed to spend time with Little Han at the Forgeworn Estate to which the little toddler agreed excitedly.


    Seeing their son showing a good and amiable attitude toward the teenagers, they nodded and sent them off with a smile.


    "Bybyeee Mommi! Daddi!! See youter~~" Little Han allowed Calderon, who was the biggest among the three to carry him to the estate as he enthusiastically waved his parents goodbye.


    When Leon and Eli could no longer see the bunch with their naked eyes, they both sighed helplessly as they looked at each other.


    The irony was that they were so helpless about how to ensure Little Han''s protection just yesterday.


    Today, the heavens had already given them an answer but they felt even more helpless than yesterday!


    The Elder''s news was also something that was not even made overnight. The guardians issuing their instructions a few weeks ahead meant that they had also foreseen this difficulty and took matters into their own hands.


    No one could understand how Eli and Leon could feel at the moment, because they did not know if they should feel relieved, grateful, anxious, or burdened at the moment!


    All they knew was that they have to talk through all these things carefully, and from what it looks like, they have to discuss it together with Kayden and the Elders before allowing them to take over.


    However, they have separate matters to attend to today so they could only wait for the evening to talk about it once again.


    Leon and Eli could only fix everything in the cottage before going straight to work.


    "Winkle winkle wittle star! How I wonder what you are~"


    Meanwhile, Little Han was happily humming while being carried by Calderon. On the side, Grandpa Andi, Elifas, Baobao, and Rosea could not help but be infected with the happy vibes he was bringing to the group as they went to the main mansion.


    He was looking in the sky and his chubby fingers pointed upwards as if saying that''s where the stars reside.


    "Ermm... Little Han Buddy¡­ It''s daytime today. You can''t see the stars¡­" Calderon discreetly corrected Little Han.


    "Hmm.." Little Han paused for a moment.


    His body, which was originally leaning on Calderon''s body, moved to meet him face to face. He blinked twice, looking confused at Calderon''s words.


    Looking at the little toddler''s speechless expression, Calderon pointed in the skies and exined, "No stars today look! They''ll be here tonight though¡­"


    *Blink*


    *Blink*


    Little Han finally understood but contrary to Elifas and Calderon''s expectation, he crossed his hands and pouted instead, "Wwong! Big Bwother is wwong!"


    "Hmf!"


    "Erm.. Little Han, your Big Brother Calderon is not wrong¡­" Elifas tried to help Calderon ''educate'' the little child.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In their minds, he is also a member of the Imperial Family, if someone did not correct him and others have known this, he would be bullied and mocked. So they were worried.


    "Wwong! Big Browthers both wwong!" Little Han insisted, then pointed at the sun, "Sun is a star!"


    "W-what?" The two teenagers were left bbergasted. However the next second they sighed, how could they argue with a one-year-old child?


    Of course, he would not get it yet, he will still insist on what he imagined to exist! They have forgotten that although Little Han is way more intelligent than other one-year-olds he was still too young.


    "Yes¡­ yes, Little Han is right. The sun is a star¡­" Calderon could only look at Little Han helplessly and eyed Elifas to also agree.


    Elifas understood Calderon''s signal, ''Fine¡­ when he is a bit older we can help him understand things by then!''


    He also looked at Little Han and nodded as if he agreed with Little Han''s statement, "Sorry your big brothers are wrong."


    Little Han did not understand what was on their minds but since they said sorry, he thought that they understood. So he grinned adorably and replied, "Johann fowgives!"


    "!!!" The two teenagers were taken aback at Little Han''s naive reaction. But they could not help but indulge the little one, he is just too adorable!


    It is known that the people of the Green Wave Continent, just like the elves, were not fond of interacting with humans particrly.


    While there are a lot of democratic situations that needed interactions with humans, they were never known to initiate approaching them during normal circumstances.


    However, it was a different story when it was Little Han. Calderon and Elifas always felt that they were veryfortable getting close to him.


    They were even thinking of convincing their parents to ''immediately create'' a sibling so that they would have a sibling as adorable as Little Han too! Then Little Han will also have a ymate!


    Grandpa Andi could only chuckle as he quietly observed the interaction of the three. It makes him relieved to see that three of the future figures of half of Prasinos had a good rtionship.


    He hopes that someday, the differences will soon be broken and a true sense of unity and belongingness while being able to have their own space to rule will be fulfilled in the generation of these three young ones.


    When they arrived at the main mansion, the trio joined the other kids who were in the yground.


    All the adults are busy in doing the covert preparations for the uing journey, so it is only natural for the kids to be in the plushie yground.


    Elifas and Calderon sat in the resting ce and watched the kids y in the distance. While it looked normal for them not to y with the kids, their presence did not affect the children''s mood at all.


    "Calderon, what do we do next?" When the servants and the kids were no longer paying attention to them, Elifas asked his friend in a hushed manner.


    "We try to convince Little Han himself. I need to have my Father or Grandfather see the dragon''s nest themselves!" Calderon replied, their voices were so low that only the two of them could hear what they were talking about.


    Their expressions were also calm and collected, not giving out any indication that they were talking about something sneaky and secretive.


    "Why can''t you just approach the Third Prince and ask him directly? It would be much better than using Little Han for your family matters." Elifas helplessly replied.


    "Sigh¡­ you don''t understand. What we already know was that the person we are looking for was on the Third Prince''s side, and everyone knew that there were only around twenty extremely loyal people on his side.


    I have carried out an investigation and only managed to get from rumors that these men were someone whom the Third Prince rescued directly from the clutches of the Spectre.


    This also meant that even if they were to approach the Third Prince by themselves, the person may not even be willing to cooperate because it will mean leaving his savior behind!"


    "And so?" Elifas is rather a simple-minded person, so he still did not understand what Calderon meant.


    Looking at his friend who only knew how to act sulky and fight, Calderon sighed and continued to exin,


    "You know that there would be a war right? Then it is most likely that the person will reject the meeting, not to mention acknowledge us as his kin because that would mean one less person on the Prince''s side.


    And so if we bring Little Han to the continent, then we will let Grandpa or Father see with their own eyes. I heard that though they would cooperate with the Seirende Empire, they will not go all out. B


    But if we tell them that there might be someone on the prince''s side rted to us, they will do their best to make sure that the battle is won and the men beside the Third Prince are alive!"

 Chapter 480 Little Han Is A Big Boy!

    ?"Oh! I get it!" Calderon finally understood but another question formed in his head once again and asked, "Though I think that you no longer need to convince Little Han too right? Grandmaster Andvari has already told his parents and the only thing left is for them to agree."


    "Yes, but we are not sure yet if the couple would want to," Calderon replied.


    "But how will we convince Little Han to go?" Elifas asked,


    "I already have an idea!" Calderon looked at him confidently.


    Since his friend had already nned it out, Elifas no longer asked. He only gave a look that he understood and would just wait for him to move.


    Soon the kids started to grow weary. They looked at the servants with teary eyes and told them that they were hungry.


    The servants then prepared for lunch and the kid''s nap time. Elifas and Calderon stayed behind and saw that Little Han did not have any n for napping.


    Instead, he sat on the plushie yground area, busying himself with taking out all kinds of warming clothing and materials and swirling it all on Wisey''s dormant egg form.


    Looking at the seemingly lonesome figure of the little toddler, Elifas and Calderon looked at each other, it seems like the child only wanted for the egg to hatch and be fine.


    Calderon signaled Elifas and the two then entered the plushie yground to join Little Han.


    "Little Han¡­" the Dragond called out, "You''re still waiting for Wisey to hatch?"


    The toddler paused and lifted his head towards the approaching teenagers. He blinked and looked at the unmoving head once more before he replied in a childish voice,


    "Yesh¡­ Sisi ys with Johann¡­ Sisi also pwotects mommy¡­" he added.


    Calderon and Elifas came to know from Azayn, that Wisey was Eli''s contracted owner, and in order to protect her from the sinister spirit fragment, it sacrificed itself and turned to this state.


    "But your dragon nest is already warm enough for Wisey''s egg." Elifas asked.


    Little Han could only shake his head and reply, "Not enuf¡­"


    "Mommi needs Sisi¡­" He said as his eyes moistened in tears, "Johann miss Sisi too¡­"


    Calderon could not help but pity the child. Fortunately, his intentions align with what Little Han wanted and needed at the moment, so he did not feel guilty about using Little Han to ensure that the trip to the Green Wave will push through.


    After all, the very reason for Little Han to go to the Green Wave is to keep him safe at the end of the day, he thought.


    "Don''t worry Big Brother has an idea¡­" Calderon then patted Little Han''s red head.


    "Weally Big Bwother?" Little Han asked.


    "Yes¡­ We can bring Wisey to my Grandpa, he is a mighty dragon! I''m sure he can do something to wake Wisey up¡­


    But¡­ that means that you will be away from your mommy and daddy for a long time. Because my Grandpa''s ce is very very far." He added.


    In Calderon''s first sentence, Little Han''s eyes shined with hope, but upon hearing that the ce is far and he would be away from his parents, his mood dropped.


    "Oh¡­" Little Han muttered with a crestfallen expression.


    "Don''t be sad, Little Han¡­ We will be with you there, Estelle, Benson, and the rest too. Besides, your mommy and daddy will have to go to another faraway ce to fight the bad guys."


    "Bad guys¡­" Little Han thought deeply, he knew that his mommy and daddy would always go somewhere far to take away the bad guys and immediately understood Calderon''s words.


    "Yes¡­ and if Wisey does not wake up, no one will protect your mommy from the bad guys." Calderon continued, "Do you want your mommy to get hurt?"


    "No!!!" Little Han shook his head violently as he answered.


    "Then, we have to do something to help Wisey recover, so that she can go back to your mommy''s side and protect her¡­


    Would you like that, Little Han, even if you have to go somewhere far?"


    Little Han frowned and looked conflicted. He fiddled with his fingers as he appeared to be thinking deeply, "hmmmmmm¡­."


    After some time, he looked at Elifas and Calderon and said, "Owkay¡­ Johann will go to Grandpa Dwagon!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hearing Little Han''s words Calderon''s eyes flickered, but he remained calm. "Alright then! This big brother and your Big Brother Elifas will go with you as well!"


    "Owkway!" Little Han pumped his fist as if showing that he was courageous enough in his decision.


    After the exchange, the trio did not bring it anymore with the other''s presence.


    Soon it was night, Eli had already fetched Little Han and Leon also managed to go home early.


    Doing their typical routine, dinner, some cozy music ying, and lounging in the living room with some hot drink to share, the family in the cottage seemed to have been peaceful.


    However, the news earlier brought anxiety to Eli and Leon''s hearts. It upied their minds the entire day and even caused them to be in a daze multiple times earlier.


    Kayden also came to hear the news but chose not to say anything at first because the matter mainly involved the two parents.


    However, the three of them agreed to talk about it tonight.


    And so after changing Little Han''s clothes to sleepwear, Eli and Leon joined him in their prayers to coax him to sleep. Only then will they sneak into the study and discuss the matters in depth.


    Exining everything to Kayden, Leon, and Eli could not help but also ask his opinion.


    "There''s no better option other than that. After all, the Silver Dew Elves will also join the temporary migration, and we cannot entrust it to either the Imperial Family, the Temple, or the Farauld because their hands were already full.


    However, Little Han is your child. I can only tell you what my opinion is, but I have no confidence to say that this is the best option for you." Kayden looked at Leon and Eli and straightforwardly told his thoughts.


    For him, there''s no point in beating around the bush. Kayden knew that the couple was already aware that Little Han''s existence must not be revealed to the curse users in any way.


    Especially when they now know that he is not only an offspring of the Seirende''s Third Prince but also the future generation of the Asani!


    Eli and Leon remained silent, but in their hearts, Kayden''s words were on point.


    It is not like they have a better choice. They could no longer ask the guardians to interfere because the guardians have explicitly said that they could only do that once.


    In the end, the conversation ended with Eli and Leon not having a concrete decision, which Kayden perfectly understood.


    "Don''t pressure yourselves. You still have a few days to think it through. But most of all, I think the most important thing is exining to Little Han about your separation once again.


    The child is already growing, he is starting to understand things. It is better for you to try tomunicate properly with him so that he will have a good foundation." Kayden advised them as he stood up and left the couple to think.


    After a while, the two went back to their bedroom, only to see Little Han sitting in bed awake.


    "Little Han, how are you still awake my boy?" Eli sat beside him and carried him in her arms.


    "Mommi¡­ Daddi¡­" Little Han looked at his parents and immediately detected their sad moods.


    "Yes, our dearest." Leon also sat close to Eli and Little Han making his surroundings be warm.


    "Johann iz big boy. Johann will be owkay even if mommi and daddi are away¡­" Little Han looked up to gaze at his mommy and daddy''s faces, he even pulled their hands and held them tightly.


    As if he understood the shock on his parents'' faces, he repeated his words trying to convince him.


    "Daddi and Mommi, go defeat bad guys¡­ Johann will be owkay¡­ Johann will not cwy (cry)..."


    "So mommi and daddi¡­ pwease let Johann go with Big Brothers too far far away!"


    This time, Eli could not help but shudder in tears. Her son''s words did not evenfort her but broke her heart even more.


    "Little Han¡­ Oh.. my dear child¡­ I''m sorry mommy is horrible!" She muttered as she cried violently, hugging Little Han''s tiny body.


    Leon also bit his lips, while they as parents were reluctant to part with their young son, it was his son himself who had decided for himself and expressed his understanding.


    Heaven''s he is only more than a year old, how could he think so maturely and selflessly like this!


    Looking at his son''s determined eyes while he clumsilyforted his crying mom, Leon vowed to defeat the enemy and never let these evil ones hinder the peace of their family again!

 Chapter 481 Smokes Of War (1)

    ?Another day for everyone in Prasinos.


    Some weed it full of hope, but others withpelling intentions to do something they dreaded doing for the longest time.


    The smoke of war intensified, but it is not to the point of being obvious.


    By saying it is not obvious, it meant that it is generally peaceful within the walls of the biggest forces in Prasinos -Seirende, Vanderford, and the Green Wave.


    However, it was obviously felt and would be particrly tragic for the kingdoms that were neutral and too small.


    These territories are tiny, quite insignificantpared to the Great Three, which means that they will not have the ability to withstand the indirect effects of war.


    With their economies bing dependent on one of the bigger territories, they are pressured to think of who to stand with the war.


    These small territories could not afford to survive in the crossfire of a war between two great nations, but they could not remain idle either.


    As such, even when there was no direct promation of warsing from the great giants, the monarchs, and leaders of these kingdoms were already thinking of ways to survive in the war.


    Fortunately, the ever-benevolent Seirende Empire had already foreseen this scenario. As part of the First Victor''s first mandates for all of the future sessors of the family:


    ''If in time our Empire had to go to war, protect the nations outside our borders as long as they stand with us on the same cause. Seirende does not hurt their friends. Seirende does not neglect them either."


    With that Emperor Valentin secretly sent countless of disguised envoys to go to the allied nations and farnds to lend them a helping hand and inform them ahead of time of what was going to happen.


    There were also some non-affiliated territories that took the initiative to reach out and express their goodwill to the Empire. Naturally, Emperor Valentin mandated that they be protected as well.


    "Sigh¡­ Leon, we can''t do this with just the two of us. Even if we used all our secret guards and resources, we cannot handle the war preparations in secret while also appearing to be busy with the transport."


    In his office, Emperor Valentin rubbed his aching temples as he read the reportsing from different foreign territories.


    Some of them were requests of refuge, others were ounts of goodwill to warn the Empire that someone from another territory appeared to ce a massive order of weaponry and other magical artifacts.


    While it was their decision to have Kazimir, Antoine, and the other officials uninformed of the decision, the workload for this matter will be too much for the two.


    "Father, I think it is time for First and Second Brother to also know the situation. They have proven their abilities to cope up and lead during the past six months when we were suddenly struck by an internal war.


    I believe that we can trust them to help us in this case. Of course, the fact that the pdin is from our Empire must still be kept an utmost secret until the final confrontation." Leon suggested.


    Hearing Leon''s words, Emperor Valentin let out another regretful sigh,


    "Son, it is not because they were not trustworthy. But the people working with and for them could not be trusted.


    Say, the factions that support your brothers were also nobles who in some way or another interacted with the envoy during the tournament. We do not know where their loyalty lies."


    "But Father, at least trust my brothers. I get that it is now hard to find people whom we can''t trust. But we could not suspect everyone forever. Everyone has learned the hard wayst time in the matter of the Vess, which includes First and Second Brother as well.


    I am sure that they have their own means to check who among their people can be trusted and who among them is only good for less critical work.


    With that, we can save a lot of effort and time, which means that we will have a lot of time to prepare."


    "Besides, while this will most likely involve the temple, we cannot leave the political things to the Seirende Temple to deal with." Leon continued to persuade his father.


    Emperor Valentin closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm his mind.


    "Alright¡­ let me think of it a little more. I''ll make my decision tomorrow." Emperor Valentin replied in a helpless tone.


    "What is the progress of the preparations?" He asked Leon, trying to refocus on another urgent matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The construction of the vehicles and mechanisms are on time. If there are no troubles on the envoy''s end, we might be finished next week and could start the journey two weeks from now.


    As for the envoy¡­" Leon squinted dangerously while saying,


    "He seemed to act nonchntly and unsuspiciously. But the more he idled, the more I believe that he is up to something.


    I know that I had no evidence, but my gut feeling has never failed me before¡­ I could only grit my teeth and watch out for his sudden attacks. But so far, he hasn''t touched or done anything to our people."


    Emperor Valentin nodded in understanding,


    "Well if that''s the case, ensure toplete the preparations on time and see. It''s only either, his preparations were alreadyid out even before he was appointed as an envoy, or his real n would start during your departure¡­"


    "For me¡­ I believed more in the former one than the other."


    "I will, Father¡­" Leon bowed and saluted.


    After reporting to the Emperor, Leon immediately went to the construction site to oversee the progress of the preparation.


    Coincidentally, he learned from the assistants that Kazimir and Antoine were also around entertaining the envoy who suddenly visited without prior notice.


    "Since we do not have any senior officials that could handle the envoy, the supervisor could only summon the First and Second Prince who was coincidentally around to oversee the goods and raw materials being delivered to us." The Supervisor exined with an apologetic tone.


    "Do not feel anxious, you''ve done the right thing to call the First and Second Prince." Leon nodded and gave the supervisor a look of understanding.


    Then he immediately proceeded to ask where the three were and headed straight to them.


    "Crown Prince Ranon, First Brother, Second Brother." Leon greeted the two.


    "Oh, Third Prince you are finally here! I received an urgent message from the Main Temple just this morning so I went to inform you right away, only to find out that you are not around the site.


    But fortunately, I found the First Prince and Second Prince and told them directly my concerns." Crown Prince Ranon smiled in a friendly manner while acknowledging Leon''s presence.


    "I see¡­ I was coincidentally fulfilling the summons by His Majesty. If it is not toote, would you mind sharing to me your concerns as well? Probably over tea?" Leon asked.


    While doing so, he also did not forget to nce at Kazimir and Antoine to join them in the conversation which surprised the two.


    Crown Prince Ranon was amused by Leon''s reply.


    His words earlier meant that he was supposed to be entertained by Leon as the manager of the construction site as soon as he showed up because he came here on official business.


    He also meant that if not for Kazimir and Antoine immediatelying forth to entertain him on Leon''s behalf, he would have been disrespected.


    These words also meant to sow discord between the brothers!


    However, Leon''s reply not only did not contain any words of apologies but also firmly established that the reason for his absence is also something of equal importance.


    And because he actually came into the construction without informing him in advance, it was only appropriate for him to wait until Leon''s prior business was settled.


    However, instead of appearing to be offended and humiliated, Crown Prince Ranon only chuckled nonchntly as he patted Leon''s shoulders, "That made a lot of sense, Third Prince! Alright, then let''s talk about the matters over tea as you suggested."


    Leon nced at the hand that was ced on his shoulders, he felt a sense of disgust over it but did not show it outwardly.


    He could only wave his hand like a proper host and lead the men to his lounge.

 Chapter 482 Smokes Of War (2)

    ?Soon the men entered Leon''s office.


    "Pardon if the surroundings do not match your expectations. We could only use this old building to save time for the construction." Leon gestured to the men to sit on the wooden tables that were onlyplemented with thin cushioned covers.


    One of his aides had already prepared the tea and other refreshments and started to serve them to the princes.


    "No problem, it ispletely understandable since all our manpower is dedicated to the main tasks." The Crown Prince waved his hands helplessly.


    At first, it was only his suspicion but now, he was certain that the Third Prince of the Seirende Empire did not like him at all.


    He scoffed inwardly and thought, ''Just fine, I will have to crush all of them anyways." He had no ns of giving mercy to any one of the Seirende Family instead.


    The grudge they have for the Seirende Family originated way back when the Vanderford had just started. They were the reason why their precious roots were reduced to this state.


    "Now, if it is alright¡­ May I know what message we receive from His Eminence the Pope?" It was Leon''s words that broke Crown Prince Ranon out of his trance.


    Only then did he smile and said with an expression that is not a bit offended,


    "It''s like this, the Pope has sent a notice that he does not need all of the prisoners to be transported to the Holy Ind. This is so that he will only have to subject the criminals who yed the major role in the curse users. The rest of them shall be left to deal with the empire."


    "Moreover, he wanted the journey to the Holy Ind to start seven days from now. That means that our timeline will be reduced by half¡­ As for the formal notice, I believe that the High Priest is already on the way to the pce to also inform His Majesty of this matter."


    Crown Prince Ranon exined while sounding deeply concerned and troubled, "Third Prince, how shall we handle this?"


    Listening to the news, the brothers were surprised and looked at each other worriedly. This development is truly something they did not anticipate.


    That is because the timeline for the entire journey has been already agreed upon by both parties. To have it change so drastically like this, the Emperor had to talk to the Pope and listen to their reasons.


    "We can only do what the Pope and the Emperor have arranged. Beyond that, we are not to take any measures unless an edict was issued to the site. Only then will the construction team think of a way to remediate the situation."


    While Leon was surprised and clearly not ready for this, he still remained calm. He knew that the Crown Prince saying this to them was to fish out information on what measures he would take to speed up the process.


    If he showed his worry and panic in this situation, the Crown Prince will have a chance to see if there could be something in the speed-up process that they can exploit as a weakness for the journey.


    In fact, Leon believed that the main intent of the request to change the arrangements for the transport is to really disrupt the construction and create a tiny loophole in the process.


    If they have an intent to ''save'' the prisoners, then they can only do this.


    Hearing Leon''s reply, Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes flickered. ''As expected, this mad dog prince is the most troublesome of them all.''


    He very much wanted to stand up and cause trouble to this mad dog blood prince. But the time has not yet arrived. After everything is set, there is always time to toy with his prince in front of him.


    ''If that timees, I wonder if he could still maintain that condescending face of his!'' He cursed in his heart.


    But outwardly, he only shrugged nonchntly and gave him a meaningful smile, "Well, if that is what you think about the matter, then I can no longer say anything. After all, it is you, Third Prince who keeps the construction progress in check."


    After the exchange, the Crown Prince took his leave. Kazimir and Antoine wanted to also converse with Leon about the matter, but he advised that they shall discuss it together with their Father Emperor.


    Hearing his suggestion, Kazimir and Antoine felt that his suggestion was better, after all no matter how they think of a solution, it may be crossed out if the Emperor issued an order that conflicted with it.


    They were also satisfied with the fact that Leon did not show any intent to iste them away from the matter. Suggesting to discuss it with the Emperor meant that Leon saw them as someone he could also rely on.


    After all, they were still too awkward around each other. They were especially stiff when it came to asking for favors and help with this brother of theirs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon thought that Emperor Valentin would have to take a night to decide about the matter of informing Kazimir and Antoine about the war.


    But before the afternoon ended, he received another summon from the pce and discovered that it was not only him who was summoned.


    Kazimir and Antoine were there too.


    In the end, the sudden message from the Pope should have greatly affected his decision to involve his two brothers. With that, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    While his brothers weren''t reliable on things rted to the Empire''s security before the internal war happened, Leon saw how they grew from it. In fact, the internal war catalyzed the growth of his two brothers in terms of leadership and taking care of the people.


    He believed that they should also have knowledge of warfare just like he did. After all, his two brothers only handled simple peacemaking missions inside the borders and never really ventured outside to experience a full-blown war.


    ¨C


    While the Seirende Empire was forced to deal with a surprising development in transport, the Vanderford Emperor wasughing gloatingly upon hearing the news from his son Ranon.


    "Really?! Hahaha! In the end, it is the best choice to nt our own people on the Holy Ind! Now we are finally reaping the benefits of it and would soon see our victory against this Seirendes!"


    The Vanderford Emperor was already old as his skin was already wrinkled and the dark shadows in his eyes were prevalent, indicating that he had abnormal sleeping habits.


    However, the viciousness and hatred in his eyes could not be hidden. In fact, his obsession to take down the Seirende Empire is written all over the ce.


    "We failed to take down that Empirest time but we managed to weaken their S-ss Emperor Idelfonso. I was foolish to rely on the woman of the branch family of the Ves¡­


    If I had known that they would also fail, I would have not waited for more than thirty years and just attacked them all while their empire was unstable.


    Tsk! Too bad, our forces were halved when the two grandmasters joined the farce that time!" As if reminiscing, the Vanderford Emperor narrated his frustration in disgust.


    "But Father, the Third Prince is also an S-ss mage. Do you not worry that he will also give us a hard time?" Crown Prince Ranon from the other side of the call asked him.


    "Tsk.. now that we have the Pope and Rachana on our side, what is there to be afraid of? Remember, Rachana is the product of the years of experiments made by the Vanderford and Main Templebined.


    She cannot be taken down that easily by an S-ss mage! Although keep your hands off the Third Prince, he is important in our ns!" He replied proudly and ended with a warning.


    "Now that you mentioned her, how was she and the Pope? I was surprised to receive the news of the hastening of the process earlier. Should I assume that Rachana''s injury was already recovered?" Crown Prince Ranon asked curiously.


    "Tsk¡­! Well, the Pope did not disappoint us. He did not hold back on the resources but it really caused us a lot to let her recover as fast as possible.


    Whenever I remember the number of resources we used to rece all the damaged receptors in her body my heart really ached! After all, we have a limited number of asani receptors!


    And we can only replicate this if we were able to get the Third Prince. Only then will we have a sessful replication." The Vanderford Emperor replied, there was a trace of disappointment and frustration in his voice.


    "Why must it be the Third Prince? Can''t it be the other princes? After all they all have the blood of the Seirende¡­" Crown Prince Ranon was quite displeased when he heard that he could not make a move against Leon.


    "We can''t use anyone else! It should be him!


    Because he had the highest purity of the Seirende blood among all the alive descendants! Only when the Seirende blood purity is the highest will we have a higher chance to seed!"


    The Vanderford Emperor reprimanded his stubborn son.

 Chapter 483 Smokes Of War (3)

    ?"Three of you are finally here¡­" Emperor Valentin looked at his sons with a solemn expression.


    Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon greeted their father calmly and waited for him to tell the reason why they were summoned so hastily.


    Seeing that everyone settled down, Emperor Valentin finally looked at Leon and started the discussion.


    "As you all know the Pope suddenly gave a drastic request to hasten the timeline for the transport¡­ I am sure that you already have a guess of the effect of this matter for our side." Emperor Valentin looked at his three sons and scanned their expressions.


    The three princes gave a serious nod. Since they have been called here, then there must be a significant change that needs to be done as a result of the Pope and their Father Emperor''s negotiations.


    "Then just to let you know, the Pope originally wanted for us to start the transport by seven days instead of the initial fourteen¡­


    However, after our discussion, I was able to force them to relent until ten days!


    After all, if they force us to do that on the seventh day I would never open the doors for the court of sinners but force them toe to the Empire to get the prisoners instead."


    As Emperor Valentin said these words, he wore an annoyed and menacing expression when he remembered how conceited the Pope sounded at that time.


    Emperor Valentin could not take it anymore and told them that if he still insists on being unreasonable, he would have to disregard the jurisdiction of the Temple over the prisoners and refuse them to have a hand in the discussion.


    After all, the prisoners were still citizens of the Seirende Empire and although they had no full jurisdiction on handling them, they could exercise doing so when the Main Temple was being uncooperative.


    He emphasized that the Seirende Empire had already relented to the Main Temple''s request three times:


    First, is to force them to not carry out any nonfatal punishment for the prisoners until the time arrived which was by right, a power granted duly to the Emperor of Seirende. This punishment involves incapacitating the prisoners in order to ensure the safety of the citizens against the criminals until the trial begins.


    But because of the Main Temple''s insistent request to keep them intact, the Empire was forced to use a lot of resources in order to reinforce the detention facility, fuel the magic and security arrays, and ensure that the Court of Sinners have two times the number of prison guards.


    The second absurd request they made was when the Main Temple suddenly canceled their scheduled visit to the Empire and forced them to receive a member of the Vanderford Imperial family as a proxy. Although this one was triggered by the attack of Eli and Leon, the matter was used against the Pope.


    After all, Seirende is ''innocent'' about the matter of the attack.


    The third request which came hand in hand with the second request is of course the tedious transportation of the prisoners from the Seirende Empire all the way to the Holy Ind.


    All of this was thrown by Emperor Valentin as a p to the Pope''s face. To make the verbal matters morepelling, he made sure that he involved the leaders from the Green Wave and the rest of the Independent Kingdoms.


    As for the Vanderford, they were not invited in the matter mainly because their very own people represented the Temple. That meant that the Pope''s presence represented both powers, which became their disadvantage.


    In the end, the Pope is forced to relent from having it seven days to ten days as this is the most reasonable time for the Seirende Empire to prepare everything at full speed,


    "In reality, I know that you guys can pull it off in seven days as I heard that the construction progress remained on target and the necessary goods had been received earlier¡­


    But I want to give you the additional three days to prepare as much as possible because of the things that I will say to you next¡­" Emperor Valentin looked at them and exined.


    Kazimir and Antoine were curious, what would their father say next? Looking at this dead serious face, it must be something of great importance.


    They looked intently at their father and braced themselves for what he is about to share.


    "The Vanderford and the Holy Ind are preparing to go to war¡­" Emperor Valentin looked at his sons and clenched his fist which was resting over the discussion table.


    "W-what¡­ this Father?!"


    "To whom will they wage war?"


    "Why did we not hear of any information and warnings from the other allied territories?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kazimir and Antoine asked several questions in one breath. The recent war had made a deep impression in their hearts, and hearing it again has made them deeply anxious.


    "Elder Brothers¡­ let me exin in detail."


    This time, Leon saw the exhaustion on Emperor Valentin''s face, most probably he had already expended a lot of energy haggling for extra time against the Pope and could no longer exin the matter properly without getting emotional.


    While they were taken aback that Leon seemed to have known this matter, the two older brothers still closed their mouths and sat on their respective chairs. They looked at Leon trying to calm their emotions.


    Leon stood up and took out a projection stone. Quickly activating it, the projection stone shed an image that resembled an informative timeline gap.


    "What you see here is a representation of the time from the moment we dered victory over the internal war to the present timeline¡­" Leon pointed at the image and started with his lengthy exnations.


    "During the time that we dered our Empire''s victory and started the rebuilding of the Empire, the Vanderford Empire started to move.


    They were clever in using our situation in order to conceal their procurement ofrge amounts of raw materials for prospective warfare. Logs, oil, metals, grains, and evenrge machinery for metal processing... all were strategically bought on distributed parts of Prasinos.


    What''s more, in order to mislead the suppliers and not associate their procurement to the Vanderford, they bought this stuff by use of ghost merchants.


    These ghost merchants appeared to be taking advantage of the great business opportunity of the Seirende Empire''s rebuilding, but in reality, they will not travel to our side, but instead, deliver the materials to select locations where their future forts and bases were located.


    This aggressive purchasing continued to rise until the season when the foreign delegates of the Grand Tournament started¡­"


    This time Leon gritted his teeth and continued,


    "In this particr timeline, not only did they take advantage of everyone''s focus on the grand tournament but also used the massive traveling fluctuation to secretly disperse their troops to their predetermined camps.


    There, they used the entire timeline of the Grand Tournament to fortify their camps and recruit more troops while also processing their metals to forge more weapons!"


    "T-this!!"


    When Kazimir and Antoine heard this, they felt suffocated and anxious, they never knew that while they were working so hard to rebuild the Empire and prepare for the Grand Tournament, the enemy was preparing to stab a knife in their busy backs!


    Leon knew that this was already enough for Kazimir and Antoine to be convinced about the war but since Emperor Valentin already decided to tell his two brothers about the war, he had the responsibility to let them know the whole situation.


    "When the Grand Tournament ended and the people started to travel back, they also used this situation to get more people around¡­


    After that, everything seemed to havee to a stop until the Pope and our Father Emperor announced the preparation for the transfer of prisoners.


    This time, they no longer tried to buy off raw materials but instead focused on acquiring ready-made weapons and magical gears right away.


    That is because would also be our most probable scenario to do because of the pressure to be ready in less than a month to travel with a number of notorious prisoners.


    All of this seemed to be calcted, and the pressures given to us ever since thest attack from the curse users were all strategically given to take advantage and more in the dark!"


    As Leon said this, Emperor Valentin, Kazimir, and Antoine no longer had any calm expressions on their faces.


    They all have undisguised anger on their faces. Their hearts burn in anger at the realization of everything they have heard.


    While Leon obviously did not mention any proof that it was their empire that the Vanderford was nning to wage war for, every detail of the report was already enough to let them conclude that they were really going for the Empire!


    It is in for them to see that every problem given to them for the past ten months was actually the start of Vanderfords attack on their homnd!

 Chapter 484 Smokes Of War (4)

    ?"Then¡­ what you are saying Leon¡­ that the transport of the prisoners is most likely.." Antoine thought it over and shuddered as he realized another crucial matter.


    The moment the rest heard Antoine''s words, everyone''s faces darkened.


    Leon closed his eyes and took a deep breath before replying, "Yes, most likely."


    There was an eerie silence in the room. Kazimir and Antoine were lost for words. Hearing all this made them feel aplex of emotions.


    "You are saying that we are walking in their trap¡­ yet we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go with it?" Kazimir coldly asked, looking at Leon with an intensified gaze.


    Emperor Valentin sighed, as expected, Kazimir and Antoine might resent him and Leon for withholding such a crucial matter. Looking at the two''splicated faces, there was a trace of disbelief, conflict, and anxiousness in their expressions and gestures.


    "Yes¡­ we will knowingly walk into the trap. As to why you were only informed now, it is because we do not want to rm the enemies that we have already figured out.


    The matter was only limited to me as the investigator, the Governor and Grandmasters, and finally the select leaders of our allies.


    And even if the sudden request of the Pope did not happen, the appeal to involve you in the loop has already been requested by me. I have no intention to keep you blinded for this matter."


    Leon saw theplex emotions of the two and decided that to avoid any misunderstanding, he opted to tell everything to them in one breath.


    True enough, his exnation helped smoothen the bitter feeling brewing in Kazimir and Antoine''s hearts. Only when they were finally calmed by their emotions did they finally have an open mind to also understand the thinking done by their father in letting Leon be the one to know first among the three.


    Because it was only Leon who had the most significant experience in cross-border warfare. As for them, they were only sent to asional apprehension missions with their respective knights.


    Moreover, the fact that it was Leon himself who petitioned for the two to be part of the loop as well, was already an indication that their youngest brother had no intention of getting all the work and glory.


    After all, this is war¡­ and in worst cases, war requires everyone''s participation.


    "So¡­ what are we going to do right now?" Kazimir''s clenched fist finally rxed and opened the topic of nning.


    Antoine gave a stare that indicated that he understood everything too.


    Only then did Leon finally sit down and allow their Father to carry on the discussion. This is also a sign for the other two to know that even he did not know what was on their Father''s mind.


    Emperor Valentin cleared his throat and started to tell them the ns he had for the preparation.


    Like Leon and him discussedst morning, Emperor Valentin emphasized the importance of working under the shadows so that the enemy was not alerted.


    Moreover, he also told them that he needed manpower to organize the help given by the allying nations should the war start.


    As such, the Emperor needed them to engage in diplomatic talks in order to ensure that these nations would surely extend their hands to the Empire when the matter arises.


    Kazimir and Antoine nodded, if it''s a matter of diplomatic engagement and treaties that require future trade-offs and progress, they are confident about this one. Because this area is where they are most proficient.


    Soon the nning slowly took shape. All that is needed is to discuss this matter with the other people that must be included in the loop.


    "Tomorrow, we shall discuss this matter with the Grandmasters and the rest. Hopefully, they could give more suggestions and help improve our ns." Emperor Valentin finally smiled, content with the fruitful discussion he had with his sons.


    The three princes could also rx, with this not only could they prepare for the worst, but they may also even surprise the enemy by letting them attack with the thought that Seirende Forces does not have any idea of their ns.


    "One more thing, while we are facing the Vanderford in a war. There is a high possibility that the Spectre will not yet reveal itself.


    Most probably, they will try to integrate some of their dispensable forces into the enemy troops¡­ but their important members might stay behind and watch how everything unfolds.


    So I want that as we face these troops, you and your men would have the mentality that we will not end this war until we manage to force out the Spectres and for Lord Raven to reveal himself.


    There were also other matters that I am not allowed to tell all of you, especially in the matters of the Temple.


    But know that all my decisions to withhold and disseminate information were done with you in mind."


    Emperor Valentin rified everything. What he was pertaining to was the fact that Eli and Kayden had their separate mission to infiltrate the Main Temple.


    And should that be sessful, they would be hearing about Eli and Kayden''s work to nip the bud of evil once and for all.


    The smoke of war had already risen and the movements of the enemy were allid bare in their eyes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While they looked around the seemingly peaceful night for the citizens of the country, there they were, worried and nervous as to how to protect the peace that they all cherished.


    After the meeting, Emperor Valentin proceeded to have a quick visit to First Queen Lucia''s ce.


    "What bothers you, my Emperor?"


    Lucia calmly asked, her eyes bearing a profound light simr to when she first approached him during the time when Carolina forced him to marry.


    "Have you seen a lot of signstely, my First Queen?"


    Emperor Valentin asked. His voice wasced with uncertainty and trouble, especially as a father. Because he is allowing all of his sons to walk directly to the battlefield.


    "My Emperor, the visions that I had only showed me a peaceful ending¡­ unfortunately I could not see the amount of bloodshed needed for that ending to be achieved."


    First Queen Lucia straightforwardly exined.


    During this time, the visions that she received were no longer as frequent as when Carolina was still uncaptured.


    As if she was afraid that Emperor Valentin would not believe it, she continued to exin,


    "It is like my gift had already achieved its purpose when the former Empress was captured. To tell you honestly, I''ve tried hard to see Antoine''s future. But in the end, I could only see the skies and the cries of victory.


    I have seen no people around, just their victorious cries and the bright blue skies¡­ and as to who managed to survive¡­


    This Queen does not have any idea."


    --


    On the other hand, Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon were on their way out of the pce to retreat to their respective pces when they saw the Anti-Curse Committee also finishing their meeting in the ce.


    Just as they were about to greet Eli and the rest, Baobao suddenly materialized out of thin air and protectively blocked Eli with his furry body.


    "Baobao... What''s the matter?" Eli was taken aback by Baobao''s sudden movement especially seeing that her furry buddy is in attack mode.


    While the three princes and the rest of the crew stayed calm, they were still taken aback by Baobao''s sudden vignce and show of hostility.


    "Master! There''s a trace of curse user powers in their body!" Baobao eximed.


    "W-what!" Everyone panicked and looked at each other.


    Kazimir and Antoine''s hearts jumped and a wave of anxiousness crept into their hearts.


    Of all the people whom the curse user could have encountered, it was the three of them who were just with the Emperor talking about how to deal with the enemy!


    What if the curse magic is actually spying magic?!


    "Do not fear, Father Emperor''s chambers have multiple anti-eavesdropping arrays that automatically block any type of magic that attempts to record or listen to the conversation done inside."


    Leon on the other hand kept calm and maintained a level-headed state of mind.


    Hearing Leon''s words, Kazimir and Antoine immediately calmed down.


    "But How on earth did they have the curse power traces?" Eli and Kayden could not help but question Baobao.


    "On the First Prince and Second Prince, the traces were on their hands... while the traces on the Third Prince is on his shoulder... Other than that, I cannot say anything else." Baobao shook his head as he replied.


    After all, he could only detect the traces of malevolent energy on someone''s body. As to what type of energy it is, he no longer has any clue.


    "Your Highnesses... if you do not mind, let this servant check what kind of curse magic did youe in contact with." Since Baobao was clueless about the nature of the curse, Mishael was the one who took the step and address the matter.


    "Very well, Captain Mishael... we''ll entrust you this matter." The three princes replied with understanding and quickly followed Mishael to take out the traces on their bodies.

 Chapter 485 Smokes Of War (5)

    ?Back on a certain in the outskirts of Seirende Capital. Arabe and Niki were focused on maintaining an array in front of them.


    After a few minutes of struggling the frown in their heads deepened as the light in their array slowly weakened. They tried everything but to no avail. In the end, the array starred and they could only open their eyes in anger.


    "D*amn! They saw us!" Arabe cursed the moment the connection from the curse magic imnted to Leon, Kazimir, and Antoine was cut off!


    "How vignt they really were! Even when they were in the office, everything is concealed! Our efforts are wasted! F*ck!" Niki was so irritated that he no longer minded to utter profanities.


    Then she looked at his sister and asked, "What shall we do next?"


    Arabe paused and thought for a moment, in the end, she could only shake her head and say,


    "Let''s report it to the Crown Prince. It seems like we have to infiltrate directly into the pce instead of doing it the roundabout way. We cannot guard against that cursed bear with a sharp nose!"


    --


    At the same time, in a remote area on the Holy Ind.


    The sound of unhurried footsteps echoed in a dim stone staircase. From the looks of the structure, it seems like the stairs lead to a ce deep underground.


    The footsteps continued to move deeper into the seemingly unending path which subtly moved deeper and deeper down, however, the speed of the steps was rhythmic and continuous, not showing any amount of hesitation or weariness.


    Clip¡­ Clop¡­ Clip¡­ Clop¡­


    Finally, the footsteps slowed down as whaty at the end of the deep stairs was a in stone wall that could have been a useless dead-end.


    But the owner of the footsteps raised his aged hand. Wherever his hand touched, the stone bricks in the wall would turn as if they were in hismand.


    He turned several stone bricks in a particr manner, after that, a loud clicking sound was heard coupled with the buzzing of the stone wall.


    The next second, the bricks of the stone wall seemed to havee to life as it folded itself inwards and revealed the other side which was brightly lit and seemingly a busy ce.


    There was also a person standing on the other side, with his hands ced on his chest as he bowed respectfully at the owner of the footsteps, "Greetings Pope, we have been waiting."


    "En¡­" The owner of the footsteps was none other than the Pope, who waved his hands to dismiss the other party''s salute.


    "Where is the pdin?" The Pope asked.


    The person weing the Pope answered, "His Eminence, her grace, the pdin is in the specialboratory. She seemed to be wanting to extract information from the captives that were kept there.


    The Pope''s eyes flickered but his expression did not change. He only gave the butler a nod andmanded, "Alright, lead the way."


    As they walked toward the specialboratory, the Pope was greeted by several men and ves who were busy working on their respective work tables.


    It turns out, the entire vicinity is like argeboratory. Some were busy dissecting wolves and other creatures, the others were busy mixing some potions that were colored dark purple.


    All around there were also various specimens of unidentifiable creatures, but the most eye-catching of them all was therge beasts that werepletely identical to the ones which recently attacked the Seirende Empire during the hunting event!


    They were ced insiderge ss aquariums soaked with pale purple liquid. Their eyes were closed as if they were in an unconscious state.


    What''s more, their numbers not only totaled five or ten¡­ the entire undergroundboratory which was quite spacious and seemingly unending, actually housed hundreds of them inside!


    "Is this thest batch of our curse puppets?" The Pope nced at the enormous collection of unidentifiable beasts as he asked the butler.


    "Your Eminence, this is supposedly thest. But can still create another batch and distribute it to our warriors before the designated time arrives." The butler patiently informed the Pope.


    "En¡­ That would be great. There''s nothing wrong with having more puppets." The Pope seemed to have been satisfied with the butler''s answer.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "As you wish, dear Pope. I will instruct our people right after this." The butler replied.


    They continued their way to the specialboratory and went down another staircase. The specialboratory is right below the firstboratory but it was significantly smaller and more secretive than the ones above.


    The entrance also needed to be activated by the Main Temple''s crest pendant, which only the Pope, the Pdin, and whoever it was granted for carrying.


    When the butler and the Pope entered the specialboratory, the first thing they saw was Rachana who looked quite frustrated as she stared at the other end of theboratory.


    Rachana seemed to have awoken from her angry thoughts and finally turned in the direction of the entrance. When she saw the Pope and the butler she still followed the proper decorum and greeted the two.


    The Pope signaled for the butler to leave them be and so only Rachana and he were left in the specialboratory.


    "I told you to already not bother extracting information from them." The Pope reprimanded Rachana, who was no longer pale and looking injured. It was as if she never suffered any attacks from the real Pdin.


    "I can''t help it! Whenever I think that there is a possibility that the Pdin is actually an asani I feel so bothered! But you were already sure that the asanis were already wiped out!


    That means that whoever the b*tch pdin is must be someone also created like me!" Rachana angrily shouted.


    When she shed with the real pdin she could never be mistaken for the aura that she carried. While there was no trace of the asani in her appearance and magic, the receptors inside her body immediately reacted as soon as she saw her.


    It was as if her receptors became excited and uncontroble! An excitement one could only feel from seeing their kin!


    It turns out, asanis also have a resonance like that of those of Seirende''s blood! But somehow it is not as strong as the Seirendes who could sense their kin even a hundred miles away!


    "That b*tch is surely an asani. Pope, is there really no other asani left wandering in the other territories?" Rachana''s ''ck eyes'' trembled as she subconsciously bit one of her nails.


    The Pope was feeling helpless towards the anxiousness that Rachana felt. In fact, the matter of the real pdin being an asani was totally out of their expectations.


    They also did not know that the presence of an Asani will have an influence on Rachana during that time.


    Luckily, the pdin appeared to have been gravely injured and could also only escape. With that, the Pope and Rachana were given a chance to know the ws in her body and managed to address them right away.


    However, the fact that the pdin was an asani made Rachana behave oddly. Now she was obsessed with finding her identity and any clues of her existence.


    "I have already received a reply from the Vanderford division of the Spectre, it turns out that there was a sighting of an Asani more than a year ago in the Silverdew forest.


    They sent some men there, but none of them came back. After that, the signs of the asani also disappeared. What ourrades suspected was that the asani was captive by that madman who gave us periodic reports of his experimentation.


    Only then were they sure that the asani in his possession at the time really survived. However, up until now, there were no signs of her in Seirende, nor in other parts of the world.


    Besides, some months after the sighting, some merchants started the ck hair fashion which made it hard for ourrades to detect who among the women were real asanis and not because of their dyed hair.


    It is not like they could perform high-level optic spells on millions of women around Prasinos just to find one who intentionally uses magic to change their eye color!" The Pope retaliated.


    Rachana being pped with the truth remained silent, her eyes were extremely unwilling.


    "As for those captives, they are useless because their brains were damaged by a memory-destroying potion the moment they were captured.


    It was only after exerting the limits to my gift that I was able to still extract some memories from his mind. But after that, I could no longer read anything after that, no matter how many times I tried." The Pope looked in the direction of the cells on the other side of theboratory.


    "Why keep them alive then?" Rachana asked.


    "After we took down the Seirende which is the strongest protector of that person¡­ we can use these people as bait for that¡­ Doctor Kayden!


    As soon as he knew that his parents were still alive, he woulde out of his hiding and reveal himself!"

 Chapter 486 Departures (1)

    ?The preparation of the Forgeworn n''s pilgrimage with the entire dwarven race was finallypleted.


    However, there were still two people who could not bear to leave Leon behind, when he could still stay in the capital for six more days.


    "Sigh¡­" Grandpa Andi looked at the unwilling look on Eli, Leon, and Little Han''s faces.


    But knowing their situation, Grandpa Andi couldn''t also scold them, instead, his heart broke for them even more.


    "Grandmaster, if you would permit, I have a suggestion¡­" Leon finally said.


    "Since I am contracted with the spatial king, let me stay with Eli and Little Han for five more days¡­ then I''ll let the Spatial King open a doorway to where you are and bring Eli and Little Han to the elders." Leon negotiated.


    "No¡­ you using your spatial powers one day before the departure might put you in danger! Remember, we will still use your powers to surprise the enemy and surround them the moment they start the ambush¡­


    If you use your power a day before the battle, with such arge-scale magic sacrifice, even Old Ben and Ibined could not help you!" Grandpa Andi vehemently objected because he was genuinely worried for Leon.


    It was because of Leon that they were able to have a sense of security. His contract with the spatial king, although not secret to the Prasinons at the moment, was still something they considered a secret weapon.


    That is because Leon still did not show the true limit of his abilities. As for what the people and the enemy knew, he could sacrifice all of his mana to transport all the civilians to a nearby mountain just outside the Capital''s borders which are approximately 10 to fifteen kilometers.


    They also knew that the enemy believed that Leon would really try to do that the moment he realized that they were in ambush, so the camps they had set near the route were already strategically ced to exploit Leon''s ''limitations''.


    "Leon¡­ I hate to say this but I think Grandpa is right¡­ we cannot let you be exposed to such danger." Eli looked at Leon with a terrified expression especially when she heard the possible implication of Leon''s ns.


    "Sigh¡­" Leon was equally helpless as well. If he could, he would stay with them until thest second before his departure. But it seems like there was no other choice but to y safe.


    "Alright, Grandmaster, four days¡­ I think two days is enough for my stamina and receptors to recover from a back and forth long distance trip¡­ What do you think?" Leon continued to haggle with Grandpa Andi.


    "Do you swear to the Sky Guardian that you are not understating your recovery time?" Grandpa Andi asked with a stern suspicious expression.


    "Yes, I swear by the name of the Sky Guardian. May her Grace, Celeste punish me for speaking any lie on this matter¡­" Leon responded without hesitation and the sky also responded.


    Seeing that the sky epted Leon''s oath, Grandpa Andi could only agree. Since Leon was already vouched by the heavens, might as well allow the young ones to have more time with each other.


    "Alright then, I''ll have to soon inform the His Majesty Emperor and Old Ben. We will be setting off tomorrow before the sun rises." Grandpa Andi helplessly replied.


    Then he looked at Leon and reminded him, "You know what to do, send someone to impersonate Eli so that the people will also know that ''she'' is with us."


    "I will, Grandmaster." Leon obediently replied.


    "We will send you off tomorrow, Grandpa¡­" Eli looked at the understanding Grandpa Andi and was extremely grateful.


    "Very well... After all, I will only be with them halfway through the journey, I will part ways with them to go to the ces where our allies were stationed." Grandpa Andi finally smiled, clearly delighted by Eli''s goodwill.


    Grandpa Andi will not actually travel all the way to the Green Wave Institute, he will actually also take advantage of the summons by the Chief Dwarf so that he could go to the armies and assemble them secretly.


    Joining the Forgeworns was just for a show, to also try to fool the enemies.


    When the time for the departures finally came, the Elders quietly boarded the carriages while the children were still asleep, but through the careful handling of the nannies, they were able to board their respective carriages without any mishaps.


    Eli, Little Han, and Leon stood there waiting for the Forgeworns to set off. The skies were still dark and only the asional neighs and rustles of the movement could be heard.


    "Grandma, Mother, Father, please have a safe trip. I will follow you soon." Eli went to hug the elders with Little Han joining them.


    "Gweat Gwanma¡­ Gweat Gwanpa¡­ bye bye~~ Johann will see youtwer!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Gwanma and Gwanpa too!" Little Han waved his hands and said his adorable goodbyes.


    Leon also went to Tyce and the rest of the men to give them assurance to send Eli and Little Han through a portal to join them along the way.


    "Before you go¡­ I''ll pray to the heavens on your safe trip." Eli looked at Leon and handled Little Han for him to carry.


    Then Eli closed her eyes and bowed to the heavens as she sincerely uttered her prayers.


    "Oh, bless these gifted people!


    Let them go with great confidence and safety.


    May the enemies go blink and not look on their way,


    Until they arrive at the safe haven you told them to stay!


    Oh, bless those who would take battles!


    You know that their hands were not made to wrestle¡­


    But with your favor upon them all,


    They will swing their swords and lift their shields.


    They will charge with their bodies and emerge victorious!


    And they will go back and praise You, Oh, Great One,


    For it is you who has made them do great things!"


    As soon as Eli uttered these words, every member of the Forgeworn n, even their servants, knights, carriages, and horses, were all covered by a faint holy light.


    It lit up the entire assembly area, which made everyone sigh in relief for choosing the forest part of the Estate to be their departure point.


    For if it is in front of the manor, everyone will be alerted and the enemies will also suspect that the pdin is with the Forgeworn.


    Nevertheless, receiving Eli''s blessing caused them to be deeply at peace and amazed. Because they felt that they were covered by something so mysterious yet so ensuring at the same time.


    Even the knights felt that their strength and senses increased, making them more capable and confident should an unintended battlee.


    "This is Lady Eli''s blessing? Wow¡­ it is so awesome and mysterious at the same time! I feel my power increased multiple times!" Calderon was on a carriage with Elifas and they were also covered by Eli''s light.


    "Indeed, her blessings were iparable. We can rest assured that we have the entire heavens backing us up in the journey." Kayden, who was also in their carriage,mented. "What''s more, her blessings will be stronger the moment she will be finally wedded to Leon.."


    "Amazing¡­" Elifas stared dazedly at his fist, if not for the fact that they have already boarded the carriage, he would have gone to a tree and tested the extent of improvement he gained from Eli''s power.


    Too bad, it is time for them to depart. The battle happening on this continent was not for them to face.


    "All set! We are good to go!" Grandpa Andi mounted his horse and signaled everyone to get ready.


    Taking onest nce at Eli, Grandpa Andi smiled and said, "See you along the way!"


    "Have a safe trip, Grandpa Andi! Keep safe and be well!" Eli replied as the three of them waved the Forgeworns goodbye.

 Chapter 487 Departures (2)

    ?As they silently watched the Forgeworn depart, there was a creeping sense of emptiness and longing that appeared on Eli''s heart.


    Leon felt that Eli''s mood was down, so he stepped closer and held her hand, "It''ll be fine¡­ Randel and the rest are there to protect them."


    "I know¡­" Eli gave a heavy sigh looking downcasted, "It''s just that it was the first time this estate really turned empty¡­ it''s only us and Baobao, not even a single servant is left. Somehow I feel that it is gloomy and deste¡­"


    "It can''t be helped, the Forgeworns did not employ human servants. Most probably because of our circumstances." Leon caressed Eli''s head and led her by the hand as he carried the sleepy Little Han on the other.


    "In the next few days, it will really be the three of us. Besides, you and Little Han could only stay here or in our barracks if you feel bored. After all, everyone thought that you were with the Forgeworns at the moment." Leon suggested.


    They still have four more days to spend together, but for Eli, it was like a short vacation because she will literally be hiding at the moment.


    She can''t go to the Anti-curse headquarters, the Imperial Pce, or even the Seirende Temple for fear that the enemy might discover her and Little Han''s existence.


    Moreover, everyone from the Imperial Family was now vignt because of the discovery of curse magic on the Three Princes'' bodies.


    It had caused a great rm in the entire pce and even the major officials were alerted. When Mishael analyzes the curse, it turns out that it was some kind of spying magic that aims to get information on the princes'' personal lives.


    When Leon, Kazimir, and Antoine heard about it and remembered how Baobao said that the traces of the curse were detected on their bodies, they immediately knew that it was Crown Prince Ranon who did it as only he was able to have some sort of physical contact with them.


    Upon realizing everything, their hearts shuddered, if Baobao had not detected it coincidentally, their ns would have reached the enemy''s ears! What''s more, they will also know the whereabouts of the members of the Imperial Family!


    Who knows if they would use it to infiltrate the pce and take their loved ones hostage?!


    This is especially so on Leon''s side. Eli''s identity (as an asani) and Little Han''s existence could have been exposed if not for Baobao''s early detection!


    This matter also caused Emperor Valentin to immediately order his sons to prepare for the departure of the Queens, the Princess Consorts, and the young princes all the way to the North to take refuge for a while.


    With Governor Fidel''s protection, he was sure that the enemy would at least have a hard time infiltrating the Northern Mountain Range just to take them hostage.


    Besides, with Queen Teh around, with her personal stash of mana stones from Leon and Little Han, they could resort to teleporting at any safe point in the Empire as long as the news of infiltration reached their ears.


    Several measures for the war have been thought of, and almost everything has been prepared.


    All that was left were some final touches and for the departure day to finally arrive.


    Realizing this Eli shook her head, "I''ll stay here with Little Han in the cottage, I will spend time teaching him some things to somehow prepare for his stay in the Green Wave."


    "As you wish¡­" Leon smiled and his heart warmed thinking that Eli thought the same as he.


    A moment of the family of three walking as the dawn wakes was a sight to behold.


    All three of them had formidable identities, yet this time, they were just an ordinary family, trying to savor every time that they had before each parted ways again.


    When they arrived in the little cottage, Leon let Little Han sleep in the crib for a little more while the two of them worked in the kitchen.


    "By the way, have you guys thought of how you are going to deal with the Crown Prince of Vanderford?" Eli looked at Leon as they casually talked about the work left before the departure.


    "We are still thinking of a way¡­ But at this moment, all three of us preferred that he start an ambush as early as possible so that we could deal with them right away." Leon replied but his eyes had a glimpse of danger the moment he remembered what the Crown Prince had done.


    "En¡­ actually the further you are from ournd, the greater the risk for you and the armies backing you up," Elimented, unfortunately, she could onlyment that she really did not have any idea about warfare and could not really give Leon some ideas to consider.


    Leon saw the sense of helplessness in Eli''s eyes and knew what she was thinking. Seeing his fiance overthink again, he chuckled lightly and stopped what he was doing.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He stepped closer to Eli and gently flicked his finger on her forehead while he dotingly reprimanded,


    "Don''t stress yourself about it. I''m sure we can manage¡­ Our team still had a few days to think of ways, I''m sure someone might generate ideas before the timees. Besides, we still have other ns¡­"


    Then he proceeded to hug Eli from the back, leaning closer at the back of her head and gently letting out the delicate scent she used to take care of her dark obsidian hair.


    In response, he felt Eli''s encouraging touch reaching at the side of his face, leading Leon, who was a head taller than her, to lean on her shoulders in such a clingy way.


    But to Leon, he did not mind. This is exactly the warmth andfort he needed.


    "I couldn''t help it¡­ After all, I want us to be back together as soon as possible¡­ Only then will we finally be at peace. We could finally be together as a real family." Eli closed her eyes and allowed Leon to lean on her.


    Leon''s hands tightened as he held Eli''s waist. Indeed, after all these things, they could finally marry, and there will be no more reason for them to hide Little Han''s existence.


    "I also look forward to that day¡­ but for now let''s take it slow," Leon replied in aforting voice, the warmth of his breath teased Eli''s ears.


    "Moreover, I have been observing that guy for so long and he had the patience. So he will most likely hold his n until the most favorable time for him arrives.


    And even if that''s the case then we can only wait for Grandmaster Andi and Randel to finishying out the teleportation arrays on our camps so that we can surprise the hell out of our enemies.."


    Leon replied and finally revealed to Eli what Grandpa Andi and Randel were about to do.


    "You mean!!" Eli was surprised upon hearing Leon''s words, she never thought that they could use that tactic to get ahead of the enemies. "You guys are amazing."


    Seeing Eli''s startled and enlightened expression, could not help but be amused by her reaction. In the end, he could only let out a devilishly alluring chuckle as he replied,


    "My love, do not underestimate the power of the mana stones given to us. One stone can make us travel back and forth every day for months¡­


    If we talk about traveling off borders then we can travel three times on the farthest ally campsite. Not to mention, my contract with the spatial king also made it easier for Grandmaster Andi and Randel to set up a simple array.


    Of course, this shall remain our hidden weapon."


    After the exchange, Leon and Eli conversed for a while before having to check if Little Han was already awake. In no time, the breakfast was done and Leon had to go ahead with his matters.


    As for Eli and Little Han, they will stay at home and wait for Leon to go home.


    Looking at her excited son, Eli felt quite fulfilled. She wondered how it felt as a stay-at-home mommy back then, but here she was¡­ bing a stay-at-home mom for four days!


    "Little Han, mommy will stay with you the whole day! Are you excited?" She smiled and hugged Little Han as she asked the adorable child.


    "Yesh!!! Johann is excited!!!" Little Han''s eyes glowed, today he will spend time with his mommy until the evening! How happy his day is!


    "So my little one, what would you like for us to do today?" Seeing that the sun is bright and the weather outside is lively she asked if Little Han wanted to do anything in particr.


    Little Han pointed and closed his arms, leaving one of his hands resting under his chin as if he was thinking deeply, "Hmmm¡­"


    Seeing his son''s action, Eli almost squealed at his cuteness and took a lot of effort to refrain from pinching his cheeks. However, the next words she would hear from Little Han made her baffled enough to react.


    Little Han blinked and looked at his mom excitedly as he requested,


    "Mommi! Can we y with a sword?"

 Chapter 488 Departures (3)

    ?"Sword? My Little Bun likes swords?" While Eli was surprised at Little Han''s unexpected request, she opted to gently ask her son.


    After all, she wanted to understand Little Han more. What did he like apart from music? What makes him happy during ytime? What puts him in a bad mood?


    All of those things, Leon and Eli were not able to see because they were always away from him during the daytime. As such, Eli took this time to get to know her son deeper.


    "Yesh! Johann likes swords! Like Daddi!" Little Han replied excitedly.


    "Look Mommi, umcles made me wittle sword~~~" As if to convince Eli that he indeed liked ying swords, Little Han grabbed his bear space pouch and took his little wooden sword made by the Crimson des.


    Eli observed Little Han''s enthusiasm and finally chuckled at how adorable her son is. "Alright, Mommi y with you. Let''s go outside!"


    The mother and son immediately went outside to the training area where Eli, Leon, and sometimes the des do their morning training.


    Eli made sure that Little Han was dressedfortably before allowing Little Han to wield his wooden sword. "Alright, my baby. Can you show mommy how you hold the sword?" She asked.


    "Mommi~Like this!" Little Han took his two chubby hands and held his mini sword properly.


    What he was doing was the basic stance with his feet apart, each maintaining the center of gravity of his little body.


    "Huff!" After maintaining the first stance, Little Han moved his hands and slowly lifted the mini wooden sword above his waist while tilting his little body sideways. Then as if following a certain pulse, he extended his hands forward, making the most basic attack stance.


    Swosh!


    "Hiya~"


    Without Eli''s cue, Little Han had alreadypleted the basic sword routine taught to him by the des in the barracks.


    Eli was actually impressed by Little Han''s posture. Although Little Han is about to turn two, Eli knows that Little Han is different from other kids.


    From his posture, she can see that Little Han had a sense of how he should maintain his bnce even when his body was still young. By the way he held the sword, she also knew that he was guided properly by the des, not even thinking that he was doing it for ytime.


    p p p!


    Eli proudly pped her hands as she expressed how impressed she was at Little Han''s progress, "My baby is so amazing! You gave me a nice surprise!"


    "Jiheehee~~" Little Han shed a shy smile as he giggled in reply. He was happy to see his mommy like his sword ying, he practiced a lot when he was in the barracks!


    "Mommi, I pwatice many many times~" Little Han happily talked about how he was able to convince the des to make a wooden sword for him, then how he was taught by all the uncles how to use the sword.


    "Yes! You did very great! But my baby, you should be careful. Just practice a little for now, when you grow up and your body is already developed for real sword practice, then you can do more advanced moves!" Eli smiled.


    She patted Little Han''s head and realized that her son might have also inherited his father''s talent in sword fighting. But as a mother, she wanted Little Han to still have a safer childhood.


    In the Imperial Family, a child can already start having sword lessons at the age of seven when they were already assessed. But in Little Han''s case, he was starting way too early. Somehow, Eli wanted Little Han to officially start learning about it just like all other kids.


    Little Han did not fully understand his mother''s words. He blinked at her confusedly and only took the words, ''careful'' and ''grow-up''. So he thought that his mommy somehow wanted him to be careful and wait for him to grow up to y sword.


    "Can Johann y more?" Little Han anxiously asked, believing that his mommy wanted to limit his practicing of the sword.


    Seeing how Little Han seemed to misunderstand the meaning of her words, Eli could only smile and rub his red fluffy head.


    Also, how could Eli resist his pleading looks?


    "Yes, my dear, mommy will even practice with you¡­ but promise me but you have to promise me many things!" Eli slowly told Little Han how to safely handle the sword for himself and those around him.


    After that, she also took the old wooden sword she used back then when the des first taught her basic self-defense.


    The image of the mother and son swinging the sword with the most basic stances made the area in front of the cottage peaceful and lovely.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The mother attentively looked at her son, patiently teaching him how the moves were done¡­


    The little bun cutely mimics her mother''s stance and poses, like an adorable little puppy following his mom.


    After that, the mother and son duo joined Baobao as they made their lunch together. Just like Leon, Eli gave Little Han small and easy tasks to get him engaged with the activity.


    When lunch was done, they took a nap inside the plushie yground with Baobao as their giant pillow and nket.


    Eli realized that it has been a long time since she slept on Baobao''s furry tummy. Back then, Little Han was still in her womb, and it was only she, Baobao, and Wisey who were spending the afternoon naps.


    Now Little Han was about to be two years old. It makes her happy that she got to share this rare moment with him before he grew into a great kid. She sighed, too bad, Wisey is still in her dormant sleep.


    She actually didn''t know when her buddy would wake up, and even the guardians kept silent about it. They only said that because she was a cherubim, the heavenly powers were not abundant in Prasinos, which was needed for her recovery.


    Only time will tell when she will wake up. They could only let her absorb what little heavenly energy there was in the Guardian realm.


    When the evening came, Leon finally joined the two. Spending more quality time with Eli and his son, Leon actively participated in the evening activities.


    He even yed the cello to duet with Eli, making both Little Han and the music-loving panda, Baobao have sparkles in their eyes!


    This was the daily routine Eli, Leon, Little Han, and Baobao did for the next three days they have as a family.


    The fourth day is the promised day for Eli, Little Han, and Baobao to catch up with the Forgeworns to head to the Green Wave institute.


    Leon''s heart was heavy, for thest three days of his life has been the mostforting day he had in a while.


    However, their parting had to be done, for everyone''s sake. They had to swallow the pain of their parting and only let the heavens allow them to finish their task before reuniting again.


    "It''s time¡­" Leon looked at Eli and Little Han, his eyes reddening as the more they were closer to the designated time, the more his heart rebelled. He did not want to separate from the two!


    Eli was also wearing a pained and anxious expression. Their parting this time was indefinite. The two of them did not know when the war would end. It couldst for days, months, or even years!


    "Daddi¡­." Little Han, as well, for the first time showed reluctance to part ways with his dad, and eventually her mom.


    Back then, he was still too innocent to understand the meaning of Eli and Leon leaving him with the guardians.


    But now, he knows that he will not see his family for a long time again. His lips trembled as he stretched out his arms to Leon.


    When Leon carried Little Han, that was when Little Han burst into a heartbreaking wail.


    "Wuwuwuwu¡­ Daddi!!! Wuwuwuwu!" He cried as he clung on Leon''s neck hard, unwilling to part with him.


    "Shush¡­ it''s okay son¡­ It''s going to be okay¡­" Leon''s eyes heated up as heforted Little Han with his hoarse quivering voice.


    But the more heforted him, the more the little one cried.


    Eli could not also take it anymore, Little Han mirrored both hers and Leon''s worries and pain in this parting.


    All that she could do is hug the father and son duo. She hugged them so hard that she could control the trembling of her body from the tears she previouslymitted not to shed at the moment.


    It took Leon and Eli a while to make Little Han calm down. When it finally ended, the three of them had red noses and puffy eyes.


    "The gateway to the other side is ready¡­ We can no longer dy it." Leon said regretfully.


    He kissed Eli''s lips, sealed her moist eyelids with his lips, and took her hand before saying, "I will lead the two of you there."


    "Alright¡­ let''s go." Eli could only hold Leon''s hand tightly, as tightly as she could.

 Chapter 489 Departures (4)

    ?The family finally stepped into the activated array and they were swallowed by the bright multicolored light, leaving the ever-warm cottage deste and empty.


    No one knows when the small yet cozy cottage will be filled with warmth and life once again.


    Eli, Leon, and Little Han walked inside the spatial void, where a vast number of twinkling denoting a doorway to a certain destination lit up the vast empty space.


    "Master~~~" Suddenly, there was a childish voice interrupting the painful silence that surrounded the family of three.


    ???


    Little Han''s eyes widened in curiosity. Hearing a child''s voice, his interest was immediately piqued. He lifted his head around and looked for the source of the voice.


    "Oh! Is this my future ymate?" The voice squealed, and in an instant, a little ball of light hovered around Eli, Leon, and Little Han.


    Then it stopped at Little Han as if observing the toddler''s appearance. The next moment, the ball of light made a soft ''poof!'' sound and transformed into an adorable little child that is about five years old in age.


    He had fluffy blue colored hair and his body was covered by a white robe that covered his undergarments. His eyes were sparkling but when Eli looked at them, it was as if she was staring into the neverending gxy!


    The same mysterious eyes looked at Little Han carefully, it blinked for a while until it squinted in excitement as he eximed with a happy grin on his face, "He is so cute!!!! Just like me~~"


    Eli chuckled lightly, feeling quite amused by the little kid''s bubbly reactions. Then she nced at Leon asking him who the child is.


    "This is the Spatial King." Leon introduced the child to Eli and Little Han.


    "Hello~~ I am the Spatial King~ You must be my ymate''s mother and my master''s future wife!!! Wee to my kingdom!~" The Spatial King beamed in delight as he hovered towards Eli and greeted her while he was floating freely in the air.


    "Hewwo¡­" Since the other party greeted him warmly, Little Han smiled gently and responded. But then, he frowned upon realizing that he did not know his name. His daddy only told them his title.


    So then, Little Han looked at the Spatial King and asked, "What is your name?"


    "..." Eli and Leon were taken aback by their son''s question, usually the people would just address the mysterious being as Spatial King, not by a particr name.


    However, the Spatial King was dumbfounded. "Right! How could this be? I don''t have a name!!!" He eximed and looked at Leon usingly.


    "You, cold master, you did not give me a name! Boohoo! Now my ymate could not even call me properly! Boohoohoo!!" The Spatial King covered his face and cried as his body tumbled in the air while he was using Leon of not liking him enough to give him a name.


    Eli and Little Han looked at each other, then they both looked at the used who was left in an awkward position because of the sudden outburst of the Spatial King.


    "Sigh¡­ he could be so childish inside his domain¡­" Leon looked at Eli helplessly as he sensed her confusion about the Spatial King''s real character when she already saw him once in action during the war.


    "Boohoo, Master''s future wife, could you give me a name instead? I believe that my master would be so cold that he would give me a terrible name! *sniff*" The Spatial King set his eyes on Eli to plead because he truly believed that Leon would not give a good thought to his name!


    Eli could only helplessly chuckle. She really did not expect that the Spatial King, who appeared in such a formidable mannerst war could be this adorable.


    She really could not find a trace of semnce between the child in front of her, and the titan-like being that appeared in the skies of the Capital to save a lot of people!


    "Alright¡­ I''ll think of a name for you." Eli smiled andforted the crying child, her motherly instincts kicked in, especially when she saw how heartbroken he is to have desired a name. "By the way, just call me Eli¡­"


    "Really? Lady Eli??" The Spatial King froze midair and stared at Eli with anticipation in his eyes. Then he looked at Leon and proudly said, "Did you hear that master? Thedy will give me a nice name! Humf!"


    "Good for you¡­" Leon could only leave his eyebrows twitching as the Spatial King dared to put Eli on the spot and even throw a tantrum in front of them.


    "En... Let me think for a while¡­" Eli replied softly as she observed the Spatial King''s features, actions, and surroundings. After a while, she smiled and said,<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I hope you will like this name, Zenith. It means ''the highest point or peak'' since you are the Spatial King and you rule over this space as you observe every doorway¡­ I think it suits you.."


    "Zenith¡­ Zenith¡­ Zenith!!! I like this name very much!!!" The Spatial King rolled the name on his tongue as he remembered what it meant from Eli''s exnation. The more he thought of it, the more he was pleased. In the end, he jumped in the air and rolled happily.


    "My ymate! Do you hear that? I finally have a name!!! My name is Zenith!!! My name is Zenith!!" He then looked at Little Han and happily introduced himself again.


    "Hewooo Zenith¡­ my name iz Johann! Nice to meet chu!!!" Little Han also happily replied, since Zenith the Spatial King called him ymate, he also treated him in a friendly way.


    "Hihihi!!! I am so happy!!!" Zenith grinned happily as he did a cartwheel midair, making his blue hair bounce freely.


    "My Lady! Thank you for giving me a name! Hihihi!! In return, tell me one request and I will fulfill it if it is within my abilities!" Zenith approached Eli and held her hand affectionately.


    Due to the proximity, Eli once again saw the deep starry eyes he had and fell into a daze.


    "Don''t pester my fiance too much." Leon could only reprimand the overly enthusiastic Spatial King, but he could not help but indulge him either.


    As a Spatial King, he already existed since the beginning of Prasinos with nopanions but the spatial fairies. Only when the Prasinons discover teleportation magic did he also start to interaction with selected people, but only the worthy ones did, like Leon.


    "Look, my ymate! My Master is so cold¡­ boohoo!" Zenith became more mischievous as he pouted and aggrievedly told Little Han how stern Leon was.


    Little Han, however, blinked. Unfortunately for Zenith, he was not aware that Little Han had already seen his father act like this to other people, except for him and his mommy.


    Eli could only smooth out things and said, "Alright¡­e here and I''ll whisper to you my wish. Don''t share it with anyone alright? It will only be between you and me¡­"


    Hearing Eli''s words, Zenith became curious. The thought of having something that he could not share with Leon made him excited.


    Although Leon was curious about what Eli''s request would be, he opted not to ask her. Since she already explicitly said that it was a secret, he was sure that Eli would not want him to know that too. Besides, knowing Eli, she would have wished for something that would be his or Little Han''s protection.


    Whatever it is, Leon knew that Eli would not wish for anything that would harm anyone, so he smiled and watched the two-step at a certain distance and talk in a very secretive manner. They were even covering their lips as if to refrain Leon and Little Han from reading their movements.


    After some time, they went back with Zenith visibly satisfied with his interactions with his Master''s family.


    "Now it''s time for Zenith to take you to your destination¡­ My ymate, please don''t forget me okay? We will y soon~" Zenith looked at Little Han once more with a friendly smile.


    "Yesh!! Johann will remember Zenith!" Little Han said as he stuck his pinky to promise Zenith.


    "You promised with pinky swear!" Zenith locked his tiny pinky with Little Han''s, he was wearing an excited smile.


    Finally, he opened the portal, the other end showing the current location where the Forgeworns were.


    "Let''s go¡­" Leon looked at Eli and rubbed Little Han''s head once again. After saying goodbye to Zenith, they stepped into the portal and saw the Forgeworn elders, Kayden, and the rest waiting for them.


    "Finally you are here, my dear!" Grandma Brygid happily weed them.


    "Thank you for patiently waiting for us, Grandma¡­ Mom, Dad¡­" Eli gave them a hug and saw that everyone is there except for Grandpa Andi and Randel. They most probably went on their separate missions to help with the war, so she no longer mentioned them.


    Leon also greeted them and pleadingly asked the elders to protect his family, Eli and Little Han. He respectfully bowed to show his gratitude and sincerity.


    After that, he could only hug and kiss the two onest time before he reluctantly stepped back to the portal, truly parting with his family.

 Chapter 490 Departures (5)

    ?On the other side of Prasinos¡­


    The Pope and Rachana had already boarded the ship to go to the Seirende Continent. With them were several of the ''temple servants'' apanying them to assist in their mission to go to the coastal territories of the continent.


    The excitement on their faces could not be covered as they thought of how they would be making a move against the Seirende Empire.


    "Are you not nervous Pope? What if the Pdin appears again?" Rachana looked at the aged Pope whose eyes were glimmering with anticipation.


    Upon hearing the word Pdin, the Pope''s expression darkened.


    Clearly displeased by Rachana''s provocative words, he sternly nced at her and said, "Since when is it my business to worry about dealing with the Pdin? Your very existence is meant to deal with her!"


    Rachana shrugged and did not say anything in retaliation. After all, she could not tantly disrespect the Pope who was the one who gave her this position. In any case, he is right, the Pdin''s opponent must be her.


    "In any way, I will never let down my guard again. If she had the power to appear anywhere and at any time, I would always be ready for her appearance!" Rachana dered with hatred in her eyes.


    She cursed herself for being caught off guard thest time she encountered the Pdin. She believes that if she was prepared enough to know about her powers, then Pdin would never win!


    Now that Rachana knows what the other party can do, she believes that she could win this time.


    "What''s more important is for us to find a way to get to the Seirende Temple directly. We have to destroy that at any cost! In that way, we will no longer care about them being able to counter the curse''s power!" The Pope said.


    "With the Princes being hostage, the Emperor will panic and be forced to assemble his troops to rescue his sons. We will take advantage of that fact to force our way in. Though it is not that easy to prate that territory, with significant manpower being deployed, it will be manageable for us to go and enter." The Pope exined.


    "Hmm¡­ but are you not feeling anything unusual? Do you really believe that the Seirende Empire did not sense anythinging from Vanderford''s end? Look at the Green Wave, they were sure to move ahead and summon their kin back.


    Though, I don''t really care if they take such precautions! Eventually, theirnd will be our hunting ground and their kind will be our subjects for experimentation!" Rachana dered.


    "Who cares if they caught wind of the Vanderford wanting to make a move against their territory? With the Crown Prince making them busy with all our demands, how could they even prepare for war in such a short time?


    Besides, we know that even if we have an advantage, the Seirende is a strong empire itself. It is not a war where the opponent has no means to retaliate.


    They are a strong opponent and we will still struggle to defeat them even if we prepare this much. Get that in your head and do not make the same mistakes again!" The Pope reprimanded Rachana.


    The fact that their side called this operation a war is because of the ability of the Seirende Empire to fight back, prepared or not.


    While he does not believe that the Seirende had any means to win this time, he still believed that they have the ability to cause their side to incur massive damage before they finally fall down in defeat.


    Meanwhile, the Vanderford Territory is also moving in full force.


    Most of their troops were already stationed at the inner part of the Seirende Continent and the camps were already fortified.


    "When everything goes smoothly, the Seirende people will not even reach the coastal areas and will be trapped in the middle of the northeastern territory." The royal aide exined to the Vanderford Emperor who was sitting on the throne with an excited look.


    "How are the other princes doing their task?" The Vanderford Emperor asked.


    "When they heard that they had the chance to snatch the crown prince position they immediately set off with their troops to go to the Seirende Empire. Each of the five princes now had their respective camps we can use for reinforcement." The royal aide replied.


    "Good! Good! In two days, they will be deployed to invade the nearby territories so that they could amass supplies for the entire army. With that, we no longer have to worry about having not enough supplies in that continent alone!" The Emperor of the Vanderford chuckled heartily.


    "Continue to monitor what would happen on the Crown Prince''s side. I give him my highest hopes!" He added.


    "Yes, your Royal Highness!" The aide replied and went on his way.


    ¨C<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Two days were finally over and the designated time for departure came.


    In front of the Court of Sinners, the prisoners were transported into a modified carriage where it was ridden with arrays. They were escorted with their entire bodies covered in dark clothing, making the witnesses outside unable to identify who these people were.


    Looking at this, Crown Prince Ranon''s eyebrows raised in interest. The Seirende people were as cunning as ever, how could they still be thinking shrewdly when they were actually walking obediently toward the traps set for them?


    If not for the reason that he personally saw the prisoners being dressed inside and witnessed the entire process of theiring out in the prison he can still raise the fact on how he can be so sure that they were taking the right prisoners.


    But as expected, the Third Prince was extremely cunning and smart, the very fact that he was invited to witness such a scene shut him up. Now, even if he witnessed them being dressed, once they were out and loaded inside, he would have no way to keep track of who is who during the entire journey.


    In no time, they were lined up in front of the prison and were ready to set off.


    The Emperor and the High Priest stood on a tform to look at them and started to address the entire convoy.


    "This Emperor wishes for every one of you to have a safe trip andplete the mission in glory¡­" Emperor Valentin gave quite a lengthy speech before he signaled High Priest Enoch to address the crowd.


    The High Priest, however, no longer gave any speech. Instead, he lifted up his hands towards the sky and shouted loudly as he could,


    "Oh heavens, send your faithful troops to bring justice to the oppressed.


    Let no evil befall them as they go, and make them able to fight against it.


    May the enemies lurking in the dark shudder in fear and back off!


    At the sight of your might and power, covering this man who is braving danger!"


    In an instant, the skies lit up, and a golden light showered the army, both from Seirende and the Temple, and covered them with mighty holy powers.


    "It''s the High Priest''s blessing!" The men eximed excitedly.


    On the other hand, Crown Prince Ranon showed a face of awe, but inside his robe, his fists were clenched tightly. ''This Priest is indeed formidable!''


    Kazimir, Antoine, and Leon discreetly looked at his reaction but failed to see the concealed hatred inside of him. After all, the Crown Prince was able to hide everything he did since he stepped inside thend. It showed how extremely cunning and cautious he is.


    In the end, the men departed, they marched towards the gates of the Capital heading to the east where the nearest route to the borders of the Empire is located.


    If it was just a simple diplomatic journey, the Emperor would have acted generously and allowed them to travel by teleportation array. However, since they were transporting highly dangerous criminals, they opted to travel by foot.


    It was because there might be a chance that the interception will happen on the other side of the teleporting station, where they have no way of knowing.


    And so, at full speed, it will take them around a week to officially step out of the Empire.


    Then they will spend another two to three months traveling to the northeast, where the Holy Ind is located. This is already the fastest route avable for them.


    The downside is that this route is full of danger and extreme conditions. They will be crossing the most destend in the continent - the Scorching Wastnd.


    This wastnd is famous for being remote and hostile to normal travelers. This is due to the fact that thesends were notorious for their extreme weather conditions, so much so that even animals and beasts find it hard to survive in this ce.


    But not so for the convoy troops traveling with Leon¡­.


    As well as the hidden armies waiting for them to be trapped upon arrival!

 Chapter 491 Entering The Scorching Wastelands (1)

    ?"Report¡­" Inside the carriage, Crown Prince Ranon held a mysteriousmunicating device as he whispered softly.


    He had been so vignt and cautious this time because Leon was aggressively suspecting him ever since he tried to nt spying magic on him and the other two princes.


    The moment he found out that their scheme was blown, they had no choice but toy low and not move for a while. They were also taken by surprise to know that somebody had the ability to detect the most secretive spying curse magic they have at the moment!


    He could not help but suspect and curse Eli in his mind. This time, he was sure that she was one of the brains behind the curse detection system installed on every entrance of Seirende.


    ''Just you wait, I will also get you and your crew¡­'' He thought to himself as he cursed Eli who destroyed his ns.


    "Crown Prince, my team has already been able to infiltrate the northern region. Now that we have confirmed that Eli''s curse-detecting contracted beast was no longer in the Empire, we can freely move." Niki''s voice was heard through themunication stone.


    "Good¡­" Crown Prince Ranon replied with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Thinking about how the three princes were still oblivious about walking to a trap and their families all in danger, he almost lost the will to hold back his gloatingughter.


    But in the end, he still held it in, the enemy was not easy to deal with, so he could only celebrate when he would finally saw their dead bodies on the ground.


    "Standby and wait for our cue, Arabe and her team were already tailing our convoy. When the timees, she will be the one to rescue your parents. So do your best there and do not disappoint us." Crown Prince Ranon remeinded Niki.


    It was easy to manipte the siblings because of their parents. They are willing to do everything to save them from real trouble.


    So even though the two had the talent and ability to be arrogant, they still had to obey him and follow his arrangement, all for the sake of rescuing their parents from the execution.


    However, this is only a temporary measure for him. For these siblings had been groomed to be vessels. And so it doesn''t matter if the two would try to escape with their parents after rescuing them.


    The seed fragment was already in their bodies! The moment they epted being a curse user, their bodies were no longer theirs to control. All that is left for them is to obey theirmands and be good vessels for the ''lord''.


    Crown Prince Ranon had a serious expression on his face. He stretched out his hands and subtly lifted the carriage curtains to take a look at the situation outside.


    ''Looks like we were halfway through the journey to the end of the borders.'' He concluded. They have been traveling on a steady phase and he could not help but raise his eyebrows in interest as to how efficiently the people of Seirende worked.


    So far other than his deliberate requests to dy or disrupt the travels, everything was taken care of and none of his ''concerns'' were able to affect the mentality of Leon and the rest.


    They were like trained battle soldiers who had no emotions and could remain level-headed despite the multiple problemsing their way.


    He wished that they would be distracted for a while so that he could also increase the chance of them losing during the ambush, but he was proven wrong multiple times already.


    And so all he could do was to use the daytime travel to discreetly contact the parties outside lying in wait, as well as the men he left in the Seirende Empire to cause more chaos.


    He could not do it at night when Leon and the rest were most vignt. But during the day, he could just quickly set up a soundproofing array while all of the guards were focused on scanning the threats outside.


    Four days passed just like that¡­


    And finally, they were already seeing the end of the Seirende borders ahead of them.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Crown Prince Ranon who was alreadyzing in his carriage was disrupted by the soft knock on the door.


    "Your Highness, we are here to inform you that we will be settling in an inn prepared for us just before we cross the borders." A temple knight respectfully informed him.


    "Settle down in an inn? Aren''t we supposed to travel continuously until we reach the coastal area of Holy Ind? I get that we are ahead by one day, why can''t we push through and save time?" He asked as if he was unwilling to dy the matter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s like this, Your Highness, the Third Prince came with his men to deploy an advanced party to check for the safest route in the Scorching Wastnd.


    As we have informed you beforehand, this territory is extremely dangerous, so we can only let the Third Prince execute these precautions." The temple knight exined patiently.


    Crown Prince Ranon raised his brows with interest right and could not hide the excitement in his eyes.


    He did not expect Leon would volunteer himself as the advance party to the destends and leave the others behind. This will be favorable for him when they decide to kick off their n.


    Because in his heart, no one can be content with him, Arabe, and the men they took with them but Leon. Kazimir, Antoine, and even the Temple Knights will have no chance of fighting back against them.


    ''I never knew that this could be easy!'' He thought excitedly.


    But outwardly he still asked the temple knight with a reluctant tone, "How many men did the Third Prince take with him? What if the forces left behind to defend were not enough?"


    "Do not worry, your Highness, the Third Prince only took his five men. Please do not worry as we still have more than a hundred troops from both sides to guard Your Highness and the prisoners." The temple knight answered.


    "Sure, I''ll go with whatever arrangement you have." Upon confirming the number of men that Leon took, Crown Prince Ranon finally dismissed the temple knight.


    The satisfaction on his face was caught on by the temple knight but he did not show any change in his expression and went on his way as if nothing happened.


    However, there was a glint in his eyes.


    Sure, the Third Prince took only five men with him from the current convoy armies. But does he need to disclose that the entire Crimson de troops were waiting for their Captain outside the borders?


    He did not think he needed to inform this Crown Prince who was an evil envoy of the unrighteous Pope!


    On the other hand, Crown Prince Ranon waited until they entered the vige before he did any moves.


    As soon as he finished his obligatory inspections and dinner, he immediately announced that he would go back to his room to retire for the night. But as soon as he did, he had already contacted the troops stationed in the destends and informed them about Leon''s advanced party.


    "Take care of them and do not allow them to regroup with him as much as possible." He ordered. Having him present during their attack will make his ns a hundred times more difficult.


    After all, he was still an S-ss Mage and he could never forget how Leon casually showed off his powers on the hunting grounds. He needs him to be away!


    Meanwhile, the temple knight went to Mishael and reported his exchange with Ranon.


    "En.. allow him to think that the Third Prince does not have the ability to regroup with us for a while. Butter on, do inform our troops to be ready for any attack as soon as we enter the territory. I will go to the First and Second Prince to inform them as well." Mishael nodded and instructed his knight.


    "As you wish, captain!" The knight saluted bravely and went on his way.


    Mishael took a deep breath and prayed for a moment. It was heaven''s grace that they were able to see the indications of war before they set off on the trip.


    At first, they decided to have those who knew Eli''s identity as the Pdin not be involved in this struggle.


    But now, knowing that it wasn''t a trial that the Pope wanted, but an all-out war. He and the High Priest thought that it would make no sense to not use the strong manpower that they have to counter the enemy.


    So what if they knew Eli was the Pdin at that moment? They were already at a war by that time and they could no longer retreat or advance to get Eli unless they totally defeated the Empire!


    Besides, Eli will being from behind and wing their unguarded backs!

 Chapter 492 Entering The Scorching Wastelands (2)

    ?Leon met with Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael before he set off with the troops he took.


    "Is everything ready on your end?" Kazimir looked at Leon worriedly.


    They knew that Leon and his men needed to go ahead not only to scout but to fight the men waiting for their heads.


    They also knew that there would be a chance that he might note back right away to regroup with them when that happens.


    And so, Kazimir and Antoine could not help but feel worried. Now that they were facing an impending war, all they could do was stand back and rely on their youngest brother, whom they previously despised.


    Remembering this, the guilt in their hearts caused them to feel a bitter sensation in their mouths. They wanted to open it to express their worries about him but somehow, they found that they lost the right to do so.


    In the end, they could only ask about how he was preparing to set off.


    "Don''t worry, I have my men guarding my backs. We''ve done this thing countless times and we know what to do¡­" Leon seemed to have sensed the awkward worry in his brothers'' eyes and so he gave them a look of assurance.


    Hearing it, Kazimir and Antoine could only let out a heavy sigh and consoled themselves.


    ``He is right, Third Brother and the Crimson des have done this thing countless times and they were someone who repeatedly bagged the glory without even losing a single life in his troops!''


    "How about you, are you prepared to handle their attack should they take advantage of the situation?" He asked them. It is not that he wanted to tell them that he was the only one who could handle the attack of the curse users, but he only wanted to remind them that the enemy is extremely vicious.


    Leon worried that the encounter with the curse users will trigger the traumatic experience from the past when they encountered such a situation.


    Antoine chuckled and patted Leon''s shoulder,


    "We''re fine! Have some confidence in us, we''re not the same as before! Besides, didn''t doctor Kayden exin to you how the high-grade curse potion was able to not only cure us but also increase our aptitudes? Look, we''re only half a step from reaching your level!"


    Antoine jokingly dered to ease the heavy atmosphere.


    "That''s right. Besides, your brother and I have been training under the General to get the full potential of our newly grown abilities. If not for you stealing the thunder during the hunting grounds, you could have caught a glimpse of our improvement!" Kazimir rolled his eyes and begrudgingly echoed Antoine''s words.


    A shocking discovery came out when Kayden used the cure potion filled with Eli''s spiritual powers on the almost-dead Antoine back then.


    Not only did Antoine manage to have a second chance at life, but his abilities also seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds.


    Upon assessment, they found out that he had grown to be the mid-tier level A-ss summoner to the peak A-stage, just half a step away from being an S-ss.


    Soon the hypothesis was tested once again and Kayden found out that the massive buff given by the cure potion could only be effective on people with Seirende blood, especially when they also used this on Kazimir who was also heavily injured by his very own mother.


    The other people who took the same quality potion were still healed but they did not achieve the same additional effect as Kazimir and Antoine. Therefore, he concluded that it could only help the Seirendes.


    "That¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Leon scratched his head and could only apologize.


    He cannot tell them how he was so triggered upon seeing the very same monsters who almost took Eli''s life back then. At the time he lost control of his temple and went to kill the monsters without mercy.


    "Well, the past is past! What we are saying is that you can rely on us in this matter! We may not have been well-versed in warfare but we are still capable mages. Besides, we have Captain Mishael here to assist us.." Antoine replied in an encouraging manner.


    "Just remember to be careful. We''ll do our best to hold our side safely. So rest assured and focus on your side." Kazimir patted Leon''s shoulder and said with a smile.


    Mishael also looked at Leon with an assuring nod. Their tasks were crucial and it is important that none of their sides fall apart easily.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll go on my way." Leon finally let out a heavy sigh and looked at them once again,


    "If there''s anything do not hesitate to contact me or the Grandmasters. I am ready anytime to call in reinforcements. This is our greatest advantage, so please do not hold back and use it."


    Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael all gave a nod of understanding. They know that Leon''s contract with the Spatial King is the best weapon they had as it can call on armies if needed.


    However, they also knew that Leon had his own limitations, so the three men had a tacit understanding to only request Leon''s reinforcements when they were already in a dire situation.


    With that, Leon and five other knights departed to the borders, where the Crimson des have already stationed days ahead.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Crown Prince Ranon was also informed of their departure and put on a show to ''wish them well'' and ''send them off''.


    When he went back to his room, he did not forget to inform the nearest deployed army to be prepared for Leon''s arrival.


    Although he was sure that Leon could not handle the vast armies they prepared inside the Scorching Wastnds region, he knew Leon''s might as an S-ss.


    They could only rely on their vast numbers to wear him down, and with that, they hoped that he could be at least temporarily demobilized or even possibly captured for the Pope to handle.


    Leon and his men rode without rest toward the other side of the border and immediately regrouped with the Crimson des at the rendezvous point.


    In the middle of the night, there was no other cover around but the gigantic waves of sand and the asional sandstorm that blew violently. Leon and the knights could only coat a thinyer of mana around their bodies and their horses to have the mobility and vision they needed as they moved around.


    After around three hours of traveling, they stopped at a seemingly in area with a huge rock formation.


    "An hour away from here to the east will be the Vulture Region. That area will be extremely hot by the day and will be exceedingly cold at night. There are also more canyons here and rock formations like this¡­" Leon told the men.


    "This region is perfect for ambush and cover as well¡­" He added with a glint of danger in his eyes. "Follow me¡­" He beckoned the men.


    The knights we had were select members who were most exposed to harsh conditions.


    So Leon was not worried that they were someone who would grow nor cower in face of great dangers such as being in the advanced party where they would most likely meet a full-sized enemy.


    They were also the most quick-witted and have a good sense of survival skills, capable enough to crawl their way back to the main troops to inform a dire situation.


    "Yes, Third Prince!" With a calm and serious faces, they obediently nodded and followed Leon.


    They headed slightly to the West where an unsuspecting old Baobab Tree was standing in the lonely moonlight.


    Leon signaled the men to unmount their horses as he immediately activated an array.


    Voom!


    A passageway opened before their eyes. Leon looked at them and signaled for them to enter with their horses in tow.


    There, it revealed an underground base, where the Crimson des were all lying in wait. They have serious expressions on their faces as they looked like ruthless blood lusting people sharpening their des for ughter.


    The men behind Leon shuddered. Although they were the most capable men in the field of reconnaissance, the men in front of them screamed about a hundred wars won by their hands.


    "We greet the wielder of the Crimson des! Your Highness the Third Prince!" Led by Olivier and ze, the des all stood and greeted Leon respectfully.


    "At ease!" Leon nodded and immediately signaled for the men to assemble for the huddle.


    "Before we start, let everyone introduce each other and know their abilities. This time, our task is not only meant to do reconnaissance operations but also to handle assaults to throw the enemy''s n into chaos.


    Our main objective is to minimize and destroy the ambush points as we advance so that the main army will save its resources for the real fight. That is¡­ to eliminate a toon of possibly a hundred people!"


    Leon looked at the men and observed their expressions.


    In the underground camp, their headcount did not even reach thirty including the men who apanied him.


    However, even as he tantly told them that this group of fewer than thirty people would possibly handle an army of a hundred, their faces did not even twitch nor falter!


    They were ready!


    They were not afraid!


    And most of all, they did not have any intention to cower!

 Chapter 493 Entering The Scorching Wastelands (3)

    ?The men only held their expressions steady and met Leon''s eyes with determination. With that, they looked at each other and started to introduce themselves and a general overview of their abilities.


    It finished quickly as the men only decided to tell the information most useful to the operations. After that Leon and the team continued the huddle to look into the map of the Scorching Wastnds.


    Leon took out arge drawing and let the people crowd around it to observe.


    Oliver and ze ced dummy soldier pieces of two different colors on different areas on the map. Obviously, the two colors denote their forces and their enemies.


    Then they started to exin the information they managed to take regarding the enemy camps.


    After the reports, Leon did not speak for a while. The men alongside him also did not make any sound and waited for their leader to speak.


    Leon looked at the map and studied the positioning of both their existing hidden troops and the enemy''s troops.


    Of course, he knew very well that what was on the map at the moment was not yet the big picture as it was highly possible that there were still some hidden hideouts the crimson and roaming des weren''t able to detect.


    Moreover, there might still be armies waiting for them outside the wastnd regions.


    "Alright, we shall do it like this¡­" Leon finally opened his mouth and pointed at the map to control the dummy soldiers as he exined the strategy.


    "We will attack from this area¡­" He pointed towards the middle section of the route.


    "???" Looking at the ce where their leader pointed, the men looked at him inquisitively. Starting to attack in the middle region will ce their troops in an awkward ce. If it turns out the worst, then they will be trapped there to die.


    "I know what you were confused about, but here is what I have in mind¡­" Leon was not displeased to see the questioning looks in his soldiers.


    Instead, he patiently exined.


    "If we took the straightforward manner and encountered one of the troops nearest to the entrance of the region, the enemies would assume that we would report to the main army to take another route, which would lead them to either of the paths with other enemies lying in wait.


    In short, it would not only be us who would be trapped, but also the main army who followed our ''advice'' blindly.


    But if we take the middle and startle them, the camps which we have just passed will be in a panic.


    That goes the same with the spies lying in wait on the main army. They would be so confused in wondering what path did we take and how it would have been possible for us to go on a route that would never encounter any of the troops lying at the entrance of the region.


    Moreover, they will surely be thrown off guard because there were no more other troops lying in the central region other than this camp because it was only meant to reinforce the troops for the vanguards to begin with.


    That meant, once we got past the middle camp, we would have clear ess to the central region and could reroute our way to the coast if wepletely avoided the rear camps.


    After all, in this scenario, the enemies would also think that our advance troops are now capable of sessfully eliminating at least one of the rear camps. And if we could slightly deviate from the original route, our main army could also do the same.


    Then we will take advantage of the chaos, wiping out the middle zone and ensuring that the enemy''s distress message will particrly reach the spy''s ears.


    Finally, we will send the message legitimately to the main army and im that we have cleared the way which is the middle. This will invoke panic on the spy''s side, which is none other than the Crown Prince.


    He will surely invoke one of the following moves, the first choice is to notify the camps in the entrance to regroup with the remaining troops in the central region to try topensate for the lost opportunity to trap the main army.


    They will force an encounter with our main army regardless if they have ample time or not. Because if they totally missed the opportunity, the main army will finally figure out everything and will surely report back to the Seirende Empire to retaliate.


    His second choice was to call on the rear troops to advance and ambush the advancing main army while buying time for the vanguard troops to fall back and entrap us fully. Both of the objectives are the same, and that is to take hold of the advantage of an ambush to keep the Seirende Empire blinded.


    But regardless of the choice, you can see how we are going to move next, I believe?"


    Leon lengthily exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When the troops heard Leon''s words, their eyes widened in shock and awe. Leon''s n clearly considered the enemy''s mentality and also took into consideration what they wanted to have the most.


    Targeting that matter, he came up with a n that will surely destroy what the enemies have painstakingly prepared and force them to y a game that was unfamiliar to them.


    Just imagining the enemy''s contorted face the moment they realized the mishap pleased the men''s hearts.


    "Don''t gloat this early, we are merely shredding off the smoke screen that they have set up. We are not yet even officially entering the boundaries of war." Leon looked at their expressions and calmed them down.


    "Also remember, that we are not yet privy of the extent of the Vanderford and the Holy Ind''s armies. These people are known to have ties with the curse users, and if proven further, they might even be the originators of the Spectre.


    We can never underestimate them in any way and we must be ready to go all out at all times." He added.


    After all, no one would ever predict what could happen in a war especially, when they will possibly fight Spectre''s followers.


    "Yes, Your Highness!" The troops became calm and serious once again after Leon''s reminder. The possibility of the troops having curse users took them back to reality.


    After discussing the deeper details of the attack, Leon announced for them to set off after four hours.


    Most of them spent the remaining time sleeping while a few others spent on sending some messages to their close friends and families, then eventually also rested. After all, they will never know when it will be the next time they have a peaceful sleep.


    Leon also took the time to send a message to Eli and ask about their whereabouts. Unlike Leon and the rest, they were moving to the northwest where the Green Wave continent is located.


    In essence, they could have just traveled straight passing through the vastnds of Silver Dew Forest, but the Forgeworns and the other non-human races in the Seirende Empire did not use this route because they wanted to preserve the forest and keep it thriving.


    A travel path within the forest will cause a huge disturbance and will also desecrate the resting ce of the fallen guardian Asani.


    So they have no choice but to take the long route out of the bounds of the Silver Dew and redirect their path back to the northwest once they reach the coastal area.


    "We are about to travel with the merfolk tomorrow. The kids were quite exhausted on the long journey so the elders decided to have a three-day rest in the coastal vige. The merfolks will meet us tomorrow." Eli''s voice rang on Leon''smunication stone.


    Her voice was soft and calming, making Leon feel a sense of assurance and relief.


    "That is good to hear, it might be good for you and the rest to get out of the continent as soon as possible¡­ Because we will start our attack tomorrow." Leon tried to calmly reply to her.


    But he could not hide the fact that his heart felt anxious and worried for the first time in his life.


    He didn''t know what would happen from tomorrow onwards. Back then, he did not have many people to care about. Even toward his parents, he did not feel anxious because he thought that they still had other sons and people to rely on.


    But now, with Eli and Little Han, who sessfully took a significant portion of his being, he could not help but be scared of not being able to survive.


    Hearing the tone of Leon''s voice, Eli''s heart also leaped. She knew that Leon was anxious.


    As if he felt his parent''s feelings, Little Han who was originally sleeping on Eli''s side, started to wiggle sleepily and climbed towards Eli.


    "Mommi, iz dat Daddi?" He adorably asked with his sleepy crystal blue eyes.


    "Yes, love¡­ want to talk to daddy?" Eli replied.


    Little Han nodded and looked at the glowingmunication stone, then he said with a childish voice,


    "Daddi~ take care. Johann misses you~ Mommi misses you too!"

 Chapter 494 Entering The Scorching Wastelands (4)

    ?"Ahahaha¡­" When Leon heard Little Han''s endearing voice, a sunny helpless smile appeared on his ever-cold face. "Daddi misses you and your mommy too."


    His smile was so warm, gentle, and beautiful.


    The light chuckle he let out was not loud, yet the charm in his voice managed to catch everyone''s attention in the cave and witness the spectacle!


    Third Prince Leon, the Mad Blood Prince is smiling!


    "Erherm¡­" Olivier and ze immediately cleared their throats and very discreetly eyed everyone to give Leon some space.


    They also took the initiative to iste his area so that none of the people around could tell who he was conversing with, especially the knights with him who did not know of Little Han''s existence yet.


    Meanwhile, Little Han kept talking through themunication stone. He was trying hard to tell his dad what he saw during his travels in a lively manner.


    Although his speech was still quite childish and his vocabry is limited, he was already able tomunicate quite deftly which brought a sense of pride in Leon and Eli''s hearts.


    "Daddi, mommi said you are fwighting with bad gwuys¡­" Little Han told Leon after he ran out of stories to tell.


    "Yes, daddy will drive away bad guys so that Little Han and Mommi will be safe," Leon exined with a doting expression on his face.


    "Will Daddi get hwurt?"


    Little Han had a grasp of bad and good guys when he went to y with his cousins in the Forgeworn and Faraulds. They would y soldiers and sometimes, someone would act like they were hurt and he would y doctor.


    So when he heard that Leon will fight bad guys, he already knew that this might happen to his dad. With that, there was a great worry in his voice.


    "Maybe, but Daddy will be fine. Because Daddy is strong and I have friends to help me." Leon answered quite truthfully.


    "But umcle Kayden is not with Daddi¡­ you can''t heal¡­" Instead of being relieved at Leon''s reply, Little Han became more worried.


    He remembered that his uncle Kayden was the one who healed him when he and Eli were sick, so naturally thought that Kayden would heal Leon as well.


    Eli and Leon were astonished at Little Han''s words. Sometimes, they could not keep up with his growth and would even be scared knowing that he was just about to turn two years old! His thinking is beyond his age!


    "Don''t worry, my love. Daddy also had friends with him who knew medicine¡­" Eli teasingly poked Little Han''s nose while she answered on Leon''s behalf.


    Although Eli knew that there was no one as good as Kayden present on Leon''s side, the des are quite capable apart from their talent in wars.


    "Your mom is right." Leon smiled, although he could not see their faces, he knew that they were smiling at him at this very moment. "The night is already deep, you too should sleep." He reminded the two.


    "You too¡­ when will you set off?" Eli asked cryptically but she knew that Leon would get the meaning of her question.


    "Around three hours from now," Leon replied.


    "So soon¡­" Eli sighed in worry and helplessness.


    However, she held her anxiousness in and continued, "Then you must get some sleep too. Rest is important and would probably be a luxury by the time you set off."


    "I will¡­" Leon agreed, he knew that Eli would be worried if he did not take a rest so he had no intentions of giving her empty promises.


    "Hmmm¡­"Eli gently hummed and looked at Little Han.


    The next second, Leon heard Eli coaxing their son to say goodbye, "My love, your dad is about to sleep. Come wish him good night."


    "Owkay¡­" Little Han''s voice was heard in the background. The next second, his voice became clearer again.


    "Daddi, let''s pway before we sleep¡­" He mumbled innocently.


    Eli and Leon were rendered speechless once again. In fact, they were even embarrassed because the innocent little one even reminded them of praying when they were the ones who needed to do it the most in this circumstance.


    "O-okay¡­" Leon and Eli replied.


    The next moment, Little Han''s voice rang and his sincere words of prayer rang in his parents'' ears loud and clear.


    "Dwear Gwanpa Great¡­ pwease pwotect Daddi evewyday. Pwease make him stwong and safe¡­" His innocent words seemed so simple, but somehow, they gave an inexplicable strength and encouragement in Leon''s heart.


    He did not know how, but after hearing Eli, Little Han, and his own prayers, and even as he ended the call, a calming sensation swarmed all over his body. It was lulling him to a peaceful sleep which he was sure to not get hours before entering a war.


    He had an undisturbed three-hour sleep. By the time he opened his eyes and got up, he felt his body be lighter, and his state of mind be calm and clear! What a nice peaceful sleep.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He smiled, for he knew it was the effect of the prayers his family had poured out earlier. His heart seemed to have been encouraged, seemingly having the will to trust the heavens of this entire endeavor to be ovee.


    Leon no longer wasted any second, he picked up his sword and immediately stood up.


    When he looked at his men, they were also ready. They received Leon''s signal and moved to get out of the hideout.


    There was still less than an hour until dawn arrived, and the darkness of the night was still enough for them as cover.


    "Olivier¡­ and the rest of the summoner''s team¡­" Leon muttered.


    In an instant, the summoners led by Olivier moved, they summoned theirrgest and fastest flying beasts.


    ze on the other hand activated one of Leon''s paper spell, the bird cage, and instructed the men to put the horses inside so that they can be transported easily.


    "We will use the night''s cover. Board the beasts and we will set off." Leonmanded.


    The men only took less than five minutes to put their horses in the birdcage and mount the beasts. In no time, they were already in the skies flying at an altitude enough not to disturb the beast around and not to attract attention to the possible watch towers nearby.


    When they saw the traces of smoke and activity in the distance, Leon signaled the men and immediatelynded on the groundpletely concealed from the nearby camp''s vision.


    Theynded at a distance that was still somewhat far for them to go on foot. Except for the des, the knights waited for Leon''s instructions as they did not know if he wanted them to go with horses or on foot.


    They were confused as to why Leon would let them stop this early when they clearly saw that there was still a significant distance from this point to the enemy camp.


    But seeing that the des did not react they closed their mouths and kept the question on their minds.


    Oliver stepped forward ready to perform a hand seal and create an array for a certain spell. But Leon raised his hands to stop him andmanded.


    "Summoners, recharge your mana."


    "Yes, Your Highness." Olivier and the summoners who used the beasts nodded without question.


    Leon opened the palm of his hand and called out, "Biggie¡­"


    "Shweeeee!" Almost instantly a tiny adorable earth golem with round yellow eyes and a single leaf on top of its head appeared jumping on Leon''s palm.


    The five knights were astonished, they knew that Leon was an open path, but they did not expect that the Mad Blood Third Prince would have¡­


    Such an adorable contracted pet!


    They could not help butpare the frigidity of the Third Prince''s face and demeanor, versus the cuteness of the little earth golem who was contrastingly named Biggie!


    However, they did not dare tough¡­


    "Biggie, lend me your eyes and check the camp."


    Leon did not notice the odd looks of the new members of his crew. Instead, he gently poked Biggie who was looking with his glowing yellow eyes innocently.


    "Vrrrr!" Biggie made a sound as if acknowledging Leon''s orders. He got up to his golem feet and jumped straight to the ground.


    Then he ''melted'' like mud as soon as his body touched the scorching wastnd.


    "Now we wait." Leon looked at his men and sat quietly.


    His eyes stared intently at the ground.


    After around fifteen minutes, something changed on the ground that he had been staring at.


    Before the knights and the de''s eyes, the ground in front of Leon started to grow some vines in a peculiar manner.


    They waited for a long while for the vines to grow and finally, something took form. It was a miniature version of the camp several kilometers away from them!


    It was so detailed except that all of it was formed through twisted vines but they suddenly felt like they were giants watching unsuspecting towns!


    "T-that golem¡­ Biggie¡­ is awesome!" One of the knights who went with Leon absentmindedly blurted out.

 Chapter 495 First Encounter (1)

    ?Leon and the rest of the men scrutinized the ''little city'' that sprouted in their midst.


    The twigs did not seem to stop their growing process and continued to shudder in growth.


    After some time there were little sprouts that grew into the vine and twigs, some even had flowers. Then after some time, the movements stopped seemingly signaling to everyone that the artwork was already finished.


    "Count them¡­" Leon did not take away his gaze towards the miniature camp in front of him, instead, he ordered someone.


    Neil stepped forward along with nc and two other des, they started counting the buds and sprouts in the area without Leon calling their names.


    It seemed like this was not the first time they had done this thing as they all counted on a specific area where they stood, not ovepping each other''s territory in counting.


    It only took them five minutes to ount for everything before Neil reported,


    "Your Highness, the camp had approximately five hundred people around.


    We have counted more than 450 sprouts which denoted knights from C-ss and below, the twenty or so flower buds denoted mages within the B ss and the fully bloomed flowers counted ten which meant there were 10 mages from A ss above."


    "Five hundred men, just a little double our main army''s size!" When the knights heard the report, their eyes widened in amazement.


    They were initially confused by how the entire matter went but they did not expect that everything in the miniature camp had meaning to it.


    Could they have just witnessed the secret behind the astounding survival and sess rate of the ever-legendary Crimson de Knights?


    "Hmm¡­ huddle around let''s prepare for the attack at night¡­" Leon nodded and called back Biggie.


    The golem appeared and obediently sat on Leon''s shoulders, attentively listening while his master discussed their tactics and strategy for the attack.


    In the vige behind the border, the first thing Crown Prince Ranon did after getting himself ready for the day was to report on his Father''s Emperor and the Pope''s side.


    "Are you sure that the Third Prince was advancing ahead of you?" The Vanderford Emperor confirmed once more, there was a light of excitement in his eyes.


    They had expected that the Seirende would indeed send an advanced party but they did not expect that they would foolishly send their strongest one out with a flimsy team of five knights!


    "Indeed, if his time traveled at the same pace as we have been traveling, they might encounter the first ambush camp in five days." Crown Prince Ranon replied with certainty.


    "Good! Good! If we can manage to incapacitate him this early, then we will only worry about the two old grandmasters! Once they are down, the Seirende is as good as a cripple!"


    The Vanderford Emperor eximed in delight. They then looked at the side beside him and ordered,


    "Contact the first ambush army, and tell them to take on the Third Prince at all cost, he has to be alive, but ensure that he is effectively weakened¡­"


    "Wait¡­" Suddenly, the Pope interrupted, which effectively dampened the enthusiasm of the Vanderford Emperor.


    "What is it, Pope?" The Vanderford Emperor frowned in annoyance, clearly not showing any respect to the supposedly highest authority of the main temple.


    The Pope did not bother to notice the disdain in the Emperor''s tone, after all, the Vanderford Emperor is just a puppet used by his lord. He can allow him to y mighty for a few months or so.


    "The Third Prince is not a normal person and could easily take down even our most recent modified puppet beasts. I am sure the Crown Prince also witnessed his might. It might not be enough for one army to handle him even if he is only alone." The Pope exined.


    "Our armies are not just a bunch of hooligans gathered together! They are trained knights and a camp is no less than five hundred people!" The Emperor bellowed in disagreement.


    "I already told you a thousand times that those would not be enough to handle the Blood Prince! Your Majesty Emperor, do not repeat thecency you did when thete Idelfonso was almost taken down¡­ in the end, the entire operation failed. We are even forced to wait for three more decades to move once again."


    This time the Pope did not filter out his thoughts and gave the Emperor a piece of his mind. He did not understand why Lord Raven still insisted on using this kind of person as a puppet to rule the Vanderford. The young ones, like the Crown Prince, are better at thinking than this senile old man!


    "Father Emperor, I hate to say this, buting from someone who saw with his naked eyes how the Mad Blood Prince beheaded the beast puppets with his bare hands like he was picking fruit, I could only agree with what the Pope is concerned about. We need more people."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Crown Prince Ranon felt that the discussion would turn into an unproductive long winding argument so he tried to mediate between the two while safely pointing out only the Pope''s original concern and not thetter words he said.


    "Tsk¡­" The Vanderford Emperor expressed his disdain, but he clearly held back when he saw his brilliant son meditating on the Pope''s side.


    "Then what do you suggest we do, Pope." At least, he gritted his teeth and addressed the question to the Pope, not forgetting to heavily emphasize his tone.


    "I suggest that we use the three camps altogether. Since the Crown Prince estimated that the Blood Prince will encounter them in five days, have them fall back a little bit towards the second ambush point and the middle army to advance to reinforce the frontlines." The Pope suggested.


    "Are you crazy?! You know that once the middle is gone the main army will surely know what''s lying beyond the middle and will go in a different direction?!" The Vanderford Emperor angrily said.


    This time, even Crown Prince Ranon was distressed as he could only rub his aching temples while hearing the two elderlies bickering.


    He no longermented on the n and allowed the strategists standing alongside his father to do the arbitration among the two arguing men.


    It took them around an hour to finally meet halfway.


    Since the original ambush n really had to be modified, the Vanderford Emperor could only send for half of his sons who were originally on standby in the coasnd region to enter the wastnd and reinforce the rear ambush troops and advance in the middle.


    They agreed to this only because the Pope promised to join the rear army once they reached the coastalnd.


    They have to participate personally in ambushing the main army as apromise for sacrificing an army of two thousand elite men stationed in the front and middle region of the Scorching wastnds to incapacitate the Third Prince.


    When Crown Prince Ranon finally went out of his sleeping quarters, it was almost midday.


    He went down to perform his ''duties'' in inspecting the prisoners while fishing for any updates from Leon''s side.


    When he heard that the other party had not yet observed anything amiss he appeared to be relieved. But only when he knew that he was rejoicing when he heard that they might be dyed in setting forth by a few days.


    Crown Prince Ranon knew that the ambush armies needed to regroup, only when the armies became a troop of more than a thousand would he feel at ease.


    Meanwhile, Leon was surveying their hiding ce when he felt something amiss from Biggie''s reaction.


    "Vroo¡­. Vroo!" Biggie excitedly called out.


    "What''s the matter?" Leon beckoned Biggie to tell him what happened.


    "Vroo, wrrrrrr! Veeee!" The men around could only hear some gibberish words from the mysterious golem but only Leon was listening intently.


    "Alright. Good work Biggie." Leon nodded and gently rubbed Biggie''s head with the tip of his fingers.


    As his master, he could understand what Biggie was trying to say even though he used inaudible words. What he just heard put a smile on his face.


    He huddled his men and exined the recent development reported by Biggie.


    "Our waiting was not wasted!" The men could not help but be amazed by Leon''s judgment to suddenly dy the attack. They never expected to have such a favorable development on their side!


    "We will let them survive until the end of the day. Let themmunicate with the other armies first before we move." Leon announced.


    The men only nodded and forced themselves to hold their mouths to let out a battle cry.


    Leon''s crystal blue eyes swept into the men''s fiery gazes and reminded them,


    "Do not let your guard down, for this development could also be a double-edged sword for us. This increased our chances to be caught in the middle if the rear army was also ordered to advance¡­"


    "We shall make the attack swift and strong! No one shall hesitate or it would mean our Empire''s fall!"

 Chapter 496 First Encounter (2)

    ?In the coasnds, Eli woke up early to help the Forgeworn Women tidy up their luggage and dress the kids.


    Little Han obediently sat on Grandma Brygid''sp while the youths, Calderon and Elifas, along with Kayden joined the men in carrying the luggage back in the carriage.


    At Little Han''s example, Benson also called his cousins and the Farauld kids who were also sent by their parents to take refuge in the Green Wave continent.


    They also obediently lined up on Grandma Brygid''s side like kindergarten students who were waiting for their school bus to bring them on a field trip.


    Seeing this, Grandma Brygid had a wide smile on her face. Just looking at the adorable kids behaving properly makes her heart warm despite the underlying chaos they were running from.


    "Just wait for a little more, my little ones. You will see something funter on." She told the innocent children with her gentle doting voice.


    "Gwanma, mommi said we will go to the sea~~" Little Han blinked and replied to Grandma Brygid, initiating a conversation with her.


    "Sea?"


    "Sea?"


    "Swimming?"


    "We swimming?"


    As soon as the kids heard the word ''sea'' their eyes glimmered in excitement. The Seirende capital is far from the sea and there were onlykes and rivers for them to enjoy. So when they heard that they were going to the sea, the children looked at the elder and asked her excitedly.


    Grandma Brygid could only chuckle and answer, "Yes, we will go to the seas. However, we will only travel through it. Maybe we can swim once we finish traveling for days."


    But the kids only understood the part that they will go to the sea and it was enough for them to be happy.


    "Yay! We will go to the sea!"


    "Wittle Han! We will go to the sea!"


    "Woooheee! No more scawy fowest!"


    "Yay!"


    The children were so delighted that they could not stop talking about it even as they boarded their respective carriages.


    The sun was still gently shining, it was still early morning when the Forgeworn refuge group reached the rendezvous point with the merfolks.


    The meeting ce was not a port but rather a vacant shoreline that the humans do not frequent. Since the merfolks were also not keen on interacting with humans often, they had to arrange it like this.


    "Huaaa!!! Sea!"


    "Wittle Han, look! So many seashells!"


    "Sheee shellsss¡­." Little Han followed the children in exploring the shoreline for a little bit. Eli and the rest of the adults also ensured that they were in their line of sight.


    "I already sent a message to Uncle Havelok, the Merking, he told us that his strongest and most trusted men will fetch us within half an hour." Calderon approached Tyce who was temporarily acting as the head of the Forgeworns in Grandpa Andi''s absence.


    "Thank you so much for coordinating, young Calderon." Tyce replied gratefully. He was also relieved that the entire family was able to safely reach the shoreline without encountering any untoward forces.


    He knew that the moment they reached the mend, their journey was already considered half safe.


    "From here, we can only take around five days to reach the capital. However, I think Uncle Havelok would want us to stay for a few days in their territory. I heard they''d like to see Little Han and Lady Eli after all."


    Calderon scratched his head. Almost all the leaders of each race were curious about Eli and Little Han whom the Guardians ordered them to protect.


    "It is no problem. We are passing by their territory after all. It is only polite for us to stay a little while and appreciate their hospitality when they spent so much effort to prepare. Besides, I think that my daughter also needs to interact with them." Tyce did not mind being dyed for a few days.


    He knew that Eli and Little Han needed to interact with the leaders and so he had no intention to hinder the Green Wave Alliance leaders.


    "Woah! Big feeeesh!!!" Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by childish exmations.


    They turned their gazes toward the sea and saw several figures leap high in the air in a swoosh of the waters.


    The big ''fishes'' that leaped high in the air slowly descended into the shoreline but the moment they touched the ground, their forms werepletely human.


    Their skin tones were of the beautiful shade of brown, like the finest quality of shimmering bronze.


    The men were well toned as half of their bodies were exposed by the one-shoulder white dress they were sporting.


    The women were like the myths of the sirens, beautiful and captivating. All of them have eyes like pearls, and their wavy long hair was the color of the deep blue sea.


    Eli could not help but gasp. If not for her knowledge that the guardians were unable to create offspring, she could surely think that they were Zale''s love children!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They really look like their guardian protector, Zale!


    "Greetings, Young Master Calderon, Master Tyce, and the great elders of the Forgeworn. My name is Wade and we are sent by the Merking to bring you to the mend and then to the main continent."


    "Thank you foring¡­" Tyce also greeted them with respect, since there were ''kings'' in the Green Wave Continent, the kings of each race were part of the government alliance.


    This also promoted equality among all races. The first rule that their government established was no race was inferior to another. And so every nonhuman race in the Green Wave treated the citizens of the other species with respect.


    After exchanging some pleasantries, everyone started to move.


    The mermaids raised the staff. They were holding a giant bubble wrapped around the kids and all the people of the Forgeworns. The bubble slowly descended into the sea as the rest of the merfolk also followed after ensuring that none of the crew were left behind.


    With that, the underwater adventure of Eli, Little Han, and the Forgeworns began.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile in the Lieutenant''s tent of the unsuspecting middle army camp.


    "Answer to the second and first camps that we will set off immediately as requested." The Lieutenant told his adjutant.


    "Right away Sire!" The Adjutant saluted and proceeded to themunication tent.


    The Lieutenant swept his eyes to the toon captains and ordered, "Organize all the troops, weapons, horses, livestock, and the rest of our materials. Do our best to finish packing, we will go tomorrow before the sun shines!"


    "Yes, Lieutenant!" The men also acknowledged hismand and moved to organize their own troops.


    In an instant, a sound of the bustling activity happened in the entire camp. As it was quiterge and was designed to cater to over five hundred people in the midst of the wastnd, packing up is quiteplicated as they set up camps that are semi-permanent.


    But with the help of magic, the Lieutenant and the captains knew that they would finish disassembling everything within a day.


    Everyone in the camp became busy, even the sentries who kept watch of the camp were quite distracted.


    They did not know that a tiny group of invaders were already slowly approaching their proximity¡­


    Leon and the men approached stealthily until they reached a certain area that is convenient for them to stay until sunset.


    They quietly hid there, ate, and slept until it was already dusk.


    When they opened their eyes, they were already hiding the killing intent emanating from their bodies.


    In just a few moments, they were already facing five hundred men.


    The knights who were with the des gulped, although they were sure that they could pull this through, they were still shaken whenever they were reminded of the fact that they were only less than thirty.


    "Don''t be sacred." One of the des felt their anxiousness and encouraged them, "You are with a mightypany!"


    In the end, they managed to calm down. Finally, the waiting is over as the moonless night covered the area with darkness.


    "Move to your positions and wait for my signal," Leon ordered.


    The men nodded in reply, they held their breaths and shed like shadows. The knights were startled, how fast were these crimson des?!


    "Don''t be pressured, just go at your own pace. I''ll know when you are ready." Leon saw the shock of the five knights and assured them.


    And so the knights could only bitterly walk like normal knights would and go into their positions.


    The sentries still had their eyes on their surroundings, but they failed to see the lone figure standing above them, seeing each and every move they made and how his own men were positioned.


    "Biggie, time to roll." Leon looked down and patted the golem who was sitting on his shoulders.


    "Vrrr!" Biggie''s body shuddered and he jumped in acknowledgment.


    He jumped directly at the center of the camp, so tiny and unsuspecting. However¡­


    "Groaaaaaaaa!!!!"


    A mighty shuddering roar startled the entire camp and before their eyes, a giant golem appeared.


    He was so huge that his footprint crushed three tents!


    "Go!" Leon looked at Biggie and signaled him.


    The next moment, Biggie started to go on a rampage!

 Chapter 497 First Encounter (3)

    ?ng! ng! ng!


    The sound of the rm bells rang in the entire camp and as the giant Biggie went on a rampage, Leon gave his signal to the des and charged.


    "Head to themunication room!" Leon ordered them.


    It was ze''s team who headed towards the ce and immediately incapacitated those who attempted tomunicate on the other camps.


    It''s a race against time, although themunication tent is destroyed, the officials still had their notification papers.


    Leon did not watch anymore and immediately confronted the Lieutenant. Their n is to make everyone busy so that they would not have a chance to send their distress signal.


    "How could this be?!" The Lieutenant was extremely caught off guard. He did not expect to meet Leon so soon.


    He also did not expect that he could be alone with his army when it happened, " Y-you shouldn''t be here at all!"


    "Why not? I am sure you would gloat and be delighted if it was my side who said the words just now¡­" Leon coldly replied.


    The Lieutenant gritted his teeth. He had no confidence to fight Leon, an S ss, open path mage alone!


    He whistled a distress call and summoned all the B to A ss mages to join him in attacking Leon. Since there were only less than thirty men, the mages did not hesitate to answer their Lieutenant''s call and face the strongest enemy among them.


    Leon did not mind, for he knew that it was easier this way. He stood surrounded by enemies and chaos. Devourers, Summoners, and Casters, the strongest of the camp, set their eyes on him as the target.


    But he remained unmoved. He just looked around to see how many enemies were surrounding him at the moment.


    When the Lieutenant saw Leon''s actions, he thought that he was overwhelmed by the number of people who went to deal with him.


    A surge of confidence and hope rose in his heart as he raised his sword and bellowed, "Charge!"


    "Roaaaar!" The mages and knights in the enemy camp let out a cry and used their strongest attack to charge Leon.


    However, the moment they looked at the unmoving figure once again their hearts froze.


    Something was amiss!


    Suddenly their legs started to shudder and their vision started to turn red.


    The man in front of them became like a monster in their eyes.


    "D-demon!" Even the Lieutenant could no longer breathe as he stumbled backward. His eyes dted and turned bloodshot in feet when he looked at Leon''s face.


    In just one look, the strongest of the camp were on their knees,pletely pale and shaken. The casters and their colleagues nearby were the most unfortunate because they could no longer cancel their strongest spells and exploded within their area.


    In an instant, two-thirds of the strongest forces werepletely wiped out. The ones surviving were the devourers and some lucky summoners.


    This is a great loss!


    And the Third Prince did not even move!


    On the other hand, Leon could not help butment his reputation. The enemy is calling him demon when he was so close to the Temple and his fiance is even the Pdin! His son''s godfathers were the guardians themselves!


    How could these people call him a demon when he only had released his bloodlust aura spell to reduce their battle efficiency?!


    Lamentable! Trulymentable!


    ''Sigh¡­ I should do something to change my reputation on the battlefield¡­'' Leon thought to himself before he moved towards the Lieutenant.


    He disabled all the surviving mages and seized all of their belongings, once they were cleared he activated a birdcage spell and threw them all inside.


    "Let''s quickly take care of the rest!" Leon used mana to amplify his voice all over the camp. Now that the strangest were dealt with, they have to take care of the 400 and so enemies.


    "Cursed users must be killed at the site, the normal soldiers are to be disarmed and thrown into the birdcage." This was Leon''s order when they nned the night before.


    This was because the Seirende Empire would never want to hurt those who were forced. But as for the curse users, they could never be pardoned. For it was their choice to side with the evil knowingly.


    The des worked efficiently, it showed how many times they were able to do this kind of thing, much to the knight''s amazement.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon hearing Leon''s instruction, they suddenly went all out.


    The summoners essed all their contracted beast, the devourers rushing so fast that the enemy did not even know who knocked them down, the casters expertly using their wide-range spells in such a way that did not harm their allies!


    Most of all Biggie was the one picking out the enemy-contracted beasts who would add up to the total number of enemies if left alone.


    It was chaos from the enemy''s perspective but from the knight''s perspective who almost had their jaws dropped, it was something so organized and well executed!


    Seeing this, they also pulled their weight and did not dare to becent.


    With everyone''s hard work, they managed to finish everything before midnight. Only when they saw the totally empty camp then the men heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Good job everyone! You handled a great number of people very well." Leon looked at the men who were still catching their breaths after handling 500 men.


    "It is because of Your Highness''s and Master Biggie''s help." The des replied humbly, it was really not easy for them to handle 500 men when they were only less than thirty men.


    But because of Leon and Biggie, who single-handedly defeated a third of the enemy troops and a great number of the contracted beast, they would have a hard time executing their tasks.


    "Let''s stay in the camp for a while and tend to those who are injured. Oliver and ze,e with me and survey the things we can use, though we can have it ounted for properly tomorrow¡­ Tonight, rest well and regain energy, we still have a lot to do in the morning." Leon ordered.


    The men nodded at Leon''s order and nned how they would set up their tents in the midst of the destruction. camp. But when they gave their surroundings a good look, they were surprised!


    It was as if Biggie knew that this would happen, he left several tents that are good enough for all of them to sleep for the night!


    Meanwhile, it did not take for Leon, Olivier, and ze toplete the survey. In the end, they joined the rest of the des who were now cooking their dinner while the others were being bandaged from their injuries.


    Twenty or so men were gathered at a bonfire, all having their food and wine to celebrate their first victory.


    The knights who came with Leon could not help but throwpliments toward the des and Leon''s ability.


    Their faces were so excited that they were like children who were talking about their superheroes.


    Their actions became a source of entertainment for the exhausted and injured des whoughed along with them as they made the ce lively.


    "Rest up well and recover. Tomorrow, everyone shall go and ount for the things we can take as spoils. From this point forward, we might not receive any replenishment of supplies until the war officially began. So the supplies we can gather here are important for us at this moment."


    Leon raised his cup and initiated a toast.


    He gave the men his reminders before retiring to his own quarters.


    When the men saw Leon''s retreating figure they all sighed, ''It feels good to have a loved one!''


    ¨C


    In the tent, the first thing Leon did was to send a message to Eli that he is safe and they were able to carry their first mission victoriously.


    It did not take that long for him to receive another reply.


    "Are you injured? Have you eaten? Are you getting a rest at the moment?"


    Three questions shed in the notification paper. It was limited and seemingly monotonous, but when Leon read it, his heart was filled with sweetness.


    Leon closed his eyes and did not reply right away.


    Instead, he cleaned himself up and took off his battle armor. Only when he thought that the traces of battle were no longer in his body did he pull hismunication stone and called Eli instead.


    "Leon¡­ how are you? Did you incur any injuries? Are you able to take a good rest at the moment?" Eli''s anxious voice sounded in his chambers immediately after he called her through themunication stone.


    "I am good, I promise that I did not incur injuries and I can take a rest as of the moment," Leon answered softly.


    His low, sultry voice tickled Eli''s chest, almost leaving her breathless. But then the sense of relief overcame her thoughts as she answered, "Good¡­ it''s good that you are safe! Thank heavens!"


    "Enn¡­ How about you and our child? I reckon you are in the mend right now."


    "Indeed! Leon, how I wish you were here with us! You should have seen our son''s happy face¡­" Eli seemed to have lost her sleepiness and engaged in telling Leon what happened during the day.

 Chapter 498 Welcome To The Merland! (1)

    ?Earlier in the morning¡­


    Little Han and the rest all boarded in a mysterious bubble created by the mermaids.


    "Huaaaa!"


    "Wow!"


    The children eximed in amazement the moment the bubble they were in began to be submerged in the water.


    Eli was also intrigued by the mysterious bubble they were in. Supposedly, bubbles tend to float on the surface and not submerge deeper, however, it seemed like the water''s surface resistance and the bubble''s buoyancy did not affect their vessel at all.


    "This is purely made of mana specifically from the merfolk." Kayden saw the curiosity in Eli''s expression and started to exin.


    "This bubble will not act like the normal bubbles wemonly observe when ced with a liquid or any body of water. It would be easier to say that this ''bubble'' was a sea creature who did not have any rejection on the ce underwater." Kayden continued.


    "Mommi!! Mommi!! Look! Pwetty mermaids!!!" Little Han''s excited voice was heard as his crystal blue eyes beamed upon looking at the stunning appearance of the merfolk.


    "Aren''t they beautiful, my love?" Eli was immediately affected by Little Han''s energy as she responded to his enthusiasm.


    "Yesh! Vewy beautiful~" It was not only Little Han who answered but the rest of the kids who happened to be in the same bubble as Eli and Little Han.


    The mermaids heard Little Han''s praises and were very pleased. Their chuckles were bizarrely heard underwater as they hovered around the bubble which had already started moving at a fast speed.


    "Little Prince, your taste is very good!!! You could clearly see our beauty and charm~~" The mermaids and even the merfolk looked at Little Han and the children happily.


    "You children are not badly looking too! Hmmm~ you''d better stay with us more so that you can grow more charming and beautiful in the future!"


    "That''s right! We are awesome and cool!"


    Eli''s brows could not help but twitch upon seeing the reaction of the merfolks.


    Their demeanor was undoubtedly the same as Zale! The guardian who is obsessed with being ''cool'' and ''awesome'' seemed to have thought his subjects to be the same as well!


    ''Sigh, did the other guardians know of this? Guardian Zale seemed to have led an entire race astray¡­'' Eli could not stop feeling helpless.


    Nevertheless, the merfolks were really unbeatable under the sea when they used their powers.


    Eli knew that they were traveling in the ocean where it could take them more than a month when they traveled through the ship even when it was a modernized ship.


    But then their speed was like that of a bullet train! More bizarrely, the underwater current was not even disturbed by such fast movement.


    "Amazing¡­" Eli could not help butment in awe, especially when the situation inside the bubble is sofortable and not even causing the kid''s motion sickness.


    "The merfolks get their powers in the water, and so it is like they are breathing air when they use their mana. If this spell is performed above the surface, they would inevitably be exhausted.


    Besides, the escorts that we have are the top protectors of the Merking, their speed could notpare to the merfolks who are usually contracted for transportation." Calderon helped Eli understand what was happening around them.


    "That''s rightdy-aunt! If it was a normal carrier, it may take us around three days to reach halfway to the ocean. But since we are escorted by the strongest force of the Mend we can reach there before the sun sets!" Elifas also chimed in.


    During the time of the journey, he started to open up with Eli as her mother often told him about her. Moreover, Eli also gave him and Calderon extra attention due to her and Azayn''s friendship.


    While Azayn and the rest of the Silver Dew Elves ensure that the vige is secured, she opted for Elifas to join the Forgeworn in traveling back to the Greenwave. Besides, she, Koethar, the Chief, and several warriors chose to stay to guard thend should there be untoward incidents happened.


    "I see. It is an incredible experience for me to witness this." Eli smiled as she observed the surroundings.


    "Mommi, where are the fishes?"


    Little Han scratched his head because as he looked around all he could see were the deep blue hue of the underwater and the mermaids and mermen guarding them against all directions.


    "Oh¡­ maybe we can see themter on when we slow down. Our vehicle is too fast for us to see what''s going on around us." Eli patiently answered the child''s question.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Is that twue fairway auntie?"


    "Is that true??"


    The children around them also asked dependently. Eli could only helplessly smile and exin it to them slowly. It warmed her heart to see them this curious, they were really like the adorable children from kindergarten.


    As they entertained themselves, they did not notice that an entire day had passed. They only noticed everything changed when the deep blue color of the underwater slowly turned lighter and lighter.


    "Wow~~~ Mommi look!!! Mommi! Look!!! Castle!" Little Han was the first one to notice something mysterious ahead.


    When everyone looked at where his chubby fingers were pointing and they were in awe!


    Up ahead was a bright underwater city filled with the gentle lights of something like luminous pearls. It was such a sight to behold when there was such a magical ce in the midst of a seemingly unending ocean.


    The center of attraction is the massive castle that towered over the city. And as they craned their heads to see the beautiful ce, the nearby surroundings also became clearer to them as well.


    The fishes and sea creatures that were peacefully lingering in the surroundings are now swimming in their direction!


    This made the children who were initially already sleepy be lively once again as they marveled at the colorful and bizarre creatures in front of them.


    Eli was also equally amazed, she felt like she was in the biggest ocean park in modern life!


    "We are about to enter the territory¡­ everyone ensures to escort our guests properly." Wade who was leading the groupmanded hisrades who then responded in affirmation.


    Soon the bubble slowly descended to the ocean floor but it did not burst yet even when they officially entered the mend gates. Instead, the ''bubble'' changed.


    The top half of the bubble disappeared leaving the passengers inside exposed in the mend air. When they entered the territory, Eli noticed that the ce seemed to have been protected by a giant bubble, and now that they were inside it, she then understood what was going on.


    The Mend was actually a ce with air that humans like them could breathe in!


    "Our dearest guests, wee to the Mend. We will escort you straight to the pce where His Majesty King and Queen are waiting." Wade looked at the group and respectfully announced.


    Eli and the rest of the elders cast a grateful nce toward Wade and the escort as they obediently stayed in the bubble which now turned into bubble carriages.


    They continued their journey, still riding and wandering on the main streets of the Mend.


    They realize that it was not only them who use bubbles to go through thend but most of the merfolks also use the bubbles as a mode of transportation, especially for goods.


    Another bizarre thing is that the fishes and other sea creatures could safely pass through the giant bubble barrier protecting the airednd; as they passed through, they were covered by a thinyer of water. This allowed them to safely go to and fro thend without jeopardizing their life.


    Little Han and the children''s lively voices rang excitedly once again as they saw an entirely new world.


    In response, the citizens of the mend were also equally curious about their group. Eli could especially feel the merfolk''s interest directed towards her and Little Han.


    However, she remained calm and collected, for she knew that Zale had made an order to protect them and she did not have to appear distant to these allies.


    They quickly arrived at the pce where an array of thend''s officials and aides waited for them.


    "Wee to the Mend Pce, our distinguished guests!" They all greeted each other.


    "Wee! Wee¡­ I am relieved to finally see you arrive here safe and sound." After the greetings were done by an official, a soft motherly voice rang in the center of the crowd.


    There emerged a stunning woman with queenly features that did not lose against Queen Lucia and Queen Teh''s beauty.


    Even as the age where already reflected in some parts of her face, her aura and bearing were still enough for everyone to hold their breaths in awe.


    "Your Majesty Queen Marina!" The servants around, including Wade and his colleagues all bowed and saluted.


    "Greetings, Your Majesty! How honored we are to be personally weed by your highness!" Grandma Brygid and Tyce led the Forgeworns to greet her respectfully - the Queen of the Merfolks, Marina!

 Chapter 499 Welcome To The Merland (2)

    ?Queen Marina smiled amicably. She even chuckled as she went close and affectionately hugged Grandma Brygid.


    "Great Madam, my mentor! Why are you acting like that? Have you forgotten how I kept clinging to you when I was just a young mermaid? Don''t make me feel sad and distant. See all your family is here, I am equally happy that you finally have the time to visit ournd once again!" The Queen said in an affectionate manner.


    Grandma Brygid could only helplessly chuckle and dotingly respond to Queen Marina''s words. This shocked everyone in the area, including the Forgeworns themselves.


    It turns out that Grandma Brygid was once the Queen''s teacher when she was at her prime at the Green Wave Institute! What''s more, Queen Marina was one of her closest students at the time!


    Their reunion made everyone in a daze, so much so that Wade had to carefully remind Queen Marina to let them enter the pce halls first before they continued.


    As they entered, they were weed by the beautiful interior of the pce. The pirs stood tall and sturdy, brandishing a pearly cast into its body.


    Even the tiles were made of smooth underwater rocks that were almost like marble. The interior was illuminated byrge-sized pearls.


    "Perhaps our aides will send you first to your quarters so that you could catch a bit of rest. Our kitchen has been preparing for a feast to wee everyone, and my husband Havelok will join uster on. He is also excited to meet you and the family, especially the young Eli and her adorable son."


    Queen Marina looked at Eli and Little Han with excitement as she mentioned these words. However, she controlled her excitement to allow the elderly and the children to have a quick rest.


    The pce was indeed prepared for the entire family as the family had their own quarters.


    They managed to have a two-hour rest before the servants called them for the banquet, and there they saw the Merking Havelok and Merqueen along with their offspring weing them warmly.


    The mermaids do not like having to adhere to troublesome etiquettes unlike those who were on the surface, as such the atmosphere of the feast wasn''t suffocating at all.


    If not for the fact that Eli and Little Han''s identity is quite special, the pce could have summoned the entire city to join the happy feast, however, they all had to exercise caution. Nevertheless, the banquet proceeded quite pleasantly.


    The children also had their own ce and they were carefully guarded by their nannies and the nannies from the Amer pce.


    Little Han, as usual, was surrounded by many kids, especially Baobao appearing to be his Panda Nanny along with Rosea.


    But the most bizarre thing was Wade and the rest of the warrior mermen. They all surrounded Baobao in the distance, seemingly curious and interested.


    "It was my first time seeing such a legendary creature! I feel like my horizons have been widened!" One warrior came andmented.


    "Indeed, I heard from the rest of the shorelines, that the great Panda was so strong he was able to take down multiple A-ss warriors in front of the Seirende Emperor and officials!"


    "Amazing!"


    "How mysterious!"


    "We shall ask thedy if we can invite the great Panda for sparring tomorrow!" Some of them even nned.


    The mermen warriors all rubbed their chins and looked at Baobao intently. There was a bright interest in their eyes as they watched the nanny Panda sit still and docile with so many kids, dwarfs, humans, and little merfolks climb his body.


    On the other side of the hall were the elders along with the Queen and King.


    The Merking, Havelok was a big-built merman who was considerably taller than any other mermen around. He had an authoritative demeanor as a king yet he also gives everyone the impression that he is amicable and wise.


    Of course, his most distinct trait was his gentleness and doting toward his wife, Merqueen Marina.


    The two of them had two offspring. The Prince of the Mend, Nalu, and his younger sister Princess Pasha, were of the same age as Kayden and Eli, as such both of them were quite friendly toward them.


    The banquet did notst that long as the Merqueen and Merking considered the fact that the Forgeworns have traveled for so long. They were especially worried that it would have a toll on the elders'' and the children''s bodies if they made them rest sote.


    And so the first night in the Mend was spent like this. Eli and Little Han peacefully rested in their quarters until Eli received Leon''s message in the middle of the night.


    Eli looked at Little Han, who was peacefully sleeping after ying around for a while. She gently smiled as she quickly pulled a pen and a piece of notification paper to answer Leon''s message.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When she was done, she slowly got off the bed, carefully ensuring that Little Han''s sleep was not disturbed.


    She slowly walked towards their room''s balcony.


    While they were underwater, the mend was like a typical moonless city with the faint glimmer of street-illuminating pearls as the only source of light. It was a bizarre site, but it is quite lovely to see as one could not help but marvel at its mystery.


    The night wasn''t cold either, as there was no breeze that blew, yet it was still cool enough for Eli tofortably stay out.


    After a while, Leon''s long-awaited call arrived, giving Eli a smile of relief.


    Ensuring that Little Han was sound asleep, she asked Leon countless questions just to let out the anxiousness in her heart.


    Only she knew how bottled up her anxiousness was when she knew that while they were exploring such a mystical world, her love was in the wilderness, warring with only twenty or so men to face an entire army of soldiers.


    She repeatedly distracted herself by interacting with children and marveling at the beautiful world of the undersea. However, none of those can take away the creeping distress Eli was feeling in her heart.


    At one point, she sighed, it was only Leon''s first fight. How much more when the war is already full-blown?


    Can her heart take the worry and anxiousness?


    But Leon surely knew what words to say to her. Because soon, her worries were immediately washed away by Leon''s calming voice and a tone full of assurance.


    Slowly, her mind could truly rx as Leon assured her that everything is fine. After some time, Leon asked about their day to which Eli happily shared the things that happened, especially how Little Han was so active at the time.


    Leon''s chuckle of delight warmed Eli''s heart. Sometimes all it takes for their fears to wash away was each other''s presence.


    Suddenly both of them had the urge to run into each other''s arms and taste each other''s lips. However, they could not possibly do it.


    "Leon, I miss you¡­" Eli sighed, her eyes teary as she crossed her arms as if hugging herself to contain her emotions.


    "Hmmm¡­ I miss you too¡­" Leon replied with the same helplessness in his voice.


    "In the end, we still have to hold on for a little longer." Leon softly blurted out, there was a deep sense of longing and yearning in his voice.


    "I know¡­ It''s only the first day, yet so much is already happening." Eli replied.


    "We will pull through. I will make sure of it¡­ so just believe in me and focus on your missions out there. Hug our son for me please." There was a soft quiver in Leon''s voice, but it was enough for Eli to feel the rippling emotions from his heart.


    "Leon, let''s call like this often¡­" Eli asked pleadingly.


    "En¡­ Let''s try our best, after all, I can only rest assured when I hear your voice." Leon replied, his eyes beaming with joy at the thought of Eli bing more clingy toward him.


    But both of them were on the same page. No matter how distant, no matter what circumstance, knowing that the people important to you were still with you in one way or another makes everything feel lighter.


    The callsted for a while, but since Eli was worried that Leon would not have enough sleep, she reluctantly ended the call with him.


    But the call worked like magic on Eli. As soon as she went back to the sleeping Little Han, she too fell asleep rather peacefully.


    She had a good dreamless sleep and she was only woken up by a pair of soft chubby hands touching her face and ying with her hair asionally.


    Her eyes fluttered as she heard Little Han''s lively voice, "Mommi~ iz mowning¡­ good mowning!!! Wakey wakey!!!"


    When Eli''s eyes opened, the room was already bright as if the sun had already shined in the underwater world.


    "Good morning my baby!" She smiled as she cupped Little Han''s face staring back at her in a lively manner.

 Chapter 500 Welcome To The Merland (3)

    ?"Jiheehee! Mommite!" Little Han grinned with his round darling face as he looked at Eli teasingly.


    Eli gently pinched Little Han''s face as she replied, "Since when did you be cheeky my love?"


    "Johann is not cheekie! Johann is happi!" Little Han replied, still not wiping the naughty smile on his face.


    "Alright alright,e up, let''s prepare for the morning¡­" Eli chuckled as she sat up.


    "Owkay!!" Little Han beamed as he looked at his mother.


    But the two of them were interrupted by a knock on the door, "Mydy, this is Coral, your assigned attendant. I would like to check if you are awake. We can assist you and the little prince."


    "It''s fine, we are good¡­" Eli opened the door and politely rejected them.


    After some insistence, Coral and the rest of the servants were able to persuade Eli and Little Han as they told them that the royal family was asking for their audience.


    Their morning routine ended pretty quickly and they were immediately escorted by Coral to the dining hall.


    In there a wide array of morning food was already prepared. Calderon and Elifas followed alongside Kayden.


    Not long after, the four members of the royal family arrived and finally, everyone started to eat their morning breakfast.


    Eli thought that the meal would get awkward since they were dining once again with the royal family, but surprisingly, the atmosphere has been warm and friendly.


    "Hahaha, Lady Eli your little one is really so loveable! Look, he surely knew how to make my old heart filled with warmth!" Marina requested to be seated beside Little Han and throughout the meal, she ced various kinds of food in Little Han''s little bowl.


    "Thaykuuu~~ Gwanma Queen!" Little Han happily ate whatever Queen Marina put on his te, he also obediently addressed her as she instructed, leaving the Queen extremely pleased.


    "En¡­ I also feel quite happy that the little one and I shared the same cradle! I could not help but consider him my brother!" Prince Nalu said with a doting expression.


    It turns out that the mermaid''s cradle that Little Han used was formerly Nalu''s. He could not help but feel fortunate that his mother did not decide to refine his cradle as an ornament and actually preferred her little sister''s cradle to be refined as one.


    "Here my little brother, eat this as well. From now on call me Big Brother Nalu alright?" He said dotingly as he waved his hand to deliver the food he wanted to offer to Little Han.


    "Thaykuuu Big Bwother Nalu!" Little Han smiled as he obediently replied.


    "Hmf.." Princess Pasha rolled her eyes towards her older brother. It displeases her that her big brother was the one who had his cradle intact and was given to the cute and adorable Little Han.


    How could he even say those words to make her be envious? If not for their mom preferring to refine her cradle because she was a female offspring, his older brother might not even have the chance to brag right now.


    "You are my big brother and my sibling, so Little Han will be my sibling as well!" Princess Pasha puffed her cheeks as she fought for her right to have the ticket to be close to Little Han as well.


    Then she smiled at Little Han and gave him more food, "Come, Little Han, eat more! Also, call me sister Pasha from now on ok?" She said with shining eyes as if pleading with Little Han to ept her as well.


    "Thaykuu Sistwer Pasha~" Little Han blinked and at the tons of food he now had to finish, but he still smiled and answered the Princess.


    Eli and Marina were also speechless as to the two''s actions; they did not know how to tell the two when they had good intentions. But as a mother, they knew that Little Han could only eat as much as his young body''s capacity.


    "Eherm! Two of you shall watch your actions, you know that Little Han is still young and could not eat so much food at once. Would you like Little Han to have digestive issuester on?" Fortunately, King Havelok read the mood and told the problem straightforwardly.


    He did not use an angry tone but his kingly demeanor as he said these words but it was effective to make the twopeting siblings pause.


    "Moreover, aren''t you being too full of yourself? Look you are of the same age as Little Han''s mom and dad yet you dare to ask Little Han to call you brother and sister? Even your mother knew that she had to be called grandma! Aren''t you doing something toplicate things?"


    Havelok rolled his eyes as he continued to reprimand the two.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Erm¡­" Nalu and Pasha both scratched their heads embarrassedly as they realized the implications of their actions. They looked at Eli and Little Han apologetically as they asked for their forgiveness.


    "It''s alright. I guess I can''t help it either, you two age differently than us humans. And so while we are of the same age, you are still considered as one in your early twenties." Eli immediately dispelled the awkward situation by smoothing out things.


    "That''s right! Hehehe, I look younger than my age, don''t I?! I''m such a beauty~" Princess Pasha replied pleasingly while trying to hide the smile on her face by covering her cheeks.


    "Eherm¡­ is that what you think mydy? Then you seem to be right!" Prince Nalu was also equally pleased, but he tried to hide it politely.


    Eli tried her best to control the twitching of her brows. Truly these subjects of Zale take after his love for beauty!


    "Hahaha anyways, Uncle Havelok, I''ve been thinking of asking Big Brother Nalu and Sister Pasha to y with us with Little Han today¡­ Would it be alright for us to ask for permission?" Calderon saw that the mood was already right, and so he very naturally raised the topic.


    Eli was startled by Calderon''s words, he looked at the pair of teenagers and Little Han who was also looking at the Merking with a serious look like a real adult, even nodding at Calderon''s words.


    It seems like Little Han already had his own buddies and now he doesn''t need his mom to apany him at all. Look, he already had a small group for himself!


    "No problem! Let these young ones entertain you around the pce¡­." Havelok did not mind as he was quite easygoing when he gave the permission. "Moreover, I might need to talk to you, Young Lady Eli, and the Great Doctor Kayden about something, so I hope you don''t mind me agreeing with their ns."


    "No worries Your Highness, Little Han will be fine with Calderon and the rest looking after him." Eli could only nod and agree.


    "Oh yeah, while you are at it, Wade, my general was also asking if you are able to grace them with your contracted beast presence, the Great Panda, Baobao?" Havelok requested once more.


    While Eli was taken aback, she still agreed to know that the ce they were in was one of their allies.


    After they have finished eating, Little Han and the rest already went to ''y'' while Eli and Kayden followed the Merking and Merqueen on their study. As for Baobao, he was summoned and escorted to the warrior''s area.


    Prince Nalu escorted them into the underwater garden which was a ce exclusive to the royal family.


    Sure, the garden did not have the typical flowers one can see onnd, but it was as colorful and soothing as other gardens.


    The garden is decorated by colorful corals with small fishes freely swimming here and there, protected by the right amount of water bubbles from the ocean.


    There were also mystical seaweeds that livened up the entire area and the seashells were also freely breathing. If they were left undisturbed they would freely open and show off the shimmery pearls they were building inside.


    "Waaah!! Beautiful!!" Little Han smiled brightly as he looked around the garden. It was totally different from the garden in his home but still, it was lovely.


    "You like it, little one? Eherm, since father pointed it out, you shall address me as uncle and she will be auntie okay?" Prince Nalu replied.


    "Yesh, Uncle Nalu~ So pretty!" Little Han beamed and obediently addressed them as requested.


    They explored the ce, Calderon and Elifas were also equally enjoying as they seldom had the time to visit the mend.


    After a while, they rested on the underwater pagoda which was made of pearly casted pirs.


    While they were resting, Calderon opened another topic.


    "Big Brother Nalu¡­ you received my letter a while ago right? Can you help us with it?" He said.


    Princess Pasha and Little Han who was on herp obediently eating snacks looked at the trio with curiosity.


    "Oh, you ask about the effectiveness of the dragon''s nest right? I can''t tell if I don''t see what it is. Would you like to let me take a look?" Prince Nalu remembered Calderon''s letter and so he replied.


    Calderon and Elifas nodded, then they looked at Little Han and said, "Little Han buddy, you can show big brother Nalu, Wisey''s egg. Maybe he can help too."

 Chapter 501 Finding Clues

    ?"Owkay, Big Bwother¡­" Little Han''s eyes looked at Calderon and Elifas dependently.


    He was happy that Calderon and Elifas were fulfilling their promise to help him wake Wisey up. In his heart, Calderon and Elifas were reliable people because of this.


    Slowly, he took out his bear-themed space pouch and took out Wisey''s egg which was still lying on ze''s dragon nest.


    "This nest!" Prince Nalu''s eyes were in shock, he looked at Calderon and Elifas meaningfully but he did not let a word out.


    "It''s not mine. Somehow Little Han received it as a gift. Probably like how your parents gave your cradle for him to use." Calderon immediately exined as he nonchntly shrugged.


    The giving of each race of a gift to Little Han is a perfect cover to exin why he was in possession of a dragon nest that belongs not only to a normal dragon but a nest that belongs to the Chief''s bloodline.


    This is what Calderon and Elifas thought of in order to exin the existence of a dragon nest that belongs to his grandfather''s lineage.


    This is because while it is not yet clear to him the truth about having a nest that was filled with his father''s aura, he did not want anything to leak out.


    Most especially when the news spread and reached his mom''s ears. For he was sure that her mother would cry, as it may mean that his father had a rtionship outside!


    The anxiousness in Calderon''s heart made his mood sullen, but he tried his best to hide it as he disyed a nonchnt expression.


    "I see¡­" Prince Nalu nodded in understanding because, for him, Calderon''s exnation makes sense.


    He just assumed that this was a nest from the older generation of the Dragon Chief''s family since it wasn''t Calderon''s birth nest.


    "Lemme see it too¡­" Princess Pasha was also curious about the egg as she scrutinized it with interest.


    "This egg is none other than Aunt Eli''s contracted beast. The beast was injured in trying to shield Aunt Eli against the evil spirit fragment and up until now, she was still in a dormant state. We''ve done everything we knew about hatching but it seemed pretty useless."


    Elifas still detected the noticeable change in Calderon''s mood and so he was the one who exined everything to Nalu and Pasha.


    "Hmm¡­ Can I touch it with my little nephew?" Prince Nalu looked at the worried Little Han and softly asked for his permission.


    "Pleeze¡­" Little Han seemed to understand Nalu''s intention and so he carefully pushed the egg to be nearer to Nalu, expressing his agreement.


    Nalu took the egg, observing it quietly.


    Everyone looked at him as he did this, they patiently waited for Nalu''s observation results.


    But their hearts started to plummet when they saw Nalu shaking his head as he looked at them regretfully. This only meant one thing, he was not able to figure out something to help the egg hatch.


    "Please don''t be sad. At least we knew that this egg was not an ordinary one. It does not belong to the mythical races of the Greenwave either.


    It only makes sense that it won''t hatch even when we have already used the warmest hatching material of all, a dragon nest." Prince Naluforted the crestfallen teenagers.


    "But Aunt needs to have her contracted beast back. Though she never showed it outwardly and always let people know that Baobao would be enough, we knew that she missed herpanion." Elifas told them with a sad tone.


    He always hears her mother sigh when she talks about it, she said that Eli was mentioning it in the letters they were exchanging.


    "Besides, her contracted beast sacrificed her life to give Aunt Eli a chance to figure out the mystery about the curse users. I heard from my father that if not for the incident, none of the team would have survived and including Uncle Kayden who was also one of the inventors of the cure potion." Calderon added.


    The garden became silent as they realized how important the contracted beast was not only for Little Han and Eli but to the entire Prasinos. She was someone who paved the way for them to have hope to retaliate against evil.


    "Don''t worry, at least I have found a clue. And probably Lady Eli was not able to tell it to anyone, but her contracted beast is not actually a beast, but a spiritual being. That means that she won''t hatch until she has enough spiritual energy to nourish her to the normal state!" Prince Nalu tried to liven up their mood.


    "But where do we get spiritual energy then? Prasinos is only filled with mana after all¡­" Elifas asked, his face full of worry as he saw the teary-eyed Little Han looking at them in high hopes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The answer is in the dragon n! After all, you are the closest to those who have spiritual energy. The Uncle Dragon Chief might even have a way to let the egg hatch." Prince Nalu answered them with encouragement.


    "Sigh, in the end we still need to go to our ce." Calderon could only shake his head and looked at Little Han.


    "You hear that buddy? We must go all the way to the Dragon n to find a solution. Let''s pray that my Grandpa has a way to help you¡­"


    "Thaykuu Big bwothers¡­" Little Han hugged Wisey''s egg and looked at the older ones gratefully.


    "Alright¡­ let''s cheer up! There are still many ces for Little Han to see¡­" Princess Pashaforted Little Han and coaxed him to set aside the matter at the moment.


    With thepany of the four, Little Han was able to enjoy going around the Merpce and seeing the unique beauty of the underwater world.


    On the other side, Eli and Kayden were in a serious conversation with Havelok and Marina.


    "I heard that you two were nning on infiltrating the Holy Ind, is it true?" Havelok went straight toward the topic.


    "Indeed, we believe that the crux of the Spectre''s operation lies in that area¡­ as of the moment," Kayden answered.


    "But you do know that it was deeply dangerous. After all, you will be going against the Temple, whose authority cannot be ignored." Marina looked at them worriedly.


    Kayden and Eli looked at each other and decided to exin the connection of the Asanis to the goal of the Spectre - it is not only to create a perfect human vessel to contain Birsha''s spirit but to obtain the power of Guardian Asa so that they could control the Gate to the Heavenly realm.


    This was all the information they were allowed to share with their allies, ording to the Emperor and so they no longer shared anything beyond it.


    Hearing their exnation, Havelok and Marina frowned, looking a little helpless at Eli and Kayden''s determination.


    "Have you already made up your mind, even ifpleting your task there would only mean that the war would intensify?" Havelok asked them once more.


    "Yes¡­ we will still go. Because if this matter does not end in our realm, we will be the first ones to perish." Eli replied.


    It''s not like it was dangerous for the heavens to have Birsha force way back to the realm, but it was because of the fact that the moment he was able to do that, that meant that Prasinos is long gone.


    The curse users steal people''s life force to have power, and so in order to put up a fight against the heavens, they will use every bit of life force in Prasinos!


    "Alright then¡­ I respect your decision¡­" Havelok looked at them heavily.


    Eli and Kayden did not take offense at the two''s questioning. Like the elders and grandmasters they talked with, they understood the reluctance they felt in allowing the two of them to go on a mission that is almost akin tomitting suicide.


    But they had no choice, they had to step up and do their part.


    Because if not, the sacrifice and effort of the army who were holding the continent''s borders will be in vain.


    Havelok waved his hand in the air, still looking solemn.


    Upon his actions, a small brocade box appeared before Eli and Kayden. Marina signaled to get it and take a look.


    Eli carefully opened the brocade box, not expecting that what they would see would surprise both of them.


    "A spy assigned to the Holy Ind found this ring near the ind''s shore. We tried to figure out everything about it but to no avail and so we could only keep it in the dusty corners of the treasury. If not for Protector Zale sending a message to give you this before you go, we would never remember its existence."


    Havelok looked at their surprised eyes and exined the ring''s origin.


    "This ring¡­." Kayden almost stuttered as he recognized the familiar patterns of the ring. As he was still in disbelief, he took out his own ring andpared it, it was really identical!

 Chapter 502 Departure From The Merland

    ?"Y-you¡­" Havelok and Marina were also equally startled to see that Kayden also possessed one of the rings.


    He briefly exined that this was one of the reasons why he needed to infiltrate the Holy Ind. Because he needed to find all three rings which contained the hope for the Asani n.


    "I get it now¡­ I get it now¡­ It must be the Guardians and the heavens allowing the two of you to embark on this important journey¡­" Havelok trembled as he expressed his understanding and bewilderment at the discovery that he found.


    "They must have orchestrated this very moment to happen in order to also express their agreement with your opinion," Marinamented as her expression was also equally bewildered.


    In the end, the old couple looked at each other and nodded, seemingly deciding about something.


    After some time they finished their conversation and let Eli and Kayden go.


    That night, the couple called their older son, Nalu, and a select few from their best warriors.


    They all gathered at King Havelok''s hall and waited for him to disseminate his orders. Having been summoned so suddenly they thought that there was something urgent that needed their attention so they all waited in all seriousness and quietly.


    "Good evening my greatest and most trusted warriors." King Havelok entered the hall alongside Queen Marina and they greeted the warriors with a solemn expressions.


    "Good Evening Your Royal Highness, King, and Queen!" Prince Nalu led the warriors into replying to his parent''s greeting.


    "En¡­ at ease¡­ I have called you here to announce something very important. As you all know, I have already segregated a huge part of our troops to go to the Seirende Continent and help them face the curse users who want to steal the peace of our dear Prasinos.


    Now, you have also known the two individuals whom our Protector has ordained to protect, Lady Eli and the young one Little Han¡­."


    Havelok''s gaze surveyed the crowd to see the nodding expressions of the people, signifying their understanding of the matter.


    "Just now, we have known that the Great Doctor Kayden who was the true person behind the identity of the doctor who created the cure potion and Lady Eli herself, will embark on a journey to infiltrate the Holy Ind and investigate their highest possible connection to the curse users!"


    Once King Havelok announced this, the crowd burst into a passionate discussion.


    Some of them were shocked to know that two of the most schrly known people in this age would be brave enough to be a spy inside the main temple.


    They discussed how worried they were and how unbelievable it is to know that these two people were so crazy to even be on a suicide mission.


    "I know¡­ we have tried convincing them otherwise as well¡­ but there waspelling information that was given to us that made us fully support their endeavor.


    This is connected to the results of the spy activities we have done around the ind.


    We have found significant and irrefutable clues that the Holy Ind is up to something, and as the territory nearest to the Holy Ind after the Vanderford, we are in a dangerous situation should the evil start to spread.


    They may not reach our territory, but they might not let us see the sunshine again¡­"


    Havelok exined, he told them what was only necessary and no longer dived into the details.


    But it was enough to also change the perspective of the warriors in the room. Now, their eyes were ridden with the fervent desire to take part in protecting theirnd, by the way of helping Eli and Kayden in their mission.


    "I assume you know have figured out what I need you all to do¡­" Havelok finally smiled and looked at them with an approving nod.


    "Father, we are willing to help in any way we can!" Prince Nalu put his hand on top of his heart signaling his utmost sincerity from the words he just said.


    "Our King! We are also willing!"


    "Good! Good!" Marina was also relieved to see the warriors and even her son willing to brave the dangers to help Eli.


    It was not that they did not cherish their only male offspring, but even Emperor Valentin was willing to send all of his sons straight to endure the trap just to buy time for the other troops to organize.


    Why can''t they do that for theirnd''s peace?


    While being a royal, or a person in power seemed all mor and glory, ites with a very heavy responsibility.


    That is to put the well-being of your subjects first before yourself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because what is a kingdom without and?


    What is a crown when you have nothing to rule?


    Havelok and Marina knew that Prince Nalu understood their intentions well, with the burning gaze in his eyes, they knew that their son was also willing to sacrifice.


    "Now¡­ not all of you will apany Lady Eli and Great Doctor Kayden to the Holy Ind, neither will I require you to join them in infiltrating the vicinity yourselves.


    A third of you shall be joining the Forgeworns to protect Little Han as he goes to the Dragon n, the rest will go and hover on the Holy Ind to stand by and help Lady Eli and Great Doctor Kayden should their lives be in danger.


    You are to get them out of the vicinity once dangeres, and run back to the territory with them as fast as you can. Then we will regroup and think of a way to deal with the enemy." Havelok instructed.


    "I will also send the leaders of the other domain races to extend their help. We must not let the two go through the danger alone." He continued.


    He knew that once he told this to the elders, they would also send a few strong people to protect Eli and Kayden, but he did not believe that the enemy was that easy to trick. So he did not forget to advise the men to escape upon sight of inevitable danger when ites.


    He believes that as long as they are alive, there will be chances to n and prepare again. There is no need to force everything during the first try, it is also an honorable tactic to retreat.


    "We heed your orders, Your Royal Highness!" The warriors and Prince Nalu all saluted, recognizing their King''s orders.


    Just like that the warriors were already sent out to prepare for their journey, the next day the old couple talked with Eli and Kayden once again to exin their decision.


    Eli and Kayden did not refuse their goodwill and could only thank them sincerely.


    Just like that, three days passed. Eli, the Forgeworns, and the warriors now embarked on the journey to go to the Greenwave maind, specifically to the Dragon territory in the northernmost part of the continent.


    Since it was also the northernmost part of thend, the dragon territory is also called the Prasinon''s Deadend, meaning beyond their territory, there was no more, only a void space of the oceans.


    "Take care on your way, also do not hesitate to contact us once you are in trouble. Do not worry about Little Han, the Chief of the Dragon n will take care of them." Marina and Havelok looked at Eli and held her hand.


    Marina took amunication stone in her hand and handed it over to Eli, signaling her to put the stones on one of the vacant gem holders of her bracelet.


    "I will, Your Highness King and Queen, my heart could not express my sincere gratefulness for your hospitality and support. I really thank you." Eli answered, her hand trembling as she looked at the affectionate gaze of the couple.


    "It''s our responsibility as elders¡­ we could only do this much when you two were doing such a dangerous task," Havelok replied.


    After bidding farewell the Forgeworns boarded their bubble carriage and went off, all of the merfolks waved their hands to them as if also saying their goodbyes.


    "Prasinon''s Deadend¡­ here wee," Eli thought as she gazed at the Mend which was already bing small and invisible in her vision.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, on the Deste Wastnds, the armies of the first and second troops have already reached their new rendezvous point.


    The lieutenants of each camp greeted each other and immediately asked their troops to set up a new camp and survey the territory. After all, they have to find a good ce to trap the Seirende Army in.


    "The third army is not around yet? I suppose we should be hearing from here this time already¡­ Did he send something on your end?" As they were observing all the work, the Lieutenant of the first army asked this fellow Lieutenant.


    The second Lieutenant frowned and answered, "I haven''t received any, it has been three days since he answered that he will pack up and move with his troops¡­ but he had not sent any more till now."


    "Do you think something happened to the third army?" The first one asked.


    "I am worried however, after thinking, I doubt anything would happen, after all, it would be impossible for the enemy to intercept when we are stationed at the entrance of the wastnds all this time."


    The first Lieutenant paused and pondered for a while. After thinking, he also agreed that the second Lieutenant''s words make sense and so he shrugged and replied,


    "Well maybe he was too anxious to keep up with us and had already forgotten to respond. Let''s give him some time then."

 Chapter 503 The Troops Were Ready!

    ?Back in the third army camp.


    The morning after Leon and his troops defeated the 3rd ambush army, they quickly moved to ount for the spoils left by the armies and evenly distributed it to each member.


    This is to ensure that even if something happened that made them separated from the group, they could survive for several days even without ess to their original supplies.


    As for the mini bird cages, it was quite convenient that all those inside Leon''s bird cage spell would enter a state of animated suspension, where they would simply stop all their bodily functions until they were woken up. It is the same array spell mechanism embedded in Carolina and the other main criminals in the Court of Sinners.


    As such, until the Emperor decides what to do with them, they will remain asleep only to be awakened at specific times to barely replenish fluids and nutrients in their body.


    "Now we know that the movement of the first and second army is slightly towards our direction, we have to figure out what was the movement of the rear." Leon gathered the men once again and started to n their next move.


    "Based on the information we have gathered from the soldiers, the rear army will also advance while the Vanderford Emperor will also send more troops to reinforce their side with his sons," ze reported what his fellows were able to gather upon interrogating the remaining soldiers.


    "But how far the tworge armies are from us is the issue¡­ no matter how we are able¡­we cannot take on an army of more than a thousand." One of the knightsmented.


    Rest nodded, while they were sure that they were able topletely eliminate the rear, they weren''t sure if they could sessfully take out the army of more than a thousand.


    Whether it was the rear of the vanguard forces, a mere twenty or so men would die of exhaustion and fatigue first before they are able topletely take down thebined armies.


    "It is not necessary for us to take the entire army down¡­ Men, aren''t we most adept in assassinating?" Leon reminded them.


    While he knew at the onset that taking on a single battalion stationed on the ambush points, they can always assassinate their officers. It seems like the men with him have not gotten over yet the victory they hadst night theypletely forgot to reason with themselves.


    "Oh.." The men coughed and scratched their heads. Pardon them for being muscle heads, all they think about is battle and bloodbath, they could not help but stick to one pattern after achieving such an overwhelming victory.


    "Yes, so do not worry about having to wipe out a thousand men. You have to remember that our mission''s main objective is to destroy the ambush points.


    Now that we have caused such a great change in their ambush points, we have alreadypleted our first objective.


    The next objective that we have is to minimize the effects of the ambush encounters on the main army¡­ We can achieve that by performing two crucial tasks¡­" Leon patiently exined to them his ns.


    "You may already know one of the missions, which is to assassinate the officers of the front ambush troops and cause confusion among their ranks.


    But the other mission is more urgent and as important as the first one.


    That is to spread across these central regions and nt our arrays!" Leon''s crystal blue eyes swept a nce through the men and met their fiery gazes.


    "All of your group into the order Olivier will announce." Hemanded as he allowed Olivier to announce the teams.


    Seven teams of four were created, and at least one of them had a summoner with a flying beast contracted.


    "ze will hand you two types of documents, one is the map where the array should be nted, and the others are the blueprints of the arrays you are to set up. The necessary materials were also distributed." Leon exined.


    After ze handed the materials to all 7 teams, he then stood beside Leon and exined the rest of the task.


    "You will know if the assigned arrays were properly set up when you look at your map again, the corresponding portion of your map will light up as they were already pre-connected to the array runes embedded on the blueprint you have.


    If your runes were written wrongly, it won''t appear on the map, and so it means that you have to redo the array." ze exined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The arrays were set up on different strategic locations in the central region, these arrays will greatly help us in our tactical operations, some of them are trapsid out for the enemy, and others are teleportation arrays we can use to summon the rest of the troops," Leon added.


    "We shall do this for the next five days. On the sixth day, we will meet in the area of the outer region, where our hideout under the baobab tree is located. This will be so whether youpleted all the given arrays or not.


    We could no longer extend for a few days as there might be a risk of you encountering the advancing rear troops, as well as us failing to infiltrate the camps of the front ambush troops before the main convoy reached the area¡­ we have to get things done fast!"


    Leon announced, his voice tinged with apelling sense of justice that ignited the passion of the men around him.


    "We hear your orders, Your Highness!" The troops answered in unison and immediately moved on their way.


    There is no time to waste, they have to nt as many arrays as possible. They will be turning the entire central region of the deste wastnd into andmine!!


    And so the next five days of the des and the knights were spent in the wilderness, they nted as many arrays as they could, hostile or not, and they did their best to increase their chances of weakening the army and lessening the burden of facing too many at once when the time came.


    Leon and his troops ignored the scorching heat during day time, the harsh wind, and the unpredictable sandstorms and continued their journey.


    They hoped that the organized troops scattered in and outside the Seirende region would get ready soon so that they could finally summon them for reinforcements.


    ¨C


    Beyond the region of the scorching wastnds, far from the brewing tensions between the convoy and the ambush parties, the representative of the allied forces rallied their troops.


    They counted the days until the great sh wille. The Grandmasters and even all the distinguished envoys sent by the Emperor to each of the allied kingdoms were now on the stage of finalizing their camps.


    The nearby territories were also sent enough goods and weapons to fortify their territories, the military budget of the Seirende Empire poured out relentlessly, not holding back as it may entail the failure of good against evil.


    The elderly, women, and children were also brought into a safe ce, while it was not possible for them to retreat all the way to the borders of Seirende, the envoys made sure that their ce was safe and far enough from the possible shing grounds.


    They were made to retreat in the mountains, where water and food sources are secured and the terrain was troublesome enough for passing armies to take note of.


    The next great continent, the Green Wave also prepared with their respective troops to assist in the war.


    Their armies were stationed on the coasnd in the northwest and in the south with the intention of pushing towards the northeast and the far east, up until they reach the coast across the Holy Ind and the Vanderford.


    The beastmen n, werewolves, elves, dwarves, the dryads, the trent monsters, the merfolk, the dragons, and many more¡­ their respective troops grouped together as they approached their station points to advance as soon as the warmenced.


    All that they needed to do was to wait for the signal of war, the impending ambush of the convoy of the curse prisoners!


    On the other side of the force, all the forces of the Vanderford, and their allied Kingdoms were on standby. The Main Temple troops were gathered in the Melenberg territory on the midcoast area of the easternmost area of the Seirende continent.


    The Vanderford Princes were also at their assigned stations except for those who were called to participate in the rear ambush at thest minute.


    Everything was already set and the waiting game had started, the next days were a race against time for Leon and his men in order to turn the almost certain momentum of the Vanderfords to favor the Seirende''s side.


    They had to work nonstop for five days, then regroup on the sixth day, because they have another mission at hand before the convoy troops meet the 1st and 2nd ambush groups:


    To infiltrate the ambushing army and kill their officers!

 Chapter 504 Leon Is Captured?!

    ?The main army of the prisoner''s convoy had already set off on their journey to the Deste Wastnds after receiving a ''report'' from Leon''s side that their original route was clear and without any danger points.


    As such, after days of waiting, their convoy finally moved to enter the wastnds.


    Crown Prince Ranon was feeling good as he saw the look of seriousness and vignce on Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine''s faces.


    He interpreted it as a sign of anxiousness as they finally entered a well-known route where the conditions were unpredictable.


    Upon his estimation they will arrive to encounter the ambush after seven days or so, it was a long dy on their end, but for him, it was enough for the ambush troop to deal with Leon and reorganize for their next assault.


    After all, they were nowposed of three battalions. It would be a waste if they failed to contain Leon even if he is an S-ss.


    However, five days have already gone by since their dyed departure yet they have not received any affirmative notification from the ambush troops ahead.


    ording to their estimated timeline, Leon would have encountered the ambush troops three days ago but it has been days since then and no good news arrived on their side about him.


    ''What''s happening? Where did that Third Prince go? Why is he not shing yet with the army?'' He frowned and asked.


    As they were already in the wilderness, he could onlymunicate through notification paper as there was no secluded cover around other than his carriage.


    He would appear suspicious if he kept himself cooped up in the carriage just to wait for the updates from the ambushing army.


    The Vanderford Headquarters and the Pope''s team were equally anxious¡­ Where is the Third Prince?


    "Could he have discovered the ambush troop ahead and did not dare toe over?" One of the strategists from Vanderford asked.


    "That does not even make sense. If that''s the case then they would have asked the main army for the dy."


    "Could he have been struck by the untoward weather conditions? It has been days, maybe something really happened?" The othersmented.


    "I could be, but I couldn''t help but feel uneasy. Something is not right!"


    "Your Majesty, we will get to the bottom of the matter¡­" The chief strategist stood up and assured the agitated emperor. Only when they were finally waved to dismissal did they heave a sigh of relief.


    "Go and contact the Lieutenant of the first army through themunication stone, ask them what happened right away!"


    The chief strategist pointed at one of his men and immediately ordered with a grave expression.


    The man followed the suit and carried out the order with trepidation. If they could not give a good answer to the Emperorter on, their heads would surely roll off the floor!


    Fortunately, before the call immediately connected, the Chief Strategist''s aide rushed to his side and immediately told them the news.


    "Your Excellence! The ambush army replied! They have finally captured the Third Prince!" The aide announced with great relief in his eyes.


    Seeing this, the fellow strategist around also beamed in delight. Thank heavens, their heads were finally safe!


    However, the Chief Strategist did not let his guard down and still looked at the man whom he tasked earlier.


    "Do not spread the news yet¡­ You shall continue to talk to the Lieutenant and ask them about the entire process of the subjugation, now!"


    "Cough¡­ cough¡­ Your Excellency Grand Duke, why not go to the council room and hear the process ourselves?" One strategist suggested he was clearly interested in how the famously strong Blood Prince was captured.


    The other men also expressed their interest, leaving the Chief Strategist no choice but to agree.


    In the room, they sat with excited expressions and called the ambush camp. Themunication from the other side immediately connected, and they heard the Second Lieutenant''s tired voice responding.


    "Sire, have you received our notice?" There was a trace of tiredness and difort in this voice, which led the men to believe that they were somehow injured or affected during the sh with the blood prince.


    "Tell us what happened, Second Lieutenant." The Chief Strategist asked straightforwardly.


    "It''s like this¡­" The Second Lieutenant started to narrate everything that transpired rting to capturing the Third Prince Leon.


    It turns out that Leon was already gravely weakened when a group of roving scouts spotted him struggling to stay conscious in the wilderness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His lips were pale and there were traces of poison on his body as greenish veins appeared throughout his entire body. It seems like they have encountered some sort of desert beast and for some reason, he was inevitably poisoned.


    At first, the roving scouts thought that they had struck rich and lucky enough to see the weakened s-ss prince. But they did not think that even as he was on the verge of losing consciousness, he was still able to fight back and ferociously kill all the guards.


    Lucky enough for the ambush camp, one of the members of the guards have already sent the news about the chase and managed to get the directions where he was spotted.


    The entire camp was immediately mobilized however, it seems that the Blood Prince was rmed and so he moved quickly towards the central area.


    Then the chase ensued, they tracked the Third Prince''s whereabouts for one day and one night, until they finally stumbled in thend of corpse and carnage.


    The entire ambush team shuddered in fear as they saw the Blood Prince finally manifest as he stood at the center of a hundred corpses, he was standing in a daze, like a crazed bull.


    In his hand was the head of someone they did not expect to see in such a situation, the Lieutenant of the Third army!


    They were so unfortunate to meet the Prince along the way of regrouping with the front army that they werepletely wiped out in the process!


    The Third Prince seemed to have noticed their presence, and before they were able to investigate the army of corpses around him, he immediately charged and started to kill their troops.


    They were overwhelmed by his power as he was already able to kill a third of the troops they took with them so the Lieutenants have no choice but to leave the corpses of the third army and lure the crazed blood prince toward their camp which is full of troops and army.


    It was a hard and arduous task to keep themselves alive while having to lure the prince, who was already weakened yet still too hard to deal with.


    As they retreated, they were pressured to deal with his spell attacks as a caster, his devastating speed and power as a devourer, and his monstrous stamina to endlessly call on his familiars topensate his number to deal with the troops.


    Finally, after a night of the desperate retreat, they finally managed to meet the troops who were already prepared as they managed to tell them the situation in advance.


    The casters left behind were able to set up a powerful array that would immediately block off the mana within their area of effect and immediately render the prince magicless.


    However, they forgot that the Mad Blood Prince has lived the early stages of his life as a trash but still excelled inbat.


    And so even without mana around him, he was still able to kill off a few hundred before he finally copsed in exhaustion.


    All in all, while the Third Prince did not manage to significantly lower the death toll of the entire army of the first and second troops, he was still able to kill off a third of the elite A to B ss warriors on their end and of course, kill the entire third army.


    Moreover, he managed to severely injure the First Lieutenant. The Second Lieutenant was injured as well but he was also exhausted to deal with the aftermath.


    After hearing the news, the strategists did not know if they would celebrate or mourn instead.


    While they managed to sessfully capture the Third Prince, they also lost a significant force that was detrimental to the next operation which was to subdue the main convoy and snatch the high-profile prisoners.


    "How is he contained at the moment?" The Chief Strategist remained steadfast despite the mixed feelings and asked important questions.


    "Your Excellence, he is carefully restrained by the mana blocker array so that he will not be able to use his mana to heal himself.


    Moreover, we also reinforced the arrays with multiple restrictive spells and took off all his belongings.


    He could no longer do anything and is in constant guarding of all our strongest mages." The Second Lieutenant reported which effectively made the listeners finally sigh in relief.


    "Hmmm¡­ alright, good work. Now just focus on healing right away as you might meet the main army in the next three days.


    Do not bother to contact the other parties, I will be the one to reach out to them and the two of you focus on getting back your strength. Do your best to reorganize your forces as fast as possible. " The chief strategist said.


    "Thank you, Your Excellency¡­" The Second Lieutenant replied with a hoarse yet relieved voice.


    Both sides ended the call rather pleased.


    However, unbeknownst to them, the Third Prince, whom they thought was gravely injured, was sporting an unbothered expression on his face.


    It was as if he had made his own mission to be tied up in this very ce!

 Chapter 505 Excitement And Celebrations

    ?"That''s finally the news I like to hear¡­" In the carriage, Crown Prince Ranon could not help but smile as he read the contents of the notification paper sent to him that night.


    Finally, the most crucial part of the operations was already dealt with! Now, he only needed to wait and ensure that the ambush troops and their convoy met and everything would unravel on its own!


    His eyes squinted in craftiness as he thought of how seemingly smooth everything would transpire after the capture of Leon.


    "Although we have indeed incurred a lot of casualties, I can say that it is still worth it knowing that we have taken one of the strongest people of the enemy." He thought to himself.


    As his carriage continued to head towards the camping point they set for the night, he was already contacting his men who were also tailing them safely from behind. Of course, he did not forget to inform Niki and Arabe about the capture of Leon.


    After that, he casually strolled out of his carriage and finally went on his way to interact with the other members of the convoy, especially Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine.


    His goal was to observe how the three were doing, trying to sound out if they were worried about Leon''sck of report these days.


    "A pleasant evening, gentlemen¡­" He greeted them as the three solemnly sat by the fire with their food rations for the night.


    The three responded perfunctorily, not masking the glum look on their faces.


    "Is everything alright?" He innocently asked, but deep inside he very much wanted to rub salt in their wounds.


    "Nothing much¡­ it''s just that we haven''t heard of the advance party yet." Antoine, being the one whom Mishael and Kazimir pressured to answer by their gazes could only reply.


    "Hmm¡­ probably he was not yet able to see something wrong, hence theck of notices¡­" Crown Prince Ranon outwardly attempted to lighten up the mood and encourage them.


    ''Heh¡­ you wish! Your Third brother is already in our hands!'' His thoughts were already gloating and celebrating their worried expressions.


    The men no longer bothered to answer, but Crown Prince Ranon no longer cared for their attitudes as he already got what they wanted.


    With an excuse of wanting to retire early, he asked this aide to lead him to his tent.


    "Get me some wine, I want to rx a little bit." He ordered the aide with an expression saying that he was a little bit tired of the journey.


    However, only he knew that he just wanted to celebrate while everyone was upied by the anxiousness of not having to hear from Leon''s side.


    "Is what you told us really true?" Arabe''s voice suddenly rang in his mind.


    Crown Prince Ranon swirled the contents of the wine sszily on his hand as he looked at the certain shadowy part of the tent, "What do you think? Will I even be in the mood of drinking now if that is not the case?"


    "Then¡­ our mission¡­" Arabe replied.


    "Just do your mission well, tell your brother to also get ready. Even if we already do not have to keep the mad blood prince in mind, the enemy is still a ferocious lion. They will not go down without a bloody fight." Crown Prince Ranon answered with a warning in his tone.


    "Hmm¡­" Arabe hummed excitedly and soon her presence was no longer felt in the tent.


    With that, Crown Prince Ranon continued enjoying his wine in azy and carefree manner. His heart was feeling excited about the day when everything they had nned would unravel.


    In the remote corner of the Northern City walls, Niki heard the good piece of news Arabe shared with him at the moment.


    "Tell the Crown Prince that we have already sessfully infiltrated the city and have also located the members of the Imperial Family who took refuge in the Governor''s pce. He had nothing to be worried about on our side. We are ready to execute our part once we receive the signal." Niki told his sisters.


    For days, they stealthily roamed around the northern territory, familiarizing all the people around the Governor''s ce and painstakingly bypassing every tough securityyer just to infiltrate the vicinity.


    After days of careful operations, they were finally able to finish their preparations and were ready to attack at any time. He had the confidence that once they revealed themselves, the enemies would not even have the chance to resist and could only do as they were told.


    "En.. I will. Brother¡­ just a few more days, we will be able to save our mom, dad, and auntie¡­ We will also get our revenge on the Seirendes and even that traitor of a cousin that we have.`` Arabe''s voice was tinged with resentment as she said these words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hmm¡­ remember to save Kazimir for me to torture, do not haggle all the fun, and let me carry out my own revenge before he dies." Niki''s eyes were filled with ruthlessness as he coldly said these words.


    "Of course, big brother¡­" Arabe answered.


    As the night went on, the siblings continued to talk about their ns after their agreement with Crown Prince Ranon waspleted. Their minds were only filled with revenge and how they will put the enemy''s head under their feet.


    The same excitement was felt just beyond the borders of the Deste Wastnds.


    The Pope and Rachana marched towards the other end of the deste wastnds to catch up with the rear army forces and join them in finally igniting the war against the Seirende Territory.


    "Finally, everything willmence," The Pope could not help butment with relief in his tone.


    "We are very fortunate that such an untoward incident happened to the prince. Now it will also be easier for me to do what I have to do." Rachana replied as the lust on her face could no longer be masked.


    Yes, she was to look for ways to take Leon as her partner and copte with him¡­ However, who doesn''t like such a fine and able man?


    Now that he is at their mercy, she could not wait and even wanted to rush towards the area.


    The Pope also detected her thoughts but he could not help but look at her sternly, clearly displeased by her carnal desires.


    "You shall not let your guard down. We still have no news about the pdin. What if she suddenly appeared in front of us and you were only filled with lustful thoughts?! Are you sure you can defeat her with such a dirty state of mind?!" He reprimanded.


    "I know¡­ and I''ll never let her go once I see her again!" Rachana red at the Pope and gritted her teeth as she remembered the suffering and humiliation she suffered because of Eli.


    "I vow through my soul that I will do everything to defeat her at all cost! Her love shall perish the day I see her once more!" She dered with a sinister voice.


    As they were talking about what they would do once they saw the Pdin, the very person they were talking about at the moment had already finally reached their destination, the Holy Ind!


    With her were fifty or so talented warriors from the non-human races from the Green Wave Institute.


    "My Lady, Great Doctor, are you really sure that you do not need us to go with you inside the Main Temple?" Prince Nalu asked the two with worry and anxiousness.


    "We will be fine¡­ as agreed, we shall contact you through the notification paper andmunication stone. Once wee to such great danger, we shall not hesitate to ask for your help." Kayden looked at them sincerely and promised to not hesitate to contact them once they needed help.


    Seeing that the two have no intention to disregard their efforts yet also keeping in mind their firmness to go inside alone, the little army of warriors could only respect their decision.


    Throughout the journey, they gained a clear view of the characters of Eli and Kayden, and so they did not take offense to their insistence but expressed their support regardless of their decision.


    "Just be careful, mydy and great doctor¡­ remember that we are here to be a force to help you." A warrior from the dragon n looked at them and respectfully expressed his opinion.


    "Thank you¡­ we will be sure to remember it." Eli smiled and looked at him and the rest of the warriors gratefully.


    "We shall head on our way¡­" Kayden announced and looked at them gratefully.


    After bidding goodbye, the sworn siblings carefully neared the Temple and observed the situation.


    "Eli-chan, shall I disguise like a bird and look around?"


    Suddenly, as Eli and Kayden blended into the shadows of the forest and looked up to see the gigantic temple building in front of them, a voice that Eli had not heard for a long time sounded.


    Wisey, who remained dormant for so long has finally woken up, thanks to the sweet and touching efforts of her beloved Little Han!

 Chapter 506 Welcome Back Wisey (1)

    ?Eli looked at Wisey who was currently in the form of a cute chubby barn owl.


    If before she had light brownish feathers with pure white undey, now her feathers were of light golden ents. Her feathers have be fluffier and puffier, making her more cuddly and adorable.


    Her bright round eyes looked so childish with her heart-shaped face looking especially lively in the night.


    However, her voice contained a lot of mischief as she suggested her n to Eli and Kayden.


    "Hold on, you have just woken up¡­ We must observe from afar a little first¡­" Eli replied with cautiousness and vignce in their surroundings.


    "But didn''t I say my powers have upgraded? Look, look, Eli-chan? My feathers are so lovely right now¡­" Wisey turned around and twirled her newly colored feathers as if she was flexing a newly bought dress.


    "We can''t have you going dormant again. Who knows how many months would Little Han feel lonely when you go to sleep again¡­" Eli rolled her eyes and sternly replied, but hidden behind her seemingly untoward reply was worry and relief.


    Kayden could only smile as he observed their bickering. He also did not expect that the mysterious familiar who had once shielded Eli in danger through her tiny body would be this lively again.


    He still could not get over the events that lead to Wisey''s awakening and the fact that it was Little Han who seemed to have worked hard for it to happen.


    It started when they arrived at the Dragon n''s territory on the northernmost side of the Green Wave main continent.


    Emerging from the bubble carriage with their mermen warrior escorts, they were weed by a number of warriors along the dragon territory''s coastal shores.


    The dragon warriors were tall and muscr, but the most prominent features that they have were their fiery colored hair and their piercing eyes which varied with different colors from orange to golden yellow.


    Little Han, Eli, and Kayden felt quite bizarre as they remembered ze''s features. ze is definitely of dragon descent just by looks alone.


    "Uncle Ladon! We have arrived." Calderon, who stepped forward and greeted the team, spoke rather happily.


    Tyce and Grandma Brygid also stepped forward and represented the Forgeworns and the Farauld kids.


    "Great Madamme, and our dear friends, wee to the Dragon n territory! We shall lead you to our dwelling ce, the Grand Chief was waiting for your arrival." Landon, the leader of the Dragon warriors, replied with respect.


    They all smiled amicably before Calderon and Ladon led them to the wooden carriages. The terrain through the dragon vige was quite long, and it took them over an hour to finally arrive at their destination.


    When they finally arrived, Eli and Little Han, along with the children with them all gasped in wonder as they finally saw the vige.


    The dragon vige lies at the foot of a gigantic active volcano. The volcano had its crater burn in fiery red-orange as it asionally spewed moltenva at the slope of its perfect cone shape.


    The vige down below the majestic mountain where stone dwellings were built quite satisfyingly as they were aligned in a linear manner.


    One would eventually notice that at the center of the vige was thergest building which is the Dragon n''s, Chief House.


    "Let us head straight to the main hall¡­" Landon waved his hands and turned in the direction of the Chief''s hall.


    As they entered the vige, curious people of the dragon n watched them with interest. Like Calderon, they still looked like humans only that their features rted to the fire were eminent with their hair and eyes.


    The children who still could not control their human forms show a little bit of scale like tattoos on the side of their eyes and canine teeth that would look rather adorable as they run around with carefree grins on their faces.


    Little Han looked at the children whose eyes blinked lively after seeing so many humans and children. Riding in an open-air carriage, he thought for a while before raising his chubby little hand and wiggling it to wave at the little dragon children with his charming smile.


    "..." The dragon children blushed as they bashfully nudged their fellows while they shyly lifted their hands to also wave back at him.


    Benson, Estelle, and the rest of the children also noticed Little Han''s actions and so they also mimicked his movements. They shed friendly smiles and waved at the dragon folks.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The dragon children were quite happy seeing that the strangers around were not unfriendly at all.


    The adults also looked at them with reserved expressions, but there was no trace of hostility in their eyes.


    Eli was inwardly relieved to see this atmosphere.


    They said that dragons are really reclusive people and would only trust someone of their kind. That is why she was very observant and keen on every dragon''s reaction to know how they feel towards their presence.


    She was actually worried that they would be weed coldly, but the docile reaction of the dragon folks made her feel at ease. After all, this is where she will leave and entrust Little Han while they go to war.


    They finally entered therge building made of stony rocks and concrete. Outwardly, it paled inparison with the aesthetics of the Mend Vige, the design of the building and the dwellings were something that would be very far to be called good.


    However, the moment they entered the halls, they were shocked to see that the interior was so shiny and shimmery. The ceilings were decorated with colorful gems that reflected the lighting out of the goldden chandeliers.


    Even the walls were made of precious stones and the floors were made of the rarest colorful minerals.


    ''So it''s true that dragons loved jewels, gold, and stones so much! But I didn''t expect that they would use their treasure stash like this at all!'' Eli could not help but think inwardly.


    "Finally, our dear guests are here!" While they were heading towards the central part of the hall, a loud thundering voice rang above their heads.


    They all looked up on top of the staircase and saw an old yet vigorous man with his pale yellowish hair glimmered quite majestically as the lights from the gemstone reflector shone over him.


    Beside the old man was a gentle-looking grandma looking at them with a soft smile. Standing quite behind them was another couple who was about the same age as Tyce and Tyrel.


    Their features already gave away the fact that they were Calderon''s parents as their resemnce was very striking.


    "Wee back to the dragon territory, my good friend Brygid! I am also happy to see your kin and of course the faces I am really curious about!" The Old man greeted very candidly, unmasking the excitement on his face.


    In thest part of his sentence, his eyes swept in the direction of Eli and Little Han, obviously expressing that they were the ones to whom his words pertained.


    "It''s good to see you and Alynne once again, Fafnir!" Grandma Brygid looked at the old couple with a friendly smile.


    Eli and the Forgeworns were shocked once again, they never knew that their grandma was popr in the Green Wave Vige.


    Even her twin sons Tyce and Tyrel could not help but be bewildered because ever since childhood, they were already in the Seirende Territory. None of their memories indicated that their mom stayed in the Green Wave Institute.


    A light chuckle brightened up the room as they watched the four people descend the staircase to meet them.


    Alynne, the wife of the Chief of the Dragon n hugged Grandma Brygid affectionately as shemented, "You must have been exhausted after traveling underwater and through the vige, would you like to grace us with your presence at the luncheon we prepared?"


    "Sure, I haven''t talked with you for a while." Grandma Brygid did not reject the invitation as she was also worried that the kids were already getting tired.


    They were served a light meal so as to not hinder their sleepinesster on. And so a sight very strangely simr to how they were weed at the Mend ce transpired in the Dragon n''s main hall.


    Everything has been warm and friendly, except for Calderon and his parent''s table.


    "Son¡­ are you feeling unwell? Shall I call the doctor to check on you?" His mother looked at him with a face full of worry. There was an anxious frown on her face as she never saw his son act like this before.


    "No, mom I''m fine¡­ I am just feeling under the weather probably because I spent so much time underwater." Calderon forced a smile to ease his mother''s uneasiness. He can''t let her mother know something and he hasn''t asked his father for the truth.


    However, he did not forget to secretively re at his dad while his mom was not paying attention!

 Chapter 507 Welcome Back Wisey (2)

    ?"Oh, it must have been hard on you¡­ then do not worry. Just eat up and rest for a while. Your father and I will inform your grandpa about your absence." His mother, Shesha, finally became at ease upon hearing his son''s reply.


    After all, dragons were used to living in the high heat mountains and not underwater.


    On the other hand, his father, Fabio frowned in displeasure.


    What is his son ring at? When did he ever grow this disrespectful?


    His son looked at him as if he owed him his life or something. But no matter how many times he thought of the possible reason, Fabio could not figure it out.


    Calderon only kept mum as he ate the food quietly. He knew very well that he must not cause anymotion at this time and ruin his grandparents'' reunion with the Forgeworns. He decided to hold his emotions in until the banquet ended.


    After all, everything will unravel when Little Han would take out of the nest to ask for his Grandpa''s help.


    Thus, even if the family of three seemed to have an awkward reunion, the banquet went well without any mishaps.


    "Wahh¡­ sweepy.." Little Han yawned while his te was packed with so much food given by the servers who looked at him smilingly.


    "Me too¡­"


    "Sleepy¡­" The rest of the kids also expressed their tiredness as they tried hard to eat their meals.


    Eli noticed the mood of the kids and so she called the rest of the women and took Little Han and the kids to rest while they politely asked the Grand Chief and the elders for permission to retreat.


    "It''s alright youngdy¡­ We can catch up tomorrow. The kids may have suffered from the sudden change of environment as they stayed quite a while underwater. They''ll be fine if you let them rest until tomorrow."


    Alynne responded and allowed the mothers and the kids to go.


    Eli and Little Han were then escorted into one of the building''s guest rooms.


    Like the bejeweled theme of the entire interiors of the hall, the bedrooms were also designedvishly. Fortunately, it seemed that the dragons also prepared for their arrival and so the room had an unmatched piece of human furniture around.


    The off-themedrge bed and the sofa chairs around were a testament to it.


    Eli could not help but feel strangely moved as she knew that dragons often wanted to have jewelry and gemstones around and so their beds were designed ording to that theme, which they knew would be ufortable with Eli and Little Han.


    Eliid Little Han on the bed to change his clothes. After the two of them prayed, she started to pat him to sleep.


    As he patted Little Han to sleep, she could not help but feel worried about Leon.


    He told her that he would be uncontactable for about fifteen days which made her feel anxious. He exined that they were about to execute an infiltration task and it is not ideal for him to contact her from time to time.


    Equally scared that her insistence might even make Leon''s circumstance more dangerous because of her clinginess, Eli could only tighten her heart and agree.


    "Oh, Great One, whatever circumstance he was in at the moment, please make sure that he and all the people who worked for the peace of Prasinos will be safe and alright." Eli prayed once more as she remembered Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, Randel, and many more.


    All of them are preparing for war and in just a few days, the first sound of the war trumpet might be heard.


    She intensified her prayers the more her heartfelt unease. Also, she did not forget to ask for guidance about their uing trip to the temple.


    Seeing that Little Han was now deep asleep, she opened the book of knowledge, the book she now seldom uses because she had been upied by the matters at hand.


    Taking a nce at the book, she wondered at some point she somehow had forgotten to check on it for some answers. After all the mysteries about the curse were never found in it and she could only investigate or experiment if she needed information.


    This must be the biggest reason why she found herself not relying on the book ever since thest sh with Carolina.


    She opened the book and tried to key in the words Holy Ind. The book lit up faintly and showed the entire vicinity of the ind.


    She was also given a detailed blueprint of the structure, to her surprise!


    What''s more, the blueprint also revealed a mysterious structure under it. Albeit no details about it were indicated aspared to the other parts of the Holy Ind, it was still a great revtion!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli''s eyes lit up, she did not expect to see such information bing avable in the book of knowledge.


    With that Eli has an idea.


    She started to type in several words like ''Asani'', ''Curse Potion'', ''Curse Users'', and so on.


    Then she found out that the information that was currently locked before was now unraveled at once. Could it be that because she investigated it that the information also became avable?


    Then does that mean that the guardians or the heavens were not really hiding this information from her but are actually also blocked somehow by the enemy?


    Would that be the reason why the heavens do not have knowledge about the curse?


    And now that she, Kayden, and the rest of the people who investigated this moved to discover many things, then the book of knowledge also recorded it!


    Somehow it also leads to the book of knowledge unlocking several forms of information.


    ''Anyways, the blueprint of the Holy Ind will be useful for us.''


    ''With this, Brother Kayden and I will already know what ce to target.'' She thought as she looked at the vaguely drawn underground structure lying directly on the grounds of the main temple.


    She tried researching for more, but she only managed to gather how many registered temple servants, priests, and knights were on the ind right now.


    Fortunately, the Pope and the fake pdin were not included in the list. When she typed their keywords in the book it appeared that their whereabouts were already on the main Seirende Ind.


    Eli''s heart leaped and it raced rapidly, the Pope and the fake Pdin were about to approach the location where Leon and the rest were going.


    She had to make Leon''s party know somehow about it. But she knew that Leon would be unreachable right now¡­ so how shall she inform this?


    Besides, how could she exin the sources of this information?


    Eli thought for a while and decided to visit Kayden to ask for his advice.


    As Kayden looked at all the information Eli was able to get from the book of knowledge, he did not doubt it in the slightest.


    "Brother, we might need to infiltrate the Holy Ind right away. We have to somehow disrupt the Pope and the fake Pdin''s momentum to force them not to advance." Eli mumbled.


    "Let''s inform the Grandmasters and the Emperor first. They''ll know what to do." Kayden patted Eli''s head to try to ease her anxiousness.


    "Alright¡­" Eli tried to calm herself down and trusted Kayden''s judgment. After all, when she is emotional like this, she is bound to not think soundly.


    "As for this blueprint and other information, give me time to understand it. For now, we shall stay here until everything is ready. I''ll be the one to contact the elders about this. We will also have to inform the Grand Chief about this too." Kayden patted her shoulders and encouraged her to sleep.


    Eli could only sigh and nod. She understands that as of now, all she could do is trust the people working on the war from the other side.


    With that, Eli went back to the bedroom and joined Little Han to sleep.


    When the morning came, her tensed muscles fromst night''s idental research had already rxed.


    After some time, the dragon servants knocked and helped them to prepare. Just like when they were in the Mend, they are set to have breakfast to meet the leaders of the territory.


    Not long after that, they were now set to go to the dining hall to meet the family of the dragon leaders.


    But on the other side, still, on the way to going to the dining hall, Calderon waited until his father was alone and immediately blocked his way.


    "What''s the matter, son?" Fabio looked at the aggressive look of his son and wondered if thed was suddenly in his rebellious days.


    Calderon clenched his fist as he looked at this father''s expression which screamed that he had no idea what he did wrong.


    And so he gritted his teeth and asked, "Father, do you dare to swear that you have not cheated on mother in any way?"

 Chapter 508 Welcome Back Wisey (3)

    ?"..." Fabio was taken aback by his son''s usatory re and impudent question.


    "What nonsense are you asking, Calderon?" He looked at his son sternly and retorted back. He even released some of his dragon aura for his misbehaving son to wake up to his senses.


    However, it only made Calderon even more aggressive with his glint turning colder as he repeated the question.


    "Just answer my question, Father¡­ Do you dare to swear that you have not cheated on your mother in any way?"


    "Your question is so nonsensical and silly¡­ I dare to swear that I only have your mother in my heart and she only had me as well!" Furious at his son''s uncanny actions, Fabio answered angrily.


    He looked at his son saying" Now I answered your question, can you stop acting like that?"


    But Calderon not only wiped away the trace of hostility in his eyes, he even turned around and went on his way to the dining hall without even saying a word to his father.


    "Thisd!" Fabio had the urge to catch up to his son and discipline him on the spot but he did not want to cause amotion in the pce so early in the morning. Thus, he could only grit his teeth and begrudgingly head to the dining hall himself.


    The two finally arrived and saw that Elifas, Kayden, Eli, and Little Han were already seated with the Grandchief Fafnir, his wife Alynne, and Fabio''s wife Shesha.


    "You two have beente,e forth¡­ our guest should have been hungry already¡­" Shesha did not detect the unusual air between the father and son duo as she immediately beckoned them to join the breakfast table.


    The atmosphere was quite weing and endearing as well, especially when the elder couple expressed their interest in Little Han and Eli.


    "After this, let us go to my study and discuss the matter," Kayden told mest night. Most probably, Valentin will also be there to talk with us." As the meal was about to end, Grandchief Fafnir looked at Eli and Kayden, reminding them about the discovery they foundst night.


    "We understand, Grand Chief¡­" Kayden replied as Eli nodded and expressed her agreement.


    "By the way, do you young ones have any ns to take Little Han around the vige?" Alynne looked at Elifas and Calderon who sat just next to Little Han which was quite unusual knowing that his parents are just across the table.


    "About that, we do have ns Grandma¡­ but I do think that you and Grandpa should be the ones to help us carry out our n." Calderon looked at the two quite mysteriously as he exined.


    Already wary of his son''s unusual behavior, Fabio observed Calderon''s words and actions. He readied himself to stop him should he say or do anything to the group.


    However, thed only looked at his Grandpa and Grandma, waiting for their reply before he continued.


    "Go ahead, speak your mind." Grand chief Fafnir nodded his head and looked at the three boys. While Elifas and Calderon were of the same age, Little Han was at least thirteen years younger than them, however, it seems like they were close with the child who was barely two years old.


    They even treat and talk to Little Han like they were of the same age!


    And so Fafnir and Alynne were actually curious about their ns, could it be mischievous that would cause quite amotion in the dragon vige?


    They didn''t know¡­ but because they were dying to know about it, the old couple still allowed Calderon tomunicate what he wanted.


    Calderon did not open his mouth to exin when he received his grandparent''s permission. Instead, he and Elifas looked at Little Han, nodding at him with encouraging expressions.


    Eli and Kayden also looked curiously. They have known that since the visitation on the Silver Dew Forest, the boys formed a kind of friendship that does not care about their age difference.


    While Eli wanted Little Han to have friends of his age, she also would not object for him to having older friends who talk to him ording to his mental age. After all, she wanted to strike the bnce between Little Han''s physical age and brilliant mind.


    "Big Bwother Caldewon¡­ pleeze¡­" Receiving Elifas and Calderon''s gaze, Little Han reached out on his bear-shaped space pouch and took out Wisey''s egg which was already resting in the dragon nest.


    His chubby hand was too little for the size of the nest and Wisey''s egg and so he pleaded at Calderon to help him take the egg up to the table.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Just like that, Wisey''s egg was presented to everyone at the table.


    ng!


    Everyone was awakened by the loud sound of the silverware falling into Shesha''s te.


    "Ah, pardon me¡­ M-my hand slipped." Shesha looked at Kayden, Eli, and Little Han apologetically as she forced a smile.


    Fabio also frowned, but because he was worried about Shesha, he immediately went near her and asked if she was alright.


    The old couple also froze for a second but their expressions immediately recovered. But the reaction of the four was already enough for the rest of the table in the room, except for the innocent Little Han to know that there was something unusual about Wisey''s egg being revealed to everyone.


    And so Eli wanted to stand up and ask her son to quietly hide the egg for a while. She was nning to coax him to just meet the grand chief in private and discuss if he can help in hatching Wisey.


    For she already figured everything out the moment she saw Little Han taking out Wisey''s egg. Little Han was asking for the Grand Chief''s assistance to help Wisey wake up again.


    While Eli was deeply moved by her son''s gesture, she was also worried that this would offend the dragon chief''s family. She had to consider the fact that she would have to leave Little Han in the territory, and so, she had to ensure that Little Han won''t offend anyone around.


    "Hmm¡­ it seems like you three are asking if I have an idea to hatch that egg am I right?" Fafnir beat Eli with his words as he looked at the boys and Wisey''s egg with a profound expression.


    "Yessh¡­ gwanpa¡­ pleezze help Johann¡­" Little Han answered with his childish voice while his face was wearing a dead serious expression, just like how Calderon and Elifas nodded in seriousness.


    "This¡­" Eli was shocked and taken aback. She did not quite know how to react at the moment as this was the very first time her son pulled something like this without her knowing. She looked at the Grandchief nervously and then at the people around.


    "Hahaha! Alright then, I''ll help you because you called me grandpa! You know how to charm an old bone like me eh¡­" Grand Chief Fafnir chuckled as he looked at Little Han dotingly. He was clearly pleased with the way Little Han asked for a favor.


    In the end, even after he saw something that he did not expect to see at all, he set that aside to help the innocent child. Besides, it seems like his grandson and Eirllon''s grandson help him set this moment up as well.


    "Well then, let''s talk about it in the study. Young Lady Eli and Little Han, I invite you to my study and discuss the hatching of this egg first. After that, we will go back to our discussion aboutst night''s concern." He announced.


    The adults understood Chief Fafnir''s announcement and so as soon as they finished the meal, everyone excused themselves while Eli and Little Han followed Fafnir and Alynne obediently.


    "Come¡­" Alynne looked at them with a smile as she invited them to Fafnir''s study.


    When everyone settled down, Fafnir and Alynne asked Eli about the origin of the egg to which she briefly exined how Wisey became injured and has been lying dormant since then.


    While she was doing that, she did not miss the attention the old couple was giving not to the egg, but to the dragon nest itself.


    Sensing their emotions, Eli also told them that someone from the knights gave it to Little Han upon knowing that he wanted to hatch Wisey''s egg.


    When they heard it, the old couple''s bodies jolted but their facial expressions remained calm.


    "Well¡­ actually your spirit beast was not far from waking up as I can see¡­" Fafnir also sensed that Eli could have figured out something and so he set aside his turmoil for a moment and focused on the little one''s ''trouble'' at the moment.


    "She is about to wake up?" Eli looked at Fafnir with Little Han on herp, her face was of confusion and disbelief.


    "Well she was indeed in a dormant state and she needed a lot of spiritual and heat energy to hatch. But the conditions were already achieved except for one.


    That is to use something that belongs to her world to help her crack the eggshell!"

 Chapter 509 Welcome Back Wisey (4)

    ?"Use something that belongs to her world¡­" Eli repeated the elder''s words in a mumble. The first thing she thought was the book of knowledge, however she frowned.


    If she takes out the book of knowledge, then its existence will be revealed and she does not know what consequences it will bring.


    Apart from Leon and Kayden, she preferred not to have a fourth person to know the existence of the book as of the moment.


    "Mommi~ Mommi!!! Stwaff! The stwaff!!" Little Han saw his mommy''s troubled expression and gently patted her.


    His eyes twinkled excitedly as he suggested using the staff.


    "The staff?" Eli suddenly remembered the staff which was an artifact used by Asa who was also from the heavenly realm. "That''s right! My baby is so brilliant!"


    Eli lifted Little Han and kissed his cheeks in happiness. Not only did Little Han solve her dilemma about keeping the book''s secrecy, it was also the perfect tool to use as everyone in the Green Wave institute knows of the existence of the staff and has consented to Chief Eirrlon giving the staff to her, the only Asani left.


    Eli then ced Little Hand on her side then took Asa''s staff out of her space pouch. "Grand Chief, we shall use this item as they are of the same nature as my spirit beast."


    Grandchief Fafnir and Grandma Alynne did not get surprised to see the staff on Eli''s hand, after all they knew that the Guardians of the Earth, Seas, and Wind have already hinted their rtionship with her.


    "Then it shall be used, Lady Eli." Grandchief Fafnir waved his hands and instructed Eli and Little Han on how to wake her up.


    "You shall sincerely call her forth while striking the shell lightly, no need to use your physical strength as it is not necessary."


    "Alright¡­" Eli nodded and looked at Little Han with a gentle smile.


    She could not help but be moved when she realized Little Han''s intention, this little man infront of her is really one of a kind.


    "My love, shall we call Wisey together and wake her up?" She asked.


    "Yesh, mommi!" Little Han bobbed his chubby head, nodding eagerly. He moved to clumsily climb on her mother''sp.


    "Are both of you ready?" Alynne and Fafnir asked, deeply warmed by the delicate interaction of the mother and child.


    "Yes/Yesh!" They both answered.


    Then with Grand Chief Fafnir''s signal Eli lifted the staff a little bit and called Wisey''s name along with Little Han.


    "Wisey, time to wake up!"


    "Sisi, wakey wakey!"


    Ting!


    A sound of a bell being hit rang on Eli and Little Han''s ears. Instantly the daylight that amply illuminates the room became so dullpared to the light that came out between the cracks that were slowly appearing on Wisey''s egg.


    The four could not contain the excessive brightness of the golden light and closed their eyes. Eli held Little Han''s hands and instinctively embraced him to protect him from the excessive light.


    The bright golden lightpletely washed out their vision as they were doused by a gentle and energizing light.


    "Whew~~ finally I am out!!!" As the light subsided, the four heard a childish yet yful voice in their midst.


    "Sisi!!!" Before the adults could recover from the temporary impairment of their vision, Little Han had already seen Wisey out of her shell and happily called her name.


    "Ohhh, little prince master! You''ve grown up so well~~~" Finally when they saw a barn owl swiftly flying towards Little Han, they could finally confirm that the spirit beast was awake.


    Little Han hugged Wisey''s little owl body while she, on the other hand, rubbed her heartshaped face into his chubby cheeks affectionately.


    At some point Eli also summoned Baobao and both of them weed Wisey back, "Wee back Wisey!"


    Eli could not help but feel her eyes sting in the tears threatening to fall when she saw her very first buddy finally around, with her same yful nature.


    It''s just a shame that Leon is not around, otherwise, her family would be finallyplete.


    The elders smiled as they allowed the four to have their emotional reunion. But after a considerable amount of time, Grand Chief Fafnir gave her a signal.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Understanding it, Eli asked Baobao and Wisey to take Little Han out to go while she remained inside to talk about some matters.


    While they were waiting for Kayden, Grand Chief Fafnir and Grandma Alynne could now finally show the ripples in their eyes and looked at the now-emptied dragon nest that looked like it lost its purpose.


    "Youngdy¡­ the nest¡­" They finally set aside their pride and asked.


    "As I have said earlier, this dragon nest is given by a knight. Although I very much wanted to tell you all the specifics as a way of saying thanks, the identity of the person is a sensitive one. I also do not know if I am in the right position to divulge information about them."


    Eli shook her head and answered the question they obviously wanted to ask. "The most that I can say is that they belong to my fiance''s knight corps. Other than that, I am afraid that I would have to ignore my morals if I did say more."


    She was firm in her decision as she respected the people under Leon''s wings. The crimson des were all of different background and descent but it was kept hidden from the public.


    That was because, except for Olivier, the rest of the Crimson des were the children that were captured to be potion eaters, experiment subjects, and pill testers by the Spectres who had taken root in the empire.


    It was also the same reason why they were significantly stronger than their registered mage sses. If this was known to the public, not only will they be terrified but they might also ignite some ideas in their minds and do as the evil did to them.


    That''s why, before these children were released to have a chance to live their new life, all of the traces of their origin and their descent were taken away. For some, they were even using a long-term disguise to hide the qualities that would identify them as people with abnormal identities.


    That is why, Eli does not dare to say anything about any of them, probably only Olivier''s identity can be discussed.


    When they heard that the person who owned the dragon nest is under Leon, they no longer persuaded Eli to tell more as they knew about the reputation of Leon''s Crimson des.


    "No, we understand, Lady¡­" Alynn tried to calm herself down and looked at Eli gratefully.


    She knew that Eli had alreadypromised by lowering their scope of the investigation as the Crimson des were only twenty-three people including Leon.


    "Onest thing to know about mydy¡­ that person¡­ did he have a good life under the Third Prince?" Fafnir''s voice quivered as he asked the question, but he still persisted toplete his inquiry.


    Eli smiled and looked at the dragon nest, ze and the faces of the members of the Crimson de Knights appeared in her mind as she replied,


    "I guess so¡­ because if he was not, then he would have not be selfless enough to dote on my son and give him this nest¡­ the only remembrance of his identity and his forgotten past¡­"


    She believed that the Crimson des were happy with their new lease on life because if not, they will not find in their hearts to sincerely love Little Han beyond his identity.


    "I see¡­ I see.. Thank heavens¡­" Fafnir and Alynne tried not to cry as they still have to face another subject matter to discuss, but the expression on their faces hinted to Eli that a portion of the burden in their heart was relieved.


    Fortunately, the elder couple managed to calm their emotions before Kayden arrived. With that, the four once again adjusted their state of mind and discussed the matters of the Main Temple and the war.


    ¨C


    While this was transpiring, the family of three, Calderon, Shesha, and Fabio were also in a tense situation.


    Calderon followed her mother and father who were visibly shaken upon the sight of the dragon nest.


    ''I knew it, my mom was shaken! She must have been hurt by my father''s infidelity!''


    ''How could he have another dragon nest when I am his only son?!''


    ''Now my mother is in pain!'' Calderon clenched his fist very tightly and tried to bottle up his emotions until they reached their own private lounge.


    But as soon as they stepped into the private lounge, Calderon did not even have the chance tosh out at his father when Sesha copsed to the ground and wailed in heartbreak.


    "Fabio¡­ oh Fabio¡­ that nest¡­ my eyes did not fool me, right? That nest¡­ that was the nest we made for our firstborn¡­ Abeloth!"


    "Yes¡­ my heart¡­ it is definitely Abeloth''s nest¡­ We cannot be mistaken about it¡­" Fabio replied, this time his eyes were also drowned in tears.


    Behind them, Calderon froze as his mind buzzed,


    ''What are they saying? Firstborn?''


    ''Aren''t I the only offspring my mom and dad gave birth to?''

 Chapter 510 Hidden Wounds Of The Past

    ?"Mother, Father¡­ What is all of this? Please, tell me what in the world is happening?"


    "Is it because of that nest?"


    "Is it because Father had an offspring from someone other than you that you are crying like this?"


    Calderon''s mind was full of questions and confusion. He was by nature a very levelheaded person but this time, he really needed someone to make him understand what was really the truth.


    Only when Fabio heard Calderon''s words that he was able to finally figure out why his son was acting strangely all this time.


    Yes, how could he, someone who has been with Little Han for several days not think of such an untoward thing the moment he saw a dragon nest with his father''s aura?


    Besides, Calderon grew up knowing that he is the only child they bore.


    That is why the first thing he concluded was his ''infidelity''.


    Fabio did not feel wronged, instead, he felt guilty about Calderon''s misunderstanding. His son was still young and to be confronted by such a fact without even knowing the truth, must have tormented him quite painfully.


    Realizing this, Fabio''s anger that had umted earlier was washed away. He sighed and coaxed Shesha to sit on the chair while also directing his son to calm down and listen to what he was about to say.


    Calderon clenched his fist and could only follow as his father directed. He waited for his mother to calm down patiently as he knew that his Father would never talk until he was able to calm her down.


    After some time, the wailing softened. Finally, only the asional sniffs could be heard in the private lounge.


    When Shesha was able toe back to her senses she saw Calderon''s confused and troubled expression. She looked at Fabio who seemed to have also figured out their son''s emotions and felt guilty.


    "Son we¡­" Shesha opened her mouth trying to find the words to finally discuss the matter, but she was really not in the right frame of mind to think and could only awkwardly utter these words and stop right after.


    "I first saw the nest in Little Han''s possession, he was trying to hatch the egg. At first, I was only surprised to see him with a dragon''s nest.


    But the moment I went near and managed to touch the nest I felt Father''s aura in it." Since his parents could not say anything even after calming down, Calderon took a deep breath and exined his side of the story.


    "All my life I knew that I was the only son whom you have brought forth, but at the moment I wondered, why is there a dragon''s nest with my father''s aura in it?


    Why would my father create a nest which came from his own precious scales and appear in the hands of Little Han, a human?"


    "I thought of many things but none of them make sense, except for the possibility of Father having a child outside of marriage. Upon investigating, I found out from Little Han that the owner of the nest was from this father''s knight corps.


    Then, I nned everything and managed to get Little Han to convince his parents to allow him toe here willingly.


    I want to know the truth, even if it means that I have tricked a one-year-old toddler toe and stay in this unfamiliar ce to be left by his parents alone, on his own ord."


    Calderon looked at his parents, telling them everything that he did for him to get to this point. Even the unpleasant motive of approaching Little Han was courageously revealed by him.


    All along he did not intend to hide the matter, instead, he wanted his parents to know what kind of person he has be because of this matter.


    Fabio could no longer let the matter be unspoken and so even as he choked while listening to his son''s words, he knew that telling him the hurtful truth is inevitable. The only concern for him was Shesha''s emotions, for what he is about to say might make her even more emotional.


    Shesha saw the reluctance in Fabio''s eyes and understood him. She held her hand and uttered, "I can''t bear to say it, but he has to know¡­"


    "Sigh¡­" Fabio took a deep breath and finally looked at his son with a vulnerable explosion. Gone was the fierce demeanor he had shown to him earlier in the morning.


    "It is not what you think it is, and it was purely a misunderstanding. We are guilty about not telling you the matter because we ourselves were still unable topletely heal from the incident of the past¡­" He exined with a pained expression.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I apologize, son, for we have left you in the dark¡­ but contrary to what you have always thought, you are not the only offspring we were able to bear. Our firstborn, your elder brother¡­ he is the owner of that very nest.


    We have conceived him more than fifty years ago which made your mom and I extremely excited.


    It was our very first time bearing offspring and everything about parenting is something new to us. Thus we poured out all our efforts and care in order for him to safely hatch.


    However, who could have known, we will lose him after eight years of carefully raising him¡­ just because of our one careless action."


    Calderon''s entire being was overwhelmed with the revtion¡­ he could not quite process everything about the misunderstanding and the fact that he is supposed to have an elder brother.


    However, he kept silent and allowed his parents to talk about what happened as he was sensitive enough to feel that just discussing this matter forced his parents to open a deep painful wound.


    "That time, it was the Grand Tournament, as we have raised him dotingly, he was quite a willful child and we only wanted him to have everything he wanted. So when he requested that we take him to the Vanderford Territory to watch the tournament, we happily obliged.


    We thought that it would just be a normal excursion for our family until the day we attended a banquet which obviously did not allow children like your brother at the time.


    He insisted oning, but because it was simply not allowed, we could only leave him in anger to his guards and nannies. Who knew that he would take it to himself to sneak out?


    When we realized that he was gone, it was already toote. None of the adults in the ce were in the right mind as they just came from merry-making. We tried to search all over but to no avail. Even the Emperor of the Vanderford mobilized everyone but it seemed like he disappeared out of nowhere.


    We never stopped searching for him, but as we do, our guilt and the realization of our failure as a parent caused us to be like this.


    Because of our negligence and overindulgence, we have not helped your brother to think sensibly and rationally at the time, causing him to meet such an unfortunate fate.


    We can''t me anyone but ourselves and allowed this guilt to torture us for many years. We did not even dare to conceive another offspring, but then, fourteen years ago, we finally mustered the courage to think of being a parent once again¡­


    With your grandma and grandpa''s guidance and support, we finally tried and birthed you. But even after you sessfully hatched, your mother and I still do not dare to talk about your elder brother.


    I am sure that everyone in the vige also does not dare to¡­ because it has indeed caused us a lot of pain¡­" Fabio closed his eyes as he trembled in emotions.


    He remembered his firstborn, Abeloth''s face and a sharp searing pain struck the depths of his soul. It turns out, the pain of the past had not healed the slightest and would expose itself this way.


    "Calderon¡­ our son... We are so sorry¡­ We have kept you in the dark¡­" Shesha could only reach out to Calderon''s hands and rub them guiltily.


    Calderon closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down, no wonder he always thought that his parents were quite different from the others.


    Since childhood, they never spoiled him and even taught him things like values and more at a very young age. In the end, he was too mature for his age and was not able to have close peers in the dragon vige.


    It was only when he became part of the elite ss in the Green Wave institute that he met like-minded kids like him and Elifas that he managed to have some sort of peer interaction.


    As he remained quiet thinking about the information his parents revealed, he finally realized a crucial point that made his mind turn into a jumble once again.


    "Wait.. if that was fifty years ago, then there is no way that he was one of the Third Prince''s men, for all of them were men under 30!" Calderon asked


    "Truth be told, the blood resonance we have on your elder brother waspletely extinguished twenty years after his disappearance. That meant that he was no more.


    But seeing that his nest is able to survive when he had already perished, meant that before he died, he was able to pass this to another.


    Although this was kind of far-fetched, I am bold to assume one possibility¡­ Son, you might possibly have a nephew¡­" Fabio straightforwardly said.

 Chapter 511 Infiltration (1)

    ?"How could it be? Does that mean that the current owner of the nest is his offspring?" Calderon asked clearly if he was still disoriented by the words he was hearing at the moment.


    "Unless your elder brother needlessly gave the nest to someone for an important reason, the nest would apany him to death.


    You know that the nest is a part of you and a testament to your identity so any dragon would never carelessly leave the nest to someone unless that someone is their offspring or family." Fabio exined patiently.


    "Fabio, this is not right, we must tell father about this! We must see four ourselves if that person was our kin! Let''s go to the Seirende Continent!" Shesha tugged Fabio''s hand and anxiously said.


    "..." Fabio did not answer right away. While it was no big deal for them toe to Seirende, he knew that the person they were looking for was currently on war. The only way to see him is to go to the battlefield themselves.


    Calderon also said nothing, for it was his parent''s decision whether to pursue the matter or not. As for him, he still needs toe to terms with the truth that he had an elder brother.


    "We''ll talk to father and mother in a while¡­" In the end, Fabio could only dy the matter to appease Shesha''s emotions.


    The matter of Calderon''s family was slowly revealed, so the time for Eli and Kayden toe to the main temple approached.


    With the discussion they had with the elder dragon and Emperor Valentin, Eli and Kayden heaved a sigh of relief.


    "It''s good that the Emperor believed what we have said and immediately sent more forces to quickly reinforce the battle in the destends," Elimented as they talked in the lounge.


    "We are not to dy our matters. The sooner we resolve our matters with the main Temple, the sooner we can help Leon and the rest win the war." Kayden looked at Eli meaningfully, it was because their departure would also mean another important matter.


    "But is your heart ready to live Little Han?" He asked worriedly.


    "I can''t bear to say I am ready¡­ but I deeply understand that the more we dy, the more we will wait to see our fellow men fall in vain." Eli shook her head, sporting a defeated look.


    "I understand¡­" Kayden could only rub his sister''s head infort as he deeply sympathized with her. Little Han is also dear to him, his only nephew. But to leave him is the way for them to guarantee that his future would be peaceful and free of evil curse users.


    "We must end this thousand-year-long war once and all!" Eli''s dark obsidian eyes shed a determined look.


    The two followed up on their decisions and informed the chief that they will leave the next night.


    ¨C


    Present time.


    The night was already deep when Eli and Kayden reached the depth of the forest surrounding the main temple.


    "It''s this point where the blueprint said that was most secluded. We will stay here for the night while we wait for the news." Kayden looked around and told Eli.


    "Alright¡­" Eli understood what Kayden meant and immediately summoned her earth fairies.


    Using her mana carefully so as to not create a great fluctuation to rm the people in the main temple, Eli slowly summoned her earth fairies one by one.


    It was a slow process, but to make sure that their presence was not revealed too early, they had to move patiently.


    Finally, after an hour, all the earth fairies were summoned.


    Usually, the earth fairies would appear so brightly like little fireflies but with Eli''s instruction, all of them took forms of different insects like moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, and even mosquitoes. The other group also disguised themselves as unsuspecting dried leaves, dandelions, or weed.


    When Kayden saw this, he could not help but feel amused. Fairies in general loved to appear pretty and beautiful, but when Eli instructed them to disguise themselves as creatures they would never want to turn to themselves, they did notin and immediately turned to one.


    Only Eli could be this kind of master to a hundred earth fairies who loved beauty!


    "Your task is to slowly approach the inner vicinity of the main temple and sense how many people we should be wary of.


    Do not be impatient and careless to approach deeper, we had to make sure that none of them noticed that there was someone watching." Eli instructed with a serious tone,pletely oblivious to Kayden''s thoughts.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    There was a silent buzz in the air before the presence of the earth fairies slowly dispersed.


    "Eli chan~ since when did you take a hundred pretty ones to substitute for me???" While watching the entire matter, Wisey could not help but scoot closer on Eli''s shoulders. She stretched one of her wings and lifted it to cover her mouth like she was gossiping something with Eli as she asked this question.


    Eli could only roll her eyes at Wisey''s teasing, it seems like her contracted spirit only improved her appearance but not her yful carefree character¡­ sigh.


    After ensuring that she could feel the presence of every earth fairy moving around, Eli signaled Kayden that the matter is finally done.


    Kayden looked at the trees around and chose a good tree for Eli to stay in. He chose a wide-bodied tree and asked if Eli is alright to stay in the tree.


    "This tree is fine¡­" Eli nodded, she had already been mentally prepared for this kind of life moving forward.


    In fact, she even specifically asked the Forgeworns to make her and Kayden a few sets of camouge uniforms to help them disguise well in the forest. She used her devourer powers to propel herself and climb on top of the tree.


    Then taking out her own sleeping bag, she looked for afortable tree branch to lean on and prepared to sleep.


    Kayden also did the same. At first, he was worried about Eli having a hard time living like this in the forest but seeing here up with the idea of the uniform, even the sleeping bag, and other camping materials, he felt relieved.


    He did not forget to set a small array on the tree they were in to avoid the animals approaching their tree and also decrease their presence even more.


    Just like that, they lived in the forest for two more days until they felt that they already had enough information about the entire vicinity.


    "I have sent a message to Nalu and the rest." Kayden nced at Eli with an assuring look.


    "Shall we go?" Eli asked, her tone and expression turned cold and serious.


    "We shall not dy any more," Kayden replied in agreement.


    The two traversed around the forest and moved on to the target location where they wanted to infiltrate.


    Contrary to what they expected, it was easier for them to infiltrate in the daytime instead of nighttime. That is because they have found that the temple mysteriously has more ''activities'' to do in the evening than during the day.


    Combining the information they have received from the Roaming des prior to their journey and the earth fairies, they found out that the Temple has been recruiting new ''servants'' once every month.


    Luckily for them, they were just in time for the next recruitment and managed to infiltrate the roster of servants and rece them.


    As for the two innocent people who were reced, Eli and Kayden had Nalu and the rest send them back to the nearest human shore, with a pouch of Shinies on their hands and a blurred memory of what happened to them.


    "Take this and put your things in there¡­" After ''taking care'' of the people whom they reced, Kayden remembered something and gave a piece of ''scrap metal'' turned into an ornament to Eli.


    "This?" Eli was curious as she looked at Kayden questioningly.


    Kayden took out a simr-looking scrap metal ornament too and pinned it under the button of his clothes before he exined, "I have refined the two space rings with us and turned it into something like this so that none would suspect that we carry our own space."


    "For sure, they will search our pouches upon entry and so just leave out the ordinary looking one as I have told you before, and use the ring to ce the important things. This way, they will not notice that we were even carrying something they wanted to possess."


    "I see!" Eli finally understood and was rather amazed by Kayden''s talent in refining the space.


    It was written in the journal how hard it is for the Asani ancestor to refine the rings, but Kayden only took less than a month to use the rings to their advantage.


    "Let''s go¡­" Kayden looked at their point of entry and signaled Eli.


    The two slowly approached the anxious new recruits in a shaded yard in front of the back gate of the temple.

 Chapter 512 Infiltration (2)

    ?"Boris and Kana, where did you suddenly go?" When Kayden and Eli sneakily came back to where the servants were waiting for the gate to open, a petite young man with fluffy curly hair approached them worriedly.


    "I thought the two of you would back out¡­ luckily you guys came back." The young man said while heaving a sigh of relief. "If you guys would go, then I''ll be in trouble with the boss¡­ after all, I saved these spots for you because you told me you needed money for your brother''s medication."


    "We won''t back out¡­ we just strolled around trying our luck for some fruits in the forest." Kayden mimicked how Boris the ''elder brother'' would talk and answered with an expression that indicated that he was quite hungry.


    "I see¡­ but I must tell you, don''t wander deeper in the forest. The temple does not allow loitering after all¡­" The young man said.


    When the petite young man finished what he was about to say, he then nagged them for a little bit then he finally walked to take a look at the other new recruits.


    Apparently, the original Boris and Kana begged the guy to give them two of the servant slots so that they can finance the medications of their little brother.


    Unfortunately, these siblings did not even think that there is something shady about the temple frequently recruiting new servants every month.


    This rate of recruitment even bested the frequency of recruitment of an imperial family. How could they be so extravagant?


    After some time the gates finally opened. Eli and Kayden taking the name of Boris and Kara finally saw a middle-aged Temple Cleric scanning her eyes around the people waiting outside.


    The petite man gathered his new recruits around and presented them to the Temple Cleric. The middle-aged woman swept her eyes to the servants around. All in all, there were about twenty new recruits who stood up quite stiffly under her gaze.


    Eli and Kayden also tried to blend as much as they could by being as nervous and excited as the other recruits were.


    After being under the scrutinizing gaze of the woman, she finally gave a satisfied nod before she asked her assistants to take the recruits inside while she went to the petite man to talk about some matters.


    With the temple assistants leading them ahead, Eli, Kayden, and the rest of the recruits were brought to a backward-looking area where there were busy working stations around.


    There were several lines of servants going around too busy to mind the new recruits around.


    "This is the area where you are working from now on. You are expected to join the rankster on after you change to your uniforms.


    Work well and you will have the chance to enter the main temple and serve the priests and even the pope directly in the future¡­ Your quarters will be behind this courtyard." One of the assistants exined them.


    Then at his signal, there was another row of servants approaching them, they were carrying several sets of clothing appropriate for the lowest type of servant in the temple.


    "Change quickly in the quarters behind and meet me as soon as you can¡­ I will get you acquainted with the work sections you will be assigned today onwards. Also, call me line leader as I will be in charge of training this entire work area."


    "Yes, Line Leader¡­" Eli and the rest obediently followed their line leader''s instructions and went to the quarters.


    The quarters for the male and females were separate however because the entire courtyard is dpidated the segregation does not mean much.


    Eli and the rest of the female recruits had to take turns covering the broken wall separating the male and female rooms until all of them managed to change into their working clothes.


    Eli and Kayden did not forget to pin their normal-looking ornament somewhere in their bodies. As the line leaders instructed that they change and leave their old clothes behind, they tried to figure out how to retain this single piece of ornament without letting the others know.


    In the end, they pinned it on their shoes, and the repurposed space rings looked like shoe buckles and lookedpletely normal and necessary on their peasant footwear.


    When they were done, they met the line leader again and they walked around the entire courtyard.


    Eli and Kayden observed the kind of work the recruits were about to do.


    It was quite ''simple'' and ''unsuspecting'' as all the courtyard was doing was the production of temple potions and blessing items.


    To make it more unsuspecting, there were groups separated ording to their tasks and their job would be passed on to another team who would process their work further.


    Some of them were assigned to segregate the herbs and deliver the ''high'' quality ones to another team while keeping the others to be pounded into a paste.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The other teams were tasked to mix the pastes that were made by the different herb groups and were instructed to mix them ording to the proportion.


    After mixing they will be poured into a vat and will be delivered to another batch and so on¡­ However, in the end, none of them have ever seen what the final product of their work was.


    This was also the same with the men who were assigned to craft some ''temple artifacts'' some would be assigned to extract a certain type of metal and refine it to ingots.


    Those ingots were then delivered to the inner temple for further processing.


    Looking at the workers, they really did not have any idea what kind of things they were actually doing.


    But to Eli and Kayden who have dabbled in potion making and research, their hearts turned cold.


    Because the herbs and the metal mixture these workers were doing were all the raw materials needed to create the purple poison ball, the berserk potion for the hell wolves, and even some recognizable mysterious artifacts they have all confiscated during thest war.


    They were all made in the Main Temple!


    The weapons of the curse users!


    Eli and Kayden nced at each other but they did not dare to leak any one of their emotions in their actions and expression.


    They could feel that the Cleric and even the Line leader were extremely wary people. If they carelessly show any points of suspicion, Eli and Kayden might be discovered earlier than expected.


    As they continued their tour, the line leader left the recruits one by one on their assigned workers. None of them were assigned to the same group, probably to avoid talking about work when they were already done for the day.


    What''s more, they would have to stay in the quarters their group was assigned to. Thus, there is less chance for them to talk about the happenings in the work area.


    Most importantly, this would also hinder the workers in figuring out what kind of things they were actually making.


    Kayden was eventually assigned to the minting section while Eli was assigned to the most hazardous tasks in the production line - mixing the ingredients of the positions ording to the form.


    When Eli entered the work site, the nauseating odor of the scent of thousands of herbs being mixed almost made her vomit on the spot.


    "It''s normal to vomit, but you have to make sure to be used to it within three days at most¡­ or else we will have to send you back to our ce." The line leader saw Eli''s reaction and was not surprised.


    It was as if he had already expected Eli to experience it; however, there was no trace of sympathy in his eyes. It was as if he was already looking at a dead person.


    "Master, this ce is so sinister! Look at the workers, they were pale! Their lips and nails were already turning purple! Clearly, they are poisoned!" Wisey did not emerge but she was able tomunicate with Eli mentally.


    "Master, Wisey is right¡­ this¡­ ce ¡­ is not good¡­ it makes me sick¡­" Baobao''s struggling voice was also heard.


    Eli was reminded that Baobao''s sense of smell was terrifyingly stronger. One could only imagine the torment Baobao was experiencing at the moment.


    "Summon back yourself to Little Han''s side. I''ll summon you back once Big Brother and I manage to go away to this ce." Elimunicated to Baobao as she was afraid that he would be injured if he insisted to be active on her side.


    "But master¡­. what if the enemies suddenly went on your side¡­when I was not around?"


    "Don''t worry I, the great cure Wisey is here! Didn''t I tell you, my spiritual senses have improved by leaps and bounds? I can at least detect if there was a cursed user near Eli chan!" Wisey also persuaded Baobao to cut off his spiritual connection to Eli''s side temporarily.


    "Wisey is right¡­ go now Baobao¡­" Eli could only coax the worried panda to back out.


    "... okay Master¡­ thank you¡­"Baobao weakly replied and in an instant, his presence had already gone to Little Han''s side.

 Chapter 513 Infiltration (3)

    ?When Eli made sure that Baobao had beenpletely transferred to Little Han''s side, she then turned her attention to the line leader who was looking at her in disdain.


    "C-can I at least wear something to cover my nose when I work?" Eli tried to appear so miserable and timid as she pleaded with the leader. It appeared as if she would be knocked unconscious at any minute.


    The line leader rolled his eyes and looked at her in disdain before he answered, "Just do what you can to be ustomed to this environment. If not, we will send you out of the temple¡­"


    "Thank you¡­ line leader¡­" Eli acted as if she was granted a great gift as she thanked him in relief.


    The line leader then called the most senior woman in the group and introduced Eli as a new member of the work area. The people looked around but they were not really surprised to see another one joining them.


    Everyone seemed to be ustomed to seeing a new member joining them each month so they did not see Eli''s arrival as unusual.


    "Wee to the mixing section¡­ You can just call me Ada, I''ve been here for eight months¡­" The woman, who looked thin and sallow, coupled with the fact that there were already signs of purple poison in her skin and nails, greeted Eli rather gently.


    She took Eli to go around the entire area and introduced her to each of the women working in the mixing section.


    "That''s Lily, Roe, Sonya, Mara, Kashi, and Daisy¡­ each of them joined a few months ago, just like you... We all receive new members every month."


    Eli greeted them timidly and smiled, the other women also smiled at her, but it was obvious that they weren''t looking good because of the surroundings.


    "W-what shall I do from this point onwards?" Eli asked in a shy manner as she looked around. It was nearing noon but the seven women seemed to have not even slowed down for lunch.


    "I shall then bring you to your new work area¡­ each of us is assigned to create a certain mixture and we are toplete our work before the third hour till noon¡­ only after that will we be able to go out, take a bath and eat." Ada then led her to her new workstation, which was coincidentally near her.


    "We usually assign the new ones here¡­ This way you can get ustomed to mixing and would eventually be able to rotate with others to mix other potion ingredients.


    Don''t worry about how strong the odor of this work area is¡­ our team is actually the group who had the fastest rate of promotions aspared to the other area¡­" Ada exined.


    "That''s right¡­ in fact, we are anticipating Ada would be promoted as soon as next month¡­ then it will be my turn to teach the newbie!" Lily heard our conversation and chimed in excitedly.


    The mention of promotions seemed to have livened up the gloomy mood of the women, it seems like the ''promotion'' is something that they all look forward to.


    Ada gave a shy smile and continued, "Aside from the promotion, our team also has the easiest job. Once weplete all our mixing, we can already go back to our quarters and be free for the rest of the day. We do not need to wait for the sun to set before we go home."


    The other women agreed and felt that they were lucky. Other than the strong odor of countless herb pastes they were mixing around, they felt that they were really having it easy aspared to the otherborers.


    "I-is that so?" Eli pulled a relieved smile, but her heart was broken for the seven women who werepletely oblivious to the fact that their work was actually the deadliest one!


    Eli even thought that those who got promoted were brought somewhere unreachable to die there quietly.


    Looking closely at Ada''s entire condition, even if she was not a doctor like Kayden, she could actually tell that the poison in her body would start to rpse soon.


    ''Not good¡­ I can''t let the people around me die like this¡­'' Eli felt conflicted. The reason she infiltrated the temple was for the greater good. But if she did nothing to the people in front of her, then what was she here for?


    And so she decided to do something to at least dy the effects of poison in her co-worker''s body, after all, she still had to take time to wait for a chance to infiltrate the main temple.


    ''Let''s start by creating a mask and gloves¡­'' Eli thought to herself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With Ada and Lily''s help, Eli manages to finish her quota for the day. The women were equally happy because they saw that Eli was a fast learner. They expected to finish everything just before the deadline approached, but they never thought that Eli would get everything within an hour.


    Although they do not know that Eli just wanted them to end early so that she could minimize their exposure to the poisonous fumes around them.


    The women happily went out carrying the vats of mixture they just finished and loaded them onto the cart bound to the next workstation. After that, they dragged Eli to their quarters.


    After bathing and cleaning themselves, they proceeded to the kitchen to get their food. Eli was surprised that the food was still hot when they got their rations.


    She thought that the kitchen might have anticipated that their group was always thest to get their meals due to their schedule.


    When they finished, the group of women were now rolling on their wooden beds and started to ask Eli about who she was and how she came to the temple.


    Eli also managed to know the stories of these people. Ada and Lily were newly wedded women who thought of helping their husbands raise the family by being a servant in the temple. The rest were still youngdies but they were forced to serve in the temple because of poverty.


    Eli sighed as she listened to their stories. In the end, what they thought was hope for their miserable life was actually something that would lead them to eternal disasters.


    After some talk the other women went around when the evening approached, they liked to go out and talk to the other co-workers around as almost all of them came from the same continent- Vandeford.


    Eli on the other hand remained in their quarters and started to get some materials to create a makeshift mask and working gloves.


    She made it so that the other women also caught a glimpse of what she was doing so as to not make them surprised at what she would be wearing tomorrow.


    When they were totally gone, Eli moved to take out rubber materials and embedded them inside the leather gloves. Rubber gloves are not yet popr at the moment and so Eli could only conceal it as a middleyer for the leather gloves.


    After all, what she wanted was just to make sure that the women won''t use their bare hands to touch the mixture as it was directly poisonous.


    On the working masks, she took out the modern masks that they found in the Asani ancestorboratory, and just like the leather gloves, she also covered the otheryer with a breathable mesh tapestry that was not eye-catching and appropriate to their peasant clothing.


    When she was done, she sneakily moved to the drinking water vat and diluted the purest cure potion she had at the moment. This is to slowly cure the curse effect that was umted on their bodies. Her, since she only had a few contacts, she only dared to drink the cure potion and ask Kayden for the antidote.


    Eli then moved with the workers during dinner time, telling them that she had to look at her brother and ask about his situation. Her coworkers did not mind and allowed her because it was still her first day in the temple.


    "Brother¡­" Eli slowly approached Kayden and talked about their day. When everyone was not paying attention, they started to speak their codes that appeared as if they were just having small talk.


    Eli reported that the station that she was assigned to was for creating purple curse bombs and other sinister potions.


    Kayden discretely checked Eli''s condition and took into consideration the form that Eli managed to copy into the workstation files through the power of the book of knowledge.


    "This ''ce'' haspletely turned away from the ''sky''! How could they let the ''pasture'' be destroyed by the ''fire'' and let the ''flock'' die?"


    Meaning: [The main temple becamepletely sinister, how can they allow the holy temple to be defiled and even killed innocent people?!]


    Kayden could not help but let out his frustration as he took a close look at the herbs being processed in the work area.


    Clearly, the main temple had long turned evil, even luring people to participate in their evil works and letting them die without knowing how!

 Chapter 514 Infiltration (4)

    ?"We shall do our best to make sure the ''pasture can recover'', we have to prepare as the ''spring time'' is still far in sight¡­" Eli answered.


    [We must strive to get inside as soon as possible so that we can still save these people and the temple. The war will only stop if we manage to discover and destroy the root.]


    "Alright¡­ we''ll definitely do as you said¡­" Kayden nodded in agreement.


    In the end, the two went back to their respective quarters. Before Eli stepped inside, she made sure that she took the antidote given to him by Kayden.


    "You''re finally back¡­" Ada and the rest of the girls looked at Eli and smiled. "Rest early so that we can start fresh tomorrow."


    "Alright¡­" Eli replied rather gently. She moved to her bed and finally took out the makeshift gloves and masks to give to thedies.


    "As a wee gift to everyone, I created these facemasks and working gloves for everyone. It''s not that beautiful but I hope it will help you¡­"


    Eli looked at them timidly and exined rather shyly. She was like a pure naive youngdy who just wanted the people around her to be happy.


    The women did not reject Eli''s kindness. In fact, they were quite happy to see that the new recruit thought of them nicely and even prepared gifts. With bright smiles on their faces, they got a pair of gloves and a pair of masks.


    They tried wearing it and were surprised at howfortable they were. They praised Eli and thanked her sincerely. Only then did they finally sleep with excited eyes, clearly they cannot wait to use the items Eli gave to them the next day.


    Eli looked at them and sighed in her heart. If she manages to infiltrate sooner, she can prevent the inevitable for these poor women. But she did not know how many days it would take for her and Kayden to do so.


    Before she went to bend, she made a mental note to create more masks and gloves for them to use at least prior to moving on to their mission.


    The next day came quickly. Eli and the women went to the kitchen to hastily take their meals. Then they moved to their work area where the raw materials were already delivered in front of their courtyard.


    Ada and the rest very naturally moved and carried the heavy herb past vats inside. Eli also followed the suit. Because she was a devourer and her body was trained, she did not even feel the weight of these vats while the others were already red in struggling.


    Eli felt bad for the women and so she told them to wait on their workstations while she carried the vats inside.


    "No little one, we are all workers here, we share the same burden¡­" Ada and the rest quickly turned down Eli''s suggestion.


    But Eli insisted by saying, "It''s fine. I am the youngest and my body is still quite agile. Just wait at your workstations and prepare, that way you no longer have to think of going back and forth after finishing one mixture."


    And so thedies could only feel embarrassed but nevertheless thanked Eli once again. But her suggestion proved to be more efficient as they were able to finish their work even before noon arrived.


    This made thedies extremely happy and they also felt that their bodies felt lighter and they suffered less nausea during the day probably because the mask and the gloves protected them quite nicely.


    Three days passed and the line leader noticed this development in their group. At first, he only expected that Eli would at least learn to adapt to the odor of the ce, but did not expect that her actions would even make her entire team efficient.


    "I did not expect you to have this kind of talent¡­" He looked at the youngdy in front of him and praised her.


    "It is just my good intention to help my team¡­ I have no idea that it will really make our team''s work easier¡­" Eli very ''humbly'' replied.


    The line leader nodded perfunctorily and left their group after giving some reminders. But while he left, he looked at Eli once more as if he had thought of something.


    The next day, he came back with the same cleric who they first met before they entered the temple.


    They called Eli and talked to her for a while.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You are the one who made these masks and gloves for your teammate?" The cleric scrutinized her and asked her very straightforwardly.


    "Y-yes... I made them with the little materials I managed to take with me here." Eli replied.


    "Hmm¡­ do you still have a lot of materials in your hand? Why don''t you create a few more with it¡­ I think it will also help the productivity of the other workers in the herb section if they had one of these items too." The line leader interjected and finally revealed his intent to make it.


    Eli appeared to be hesitant and taken aback. She did not expect that she would catch the two''s attention like this. Moreover, she felt quite troubled. It is true that the materials she had were limited as she can only replenish her stocks if she went back to the vige and entered theboratory once again.


    Nevertheless, she replied regrettably, "If the line leader and the cleric feel that way, I can make a few more with the materials at hand¡­ however¡­ I can only really make it for only five more people at most."


    "Is that so? Take me to see your materials and I see what we can do¡­" The cleric answered and did not see anything wrong with Eli''s reply. After all, ''Eli'' is a peasant and she could only take as much as her status can.


    "Alright¡­" Eli obediently nodded and led them to their dpidated quarters. When they saw the ce, both the line leader and the cleric stood in the courtyard and asked Eli to go inside and take the materials while they stayed there.


    "Cleric Rhoda, are you sure you want her to create things even though they might be limited¡­ we have so many workers and clearly she cannot produce enough¡­" The line leader asked the cleric in a hushed tone.


    "That''s why we have to see how much she can make at the moment. If those things could really help others maybe we won''t need to recruit more workers every month. One less worker to die is gain on the outside¡­" The cleric replied.


    "I see¡­ Cleric Rhoda really thought it through¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ let''s inspect her materials. If you see that those were inexpensive, then I''ll take her with me to the Administrator and get funds."


    Not long after, Eli showed them the materials she used.


    When she was left inside, she quickly pulled out the book of knowledge and searched for alternative items that could do the work in lieu of the true gas masks from the modern world.


    She presented her materials and even told the cleric and the line leader how it would be more efficient if they used the materials she found in the book of knowledge.


    "Hmm¡­ I see¡­ So you are saying that the improved version of the mask will help them not to be nauseous due to the strong odor??"


    "Yes¡­ and they are washable as well. We only need to change the filter in the respirator to purify the air that they breathe¡­" Eli suggested.


    Eli did not dare to say that the gas mask ispletely safe but only effective until a certain hour of usage. After all these masks were only improvised and were only a temporary measure until they saved everyone from the evil schemes of these people.


    "Alright then¡­ be ready tomorrow and make sure to prepare your samples as I will take you inside to talk with the temple administrator. Only then we would be able to ask for funding and make more of these protective materials." The Cleric nodded satisfyingly as she instructed Eli.


    Eli did not dare to feel delighted and answered with great trepidation, "Thank you esteemed Cleric and Line Leader for this opportunity. It is such an honor to help you create these materials for the benefit of the workgroup."


    "No worries, just do not disappoint us tomorrow. We still have to convince the administrator to give you funds."


    "I will do my best¡­" Eli replied.


    They left Eli in the courtyard and continued supervising the other work teams.


    When Eli was already alone, she could not help but feel amazed. She was entering the main temple way earlier than expected! It only took her five days to do that.


    ''I must inform my brother of my movements¡­ he had to know my moves¡­'' Eli thought to herself and decided to find Kayden during dinner time and tell her ns.

 Chapter 515 Infiltration (5)

    ?That night, Eli went to find Kayden during dinner time. She told him what happened including how the matter arose.


    "I must make a move as well¡­" Kayden understood and replied. With Eli''s way of getting close to the people inside, showing more talent proved to be more effective than just waiting for promotion.


    "No need, brother¡­ I n to also propose that you help me craft those things¡­ After all, I can''t just make those materials for a hundred people on my own."


    Eli replied this time they did not use any code as one would know what they were talking about because of what happened during the morning.


    "I''ll be grateful if you do that but do not be too hasty, alright?" Kayden could only look at her helplessly¡­ his sister''s ideas were really thinking that far.


    In the end, they parted ways and patiently waited for the morning to arrive.


    When the morning came, Eli still went with the women to their workshop and carried the heavy vats diligently.


    When the women saw this they sighed, their new co-worker was very helpful and talented. It is no wonder that the line leader and the cleric saw her potential.


    They do not feel bad about it, however, as they knew how reliable Eli''s crafted masks and gloves were. Using it for a few days now, they were now feeling lighter and healthier each day.


    The times when they were nauseous also significantly decreased, what''s more, the pinkish color on their faces and nails was also slowlying back.


    Most importantly, her arrival really had improved their quality of work so much that they really wished that the number quota arriving to them would increase a little bit more, or else they would really be idle for half a day.


    As for Eli, she humbly brushed the event off and continued to ''work diligently'' like how she was known for. After an hour, she was then summoned by the line leader who instructed her to change a set of clothes.


    She wore white clothing that has been used by the ''official'' servants in the temple. Only then did the line leader look satisfied and lead her to the administration office.


    Cleric Rhoda waited for them to arrive and she led Eli further to the administrator.


    Compared to the courtyard of their work area, the administrator''s offices seemed like a totally different world.


    The walls, although modest, were still sturdy and warm, unlike their dpidated courtyards. The surroundings were serene and peaceful, unlike their workshop which looked like a wastnd.


    Even so, Eli maintained her naive and fearful expression. When he met the administrator her ''nervousness'' peaked which caused the Cleric to sigh disappointedly.


    The administrator was an aged man with a long beard and a stern face. When he saw Cleric Rhoda with Eli he waved his hand and asked them to immediately state their case so that they could move on.


    In the end, it was Cleric Rhoda who exined everything while Eli could only take out the sample goods she made that night so that the administrator could see for himself.


    Her overly nervous expression and Cleric Rhoda basically doing the sales pitch are all Eli''s intentions. She wanted Cleric Rhoda and the administrator to tell more of what she could have to hear so that there will be more information to gather.


    True enough Eli heard that the administrator and the cleric were actually finding the frequent ''weakening'' of the workers became a burden and Eli''s items might have just solved the problem.


    They were also worried that the other territories would finally see their action of frequently recruiting too suspicious when both the Pope and the Pdin were not around.


    In the end, the administrator seemed to have been convinced but he still talked a few more times with Eli.


    "Are you sure you can make these things when I provide you with materials?" He asked


    "Esteemed administrator¡­ it is true that I could produce these things¡­ but if you want our colleagues to use the items the soonest¡­ working by myself might not be that ideal.." Eli replied rather timidly, she looked troubled as if she was hesitating to say the words she said at the moment.


    "You are saying you need someone to help you?" The administrator raised his brows, scrutinizing Eli intensely¡­


    "Y-yes¡­ administrator¡­ but only if you see it necessary¡­ I-i d-don''t mind working a-alone too¡­" She replied with a fearful expression making herself lookpletely powerless under the old man''s gaze.


    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Who do you have in mind?" After a long silence and an intense look of scrutiny, the administrator finally asked.


    "I-it is my big brother dear administrator¡­ in fact, my big brother was the one who taught me how to craft these things¡­" Eli replied, still looking anxious.


    "Very well¡­ Rhoda, call him at the moment. Assign them a quarter in the building and have them work as soon as possible. Provide her the workce and materials as necessary¡­"


    "Right away Administrator!" Cleric Rhoda''s face lightened when they finally got the approval of the administrator, in the end, she forced Eli to bow her head repeatedly before they finally went out.


    That way, Eli no longer returned to the work area and even had Kayden go with him to the inner temple. The only thing Eli regretted was saying goodbye to the women who were with her team.


    Fortunately, she preparedst night and left them three pairs of masks and gloves on their respective beds. She hoped that they could hold on until Eli and Kayden sessfully destroyed the evil workings in the temple. That way, they would be free from imminent death.


    When Kayden was hurriedly summoned and taken inside the administrator''s building, he felt astonished. He did not know that Eli''s work would really get them this early inside.


    With the two of them being inside and even working together, the two then increased their vignce before attempting to do something to progress the mission.


    After all, it might be suspicious that the two of them were able to be inside the temple in less than a week.


    The next day, they went with Cleric Rhoda and the rest of her assistants outside the temple premises. They were brought to the port where the merchants trading with the temple delivered their goods early in the morning.


    Eli''s eyes glimmered in amazement, like a child only seeing such a bustling scene at the moment, something that cleric Rhoda took notice of. Of course, as an older big brother, Kayden appeared to be much more experienced than his little sister.


    This made Cleric Rhoda more at ease. It seems like these two were really just normal people who had worked in crafting to make ends meet.


    While they were posing such persona amongst the people around, Eli and Kayden did not miss to recognize the people trading with the temple.


    Especially those who delivered the mysterious herbs in the temple. Observing the busy surroundings, Eli thought to contact her eavesdropping earth fairiester to know more about these people.


    But as of the moment, she and Kayden only opted to talk to the traders about the raw materials they were about to get.


    In the end, they were only able to get the materials for the gloves. As for the materials of the masks, Kayden created a list and gave it to Cleric Rhoda for inspection.


    Once she saw that the materials weren''t expensive and suspicious, she then gave them to the trader to source out the next day.


    With the materials at hand, Cleric Rhoda did not let the two remain idle and led them to the basement where they worked to make the gloves.


    When they entered the workshop, they did not dare to lift their heads and only looked around naively to check out the work area. The moment they lifted their heads, it would entail that they were also checking out if there was anything installed in the room.


    Kayden and Eli do not need to do that, as Wisey had already inspected the ceiling for them. With her keen senses, they knew that they were still under observation with the tiny recording stones installed at the most inconspicuous corners of the room.


    This basement wasn''t the same basement they saw in the blueprint, but Eli and Kayden did not feel a bit nervous.


    The only thing they can do is to get the Cleric and the administrator''s trust before they do something to be ''promoted'' further in the temple.


    When that timees, they will no longer hold back and call upon the team that was still on standby at the nearest mend station.


    They only needed one good opportunity to enter that mysterious basement and everything will finally move!


    "You must do your best to quickly produce what you have promised, feel free to use this equipment until you receive the other materials." They were woken up in their thoughts by Cleric Rhoda''s instruction and dragged back to reality.


    "Yes, esteemed Cleric¡­ we will not waste the opportunity you have given us!" The two bowed gratefully and immediately moved to organize their work.

 Chapter 516 Ambush (1)

    ?Days are running while Eli and Kayden strive to safely infiltrate the underground city of the temple.


    Meanwhile, the convoy team was now fast approaching the ambush point.


    While Crown Prince Ranon''s side were pretty excited, the Seirende''s side was clearly anxious. The more anxious they looked, the more that the Crown Prince could not wait for the day when they would finally be entrapped in the ambush point.


    Now that Leon was not around and was now utterly immobilized, who could stop them now?


    The blood prince had been in the ambush camp for three days and there were no signs of him ever recovering from his severe wounds and injuries.


    With that, the camp also started to move their troops toplete the formation needed to trap the entire convoy group.


    Finally¡­ The day hase for the convoy team to enter the ambush point.


    The ambush point was set up inside a desert gorge that stretched for about a few kilometers. With the speed that the convoy team was going, they could only finish traversing the gorge for three days and a half.


    As such, this region is the perfect ce for ambush.


    When Mishael saw the entrance of the gorge his heart tightened but stillposed himself. This region is inevitable for them to enter. Because making a detour bynd would make them vulnerable to numerous quicksands which would make their mission almost impossible to achieve without suffering casualty.


    "Halt!" Mishael raised his hands and asked the entire convoy to pause for a while.


    Seeing that the leader of the team suddenly stopped everyone looked at Mishael with a questioning nce.


    "We will traverse this region for three days or so¡­ I implore you to be vignt because once we enter this ce and suddenly be ambushed by either an unknown monster or a group of enemies, we can only fight for survival." Mishael looked at the troops and warned with a grave tone.


    The journey so far has been smooth sailing¡­ so smooth sailing that he, Kazimir and Antoine were worried that they would suddenly let their guards down and be careless.


    "Remember, we could only fight or die¡­ that is why I will remind you right here, right now¡­ that you have to be vignt and fast enough to react to the situation. You hear me, men?"


    "Yes captain!" The troops all saluted and responded with a serious expression.


    Most of the time their leaders were carefree and seldom stern, but now that danger might really be close, they knew that Mishael was not only making them anxious.


    Listening from inside the carriage, Crown Prince Ranon''s lips curved into a mocking smile.


    ''Look at them trying to fight their inevitable fate? If only they knew that their deaths were already set in stone!''


    Should they know that there were more than a thousand troops already stationed inside the gorge, lying in wait, would they even have the guts to enter the region?


    But of course these were just Crown Prince Ranon''s thoughts, in the end his goal would be achieved once the ambush is sessfully carried out. Only then will he go back to brandishing his real personality and no longer act like an innocent prince.


    Hearing the troop''s reply, Mishael nodded and mobilized the men once again.


    The first hour of entering the gorge was quiet and seemingly smooth, but none of them dared to let their guards down.


    "It''s too quiet¡­ I don''t like this feeling¡­" Antoine looked around the two walls of rock and sand formations that had already blocked their path, only the path forward and the path behind would be their choice. "Shall I summon a flying beast to see the situation from the sky?"


    "Just store more mana and be ready¡­ we don''t know what will happen." Kazimir shook his head and replied, they could not afford to lose mana at the moment.


    "Let''s go ahead¡­ The faster we exit the region, the safer we are going to be¡­" Mishael told the two princes.


    With that they sped up the pace and traversed the region nonstop.


    Only when they saw that their horses were already at their limit did they reluctantly paused and camped for the night.


    "We managed to finish more than what we had nned to achieve today¡­ maybe we can reach the exit in just two and a half days¡­" Kazimir checked the map and recorded their position. He was amazed that they were able to get further than their target progress.


    "Just rest for the first half of the night¡­ we will take turns at the vigil." Mishael looked around and saw the two princes'' exhausted faces, and so he suggested for them to rest first.


    "Are you sure, Captain Mishael?" Antoine looked at him worriedly.


    "En¡­ I''ll be switching with you anyways¡­ there is no problem." He replied.


    In the tent, Crown Prince Ranon reported their location and quickly received the ambush team''s reply.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We will move by dawn¡­" The other party answered, making Crown Prince Ranon''s eyes glint in wild excitement.


    "Arabe¡­ tomorrow is the day¡­" He mumbled softly as he looked at the corner.


    "We will get ready¡­" As a response, he heard Arabe say.


    The night quickly passed and the dawn arrived in no time.


    Kazimir and Antoine with their troops stood vigntly as they guarded those who were resting. They looked at the sky which was already turning blue and wondered if they had survived the night.


    But a few minutester, a shrill shout could be heard in the camp followed by the sound of arrows raining down their tents.


    Kazimir reacted quickly and activated the defense spell. Antoine also mobilized his men to alert the entire camp that an enemy was attacking.


    "Ambush! Everybody up!" They called, quickly awakening those who were in slumber.


    When Kazimir saw that the majority had already awakened, he looked at his men and ordered, "Retaliate!"


    With that a bloody fight ensued, but because of the treacherous camouge of the enemies at dawn, there were already many casualties on their end.


    "Summoners support!" Antoine saw that his brother was already having a hard time and so he quickly summoned several contracted beasts at once and initiated the attack.


    Mishael did not join the fight as it was already clear to them that once this kind of thing happened, one must stay in the camp and immediately look after the criminal.


    After all, the criminals might be their target.


    "Continue to pressure them, let the Crown Prince''s people inside do their jobs¡­ They have to be bought some time in order to get the prisoners out." The Lieutenant of the second ambush camp ordered.


    "Yes sire!" The troops immediately replied.


    Crown Prince Ranon on the other hand did not need to do anything. After all, Arabe and her troops already knew what to do.


    He just obediently followed the troops to bring him to safety. As soon as the Lieutenants and other well known mages did not appear themselves, this attack would not be associated with the Vanderford Empire.


    On Mishael''s side, he quickly assembled his temple knights and went to the prison cages.


    "Quick, activate the defensive array and immediately form a protective circle to go against the attackers. We cannot let them get the prisoners out!" He ordered.


    And so along with the temple knights, Mishael immediately engaged in a busy fight against the enemies who initiated the ambush.


    However, after bitterly defending their post against the ambushers, another group of mysterious enemies appeared out of nowhere and attacked them.


    What''s even moreplicated is that they were surprisingly strong as the top knights in the temple.


    "This is not good! They have read us thoroughly." Mishael frowned, these mysterious enemies clothed in ck had such bizarrebat skills.


    Their sword and other battle movements seemed to have been specifically created to counterattack the temple knight''sbat moves.


    What''s more they have a peculiar power which leads his men to be disoriented and illusioned.


    "Curse users?" Mishael could only conclude one thing about this, but then nothing is settled yet as of the moment.


    "Continue to hold your position, once the daylight fully appears, we might be able to figure out their tricks¡­" Mishael tried to get his men together and keep their minds focused, no matter what, they had to survive, and each fallen soldier meant that they were one step closer to imminent death.


    Just as the men were about to acknowledge Mishael''s words, a mockingugh was heard nearby.


    They did not know if it was because of the nature of the deep gorge or that the enemy was using some trick, but they could not figure out where the voice wasing from.


    "You can fight as hard as you can but you can never beat us in this game, even if you wait for the daylight to fully appear." A woman''s mocking voice was heard, she talked to them as if she was giving a death sentence.


    Then her figure slowly emerged in front of Mishael and his men. Mishael narrowed his eyes, although he was not privy of the woman''s identity, he could still recognize her appearance.


    "Ves¡­"

 Chapter 517 Ambush (2)

    ?A sinister smile bloomed on Arabe''s face as she looked at Mishael mockingly, "You are well informed¡­ Temple Knight Captain¡­"


    "Are you here to take your family out?" Mishael''s eyes squinted dangerously as he carefully asked.


    Arabe let out a chuckle before answering, "Yes and no¡­ it is true that I want to get my family back¡­ but I want more than that!"


    "You know that they deserve it¡­ you are young, are you not using your time to just turn over a new leaf?" Mishael asked if there was a slight trace of regret while he was looking at Arabe''s young appearance.


    The Lady was still clearly young and there would still be a lot of opportunities for her to pursue an honest life far from the evil her family had been into.


    But looking at the aura that emanated on her entire body and the sword that she was wielding, it seemed like she had already taken the decision to be a curse user.


    "Why would I? I have never thought that way when you took away my family''s prestige." Arabe shrugged and just smiled, "Enough of the empty talk! Might as well die earlier!"


    With that Arabe immediately dashed forward and met Mishael''s counterattack.


    sh! ng!


    The sound of the shing swords and body blows rang in the air as Mishael and Arabe along with their respective troops engaged in a tight battle.


    "Not bad¡­ you are the temple knight''s captain after all!" Arabe raised her eyebrows after their firstbat exchange.


    ''This guy is not an easy opponent¡­'' She thought as she looked at Mishael who was not even bothered seeing her battle style that waspletely made to counter the temple knight''sbat style.


    ''He has many tricks on his sleeve¡­'' Arabe remembered their exchange earlier and found that Mishael is quite a talented knight.


    Most of the time, he managed to urately guess her moves and adjust his position so that he could quickly counterattack.


    ''Time to pick up the pace!'' Arabe was quite impatient as she thought that figuring out all of the opponent''s tricks waspletely a waste of time.


    For her, the most important thing is to get the job done no matter what it takes.


    And so she summoned her curse power and synchronized it with her teammates. At once, they were covered by a ckish-purple aura and immediately disappeared in front of Mishael and his team.


    "Where did they go?" They all blurted out as they looked around.


    But the next second, Arabe and the men randomly popped on their blindspot and wounded Mishael''s side.


    Mishael did not panic and quickly focused on observing the entire situation while narrowly avoiding the sneak attacks.


    In the end, he noticed that as the daylight arose the space used for their disappearance and appearance seemed to narrow down slowly.


    Thinking deeply, he looked down and saw their shadows. Coincidentally, he witnessed one of the opponents dive into the shadow and immediately disappear.


    "It''s the shadows!" Mishael shouted, alerting his team. "Quick, use the reverse illuminating spell!"


    With this, the entire surroundings of the area became pitch ck. It is said that the brighter the light, the darker the shadow would be, but if it is total darkness, the shadow is no longer there.


    And so as soon as the area became pitch ck confined in a dome shape barrier, the synchronized sneak attacks also slowed down.


    "Enhance your eyes to see through the dark and start the retaliation attack." Mishael quickly let his team recover from the adjustment andunched a counterattack.


    Without the advantage of the shadows, Arabe''s team quickly went down, leaving only three or so apart from her.


    Arabe frowned at the sudden reversal of the situation, this is not what she had anticipated.


    ''Never mind, I''ll be the one to kill them all¡­'' She thought as she looked at her remaining men. It is easier for her to utilize her skills instead of sharing it to her team and so she decided to attack alone, no longer caring for the survival of her team.


    One by one, she tried to kill off Mishael''s men, however, she could only wound them lightly. The curse power seemed to also have no effect on them because of the presence of the cure potion in their bodies.


    ''Troublesome!'' Arabe gritted her teeth and decided to change her strategy. ''I have no choice but to use my powers!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This time she cast a spellpletely awakening her shadow powers. With the augmentation of the curse power, her shadows seemed to be a monster of their own and quickly moved to immediately swallow the troops nearby.


    However, the sinister curse power consumes a lot of life force, and Arabe could barely sustain the spell for more than a minute or it willpletely be out of control.


    ''Gobble them up fast!'' Arabe quickly controlled the shadow monster and ate up countless soldiers at once.


    Mishael on the other hand quickly dashed towards Arabe to let the spell stop and save his men. With a dash of his sword, heced it with the purest divine power and pointed it towards Arabe''s way.


    "Not today, Mr. Captain!" Arabe quickly dodged and narrowly avoided the attack. Quickly dividing her focus on controlling the shadow monster and battling against Mishael, she moved nimbly and parried the opponent''s aggressive sword strikes.


    Vrrr!!


    Her ears buzzed at the sharp sound of the swords shing each other. Her hand was also starting to shake as the blows given by Mishael were getting heavier.


    ''Divine power?'' She realized as she observed that her sword showed signs of corrosion, the curse power remaining on her sword was quickly diminishing.


    ''Tsk!'' Arabe clucked her tongue in disdain and immediately retreated to create a distance between them.


    Then she controlled the shadow monster to stop gobbling up the opponents but start absorbing the life essence of the people it ate.


    ''Quickly absorb that energy and go with me and attack this monster of a captain!'' She said to the shadows.


    Meanwhile outside, Kazimir and Antoine were also having a hard time as they werepletely outnumbered by the enemies.


    "They were clearly familiar with the terrain and have readily integrated their troops in it!" Antoine could onlyment on how the ambush turned up to be so tough.


    They weremunicating through amunication stone as they faced their own battles. Antoine and his troops were dealing with the troops on top of the gorge while Kazimir handled the troops who managed to infiltrate the camp.


    "Curse the spy! We are clearly read by these people!" Kazimir could only spit his frustration out of his mouth as he was already feeling numb and sore from fighting with so many men.


    With a troop of only a few hundred, how are they able to deal with a thousand and so enemies?


    "How''s Mishael''s team?" Kazimir asked his brother who was in a position to oversee the entire situation as he was riding his flying beast while fighting the enemies from the air.


    "The area waspletely blocked by a pitch-ck barrier, I do not know if this barrier is hostile or it was initiated on our side." Antoine could only report what he could see as it was impossible for him to figure out what really happened inside.


    "We need him to seed so that we can reverse our situation¡­ For now, we must hold on and buy him some time." Antoine added.


    "Alright, I''ll let my troops move closer to his side so that we can also prohibit more troops froming near to pressure Mishael''s team." Kazimir decided as he finished shing off the head of an opponent.


    But before he could signal his men to quickly approach Mishael''s side, Antoine''s panicked voice immediately sounded in themunication stone.


    "Wait, First Brother! Don''t let your mene any near! Not good! The enemy is a curse user and is now absorbing the life force of our fallen men! Quickly retreat!" He shouted in panic.


    When Kazimir heard this he instinctively turned his head and moved toward the direction of Mishael''s battlefield.


    There he saw the entire situation.


    Only a few men were standing beside the vignt-looking Mishael, while on the other side was someone he knew very well - Arabe, his cousin!


    And with her was a strange-looking ck monster that looked like a giant blob of ink. In the centermost part of its body was a faint glowing of purple light which was also quite familiar to Kazimir and Antoine.


    This light is an indication that a curse user was starting to absorb his victim''s life force while converting it into energy!


    "Antoine! Quick! Send your men to pull out some curse potion bombs! Throw it against the monster! Once it has finished absorbing the life force, we are done for!" Kazimir shouted in panic.


    His words also alerted the men around him and without him addressing the order directly, they also moved to take out the ss balls filled with cure potion to throw towards the shadow monster.

 Chapter 518 Ambush (3)

    ?"Move!" Kazimir ordered the men to immediately hurl the ss potions at the monster.


    The little amount of divine power might work to distract the absorption process of the monster as it was only the divine powering from the cure potion which can counter the curse.


    At his signal, Antoine and his men immediately threw the balls toward the slowly growing monster to disrupt his activity.


    Groar!


    The shadow monster reacted but could only randomly attack with shadow des around him as it was focusing on the absorption of sustenance.


    The ss vials were only a number but it was only able to slow down their absorption momentarily. After a few seconds of pulsating purple light in the center of its body, the light steadied once again and continued its activity.


    Arabe also noticed the attention from the other people in the camp as the pitch-ck barrier was now totally cleared.


    She could clearly see that Kazimir, her cousin, was looking at her so intently as he instructed his men to disrupt the monster she was controlling.


    But then her focus at the moment was dealing with Mishael who was still unscathed after several shes. Apart from the frown on his face and the beads of sweat trickling at the side of his neck, there were no signs of weakness around him.


    He was only focusing on keeping her at bay until she crumbled to his attacks. But his tactic did notst for long¡­


    When Mishael heard Kazimir''s cry he noticed the changes in the monster''s actions. And so without hesitation, he changed his course of attack and charged toward the monster at full speed.


    Shiing!


    The de of his sword, which was covered by his divine power, cut through the air with a piercing sound.


    Arabe only realized Mishael''s action when her eyes finally caught up on his location - in front of the shadow monster.


    Vrrr¡­. Boom!


    Mishael''s sword fiercely sliced through the center of the shadow creature''s body and ignited an explosion. At the sound of his divine power bursting into the shadow monster''s stomach, a gaping hole appeared in his body.


    A ray of hope appeared in his eyes, as did Antoine and Kazimir, but that too did notst long.


    For Arabe was already raising her hand to deal a huge blow to Mishael''s lower rib with an aggressive look on her face, full of killing intent.


    Boom!


    Mishael was directly hit in the side of his ribs and he could only clench his teeth to bear the pain as he tried hard to stop his body from flying toward the walls of the gorge.


    Shriek!


    He forced his right hand to pierce the earth below with his sword to stop the momentum from Arabe''s hit and immediately struggled to stand up.


    Puff¡­


    As soon as he managed to finally stand up, a mouthful of blood came out of Mishael''s mouth.


    Because he was so focused on attacking the monster, he hadpletely forgotten that the barrier was already long gone and Arabe could already use her shadow power once more.


    And so he did not even feel that Arabe was already on her side and injured him quite severely.


    "I finally managed to hit you so cleanly¡­ It''s quite a novel experience!" Arabe smiled as she shook her fist in satisfaction. She looked quite happy to see Mishael''s white clothing dyed with bright red blood.


    "The next time my attacknds on your body will be a death blow." She dered while showing her smile that looked like she was certain of the words she just uttered.


    While the shadow monster tried hard to regrow the hole in its body, Arabe engaged another barrage of attacks on Mishael''s side.


    Kazimir and Antoine tried to speed up things on their end as they saw that the situation on Mishael''s side was not going well.


    With Mishael''s unexpected injury and the presence of the shadow monsters, the convoy team will certainly crumble.


    However, Mishael is not the least bit scared about the sudden turn of situation. With the use of his divine power, his injuries slowly healed while he valiantly avoided and even parried Arabe''s attacks.


    "You are not the only one who has powers¡­" Mishael coldly told Arabe as he conjured a magic circle under his feet.


    The span of the array circle was as big as five meters in radius which startled everyone.


    It activated in a split second, so fast that Arabe did not even anticipate that the ground she wouldy her feet on would be covered by the array spell.


    With that she was effectively immobilized, effectively stopping her barrage of sneak attacks.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Not allowing a single second to waste, Mishael moved forward and attacked Arabe mercilessly. He no longer gave her pity as she was utterly cruel to the men that were gobbled up by the shadow monster she just released.


    "Ahhh!!!!" For the first time since the battle, Arabe had the mark of pain and distress on her face. Mishael shed her dominant hand without hesitation and broke her lower legs making her fall to the ground in a thug.


    "F*ck you! C*rse you temple sc*m!" She hurled curses as the pain dominated her body. While she was a fighter, she only had a few months to train herself. Thus a part of her was still the pampered and spoiled youngest mistress of the fallen Ves family.


    As soon as she weakened, the shadow monster''s actions also became chaotic. From Mishael''s perspective, however, it was a sign that the shadow monster was greatly affected by Arabe''s condition.


    And so, in the midst of Arabe''s wail of agony, Mishael lifted his sword and pointed it at her sorry state, "You have to be killed."


    He looked at them and dered coldly. Then he immediately raised his sword to slide off her head.


    But then before his sword was able to approach the surface of her neck, the sword monster quickly moved and attacked him with its big body, forcing him to retreat.


    Almost instantly a speedy shadow retrieved Arabe''s body and disappeared to a safe distance.


    Mishael could no longer pay attention to Arabe''s sudden escape but only faced the shadow monster and dealt with it once and for all.


    Using the same immobilizing spell, he used his divine powers to forcibly lock the shadow monster in ce.


    But since the divine power and the curse power counteract each other, the effect was less efficient.


    However, it was enough for Mishael for he only needed the monster to slow down so that he could umte enough firepower to deal a massive blow once again.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Multiple holes emerge into the shadow monster''s body, effectively decreasing itsrge body mass by a third.


    Seeing that Mishael was the only one dealing with the shadow monster, Kazimir, and Antoine could only assign several of their men to help him for he was no longer with people.


    With their help, the shadow monster gradually weakened and his previously gigantic body was reduced to nothing but a slob of ink.


    Finally, without thinking further, Mishael used the purest cure potion and immediately poured it into the shadow blob,pletely melting it to nothing.


    Atst, the shadow monster is no more, but the lives of Mishael''s men are gone as well.


    "Let''s check the prisoners¡­" Mishael could only hide the regret in his heart and move to continue the mission.


    "Yes, captain!" The men who helped him answered.


    They moved to the prisoners and checked the condition of the security barrier inside.


    "It is intact on this side¡­"


    "Intact as well on this side too¡­"


    "No problems on this corner¡­"


    They checked the security one by one and immediately reported on Mishael''s side.


    "Move¡­ I will strengthen the array once again, others can join the First and Second Prince so that they could deal with the rest of the ambushers.


    "Yes, sire!"


    But just as they were about to move, there was a voice roaring in the air¡­ a voice so familiar to them that immediately made their hearts turn cold.


    Crown Prince Ranon, whom they treated as an envoy to the temple, stood on top of the gorge, on his side the injured Arabe who was holding a projection stone.


    "First and Second Prince of Seirende! You and your men shall surrender at once! Or else your beloved family will instantly die at the moment!"


    Crown Prince Ranon no longer supported the amiable demeanor of an envoy crown prince. Instead he was wearing an excited expression, as if he had long desired for this blood bath to finally happen.


    In his words, Arabe activated the projection stone and shed several images on the screen.


    It was none other than Queen Teh and Lucia along with Princess Arie and Evelyn and their respective sons.


    They were wearing a peaceful expression and werepletely oblivious to the fact that there were several men sinisterly stalking through the shadows behind them.


    Kazimir and Antoine froze, they did not expect that the enemy had nned so far ahead to even consider taking their loved ones as hostages!

 Chapter 519 Two Choices

    ?"Despicable!" Kazimir and Antoine could only shout in anger the moment they realized that the other party was really set on harming their loved ones.


    "Tsk.. tsk.. tsk! Calm down or else, I might identally give my subordinates the go signal~" Crown Prince Ranon revealed a yful cunning smile while he was enjoying the panicked expressions of the two.


    Soon the Lieutenants and the rest of the ambush troops line up around the gorge. Only then did Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine''s team realize how far-fetched their aim for survival was.


    There was simply no way for them to survive at the moment!


    ''Are we really done for?'' The men who could only look up to their opponent''s triumphant faces thought.


    They were now alone in the wilderness, surrounded by countless enemies. Their leaders were forced to a halt because of such a despicable chip used against their morals.


    "Leave them alone, Ranon!" Kazimir gritted his teeth and no longer used honorifics to refer to Crown Prince Ranon. If his re could only kill, Crown Prince Ranon and all his aplices would have been killed a thousand times.


    "Uh-oh¡­ that''s not how it works, you poor first prince! I will tell all of you how it works!" Crown Prince Ranon replied.


    "Drop your weapons and kneel! No one is to give us an ounce of mana and submit to us peacefully." He demanded nonchntly.


    "I leave you with the choice¡­ in exactly one minute, you are to answer me or else, my men will kill your loved ones before your indecisive eyes!" Crown Prince Ranon looked at the people below with cunning eyes.


    One minute¡­ that is even relevant for Kazimir and Antoine or any person on their side to decide on things. Most of all, the options are no better than the other.


    If they chose to surrender not only that they will surely die, but there is no guarantee that the Crown Prince will uphold his promise.


    Besides, if the war started to spread then the Crown Prince''s side was at an advantage because his men had already infiltrated the imperial family.


    Should they choose to surrender, their loved ones will surely be killed and there would be a possibility that not only them but the people inside the empire would be killed as well.


    Either way, they will all fall into the enemy''s hands!


    "... is there any way to end this without bloodshed?" Kazimir asked in dismay.


    "Hmm~~~ who knows?" Crown Prince Ranon smiled and did not even hint anything to help Kazimire up with a decision, "Thirty seconds¡­"


    Antoine clenched his fist tightly, he could no longer bear to remain in the situation. He did not want to disappoint his colleagues and his fallen men by surrendering nor he did not want to disappoint his family by doing nothing.


    But at this moment, is there really a right answer?


    "Speak! What is it that you really want?" Kazimir asked once again, not giving up to find an alternate solution other than choosing between the options.


    "What is it that I want? Hmm¡­ I''d rather see you all kneel and y with me¡­ However, it''s not about what I want¡­ It''s about what ''he'' wants¡­" Crown Prince Ranon replied rather cryptically.


    Antoine, Mishael, and Kazimir caught the meaning behind his words. Their decisions did not matter at all, and both sides were in danger of being killed. The mere reason for the crown prince to let them choose an option was to just entertain himself!


    Because someone behind them was on top of these things that are happening to the Seirende Empire!


    "Alright, time''s up! Gentlemen, let me hear your answers~~" Crown Prince Ranon pped his hands and announced.


    But the two princes remained silent with their heads lowered, not wanting to answer at all. From above they looked down cast like they were in despair and on the verge of surrender.


    But from the perspective of their soldiers, it was a different scene.


    They saw their princes, the leader of their teams, extremely unwilling to surrender and angry. They wanted to fight their way to survival but not at the expense of the innocent.


    The knights were equally angry as well, heaven knows how conflicted could their leaders feel at the moment?!


    "Eh¡­ it seems like you refuse to answer as well?" Crown Prince Ranon mocked as he continued his monologue.


    "Very well¡­ I''ll choose for you then!" With a flicker of his hand, Arabe opened her mouth and announced.


    "Big Brother¡­ do it!"


    Antoine, Kazimir, and Mishael closed their eyes¡­ they could not bear to look at the projection stones and see what would happen to their respective loved ones.


    In the projection, the shadows moved and finally materialized behind the queens and consorts. Niki and his men emerged and sneakily approached the unsuspecting people.


    They lifted their hands where their respective weapons pointed at the necks of the women of the pce. Once it hits, their deaths will be certain!


    "No!!" The knights from Kazimir''s team shouted in agony as if they channeled the unwillingness of their leaders who did not have the courage to express their own thoughts.


    But their shouts were not enough to stop the killers from their actions nor warn their monarch to flee.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Watching from the top of the gorge, Arabe wore an excited smile as she looked at the people about to face the danger.


    Crown Prince Ranon also looked with interest, as if the scene that was about to happen had nothing to do with him. It was like he was just watching a y unravel as time passed.


    With the daggers about to pierce the necks of the Imperial women, a sudden change of expression shed on their faces.


    In an instant, their innocent and graceful demeanors changed into vignt expressions. Out of nowhere, they faced their assants with weapons in their hands!


    ng! The des shed so strongly that it was even heard loudly from the projection broadcast.


    The faces of the ambushers, especially Arabe and Crown Prince Ranon changed. They did not expect that the women of the pce were able to retaliate.


    "Do you honestly think that the women of the Imperial Family were just dolls for disy? Heh¡­ we are the Seirende Family! We aren''t weaklings!"


    From the projection stones, Queen Teh''s valiant voice rang in the entire gorge with her hands quickly moving to wound her assant, the unguarded Niki, with her own hands!


    Simr to her situation, Queen Lucia, Princess Arielle, and Evelyn also managed to detect their attackers and initially wounded them as well.


    A smile bloomed on Kazimir and Antoine''s faces. Indeed, having Lady Eli interact with them had caused the Imperial Family women to also change for the better.


    They did not know how Eli managed to convince them, but after the announcement of their engagement, the women of the Imperial Family started to engage in different activities and be active.


    From teaching and participating in the tournament as mentors, they also started to train secretly withbat skills. They were even taught by the best teachers of the Imperial Sky Knights.


    Who knew that it would be useful at this very moment?


    Even they themselves were still in doubt while they were waiting earlier. But then, they prayed that the women could stand for themselves when they are away, or should they die in war.


    At least they now witnessed that they can stand their ground¡­ and their hearts became rest assured for whatever oue it will be when the wares.


    To add to the scene, Kazimir, and Antoine''s sons also moved cleverly, reaching out to the distress bells and immediately summoning Governor Fidel''s men.


    In an instant, a fight ensued on their side and it was no longer certain who was winning or losing.


    The entire gorge became silent, and all eyes were now moving in Crown Prince Ranon''s direction.


    Crown Prince Ranon and Arabe''s expressions were not good either. There was a trace of ruthlessness and frustration on their faces as they watched the scene unveil.


    Even so, Crown Prince Ranon is not willing to be humiliated and so he immediately ordered,


    "Finish the mission, leave no one alive!!!"


    "Retrieval group, move and get the prisoners!"


    "I want everything to be done before the sun sets!"


    Hearing the orders, the one thousand and so men shouted in their battle cries and jumped into the gorge.


    Arabe also jumped into action, she pulled out a purple crystal bottle and drank it swiftly. Then she started to summon her curse power once more.


    Roar!!!


    In an instant, several cursed puppets, the same beastly monsters that appeared both during Eli''s ambush in the forest and during the hunting, joined the battle.


    Their presence immediately put pressure on Kazimir''s side as they were already outnumbered.


    Their hearts started to waver, how could they everst in this kind of battle?!


    However¡­ suddenly a swift dark shadow shed and immediately pierced Arabe''s unguarded back.


    Arrooo!!! The beasts howled in agony as they slowly disappeared just a few minutes after they were summoned.


    Arabe spat a mouthful of blood as she turned her head and looked at the person who attacked her from behind.


    Her pupils constricted to finally recognize the face of her attacker.


    "It is a shame that I cannot kill you right now¡­ I promised my good friend to let you live for his revenge¡­" The attacker said in his cold voice as he met Arabe''s shocked expression.


    It was none other than Leon, who was reported to have been severely injured a few days ago!

 Chapter 520 Reversal (1)

    ?"Y-you!!! H-how!!!"


    Everyone from Crown Prince Ranon''s side was in great bafflement as they looked at Leon who was well and unscathed.


    "How in the world did this happen? I-I clearly saw with my own eyes that you were severely injured and weakened! I captured you and took you to prison myself!"


    Out of all people who were shocked by Leon''s appearance, it was the Lieutenant who could not contain the sudden turn of events.


    He could not understand how and why Leon appeared so strongly before them. He even managed to incapacitate the Crown Prince''s strongest retinue - Arabe!


    Too bad, none from their side would ever know the answer. For once it was revealed, then the enemy would have a significant understanding of how powerful he truly is.


    "I''m sorry for beingte¡­" Leon looked at Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine then at the rest of the knights who were already in a dire state.


    He understood that the casualties for them were too high and that their crew was significantly lessened.


    "Let''s deal with the matter at hand first¡­" Kazimir shook his head and looked at the bloodied Arabe with conflicting feelings.


    Leon understood and immediately cast a spell to keep Arabe in prison just like the prisoners they have brought with them.


    Before he joined the fight against Crown Prince Ranon''s men, Leon gave some brief information about the strongest mages in the army so that they could watch out.


    "I''ll go straight to them one by one¡­ just continue to hold your ground." He said before sending a re spell up in the air.


    Shiuuuu!


    The spell exploded in the air releasing a piercing sound. What happened next made the enemy''s heart turn cold.


    That is because out of nowhere, a dome istion barrier was created.


    The gorge was covered by a crystalline dome that was ridden withplex gold and multicolor runes that surely restricted the movements of hostile forces in the ground.


    Crown Prince Ranon gritted his teeth¡­ Leon got them good with his move.


    The istion barrier''s main purpose was to effectively block their ability tomunicate through the notification paper andmunication stone. Therefore, it would be hard for them to ask for the rear troop''s help unless they kill off the people who activated the array.


    A sudden realization hit the Lieutenant and his men¡­


    Looking at the size and the appearance of the array, it was not put up so suddenly and by a single person.


    It must have been put up by Leon and his men for many days at least three to five days¡­


    That meant that from the moment Leon was captured until today, someone is working for the array to be set up firmly in the entire gorge region!


    That also meant that Leon purposely let himself be captured so that their focus would turn to him and they would eventually realize that his men had already infiltrated the ambush camp!


    That exined why the array was perfectly set up in the gorge region when no one from Seirende''s side supposedly knew the exact ambush point!


    "C*rse this mad dog!" Crown Prince Ranon could only shout profanities to his teeth and order the Lieutenant and his men to fight to the death.


    Leon had no intention to prolong the fight as he knew that even with his presence, they were still outnumbered.


    Besides, he and his brothers also wanted to know what happened on the other side, where their family is also under ambush.


    He shed straight to the Lieutenant and immediately engaged in a sword fight with him, while he left Biggie to do his thing and help Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine''s men to deal with the thousand men.


    The Lieutenant himself could barely hold a fight against Leon, however, he too no longer nned to hold back.


    "You may think that I am easy to deal with as the other two lieutenants you managed to defeat. There''s a reason why I am the only remaining one standing among us three¡­" He said as he coldly conjured his curse power into his other hand.


    "Cursed power users are nothing but greedy people who borrowed powers from the innocent¡­" Leon was not provoked by the Lieutenant''s threat and continued to be unbothered in fighting.


    His attacks continued to put heavy pressure on the Lieutenant who was trying his best to bnce his guard and attacks with the curse power.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Cold shivers started to run through his back as he continued to receive Leon''s heavy blows.


    If not for his men joining him to attack Leon all at once while trying to buy time for him to recover and recharge for the attack, he could have long sumbed to the monstrous prowess of the enemy.


    However, his men started to fall one by one, and the pressure brought on him became heavier as the moment went on.


    In the end, he could only prematurely release the attack and force himself to retreat at a safe distance just to breathe.


    Leon waved his hand to execute a massive earth spell, creating multipleyers of stone shields to protect him and the knights fighting beyond his position from the massive curse attack spell.


    Boom boom boom!


    The entire gorge shook as the earth shield tried to stop the massive curse ball from reaching Leon and the knights.


    Leon continued to conjure the spell repeatedly, which created an effect of an indestructible earth wall that kept regenerating as it got destroyed by the curse power.


    In the end, the curse power managed to be exhausted and dissolved into nothingness, leaving only massive debris of burnt earth.


    As soon as the cursed ball died down, Leon shed on the Lieutenant''s side once again. But this time, he was already too exhausted to react quickly and could only find his vision rolling uncontrobly to the ground.


    Plop¡­ in an instant his head was gone leaving only his body frozen stiff from being unable to react to the curse power.


    Seeing the dead Lieutenant, the entire army started to be chaotic. But Leon did not deal with them immediately.


    Instead, he looked at Mishael and asked him to observe the body, in case that a spirit fragment would appear and suddenly attack the unguarded, just like what happened during the investigation of the dark knights.


    Seeing that another one of his strongest men had fallen, the Crown Prince went into a frenzy.


    "D*mn you! Dog prince! You should just die!" He shouted as his eyes turned bloodshot, wanting to kill Leon in many ways.


    "All you men, join me! Let us kill this prince first!" He ordered all the nearby mages and knights, forcing them to leave their opponents in order to deal with Leon.


    This also made the pressure on Kazimir and Antoine''s side gradually lessen, but they were worried that Leon might be in danger of dealing with too many men at once.


    Fortunately, the Crimson des, along with the original five knights who went with Leon appeared. They just rushed quickly to the battlefield after ensuring that the activation of the dome istion array was secured.


    They immediately saw Leon getting surrounded by a great number of soldiers so they moved to help him get away from the predicament.


    Seeing another twenty or so men joining the Seirende''s side did not affect Crown Prince Ranon that much.


    His goal was for his troops to make Leon be weak so that he could deal with him easily.


    However, his negligence towards the new yer proved to be a critical mistake!


    As soon as the Crimson des engaged in the fight, their ferociousness was revealed. They were like a portion of Leon''s mad persona the moment they wielded their swords in battle.


    Even Kazimir and Antoine were shocked to see how they looked in a real war like this. After all, they did not manage to see the Crimson des in action during the war because of their unique circumstances.


    They lived up to their names as Crimson des¡­ for not only their swords were colored in red by the blood of their enemies, even their bodies were covered too because of how they engaged in bloody carnage.


    Antoine most specifically, almost stood in a daze upon seeing his youngest maternal cousin, Olivier in action.


    Back then, Olivier was ostracized for being the weakest among the Astaze brothers and became more outcast in the family when he decided to join Leon''s crew.


    Though Antoine did not doubt that Olivier was as talented as his older brothers, somehow, his decision to be associated with the ''trash prince'' weakened his position in the family.


    But at this moment, he could only wish for his uncle and cousins to see how Olivier had grown so far aheadpared to all of them.


    For he had never seen such a kind of summoner, who would cover not only himself nor his de with blood¡­


    But even all his contracted beasts were that vicious as well!

 Chapter 521 Reversal (2)

    ?The fight between the ambushers and Seirende''s people intensified as a sense of desperation aroused on both sides.


    "This is not good¡­ I have to think of a way to escape¡­" Looking at the chaos, Crown Prince Ranon determined that it will be futile for them to fight unless the rear army joins them in the fight.


    With Leon''s appearance, their overwhelming strength in numbers was no longer an advantage.


    Crown Prince Ranon desperately used his brains just to keep Leon busy and find a way to escape so that he could call his reinforcements.


    He looked around and checked if he could send more men to pressure Leon only for his gaze tond on the prisoner''s area which was still protected by Mishael''s team.


    A smile bloomed on his face as his eyes flickered in determination. He sneakily retreated back, away from Leon, Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael''s vision, and started to carry out his n.


    ''Summon shadows¡­'' He mentally cast a spell as he kept himself well hidden in the crowd. This way, none on the Seirende''s side would notice that his power was already utilizing their shadows as a hiding ground.


    Slowly, his puppets moved from one people''s shadow to another until they reached the premises of the prisoner''s area.


    When he was about to reach the carriage, he did his best to diminish the presence of his puppets so that none of the people around would detect what he was doing.


    In a few minutes, the shadow puppets sessfully infiltrated the shadows of the carriage, however, Crown Prince Ranon did not do any drastic movements yet.


    Instead, he started to directly engage in a fight after ensuring that the shadow puppets were properly settled down in the carriage.


    ''Now I just need to buy time¡­'' He thought while using his casting powers to finally join the battlefield.


    "Wind storm!" He shouted as his mana conjured to create a powerful wind gale to target Kazimir and Antoine''s area.


    "Watch out!" Kazimir shouted at Antoine who was fighting above ground. The wind gale was several meters wide and tall and would surely affect those who were fighting midair, so he could not help but panic for his second brother and his men.


    Fortunately, Antoine and his crew reacted quickly and managed to barely resist the destructive wind gale. After that, both Kazimir and Antoine moved their attention to Crown Prince Ranon.


    "Wait¡­ heh... Are you two teaming up to fight against me? Isn''t this dishonorable as a monarch, First, and Second Prince?" Crown Prince Ranon mocked them as he swung his silver sword that was ridden with a faint purplish aura.


    "There is no dishonor in apprehending an evil man." Antoinended on the ground and joined Kazimir in facing Ranon.


    "What is evil and what is really good? Only the victors had the right to define what it was!" Crown Prince Ranon shrugged and started attacking the two despite being alone.


    sh!


    Kazimir and Antoine could not help but be amazed at Crown Prince Ranon''s prowess, indeed he is the Crown Prince of the Vanderford. His skills were clearly above anyone of his peers.


    Add to the fact that he is a strong mage and a curse user, the brothers could not help but be vignt and careful in terms of dealing with him.


    Antoine dealt with the sword blows by Ranon while Kazimir supported him by engaging in some sneak attack, all while they were dodging the Crown Prince''s barrage of spells and curse attacks.


    Just a few minutes of fighting made them already sweat profusely for every attack made by Crown Prince Ranon was out to get their lives in one shot.


    Crown Prince Ranon was actually a dual-element wind and lightning mage (not including the secretive shadow element, which was used for stealth purposes). His fighting style is piercingly sharp and fast while his attack range is wide and omnidirectional.


    With that dangerous wide range, attacks came from everywhere which made Antoine and Kazimir unable to overpower him despite their numbers. During the exchange, they could only do their best to dodge and guard in his attacks.


    But as they kept on fighting, Kazimir and Antoine also became used to each other''s fighting styles and had be more synchronized in their attacks.


    Kazimir is more gifted in speed and flexibility because of his wind element attributes while Antoine is more blessed in closebat prowess.


    Add to the fact that he can borrow his contracted beasts'' abilities, he can also exhibit pseudo-devourer capabilities like overwhelming strength and durability in a short period of time.


    With their newfound understanding of each other, they were finally able to contain Crown Prince Ranon''s ferocious attack and fight back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Tsk!" Seeing that the two brothers were getting more and more dangerous in their attacks, Crown Prince Ranon decided that this is the right time to check what the puppets have achieved.


    Splitting his senses into two, half of his consciousness was transferred to the shadow puppets, and saw how the prisoners'' security mechanisms were made.


    The shadow puppets have already managed to sneak past the physical mechanisms however their progress was halted by the multyered security arrays that secured the prisoners from the outside world.


    ''It appears that I need to focus on mentally controlling the puppets¡­'' Crown Prince Ranon suppressed the displease in his outward appearance and started to n how to disengage.


    Now that his puppets have already infiltrated the prison carriages sessfully, his mission to face the two annoying brothers was already achieved.


    Without hesitation, he quickly pulled out of Kazimir and Antoine''s attack area and blended once again into the crowd of soldiers.


    The brothers thought that he felt the danger posed by their attacks and so he could only choose to retreat. And so they took the chance to also try and get their way to the crowd of enemy soldiers and chance the hiding crown prince.


    However, they were already meant to fail as Crown Prince Ranon, just like Arabe and Niki had already hidden through the shadows.


    Even after searching for so long, they could only deal with the sea of enemy knights in front of them and wait until they spotted Ranon hiding on the battlefield.


    On the other hand, Crown Prince Ranon swiftly swam through the battlefield shadows and slowly settled on the nearest shadow of the gorge in the prison area. This way none of the soldiers would sense his presence while trying to decipher the mechanisms of the shadow.


    He immersed his consciousness through the shadow puppets and saw that the interior of the prison cage was ridden with multiple runes. Saying that the array structure isplicated is an understatement!


    He never saw such an extensive multiyered array formation that does not disrupt each other''s mana source while being effective at the same time!


    ''There''s only one way to deal with this¡­'' Crown Prince Ranon thought as he scrutinized theplicated runes.


    ''Only the corrosive power from the brute force of the curse can be more effective than slowly deciphering these runes¡­''


    And so the moment he decided, he had already summoned a thin strip of his curse power and channeled them through the shadow puppets.


    He controlled the stream of curse power into fibrous thin strips so that none of the people around could feel its presence.


    While the process took a few minutes, he was able to gather a good amount of curse power inside the carriage.


    He did not waste any second and immediately started to use the umted curse power to melt and corrode the rune inscriptions with the thinnestyer in the prison area.


    ''Just one tiny hole is enough for me to take them out of this prison¡­ After that, they can take the spirit fragments I took with me so that they can finally join the fight.'' Crown Prince Ranon thought in his mind.


    ''If not for the prisoners being the ready vessels for the curse power, I would not have done such a troublesome thing!'' Heined in his heart as he watched the curse power do its job.


    The true reason why he and the pope insisted to retrieve the Ves traitors was that their bodies were already trained and suitable spirit fragment vessels for their Lord Raven.


    If not for that fact, then they would never even bother to put on a show that the main temple cared for their case.


    Retrieving them meant that their Lord Raven would have many ways to reveal himself while they were in the process of making the perfect vessel through Rachana and Leon''s genes.


    "You sure are desperate to free these prisoners aren''t you, Crown Prince?" While deep in thought, Crown Prince Ranon was suddenly disrupted by a chilling voiceing in front of the spot he was hiding.


    Leon was looking at the shadow where he hid, and continued, "You do not need to go through that tedious process¡­ I will open the prison carriage for you¡­"


    Without waiting for Crown Prince Ranon toprehend what he was saying, Leon snapped his fingers and activated the mechanisms of the prison carriage.


    Such argemotion led everyone to look at the prisoner''s area and witnessed something unbelievable.


    The prison carriages were empty!

 Chapter 522 Start Of The Great War

    ?True enough there is so much happening on the battlefield that everyone was yet again subjected to a great deal of shock upon realizing that the prisoners were no longer in the carriages.


    "It is easy to figure out your intentions¡­ so I''ve brought it to myself to be one step ahead of you." Leon found it exined.


    In reality, Leon had the prisoners transferred to the bird cages when he noticed the shadow puppets touching the rune inscription of the arrays.


    As one of the people on top of the creation of these secured carriages, he would know if someone tried to intrude and decipher the array right at the moment.


    With that, he gave the des a signal and worked to transfer the prisoners away from the enemy''s attention.


    Crown Prince Ranon gritted his teeth and became desperate. Now, his hopes to have more reliable additions to his troops were gone and he was running out of options.


    "Do you think that if you manage to survive this fight, you will all remain safe and sound?! Hahahaha! I am telling you right now, that this ambush is just the beginning! Your beloved empire is already close to its fall!"


    Crown Prince Ranon could only throw mocking words towards Leon and the rest while he summoned all of his powers and channeled it all to the curse users that were still alive. He started absorbing their life force so that he could enhance his strength multiple times.


    "Stand back.." Leon eyed Kazimir and the rest as there was something strange happening in Crown Prince Ranon''s condition.


    In front of Leon, Crown Prince Ranon finally emerged from the shadow of the gorge and his body stayed afloat in the air.


    Wisps of violent purple light surged to enter his body as he spread his arms wide taking in every power one could get.


    "des! Create a barrier and iste the two of us on the battlefield! No one is to go beyond the barriers until I say so!" Leon shouted, alerting everyone in the hall.


    Kazimir, Mishael, and Antoine could not help but gulp as they saw how intimidating the force around Crown Prince Ranon was.


    The gale force was so strong that the earth crumbled on every surface where the purple streak of power was.


    What''s more, the presence of the malevolent force in the Crown Prince''s surroundings was several times greater than that of the former Empress Carolina!


    "Third Brother! We will assist you!" Antoine stepped forward, his eyes vigntly looking at the brewing monster of curse in front of them.


    "Leon looked around and saw that the battle between the soldiers was almost settled, as the remaining non-curse user soldiers had already lost the will to fight, seeing that the monarch they had pledged their loyalty with did not even regard theirrade''s lives and even took it himself.


    Besides, he cannot even guarantee that he could contain Ranon''s power as it was even stronger than that Carolina''s power of multiple fragmentsbined.


    Soon Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine joined Leon on the isted battlefield. They courageously faced Crown Prince Ranon, whose features were now revealed to be so much simr to the Vess.


    Purple hair and amethyst eyes.


    In the first ce, the Vanderfords are rumored to be rted to the Vess, but since the first generation of the Vanderford family, they were only known for having pale purplish hair and eyes, but not as deep as the Vess.


    But now, one would think that Crown Prince Ranon was part of the Ves family.


    Leon and the three other men looked at each other, could it be that the missing Ves heir during the time of the First Victor''s war managed to integrate himself into the Vanderfords?


    Even so, they could only find the truth if they managed to survive the current predicament.


    Beforemencing the attack, Leon eyed one of the des and mouthed the words, "Continue with the n."


    After that, he charged in Crown Prince Ranon''s direction along with Antoine and Mishael.


    Wooosh!


    With a swipe of the hand, Crown Prince Ranon managed to give a heavy blow to Mishael while he cast a piercing lightning spell to force Antoine to retreat. Then he met Leon''s attack head and he sessfully stopped it with his silver sword.


    "I always wanted to know how much stronger an s-ss mage is¡­ but it seems like it was only so so." Crown Prince Ranon smiled as the veins in his hands and face glowed in a faint purple light.


    The next second, Leon was thrown out almost at the end of the boundary, leaving only dust and rubble on the trajectory he went with.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kazimir did not even have a chance to conjure his spell because the turn of events was too swift for his casting to handle.


    But then, the four men did not stop at one failure. With Leon as the strongest attacker, they managed to exchange several blows and pushed the Crown prince off his momentum.


    However, that did notst for long.


    As Kazimir and Mishael started to suffer from receptor fatigue after being pushed to exhaust their mana on the battlefield for a long time, their attack routines became weaker and more predictable.


    Their team finally crumbled when Mishael was the first one to fall as he was already injured by Arabe earlier on.


    Crown Prince Ranon targeted him specifically andnded a blow on his already injured rib, leaving Mishael crashing into the gorge while wincing in pain and broken ribs.


    The next one to fall was Antoine who tried to save Kazimir from Crown Prince Ranon''s lightning attack which Kazimir had no more mana left to dodge.


    Making himself a human shield and falling from such a height, Antoine fell with Kazimir and sustained several injuries.


    Finally, only Leon remained standing.


    While he was fighting Ranon, he was actually spending his mana so fast. This is because his mana was being used simultaneously to maintain the dome barrier and summon Biggie just a while ago.


    While he is an open-path mage, the supply of mana still yed a big role in the victory on the battlefield. With the deste wastnd having lesser mana around, it was hard for him and the other mage to replenish.


    ''I think I have no choice but to use the mana stones to replenish my mana¡­'' Leon thought as he gauged the fight. ''I just need more time to take it out and absorb it.


    But before he could move, Crown Prince Ranon suddenly attacked with his sword. While he was able to guard with the opponent''s sword strike, he did not anticipate that Ranon would release a spelling from his mouth.


    A violet energy ball charged on Leon''s chest creating a violent explosion.


    Boom!


    Rubbles and dust filled the air as they saw the wall of the gorge cave out a deep hole, somewhere at the end of it, was Leon''s injured body from the mysterious curse ball attack.


    The entire battlefield froze, and a great sense of fear and trembling appeared on the knight''s faces who could only watch the battle unfold.


    The S-ss Mage was pushed around just like that¡­ How on earth will they even defeat that kind of enemy?


    "Behold gentlemen! This is the hope you are waiting in vain for! Look at them¡­ the only thing they could do is fall under my feet!" Crown Prince Ranonughed as he pointed at the four men who failed their attacks.


    "See? No one in this field can defeat me! Nor can any of you make a difference in saving yournd! We, the followers of Lord Raven, will rule the entirend and all of you have a choice to admit defeat and surrender!"


    "Listen now! Those who submitted and were willing to pledge allegiance to Lord Raven, the Vanderford Empire, and the Main temple shall receive unlimited glory and power! Just like mine!


    No powers could resist our side, not even this great Seirende everyone has been looking up to."


    "Their fall meant our rise! So now, I am giving you a chance to join this war, and let the long tyrant be gone with the rise of the new regime!" Crown Prince Ranon dered.


    Unbeknownst to him, a recording stone was pointing at him, capturing all of his movements from beginning to end. It was held by the same member of the Crimson de whom Leon mouthed the words, ''Continue with the n''.


    It turns out that the entire proceedings of the ambush have been recorded and broadcast to the main cities of Prasinos, even the Vanderford Empire!


    After recording the end of his speech, the broadcast shifted to the side of Emperor Valentin who was wearing his full body armor and sword.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, my fellow leaders and allies! Now you have seen and heard who the evil ones were and who were the ones who did not want peace to prevail in Prasinos!


    As the leader of the Seirende Empire, we refuse to fall under their reign without putting forth our best fight!


    Thus our empire deres war against the Spectre, Lord Raven, the Vanderford Empire, and the Main Temple!"

 Chapter 523 The First Battles

    ?A great uproar ensued in the entire Prasinos.


    That was because, as soon as Emperor Valentin dered the start of the war, the troops stationed stealthily near the enemy camps started to advance!


    Starting from the outer regions in the southeast, up to the coastal regions of the north where the troops from the allied kingdoms and the Green Wave Continent, all were now charging at full speed to take advantage of the enemy''s lowered guards.


    A wave of simultaneous surprise attacksmenced in the different parts of the Seirende Continent!


    "What on earth happened?! Why are there enemy troops hiding just within our noses!" The leaders of these remote troops could only grit their teeth and start fighting.


    Unfortunately, their ns would never be answered as they were destined to fall into the hands of the side that was prepared to fight -


    The Unified Anti-Curse Forces!


    A coalition which consists of the armies from the Seirende, Green Wave, and a number of allied kingdoms both in Seirende and some select parts that were located in the Vanderford continent, albeit, their loyalties were not yet revealed at the moment because they would be exposed too early.


    "Charge men! Do not let the curse users hurt an innocent person anymore! Fight for our peace! Fight for ournd!" The Commanding Lieutenants of the Unified Forces shouted as he raised his sword and took down two soldiers in front of him.


    The knights immediately responded, carrying out their mission, to apprehend those who propagate evil and fight for the peace of the entire Prasinos.


    Simultaneously, Emperor Valentin has yet to receive the news of Niki''s attack against the other members of the Imperial Family in the Northern Territory.


    He and the other leaders of the Unified forces had established a headquarters somewhere in thend where it is most essible to all the leaders.


    They called it Navigator''s Harbor Point as it was located near the coastal areas facing the direction of the Green Wave institute.


    "The first encounters have alreadymenced. Luckily, we have received urate intel from Lady Eli about the whereabouts of the Pope. With this, we can rest assured that our first battles would surely be a victory." Chief Dragon Fafnirmented as he looked at Emperor Valentin and the rest of the representatives from the other territories.


    They were focused on looking at arge map of Prasinos which were marked by colored dots of red and green.


    In the map, the areas where the surprise attacksmenced were slowly changing. The red dots slowly faded while the green dots started to grow vibrant.


    This made the leaders in the entire headquarters exhibit a light of hope in their worried eyes.


    They were not expecting a strong continuous momentum of victories in the first stages of the war. But having to take out many minor camps stationed at the outer borders of the Seirende allied region is already a good start.


    "Our n is to take out the noncritical fortresses first¡­ while our core armies will appear in the area where the Vanderford Monarchs (The Vanderford Emperor''s sons) and the Main Temple''s army limit their movements." The female leader of the Werewolf n, Daciana exined as she observed the movements on the map.


    "Our best case would be their troops retreating back to the coastal regions of the Vanderford. With that, we canmence the second phase of the war¡­ but that would be far from happening¡­ it''s too early to heave a sigh of relief." Emperor Valentin replied with a serious expression.


    "That''s for sure¡­ we have no information yet about how strong the Pope and the Impostor Pdin were¡­ speaking of the Pdin¡­ do you have any clue about their whereabouts?" A Monarch from the Allied Kingdom, Bemonte asked.


    Emperor Valentin shook his head and signaled that he was in no position to answer.


    Realizing Emperor Valentin''s predicament, the leaders no longer insisted but still tried their luck with high Priest Enoch who was also part of the leaders'' unified forces.


    "She had an important mission that is equally crucial to the sess of the war as well. As for the specifics, I have no idea how she is doing now¡­ but for sure, she will appear right on time¡­" High Priest Enoch exined, saying the matters necessary for the group to know but not giving out too much information.


    Hearing the answer, the leaders started to form their own hypotheses and no longer bothered.


    Instead, they continued to mobilize their forces and monitor the progress of the first battle encounters. As for the situation on Leon''s side, they could only pray that Leon and the rest would manage to defeat the Crown Prince and take out one of the strong enemies on the Spectre''s side.


    Back to the Deste Wastnds, the gorge region continued to be suspenseful and dire.


    The dust and rubble around the spot where Leon''s body crashed took a minute to finally settle and be clear.


    With that minute of the unknown, the hearts of the onlookers almost stopped as they were afraid to see the Third Prince be utterly defeated by the evil Crown Prince.


    At the same time, Crown Prince Ranon pursed his lips in a dangerous smile as he eyed Kazimir and Antoine who were yet to recover from the blow they have also received.


    He did not wait to see if Leon could stand or not as he charged straight with his sword directed towards Kazimir''s unguarded nape.


    "First Prince! Watch out!" The soldiers shouted in rm as they saw how fast Crown Prince Ranon was in his attack<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ng! Swoosh!


    Fortunately, Kazimir managed to twist his body and temporarily block the attack with his sword. This dyed the attack for a moment, while Antoine managed to also recover andpletely met the full strength of Ranon''s attack.


    "Arrrrr!!"


    Antoine cried as he exerted every bit of hisbined strength with his contracted beast while Kazimir scrambled to the ground,pletely steering clear in the direction where Antoine and Ranon''s sword would definitely swing.


    Wooosh!


    The moment he was out of Ranon''s sword range, he immediately helped Antoine by using a powerful wind attack to strike the ground and force the opponent to create distance and give Antoine a moment to breathe.


    But now that Ranon was finally at a disadvantage, how could he allow the four opponents to turn the tables around?


    And so before continuing his attack several snake-like ''tails'' appeared on Ranon''s back, seemingly sentient as they looked for their targets.


    Six snake-like tails extended in different directions and started to attack Kazimir and Mishael while Crown Prince Ranon directly met Antoine with a heavy sword fight.


    All this happened in a span of a minute and yet it felt like several days for the trio.


    They did their best to hold longer while waiting for Leon to emerge but then their mental fortitude started to crumble when the synchronization of Antoine and his contracted beast were already up.


    In an instant, Antoine could barely hold his sword and take Crown Prince Ranon''s attack.


    "Second Brother!"


    "Second Prince!"


    Kazimir and Mishael shouted in panic and tried to run to Antoine when he finally lost the grip of his sword revealing his bloodied palms with ayer of its skin visibly peeled off.


    "Got you!" Crown Prince Ranon smiled while looking at Antoine like he was dead meat.


    Antoine could only do his best to retreat but too bad, Crown Prince Ranon''s speed and the tails blocked his escape path.


    However, unlike before, his eyes did not exhibit a sign of epting defeat.


    That was because¡­


    Boom! Sizzle!!!


    A golden glimmer of light shed in a blink of an eyepletely separating Antoine from the tip of Ranon''s de.


    Looking at the direction where the light came from, a proud astonished look appeared in Antoine''s eyes.


    To the spot where he was looking, emerged Leon in a form no one has ever seen nor imagined.


    Covered with multicolored scales and sharp ws¡­ Leon walked while slowly spreading out a single astral type wing while his eyes glowed in blue and gold hue.


    "A contracted spirit dragon?!" No one knew whomented, but they all recognized the form Leon was exhibiting.


    The spirit dragon is said to be the origin of the green wave continent and the father of all non-human races, not only dragons.


    To poor living beings who were sentient yet not close enough to form a human body, he gave them the ability.


    Thus the legend remained and all of the human and non-human races in Prasinos believed that the spirit dragon breathed life into the nonhumans to apany man and live in harmony while he went to his eternal sleep.


    No one would contend that by far, this was the strongest being that ever existed before the Guardians were even mentioned.


    And now, their eyes widened in disbelief to see¡­ that the mad blood Third Prince of the Seirende Empire, managed to contract with it!

 Chapter 524 Ranon Vs. Leon

    ?Left with no words to speak, Crown Prince Ranon''s resentment towards Leon grew more intense.


    Why? He was already an S-ss mage and an open path at that!


    His intel managed to also find out that he was able to contract a spatial being?!


    Now before his eyes, Leon showed their disparity yet again with this?


    Spirit Dragon!


    Spirit Dragon for the world''s sake!


    Why can''t this good fortunee to an outstanding person like him?


    He worked the hardest out of all the sons and daughters of the Vanderford Emperor!


    He ground his way up to be the person nearest to the crown and yet, one trash of a third prince from their nemesis Empire would just p him in his face!


    Everything about Leon right now is telling him that he is not good enough!


    He could not stand it!


    He couldn''t!


    Why do the blessings and recognition always direct to him, a Seirende?!


    ¨C


    While Crown Prince Ranon was wallowing in his rage, Leon was having a conversation with the Spirit Dragon whom he had synchronized with.


    "Young one, are you sure that you are using that one favor I gave you with this? You know that wielding my power would make you sleep for several days. I see that you are at war¡­ would it not pay you nicely when you use my favor this early?"


    An ancient voice rang in Leon''s head.


    Leon looked at his palms which were now exhibiting a spirit dragon w. In it were crushed supreme mana stones he used to have enough mana to manifest the spirit dragon. Then he resolutely replied,


    "This war is not only mine to fight. There were many people who could fight in my stead. It is just that, the opponent is not their match."


    "Hmmm¡­ I see¡­ Then ording to the contract we made - aspensation for epting my quest to look after the young spatial king, I will lend you my power once. I wish you and your side luck and I pray that your side will remain on the righteous side."


    The spirit dragon replied and his presencepletely melded on Leon''s body.


    It turns out that Leon and the spirit dragon were not in a normal lifetime contract rtionship but rather entered a one-time use agreement.


    With that, the aura of the Spirit Dragon pressured the entire battlefield.


    "Young one, if you are a bit stronger my power would have reached those people lost in the furthermost part of this destend¡­ s, I could only release this much as your body might explode."


    "Nheless¡­ it is more than enough for the enemy in front of you¡­" The Spirit Dragon said.


    Leon pped his monowings and his eyes glowed in multiple colors.


    He was like the rainbow, and the rainbow was like him. A crystal so bright when the sunshine hits, almost blinding everyone on the battlefield.


    Leon waved his hand and sent a streak of power on the injured Mishael, Antoine, and Kazimir. This power covered their entire bodies and carefully delivered them off the battlefield.


    After they were taken out of the battlefield the warm streak of power started to heal their wounds. Another wave of Leon''s hand made the barrier stronger and thicker.


    Finally, Leon''s eyes were directed toward the raging Crown Prince Ranon.


    The two had a stare-down before Leon moved to attack first. With a p of his monowings, he charged in Ranon''s direction speedily and met the other party''s snake-like tails.


    Leon raised his hands(ws) and started to destroy them one by one. But how could Crown Prince Ranon''s tails easily take out? Whenever Leon tears one tail, one would generate again.


    In the end, Leon knew that he can never take out the tails unless Crown Prince Ranon runs out of curse power sources.


    Thus, he decided to hold as many tails as he could in an attempt to lock Crown Prince Ranon in ce. Then just like a dragon, Leon opened his mouth and let out a concentrated mana attack.


    Wishh!!! Boom!


    As the pure mana ball flew toward Crown Prince Ranon, a piercing sound of the sonic material rang in the air followed by an earth-shattering explosion.


    Rumble!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The shockwave from the explosion made the gorge unable to maintain its majestic formation, making some parts of it start to copse.


    Leon blinked his eyes, and the color of his pupils changed to gold once again. Staring at the dust and rubble, he could see clearly where Crown Prince Ranon was. Without waiting if his attack managed tond on his opponent, he charged once again.


    sh! Shing! Boom!


    The sound of the sword shing with Leon''s diamond-hard scales and the asional heavy blows from both sides continued to dominate the entire battlefield.


    Everyone could only stay put inside the barrier and watch, praying that the battle would finally end with their side attaining victory.


    However, both sides were in a stalemate and none of them seemed to appear stronger than the other.


    "Young one, you will notst long in this battle regardless of the fact that both of you borrowed strength from other sources. My powers are definitely not enough for you to win¡­ use your mind ande up with a way to beat his mysterious powers." The Spirit Dragon advised.


    "Alright¡­" Leon acknowledges the ancient dragon''s words. That is because he knew full well that even the ancient dragon''s power can contend with the curse power.


    While Leon was exchanging blows with Ranon, he was already racking his brains as to how he could one-up his opponent and finally create a chance for the deciding blow.


    ''The only thing at my disposal was the cure potions and a number of spell papers.''


    ''My mana is no longer reliable as I am now only depending on mana stones¡­''


    ''And surprisingly¡­ my baby supplies because of my habit to carry Little Han''s necessities¡­''


    Leon sighed as he could only ept the fact that none of his items at the moment would help him turn the situation around.


    Strangely, while he was in the middle of a fight, his mind happened to recall a conversation that was totally not necessary for him to remember at the moment.


    Eli''s gentle voice rang in his mind, and her gentle and delicate figure carefully caressed the infant Little Han''s sleeping face.


    This was his memory of when he first became fond of the baby powder which Eli used to pamper Little Han.


    "That material is made of talcum, fortunately, our Little Han is not allergic to that¡­ It seems like none from this household nor the Faraulds and Forgeworns were allergic to it too. Thus you can freely use it as you want."


    "What will happen when one has a talcum allergy?" He asked her.


    "Well¡­ it is the same as one who wasn''t supposed to eat nuts but eats it anyway. The bodily reaction depends on severity due to one''s body constitution and the allergen dosage. Sometimes it would just be as light as sneezing or itching but the worst case would be death¡­"


    "I see¡­ nevertheless, it is safe to use within the household. I''ll just make sure that the des and the people around me at work will not have any reaction.." Leon said.


    Remembering the conversation, Leon was also taken at the time Ranon touched him for the first time.


    He remembered that after that, the skin on Ranon''s hand became slightly red and his subtle movements while not holding the tea cup showed signs of itching and difort.


    ''Could it be that he too was allergic to baby powder?'' A seemingly ridiculous yet bold theory appeared in Leon''s mind.


    ''It does not hurt to try¡­'' He decided quickly and took out a jar of baby powder in his own stash.


    Crushing the jar vessel in his ws, Leon charged at Crown Prince Ranon once again and pretended tond a heavy punch in his body.


    Boom!


    The punch was met by Crown Prince Ranon''s arms but Leon immediately moved his ws and scattered the contents of the jar in his hands.


    Poof!


    The fragrant, mildly scented baby powder immediately invaded Crown Prince Ranon''s nose.


    The second Leon scattered it, he already knew that the powder he cast did not even contain a drop of toxicity so he just ignored it and chased Leon to fight back.


    Another round of exchange ensued and Crown Prince Ranon was even more convinced that the powder Leon had just cast where his desperate move.


    However, that did notst long as after a few minutes, his body started heating up and his eyes started to moisten while feeling extremely hot.


    Crown Prince Ranon, who was still using the might of the curse power did not know what was happening to his body. But he could feel that his nose started itching and his chest bing tighter and tighter.


    Atst, he could no longer take the difort and staggered as he paused in a distance to forcibly halt his attacks.


    "Aaaaaachoooooooo!!"


    A loud unprincely sneeze rendered the entire battlefield silent¡­

 Chapter 525 A Failure

    ?"What is happening?" The onlookers would only look at the Crown Prince who, just a second ago became the epitome of evil, suddenly acted like this.


    "Achoo! Achoo!"


    Crown Prince Ranon continued to sneeze as his body continued to be warm.


    Too bad, because of the curse power manifesting in his body he would clearly see the red rashes slowly appearing on the areas which were directly exposed to the baby powder.


    "You! What kind of powder was that!" It did not take long for Crown Prince Ranon to realize that what happened to him had something to do with the powder Leon scattered earlier.


    "Hmmm¡­ it turns out that even cursed users could not escape their own bodily constitution¡­" Leon did not answer Crown Prince Ranon directly and just mumbled while he proceeded to attack the other party once again.


    "Young one, not bad¡­ your move is too vicious." While Leon was already on his way to turn things around, the ancient spirit dragon could not help butmend him on the side.


    "It is just thanks to my future wife. Her words back then just gave me the idea¡­" Leon answered as Eli''s smiling face shed in his mind.


    "How fortunate for you to have such an insightful wife¡­ However, you shall finish this fight for your body too will crumble as you exceed past the agreed time¡­" The ancient dragon graciously reminded me with his wise old voice.


    "Yes, great dragon spirit." Leon respectfully replied.


    As Crown Prince Ranon could hardly guard his attacks against Leon, the battle quickly reached its peak.


    Leonnded multiple blows at Crown Prince Ranon''s body while the other party suffered from a severe allergic reaction.


    What was more, it seems like the curse power also started to go wild inside his body.


    It might be because of the fact that his body could no longer control its treacherous nature or the curse power started to find a desperate source of replenishment, but Crown Prince Ranon''s body started to exhibit the simr symptoms that Hasta exhibited right before he died.


    However, Leon stillnded the deciding blow hitting Crown Prince Ranon''s chest with his sharpened spirit dragon ws.


    "Aaaargh! Why?! Nooo!" Crown Prince Ranon fell on his knees as the purple veins started to pulsate intensely.


    Leon stood back, unsure of what measures to do. Handling the curse power''s recoil effect was quite mysterious even for the Anti cursemittee. So far, only Eli was able to handle it quite properly.


    "S-save me¡­" Crown Prince Ranon could no longer take the pain as his body squirmed on the ground in agony. His eyes were bloodshot, exhibiting a look of disbelief and unwillingness.


    "Third Prince, let us take over." Mishael finally called from the other side of the barrier, asking Leon to allow them out.


    The temple knights worked fast and immediately created a barrier to contain Crown Prince Ranon''s body.


    "Noo¡­. s-save me! Save me!" Crown Prince Ranon looked at the temple knights in desperation as he demanded them to do something.


    However, he only met Mishael''s eyes as he said,


    "There is no redemption to those who sold themselves to evil¡­ Regardless of the victories you achieve on the surface of Prasinos, there''s always a consequence that will haunt you back¡­ That is evil''s very nature."


    He looked at Crown Prince Ranon whose life force was slowly being drained by the curse''s power, sapping his skin dry to the bones.


    Mishael looked at him with regret and disappointment as even at this moment, it did not give him satisfaction to see people who were receiving retribution for the sins they carried out.


    After a few minutes of struggling, Crown Prince Ranon is no more.


    The purple blood flowed out of his emaciated body, crying to the heavens of why his doom hade. In hisst breath, a dark malevolent spirit fragment appeared which was visibly stronger than that of Hasta''s and even thebined spirit fragments absorbed by Carolina.


    "Here it is¡­" Mishael announced as he alerted the temple knights to activate the array.


    Vrrrr!!!


    Even with the array protecting them from the spirit fragment, the overwhelming power of the evil curse still affected everyone on the battlefield.


    The soldiers who weren''t strong enough stumbled to the ground because of the heavy pressure while Kazimir and the others gritted their teeth to withstand the suppression.


    "Good good¡­ you fools from the Seirende! From the beginning of time, you have been someone who foils my ns!"


    The next moment they heard a loud and hair-raising evil voice rang not only in their ears but resonated deep in their minds, shaking their souls.


    "Aaaaaa!" Those who were weak of heart and mental fortitude immediately broke down and fell to the ground in pain. Nheless, the voice continued.


    "Curse you, subjects of Ignis! Curse you sons of Seirende! I, the Lord Raven, the personification of the mighty being Birsha, will swear that I will disperse your soul to nothingness, forever bing separated from the heavens!"


    Vrrrrr!!!!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The entire gorge, including the multyered defense array, shuddered once more while Mishael and his men worked in panic.


    "Quickly! Pour out all the anti-curse potion! Eradicate the fragment!" Mishael ordered as he frantically poured his portion.


    Much to their dismay, the cure potion was not even able to weaken the presence of Lord Raven''s spirit fragment.


    In the end, the spirit fragment flew out of the barrier and tried to attack Mishael and his people.


    "Great Ancient Dragon¡­" Leon pleaded, seeing that Mishael and his men were about to meet death with the attack of the spirit fragment.


    "Young one, let me take over for once¡­" The Spirit Dragon answered with a sense of urgency.


    Leon immediately allowed the Spirit Dragon to take over. The moment they did, his body immediately appeared in front of the attacking spirit fragment and raised his hand.


    In a blink of an eye, Leon''s bodypletely turned into a humanoid spirit dragon and with his ws, he effectively stopped the spirit fragment from its trajectory.


    "You are a fortunate, evil one that I have no vessel to carry on! Now go back to where youe from!" The ancient dragon''s voice came out of Leon''s lips while his ws lit up with colorful mana.


    It choked the spirit fragment aggressively, so much so that it formed several cracks in the fragment''s core!


    Lord Raven''s spirit fragment felt that it could not contain the power of the mysterious being he was facing at the moment and so it struggled to fight once more but this time, its goal was to escape from the grasp of the ancient spirit dragon.


    "Begone!" The Ancient Spirit Dragon eximed as he tightened his grip with his ws.


    Crack!


    The fragment''s core finally split and crumbled into pieces.


    Nothing remained other than a faint dark wisp of smoke that flew so fast into the wilderness.


    "Young one, I apologize for not being able to do much with that evil thing. The time we have agreed has already long passed." The Ancient Dragon conversed with Leon as his presence in his body was slowly fading away.


    "Great Ancient Dragon, your help is more than enough¡­ do watch us from your resting ce and wish the entire Prasinos to win the battle against the evil being." Leon smiled as he expressed his sincere strength.


    The ancient dragon, still in Leon''s form, looked at the men on the battlefield and said,


    "Blessed are you who chose to fight for peace, for the heavens will be upon you along the way. Blessed are those who have fallen while choosing the righteous for they will see Paradise.


    Woe to those whose souls were destroyed, but be d for they will find a way back to their Father, in His grace."


    After he uttered these words, a shower of multicolored raindrops showered the entire gorge.


    "A rain of blessing!" The men eximed as they felt all their injuries and fatigue washed away from the mysterious rain.


    The most bizarre thing was that those men who were swallowed by the shadow monsters earlier and were supposedly reduced to nothingness appeared. Their corpses peacefullyy on the spot where theyst bravely held their swords to fight the evil.


    Unfortunately, for those who chose to side with evil, their corpses remained as it is, leaving their corpses a testament to their eternal damnation.


    Finally, the Ancient Dragon finished his blessings and his presencepletely faded. He left Leon''s tired body on the ground causing the rest to panic.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, in a secret throne room somewhere in the Vanderford pce, a ranging Lord Raven revealed his wrath and took it out on the jewels that he umted just around his throne.


    "Curses! I lost another fragment yet again!"


    "D*mn these ves of the heavenly realm!"


    "Just wait! I myself will go back to the realm and bring your proud realm utter destruction!"


    ¨C


    In the furthermost region of the deste wastnds, Rachana suddenly paused in the middle of their troops charging to catch up with the ambush troops.


    "What is it, pdin?" The Pope asked.


    Rachana looked at the Pope and said in a panicked voice, "Pope, the Lord summons us back!"

 Chapter 526 Entrapment And Escape

    ?"Howe? Why did he summon us so urgently?!"


    Forcing his mount to a stop, the Pope replied at Rachana in a baffled tone.


    "I do not know, however he seemed to be enraged¡­" Rachana felt uneasy as she was afraid to face her lord''s wrath.


    Everyone in the Spectre knew how cruel and ruthless lord Raven was when he was angry or displeased. It was something Rachana does not want to witness again.


    The Pope went silent for a while, thinking of what possible reasons could make their revered leader angry.


    As he pondered, none of the things made sense except for the possibility of the ambush operations bing a failure¡­ Could it be that the Crown Prince, one of Lord Raven''s premium vessels, was killed?


    His aged face disyed a deep frown as he looked at the way ahead, they were just a few days away to the ambush point. If he pushed the entire army forward, then they would have a chance to see the situation.


    The Crown Prince is not a weak vessel, at most, he was just second to him in strength. That meant that the other party must have sustained damage too and would be incredibly weakened.


    It would also be impossible for the other party to face another army within just a few days.


    However, he was woken up by a sharp ringing in his head, followed by Rachana''s cry of agony.


    Riding!!


    "Aaaaargh¡­" The pain in her mind was deeply piercing. Rachana closed her eyes and tried to cover her ears to withstand the sound but to no avail.


    ''He is really angry¡­'' The Pope gritted his teeth to also try to withstand the resonance of the spirit fragment in his body as it was responding to lord Raven''s anger.


    The agonysted for a minute before the two, and the other temple knights who also had a portion of the spirit fragment.


    ''The spirit of Birsha is resonating the wrath of Lord Raven, his host¡­ now everyone who had his spirit would suffer this kind of pain¡­''


    Equally helpless, the Pope could only ount for those who had the spirit fragment and rallied them for their impending retreat.


    "Come with me to the Lieutenants and the princes, we will inform them of our summons." He announced.


    With that, they went to their allies and exined the situation. The Lieutenants and monarchs quickly understood as they all worked for the same organization.


    So in just a few hours the Pope and his team set off to travel back to the Vanderford Empire and meet their raging leader, while the rear army continued their journey to the ambush point.


    However¡­


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Consecutive explosions were triggered on both the separating parties, causing chaos to the entire army. Many were caught off guard and were severely injured at the moment.


    "What on earth is happening!" Rachana eximed in panic as she navigated her horse to safety when they were suddenly ambushed by a random explosion ahead.


    "Head towards the south!" The Pope noticed the concentration of the explosion and noticed that it only emerged northward.


    Both troops heard the Pope''s order and did as he instructed. However this time, multiple wind gales weed them and reduced their troops once again.


    "D*mn! We''ve been set up!" The Lieutenants cursed as they realized what just happened. The region they were in was full of array traps triggered upon stepping.


    Explosive arrays, wind gale arrays, Quicksand arrays, mana de arrays, and many more, were trapped in a region that was obviously made to deal with their kind.


    "There''s no time, take the princes with you and escape, we will pave way for you to escape¡­" The Lieutenant asked the Pope to take the princes with them while the army will find a way for them to escape.


    After all, if they did not act on time, the people who set up these arrays would eventuallye and trap them all.


    "Alright¡­" The Pope immediately agreed and also instructed Rachana to use her curse powers.


    They took the Vanderford princes with them who was supposed to be the one to lead the rear army and rushed to escape.


    With Rachana using her modified curse power, they all escaped the entrapped region at the expense of heavy loss of her powers.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "When we go back, we''ll find a way to replenish your lost energy." The Pope promised the resentful Rachana, who was deeply exhausted from the earlier ordeal.


    "Tsk¡­" Rachana could only roll her eyes.


    If not for the youngds who were ambitious to obtain an easy achievement, she would have escaped so easily and would have had no need to use her powers.


    But s, these young men were Lord Raven''s kin and should not be neglected, for they also have the potential to be his vessels in the future.


    "Quit sulking or do you want our lord to be enraged again for waiting?" The Pope reprimanded Rachana once again and the other party could only begrudgingly follow them their way.


    ¨C


    Back at the ambush point the healers quickly attended to the unconscious Leon and tried to heal him of his injuries.


    However, no amount of healing and restoration potion could make him wake up, worrying Kazimir, Antoine, and the rest.


    "Your Highnesses, if I may¡­ our Captain the Third Prince has left us a few words to say to you¡­" Olivier and ze went to approach the two and ryed Leon''s words.


    "He said that his sleep wouldst for a few days, as it was an effect of his one-time contract with the Ancient Spirit Dragon. Nobody could contain the might of its power and so His Highness already expected to be unconscious for a few days.


    When that happens he told us to inform you of this matter, and that he apologized for not telling you things in advance¡­" Olivier exined as he and ze bow to apologize on behalf of Leon.


    "Now that you mentioned, what happened on your side? Howe we have heard that the Third Brother was captured by the enemy?" Antoine asked.


    "It''s like this, Your Highness. When we were about to apprehend the middle army as nned, we heard the details of the opponent''s ambush ns.


    We have found out in advance that the two stationed armies upfront and the middle stationed ambush army are set to join forces to carry out the ambush.


    On the other hand, the rear army will also move forward together with the nearest stationed army outside the desert region.


    Just this change alone will quickly drown our current army of only a few hundred against the opponent''s thousand.


    And so after we have sessfully annihted the third army, His Highness has set up everything to deceive the first and second army to believe that he was wounded and caused a chase battle.


    Through that chase, His Highness also used the just-then-annihted army to further manipte the opponent and cause a seemingly bitter fight.


    Eventually, His Highness appeared to sumb to his injuries after taking out a few hundred of the troops and he was captured.


    In his prison, the guards did not know that even as they blocked the mana usage within his containment array, His Highness'' contract golem was already summoned outside of the array and was working at his orders to slightly modify the array from the outside.


    His highness used this weakness of the array to slowly kill off the guards and create a portal for us toe in and rece the guards.


    This process was repeated until all the guard shifts that were assigned to look for him were all our men.


    That is also when our men tried to gather intel inside the enemy camp and were able to identify the exact ambush point." ze exined the entire recollection of what happened on their side.


    "So that also exined why you were able to set up a containment array and helped uspletely apprehend these people¡­" Kazimir replied, realizing what happened.


    "As embarrassed as we are to arrive, yes, we were able to put up the barrier and join you in the battle btedly." Olivier could only answer with regret and shame.


    "It''s fine, do not beat up yourself. Looking back, this was already the best scenario we can achieve when we have to face an army far more stronger and numberedpared to us. The most important thing right now is to rally our troops once again and be prepared for the approaching rear army."


    Kazimirforted ze and Olivier.


    "About that, our troops managed to set up several arrays to dy the rear army further. We have also set up teleportation arrays as His Highness Third Prince ordered. With this, we can contact our headquarters and ask for troop reinforcement so that our team can withstand the armies better."


    ze informed me once again.


    Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine were taken aback upon knowing what Leon and his team did behind the scenes.


    They could only imagine how far worse it would be, if not for Leon''s team thinking and acting way ahead!

 Chapter 527 On The Other Side

    ?Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael conversed to ask for the details about Leon''s operations before everyone dispersed, leaving only the des to look after Leon at the moment.


    The trio on the other hand quickly contacted the headquarters and reported the situation.


    Kazimir and Antoine were still worried about what happened on the North Region''s side when their family was attacked by Niki''s men.


    With haste, they took themunication tool and immediately contacted Emperor Valentin.


    At the headquarters, Emperor Valentin had just also been informed about the situation. His entire back was drenched in cold sweat the moment he heard that they were attacked.


    That was because while he was announcing to the whole world that he would be warning the Spectre, the Temple, and the Vanderford, he had no idea that his very own family was subject to great danger.


    What if¡­ just what if¡­ the assassins heard his bold statement and chose to do more drastic methods to kill his family?


    He could not imagine the thought of it, and so it gave him cold shivers.


    When he heard about the attack, he had the urge to transport to the north and see the situation, however, as one of the leaders of the war, he could not leave his post behind.


    "Valentin, be still¡­ your family is not weak. I am sure they have handled it very well." Merking Havelok saw how uneasy Emperor Valentin was and tried tofort him.


    "That''s right. Besides, your Brother is there, you can rest assured." The other leaders were also equally worried.


    They very much wanted to allow Valentin to go and check the situation. However, now that they have just started the war, they cannot break this easily.


    This is their duty and responsibility. One wrong decision would lead to many lives of their subjects perishing.


    "I know¡­" Emperor Valentin could only sigh and go back to his position and continued monitoring the proceedings of war after he instructed his aide to do his best to know the situation in the Northern region.


    In the Northern region, the battle was nowing to an end.


    Governor Fidel''s men were able to quickly respond to their distress call and were surprised to see Princess Evelyn, Princess Arielle, Queen Lucia, and Queen Teh engage in a bloodied fight.


    When he arrived, he even caught a glimpse of their ferocious expressions as they tried their best to defend themselves against Niki''s men.


    While the women were not able to kill their respective assassins, they were able to stall time greatly and gave his men a chance to rescue them on time.


    As soon as the assassins were apprehended, the women were sent immediately to treatment while the two children stayed in Governor Fidel''s bed chamber which was the most secure bedroom apart from theirs.


    "Second Grandpa!" The two boys who were just obediently hiding behind their mothers ran to Governor Fidel and hugged him.


    Finally, they showed their scared and worried expressions as they recollected how their respective mothers fought for their lives against the assassin.


    "You poor children¡­ everything is fine now¡­ the soldiers have killed all the men who wanted to kill you."


    Governor could not help but be gentle inforting the children, especially Monti, Antoine''s child who was tightly clenching his fist in clinging to his clothes.


    Governor Fidel let the children calm down for a while until they slept. After ensuring that they werefortable, he got off the bed and instructed the servants to carefully look after them.


    He also called his strongest knight to station inside the bed chamber and guard the children as he did not know if there would be more of theming and sneaking.


    Based on the initial reports, the assassin''s movements were not as aggressive as they should be, it was like they were waiting for someone to instruct them on the next step before deciding to attack their targets.


    Governor Fidel had his men search the rooms and check if there were any clues, only to find out that the assassins held a recording stone and were probably filming the entire situation outside.


    At that moment he concluded that the Imperial women were just used as a hostage to pave the way for someone''s scheme. He did not need to think further to conclude the rest, the matter was obvious.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even so, he checked the conditions of the women before he reported the entire farce to his brother. He is sure that his Elder Brother was now on tenterhooks as he was only able to inform him that they were under attack.


    He knew that his Elder Brother could not go directly to their ce because he had justmenced the war and so he could only perform his duty on his behalf of him to protect the members of the Imperial Family.


    "Your Excellence!" The knights and the medics saw him enter the treatment area and immediately greeted him.


    "How are the Imperial Highnesses?" Acknowledging their greetings, Governor Fidel asked about the condition of the Queens and Princess Consorts to the Head Doctor.


    "Your Excellency, we have already treated the Imperial Highnesses. Fortunately, most of the injuries they suffered were superficial wounds and with proper treatment, their injuries won''t leave any scars.


    The only thing that concerns me is Her Highness Second Queen, although her wounds were not fatal it was quite deeper and more troublesome to treat.


    Although this too can be treated without a hitch, I would just like to bring this up as it seems that the attacker was really determined to hurt her the most out of them all."


    The Head Doctor dutifully reported all of his team''s findings to Governor Fidel, not even missing the odd observation they noticed on Queen Teh''s injuries.


    "The culprit is the missing offsprings of the Ves who worked with the Spectre to make it difficult for the Princes¡­ it seems like their deep resentment towards the Second Queen still prevailed. Nevertheless, continue to take care of her and the rest¡­ I will report this to His Majesty right away." Governor Fidel nodded and reminded the Head Doctor.


    "Yes, we will, Your Excellency."


    After taking a look at the Queens and the Princesses, assuring them that everything was fine, Governor Fidel proceeded to his office to immediately report everything to Emperor Valentin.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Emperor Valentin remained worried about Queen Teh''s condition.


    "She was still unconscious at the moment. I''ll have my aid send you an update should she wake up. As for me, we need to do a sweep out of the entire ce and even the borders, I''ll leave my best guards to guard the rest." Governor Fidel said.


    "Alright, do as you see fit. I thank you for taking the role of protecting them in my stead." Emperor Valentin expressed his sincere gratitude towards his younger brother.


    "It''s fine¡­ you need every help avable. It is I who have to apologize that I have no intentions to go to war even at this moment." Governor Fidel replied.


    In truth, he declined the request of Emperor Valentin to lead his troops to defend the borders of an allied Kingdom. But even as he did so, Emperor Valentin did not question him, for his older brother understood that he was still unable to get past his failure to protect the little Asani Vige.


    He vowed to no longer leave his territory and live in self-exile in the north, as a way to atone for his failure. Though Emperor Valentin was quite sad about what happened to his brother, he respected his decision helplessly.


    "No¡­ it is I who should thank you rather. I never thought that you would still agree to protect another person other than your territory. That is more than enough¡­" Emperor Valentin understood Governor Fidel''s past trauma andforted him greatly.


    "Hmmm¡­" Receiving the warmth and understanding of his older brother, Governor Fidel looked outside the window and could only hum in response to his brother''s words.


    ¨C


    It''s been more than a week since Little Han was left in the Dragon Vige with Baobaoing back to apany him.


    That day, he was feeling uneasy even after Elifas and Calderon apanied him to explore the serene bathing spring of the dragons.


    When he went back to his room, he immediately woke up after Rosea and his other dragon nannies put him on a nap.


    "Uwuuwuuu¡­ Johann miss mommi and daddi¡­" Little Han puffed his cheeks and scrunched his brows to force his tears not to fall.


    He balled his fist and rubbed it in his reddish eyes so that he could hold his threatening cries.


    "Young Master, don''t worry¡­ Master is safe and is doing well in the temple¡­ As for Prince Master¡­ Baobao is clueless¡­" Baobao sat at Little Han''s bedside and stretched his furry head to help Little Han from his tears with his fur.


    The two close to each other was such a warm yet heartbreaking scene as behind Little Han''s cheerful facade outside the room, he and Baobao were always like this,forting each other.

 Chapter 528 Chance! (1)

    ?"Sigh¡­ Eli-chan~ Our Little Han is crying again. When can this mission end so that we could go back to the dragon ce andfort our poor little baby!" Wisey''s voice rang on Eli''s mind as she dutifully sewed the materials for the masks and gloves.


    "I too very much wanted for this to end, but you know this was not easy¡­ Why not go to him and tell him that I''m fine?" Eli responded.


    "Aiyoooo, you know that I can''t leave you be when it is only you and Doctor Kayden in here. What if something happens? For sure, our Little Han would immediately feel it if I suddenly disappeared. It is good that Baobao is there¡­ He knows what to say." Wisey insisted.


    Just like Baobao, Wisey can also be reverse summoned on Little Han''s end. But since Eli was in such a dangerous territory, her heavenly mission to protect Eli at all cost prevailed. Although, she could not say this fact straight to Eli.


    "Alright¡­ then let me focus on this job so that we cannot give anything to reveal our identities. We have alreadye this far with Big Brother Kayden.. We cannot alert the enemy so early."


    As much as Eli wanted to see Little Han at this very moment, she held back and chose to do her duties. After all, she and Leon did this for Little Han''s future. They wanted a safe and peaceful future for him and the next generation ahead.


    As such, they were making this big sacrifice.


    A day passed without a hitch because the news of the war has not yet reached their ears.


    However, that is not the same for the officials in the Holy Ind who were now at the underground basement discussing what preparations they have to do to respond to their Lord Raven''s demands.


    "I have called you all here because of the recent activities outside the ind.


    I want to inform you all that the Seirende Empire had revealed the involvement of the Vanderford Empire and our holy ind as well with the curse power.


    Thus, it was revealed to all the Prasinos that they will wage war against us."


    The Cardinal announced with a heavy expression.


    Everyone was silent as they were shocked to hear that the Seirende Empire did this move on them.


    "Hah! Such a bold and insolent empire!" The priests, deacons, and chief clerics all expressed their contempt toward the Seirende Empire.


    "Even so, that is not our main concern at the moment. It was our lord Raven who had be enraged about what happened.


    Because in the process of unraveling our cover to the entire world, we have lost an important vessel, Crown Prince Ranon!" The Cardinal exined and distress was evident in his eyes.


    "T-this¡­ How could it be?"


    "How is our Lord?"


    The people expressed their worry about the situation. Most of them however were scared because they knew how it is when their lord became angry.


    Those who were unlucky tomit a mistake in his presence would be the poor receiving of this wrath!


    "As you have feared¡­ he is incredibly angry at the moment. None of us dared to ask him further and could only take all his instructions to follow.


    The Pope and the Pdin are also on their way back as they were summoned by the Lord to report as soon as possible¡­


    As for everyone in the room, the Lord has instructed our temple to mobilize our resources and send our temple knights to meet the Pope and the Pdin in the Vanderford Empire. We must prepare for an all-out war!" The Cardinal announced.


    "Did that mean that all of our stocks at the moment will be deployed at once?" The Administrator asked with a shocked expression.


    "Precisely¡­ we do not have a choice. What was even more problematic was that the Lord wanted everyone to have enough of our supplies, we cannot send them half-equipped!" The Cardinal sighed as he rubbed his aching temples.


    "Not good! Our production is still far from enough¡­ Although I should admit that the new materials made by those siblings doubled our worker''s efficiency, the Lord''s demand is too high for us!" the Line Leaderined.


    "Lord Raven''s anger was still at its height¡­ we cannot let him hear thisint." The Administrator reprimanded the Line Leader who spoke out of turn.


    Cleric Rhoda also did not like the way the Line Leader let out his thoughts and so she sternly reprimanded him.


    "It is not his business to think about how we would achieve the goal¡­ that is our responsibility! We will have to do what it takes to please the Lord or else, we will be the subject of this wrath!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Upon being reminded of the fact that the lord they serve was ruthless, the Line Leader''s face paled in fright. He could not bear to imagine how it would be if he was the one to receive Lord Raven''s wrath.


    For all they knew was that none of them died so easily.


    All of them were tortured beyondparison¡­


    The Cardinal remained silent and was rhythmically tapping his aged fingers on the table while thinking deeply. There was something in his mind as he listened to the discussion about the workers.


    After some time, he opened his mouth and asked, "Those siblings you mentioned? Who were they? Howe I did not know about their contributions?"


    "It''s like this Cardinal¡­" The Administrator then exined how they were able tomission the disguised Eli and Kayden to make some gas masks and gloves to protect the workers.


    He did not forget to also highlight how the materials they made greatly reduced the sickness and death incidences among the workers, as well as how they doubled the production capacity in less than a week.


    "They are that impressive?" The Cardinal raised his eyebrows in interest.


    "I dare say yes¡­" The Administrator replied honestly.


    "If that''s the case, then I have an idea in mind. Call the siblings over tomorrow and let us test their wits. If they were able to produce the materials you required for the entirebor force when they are only two, then they must have some talents.


    Do take those whom you also see worthy along with the two. Let''s gather up some talents and make them think of a way to resolve this concern.


    At most, we only have two weeks to catch up as that would be the fastest time possible for the Pope and the Pdin to reach the Vanderford Empire."


    The Cardinal ryed his instruction and looked at the administrator and the rest.


    "We will do as you say, Cardinal." They all replied because they thought that the Cardinal''s suggestion made sense. They need to gather talents such as the siblings to resolve the issue of the production.


    While they already have this n to carry out, the officials in the main temple were still unable to have a good night''s sleep as they were haunted by the fear of disappointing and angering Lord Raven.


    That is why when the morning came, Eli and Kayden were immediately summoned to the Cardinal''s office along with some talented workers both on Eli and Kayden''s previous workforce and the inner workforce inside the temple.


    The Cardinal examined the faces of the people gathered in front of him, meticulously scrutinizing everything, even using his powers to discern their feelings.


    If Eli and Kayden did not prepare for such powers (mainly due to the fact that the Pope could read minds), they would be easily suspected.


    "Your respective superiors brought you here because we have a matter that needs your ideas for us to resolve¡­"


    Then the Cardinal briefly exined the matter of the war to the group and the predicament they were in.


    Eli and Kayden matched everyone''s expression when they heard about the war.


    Of course, they do not miss the fact that they concealed the reason why the Seirende Empire decided to go against the temple and the Vanderford. He went as far as saying that the Seirende wanted to rule the entire Prasinos and was now going against the ''heavens''.


    With that, the cardinal also exined that because of this they needed to deploy the temple knights immediately but they could not go to the war unprepared.


    They need the ''healing'' potions and the ''defense'' potions with them to protect themselves and increase their chances of winning.


    "While we have never told any of you the entire process of the matter, I''d like to ask you first if you are up for the challenge.


    Are you willing to take part in the great mission to expedite the production of the supplies for our temple knight''s safety?"


    The Cardinal asked with a benevolent expression and a voice with a hint of righteousness and pleading.


    Eli, Kayden, and the rest of the group looked at each other. They paused to think for a while, showing hesitation on their faces.


    However, after some time, they looked as if they found their answers and replied, "Yes, Cardinal¡­ we will do our best to help."

 Chapter 529 Chance! (2)

    ?"Good! Good!" The Cardinal''s mood softened to hear the affirmative reply.


    "Alright then! I''ll let the Inner administrator brief you on the requirements." He then looked at the man who had been standing beside him for a long time and gestured to him to take over the proceedings.


    The Inner administrator had a stern personality, if not for the fact that Eli and the rest knew that this was really the first time they encountered him, they would even wonder if they have offended him in any way.


    "Follow me closely, no one is to loiter in the true inner temple." The Inner administrator looked at the group and moved his head to indicate that he should be followed.


    The group then obediently responded and followed quietly.


    As for Eli and Kayden, they refrained from looking at each other for a moment as there was already no need for them. They all knew what wasing¡­


    This is a great opportunity to finally enter the underground facility and see what was inside!


    Even so, they tried their best to hide their excitement as they needed to be more careful than ever. For any misstep would lead to them bing suspicious and their mission will bepromised.


    "From where you came from until this point, is called the inner temple. But beyond this point is the true inner ce where only a select few could enter¡­"


    The Inner administrator then stopped at arge steel door that had an embossed sculpture of the crest of the main temple. While this imposing door seemed to be out of ce in contrast with the serene atmosphere of the door entrance, it remained clean and well-maintained.


    "To those who were entering here first see to it that none of you shall divulge any information about the true inner temple because that means that you have vited its sanctity. Do you understand?" He asked.


    "Yes, Inner Administrator¡­" Eli and Kayden, along with the other selected workers from the outer temple replied obediently.


    Kayden and Eli tried their best not to spite the administrator for using the word ''sanctity'' for a ce where they do evil. Just how much humans have they lost for their view of righteousness to be distorted like this?


    "Now then¡­ keep following closely."


    The inner administrator touched the door handles of the entrance and it slowly moved to open. What has revealed to them was a dimly lit hall.


    As they entered, they noticed that only the lighting from the structure''s stained ss windows lit up the entire open hall. The massive pirs stood majestically, holding the entire structure with ease.


    "Let''s go¡­" The administrator knew that the group was amazed by what they saw so he only looked at them sternly before reminding them to make haste.


    He then led them to the corridor and they walked in such a long winding path. Eli and Kayden buried the way into their minds while they looked like naive peasants happy to see such a marvelous thing in their life.


    Finally, they reached the end of the corridor, which was now too dark for them to view if not for the candlelight affixed on the corridor walls.


    The inner administrator then looked at them and said, "Since all of you will be considered workers of the true inner ce, you must know how to enter the vicinity in the proper way¡­."


    As he exined, he faced the seemingly dead-end wall and slowly demonstrated which stone brick should they touch and in what sequence they had to be pushed or turned over.


    Rumble!


    The dead-end wall moved and shuddered slowly revealing another passageway downwards.


    The group could not help but look at each other, the path they just took was already long winding. Now they still have to go down another stairway. Who knows how long this pathway would be?


    Even so, they did not dare to show their thoughts to their faces and just obediently followed. The moment the inner administrator stepped into the stairway, the candles in the path suddenly lit up, giving a faint yet ample light for the group to see the steps.


    The next moment, the rhythmic sound of footsteps could only be heard around until such time that they paused again as they had already reached yet another entrance.


    This time the door automatically opened and what was revealed inside made Eli and Kayden''s bodies stiffen.


    Inside was a massive underground factory¡­ of all sorts of things that the Spectre has created.


    And out of all these creations, was the massive and imposing monstrous beast whom Eli had already encountered during the sudden kidnapping incident she was involved with.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is the inner ce, where all the tools and mounts meant for our temple knights were made. This is also where the products from the outer temple were further processed and made into an entire piece of magical tools." The inner administrator proudly exined.


    "I-inner administrator¡­ are those things¡­ alive?" One of the talents in the group could not help but ask in a sacred manner while his gaze was fixed on the seemingly asleep curse beast puppets that were cast in a massive ss enclosure.


    "Those were the hybrid mounts of our temple knights. There''s no need for you to be afraid of them; they can be controlled by the bell bracelets that will be distributed to youter on." The inner administrator raised his hand to reveal a bracelet that had two crystal pendants containing a purple and green liquid.


    Kayden''s and Eli''s eyes flickered, they saw the bracelet way back from the time when the first attack in the silver dew forest happened.


    This was almost simr to the bracelet that contained the liquid that could make the hell wolves berserk or calm down! The only difference now is that it has visibly improved.


    "Now we shall enter the chambers to clean you first before you go further to the true inner ce." the administrator said and pointed at the room that looked like a ss chamber.


    "Oh no, Eli chan! I am feeling something bad is going to happen! That room is dangerous!" Wisey immediately warned Eli.


    "I know¡­ but do we have a choice?" We cannot enter and move freely if we do not enter that chamber.


    "I have a feeling that they will do something to your bodies before allowing you to go inside," Wisey said.


    "Let''s stay calm and see¡­" Eli did not dare to show any signs of hesitation and could only follow with the crowd.


    Since the pathway was quite small, the group could not help but move closer to each other before they could finally enter the chamber.


    In the mind of the sudden chaos, Eli felt something ced in her hand. She looked up and saw Kayden giving her a meaningful nce.


    The next moment, he very naturally sneezed but Eli did not fail to see how he took a small pill in his mouth as he sneezed. "Pardon¡­" He then apologetically said to the crowd near him.


    When Eli looked at the thing stuffed by Kayden in his hands, she saw that it was the same pill. And so after thinking for a while she bent a little over using her petite stature to hide the fact that she was eating the pill as well.


    "That was smooth~" Wisey teased her after sessfully eating the pill out of detection.


    "Of course, I cannot possibly sneeze as well, right? That would be too suspicious¡­" Eli replied.


    Soon after, they crowded in a few square feet chamber and a mist was dispensed in the air.


    "I knew it! This room is bad stuff!" Wisey could not help but continually exim in Eli''s mind.


    On the other hand, Eli and Kayden keenly observed the surroundings and immediately mimicked the reaction of their peers as they inhaled the particles dispensed under the mist.


    They stayed at the chamber for about five minutes before anotheryer of ''mist'' was dispensed yet again. Shortly after, they were led out of the chamber.


    But, the way that they went out of the chamber was totally different to when they first entered.


    Like programmed robots, they lined up and went out of the chamber in an orderly manner. And even as they stopped outside the chamber, they lined up like a toon. Of course while the others were unconsciously doing it, Eli and Kayden acted like they were doing it unconsciously too.


    Then after seeing that all have already lined up, the administrator said in a low hypnotic aged voice.


    "What you see and do here are good¡­ nothing is evil and wrong. Everything here is for the good of the world."


    "Yes¡­ everything is for the good." The group answered.


    "You will not divulge anything you see, touch or hear in this true inner ce."


    "Yes we will not divulge anything¡­ for everything in here is for the good." The crowd answered once again


    After the brainwashing, the inner administrator snapped his fingers and they all returned to their senses. The eyes of her colleagues became clear once again and they seemed to have no recollection of the words they had uttered just earlier.

 Chapter 530 Inside The Underground Laboratory

    ?As if nothing really happened in the chamber, the tour in the underground inner ce continued.


    The next things they saw were really beyond Eli''s expectations.


    They proceeded to the exit of the first level of the underground factory to a level below.


    It was darker than the first level and was one level eerier. That was because it was filled with cages not only for people¡­ But various creatures and animals.


    "Help! Help us!"


    "Mama¡­Papa¡­. I want to go home¡­"


    "Please! Take us out of here!


    "I don''t want to die!"


    "Grrr!"


    "Awoooooo!"


    The moment they saw new people entering the level, sounds of pleading and calling rang in the entire floor.


    However the reactions of Eli and Kayden''s colleagues were that of indifference. As if the situation around them has nothing to do with them and they were just there to watch.


    "These were the experiment subjects whom we use our potions with. The moment we develop a new potion we give it to them and record the effects of the potion on their bodies." The inner administrator exined as he pointed at the cages around them.


    "Over there were the ones who were already at the end of their lives. Since we do not want these precious pill testers to waste, we harvest their receptors while they are still alive and use it to enhance our mounts." He continued and pointed in a certain direction.


    He beckoned them toe and see the situation clearly, which brought more apprehension to Eli''s heart.


    The area had an improvised partition and inside it was nothing but utter carnage. There were multiple stone beds inside with bits and pieces of the carcass on the ground.


    Bloody jars filled with glowing mana receptors of different sizes and colors. There were dead people, animals, and creatures, mangled bodies all around!


    Even so, the faces of the group remained unchanged. As if the things they see weren''t something of concern and are just a normal urrence.


    "Heavens! They really brainwashed you all!" Wisey, who had been stopping herself frommenting for a long time, finally disturbed Eli''s mind once again to express her shock regarding the situation.


    "They really were¡­ if not for brother''s pill we would really have lost our sense of righteousness as well," Elimented.


    But as she acted like how her colleague acted, she could not help but feel deep dread and desperation to immediately proceed to her mission and stop these people from doing more abominable things.


    Speaking of the people around her, she could not help but feel conflicted. Now that she knew that every worker around underwent brainwashing, she was troubled to determine if these people are truly evil.


    "Eli-chan¡­ what if you are also forced to do these things in the future!! Oh no¡­ my spirit body grieves! I cannot contain this kind of monstrosity!" Wisey eximed in distress.


    "I will never do these things¡­ but we really want to know more about this ce and decided with my brother the things we needed to do.


    Besides, we were ''contracted'' here to think of a way to speed up the entire production of the potion making¡­ it is very unlikely that my brother and I will be forced to do these things."


    Eli thought everything through and answered.


    Looking at the situation, it seems like the inner administrator is ''educating'' them about the facilities inside the ce so that they might spark ideas in their minds and find a better solution on how to do things.


    The next ce that they entered was a little quieter. That is because this looks more like aboratory than the other two levels.


    There were several people inboratory gowns walking around the area, upied in their own work.


    "This is the mainboratory. This is where we give birth to the newest magical tools and equipment for the temple knights.


    There''s also a specialboratory at the other end of this but we will not go there because only the Pope, the Pdin, the Cardinal, and the bishops were authorized to enter.


    We''ll anyways this is thest part of our tour and also thest manned level of this structure. Beyond this level is where we all keep the stocks and store items." The inner administrator finally pped and signified that the tour is already finished.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Now your task is to think of a way to expedite the process of the potion creation process. The reason why I have brought you all the way here was that we have dedicated an area in thisboratory just for the mission.


    You can use all the equipment here, it is enough for your fifty and so group of people. What is the only thing for you to create something good or a better idea on how to make the production fast within the next three days?


    If you are not able to do that, then be prepared to be sent back to your previous hometown and never have the chance toe back to the true inner ce again. Do you understand?" The inner administrator warned.


    "Yes, inner administrator!" The group answered with determination.


    While the group wore excited faces, Eli and Kayden were skeptical deep inside. If they weren''t mistaken, the people they were with were just ordinary workers and had no idea about experimentation or production.


    But they were called to do such an impossible mission right this instant.


    What would be their purpose?


    Two of them did not dare to believe that failure to do such a mission would only cost them to be thrown out to their previous hometown, just like that. What about the things they see from here?


    How will they be sure that none of them would divulge anything they say about here?


    Eli was more inclined to think that ''going back to hometown'' meant that they would be killed. However, what baffles her is that very fact.


    If they were to be killed in the first ce due to bing assigned to an impossible mission, how are the administrators going to solve the problem ofck of potions?


    "Eli chan¡­ what if the problem they were having was not actually the production process¡­ but theck of ingredients itself?" As Wisey also knew what Eli was being troubled with, she boldly created a theory.


    When Eli heard the theory she also kind of agreed as it all made sense.


    If they were to think of everything, all of the people here are of normal backgrounds and it''s just that they were a little more intelligent than the other workers.


    The moment they entered here they were ''brainwashed'' but what if that was not the only thing that happened? What if something called conditioning is also being done to them while they are inside the chamber?


    Then that would mean that after three days, which was the ''deadline of the mission'', they would be ready as ingredients and would be thrown on the charges for whatever purpose they may use.


    "That means we only have three days to prepare before we start creating chaos in this ce!" Eli concluded.


    "Indeed! So Eli chan, we must find a way to enter the rest of the restricted areas in this ce before the third dayes!" Wisey replied.


    Eli agreed and decided to talk to Kayden about thister after their work.


    However, it seems like the inner administrator was set for them to crumble within three days as they were not allowed to leave the inner ce until the three days had passed.


    They were also instructed to stay in theirboratory most of the time unless they needed something on the other floors.


    "This is it! Maybe thisboratory also emits something that does something to your bodies!" Wisey became more suspicious.


    "It may be so¡­" Eli replied and was rather worried.


    Aside from the fact that she could not freely talk to Kayden, there were many people around and they were not even sure if there were recording stones hidden everywhere to watch every reaction that they do.


    "This will be very hard¡­" Eli thought as she tried her best not to let the worry reflect on her face.


    "The only thing I can do is to attempt to talk to Big brother through codes¡­ but that too would make us more suspicious."


    "Just send him subtle messages! Dr. Kayden is as intelligent as you are¡­. Or maybe more!" Wisey replied.


    "Well¡­ that is true¡­" Eli helplessly replied.


    But all she needs at the moment is an opportunity to talk in the first ce¡­ and the only thing to do is to actually participate in the discussion itself.


    And so without hesitating, she stood up and moved closer to the group who were already starting toe up with the ideas.


    "Let''s justy low and talk asionally¡­ '''' Eli decided as she knew very well that if she appeared to be too brilliant, she would surely be suspicious!

 Chapter 531 Fight Against Time (1)

    ?Listening to the conversation, Eli observed how enthusiastic the group of people was.


    When she joined the conversation everyone was in the middle of introducing their work and how they think they could improve the production process.


    "Maybe we could ask the people to work straight for sixteen hours? That way we still have a whole 8 hours of rest to sleep, no? I think it should be fine¡­"


    "No, our department needs an ample amount of light to carry out their work¡­ besides it is not as if the work is continuous. Our work greatly depended on whether the previous department sent the item for us to work with."


    "He is right¡­ if there are no itemsing from the previous production line then our work naturally stops¡­"


    "What can our department do? If the ingredients don''te, what can we sort and send to you?"


    The representatives of the different departments started to argue and debate about who was the culprit of the slow production process.


    "So in the end it''s the supplies that hinder everything in ce¡­" Eli innocentlymented leading the people to nod.


    "Maybe we can ask the administrator to double the goods sent to us?"


    "Yes, maybe we can do that!"


    The people thought that they have found the solution and immediately looked at the administrator.


    Since there were fifty people, they only sent a few representatives to exin the situation to the inner administrator.


    Eli and Kayden along with others rested in theboratory room and started to explore what were the tools inside.


    With that Eli was finally able tomunicate with Kayden but this time, using some codes would be too suspicious.


    Looking around, she saw a pen and paper, she took it and approached Kayden.


    "Brother brother¡­ didn''t you tell me you would teach me how to draw in the future? Can you teach me a few techniques? I''ve got a pen and a piece of paper!"


    Kayden saw through Eli''s intention and pretended to teach her, but in reality, they were alreadymunicating through the paper by writing mana inscriptions on it.


    It is untraceable and subtle, no one would notice that they were exchanging information through this.


    "Brother, I think that we only have three days before we are forced to move¡­" She wrote.


    "I am thinking the same as well¡­ we have to do something and try to infiltrate the restricted area before they kill us in three days."


    Fortunately, Kayden also came up with the same conclusion that the inner administrator intended for their group of fifty people to be killed and so he did not refute Eli''s statement.


    "Shall I call in some earth fairy?"


    "It''s too dangerous¡­ We do not know if we are being watched from a distance. Using this much mana in writing may not be detectable but summoning even one of your fairies can already trigger those detectors." Kayden replied.


    "What shall we do then? If we cannot use mana¡­ then do we need to physically go and infiltrate? Besides, even if we manage to do that we have to find a way to contact Nalu and the rest for backup."


    Kayden thought about it carefully and pretended to teach Eli again. Outwardly they looked like a warm pair of siblings just learning how to draw.


    "If mana can''t be used, what about spiritual powers? Could it be used as well?" He asked.


    "Maybe we can¡­ but I am not really sure if these people also had spiritual power detectors around. After all, this is the temple, the officials are supposed to possess spiritual powers." Eli replied.


    "See what you can do while I observe more¡­" Kayden replied.


    With that, they also ended their drawing session as Kayden stifflymented, "That is not bad for a beginner¡­"


    "Oh¡­ what did you teach her to draw?" A curious bystander asked as he could not help but see the siblings stand out.


    "Oh¡­ I''ve drawn a little house with some livestock and farm animals walking around it!" Eli replied innocently.


    In the paper, Eli just basically scribbled a little wooden house with some few ''creatures'' in it.


    Kayden thought that they were beasts but held back hisment when Eli said that she was drawing some livestock.


    ''Little Sister¡­ these creatures don''t look like farm animals at all! They even looked like the cursed beasts in theboratory earlier!''


    "Oh¡­ not bad¡­" The bystander tried hard not to offend Eli''s innocent drawing as he saw that the older brother did not say anything.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the end, he helplessly said to Kayden, "You are a very good brother¡­ I have not seen someone as patient in teaching as you are¡­"


    Kayden''s brows twitched when he heard thement but he still thanked his kind words.


    After some time, the representatives retired with crestfallen expressions. The rest knew that the results of their discussion with the administrator were not good enough for them.


    "What did the administrator say?" The others asked worriedly.


    The man who was the main leader of the team replied,


    "He said that if it was just as easy as that, they would have not gathered us here to be out of our work for three days.


    The problem is, the supplies we are using would never increase as it was already what we could get the most every day.


    It takes a full night for our suppliers to source out the herbs and other materials so that they can arrive on the ind first thing in the morning for processing right away.


    Should we insist on increasing the volume of the supplies, then there is a great chance that the herbs gathered initially will wilt before it was taken into the production line while the suppliers look for the additional increment ...."


    "So that means¡­." The people slowly got the point.


    "That means that our real mission was on how to double the amount of yield while using the same amount of ingredients¡­" The leader said dejectedly.


    "That''s impossible!"


    "How can we even do that? We are not like those guys in white gowns who were educated and smart enough to create and experiment on things!"


    "Clearly we cannot pull this through!"


    "How can wee up with something like that in three days!"


    The rest expressed their panic and disbelief in the concern as they realized how unrealistic their mission is.


    "Let us calm down and think first. If we spend the little amount of time we have toin then we are really speeding up the process of failure in this mission." The Leader calms everyone down.


    Soon enough after realizing that it is futile toin, they quickly calmed down.


    "Em¡­ I heard something outside earlier about using something called reagents¡­ I heard that it was mixed through things to achieve the desired oue in a chemical¡­ maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ is this the answer?"


    Kayden thought for a while and decided to subtly pave the way for the entire fifty people to have a chance to disperse.


    He knew that suggesting this thing would make him suspicious but the three-day deadline for him and ELi was as dangerous as the failure of the mission as well.


    If he could spark a reason to mobilize their group, then that also meant that he and Eli would have more chances to look around and see how they can do things to prepare for the three-day deadline.


    "Now that you mentioned it! The reagents you are talking about, I am familiar with that concept because they usually talk about it here ...." A selected person originating straight in the inner temple also backed Kayden''s suggestion up.


    He narrated how the others use these things and the process of them developing and experimenting with them.


    "Maybe if we manage to create something like that¡­ we can double the effectiveness of the potions we make¡­ this in turn would double our yield because we will only use half a portion for every dose!"


    "That is feasible! But where do we start? We do not even know about the herbs and the potion in the first ce¡­ some of us could not even read and write at all¡­"


    "Maybe that was why they thought to bring us inside the inner ce¡­ to use the resources around¡­ Don''t you think so?" The others suggested.


    With that Eli and Kayden witnessed as the most familiar ones organized the teams into groups to research on a specific topic.


    Fortunately, Eli and Kayden were assigned to the team who had to look around and ask theboratory and factory people about things.


    When they were done, the Leader immediately submitted the proposal to the inner administrator who approved the proposal with surprise on his face.


    Clearly, he did not expect that these people would attempt toe up with something like this.


    He knew that these people, whock the proper education to conduct experiments, can never achieve the goal of the proposal.


    But the fact that they were able to think about the possibility of inventing a reagent to increase the efficiency of the potions really took him off guard.

 Chapter 532 Fight Againts Time! (2)

    ?While Eli and Kayden were doing their best to set up everything in the holy ind, the war was nor mobilizing in full swing.


    Many nearby territories around the Seirende Kingdom immediately mobilized their troops to head over the pce marked for the battle with the hidden camps of the Vanderford Empire and the Spectre.


    The first three days obtained quite a good result, especially when it was General Farauld, Randel, Nathaniel and the two Grandmasters leading the major armies.


    The Unified Forces of Green Wave, Seirende and their Allied Kingdoms had a very simple n.


    That is to drive away the forcespletely in the Seirende Continent and push them back to the Vanderford continent where they belong too.


    This was because they knew that it would take time for the Vanderford Forces to back away and also ask for reinforcement.


    Hopefully, this will be achieved without a hitch so that they will now have the chance to retaliate andpletely subdue the Holy Ind and the Vanderford after rallying the troops and cleansing the entire maind for a while.


    The only thing that worries them is the depth of the nning done by the Vanderfords and the Spectre.


    Emperor Valentin does not believe that they will be that easy to defeat when the two evil forces have stayed silent for years to n. He may see that there was good progress to the beginning of the war, but he still repeatedly warned everyone that the Spectre may have hidden more cards on their sleeves.


    Especially, when that one called Lord Raven has not yet moved, nor the Pope and the fake Pdin.


    "Remember the time when our empire almost fell when I was but a crown prince? I believe that they have the means to turn things around¡­ I dare not to let myself caught off guard with their tricks.``


    "I agree as well¡­" The King of Rubino Kingdom, who was also Emperor Valentin''s Cousin-in-Law supported his worries. For he has witnessed the dark times as well for his cousin inw and fiance at that time.


    Hearing the two leaders expressing their concern of the matter, the other leaders did not refute. As much as they wanted to be aggressive, what Emperor Valentin made them realize is that it was not easy to guard the entirend against the force who had already terrorized them for years.


    Apart from Seirende Empire who was known to have turned their entirend upside down to take down the remnant specter forces, theirnd did not undergo that drastic change.


    Who knows if there were still members of the specters or their allies lurking around the kingdoms? If they dispersed their troops too fast, they might be vulnerable from the inside.


    "I agree as well. After all, I could only send a few of my troops to your maind while I left a lot to guard my territory." The Leader of the Lion beastmen also chimed in.


    "So what''s the next step?" The others asked.


    "We can have the troops continue to surround the deste wastnds and rescue the trapped forces on the ambush point. The reports says that the ambushers'' target was the prisoners, and they have sent another 4 battalions of armies on top of the initial five positioned troops."


    Emperor Valentin suggested but he did not dare to impose. The way hemunicated this was like a proposal, after all the forces who could respond nearby were not his, but the allied kingdoms.


    On the other hand the people the troops were about to rescue were his. As such this is more like a request and not an order.


    The Unified forces went silent for a while, but it was not that long. That was because they were more taken aback than baffled to see Emperor Valentin request the rescue rather than impose.


    "Dear Friend, Valentin, aren''t we supposed to be the Unified forces? Why are you excluding your men who were in the ambush point by making such a request? Of course whether you request or not, it is imperative that we send men to where they were.


    After all their sacrifices and battles paved the way for us to righteously start the war. For they have uncovered the evil that we have been trying to defeat for decades now!" The Elf King told with conviction.


    All the leaders in the room, men and women smiled and nodded, expressing their thoughts were aligned to the Elf King''s words.


    "This¡­ even so, I am grateful! You know how much the troops stranded at the gorge meant to me¡­" Emperor Valentin''s eyes teared up.


    The words they said weighed heavier in his heart, that is because the people involved were his family, his beloved sons.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With that, the Unified Forces organized the troops to rally around the deste gorge, and through Leon''s preinstalled teleportation arrays, the troops were immediately sent to the nearest regions where the ambush was located.


    Some of them were teleported to respond to Kazimir''s party directly, while the others where assigned to meet the stranded evil troops to thendmine area that was also set up by Leon''s team before joining the fight.


    When the troops arrived near thendmine area, they saw from the top of a cliff the rear army troops still struggling to get out of thendmine area created by the Crimson des.


    A day has barely passed and so they still were ont able to progress significantly.


    Coincidentally, Nathan was part of the reinforcement troops assigned to this area. He represented the Seirende Empire as an envoy to liaise with the troops from an army kingdom.


    "Before we entered thendmine area, my father told me that we have to stick this little piece of paper to the side of our eyes.


    In this way, we will be able to see through the arrays and avoid them. We can also use that to our advantage by luring the enemies to the arrays."


    He exined as he signaled his assigned aides to distribute the paper spells made by Leon in advance to give to the troops going through thendmine area.


    The Lieutenant echoed the instructions and ensured that all of the soldiers had one stuck to their eyes. When they injected a sliver of mana in it, it acted like a fine talisman and was immediately absorbed into their skin.


    Instantly their view of the ins became colorful and they could not help but gasp in awe. What they saw was nondmine at all!


    It was a sea of arrays intricately ced across the vast desert!


    "T-this¡­ Sir Nathan¡­ are you sure that only a group of fewer than thirty people set this up in just a few days?" They all muttered in disbelief.


    "Of course¡­ That''s the Crimson des we are talking about, they were as tenacious and reliable as their Leader. That''s why they were able to achieve this feat no matter how hard it may seem to them!"Nathan proudlymented.


    Having a brother-inw as capable as Leon was not bad at all! Even he could not help but still be shocked by how he thought things through¡­ It must have been hard for Leon to n all of this and for his men to execute it in just a few days with few people.


    "Now¡­ now¡­ Let''s not let the Third Prince''s efforts go in vain. We have to cherish this opportunity and punish the wrongdoers." The Lieutenant felt Nathan''s queue and led the team to surround the stranded troops.


    Simultaneously, the Pope and Rachana continued to head back to the Vanderford Empire ignoring the cries of the princes to stop for rest.


    "Whine, whine! That''s all you can do! If you only knew that your neck might be sliced by our loudness and not the enemy, would you still be that energetic enough toin about everything?!"


    Rachana wanted to curse and blurt out these sentences to the princes but held back in the end.


    That is because she could not cause any trouble to dy the party any longer. Under the stern gaze of the Pope, she also could not utter any words.


    "Your Highnesses, we have to urgently return to the Vanderford Pce and fall back for the meantime until further instructions from the sovereign havee down.


    Now that the Crown Prince might be in danger, it is important that we keep you safe. After all, if all you have died, then what about the Vanderford Empire?" The Pope coaxed the whinny princes.


    Upon hearing about the possibility of their main rival being dead, the princes'' moods changed and they stopped whining.


    "Then we shall head over fast as well! Oh right, I have a flying beast¡­ we can all fit in it and fly for a few hours! We might be able to reach the coast in just three days!" One of the princes replied.


    Hearing the suggestion, the Pope and Rachana became excited. If they are to arrive at the coast in three days, then their total travel time will be reduced to just one and a half weeks!


    They will arrive much earlier than they have nned!

 Chapter 533 Creating A Fortress

    ?Back on the gorge region in the deste inds.


    Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael worked with the rest of the knights to rally all the remaining troops and organize the soldiers who had willingly surrendered.


    As they knew that these soldiers were only tasked to follow their respective monarchs and were willing to submit, they decided to do as Leon managed the troops in the third army.


    After all, they were not even familiar with the curse power and so they still have a chance to be pardoned.


    Setting up the birdcage, Olivier and ze worked and assisted the leaders in ce of Leon who was still unconscious.


    The trio was grateful to have the Crimson des act as their reliable aides and could not help but sigh.


    They realized how lucky Leon was to have such loyal and dependable subordinates. They were also in awe about how this small troop had be masters of warfare and troop management.


    "Let''s see how the wounded were¡­" Seeing that everything is slowly getting in order, Mishael reminded Kazimir and Antoine about the other things to be done.


    They could not stay in the gorge region in such a state and they did not know how long it would take for the reinforcement troops to arrive.


    "Based on the situation of the wounded we can set off yet again after three to four days¡­" Antoine reported.


    "What''s our n then¡­" Kazimir asked Mishael.


    After all, the purpose of their convoy was already defeated.


    The holy ind had no intention of upholding justice for Seirende from being devastated by the Vess now they even lost the precious lives of their men.


    The only thing that they earned out of this situation was revealing the true side of the Holy Ind and the Vanderford Empire, being part of the Spectre, thus giving the rest of Prasinos a righteous reason to wage war with them.


    Mishael also sighed, the High Priest had yet to give him instructions and so he could only say that he is just as clueless as well.


    "Alright¡­Let''s give the elders more time to decide." Antoine also understood Mishael''s helplessness.


    While they can just go on and advance to join the rest of the troops in war, their party is still holding such a hot potato, the prisoners of the Court of Sinners.


    It turns out that the prisoners were still a valuable possession to the Spectre and even as the war unfolds they will still be a target objective of the enemy.


    Seeing how much of their men have lost, the three men also knew that they were no longer in a position to effectively defend them.


    Meanwhile, the elders have also seen the predicament of the party stranded in the gorge region.


    "They have such high profile cargo, it would be easy for them to be a target by the troops who would be sent to retaliate from the enemy side." One of the Kings listened to the report from the gorge and frowned in worry.


    "Besides, there is no more reason for them to continue to advance after they were rescued from the gorge.


    What if we instruct them first to immediately set off back to the Seirende Empire and put the prisoners in their proper ce before they join the rest in war?" Another leader suggested.


    But it was Emperor Valentin and High Priest Enoch who shook their heads and sighed, "It will waste too much time for them to travel back and join again. We would not know what would happen the longer the war unfolds¡­"


    The other leaders were taken aback as they did not expect that the Emperor and the High Priest themselves would be against the idea of sending the stranded troops back into the gorge.


    "This¡­" They all looked at each other rather cluelessly.


    In the end, they turned their heads to the leaders from the Green Wave continent to ask for their opinion.


    "Well¡­ this might be a very bold idea but I do think that it might solve our current and future problems." The Chief of the Leopard beastmen rubbed his chin as he looked intently at therge map in front of them.


    They all turned to the map and looked at the Chief of Leopard Beastmen in confusion.


    "Go ahead and speak up¡­" The Chief Dragon, one of the viewed elders in the group, waved his hands and encouraged the Chief of the Leopard beastmen to exin his suggestion.


    The Chief of Leopard nodded gratefully to see the support of the elders and started to exin,


    "When we look at the position of thend around the deste region, one would realize how it sits at the center of all the possible battle points in the present and in the near future.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Its ce is not something so easily essible in general, but if you look at it carefully, it possesses more convenience for our troop navigation and is also a natural barrier to nearly eighty percent of the continent''s poption.


    Excluding the Mellenberg territory, which was obviously the base of operations of the Spectre, all else could be rescued and relocated behind the deste region, making it a natural border and barrier to the rest of the poption."


    As the Chief of the Leopard Beastmen continued his exnation, the leaders who were listening were slowly getting where he would lead to.


    "You want to make the deste region as our base of operations?" One of the allied kingdom leaders asked.


    "Indeed, while it is not easy to do and the weather conditions were quite extreme, this is the best rendezvous point for our forces in the long term."


    A wave of discussion then ensued.


    Some of the leaders saw the benefit of the chief''s suggestion and were rather giving an affirmative response, while the other conservatives were concerned.


    The deste inds are an independent, unowned territory. Infact, it is a free zone, if they would put an investment to develop thend as a military fortress and headquarters, then what about the post-war jurisdiction of thatnd?


    Will it be taken by the Seirende Empire? Or would the Green Wave people im stakes for the owner as well?


    The conservatives were afraid that this would spark another cold war amongst them when evil was already defeated.


    Thus a long argument about post-war management dominated the entire conversation.


    "Enough gentlemen¡­ Let''s be calm¡­We are thinking far beyond our main objective which is to win this war.


    If we are to dwell our precious time with this, how can we even ensure that the war is sessful? We might not even have a chance to think about the management once we lose this war."


    Emperor Valentin saw that the conversation was getting more and more far-fetched and so he politely navigated the entire conversation.


    "But we cannot ignore the concerns of others as well¡­ maybe we can think of a solution to put your minds at ease." Another leader said, he looked at the faces of the conservatives and saw the slight hesitation on their faces.


    With that, he raised a suggestion,


    "Since this war is ultimately political but rather something spiritual and for the well-being of the innocent, why not give the jurisdiction to the Temple? All of us had connections with them and they were neither influenced by politics as well?" The leader suggested.


    The leaders'' faces brightened, and the arrangement was quite feasible and fair to all of the kingdoms as well.


    "I am afraid I would vote against it... After all, we do not want a second holy ind to happen again."


    High Priest Enoch finally raised his opinion about the matter and his tone had a heavy hint of heartbreak and disappointment upon mentioning how the main temple had be.


    There was a heavy silence in the room.


    The leaders, Kings, and Emperors of the different territories all felt the High Priest''s pain and could not help but sympathize.


    They also realized where he ising from, he doesn''t want another thing like that to happen again. Giving the temple some sort of power in the earthly realm has brought them this much suffering.


    "Well, you have heard the High Priest''s words¡­ I also believe that we have to spare the temple from suchplications.


    How about we do it like this, we sign a treaty that would surpass the generations toe, that the deste region will be a center of defense for the entire maind and would be jointly maintained and governed by the Unified Forces'' representatives.


    Once a threat happens again, the fortress will be activated. Not only here, but after the war, we can have another one in all of the three mainds.


    This will be the symbol of our unity and mankind''s firm stand against those who want evil to eat up our beloved Prasinos!"


    Emperor Valentin suggested and his word ignited the hearts of the leaders.


    After a little bit of deliberation and discussion, they all agreed.


    "Thus, we announce the birth of the Seirende Continent Defense Fortress, the symbol of the continent''s stand in choosing righteousness over evil! May it be and always be a symbol of justice, protection, and righteousness to the kingdoms and the people!"

 Chapter 534 Sneaking Out

    ?Upon the signing of the treaty the announcement of the fortress went around the major armies of the empire.


    Since the first phase of the war is yet to finish, only those who have already done their part in the first battles were mobilized to be sent to the deste wastnds for building the fortress.


    One of the people sent was Randel who led another troop separately with Grandmaster Andi. He was also the perfect person for the job as he was the closest to an architect because he was trained by Granpa Andi in engineering and craftsmanship.


    Moreover, he also obtained so much knowledge from being with Eli and reading the books she consistently gifted to him.


    In the gorge region, Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine also received the instructions and were tasked to prepare a massive teleportation array so that the mobilization of the construction troops will be easy.


    At first, the trio was quite worried because they knew that even if they were able to set up the teleportation array, when the crimson des suggested that they ask permission to use the loot from the defeated enemies, they immediately agreed.


    With that, Kazimir and Antoine moved to take an honest ount of all the loot they managed to get, from Crown Prince Ranon to the others. Of course, they also made the headquarters aware of how many curse items were confiscated in the process.


    The leaders discussed and unanimously agreed that a certain portion of the mana stones would be used to power the teleportation arrays. Apart from that all the usable goods and perishable items needed for all the people who would stay in the gorge is also permitted to be consumed.


    Everything was going well on the side of the Unified forces but not that much on Eli and Kayden''s side.


    One day was already spent in vain however, they still could not find any opportunity to prepare for the possible face-off on the third day.


    With only essentially one day to set everything up, Eli and Kayden were getting a little bit impatient.


    "What shall we do?" Elimunicated once again with Kayden under the disguise of thetter teaching her how to draw.


    "We have no choice¡­ we can only give up trying to get something inside. Tomorrow, I have made an excuse to go out back to our work area and to the herb supplier¡­ Let''s use that time to contact our friends from the Green Wave continent and tell them the entire situation."


    "Alright, I''ll get ready¡­" Eli agreed.


    Since they were stuck inside the first three levels of the underground ce, they could only give up trying to scout the restricted areas.


    What is more important was that the people outside had knowledge of the entire situation.


    That also includes the news that the main temple''s side is now fully preparing for retaliation with all the potions, beast puppets, and magical curse tools they have in their arsenal.


    That night was destined to have be sleepless for Eli and Kayden, even so, they tried to close their eyes and get a wink of sleep so that they could have the presence of mind and alertness they very much needed tomorrow.


    In a blink of an eye, the dawn arrived. Eli and Kayden woke up, along with the rest of the group assigned to meet with the suppliers before the daylight came in.


    Kayden''sst instruction was for Eli to sneak out of his queue and he would do everything to keep the entire party busy.


    It takes an hour to travel from the undergroundboratory to the outer temple without the use of the privileged ess only avable for the select officials.


    Then upon stepping into the outer temple, they still have to trek for another thirty minutes to the shore to meet the suppliers.


    Eli must use that thirty-minute window to contact the standby troops with an earth fairy and for them to send a representative to meet her and hand over the information they managed to record.


    As for the information, it was impossible for her to just deliver it through the earth fairy because that would establish a stable linkage of mana which might be detected by the enemies. At this moment, it was much more dangerous to contact via mediums than meeting up face to face.


    All in all, Eli only had less than an hour to sneak out, meet the standby troops led by Prince Nalu then join the scouting party again.


    Eli gave Kayden an assuring nod.


    They must tell the troops about the situation at all costs. They must also find a way for the information to be disseminated on Emperor Valentin''s side.


    With that, Eli and Kayden''s party quickly moved. The sky is still dark and it was very favorable for Eli to sneak in.


    The moment they stepped out of the boundaries of the inner temple, Eli immediately established a mind link to an earth fairy and ordered it to ask a representative of the standby troops to meet them and receive the information.


    Walking toward the exit to the temple grounds, they were halted by a group of sturdy-looking temple knights who were assigned to escort them to the supplies area.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Line Leader, whom they have not seen in a while since Eli and Kayden was tasked to make the gloves and masks met them as well as he would be the ones meeting the suppliers for today,


    "I see, you guys are on time." The line leader indifferently said.


    "Today, the supplies were quite important for us because these would be precious metals and materials to be used for the uing war. So I have asked two of the ordained captains of our very own temple knights to escort us.


    This is the 3rd Captain Gabriel and the 9th Captain Abaddon. Pay your respects to the distinguished Vice Captains." The Line Leader exined and demanded.


    Gabriel and Abaddon stood there in a stoic manner. One thing that has made them exceptional was their strikingly simr features.


    They have gray orbs and ash-gray hair. Their build was far more bulkier and taller than Mishael who was also an ordained captain of the temple knights. Eli deduced that they might me siblings or a close rtive at least.


    The only difference between the two is that Abaddon was looking more ferocious and ruthless than Gabriel who still managed to nod and acknowledge the greetings of Eli and the rest of the party.


    "Let''s go¡­" Abaddon announced indifferently, but he did not miss to cast a short nce in Eli and Kayden''s direction.


    Eli and Kayden''s hearts almost stopped but they tried to hide it with their innocent faces.


    To add to the anxiousness they already have, Gabriel also frowned in their way, especially when he nced Eli''s way.


    But then his expression turned after a split second as he ordered his men to move and gestured to the line leader and the rest to follow Abaddon''s lead.


    As they trekked the way, Eli could not help but stare a curious nce at the two captains. If she remembered correctly, Mishael was ranked seventh.


    She heard that there were ten captains all in all and that their ranks do not represent their strengths but the names that were given to them.


    Simrly, although Mishael was of higher rank than Abaddon, Eli could feel that Abaddon was a few times stronger than Mishael.


    As for Gabriel, he was quite mysterious and his powers were not even seeping the slightest. That is why Eli was not able to gauge how strong he is. Probably if she used her spiritual powers originating from her Pdin rank, she could do so.


    However, now is not the time to reveal it.


    Both of their hearts sank when they saw that Abaddon led the trail while Gabriel and his troops followed in the rear. They werepletely surrounded!


    Kayden knew that Eli could not sneak out throughout the entire trip to the bay and could only patiently wait for an opportunity.


    The journey to the bay was quite fast as Eli and their party could only keep up with the pace set by the two captains.


    They arrived ten minutes ahead of time, and immediately dived into action.


    Eli and Kayden blended into the crowd and pretended to intently work on the assignment they have at hand.


    After some time, Gabriel and Abaddon became busier as they had to carefully inspect each item and supervise the entire checking and loading of the items in the cart.


    The rest of the team remained upied as well.


    A perfect chance!


    Eli received Kayden''s nce and knew that it was time for her to sneak out.


    Slowly but surely, Eli decreased her presence and retreated to the forest. When she had alreadypletely entered the forest, she immediately turned around and rushed to the rendezvous point.


    There he saw Prince Nalu along with another high-ranking warrior from the dragon n, Frizyl. They were anxiously waiting in the edge of the forest and was only relieved to see Eli finally appearing.


    "Lady!" Prince Nalu and Frizyl greeted in a low tone.

 Chapter 535 Rush!

    ?Eli rushed as fast as she could because she knew that it would be dangerous if the two captains noticed her disappearance.


    And so she no longer wasted a second of pleasantries and exined the situation straight away.


    "Thank you foring. Unfortunately, I do not have much time¡­


    The thing is exactly two days from now, we will be forced to move because of a dire situation. Our identities were notpromised as of the moment.


    However, in some unfortunate manner, our assumed identities were set to be killed at that time.


    As such we have no choice but to finally confront them even if we have not yet figured out what the specter has been doing."


    "This¡­" Prince Nalu and Frizyl immediately panicked hearing that Eli and Kayden would have to make a move soon.


    They were about to open their mouths but then Eli quickly reached out to her morphed space ring and handed out a stack of thick paper.


    "As for what we have found out inside, Brother and I have recorded it here. Please do me a favor and send it to the leaders.


    Feel free to also use that information as you wish, I will not force you to join us if you think that the preparation on your side is not enough.


    One thing I just would like for you to do was to rescue the people who were captured at the second level.


    If I remember correctly, many of them were also belonging to your races'' kins." Eli exined.


    Prince Nalu and Fryzil''s eyes darkened upon knowing that there were non-human races that were also detained in the temple. In their eyes, they were ready to make a move at any moment.


    Eli naturally could feel the angst of the two, but as she remembered Abaddon and Gabriel, and the remaining seven captains which she was not able to meet.


    "Please I implore you to not be hasty. Just know we have met two of the temple knight captains. One of them was several times stronger than our very own temple knight captain Mishael.


    Besides, they have hundreds of beast puppets who are able to easily defeat several men at once. Not only that, but these puppets can also cast spells ording to their controller''s will." She warned.


    Prince Nalu and Fryzil closed their eyes and took a deep breath. They could only force their anger back and chose to acknowledge Eli''s warning about the troops.


    "Alright¡­ I can''t stay any longer. Please¡­ do let this information be known by our elders¡­"


    "Thank you so much, My Lady¡­ rest assured, we won''t let you go alone when the set datees. We will surelye and think of a way to help you¡­ and rescue the captives."


    Eli nodded and gave a grateful smile.


    She said no more for she knew that there would also not be enough time for Nalu''s side to prepare for an armyrge enough to deal with the main temple at the moment.


    Casting another bidding nce, she quickly reverted back to her disguise and disappeared into the forest.


    As for Prince Nalu and Fryzil, they also immediately moved and went back to the shore. There he summoned a representative of each of the races who were with them and shared the information.


    He also had someone quickly copy the information and send it to the headquarters, to whom headquarters quickly signified their receipt.


    "Now while we are waiting for the leaders to understand the information, we must talk about the information as well and see if we can do something much more than what our troops could originally do." Prince Nalu navigated the team.


    The representatives of each race read the information and were astonished and surprised at the same time.


    They did not expect such secrets to exist in the supposedly most righteous and closest ces to the heavens.


    Howe they have been subjected to such evil ways?


    Consequently, they were astonished to also realize how detailed the evidence was as well as the ounts of what was inside the pce.


    If they assume correctly, Eli and Kayden would have been under strict surveince at all times. How did they even manage to create such an organized and detailed report?


    They even had a drawing of theyout of the entire temple including the explored regions of the underground temple!


    However, unbeknownst to them, Eli and Kayden did not actually personally write this report.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli simply took Kayden''s information and allowed all the discoveries to be recorded in the book of knowledge. Consequently, since Wisey became stronger upon waking up, Eli also found that the book has been upgraded.


    It automatically records the information she wanted to record and even draws theyout to such a good standard!


    "Nine more captains¡­ several high priests, a cardinal, and four administrators¡­ not to mention the clerics, the temple knights, and the hundreds of cursed beasts that were housed in theboratory¡­


    All of this¡­ can we really handle these things?" The representatives shuddered to realize the gravity of nning to even attack the base of the corrupted temple.


    "What is more worrying was that Lady Eli and the Great Doctor would have no choice but to retaliate! If they would not receive any help from the outside, then they¡­"


    The men''s faces immediately darkened when they realized this.


    Fryzil and Nalu also clenched their first. Eli and Kayden''s situation is 90% close to a suicide mission!


    Even if they helped, their mediocre number would not be enough to face off an army several timesrger than their puny standby troops. Nalu also regretted not persuading his father to send more troops.


    "Nevertheless... Even if it is a suicide mission, do not forget that the slightest chance of sess would also save our kin who were locked inside. Even thedy did not plead for us to directly help them, she only begged for us to save the captives."


    "I can only pray that the elders right now would think of a way to resolve the situation¡­ However, given that we only have two days remaining to prepare, receiving help would be wishful thinking."


    "It doesn''t matter. Aren''t we near our homnd? Why not contact our respective viges and ask if they could send us more reinforcements?"


    "Yes, that would do too!"


    The men already agreed and so they immediately sent for their representatives to attempt to ask for more troops from their viges.


    In the headquarters, the leaders became immediately rmed about the matter on Eli and Kayden''s side.


    "How do we go about this? Clearly, two days is not enough for us to gather troops and send them on their side. But are we going to let thedy and the doctor die?"


    The Leaders panicked, while they knew that Eli and Kayden''s mission was close tomitting suicide, they still could not just close their eyes and allow such a thing to transpire.


    "This is such bad timing when we have already announced our major troops will be rerouted." They all sighed.


    Emperor Valentin and High Priest Enoch appeared to have many words to say, but they still looked to the leaders from the Green Wave continent for the troops nearest to the Holy Ind.


    "Spare every effort to contact their side, ask them to quickly prepare for a teleportation array on the nearest harbor point in the ocean¡­


    Old Havelok, would you allow such a teleportation array to be established on one of your inds?" Chief Dragon Fafnir asked Merking Havelok.


    "I have no objections, as long as we can help our forces on the holy ind. Besides, we are not only saving only two lives but countless captives of our race inside!" Merking agreed.


    "Alright¡­ it''s decided then¡­ Now let''s select which troops to send." Such a simple solution might be quite easy to sell, but the most crucial part of this matter was having troops to send.


    On the other hand, Eli went back as fast as she could after revealing the information to Prince Nalu and Fryzil. The time window she needed was less than fifteen minutes or else, her disappearance might be too obvious.


    From the moment she sneaked out in the harbor until now it already took about ten minutes. To be honest, running to the other side of the harbor would not be impossible for her to do in less than five minutes.


    Unfortunately for her, she could not also use her devourer powers for fear that one would notice her presence, especially those two captains.


    But Eli persevered and ran without even pausing to take a breath. Shortly after, she was already able to see the light at the end of the forest and her heart came to relief.


    However, ten meters before the forest existed, a cold de appeared in front of her, immediately halting her movements.


    Due to the momentum, however, the sword was still able to graze a wound on her neck.


    The pain from the wound did not faze Eli at all¡­ that is because there was even bigger trouble at the moment.


    The holder of the sword is none other than Abaddon, who was looking at her with cold ruthless eyes!

 Chapter 536 Caught!

    ?"Don''t move¡­ say not a single word as well¡­" Abaddon''s terrifying voice lowly rang in Eli''s ears, sending shivers down her spine.


    The cold de seemed to have no signs of hesitation as it tilted a little slightly, pointing to her chin.


    "Eli-chan¡­ what shall we do?" Wisey did not dare to also trigger panic in Eli''s mind.


    Instead, she very carefully asked in a steady voice but that was only to make Eli''s mind remember that she was not alone and that she was there with her.


    "Alert Baobao¡­ be prepared to fight at any time," Eli replied.


    But her mind was already running with many different scenarios to slip out of the situation but all of that would entail that she would trigger a premature fight with the whole of the main temple.


    "I suggest you give up any chances of running or retaliating or else¡­ your brother will also be in trouble." Abaddon saw through Eli''s thoughts despite thetter''s calmness.


    As if in a queue, she heard a rustle on an area slightly in front of her and her eyes widened.


    Her heart dropped when she saw Kayden also captured with Gabriel restricting his every move.


    The two captains remained cold and unfeeling, making Eli impossible to think of a way out at the moment.


    ''Could this be the end?'' She asked.


    "No Eli-chan¡­ don''t panic¡­ we are still here. We just have to find an opportunity to attack¡­"


    "How¡­ we do not even know what they would do. Will they bring us back to the temple to torture or kill us on the spot?"


    "Regardless¡­ we are too near to the harbor¡­ an intense fight will cause chaos on the ind!"


    While Eli had been thinking hard, Abaddon''s cold low voice rang once more.


    "Move¡­ Do not stop until I tell you¡­"


    Then he made Eli turn in a certain direction back to the center of the forest. Feeling the cold de and the faint pain of the graze on her neck, Eli could only follow the captain''s instructions.


    They were moving towards the deeper parts of the forest and the rustles behind her indicated that Kayden and Gabriel were following them as well.


    She very much wanted to call on the earth fairies and ask for help but the de was so close to her neck that she would never doubt that Abaddon would use it before she could muster her mana to move. Besides, Kayden is captured as well.


    They were busted!


    Eli could not hear anything other than their minuscule movements as her mind became more and more alert.


    "It seems that we aren''t going back to the temple... Is it?" Wiset noticed that the path they were taking was neither going back to the temple nor heading in the direction of Prince Nalu and the rest.


    "I think that they must have some torture chamber here somewhere. Let''s expect the worst and be ready." Eli replied as her heart turned more and more vignt.


    After waking for some time they arrived in a very secluded part of the forest.


    "Reveal¡­" With a word from Abaddon, another path was revealed but it was not an underground path like Eli had expected.


    "Seems like there''s someone in the main temple who is not fond of underground facilities¡­" Wisey could not help butment.


    "Move¡­" Abaddon''s cold voice entered once again and nudged Eli to step into a mystical portal.


    "Eli chan¡­" Wisey was worried that once Eli stepped into the dimension, there would be no way for them toe back.


    "Don''t worry¡­ if there''s something¡­ we''ll ask the help of the Spatial King." Eli finally let out her trump card.


    Back when they dropped by the spatial realm to meet the Spatial King, Zenith. Eli happened to bestow him a name and in return Zenith will grant him a wish.


    Originally she intended for it to be used during their escape after they rescued the innocent on the holy ind and caused a huge dent in the Spectre''s ns.


    However, now it seems that she will be needing it much earlier than expected.


    "I see¡­" Wisey also underwood. Though she did not witness the conversation with Zenith, she knew that Zenith is one of the mystical beings in Prasinos second only to the angels themselves. He will be reliable when the timees.


    When they entered the portal, another forest path was revealed however the flora and fauna of the surroundings werepletely different from where the holy ind was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    No matter how much she thought about it, she knew that there was no such ce on the holy ind. So Eli could only guess that they were no longer on the Holy Ind.


    As much as she wanted to ask the two captains, they could only walk silently until they reached a wooden house that was neatly built in the forest.


    The door opened and there were pitch-ck surroundings inside.


    "What is this ce¡­ so eerie.." Wisey could not help but express her thoughts about the matter.


    Even as all of them had entered, Abaddon and Gabriel did not even open any source of light inside. It was also baffling to realize that even when the design of the wooden house outside had ss windows, not one of them brought light inside.


    While Eli and Wisey were wondering about what happened, Abaddon suddenly let his sword disappear from her neck but instead put it in the back.


    She could only feel the touch of a cold de on her upper back as the force of Abaddon''s hand forced her to bend down.


    "Thud!" Kayden and Eli were put into a chair and their limbs were bound tightly. Only when the two were satisfied with ensuring that Eli and Kayden could no longer move, did Gabriel snap his fingers and light up a candle in front of them.


    A faint orange light illuminated Eli and Kayden''s faces while standing vigntly in front of them were the two ash gray-haired captains.


    "Who are you two? What is your purpose for sneaking into the holy temple?" Abaddon immediately started the interrogation.


    "..." Eli and Kayden remained silent. They knew better not to tell anything when clearly these two people were going against them.


    "Not going to talk?" Abaddon bent down and his ruthless-looking face stared intently at Eli and Kayden. Then an oppressing aura began to emit from his body.


    ''This¡­'' Eli frowned in disbelief.


    "Such a pure spiritual mana¡­ for a cursed user it should be impossible!" Wisey also noticed the auraing out from Abaddon.


    "Does it mean that the captains can still use their original spiritual powers even if they were curse users?" Eli was now deeply confused.


    "I have no clue as well¡­ The temple personnel we have encountered who used their spiritual powers were all corrupted¡­ But this guy¡­ he doesn''t have a single trace of it!"


    Eli narrowed her eyes and tried to remember. Both the Pope and the ''Fake Pdin'' have also disyed their powers in front of her but even then had an obvious trace of curse power in them.


    Seeing their unusual appearance that was almost otherworldly, Eli thought that this might have something to do with their heritage or bloodline.


    But she could not really be sure at the moment.


    "Puff¡­ Geez! These two were really brave! They did not even shudder with your coercion!" While the pressure created by Abaddon did not affect Eli and Kayden at all, Gabriel who was watching on the side could not help but feel amused.


    Gabriel let out a yful smile and patted Abaddon''s shoulders before saying, "Now¡­ now¡­ stop ying with our guests¡­ right now we have to hear what they have to say¡­"


    Kayden and Eli became more confused.


    Abaddon''s words and even the way they were treated all told them that they were out to dispatch them for being spies¡­ but now¡­


    Gabriel was looking at them with an amiable smile¡­


    "Tsk¡­ Such a killjoy¡­" Abaddon scoffed and rolled his eyes before he plopped down on a nearby chair and waved his hand.


    "Whoosh!" In an instant, the candle in front of them disappeared and the pitch-ck light was reced with a warm tone of the sunlight.


    The surroundings immediately changed and what''s more, Eli felt that the bounds that had been restricting their movements earlier were now gone with no traces at all.


    "An illusion?" Kayden was the first to react. Especially when he checked that the previous wound on Eli''s neck seemed to have disappeared out of nowhere.


    "Yes¡­ that''s Abaddon''s specialty! Are you impressed?" Gabriel answered with a proud smile as he looked at the sulking Abaddon.


    "Hmmf¡­" The Big guy Abaddon only crossed his arms and rolled his eyes to spite Gabriel''s actions.


    "Anyways¡­ enough of this¡­" Abaddon''s expression became serious and said,


    "Who are the two of you? Why are you entering the holy ind and trying to attempt the impossible by just relying on a few armies of Green Wave dwellers?"

 Chapter 537 Who Are You Two?!

    ?When Eli and Kayden heard the question both of them froze in shock.


    Gabriel''s question told them that he knew about the troops lying in wait somewhere on the coast of the ind.


    The other thing is, they did not know yet whether the two of them were enemies or idental allies.


    And so, even with Gabriel and Abaddon changing the surroundings, Eli and Kayden still did not say anything and remained vignt.


    Seeing the stubbornness of the two, Gabriel sighed.


    "Look¡­ if both our sides would just guess each other''s intentions, then we are just wasting time¡­" He pulled a chair and calmly put his hands on top of the table, leaning over so as to stand like a negotiation between the parties.


    "To tell you the truth¡­ Abaddon and I have long noticed your team since the moment you entered the ind¡­


    We watched how you were brought here by the group of non-humans who remained in wait somewhere near the ind¡­ how you two surveyed the entirend¡­ even how you were able to infiltrate the Ind really well.


    If we nned to kill you, we would have done so when we saw you stepping on the ind the first time¡­ However, as we observed you¡­ we are puzzled.


    Why would youe to this ce and try to infiltrate the ind?"


    Eli and Kayden looked at each other once again in surprise.


    They thought that they had been sessful in infiltrating the ind and arriving here in no time, but they did not expect that someone was already watching their every move the moment they stepped into the ce.


    This time Abaddon also looked over and said,


    "We are also aware of how you painstakingly moved your way down until you reached the inner ce¡­ We only knew that your target was going there¡­ but who knows what your intention really was?


    Maybe you are one of those people who wanted to get something out of this ce and use it for your own self-interest¡­However, the news of war arrived and we cannot afford to have you roaming around the pce and suddenly causing chaos to our ns.


    Since the Pope and the rest wille in here¡­ we have to move as fast as possible and we don''t want any other party foiling our ns¡­


    We made it so that we will meet you today¡­ We wanted to know your intentions. That is why we allowed you to sneak out and contact your friends.


    And as we heard your conversation, I knew¡­ that you were part of the people who knew that this ce is corrupted."


    "But still we wanted to know¡­ are you an ally to the curse users or to the righteous?" Gabriel finished the exnation with a question.


    Kayden seemed to have decided and finally opened his mouth.


    "We are here to stop the evil happening in this ce. Whether you are their ally or not¡­ you will not stop us from saving mankind against the corrupted temple¡­" He answered without batting an eyelid.


    The two captains were taken aback, but not much was seen on their faces as they listened to Kayden''s reply.


    "Hmm¡­ how can we be sure that that is your intention? I am saying this now¡­ If you are someone who only wants to take advantage of the chaos then better stop your ns. You will just make our mission moreplicated." Abaddon frowned and replied.


    Kayden looked at Eli and gave her a signal.


    Eli seemed to have understood what he wanted and made a move. At this point, even when the two captains vaguely exined their side, they still have to be sure of one thing.


    She reached for her space pouch and took two vials of cure potion.


    "This is a cure potion." She said, allowing the two to inspect.


    A sh of surprise appeared in the captain''s eyes but they immediately turned normal before asking, "I see that it is the real one¡­ so what does it have to do with that?"


    "Nothing¡­ but this¡­" Before their eyes, Kayden and Eli took the vials, opened them, and threw them on Abaddon and Gabriel''s side.


    "What are you two doing?!" Clearly not expecting that they will be treated like this, Abaddon eximed in exasperation.


    But then they froze in shock to realize that they were suddenly trapped in an array and could not do anything to Eli and Kayden.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kayden and Eli stepped back, creating a distance while they watched intently how the cure potion reacted on the two.


    "Seems like there is no reaction¡­ They are really not curse users." Kayden said, no longer minding the grievance of the two.


    "Big Brother¡­ that does not mean that they aren''t evil. Remember, the Spectre can still use ordinary soldiers, what more, fool the temple knights and the priest to achieve what they wanted." Eli watched coldly at the two who were still dumbfounded because of the turn of events.


    "What curse users we are clearly not! How could the two of you even associate us with those corrupted temple servants?!" Abaddon was so angry that he tried pouncing the restriction array.


    "Whew¡­ look at how the array rippled, Eli-chan¡­ Luckily, Prince Master''s spell arrays are so reliable! They can even hold off two captains!" Wisey cheered inside Eli''s head.


    "Even if you aren''t cursing users you still work under the corrupt temple. We are sorry but we have to detain you¡­ lest you foil our ns as well." Kayden no longer looked nervous and coldly stared at the two.


    "It is you who are foiling our ns right now! Clearly, we are preparing to retaliate against the corrupt temple but the two of you suddenly went in.


    You are not part of our consideration and so we must naturally confront you and see your intentions! Howe it resulted in us being evil?"


    Gabriel was helpless, he miscalcted and did not take Eli and Kayden seriously. Now they were at their mercy in just a blink of an eye.


    "You can just say that because we have said that we are angry with the curse users. How will you prove that you stand on the righteous side as well?" Eli retaliated.


    "Sigh¡­ this is quite frustrating¡­"Gabriel rubbed his head and sighed helplessly.


    "We are temple knights, captains ordained by the righteous calling of the heavens. However, things inside this ce turned to the evil side before our eyes.


    "While it is true that the temple is corrupted, we are not the people you think we are¡­


    Many of us knights and servants were helpless and could only follow the Pope''s will¡­ Every one of us was forced to do as they ordered. What''s more frightening was that to us, Captains, we are forced to be curse users in order to continue serving.


    If not for my cousin here, Abaddon¡­ we would have been turned to curse users now. He had to save me and our respective troops by creating an illusion that we are curse users inside the temple. Ever since that time, he was constantly casting an illusion spell whenever other corrupted people were around.


    As for me, it took me time to create something to disguise us as curse users in the long term. We could have escaped this ce but we cannot bear to leave the altar to be defiled by them.


    Finally, after researching for so long, I and my men finally developed a magical tool that can contain Abaddon''s illusion power and masked us as cursed users without my cousin continuously casting a spell on our side."


    Then Gabriel lifted a pendant from under his clothes and revealed an ornament.


    He activated it and before Eli and Kayden, they felt ayer of curse power masking Gabriel.


    Intrigued by this thing, Kayden and Eli examined the phenomenon intently.


    "Baobao.." Eli finally called out, summoning Baobao from the other side.


    "Master.." Baobao greeted and looked at the two captured men intently.


    "No trace of curse mana Master¡­ it was just a thickyer of mana covering him all over," Baobao announced after knowing Eli''s intentions.


    "I see, you may go back." Eli reversed summoned Baobao and finally looked at the two people. She looked at Kayden with a nce that told him to give his decision.


    "We are also here to take care of the corrupt temple. As well as find the mysteries of their real intent of making these all happen. By the expression on your faces, you must have already guessed our real identities."


    "Anti-cursemittee¡­ Genius doctor creator of the miraculous cure potion, Dr. Kayden¡­"


    "Anti-cursemittee¡­ Phenomenal Inventor, with strong mage aptitude and an exceptionally contracted mythical beast known as Panda and not a cursed bear¡­ Great Inventor Lady Eli¡­"


    Abaddon and Gabriel finally understood the moment Baobao appeared and upon connecting the dots the cure potion appeared before their eyes.


    Kayden nodded as he listened to their answers,


    "Indeed just by our affiliations, you must already know what our purpose is¡­ So you two, temple knight captains¡­ are you a friend or an enemy?"

 Chapter 538 Agreement

    ?"Definitely a friend!" Abaddon lowered her aggressive stance and answered decisively.


    "To be honest, this is a sweet surprise for us. It is such a relief that you two of the people are standing on the same side as us¡­ So¡­ Can you take out the restriction so that we could have our conversation?"


    Kayden and Eli still did not move and looked at them vigntly. After all, the entire Seirende Empire suffered badly because of betrayal.


    Gabriel and Abaddon seemed to understand Kayden and Eli''s vignce. Now that they know who they are, they have a better understanding of how they think.


    With that, they ced their hands on their hearts and uttered a solemn oath under the name of Celeste.


    Only then did Eli and Kayden rx and dispel the restriction array.


    "Now, we can talk about everything more clearly¡­" Gabriel smiled and gave the two a helpless smile.


    "We apologize for doing these things." Eli and Kayden apologize briefly. Now that they were established allies, the past grudges must be dealt with.


    "We apologize too¡­ I know we gave you a good fright earlier." Gabriel replied with a guilty expression.


    "Well, now that everything is cleared¡­ let''s talk about each other''s intentions¡­''''Abaddon asked in a straightforward manner.


    "Our intention is to stop the impending advance of the corrupt temple armies a few days from now. We overheard your conversation earlier and you n to move three days from now¡­


    I do think that it was quite rushed but this would also be favorable on our side, while the Pope and the Pdin are still not around." Gabriel exined.


    "But we do not have enough manpower. We cannot possibly gather enough troops in just two days.."


    Kayden frowned but he and Eli were quite surprised that Gabriel and Abaddon would suddenly think that their attack three days from now will be much more agreeable.


    "Well¡­ with you are two troops under our names. Add them to your deployable troops, I do think that it would be enough for us to create an impact.


    But that is on the premise that each of us will take the remaining seven captains that are here at the moment.


    Seeing the three of us, we are already four¡­ Ideally, we still need three more to take on thest three.


    Even so, Gabriel and I are confident to even handle all seven of them together." Abaddon exined.


    Kayden looked at Eli and thought for a moment, if they add Prince Nalu and the other representatives, they might be able to handle all of the corrupted captains without worry.


    But Eli frowned as she remembered another crucial part, "But how about the Cardinal, the High Priests, and the administrator? If I am not mistaken they are also formidable."


    Gabriel and Abaddon nodded. They recognized Eli''s concern and so they calmly answered,


    "As long as the Pope and the Pdin are not around, we are confident to handle the Cardinal and the rest.


    Besides, it will not only be mine and Abaddon''s forces that were in this n. There were also a few High Priests and Administrators that were with us!"


    "I see¡­" Eli thought about it and gave Kayden a look.


    They spent the next moments learning more about the concerns and about how things will be done on that day.


    After some time, Eli and Kayden did not agree entirely but expressed their intentions to cooperate. After all, they still needed to tell these things to Prince Nalu''s end and ask for their opinion.


    Gabriel and Abaddon did not take offense toward their actions. They allowed the two to discuss this among themselves and give them an answer tomorrow.


    "By the way¡­ your assumed identities are alreadypromised. The reason why you were caught this early was that the line leader saw your movements and immediately reported to us. If not for us moving ourselves to meet you, you might have already been tortured in the chambers." Gabriel said.


    "Thus we encourage the two of you to remain in this dimension while the two of us fabricate your deaths. Don''t worry, this dimension is not that far from the Holy Ind, you can even call on your friends here so that you can n your move.


    We will settle everything ande back for you in the evening to hear your ns once more. Then the day after tomorrow, we will set off. Will this arrangement be alright?" Gabriel asked.


    After considering everything, Eli and Kayden expressed their agreement to remain in the dimension for the meantime.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Before bidding goodbye, Abaddon gave Eli and Kayden a token that could let them go in and out of the dimension as long as they wanted.


    They wanted to express that the two of them were trustworthy and so Eli & Kayden are free to go out from time to time and check the progress of the preparation.


    When Abaddon and Gabriel went out of the dimension, they immediately went back to the harbor where the line leader was already curiously waiting.


    Seeing the two, he was shocked to see their disheveled state, and faint traces of fighting were also obvious in their clothing. What''s more, it appears that they fought in the water because their clothes are somehow wet.


    "Great Sires, have you dealt with the two? Are they really spies?" the line leader''s eyes shed with curiosity and greed.


    Abaddon maintained his usual stoic expression and answered, "Hmm.. all killed."


    "I knew they were spies! No wonder they appeared to be more talented than they looked! They just wanted an opportunity to infiltrate inside!" The Line leader eximed as if he was righteously expressing his concern against Eli and Kayden.


    "Now that the spies are dealt with, we must go together, we will still have to report this to the Cardinal," Gabriel replied, looking at everyone who was already ready to leave.


    "Yes.. yes¡­ the administrators might have been waiting for these supplies as well.." The line leader fawningly replied. But hearing that Eli and Kayden were already dead, his face had a trace of a pleased smile.


    At first, he did like how Eli and Kayden had been useful to the workforce. But since the matter of the gloves reached the higher administrators and they were selected to participate in the team to go inside the inner ce, his heart could not help but feel envy.


    Now that they are gone, he was pleased. Because that meant that he would have another chance to be promoted as an aide inside the inner ce.


    Without dying any further the rest set off on their journey back into the temple. All of Eli and Kayden''s colleagues were quite scared upon hearing that the two were spies all along.


    But what scares them the most was the fact that they might even be implicated in their actions. After all, Eli and Kayden knew a lot of things inside the pce because of the tasks that they did with them.


    Gabriel and Abaddon stayed silent as how they were usually acting. The setting they created is good and beneficial.


    All they have to do at the moment is to pass the inquisition of the Cardinals who would surely know about themotion.


    It''s better for them to already take the initiative and so they increased their phase and headed straight to the Cardinal''s office to report about the matter.


    After being permitted for an audience, the two immediately saluted as they entered the Cardinal''s office.


    "Greetings, Your Eminence¡­ we have something important to report to you¡­" The two simultaneously said.


    "Speak¡­" The Cardinal, seeing the grave faces of the two, immediately lifted his head and waited for them to reply.


    In his mind, what matter could have made the two, who were considered the strongest among the ordained captains?


    "Earlier today, we were able to discover two spies hiding among the ranks of those who were just newly admitted in the inner ce. Two of them possessed records of all the discoveries they had seen inside.


    Fortunately, Abaddon and I managed to catch them before they could even attempt to contact their affiliations. Your Eminence, please see these notes whom they n to send by means of mana." Then Gabriel took out the notes he asked Eli to copy so that they could surrender them to the Cardinal.


    The two sides have already agreed to the alibi all these things and so everything and every piece of information Gabriel was saying at the moment were all from their agreed ns.


    The Cardinal frowned, all of the things from the notes were the information that could be observed when one is inside the undergroundboratory.


    His expression darkened as he asked in a low dangerous tone, "To whom they are affiliated?"


    "They appear to be spies from the Seirende Empire. They also possess a few cure potions." Gabriel stretched his arms and let the Cardinal notice the wet clothes he had.


    Seeing this and the faint trace of the holy aura in their clothes, the Cardinal knew what they were saying was true!


    "Luckily, we decided to deal with them personally¡­ if we made our troops move, they could have dealt with them using this potion and sessfully escaped." Abaddon also added.


    Everything that happened to them identally earlier was now weapons to fool the entire temple!

 Chapter 539 Deception In Action

    ?The Cardinal narrowed his eyes and was visibly irritated upon confirming that it was indeed a cure potion.


    "You two have good foresight to confront the spies personally¡­ About the cure potion, how potent is it?"


    Abaddon and Gabriel knew the meaning behind the Cardinal''s words.


    ''It is just as Lady Eli said, the Corrupted Temple is extremely interested in the effects of the cure potion!''


    With that in mind, Abaddon stepped forward and answered in a respectful manner,


    "The cure potion is quite strong and potent. It caused us to be a little sluggish when using our powers, luckily, the spies only took a small portion with them so it didn''t affect us that much."


    Cardinal''s eyes shed with interest and surprise but he still did not say anything and looked at Gabriel to hear his evaluation.


    "It is as Abaddon said, I admit that this cure potion had an effect on us, but it wasn''t a threat if the opponent only brought a small portion.


    I do not believe that the main armies of Seirende had lots of supplies to make each of their soldiers carry this as they fight¡­ Besides, the herbs used for this must have been expensive.


    But we must still be vignt when facing the key personnel on their side." Gabriel also said his piece.


    The two''s words and actions were so convincing that even they themselves thought that they were really genuinely saying true words.


    However, they really must convince the Cardinal so as to ensure that he would focus on these things rather than be suspicious of their movements.


    "I see¡­ then we really have to speed up the process of preparing everyone! In a minute gather all the captains here and we must prepare to be ready. Let''s no longer wait for the Pope to arrive here, let''s save time and go to the Vanderford continent right away!"


    "Yes, Your Eminence!" Gabriel and Abaddon saluted once again, hearing the Cardinal''s orders.


    "Good¡­ as for those spies I reckon that you have taken care of them after extracting all of this information?" The cardinal pointed at the notes and the things that Gabriel and Abaddon ''retrieved'' from Eli and Kayden.


    "Confirming, Your Eminence¡­ and all that is within the bag are their belongings¡­" Gabriel replied without even stuttering.


    "Hmm¡­ you may go." The cardinal waved his hands and sent them to gather the rest of the captains.


    Being left behind, the Cardinal''s face darkened, and nned to report this information to the Pope.


    He examined all of the things that were retrieved from the spies and saw that they were really just normal spies, he saw some random potions for disguise and even some antidotes most probably to prepare if something happened.


    Other than the extensive notes informing their discovery inside the temple, there were no other outstanding things in it.


    What the cardinal also noticed was that the space pouches had traces of being buried in the ground, as if these pouches were hidden somewhere for safekeeping.


    The Cardinal concluded that these spies must have known that they would scan all the space pouches inside the temple and bury the space pouches in a ce temporarily.


    When they managed to get a chance to sneak out under the disguise of working with the suppliers, they must have dug it and written the notes before they were caught by Abaddon and Gabriel.


    Judging from the strokes of the notes and the unfinished words, it must have been so that they were in the middle of writing when they were caught in the act.


    "Luckily¡­ Abaddon and Gabriel managed to catch them¡­ if not¡­ we might have been experiencing the Lord''s wrath at the moment." Cardinal said to himself as he trembled in nervousness.


    He remembered seeing the two in person and he could not believe that he had been fooled by their naive demeanor.


    The way they went to him was like they were genuinely just bumpkins wanting to work for some money. He did not even associate the fact that in just less than a week these people had already created arge change in the temple.


    What''s more hair-raising was that he and the other administrators were even impressed by them, so much that it was they themselves who made them enter the most secret ce on the ind!


    "Today is a great reminder¡­ Sigh¡­" The Cardinal shook his head and rubbed his aching forehead before he pulled apartment in his drawer.


    He took out amunication stone and immediately contacted the Pope on the other side.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When the Pope noticed his ownmunication stone, he was surprised.


    At this moment, the only ones who could contact him through this were either the Cardinal or the Emperor of the Vanderford Empire, because it would be impossible for the Crown Prince to call him when his status is still unknown to them.


    Looking at hismunication stone, he thought deeply for a moment. Currently, they are riding a flying beast contracted by one of Vanderford''s princes so they can reach the coast in three days.


    Weighing the matter down, he eventually decided to talk to the prince and ask if they could pause for a little while so he could answer the call in seclusion.


    The Prince immediately understood, although he did not like the idea of stopping, the matters that recently happened are quite chaotic. He is sensible enough to listen to the Pope''s request.


    Finallynding on a safe spot, the Pope quickly retreated and set up an istion array. Then he reconnected with themunication stone and answered.


    "What''s the matter?" He asked the person on the other line, which he deduced as the Cardinal.


    "Your holiness¡­ There''s a matter I need to report. Please pardon me for disturbing you while you are in the middle of rushing back.


    It''s just that just now, we have apprehended two spies from the Seirende Empire. If not for the Temple Knight''s quick detection and action, the businesses in the underground ce might have been revealed."


    The cardinal mentally prepared himself to receive the anger of the Pope and so he reported all of the things in one breath.


    "What did you say?! Not one, but two spies were able to get past your detection and even went as deep as the undergroundboratory. What have you been doing?!" The Pope indeed got angry.


    All of the frustration from being unable to advance to the gorge region, being caught in the trap and even receiving a portion of Lord Raven''s wrath came out and was all directed to the cardinal.


    "Your holiness¡­ it is indeed my ipetence¡­ I deeply apologize¡­ rest assured we have already taken them out and that I also have gathered all the captains so we could go to Vanderford in advance. In that way, we can save time and meet you and the pdin at the earliest time possible."


    The cardinal coaxed the angry Pope.


    "You better do it! We''ve wasted so much time! Also, do not becent and ensure that there would be no more spies inside! I don''t want to hear such things again!"


    "Y-yes, your holiness¡­ I will do as you say¡­" The cardinal obediently replied.


    The Pope''s anger has not subsided yet, however, there''s nothing he could do at the moment.


    He could only inform the cardinal that he and the team might reach Vanderford in about a week, and so he expects the troops from the main temple to join the rest of the Vanderford troops by the time they arrive.


    On the other hand, Eli and Kayden immediately contacted Prince Nalu and the rest, telling the entire farce that happened after they met.


    "This¡­ I did not expect that we would have watched it earlier¡­ My Lady¡­ I am really embarrassed and sorry that I was not able to warn you¡­" Prince Nalu was quite apprehensive.


    Although ultimately the two captains turned out to be allies, the fact that they failed to detect their presence meant that the captains of the temple knights are this strong.


    "I am equally embarrassed as well, my Lady¡­ I apologize." Fryzil also said in guilt, sharing the same feelings as Prince Nalu.


    "Think about it no more¡­ What''s more important is how we are able to work with them for a sessful attack in less than two days¡­ Has there been any progress on our end?" Eli smiled but in a second turned serious again.


    "It''s like this¡­ our colleagues have gone back to the viges to see if they can gather more warriors of their respective races...


    As for our elders, they said to wait for their call at any time as they wanted to speak with us directly." Prince Nalu exined.


    "I see.." Kayden and Eli nodded, the move to gather more people seemed to be the best way to do it.


    Just as when they were about to talk about the n further, themunication stone on Nalu lit up.


    "Speaking of the Elders¡­ it seems that they are now ready to speak with us!" Prince Nalu announced and looked at the rest before answering the call from the headquarters.

 Chapter 540 Rush In Preparation!

    ?"Nalu¡­ Is it convenient to talk to you at the moment?" On the other side of themunication stone, Merking Havelok''s voice sounded.


    "Your Majesty¡­ and the rest of the esteemed Monarch and Leaders, we are ready¡­ In fact, Lady El and Doctor Kayden are also here with us." Prince Nalu looked at Eli and Kayden as if asking their permission to reveal their whereabouts to which the two agreed.


    "The Young Lady and the Great Doctor? Howe they are with you? If there''s nothing wrong, they should have gone back inside the temple, right?" Merking Havelok''s voice was filled with surprise and worry the moment he heard about Eli and Kayden.


    This also caused a hugemotion among the leaders on the other side.


    "Allow me to exin¡­ Your Highnesses¡­" Kayden looked at hispanions and immediately exined the matter.


    How Abaddon and Gabriel noticed their arrival and how they were confronted just earlier.


    Hearing the entire story, the Leaders were taken aback. They could not help but feelplicated and relieved at the same time.


    While it is good that Abbadon and Gabriel expressed that they weren''t an enemy, they were not sure about cooperating with them.


    In contrast, High Priest Enoch seemed to have been filled with hope and energy the moment he heard of their names.


    "Hahaha! The heavens still gave mercy to his people¡­ The Great One did not allow all of his servants to be snatched by the evil ones!" He eximed in rejoicing and a hint of helplessness.


    Fortunately¡­ The temple is notpletely dead and the believers of the Great One are still not wiped out.


    Then after calming his emotions, he took a step forward and said in themunication stone, "Abaddon and Gabriel are two of the strongest captains in all of the ordained captains in Prasinos. They are also good friends of Mishael¡­ you can be sure that they are trustworthy¡­"


    "The fact that they remained untainted even though they were surrounded by countless curse users proved that we can trust them to do the job." High Priest Enoch said, but his words were not really to convince Eli and Kayden on the other side, but the leaders surrounding him.


    Hearing the High Priest the leaders looked at each other and discussed among themselves. asionally they asked Kayden''s team about how the two captains nned their attack and the scale of people that would go with him that time.


    When they studied the specific situation on the holy ind''s side, it was indeed as the captains have said. It is better to attack now than to wait until the Pope arrives.


    This way, it will put pressure on both the Vanderford Empire and the Pope who was rushing to regroup with the rest on the other end of the continent.


    The discussion went on quite long and Eli could only listen to their discussions at the moment. While she had the power and capability to fight, she did not have any experience in warfare.


    With that, she diligently listened to their discussion, hoping to learn something out of it. Only from time to time she would raise her specific concerns but not to the extent of hindering the leaders'' line of thought.


    In the end, they havee to a decision and that is to support Abaddon and Gabriel in their impending fight less than two days from now.


    "Prince Nalu and Great Doctor Kayden, we would like to ask you to set up arge-scale array as near as possible in the Holy Ind while we gather troops to help you and the untainted Temple knights.


    We also agree to let the rest of the crew gather more warriors in the Green Wave Continent, with all the Chief of the other races here, we give your full permission.


    We can only wish that this support would be enough to handle the people on the Holy Ind. Rest assured, we will also do our best to gather stronger armies here to be teleported into the ind."


    It was the Chief Dragon Fafnir who announced the results, while the other leaders, including Emperor Valentin nodded in support.


    With that, the decision on Eli''s side was solidified and all they had to do was to take action on the tasks that needed to be done.


    On the other side, Emperor Valentin quickly moved and announced, "I''ll contact the grandmasters and see what they can do."


    The Leaders agreed and supported Emperor Valentin. They too have realized the importance of winning the battle on the Holy Ind.


    It will determine how much force will remain on the Spectre''s side when the troops and the resources from the Holy Ind have been annihted. It will also reveal to the world how deep the so-called holy temple has fallen to evil.


    Just like that the two parties prepared as much as they could before the fateful day of confrontation arrived.


    That evening, all the nine captains were assembled in the Cardinal''s discussion hall.


    "Is everyone here?"


    "Ecanus, of the 10th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Abaddon, of the 9th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Jehoel, of the 8th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Pashcar, of the 6th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Ishida, of the 5th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Colopatiron, of the 4th order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Gabriel, of the 3rd order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Rashnu, of the 2nd order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    "Uriel, of the 1st order, is here reporting to His Eminence!"


    Hearing all reports with diligence, the Cardinal gave a satisfied nod and immediatelymenced the meeting, "Good good!"


    "Now let''s start our discussion. As you may have heard just today, someone was able to sneak inside the temple and was able to even sessfully infiltrate theboratory. If not for Abaddon and Gabriel''s quick thinking they would have sessfully leaked everything they saw inside our facility."


    The surroundings became tense at the mention of the so-called spies who ran around their noses.


    "Who''s in charge of security?" The Rashnu of the second order scanned his eyes to the rest of the captains and asked in a low voice.


    Paschar of the sixth order seemed to have understood Rashnu''s intentions and immediately retaliated, "Knowing the in-charge for what? So that we can all point at somebody to me for the incident?"


    The others also agreed with Pashcar''s point and also voiced their displeasure.


    A debate started to ensue, one side was insisting to punish the order who was assigned to scan the people entering the temple that day, and another was opposing the idea.


    "Right, it does not matter who was assigned to security at that time. We are all to be med because all of us are here yet none of us was able to detect them inside." Ecanus of thest order tried to soothe things.


    "Yes, Ecanus is right¡­" Gabriel also chimed in, there was even a trace of embarrassment in his eyes when he continued.


    "In fact, even I and Abaddon would have not noticed something wrong about them till thest minute. It was even the line leader of the outer courtyard workers who gave us the notice of their sudden disappearance.


    What I meant is, this should be a lesson for us. We have to be more vignt now because this is a warring time. Spies might be able to try and enter again."


    Hearing Gabriel''s words everyone became silent, especially Rashnu.


    In fact, the reason why Rashnu has been adamant to punish the assigned personnel was that he wants to vent his anger due to the fact that Gabriel and Abaddon gained the limelight.


    If not for thosecent security knights who clumsily did their jobs, Gabriel and Abaddon would not have been praised right now.


    But seeing that Gabriel himself showed a humble side and even admitted his shorings, Rashnu could only bottle up his envy.


    "The captain of the third order is right¡­ Those things are not important at the moment. That is because we need every manpower we could assemble right now." The Cardinal finally reacted and announced to everyone.


    "In the next two days assemble all your troops and get ready to set off to the Vanderford Empire. There we will group with them to meet the Pope and the Pdin. As for ensuring if there were still spies around, I am taking this to Abaddon and Gabriel.


    The reason is that their teams have already been coincidentally mobilized because of themotion earlier. To the rest, you need to do your best to organize your troops and be ready as early as possible. Do you have any objections?"


    The Cardinal''s scrutinizing gaze swept on each of the captains at the long table.


    Rashnu could only steal a nce at Gabriel and Abaddon who still wore a neutral expressions before gritting his teeth and answering with the rest of the Captains,


    "Yes¡­ we have no objections, Cardinal!"


    Just like that all of the parties were now secretly doing their own task to be ready for the fateful day.


    As for who would emerge as the winner of this confrontation¡­ they could only wait until the battle started!

 Chapter 541 Crossing To The Ocean (1)

    ?It''s been two days since the spy incident happened.


    The Pope and Rachana, who were still rushing with the rest of the Vanderford Princes through a flying beast, we''re now seeing the blue skyline of the ocean.


    "There it is, the Vanderford Ocean¡­" Rachana''s eyes flickered in aplicated light.


    She never thought that she would be going back to this ce without even having to use her powers for the war.


    ''D*mn! If not for that failure of a Crown Prince we would have been invading the gorge at the moment! I would have gotten a hold of the Third Prince right now!'' Rachana clenched her fist in frustration.


    She felt like it was really a waste of time toe back to the main continent to meet Lord Raven. She did not understand the value ofing back to the continent at all.


    ''He could have just sent his orders to us through mentalmunication?!''


    ''Why does he even need us toe back?''


    This has been her question ever since they were forced to retreat to the Deste Regions back then. The only way for her to feel reconciled was to ask the Pope himself about the matter.


    Unfortunately, these past three days, the two of them could not talk about anything without the others hearing of it.


    That is why other than the matters regarding the travel, she and the Pope had not talked about anything that was of greater importance such as the specifics of the war.


    In less than an hour, the party finally managed tond on the coast.


    They were flying toward the coast of the Melenberg territory which was already virtually their territory in the Seirende Continent.


    "Because we havended here, our trip across the ocean back to Croix Ind should have been longer. But fortunately for us, the main temple managed to set up a teleportation array to the interim Ind which reduces our travel time by two weeks." The Pope exined to them as theynded.


    "Let''s go to the harbor point building, that''s where we''ll be taking off. As soon as wend at the interim ind a sea vessel has been prepared for us to take us to the continent for at least a week¡­"


    He looked at the group and immediately walked toward the building a few blocks up front.


    "But Your Holiness Pope, what about our travel essentials from the interim ind to the Vanderford Continent?" One of the Prince asked worriedly.


    "The vessel had already prepared everything we needed for at least two weeks. Even so, we are positive that we can make it to the ind in a week." The Pope answered straightforwardly.


    Rachana did not talk the entire way, only observing the things that were happening around her.


    When she heard that they will be using a teleportation array from the coast to the interim ind she was surprised.


    As one of the closest officers to the Pope, she had an idea of the wealth that the main temple had with respect to the mana stone reserves.


    She knew that the Pope is willing to take a third of the mana reserve just to shorten their period of travel.


    If she is not mistaken, another third of the mana stone reserve might be spent when they go back to invade the Seirende Continent once again.


    Rachana raised her brows as she looked at the Pope, she really could not understand why they were doing this when it is just as efficient for them to attack the enemy upfront!


    Nevertheless, she did not cause anymotion and just chose to quietly follow the party to the teleportation array.


    The people in the harbor were still quite rxed despite the news of the war being spread out. It was so because they knew that they were protected by the main temple and the Vanderford Empire.


    Not many knew but the Mellenberg territory has long been annexed by the two forces without the rest of the world knowing. The acting monarch of the territory was actually only a puppet and it was directly the main temple that was managing this pce.


    This is also the reason why the Pope chose to head to this territory to teleport despite the fact that it would consume a significant amount of mana stones on his end.


    They did not know if the forces of the Seirende Empire had already gotten control of the rest of the harbor points in the continent.


    While the Pope was not afraid of these forces, he was quite apprehensive of the idea of dying their trip because of a battle.


    Soon the group reached Harbor Point. It was a simple coastal-style building made of sturdy lumber wood about three stories high.


    It proved to be the busiest point on the coast because it is where the people buy their tickets and rent rights for the sea vessels going to the Vanderford Territory.


    When the guards saw the Pope and Rachana''s team, they immediately served them attentively.


    "Greetings, Your Holiness Pope, Your Highnesses, and the Great Pdin! The chief has been waiting for your arrival."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Then they were led by the butler inside who immediately served them refreshments and a ce to rest.


    When they were at the lounge, the Chief of the Harbor Point greeted them respectfully and even informed them that they had prepared sleeping quarters for each of them.


    However, the Pope immediately informed,


    "We shall not stay longer than an hour¡­ it is best for us to teleport before noon so that we can depart to the interim ind before sunset."


    The princes were not surprised by his decision as this matter was already agreed upon by them. They could only pray that the sea vessel that the empire has prepared for them is fitting enough for their status.


    Other than that, they have no qualms about traveling non-stop as the matter in the Vanderford is much more important than theirfort.


    "I see, Your Holiness¡­ we will immediately prepare the portal and inform you as soon as possible." The Chief of the Harbor Point understood and immediately excused himself.


    In no time, the portal was ready, and the party immediately stood on their respecting resting couches to go to the teleportation array.


    The teleportation array is set on the topmost floor of the building and there were already array masters that were preparing the high-powered teleportation array for them.


    "Your Holiness Pope, the array is already set and only needs your fuel and artifact." the Chief announced.


    Looking at the Chief with understanding, the Pope reached for his space pouch and handed over a pocket of mana stones and his crest.


    Rachana''s eyes flickered in helplessness. That pouch meant a third of their mana stone reserve! How wasteful!


    However, no matter how regretful she was feeling, the anger of Lord Raven was still something she could not bear and so she had to just follow the arrangement.


    Voong!


    Just as Rachana was still in the middle of hermenting, the teleportation array suddenly lit up and created a whirring sound.


    "The portal is ready, Your Holiness." The Chief''s eyes squinted because of the excessive light but he still tried his best to look at the Pope and the rest.


    "Let''s go¡­" The Pope announced.


    The rest of the party immediately stepped into the array and waited for the transport to happen.


    "We wish you a safe trip!" The Chief and all the array masters shouted in unison as they activated the mechanism for transport.


    Vrrrr!!!


    The teleportation array and the surroundings shuddered as it was an attempt to have long-distance transport.


    In the spatial dimension, the Spatial King Zenith was disturbed by his spatial fairies.


    The little fairies informed that the Pope''s party was using a teleportation array to immediately jump to the interim ind between the harbor point and the Vanderford Empire.


    "Hmmm¡­ Master''s wife told me to watch out for these people¡­ Let''s make trouble for them¡­" Zenith''s childish bored face bloomed into a happy smile.


    Atst, there was something he could y on today!


    "As for you, I will send you to the Master''s wife''s side¡­ tell her about the trip of the Pope!" He ordered another spatial fairy.


    "Aye!" The little spatial fairy saluted cutely in front of Zenith before disappearing.


    "Come my subject¡­ let''s give these evil people a hard time!" Seeing that the fairy already did as she was told, Zenith called the rest of the spatial fairies around and watched the teleportation process of the Pope''s party.


    "Close all the ess points¡­ do not open them until they give us more mana stones to eat!"


    A cunning smile bloomed on his face as he looked at the dignified faces of the Pope and the rest, expecting that they would be able to jump to the ind with just a minuscule amount of mana stones.


    "Not under my watch, evil old man!" Zenith covered his mouth in a mischievous grin.


    Since the Master''s wife and his Master did not specify anything about taking care of them, then he shall y with these evil people a little more before giving them what they want!

 Chapter 542 Crossing To The Ocean (2)

    ?On the other side, the teleportation array started to be unstable and the faces of the array master turned grave.


    The lighting around the teleportation array flickered and pulsated in an inconsistent manner.


    Seeing the dark expression of the array masters and the nervous expression of the Chief, the Pope frowned and asked, "What''s the problem? Why is teleportation acting like this?"


    "Your Holiness¡­ This¡­ I have no idea as well¡­." The Chief panicked and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.


    He gave the leader of the array masters a look to immediately look into the array.


    The leader also knew what he had to do and immediately went around to inspect what was wrong.


    Everyone had a nervous expression, they simply did not expect this to happen.


    "This¡­ I am clueless as well, Your Holiness¡­ The array is intact and we have fed enough mana stones for it to work¡­


    This thing has never happened to all the array trips since earlier this morning¡­" The leader of the array masters trembled as he had to answer what was wrong.


    "Then what is the meaning of this? I reckon that the mana stones are enough for us to be transported, why does the portal not proceed to teleport us at all?" The Pope was clearly angry as he could not afford any dy.


    Besides, he spent a lot of mana stones just for this trip! He cannot ept that it would just be wasted in some kind of mishap!


    "It is indeed as the array master had said, the array was still working earlier and did not require any more fixes. We have triple-checked the runes before asking Your Holiness and Your Highnesses to step into the array¡­" The Chief vouched for his workers.


    "That''s not what I needed to hear! I need you all to fix this all at once and get us to the interim ind!" The Pope bellowed with anger in his tone, making the rest shudder in fear.


    Rachana only shook her head and crossed her arms as spectating the scene.


    ''That''s what we all get for not thinking!''


    ''Now that we are stuck here, we wasted more time and resources!''


    ''We could have just continued our invasion instead of being angry with these workers¡­''


    She rolled her eyes as she looked at the situation with the urge to roll her eyes.


    "Y-your Holiness¡­ this might be my wild guess¡­ but I do think that the fuel for the transport might not be enough, that is why it is acting like this¡­" A junior array master trembled as he summoned his courage to voice out his idea to the troubled crowd.


    "So¡­" The Pope narrowed his eyes and said in a low threatening voice, "You are saying that I should spend more mana stones than I originally have?"


    The piercing re of the Pope made the junior array master tremble more violently¡­ it even caused him to kneel and prostrate to ask for forgiveness.


    But as he looked at the ashen faces of his colleague and the possible consequences of their failure, he let out a nervous gulp and replied with the remaining courage he could muster. "It is as Your Holiness said!"


    Then he copsed on the floor and knelt, waiting for the Pope''s verdict.


    But instead of taking out his anger on the young array master, he looked at the chief with an expression saying, ''Take responsibility!''


    And so the Chief immediately scrambled over, he quickly ran to his safe and took all the mana stones he had in his possession.


    It was just a few pebbles of low-grade mana stone¡­ however, this is all he had umted in his entire life. It breaks his heart to take it out but the matter calls for a great sacrifice or else, his life is no more.


    When he went back, he noticed that the other array masters also took out their personal stash of mana stones.


    They all wore a heartbroken expression on their faces but they still took it out and fed it to the array mechanism.


    Vrrrrr!


    The array brightened once again and became stable. "Sess!" They announced triumphantly.


    Only then did the Pope''s expression rx while the princes heaved a sigh of relief.


    The masters worked in action once again and prepared to activate the array, however¡­ A few secondster, the light of the array dimmed once more, along with the faces of everyone around.


    "What in the world is going on?!" The princes this time also became agitated as they found that the array did not work once more.


    "It shouldn''t be like this¡­. We have fed an addition of more than half of the fuel requirements¡­" The chief and the leader of the array masters almost went crazy.


    That was their entire life savings, spent in vain!!!


    "Wahahaha! Look at their faces my dear subjects! Their expressions are gold!" Zenith burst into a heartyugh as he watched everything that was happening.


    "Chichichichi!" The spatial fairies around alsoughed adorably as the king was having a good time pranking the evil men.


    "Just sit back there and rx¡­ Let''s watch what they do next!" Zenith stretched out his hands and the mana stones that were fed in the teleportation array appeared.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Back to the array, the Pope and his entire entourage had a gloomy expressions.


    Seeing that the array masters were helpless and the reaction of the array has proven the junior array master''s point, they could only do one thing¡­


    To feed the array with more mana stones!


    However, how could they give their own wealth just like that?


    But after just a few minutes of silence and contemtion the array reacted once more, this time it showed signs of stopping.


    "Not good¡­ the array is about to be deactivated!" The leader of the array masters eximed in panic.


    "This¡­ Your Holiness¡­ I''m afraid¡­" The Chief of the Harbor point trembled in fright, in his mind, he could visualize himself being hanged on the gallows for this failure.


    "Sigh¡­ take this¡­" Suddenly, one of the princes took his own stash of mana stones and reluctantly gave it all to the chief. "This is all I have, do what you must to take us to the ind."


    "This¡­ Your Highness!" The Chief almost teared up seeing the actions of the prince.


    Among the princes around, he was the youngest and had the weakest presence; however, it was a surprise that he was the one who would take initiative to act and solve the case.


    The array masters also looked at the youngest prince with a grateful look, like he was the hero that saved the day.


    The other three princes saw the awe in the faces of the array masters and their expressions darkened. Almost simultaneously, they took out the mana stones on their own space pouches and gave them to the array masters.


    Vrr¡­. the light in the array lit up once more but it was still losing some vibrance. With this, there''s no need for the people around to know that the mana stones are still not enough.


    It was not known whether it was intentional or not, but all eyes inside the teleportation hallnded on the Pope, Rachana, and the temple knights with them.


    Among the people around, they were the only ones who did not shell out extra mana stones.


    This, of course, made the temple people feel stifled, but in this situation, they have no choice.


    Either they will be facing the wrath of Lord Raven or they ept their fate of bing poor in mana stones.


    In the end, they all took their mana stones and watched them be fed to the array mechanism with aching hearts.


    What was quite ironic was that, when they waited for the mana stones to take effect, they were praying to the heavens for the mana stones to work, or else they will be stuck in the harbor point for who knows how long!


    Vwoooong!


    Atst! The runes in the array spiraled and floated in the air. It spun rapidly causing the trembling of the entire building.


    "Finally!" The Pope knew that the array would now work as they were now enveloped in light and they could now feel their bodies being wrapped with mystifying mana.


    The Chief and the array masters also heaved a sigh of relief especially when they saw that the Pope and the rest hadpletely disappeared.


    However¡­


    Just as they were about to stand up and do their clean-up procedures for the array. They noticed that something was wrong!


    "M-master¡­ there''s something wrong in the array¡­" One of the junior array masters shuddered as his finger pointed toward the center in horror.


    The Chief, the Leader, and all the senior array masters looked in the direction where he pointed and was shocked.


    The leader quickly stepped into the center of the array and the color of his face paled in horror!


    "Oh¡­ heavens, what have we done!" He copsed on the ground and immediately fainted.


    In the interim ind, the Pope and the party sessfully saw the change of scene and then finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Atst! We have arrived!" The eldest of the prince happily eximed.


    "The interim ind is amazing! We are already in the midday but the entire surroundings are breezy and cool¡­" The second prince praised.


    However, the next moment, Rachana''s horrified voice caught their attention.


    "Don''t look at me! Don''t! Kyaaaa!!" She ran to a nearby tree and hid,pletely embarrassed.


    The faces of the men changed, not only because of the scene Rachana caused, but the realization of their current situation.


    They were all standing in the middle of the ind, with nothing but their lower underwear!

 Chapter 543 The Waiting

    ?"Wahahaha!" Zenith rolled midair as he watched the tragic faces of Pope and his party.


    "Mischieeeevious¡­ mischieevious¡­ chichichichi!" The spatial fairies alsoughed at their king and even praised him for his schemes.


    "Hahahaha! Wait till I tell this all to the Master and his wife! In the future, I will tell this to my ymate too!" Zenith''s face were filled with satisfaction as they watched how panicked the people on the screen were.


    "As for these bags¡­ let''s deliver them to the master''s wife as I still cannot connect to the master." Zenith said as he took the ''spoils'' with him and continued to watch the Pope''s party.


    In the interim ind, the Pope and the rest all scrambled to find anything to cover themselves. They have nothing but their underwear!


    Not even their weapons nor space pouches were left with them at all!


    In the end, they could only ask the knights to contact the people waiting in the harbor to bring them enough clothes.


    With no other choice, the knight could only use his magic to create body armor using his earth elemental power and obey the orders.


    Fortunately, the response immediately came and brought them enough clothes to wear.


    When they finally resolved the matter, the faces of the Pope and the rest were gloomy. Are the heavens punishing them in their own way? Even so, this scheme is really despicable.


    It did not leave them any shred of dignity at all!


    Not only did their mere act of teleporting make them break into mana stone, but they were also humiliated by it!


    "Let''s head over¡­ There''s no sense to brood over the matter. The array has been faulty, to begin with." The Pope looked extremely constipated as he tried to console everyone.


    The others, especially the four princes, could only swallow their grievances and anger. They could only quietly follow the Pope while trying to suppress the embarrassment in their hearts.


    While it was quite an uncanny scene in the interim ind, the mood on the holy ind was actually heavy and tense.


    In the temple square, the troops of the nine ordained captains were lined up in an organized manner.


    In front of them, the administrators signaled the clerics and the servants to take out the cart full of space bags.


    "Today, we will distribute everyone''s rations and resources for the war. Everyone lines up and steps forward ording to the number of your toon." The administrators announced.


    Abaddon and Gabriel, along with the allies, blended perfectly with the scene. They looked no different from the other curse users, even though they were really not tainted by any of it.


    Only heaven knew how hard they racked their brains to solve every difficulty in such a ce that was filled with wicked people. But today, their struggle is about to end, and they will finally move to fight these wicked ones.


    Far from their ce, Eli and Kayden appeared on the shoreline with the troops from the Green Wave continent.


    They looked intently at the sky and calmly waited for the signal.


    But just as any one of them opened their mouth to talk, a portal suddenly appeared in front of Eli and a tiny shimmering spatial fairy flew on her side.


    "What brings you here, Zenith?" Eli knew that although the spatial fairy looked normal, the starry eyes of the fairy gave her the hint that he wasmunicating to her through the fairy.


    "Chi¡­ chi chi!!" On the outside, Kayden and the rest could only hear the fairy chirping adorably with inaudible sybles.


    But looking at Eli''s expression, it seemed like she understood.


    It took a while before the serious expression of Eli broke into a stifledugh, "Pfft! What really happened? Oh my goodness! I can''t, I really can''t!"


    Eli''sughter shocked the entire party, they looked at her with a confused expressions. What news could thedy have possibly heard to make herugh in such a situation like this?


    "Chi chi chi!!" The fairy became more lively in narrating something to Eli. In the end, it used the magic again and gave Eli a bunch of spatial bags as well as holy garments and artifacts.


    Seeing these things, the expression of the people around her changed. Because they recognize the garments given by the fairy to Eli.


    In the end, Eli smiled and took these things in a separate space pouch only after examining each of the things well.


    "Thank you so much, Zenith! You''ve been a great help to us!" Eli smiled and stretched out her index finger, gently patting the tiny fairy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    No one knew that the fairy she was patting at the moment was none other than the spatial king himself!


    After a few moments, the spatial king retreated and Eli was left with the inquisitive gazes of Kayden and the rest.


    Eli briefly told them what happened, just simply citing that she owed one favor to the spatial king due to Leon being contracted familiar.


    The favor she asked was to inform her of any teleportation movements of the Pope and the rest so that she would know how much time they have left for the operation.


    The men immediately understood and were grateful to the heavens for allowing Leon to contract the spatial king and also for Eli having one favor to ask of the mysterious being.


    "Then the spatial king yed a prank on them when it was the time for them to teleport from the continent to the interim Ind¡­" Eli exined but she was clearly trying her best not tough at the moment.


    "Then not only did the spatial king refuse to open the portal for them without using all their mana stones¡­he also had his subjects teleport them¡­. With nothing¡­ but ¡­ underwear¡­ Puhaha!!"


    Eli could no longer hold on and burst into a heartyugh.


    It is known that she has personally encountered the Pope and Rachana. And so she could not help but envision their panicked and dark expression during that moment.


    "Pfft!!!" Kayden could not maintain his serious expression as well, a few moments after realizing what happened, heughed hard as well.


    The next moment, Nalu and the rest of the Green Wave folks also covered their mouths and tried to hold theirughter in agony.


    That was because, in their number, their simultaneousughter would surely catch the attention of the people on the ind.


    It was only after some time that they managed to calm down after thatughing session. However, whenever one of them would imagine either one of the Vanderford Prince or the temple people in that scene, they would once again burst intoughter.


    "Hahaha¡­ alright alright¡­ enough of this¡­ What is more important was that we are now sure that they have no way of teleporting to the ind that fast because they no longer have enough mana stones to spend.


    What''s more, the things we have retrieved on their side were not small. The Pope, the fake pdin, and the princes all had their war resources confiscated here¡­ it would take them a long time to gradually recover the wealth they have lost during the teleportation process."


    Eli pointed at the space pouch where she took all the items stolen from the Pope''s party.


    "This means that they will be a little poorer now¡­" Nalu and the rest concluded.


    "We can''t be that sure. We also have to know that they have storehouses outside the holy ind. It is even highly possible that they have umted a lot of war resources in the Vanderford continent alone." Kayden said.


    "The only advantage of this matter is our confidence that they have lost the ability to interfere until a weekes, as well as the strongest artifacts they have at the moment are in our possession," Eli exined.


    "I see... Then we must really seed in this operation." The rest replied, and the fun atmosphere waspletely gone.


    All of them furiously started at the holy ind from far away and waited patiently.


    "Do you think the headquarters also managed to gather enough forces to help us?" Eli then looked at his big brother Kayden and asked.


    "I am not really sure¡­ What''s important is that we are able to set up the arrays on the shoreline. No matter what, we have given them the means to send reinforcements when the timees." Kayden looked at Elifortingly.


    In the end, they still had to face this alone and not becent about the fact that reinforcements wille. Because they knew that the battle on the maind was also as serious as the battle here.


    With themotion on their end finally ending, the afternoon sky started to light up.


    Waiting fervently for Gabriel and Abaddon''s signal, Eli, Kayden and the rest held their respective weapons and prepared.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "That''s the three sts!" Prince Nalu confirmed.


    "It is time!" Kayden''s eyes shed in vignce as he continued with a well-modted voice,


    "My Allies in Righteousness! Attack the wicked ind!"


    "Ohhhhh!!" Prince Nalu and the rest raised their hands valiantly and rushed toward the holy ind!

 Chapter 544 The Battle Of The Holy Island (1)

    ?Half an hour earlier¡­


    The distribution of war resources has been going smoothly.


    However, the majority of the people around had no idea that there was a small army waiting for them to burst into chaos near the shoreline.


    Not all of the people in the temple square thought that everything was going smoothly and fine.


    Hiding among this order, are the representatives of justice hiding in the shadows to bring chaos.


    Abaddon, Gabriel, and their allies blended so perfectly in the crowd, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.


    After the distribution, the Cardinal and all the officials outside would gather in the square to officially announce themencement of the troop''s voyage to the Vanderford Empire.


    The moment all of them arrive, that is when they will start their operations.


    "Seems like THE great captain Gabriel could also feel nervousness in this war¡­" Rashnu suddenly went beside the vignt Gabriel and threw a sarcastic remark.


    Rashnu has been long displeased about Gabriel and Abaddon being in the limelight these days. That is why every time he had a chance, he would find a way to taunt the two and anger them.


    However, the only thing that the other party gave in response was a meaningful smile which coincidentally was the thing that Rashnu hated about Gabriel the most.


    To him, Gabriel is like a smiling tiger, always amiable to everyone, but deep inside also had the same sinister thoughts as the others.


    "We are in warring times, of course, how could I not be worried about what would happen." Gabriel gave a very natural response while giving his signature approachable smile.


    Rashnu was extremely displeased, to him Gabriel was someone he hated to the core even though the other party did not even make anything wrong toward him. He hated his guts and his pretentious demeanor!


    "Hah! What''s the use of pretending like that, if you are afraid, then say that you are afraid, don''t make it as if being nervous is normal to people like us!" He retaliated.


    "We are chosen by the Lord yet you are disying such an unbelieving attitude. I wonder how the Cardinal would react if he knew his dear 3rd captain is feeling like that!" He added.


    "You are free to think whatever you want to think¡­ 2nd Captain, the distribution is about to be finished. Please excuse me as I will now gather my troops."


    Gabriel did not want to waste energy engaging in a verbal fight with Rashnu and so he quickly retreated.


    Seeing his retreating figure, a sh of hatred and disdain remained on Rashnu''s re as he stared at Gabriel''s retreating back. If his looks could kill, then Gabriel must have died a thousand times with his re alone.


    But just like what Gabriel mentioned, they have to quickly go back to their troops and rally them. The time for the Cardinal''s speech is about toe and they have to maintain order in the busy square.


    After about thirty minutes, the bustling in the square died down. The knights lined up in their respective ces, and the administrators and other servants also grouped among themselves and silently waited for the Cardinal and the rest of the priests to arrive.


    Suddenly the sound of a majestic trumpet and the chiming of the altar bells rang in the entire square.


    One by one, the priests arrived, from the lowest rank to the highest, they sat in an organized manner on the seats prepared for them on the elevated tform.


    They were followed by the high priests and bishops who also did the same as them.


    Finally, it was time for the Cardinal to arrive.


    He sat at the centermost seat, representing the Pope to address the temple knights.


    The moment the sound of the trumpet and bells stopped, everyone in the square knelt half-knee and greeted, "Greetings, the Eminence of the Lord''s servant!"


    "At ease¡­" The Cardinal swept his gaze at the vast number of the temple knights with a satisfied look.


    They are not considered a vast army, each toon only held five hundred men at most, but to the temple, this should be enough.


    Because none of these knights were ordinary. The lowest ranked among them is as strong as a normal knight''s lieutenant in the secr kingdoms and their aptitudes are as strong as B-rank.


    With this strength, even if a hundred of them are faced with a normal army three timesrger than them, they will still win without mishaps!


    "Our brave men, chosen men amongst all others! Now is the time to show our might and strength.


    Bring forth the crest of the temple and represent our Lord in the war against the Seirende¡­ the rebellious people!


    We will join our brothers from the Vanderford Empire and in theirnd, we will meet our Holiness Pope and Her Grace, the Pdin.


    Once we arrive, we will march toward the rebellious continent and let them submit to our power, the Lord''s Power!


    Not only that, after subduing the rebellious continent, we will also march forth and reform the other kingdoms and continents that were persuaded to be their allies.


    In the end, this victory will be ours!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This victory is our Lord''s!"


    The Cardinal stood and gave his speech, igniting the light in the eyes of the temple knights.


    This made the priest and the rest of the officials smile in satisfaction, they could not wait for the people in the Seirende Continent to submit.


    "To victory!" The nine captains shouted in reply.


    "To victory!" The crowd behind them echoed.


    "For our Lord!" The captains shouted once again.


    "For our Lord!" The crowd responded in astounding unison.


    The loud chanting and cries resonated in the entire templeplex. It was as if they were already proiming their victory before they even started to march toward the enemy.


    Abaddon and Gabriel looked at each other.


    ''It''s time!'' That was the look they had in their eyes.


    With that, they activated a spell sneakily on their hands while the crowd was still at the height of their emotions, of course, with the exception of those who belong to Abaddon and Gabriel''s party.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Suddenly a series of loud consecutive explosions resonated in the surroundings. Before everyone''s eyes, the tallest tower of the temple crumbled to pieces, the other two explosions even happened on the nearby towers around them.


    "What''s going on?!" The Cardinal shouted in surprise.


    The captains immediately wielded their weapons and immediately instructed their troops to be vignt and check the surroundings.


    Judging from the intensity of the explosion, it was not caused by just a simple explosion spell. It was intricately made and prepared for this very moment.


    They could not believe that this would happen and in the second they all had the same thought in their minds, could there be more spies in the ce?


    However, just as they were about to move and disperse, they suddenly found themselves all trapped in a barrier.


    "What in the world is happening!" The Cardinal and the priests all had darkened expressions. Their eyes remained vignt in case an enemy arrived.


    "Mages! Break through the barrier at once!" Uriel the 1st captainmanded.


    The other captains followed and in the next few moments, the scene turned into chaos. Every toon was hitting the barrier with all their might. Somewhere even using their curse power to break through the barrier.


    However, none of them noticed¡­ that while they were in a panic, a number of people were staring at them intently, watching them struggle without even making a single move.


    It would just take one person to look from afar to realize that the people in the temple square were under the illusion of Abaddon!


    In reality, there was no barrier at all¡­ instead, there were only the pce corridors that the knights and even the priests and the Cardinal themselves were breaking using their own powers.


    "Do not watch and move quickly. Reduce the number of people at once. This illusion will onlyst for five minutes at most." Gabriel eyed the rest of their allies and warned them.


    Just in time, the people in the square heard a battle cry from afar.


    They were shocked to see that there were some figures arriving from the sky.


    It was Eli, Kayden, and the rest of the Green Wave folks.


    "Dragons¡­ Beast men¡­ merfolks! Why are they here?" The Cardinal looked up in disbelief!


    "Men prepare to fight!" Uriel, Rashnu, and the rest of the captains could no longer think straight.


    Around them was an indestructible barrier, above them was an army of non-human warriors!


    They were clearly trapped!


    "Don''t hold back and attack these men!" The Cardinal''s eyes darkened as he saw that it was not only dragons and the others who were there. Sitting behind their backs were a number of other nonhuman races.


    Kayden stood valiantly leading the army of the non-human race. The bright afternoon sun shone on his back as he stood in front and shouted,


    "My friends, let''s no longer dy! Fight!"

 Chapter 545 The Battle Of The Holy Island (2)

    ?At Kayden''s words, they jumped at the back of the dragon warriors and flying beast men to quickly engage in an attack.


    "Let''s do our part as well. While they were not yet seeing the truth of the illusion." Carefully knowing that the illusion is still effective, Gabriel and Abaddon ordered their allies to also subdue the enemy.


    Without dying any further, their men unsheathed their swords and began attacking the rest in the temple square.


    The once blood-boiling temple square has now be a bloody battlefield. The troops who were in perfect order a few moments ago were now in a state of panic and chaos!


    Shing!


    sh!


    With every swing of the sword from Gabriel and Abaddon''s men, there would be a corrupted temple knight that would perish. Paired with the mighty attacks from Prince Nalu and his party, the start of the battle seemed to be favorable on their side.


    Their goal was to eliminate as many soldiers as possible before the enemy side had already adjusted.


    After all, even with the two partiesbined, the enemy was still a force that was several timesrger than theirs.


    "D*mn where did these enemiese from?!" The corrupted knights were in panic. That was because they slowly realized that theirrades were dying out of nowhere.


    In their point of view, their men would just suddenly drop dead with injuries but when they turned around there was no other enemy than the folks from the Green Wave Continent.


    "Cardinal¡­let''s go to safety!" Not bothering their own troops'' predicament, Uriel and the rest of the captains immediately went on the Cardinal and the High Priest''s side.


    As the captain of the temple knights, it is their responsibility to protect the priests and the officials of the temple. So they all went on their side and tried their best to protect them at all costs.


    But the problem is, they could not go anywhere at all!


    Gabriel and Abaddon very naturally blended into the knights, after all it would be too eye-catching if they were not seen in action. On the other hand, they also had a mission to do.


    While Kayden''s party keeps everyone busy¡­ they have to also stay close to the Cardinal and the rest to give Eli and the others a chance to infiltrate the undergroundboratory and help everyone escape.


    In the inner temple, Eli was joined by the folks from the Green Wave continent to infiltrate the undergroundboratory.


    Since Abaddon and Gabriel had already divulged the information on how to bypass all securities and head straight to theboratory, they sessfully arrived at the underground entrance.


    Before they entered, they threw a few canisters of sleeping gas in the first level to minimize their dy by confronting the people inside.


    Fortunately, the potent sleeping gas developed by Kayden immediately worked, most especially because he already had an idea about the capabilities of the people working on the first floor.


    "Everyone wear your masks, then let''s go." After waiting for a few minutes, Eli immediately instructed the warriors and then signaled for them to enter.


    "Heavens! There are actually so many curse beasts here!" The warriors eximed as the first thing they saw were the cursed beast puppets that were stored in the ss aquariums.


    What was more hair-raising was that their numbers went over a hundred!


    "We shall quickly do our mission and escape, we do not know if these puppets would wake up out of the enemy''s desperation. When that happens, we would be cornered." Eli warned once again.


    Very quickly she spread her earth fairies to keep spreading the sleeping potion all over the ce and the next level underground.


    Their priority was to rescue the caged people on the second level.


    "Eli chan¡­ how about our own agenda?" Wisey reminded Eli.


    They went there because they wanted to see the secret behind the Spectre''s obsession with the asanis. Unfortunately, even after sessfully infiltrating the undergroundboratory, they weren''t able to reach the forbiddenyers of theboratory.


    "Let''s do that after we reach the third floor¡­ the men were already informed anyway," Eli replied.


    Very quickly they arrived at the second floor. The stench of the ce that was mixed with blood, urine, and feces assaulted their noses quickly.


    But more than that, the one that struck the warriors the most was the miserable state of the people around them.


    "These d*man bastards! How could they do this to our people!" The warriors shouted in anger.


    "My friends, let us not be emotional here. We are racing against time. Let''s rescue the poor men first before we figure out what more atrocities the temple has done to the Prasinons."


    Eli did not let them wallow in their anger and immediately reminded them.


    Upon hearing her words, the warriors could only swallow their anger and nod at her, recognizing that her warning made sense.


    For the next few minutes, they all went from cage to cage, opening them up and putting them in the birdcage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli gave them Leon''s birdcage paper spells so that it would be more convenient for them to transport a lot of people. With this it would also be easy for them to fight should there be enemies around.


    But reality hit them as the number of cages on the second floor was really overwhelming.


    "So many people¡­ an hour is not enough for us to take them out¡­" One of the men said in nervousness.


    "Let''s not give up and do our best. The spies outside will inform us anyways should there be any movements."


    "You are right¡­" The rest agreed.


    Eli was also doing her best to cut open the cages and help the rest escape.


    "One should take the full bird cages and run to safety, that way it will increase the chance for us to rescue more." She suggested as she also noticed the difficulty of the task.


    A warrior from the cheetah beast men volunteered himself, he took ten bird cages at once and ran out of the undergroundboratory.


    With this, the speed of the evacuation also increased. The rest of the warriors concentrated only on tearing open the cages while the fastest among them, the cheetah n, took the bird cages out to safety.


    "Sess!" They all smiled as they filled thest birdcage and emptied the second floor.


    "Let''s quickly escape mydy!" They looked at Eli and waited for her to go out.


    But Eli shook her head and told them, "I have my own mission to carry out. Your mission now is done, so go and take them to safety before joining the rest in the battle."


    "This¡­" The warriors frowned upon hearing Eli''s reply. Only by hearing Eli''s words were they reminded of the fact that Eli and Kayden came here for a different purpose.


    "We have to protect you, Mydy." The warriors insisted.


    But Eli shook her head and said,


    "My mission might be dangerous, but the battle on the surface is just as dangerous as well.


    Don''t worry I have my own means to escape when the situation bes dangerous. But to do this more easily, we must help ourrades upstairs to hold the enemy back."


    Seeing the reason in Eli''s words and the determination in her eyes, the warriors could only reluctantlyply.


    Although they knew that Eli had her own means to escape, they were still worried because she would explore theboratory alone.


    "Then miss¡­ can you at least allow us to station some to wait near the entrance of theboratory, only then will we be at ease to join the battle upstairs."


    "Alright¡­ I thank you for this arrangement." Eli no longer rejected their goodwill and parted ways with the warriors.


    This time Wisely and Baobao were already beside her, ready to apany her all the way. From this point onwards, she and her contracted beast would carry out the mission.


    "We''re moving to the 3rd level," Eli said as she opened the passageway.


    "Eli chan~ the fairies said that the people downstairs were already sleeping soundly. Let''s go quickly!" Wisey informed Eli.


    While they were busy rescuing the people on the 2nd level, the earth fairies were sent to drug the people downstairs.


    "Ok, let''s go then!" Eli continued her travel downstairs and immediately took something from her space pouch.


    It was none other than the Pope''s token!


    "Hahaha! Up until now, I cannot thank the spatial king enough for giving us this great convenience. Who would have known that his yful prank would give us this advantage?!" Wisey rejoiced inside.


    "Indeed, the spatial king is really quick-witted! He really did us a lot of favors!" Baobao chimed in. Even when he was with Little Han these days, he was informed of the things that transpired with Wisey and Eli.


    They arrived at the third floor downstairs and saw the quietness of the formerly bustlingboratory.


    "The earth fairies did not manage to see any more entrances other than that door mechanism to the west. Let''s take a look." Eli looked in a certain direction and her eyes squinted a hint of seriousness.


    But just as she was about to head over to the area, the entire undergroundboratory shuddered violently.


    "This is bad!"


    Eli and the rest suddenly went nervous, the shaking of the underground facility is not a good premonition!

 Chapter 546 The Battle Of The Holy Island (3)

    ?The lighting on the 3rd level immediately flickered and most of the things on the study cabs had already fallen to the ground.


    It took time for Eli to receive an update from her earth fairies before her face shed with a serious light.


    "The curse beasts had been awakened and they were heading towards the battlefield." She uttered.


    "Oh no¡­ this would not be good on our side!" Wisey and Baobao wore an anxious expression.


    "We better hurry. The longer we stay here, the less chance that we can go early and help them at the crucial point."


    Eli decisively took the token and moved forward, she also sent a number of earth fairies to observe the situation above the surface.


    Using the Pope''s token, she tried to open the mechanism of the restricted area.


    Chacha!


    Brrrrr¡­


    Fortunately, the mechanism reacted to the token on Eli''s hand and the entrance to the secret area was revealed.


    Plip¡­plop¡­


    The eerie dripping of water and the moldy scent of the ce was the first thing that the trio noticed.


    "Master¡­ there''s a passageway leading down below¡­" Baobao sniffed in the air and immediately informed Eli.


    "Let''s go¡­" Eli replied and walked straightforwardly.


    "There were clearly trap mechanisms on the wall but it seems that as long as we carry the Pope''s token, we are safe! What a cheat!" Wisey also observed the surroundings and noticed several hostile traps along the way.


    "Indeed¡­ These array traps were really vicious. Luckily, we are safe here." Baobao alsomented, they could not help but rejoice in their hearts that they have miraculously obtained the token without any effort.


    They could not imagine how this mission would raise the difficulty multiple times that they are experiencing right now.


    "We have arrived!" Eli paused and looked at another door. It seems like this would be the most secret ce inside theboratory.


    Eli immediately expected the door and found the mechanism to open it once again using the Pope''s token. In an instant, a clean yet unmannedboratory weed their vision.


    "This ce¡­" Eli looked around and saw that the ce was still kept clean but it was clear that it had not been used for a long time.


    "It''s already been cleaned as if there was no more use of thisboratory¡­" Eli frowned, she expected to see something going on in this ce but the scene around her confused her greatly.


    "Let''s take a look at these things¡­" Wisey immediately flew to the area where the records of experimentation were and tried to fish out more information.


    However, after looking for a while, she sighed at the volume of information they had to read before jumping to a conclusion.


    Eli also looked around and tried to discover if there are more mechanisms to be revealed in the room but to no avail.


    "Let''s take the records with us¡­ we surely cannot read these things at this moment." In the end, Eli chose to take the information up at the moment and join the fight upstairs.


    But just as they were about to leave the ce, Baobao''s nose detected something and immediately alerted the two, "Master!"


    "What''s the matter?" Eli looked over and asked only to see Baobao sniffing something on the stone bed.


    "Something is in here¡­ I believe. There are scents that linger here¡­" Baobao hesitated but still answered.


    "The stone bed?" Eli''s brows furrowed, and shepletely ignored the stone bed because upon seeing this, the bloody memories of Elise being tortured on a stone bed flooded her mind involuntarily.


    As such she subconsciously created an aversion towards it.


    "Baobao buddy, are you sure? Stone beds are usually the ce where they open up people for experiments. That is maybe why you could detect some scents in it." Wisey asked.


    "But the scent¡­ although not strong¡­ still had a faint trace of life," Baobao said as he repeatedly sniffed the stone bed.


    "Let''s take a look¡­" Eli saw the certainty in Baobao''s round dark eyes and so she looked at the stone bed and approached reluctantly.


    Bending down to touch the cold stone bed, horrible memories of Elise shed into her mind and she immediately became pale. This was something she never had expected to ur to her.


    The things that happened to Elise, the horror, and the pain she encountered were directly attacking her at this moment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''What is happening?'' She was confused. ''Could it be the attack of the enemy?''


    But because she was pressed for time, she forcefully gritted her teeth and continued searching through the stone bed.


    ¨C


    Moments before Eli was struggling inside the secret room, the battlefield in the temple square was now turning for the worst.


    "You b*stars Abaddon and Gabriel, you were the traitors all along!" Rashnu looked towards the bloodied Abaddon and Gabriel who were struggling to maintain their positions against the three remaining captains.


    With great effort, the two of them along with their allies and Kayden''s forces were able to take down four of the captains and even took out all of the lower and high-ranked priests.


    Now there''s only the Cardinal, Uriel, Rashnu, and Ecanus who remained standing on the higher echelons. However, they still had many troops behind them while the other side was already clearly exhausted.


    Abaddon and Gabriel looked at the battlefield around. Their hearts sank, for they have truly underestimated the scale of the operation.


    Earlier, they thought that they would be able to take advantage of the illusion within a span of five minutes.


    But who would have thought that the hateful Rashnu would break through the illusion at the three-minute mark?


    That two-minute discrepancy was the crucial factor for Gabriel''s side to be in this situation.


    They nned to wipe out half of the enemy in the first stage of the fight but did not expect that they would only be able to wipe out a quarter.


    With no way to dy any further, Abaddon and Gabriel immediately made a move on the nearest priest and captain with them and managed to take down a few before the rest came to their senses.


    After that, the tables turned and it now became a grueling struggle on the attacker''s side.


    "Struggle no more¡­ this is your end." Rashnu red at the two captains and the rest of their allies.


    Although he was surprised to discover the two are real traitors, his heart is rejoicing. Now he had a chance to really kill them!


    Uriel and Ecanus did not have such thoughts toward Abaddon and Gabriel. They only thought that they had to be subdued because they rebelled.


    "Talk less and fight!" Abaddon spat the blooding out of his mouth and wielded the azure cold de once again.


    His bulky body was filled with wounds at the moment and there was a scary deep wound on his left eye. Gabriel is in no good shape as well.


    His left hand was already limp as there was a grave wound on his shoulders, but still, he took the spear in his right hand and used his armpit to clip it securely.


    Their bodies were wounded but their eyes were filled with fearlessness.


    At the moment, all they could think about is to bring as much damage as possible to the cardinal and the rest. Only that will they be able to atone for their ipetence in allowing these evil people to defile the temple.


    Kayden, Nalu, and the rest of the warriors were also worried, the two captains were already facing four enemies in an imbnce battle but they were still upied by the troops around.


    The Cardinal on the other hand looked at Abaddon and Gabriel with hatred and disappointment. These two were considered the strongest among the ordained captains, and it was very evident in the situation around him that their capabilities were not to be trifled with.


    But in face of his big army, how could their puny army and a flimsy number of alliespare?


    The only thing that really displeases him at the moment was that they lost too much of this battle. He could not afford to lose any more resources and people at this point, or else¡­


    The wrath of Lord Raven will be showered upon him!


    Realizing that a ruthless light shed in the eyes of the Cardinal as he looked at the three remaining captains.


    "Cause no more dys and finish the fight! The longer this struggle is, the more losses there will be on our end!"


    Simultaneously his hand moved to take out something from this space pouch. In his hand was a cristal bottle of translucent purple potion.


    Kayden''s eyes shed, for he was very familiar with this potion! This was the potion used to awaken the beast in the underground!


    "Not good! They are awakening the beasts below!" Kayden''s heart sank as he shouted to warn everyone.


    When Abaddon and the rest heard these words, they were stunned, and finally, a trace of anxiousness appeared on their faces.


    It seems like this operation was really a suicide mission!

 Chapter 547 The Battle Of The Holy Island (4)

    ?Rumble!


    The ground shook violently and the entire templeplex shuddered! The movement from underneath gave everyone, even the people of the temple, cold shivers.


    But to Kayden and the rest it was a great wave of despair.


    They were facing an army several times greater than their number with their bodies already injured and exhausted.


    Now underneath them were the curse beasts who could easily suppress an a-ss mage!


    Abaddon and Gabriel gritted their teeth and stood on their ground. No matter what, an enemy falling to their sword and spear would be another innocent life being saved.


    "Put away your struggle and ept your deaths." Rashnu red at them coldly as several beasts rushed to their side.


    Nrrrrrrrr


    Large beasts thrice the size of a human. With spiky dark violet fur and razor-sharp fangs that were aggressively shown.


    These beasts had zing red eyes, and looking at the enemies with salivating mouths gave everyone a fright.


    "Fight¡­ even if we are in a losing battle! Those who stayed alive because of our sacrifice are deemed worth it!"


    Facing the terrifying wave of the enemy, an uncorrupted administrator gathered all of his mana and stood without hesitation.


    So what if we die in this temple?


    If it is their time, then it is their time!


    At Least until the end, they remained pure in the eyes of heaven.


    Their hearts, minds, body¡­. Their very own life has been lived all for the Creator they swore to worship and serve!


    "Fight!" The administrator''s words ignited the hearts of theirrades. Even those whose limbs were no longerplete used their mouths to hold the de and kill.


    If those who were now under the protection of the righteous saw the sacrifice of these men, tears would flow like a river as much as the blood these heroes shed.


    Kayden, Nalu, and the rest of the Green Wave folks did not allow for the uncorrupted temple men to die in vain.


    They unleashed their most powerful moves and spells and supported their allies while they took down their enemies.


    "These people! They are like ants struggling against the giants!" Ecanus could only curse while he wielded his sword vigntly.


    He stayed on the Cardinal''s side while Rashnu and Uriel fought with Abaddon.


    "Cardinal, the beasts have fully emerged from theboratory, I believe we can already lead you to the safe ce underground."


    After cursing at his enemies, Ecanus immediately fulfilled his duties and asked the Cardinal to return to the safe ce until the battle was over.


    Judging from the situation, the safest ce in the temple was the most secret part of the undergroundboratory. Thus, it only makes sense for Him to lead the Cardinal there.


    "Alright¡­ let us head over. I believe that with the beasts, the fight will be over." The Cardinal looked at the current situation and became relieved.


    The enemy was finally pushed to the corner with no way out. There''s no more reason for him to feel uneasy.


    Without dying any further, Ecanus led the Cardinal toward the safest corner of the battlefield to retreat to the refuge.


    Boom!


    Just as they thought that they had already steered clear of danger, the path in front of them was suddenly sted into smithereens!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Before they could react even further, another series of sts urred behind them. If not for them quickly covering themselves with defensive spells, their internal organs would have burst due to the shock waves.


    The proximity of sts was just a few meters away from them, if they weren''t quick-witted, their injuries would have been severed.


    "D*mn!" Ecanus immediately scanned his surroundings and tried to figure out who was the culprit of the sts.


    In the end, he was unable to see them, for everyone on the battlefield from the enemy side was already full of multiple men and monsters rebuilding them.


    Little did he know that the culprits were the earth fairies who were tasked by Eli to monitor the battlefield and prevent any official retreat in the undergroundboratory.


    "Chi.." The earth fairies flew from afar and became visibly frail, it seems like the act of sting the ground was already too much for them to do multiple times.


    However, to them, it looks like it is worth it because now, Ecanus and the Cardinal were already frantically looking around for any enemy that was sneaking to target them.


    In effect, the escape of the two was dyed temporarily.


    Even so, the situation on the battlefield was not optimistic. The number of the fallen on the Green Wave and uncorrupted temple knight''s side was already gettingrger andrger.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kayden had a dark expression on his face.


    He did not mind dying on this battlefield, however, he knew that Eli was still inside theboratory, doing her best to find the secret behind all of the Spectre''s wrongdoing.


    And so, just for her sake, he had to fight not until death but to survive!


    sh! Ching!


    He rushed once again to the battlefield and immediatelyced his sword with the most potent poison he had in his hand.


    It was too bad because he could not use poisonrgely, because their allies had no antidote. If all of them had more than a week to prepare, then maybe he had time to prepare for the mass production of the antidote.


    That way, he could use poison on arge scale without affecting the allies.


    But the reality is harsh and war does not wait!


    So all he could do was weaken the enemies around him bycing poison through their wounds.


    His first targets were the beasts who were clearly the most troublesome opponent on the battlefield just second to the Captains.


    sh!


    Kayden used a huge amount of wind power and even took away his disguise as Dr. Einz to fully wield the power of his half-elf side.


    Embracing his true appearance, he looked like a dangerous yet alluring elf, with the bloody wounds on his face and body beingplemented by the contrasting innate elegance of an elf.


    But more than that, his speed is like the wind!


    As soon as he used his power, his body would leave an afterimage before appearing to his next target.


    With this might, he was able toce poison to nearly half of the monster beast!


    ''More¡­ I need to poison more animals!'' Kayden''s eyes glimmered in a ruthless light.


    He used yet another canister of his potent poison,cing it once again to his sword.


    Swoosh!


    Then his figure shed again to the targets.


    However, all of these things were not missed by Ecanus who was currently looking for the culprit of the sudden st.


    "Cardinal, I have found the culprit. I apologize for not escorting you further, but I''ll see to it that this man would no longer hinder your retreat!" Ecanus immediately informed the Cardinal while his eyes locked at the locations Kayden was appearing.


    In his mind, only with the speed of Kayden would the attacks earlier be exined.


    "Alright. I''ll wait for the good news." The Cardinal also looked in Kayden''s direction and a trace of understanding appeared on his face. He also had the same conclusion as Ecanus.


    In the end, he moved forward, while Ecanus shed to meet Kayden''s sword.


    "Chi!!! Chi!!" The earth fairies saw the Cardinal continue heading towards the underground pathway without hindrance and they immediately panicked.


    With their mana already exhausted, there were mere moths to the Cardinal''s sight. So all they could do was to contact Eli to make haste as the enemy was about to reach the entrance to the undergroundboratory.


    Inside the restricted room Eli, Baobao, and Wisey were now almost at their wit''s end because they could not really see any mechanism nor anything unusual in the stone bed and in the entireboratory room.


    "Could this be all that we could know and see? What about the corpses of the asanis?" Eli could not help but be frustrated.


    "Instead of being here¡­ let''s just go to the surface and help big brother and the rest. The earth fairies said that the situation on the battlefield is no longer optimistic.


    "Eli chan, we can''t give up like this! We are already here¡­ let''s be more patient."


    "But the more we stay here, the more lives will be lost on our side." Eli shook her head and frowned,


    "I know I can do something for them even if I don''t join the fight¡­ I can heal them and give them buff blessings¡­ though that would mean that I will be exposed."


    "Wait¡­ Eli-chan, what did you say you can do again?" Wisey seemed to have thought of something and asked Eli.


    "Can I heal them and give them buff blessings?" Eli replied confused, "But it will expose my identity¡­"


    "That''s it! Let''s cast a blessing on the battlefield!!!" Wisey eximed.


    She flew on Eli''s side and continued,


    "Isn''t this a good opportunity?! We are directly below them! In short, we are still technically IN the battlefield!


    With that, you can stay here and continue searching, while also helping the allies outside without exposing your identity!"

 Chapter 548 Torrential Rain

    ?[From this point onward, the Allies'' side pertains to the good side, while the enemy''s side pertains to the cardinal and the curse people''s army.]


    Eli paused and looked at herpanions. Wisey''s suggestion seemed to be feasible at the moment.


    She thought for a while and nodded, "Let''s do this!"


    Baobao and Wisey nodded with determination. They both stood beside Eli hinting that they would support them along the way.


    Eli closed her eyes and thought of the possible sight above the ground. There should be many who have fallen and been severely injured.


    Her heart was filled with great apprehension at the thought that the people who fought for the good had fallen in sacrifice.


    The pain in her heart, the desperation, and the unwillingness to fall immediately invaded Eli''s entire being.


    With that, the heavy emotions on the battlefield channeled to her like a floodway, pouring continuously.


    She trembled, her tears flowing from her eyes as she could now clearly see what the battlefield looks like and how the desperate cries of the righteous roared their battle cry.


    "Oh heavens¡­ would you look upon your people?


    Hear our desperate cries as we stumble.


    Our hearts were filled with indignance, our hands tightly clenched,


    We do not want this peace you have gifted us to end.


    Oh Great One, remember your promise,


    In this hard-fought battle, let it not lead to our demise.


    These cries, this desperation, Oh Great One, can''t you hear?


    Redeem your people, Oh Father, let the evil fear!


    As I, your servant dere you at your highest,


    Let us receive like a river, your never-ending goodness.


    As I your servant proim Your might and majesty,


    Cause everything in us to move and lead us to victory!"


    Rumble!!!!


    Above ground, the entire surroundings once again shook, this time themotion was even more frightening than the arrival of the curse beasts.


    The flow of time on the battlefield seemed to stop, as both sides wanted to figure out what was happening.


    But for some reason, the side of the righteous did not feel any sense of apprehension instead, they suddenly felt that hope was ignited in their hearts.


    Rumble!!!!


    The skies darkened, threatening a torrential rain to fall. The clouds in the skies seemed to have been forcefully pulled on the holy ind covering the skies in a foreboding manner.


    But without warning, the thunder pped aggressively and lightning was brewing in the dense clouds.


    Aroooooo!


    In an instant, the aggressive curse beasts seemed to have been agitated by the thunderps. Like anxious dogs, they lowered their tails and retreated while cowering.


    In contrast, Eli''s allies finally had time to breathe. In that window of safety, they looked around and saw that many had already fallen but somehow, they did not fear at all.


    The expression of the Cardinal, who was also stopped by the sudden change in the surrounding, darkened. He looked at the skies above and frowned.


    Although the skies looked like everything was just a normal thunderstorm he could not ignore the brewing uneasiness in his heart.


    Tak! Tak! Tak!


    Just as he was about to open his mouth to run, the thunder and lightning drowned his hearing and vision.


    Zzzzzt!


    Before the Cardinal''s sight, countless lightning streaks descended from the skies andnded on the curse beasts like homing missiles.


    "Keep your distance!" Abaddon, Gabriel, Kayden, and the rest of the acting leaders of their forces immediately warned their men to retreat.


    Their hearts were beating in wonder at the sight of the curse puppets falling one by one. The lightning strikes seemed to have their own mind as they were only willing to target the curse puppets.


    In an instant, the hundreds of beasts were now reduced to a few tens in number. However, the lightning strikes continued to rain down as if it was dead set on erasing the existence of the cursed beasts.


    The cursed beast seemed to have realized that the skies were targeting them, and so the surviving ones immediately ignored the enemies in their eyes and ran around to escape for their lives.


    As soon as these beastspletely ran away in the boundaries of the battlefield, the skies rumbled once again.


    Causing the hearts of everyone on the righteous side to anticipate what was next, it did not take them too long to recognize that the heavens have seen their desperation and helped.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Clip¡­clop¡­


    The next second, the raindrops showered on the entire holy ind, dripping to every living and nonliving thing it could reach from the surface.


    "T-this¡­" Suddenly an uncorrupted temple knight who was crawling toward his fallen sworn brother to die on his side suddenly felt a slight itch on his severed lower limb.


    He paused and looked at his bloody thighs and his eyes could not help but widen!


    His limbs¡­ his legs were growing back!


    Not only that, he discovered that as his body is drenched in the gentle rain, his wounds are healed and the strength of his body is being restored.


    "Oh, Heavens!" Lost for any word to say, he could only look up and call out in gratefulness.


    If that was the only miracle that he thought he would witness, he heard a soft gasp beside him and his heart skipped a beat.


    "Huhhh¡­ hahhhhhh¡­" His sworn brother beside him, who was no longer breathing earlier, started to slowly gasp for air.


    The rising and falling of his chest and the visible healing in his body made him certain that his dead brother is slowlying back to life!


    "Brother!"


    "Buddy!"


    "Comrade!"


    Instantly shouts of exmation and joy were heard on the battlefield, the scene before them is an unbelievable sight!


    Even the enemies behind them could not keep but tremble. This sight before them is clearly impossible!


    They stared wide-eyed in disbelief as they could see the very enemies they took out slowly recovering one by one.


    However, not all the dead from the allies'' side came back to life, those who had been long dead, beheaded, and dismembered to the point of recognition no longer manifested any changes.


    In the end the people around finally understood, those who were ''resurrected'' were actually not yet technically dead, but slowly withering theirst heartbeat. As long as the fallen still have a heartbeat there''s still hope to recover!


    Although it was still sad for the allies to finally realize that the ''true'' dead would no longere back to life, they were yet to witness another awe-striking sight happen before their eyes.


    From the bodies of these deadrades, a glimmer of orb light emerged.


    It was pure and there was not even a speck of dirt in the orbs that were now floating in the air, like fireflies that were still shining brightly even when it was daytime.


    Suddenly, all of the righteous who stood and watched the scene heard a gentle voice ringing at the back of their minds,


    "Well done¡­ my faithful and righteous servants¡­e home to Me and share in My glory."


    That instant the orbs shuddered and flew toward the skies, the dark clouds opening up a golden light, creating a glorious pathway to the fallen''s spirits.


    Watching the spirits of theirrades ascend to the heavens so gloriously, the knights could not help but cry in relief.


    Oh, the sacrifices of theirrades were not in vain and they were rewarded!


    They are finallying home to the Great One and spending the rest of eternity on his side!


    While this moment was touching the allies'' side, the enemy''s side was shaking in fear.


    This power, this miracle! There is only one person who could trigger this in Prasinos!


    Since the Pope and the rest were already on Lord Raven''s side, they only have one person in mind who could trigger the heavens to take action.


    The One True Pdin!


    Cardinal''s heart dropped in an instant, he too realized this matter and was immediately in panic.


    ''I need to go to the deeper altar to stop this matter from escting further!''


    True enough when he was about to move, a furious battle cry erupted on the battlefield. The men from the other side were now in their best state and were initiating an attack against their side!


    Moreover, Abaddon and Gabriel''s strength and power werepletely restored! Uriel and the rest will have a hard time at this moment!


    Very quickly he rushed down to theboratory, not knowing that he was heading toward the same ce as Eli was¡­


    Inside the secret room, Eli was in a deep state of prayer as she was using her pdin powers.


    She was already kneeling beside the stone table, her hands clenched together, ced to her beating heart.


    Wisey was receiving the report of the earth fairies and kept telling Eli of the happenings above ground.


    As Eli heard the progress above, her mind sunk deeper into a state of prayer, seemingly not caring about the ce she was now in.


    However, the next moment, Baobao''s eyes shed in shock as he felt someone fastly approaching in their direction.


    "Not good! Someone ising in our direction!"

 Chapter 549 The Battle Of The Holy Island (5)

    ?The Cardinal walked hastily and just directly jumped at the crack made by the curse beasts in the first level of theboratory.


    His expression did not seem to mind the state of theboratory as he had already expected this.


    He shrugged and looked at the unconscious people on the ground, thinking that they were dead because of the sudden awakening of the beasts.


    These beasts must have awakened so violently that they indiscriminately hurt the people in theboratory.


    He no longer visited the second floor as he disdained the filthy sight inside that ce and went down directly to the third floor.


    Finally stepping on the second floor, confusion and doubt shed in his heart. He expected to see more chaos and anxiousness at this level because of the greatmotion created by the beasts.


    But to find that the third floor did not have any conscious person inside immediately struck a sense of rm in the Cardinal''s heart.


    "Not good!" He immediately went in the direction of the secret room in haste.


    The moment he reached the point of the mechanism, his heart dropped.


    The mechanism was activated!


    No longer thinking anything, he immediately used his token and entered the pathway. Like a person rushing to chase a departing carriage, the Cardinal rushed down to the secret room in a panic.


    That is because he noticed that every pathway has been opened without even triggering the traps set in each of the checkpoints.


    Finally, his eyes already saw the door to the secret room. He saw that faint light seemed to have seeped through the gaps of the door and saw he immediately raised his vignce and took his artifact staff to ready for a fight.


    "Wisey buddy, be with the master¡­ I''ll face the enemy approaching." Inside the secret room, Baobao decides to face the approaching Cardinal while Eli is not yet done with her blessings.


    It seems that Eli is yet to wake up from her trance as her consciousness was deeply connected to the heavenly realm as she pleaded for heaven''s blessing. That meant that she would be also vulnerable to attacks from the approaching enemy.


    "Alright, please stay safe." Wisey knew that this is the only choice they have.


    Until Eli wakes up, they have to hold on.


    Baobao stood up and nodded. He turned his furry head to the direction of the door and their usual gentle ck round eyes shed with ruthlessness and ferociousness.


    He calmly opened the door, stepped out, and closed it.


    He looked up and met the Cardinal who was shocked to see a cursed bear inside. The two, a man and a furry panda had a stare down for a moment.


    "You¡­" After some time a sh of realization appeared on the Cardinal''s face and his expression darkened.


    In Prasinos, there is no other person who could have used a Panda as a contract beast other than the inventor named Eli.


    Baobao seemed to have also understood the expression on the Cardinal''s face and immediately decided that the person in front of him must not have an opportunity to reveal his Master''s name.


    "Take no step further¡­" Baobao opened his mouth and warned the Cardinal.


    "Impudent¡­ you trespassers!" The Cardinal shouted in retaliation.


    "We are not the ones who are impudent. It is you, abominable people who defiled the temple with your evil!" Baobao replied.


    "What do you, a cursed bear know?" The Cardinal replied.


    "I know nothing but the fact that you betrayed the one you served before," Baobao answered with a matter-of-factly tone.


    Even though he was not someone who understood people''s nature, he knew that people like the Cardinal were evil and someone who he had to take down.


    Someone who betrayed their master is an evil person, and the Cardinal who was supposed to be a servant of the Great One is one of them.


    Hearing Baobao''s reply, the Cardinal''s already angry expression became even uglier.


    In the end, he took his staff and struck it on the staircase where they were currently standing.


    "You shall meet your demise here. It is useless for you to even attempt to protect your master." The Cardinal said as wisps of purple light appeared from his hand and flowed to the golden staff that he was holding.


    Baobao no longer replied and stood on all fours.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were fighting on an underground staircase and it was such an unfitting ce to fight.


    Should he get overboard, themotion that the fight would cause might also lead to him indirectly harming Eli.


    And so he quickly shed in front of the Cardinal and pushed him upwards.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Cardinal was caught off guard as he did not even expect that Baobao possessed such a high speed.


    Now he could only suffer under Baobao''s aggressive attack that constantly flung him upwards like a kite.


    If not for his quick reaction to cover his body with ayer of protective mana, he would have long turned to jelly from Baobao''s pummeling.


    Before his eyes, he saw that he was slowly being pushed upwards until they reached the destroyed first level.


    In just a few attacks from Baobao, he was already pushed to the surface of the ground!


    "Puff¡­" The Cardinal red at Baobao with hatred as he spat several mouthfuls of blood. He did not expect that the opponent would think so far ahead and force them to fight on a different battlefield.


    What''s more, since the first level was already destroyed and arge gaping hole was already opened in it, the rain from Eli''s blessing was continuously showering them at the moment.


    He was not able to notice it before as he did not even use his mana nor engage in a fight the few moments he was exposed to the rain.


    But now that he was facing Baobao, he finally realized that the torrential rain from the Pdin''s blessing actually weakens them, the curse users, and strengthens the other party!


    No wonder, Baobao is so protective of his master that he chose to step forward and fight him head-on! It is because the rain must not stop until the battle is won!


    The curse power in his body seemed to have been greatly suppressed!


    This time he could only feel angry and frustrated. If only he was able to receive a spirit fragment from Lord Raven, he would have not worried about this matter.


    Because those who received a fragment of his spirit would have an innate resistance to heaven''s blessings.


    He believed that the pdin''s blessing is just simr to the normal priest''s blessing. As such he had the confidence that only the spirit fragment carriers could only resist it.


    However, too bad. Lord Raven only limited the distribution of the spirit fragment to the temple people for the reason that he still abhorred having the carriers walk around heaven''s territory (the temple) freely and expose themselves to the guardians and the heavenly realm.


    Lord Raven would rather have the Vanderford and the Ves carry the fragments as they did not have a strong connection to the temple.


    On the holy ind, the only people who could carry the fragment were the Pope and the Pdin, whopared to him and the rest of the priests in the temple, who were rtively distant from the matters of the temple.


    It could be remembered that the Pope only joined them a few decades ago, but even as he was ordained, he did not perform a lot of duty inside the pce.


    Instead, the Pope spent his years of reign outside the temple, roaming around and ''spreading'' the works of the temple.


    As for the Fake Pdin¡­ she was just a girl they created for certain matters. She did not even receive any temple training or task at all.


    Meanwhile, as the battle outside was happening, Wisey was worriedly watching Eli who was still kneeling on the ground praying and pleading for heaven''s help.


    As the rain outside the temple flowed down to the hole created by Baobao''s pummeling. The rainwater also slowly dripped and flowed all the way to the secret room, wetting the floor Eli was kneeling in.


    As the room was filled with heavenly light, Wisey did not notice that the rainwater slowly reached the foot of the stone bed.


    The water continued to flow around it then at some point, it seemed that the water found its way to get inside the stone wall and flowed through it.


    Katcha!


    After some time, a clicking sound caught Wisey''s attention. She flew behind Eli and noticed that a levertch appeared from the other end of the stone bed and revealed itself to them.


    "Eli-chan! A mechanism appeared in the stone bed!" Wisey forgot for a moment that Eli was still in a state of concentration as she eximed rather excitedly.


    Fortunately, at the moment, Eli finally reacted. Her originally obsidian ck eyes opened, and in her eyes shed a golden me before fading to normal again.


    She stood up and walked in Wisey''s direction, without any words uttered, pulled the levertch, and opened the mechanism in the stone bed!

 Chapter 550 The Battle Of The Holy Island (6)

    ?"You''re finally awake, Eli-chan!" Wisey eximed with anticipation.


    Her round eyes were glistening in excitement as they looked at the stone bed which was already moving to reveal what lies underneath it.


    Brrrrrr!


    Eli''s eyes were also shining in anticipation, could it be the very thing that they wanted to see inside the temple?


    Will the ce underneath answer the questions they have regarding the asanis, the cursed user, Lord Raven, and the fallen angel Birsha?


    The walls of the stone bed folded and sunk down, the top of it also copsed on one side, revealing a pathway leading further down.


    "Sigh¡­ another pathway? I don''t get why there would be multiple secrets within the secrets in here!" Wisey could not help butin.


    "If it is something that would reveal all the secrets in ancient times, then it could be understandable," Eli replied in seriousness.


    She did not dy any further and moved to step inside the pathway. She knew that Baobao was holding off the enemy for the fight and so she no longer wasted any second.


    But just as she did that, she felt several speeding hostile figures in their direction.


    Her face darkened... another hurdle came once again.


    "It seems like the people on the third floor are already awake," Wisey told Eli with a serious expression.


    Eli and Wisey know that the scientists on the third floor are all madmen, just like the crazy doctor who tortured Elise when she was a child.


    "Let''s take them down first¡­ we cannot go further anyways with their disturbance." Eli mentallymunicated with Wisey as she looked at several men who had already barged in the entrance.


    "I was wondering who was courageous enough to infiltrate the secretboratory¡­ it turns out to be a littledy and an owl¡­" The leader of the group, who was a man probably around his sixties with sallow skin and dark eyes looked at Eli and Wisey threateningly.


    "The two of you should learn not to barge into someone''sboratory!" He growled angrily.


    Eli and Wisey did not answer any of her words, instead, she gauged the situation.


    At the moment they are in a narrow room, which is not suitable for a group fight. Her opponents were around fifteen mad scientists, all equipped with all kinds of obscure creations and tricks under their sleeves.


    Eli only had Wisey at the moment as Baobao and the earth fairies were already upied with their own tasks.


    "It seems like we could only go all out¡­" Eli replied.


    "Indeed¡­" Wisey answered with certainty.


    With a tacit understanding, Wisey hovered in the air and prepared for the battle.


    Eli on the other hand immediately took her short sword and wielded it expertly. Then with her devourer''s powers, she used her sh steps to immediately blink behind a scientist and take away his life.


    To kill those who could no longer be redeemed.


    This was something that her teacher, High Priest Enoch, prepared her painstakingly. As she was not an assassin, not even someone trained for war, her only task is to subdue evil, the curse users.


    This is her vow as the Pdin, as someone who received the greater blessing from the heavens!


    Seeing one of theirrades die just like that without them even realizing where the other party had gone, the faces of the madmen became ugly.


    They already knew that Eli is not a simple intruder, but they did not expect that she would be highly proficient in battle.


    The mad scientists immediately moved using their own magical techniques and surrounded Eli and Wisey tightly.


    Eli looked at the men who were standing just in front of the opened passageway. She did not know if thetch had a time limit. She did not figure out how the mechanism revealed itself as well.


    There''s no choice but to take them down as early as possible! And so, she moved once again, attacking the nearest scientist.


    The men were already on guard for Eli''s next move and yet they still could not keep up with her speed and so they gritted their teeth and took out some purple gas bombs inside their pouches.


    "Seal off the entrance¡­" The leader of the scientist reminded the men who were near the entrance afraid that the attacks would damage the things inside the deeper passageway.


    "Yes, chief!" The scientist nearby moved and deactivated the mechanism. Instantly, the stone bed appeared again, sealing off the entrance to the deeper secret room.


    Eli and Wisey did not panic, since the other party had already sealed it off, they had no choice but to clear them first before figuring out once again how to open it.


    "Eli chan, I remembered how they deactivated it earlier, maybe that can be a clue when we figure out how to open the pathway again!" Wisey told Eli.


    "Alright¡­ that''s good enough," Eli replied and focused on fighting the men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Wisey on the other hand cast a spell isting the other scientists so that they could not make a sneak attack against Eli.


    The two worked together, Eli attacking and Wisey taking charge to watch Eli''s back, in a few minutes their opponents were already down to five.


    "H-how can you not be affected by the poison!?!" The remaining scientists could not believe what they were witnessing.


    The purple poison bomb was the upgraded version of what was released in the ck markets across Prasinos!


    Just by having the poison powder touch one''s skin, the curse power will immediately prate the victim''s body and eat away their life force.


    Once the life force was already eaten up, the life force will be converted into purple mana crystals which they can use to feed themselves and replenish their curse energy.


    But now, they were in shock to see Eli and Wisey not showing any signs of withering away!


    "We spent a week to get the attention of the administrators in the outer work area, a day and a half trying to learn all your concoctions under the guise of speeding up the process. Of course, we would be able to see through that purple bomb and even develop an antidote for it."


    Eli, for the first time, answered the scientist''s inquiry beforeunching her sh steps again, taking another life of the remaining five.


    Not good!


    This time the scientist finally guessed who Eli was, she was one of the spies that were discovered to join the ranks of the new recruits a few days ago!


    "Go all out! We cannot let her do as she wanted!" The leader finally took out his purple mana stones and ate them decisively.


    The other three followed the suit and ate the purple mana stones like candy as well.


    Almost immediately, a surging evil power seeped through their bodies, emitting abination of purple and ck wisps of energy.


    Bang!


    The leader immediately charged and threw a punch at Eli.


    Szzzzzzzzzt!


    Eli''s eyes shed in seriousness as she felt the power of the leader''s punch. Her opponent became stronger by four times!


    Not giving her any time to breathe and readjust, the other three also went into her blind spots andunched another attack.


    "Eli-chan watch out!" Fortunately, Wisey was able to hold off two scientists, leaving Eli to only dodge the third one.


    "They became stronger¡­ They can even crush my restriction spell in three seconds now!" Wisey said worriedly.


    Eli also knew that matter and she could only hold her short sword firmly and reply, "Let''s be more aggressive."


    "Alright¡­ then." Wisey immediately understood Eli''s words. She flipped her wings and executed a ferocious wind-de attack as she simultaneouslyunched a sneaky restriction spell on a scientist''s foot.


    Bang!


    The scientist was about to dodge Wisey''s wind-de attack but did not know why one of his feet was suddenly stuck on the floor.


    In the end, his movement caused him to stumble on the floor heavily and in the next second, he met his demise with Eli''s fatal attack on his heart.


    "Despicable!" The leaders and the two remaining scientists were angry to see one of theirrades get tricked disgracefully.


    "Hehehe¡­" Wisey only chuckled tauntingly. She and Baobao have been friends for a long and they usually do this thing to trick the crimson des in the cottage back then.


    During their training, Baobao would be the attacker and she would be the one who would sneakilyunch restrictive spells that even the des would feel helpless about.


    She is Wisey and indeed wise! She cane up with all kinds of tricks just to defeat the enemies at sight.


    In the end with her and Eli working perfectly in sync with each other, the remaining three were finally subdued.


    Lying on the wet and cold stone floor, the resentful re of the leadernded on Eli''s body.


    "Curse you a thousand times!" He uttered under his dying breath.


    "No matter how many times you curse, you are still damned¡­" Eli uttered these words slowly, remembering how many stones these people swallowed earlier.


    They clearly killed a lot of people, and they deserved to have a punishment even after their deaths!

 Chapter 551 The Battle Of The Holy Island (7)

    ?Eli dealt thest blow to the leader of the scientist. One may find her actions stupid for the scientist might have given them a lot of information about the Spectre.


    But to Eli, it was useless.


    Eli and Kayden only needed to find the reason why they were doing this, not the matters that they have done.


    They have already seen and witnessed so many abominable things this group of people did, and so she felt that her heart could no longer take it should she know of all the atrocities they did while fulfilling their own agenda.


    "Whew! Finally, they are gone!" Wisey heaved a great sigh of relief as soon as thest opponent fell. Now they were free to explore the room that was revealed under the stone bed.


    "Now we only have to figure out how to open the mechanism once again." Eli looked at the stone bed, the pathway was no longer there, and the lever mechanism as well.


    Without dying any further, Eli moved and went to the original position of thetch instead.


    The area where the lever appeared became as smooth as a marble once again, not even a bump could be seen.


    "Do you have any ideas?" Eli frowned and looked at Wisey.


    She was the one who first noticed the appearance of the lever, so as the way that the scientist deactivated the switch earlier. Eli was hoping that Wisey would have any clues to make the lever appear again.


    While the two were figuring out how to open the passageway, The battle upstairs was now reaching its final struggle.


    With just a mere appearance of the torrential rain, the desperate situation of the righteous sidepletely turned around!


    Now they were the ones who were chasing the terrified cursed users to death.


    Rashnu and Uriel were also on their wit''s end. Now sporting a bloodied and injured appearance, their faces were full of hatred and frustration.


    "D*mn that pdin!" Rashnu spat the blood in his mouth and cursed at Eli in anger.


    ''If not for her intervention this matter could have been done earlier! Now she did not even dare to show her face, but she caused such a mess!" Uriel could not help butin as well.


    They themselves knew for a fact that Rachana, the ''pdin'' was not the true pdin. In fact, they were hunting the pdin before the rumors of war appeared.


    And because the war is slowly turning inevitable, they had to stop their search ande to the temple to regroup.


    Who would have known that the very person they were searching for was actually well hidden within the vicinity and even pushed them far into the deadly corners?


    "Enough of the whining, your limbs were still intact yet the two of you were already crying?" Gabriel swung his spear and joined Abaddon in an offensive stance.


    Earlier, he already had one arm and could not even properly wield his weapon. But even so, he did not even me his miserable state on someone like Rashnu and Uriel.


    "Let''s end this¡­ the day is no longer young." Abaddon reminded Gabriel as he held his sword valiantly.


    The two looked at their enemies with determination as they rushed forward to attack.


    Boom boom boom!


    Heavy blows one after another, the battlefield shook at the intensity of the waves that their sh had been releasing.


    Abaddon and Gabriel joined forces, their attacks were tightly coordinated as they were already familiar with each other.


    In contrast, Rashnu and Uriel were like rogue wolves struggling to fight a pack. Although they were trying to be as coordinated as possible, theirck of familiarity with each other cost them a disadvantage in the fight.


    On the other side, Ecanus is also in a stalemate against Kayden.


    It could have been said that the person in front of him had the talents and wits to kill the enemy, but too bad, a person like him could not be defeated by Kayden''s poison and tricks.


    But when the torrential rain appeared, he suddenly felt weaker than the rest when they were using their curse power.


    He had long observed the situation and could not help but frown in doubt. Uriel, Rashnu, and the otherrades could still use their curse power in the midst of the torrential rain, although its power was clearly weakened several times.


    However, his case is undoubtedly strange.


    That is because he could not use his curse power at all!


    Whenever he would try to channel his curse power in his body, there would be a violent wave of mana eating his curse power so painfully that he felt that his internal organs and mana receptors could burst.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This in turn made him so confused and frustrated. Could it be that the torrential rain had a special effect on his body?


    However, he had no time to think through things because Kayden seemed to have taken this window of weakness to beat him in the battle.


    "Tsk!" Escanor had no choice but to abandon the thought of using his curse power. In the end, he could only use his devourers'' powers and deploy all the magical tools and paper spells in his possession.


    Bang! Woosh! Bang!


    Kayden used his spells continuously, forcing Ecanus to retreat further and further.


    Seeing the confusion and panic in his expression, a subtle smile appeared on Kayden''s face as he told Ecanus.


    "Do you know why your body suddenly turned like this?"


    Hearing Kayden''s question, Ecanus'' body jolted for a while, which was enough for Kayden to seize the opportunity and give him a solid blow in the chest.


    "Puff!" Ecanus only felt his ribs being crushed to pieces as he rolled on the ground in agony and pain. It was just a split-second carelessness yet it got the best of him!


    "Torrential rain and my special poison are made perfectly for each other.


    Thebination of these two factors would force a cursed user to totally drop the idea of using it during a battle. Don''t you think that thisbination is powerful?" Kayden looked at the injured Ecanus with a cold expression.


    "Y-you¡­ h-how.." The pain in his broken ribs made Ecanus no longer let him speakfortably, and so he could only utter two words.


    Kayden, of course, did not n to tell him about his rtionship with the one who triggered the torrential rain. Eli and he had been developing an upgraded cure potion that not only saves the victims of the curse users but alsopletely counters the curse user at the moment.


    Unfortunately, two of them could only postpone the test because of the war and they almost forgot the matter they made back then.


    Moreover, they did not have any opportunity to test the efficacy of the potion because there was no curse user ess to them at the time and Eli could not arbitrarily reveal her pdin powers.


    In the end, he only remembered about it the moment he realized that the torrential rain was triggered by Eli.


    As a doctor, Kayden clearly saw that Ecanus could no longer make it, and so he slowly squatted in front of him and said.


    "It is good that you are here. I would never even imagine that the efficacy of this potion would be so effective."


    Ecanus red at him with hatred. He was deeply unwilling to end like this! He was even more unwilling when he realized that he was made into a guinea pig by the man whom he belittled earlier.


    "Struggle no more, for the pain, would intensify if you insist on being angry," Kayden warned.


    But Ecanus looked like he was still cursing Kayden and Eli at the back of his mind. This made Kayden extremely displeased and so he stretched out his hand and touched a part of the other party''s chest while saying,


    "You know, your ribs have been broken into exactly thirty-nine pieces and each of them was scattered in a position that pokes your vital organs¡­"


    Then he gently pressed the spot on Ecanus'' chest. The next second Ecanus'' agonizing wail rang in the battlefield.


    "That is your left lung being stabbed by three stacks of bone fragments." Kayden coldly said.


    Then he poked another spot around Ecanus''s abdomen. Ecanus''s shout of pain rang one again


    "That is your right kidney being stabbed."


    "That is your spleen bursting from four bone fragments."


    "That should be your liver¡­"


    "...your pancreas¡­"


    Kayden did not stop until all of the reachable vital organs had been stabbed by the scattered rib bones in Ecanus'' body.


    The pain that Ecanus endured made him cry and his eyes finally showed a sign of fear and regret. If he could open his mouth this time, he would have definitely begged Kayden for mercy and quick death.


    Seeing this, Kayden seemed to have been satisfied and so the veryst internal organ that remained intact within the area was finally poked.


    "Finally that''s your heart. Go and receive your punishment in hell."

 Chapter 552 The Battle Of The Holy Island (8)

    ?While the side of Kayden and the rest were almost about to be resolved, the situation on Baobao''s side is not getting better.


    It turns out that even in the torrential rain, the Cardinal is a hard opponent to deal with.


    That is because even if he didn''t use the curse power to defeat Baobao, he continuously used his spell to create a distance with him, not allowing Baobao tond another blow to his body.


    Baobao''s expression became serious, the Cardinal is a mage with superb skills and fast casting time.


    He did not even need to take into ount if he would run out of mana as he was also rich in magical artifacts as one of the highest-ranking priests after the Pope.


    In the process, Baobao was repeatedly hit by the attack spells and could only do his best to dodge and close in to have the opportunity to fight back.


    Unfortunately, after he could even dodge an offensive spell another spell would wait for him in another direction, making him be battered.


    His soft silky ck and white fur was now filled with wounds and even burn marks. His fluffy head had a bloody wound that extends down to his neck, dyeing his white fur red


    "Your attack earlier is nothing but a fluke. Now you can only be at my mercy, cursed bear." The Cardinal taunted Baobao.


    "I''m not a cursed bear, I''m a Panda!" Baobao narrowed his eyes the moment he heard the Cardinal mock him with the ancient name people usually called his species.


    Ever since Eli made his species public, no one had ever referred to him as a cursed bear. Everyone treated him and his kind as a rare bear called Panda.


    Besides, to be called ''cursed'' by a curse user was extremely insulting to Baobao''s identity.


    "So what, it''s just a mere name and you cannot change your nature!" The Cardinal scoffed and replied to Baobao with a provoking expression.


    "Take back what you said." Baobao retaliated with a warning tone.


    But the Cardinal could only see a cursed bear being provoked and non-threatening. To him, he was just a contracted beast that had lost his ability to fight because of their ipatibility in battle styles.


    "Heh¡­" He chuckled in disdain before he raised his hand again to attack Baobao.


    Boom! Shiuuu!


    One spell after another, thebination of earth and wind spellsnded on Baobao''s body one after.


    Even so, the determination in Baobao''s eyes did not dim the slightest. Not only was his enemy full of evil, he even insulted his beloved Panda race!


    "Baobao, are you alright there? We areing for you." While he was struggling, Eli''s voice rang in his head.


    "No need for a master, I can handle things here. Go and look for the secret room." Baobao immediately replied.


    "Please do not lie to me, I can feel that your state is not in a good condition," Eli answered with a tone of worry.


    "I am a really fine master, it''s just that this Cardinal¡­ insulted my beloved Panda race," Baobao replied, the grudge in his heart could be felt in the tone he used.


    "I see, even so let us help." Eli did not use any long string of words to convince Baobao.


    Just a simple sentence is enough to remind him that even if it was somethingpletely personal to him, Eli and the rest are willing to help.


    Even if it was just a petty grudge.


    "¡­ Then I would have to thank my master¡­" Baobao answered feeling warm inside him.


    To him, Eli was not only his master but a person who shed the light on the deepest doubt in his heart.


    He had lived for years in a myth that was passed down by his ancestors, beating himself up for a preconception that does not even carry any truth.


    He had wandered in Prasions wanting to find a solution to his ''condition'' so desperately, just like what his fellow pandas have done.


    In the end, it was Eli herself who told him the truth and made him embrace everything about himself.


    His dark panda eyes and ck paws are a sign of his rarity and specialness.


    "En¡­ wait for us. We cannot find the secret path in the stone bed anyways. So we will just go up and fight with you." Wisey replied to Baobao''s reply instead.


    In the beginning, there are only three of them in this fantasy world, living peacefully in the woods with a warm anticipation of Little Haning into the world.


    Now it was the three of them again, who were fighting for that peace they longed for in the family they had at the moment.


    For Little Han, Leon, Kayden, and the rest.


    They were together to fight!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The smile on the Cardinal''s face bloomed wider and wider at the moment.


    Even as he was greatly weakened by the torrential rain, the cursed bear in front of him could no longer do anything with him now that he knew all the other party''s tricks.


    Too bad, the cursed bear in front of him had a hi,gh endurance, and a fast speed. That is why he too had a hard time dealing him a decisive blow.


    But when he saw that Baobao''s movement slowed down, even appearing a little bit distracted, he rejoiced in his heart.


    ''It''s time to finish things..'' He thought.


    The time is not favorable to him because somewhere inside, the master of the contracted beast in front of him might even know how to activate the mechanisms in theboratory.


    He had to work fast!


    The next moment, his attacks became intensified and ruthless. He did not even care if his attacks damaged the already chaotic first-levelboratory.


    Boom! Boom, Whoosh!


    All he wanted at the moment was to quickly finish the fight and go straight to the basement.


    At one point he saw that Baobao paused for a moment, looking like he was distracted by something.


    "Die, you cursed bear!" He shouted as he cast one spell after another. This is the right opportunity to kill the opponent once and for all!


    "You are the one who is going to meet his end." Just as he thought that he had already achieved victory at that moment when a cold unfamiliar voice rang behind him.


    Bang!


    Not expecting for someone to suddenly appear, the Cardinal received a huge blow on his back, the same intensity as how he received the first few attacks from Baobao earlier.


    Once again his body flew like a kite with a broken string, but this time his body was flying towards Baobao''s direction - the very one he tried not to get close to!


    His eyes widened in death as he tried to immediately cast another spell to stop the trajectory of his body toward Baobao.


    But it was as if a rope had been tied on his body that no matter what earth spell was conjured to force his body to pass, his speed and trajectory did not even slow down nor deviate!


    Panic shed in the Cardinal''s eyes, full of disbelief at the things that happened.


    Thest image he saw was Baobao standing up and stretching wounded paws, pointing at him.


    Shhhhhhhk


    His necknded exactly on Baobao''s paws. Gripping it tight, his other hand decisively wed the Cardinal''s heart ending his life without even knowing who was the other party who gave him that blow in the back.


    Plop!


    His lifeless body fell on the ground, his proud and futile life gone just like that.


    Baobao no longer looked at him and immediately approached Eli and Wisye who were the ones who caught the Cardinal off guard.


    "Many thanks, master, Wisey!" Baobao replied with gratitude.


    He knew very well that the one who attacked the Cardinal was Eli and the one who put the restrictive spell on the Cardinal was Wisey. Thebination of their attacks made the opponent be in Baobao''s merch.


    "Drink this potion to heal your wounds. Then let''s go to the basement once again." Eli nodded and looked at him worriedly. She took out one of Kayden''s healing potions and wished for Baobao to recover.


    "Yes, master." Without dying any further, Baobao took the potion and waited for his injuries to heal.


    Eli monitored his condition and also found the injured fellow from the cheetah n unconscious on the ground.


    "He should have been attacked by the cursed beast earlier¡­" Wisey said as she saw the other party''s injury.


    Eli also took a healing potion to attempt to heal his condition. At the moment, she could only do such a thing because Kayden was not with him.


    However, just as she was thinking about his brother, Kayden had already called out from afar.


    "Eli!" shocked to see Eli above ground with the injured Baobao he rushed toward her and examined her condition.


    "I am not hurt, but Baobao and this fellow are injured heavily," Eli replied.


    Seeing that Kayden could already go to her side also meant that the situation was already settled. And so for Eli, checking the basement on the ground is no longer urgent.

 Chapter 553 Finally Opened

    ?In no time, Baobao''s injuries were healed with Kayden''s care. After ensuring that Baobao no longer had serious injury, only then did Eli and Wisey heave a sigh of relief.


    "How''s the situation?" Kayden now asked Eli about their mission inside.


    "There''s just one room that we needed to open. Seeing how protective the Cardinal and the scientist were to the room, it should be the ce we are looking for."Eli looked at Kayden and replied.


    "I see¡­" Kayden no longer asked the details about why they were yet to open the way to the secret room.


    From the situation of Baobao''s injuries he had already guessed that they too had faced difficulties before they could even open the door.


    "How''s the rest?" Eli asked Kayden worriedly.


    "We havepletely wiped out the forces, however the cost of it is not small¡­" Kayden replied not hiding the casualty they incurred in the process.


    Eli looked down in dejection, even though she was mentally prepared to hear about the deaths of herrades, she still could not ept how war could be so cruel.


    Though not all of them had interactions with Eli, she knew that the people who participated in the operation had the same hopes and views as her. It was too bad that they would no longer see the fruits of their sacrifice.


    She could not help but feel sad about it.


    "Don''t be dejected. We''ve seen it in our eyes¡­ during your blessings, the heavens opened up and called our fallen men home." Kayden gently rubbed Eli''s lowered head andforted her.


    "Besides, this is a war¡­ deaths could not be avoided no matter which side we are on¡­"


    Although he knew that Eli had been trained to be strong enough to fight, he knew that she came from a world where war is far from existing. The deaths urring in a war like this are such a foreign and unimaginable thought to her.


    "Hmmm¡­" Eli could not help but cry, fortunately, the heavens treated the fallen people well. If not, her heart might have a hard time finding peace about the matter.


    After a while, Eli''s emotions died down, and some of their allies had already gone to their site to check the situation.


    They also heard that Abaddon and Gabriel were already helping with the clean up and treatment of the injured.


    "I think it''s time for us to go and check what''s underneath it."Seeing that all fights were already settled, Kayden then suggested.


    "But we have been clueless about how to trigger the mechanism inside. By fluke the pathway once opened, however, because of some interference, we are back to where we started." Eli exined the matter as they went inside theboratory.


    "Let''s take a look.." Kayden nodded and the four hastened their phase going straight to the third level.


    When Kayden reached the staircase leading down the secret room, he noticed a lot of corpses around and understood that a fierce battle also happened that made Eli and Wisey miss the opportunity to enter the path under the stone bed.


    Eli no longer paid heed to the corpses around and immediately led Kayden to look at the side where the mechanism appeared in the stone bed.


    "Here it is¡­ this is where the mechanism to open the pathway appeared¡­ Coincidentally, Baobao also managed to detect some scent in it."


    Kayden looked over and inspected the stone bed. Other than the smooth surface of the area, nothing seemed to be there that could trigger the mechanism.


    "Could there be a key?" He asked.


    "That is possible, however, how could we exin the fact that it revealed itself without any use of the key?" Eli replied.


    "Hmmm, then could it be that the mechanism is triggered not by a token or key but by something¡­ or a condition?" Kayden rubbed his chin and frowned.


    It indeed would not make sense if the mechanism is triggered by a key. If so, they could have found it in the Pope''s bag in the first ce.


    "Thinking about it¡­ if what lies underneath this stone bed is something that is of utmost importance, then a key in possession would be unsafe. If I were the owner of this room, I would rather install a conditional mechanism in which only those who know how to solve it can open the pathway." Eli thought.


    "In the modern world, traditional keys were already starting to phase out. The use of passwords and biometric data were the things that would be used to secure something. Could it be that the stone bed also follows the same principle?" She threw this question to Kayden.


    Although Kayden did not understand how passwords and biometrics worked in Eli''s previous world, he somehow understood the principle behind it. He looked at Eli and nodded.


    Even so the situation right now did not give them any clues and so they could only look around and explore.


    Since the mechanism could not be found in the area of the mechanism then the trigger might be somewhere. Kayden stood and no longer focused his attention on the stone bed but on the things around them.


    Only then did he notice that the floor was wet with water.


    "Howe water all the way here?" He asked.


    "Oh, the torrential rain flowed through the hole Baobao made when he was pummeling the Cardinal!" Wisey replied in a lively manner.


    "Torrential rain¡­I see." Kayden nodded and looked over, initially not paying heed to Wisey''s words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, just as he was about to turn around, his eyes lit up, and suddenly turned to Eli while he shouted, "Torrential rain!"


    "Huh?" Eli, Wisey, and Baobao were startled to hear Kayden''s sudden shout but then they still looked at him questioningly.


    "The torrential rain is the key! It also fits your theory about the thing called passwords and conditions! Tell me what torrential rain greatly possesses?" Kayden patiently told them his hypothesis.


    "Holy powers?" Eli frowned, although she was saying this, it was something that is not feasible knowing that the people of the temple were now corrupted.


    Of course, they would no longer use the holy powers which are greatly ipatible with them.


    Kayden shook his head and said, "Although your answer is quite right as well, that doesn''t make sense for a curse user to use. However, there is one more power they can use even if they were already using the curse power, the heavenly gifts!"


    "Heavenly gifts¡­" When Eli heard these words, her eyes widened in epiphany, and also nodded.


    "I see¡­ that''s right if I remember the Pope can still use his power to read minds!" She shouted.


    "Indeed, it just so happens that your gift of being the Pdin is contained in the torrential rain as it was manifested earlier," Kayden told them


    "So you are saying that if I use my Pdin skills directly in the stone bed, it would trigger the mechanism?" Eli asked.


    "We can give it a try¡­ if it doesn''t work we can think of another theory to pursue." Kayden shrugged but the confidence in his eyes could not be hidden.


    "Then let''s try it right away!" Eli stood up and went to the stone bed immediately. She touched the area of the mechanism with the faint golden lighting out of her fingertips.


    Kacha!


    "There it is!" As soon as Eli''s hand touched the surface of the stone bed, the mechanism immediately appeared!


    "Dr. Kayden, your brain is so awesome!" Wisey flew around Kayden and praised him fawningly.


    The four smiled in happiness for a little bit but then they immediately became serious.


    "Let''s go and open it," Kayden said.


    Eli nodded and decisively opened the pathway.


    The stone bed shuddered once again and the same stairway was revealed. Without a word, the four of them walked down and were led into anotherboratory room.


    This time, theboratory room looked busy but it was obvious that the ce was not maintained for a long time.


    "Judging from theyer of dust, it must have been untouched for a few months now." Kayden examined the nearest working area.


    "Master, master, something is in there!" Baobao sniffed around and took a look.


    He pointed in the direction at the far end of the room.


    There they saw another enclosure, half of it was covered in a two-way mirror.


    "There must be something in there¡­ It looks like an interrogation chamber." Eli''s eyes flickered, didn''t they use the same interrogation chamber when they captured the dark knights back then?


    Kayden''s eyes also darkened, his heart thumping louder.


    Eli came here with the hope of finding out if his parents were still alive. Even though they were unable to find clues after staying here for so long, the appearance of the secret room also made the top of them ignite hope of finding their parents.


    Eli''s surrogate parents. Kayden''s biological parents.


    Either way, these two people were inevitably important to them.


    They went to the room and their eyes widened. There really were two people there¡­


    Eli who finallyid eyes on her so-called surrogate parents trembled in shock and disbelief. Her legs almost turned jelly and if not for Baobao''s quick assist, she would have fallen to the ground painfully.


    Even so, Eli''s hysteria intensified as the tears rolled down her face and her chest heaved up and down.


    The only thing she could utter at the moment of her emotional outburst was one word that is full of affection and longing,


    "Mum¡­"

 Chapter 554 Rescue And Aftermath

    ?In the cer, there were two people who were severely malnourished and bound by thick iron chains.


    Their legs, hands, and neck were covered with arge shackle that saps out the mana they umte. This stopped them from gathering enough power to break the bounds and escape their cer.


    They weakly looked up, summoning all their strength.


    Kayden immediately recognizes the people inside.


    He and his dad share the same high-bridge nose and almond-shaped eyes.


    He and his mom share the same copper-brown hair and lush green eyes.


    That was indeed his mom and dad!


    Every feature he had of his original appearance came from these two people in front of them.


    His entire body trembled as his soul stirred violently. For years he had longed to find his parents, and even as he entered his third decade of being alive, he prayed and prayed that this day would arrive.


    But before he could call out his mother and father, he felt something strange on Eli''s side.


    He then looked in her direction and found that she seemed to lose her strength because of too much emotional stirring.


    "Mum¡­" She called out, surprising everyone in the room.


    But no matter how confused he was, he still stood by Eli''s side and supported her along with Baobao.


    Then both of them looked at the people in the room.


    Eli locked her eyes on the woman who was bound to the wall.


    Those same gentle and warm eyes looked at her in surprise. At first, she looked at her with disbelief in her eyes, then surprise, then astonishment, and finally relief.


    ''That''s my mum!'' Eli wanted to shout it out loud but her lips could not stop trembling.


    ''Mum! That''s my mommy!'' Eli eximed in her heart as a flood of memories appeared in her mind.


    That warm hand taught her patiently how to y the piano and violin. That warm smile that she wakes up to every day.


    Those were the same loving unwilling eyes that looked at her onest time the moment she died.


    It was all her mom''s! The person in front of her was her mum!


    ""E¡­li¡­" As if she resonated with Eli''s emotion, Yelena tried to open her mouth and utter Eli''s name.


    But too bad, she was currently too weak to even say her name at the moment.


    At that moment, Kayden knew something was going on, even his father Cornelius knew that there was something bizarre happening with the two women.


    "Baobao, help me take my parents away from the ce, Wisey please look after Eli for a moment." Kayden knew that Eli was not in the right capacity to function at the moment and so he took it upon himself to rescue his parents.


    Eli seemed to have been awoken from her roller coaster of emotions and finally reacted.


    In the end, even though she was trembling, she still tried to contain her feelings and save the two from the chamber.


    Clink¡­ sh¡­


    One by one, the chains were carefully taken out. Baobao and Kayden immediately carried the two out of the chamber into the faint light. He immediately examined their condition and found out that they have been tortured and starved for a long time.


    Eli sat beside them, dutifully watching as Kayden administers first aid procedures to them and fed them with the most gentle nourishing potion to restore some of their vitality.


    Yelena immediately slept upon taking the vitality potion. Her originally tense eyes now began to rx as she peacefully rested to recover.


    Eli''s eyes did not leave Yelena at the moment because right now, she was sure that the mum she had in her previous life was also the same as the person in front of her.


    It did not take her long to realize the possibility that her mum also transmigrated to this world the moment she died.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, she knew that it was not yet time for them to deal with the specifics at the moment, they had to finish what they were doing so that they could immediately prepare for the war that was about to happen.


    "M-my boy¡­ the asani¡­ remains¡­ over there¡­" Cornelius on the other hand remained alert. He immediately caught Kayden''s attention and used his strength to point in a certain direction.


    "We will do as you said. But your conditiones first. We have to take you to a safe ce before doing anything further in¡­" Kayden gently looked at her father and understood his worries.


    However, it was not appropriate for him and Eli to just leave them unattended and so they decided to regroup with Gabriel and the rest first.


    Just like that the operation to overturn the holy ind finally ended. When the night came, they set up a camp in the woods to take care of the rescued and the wounded. After all, there was almost nothing left in the templeplex after the rampage of a hundred curse puppets.


    As for the people working in theboratory and the outer courtyard, the truth was revealed to them and they were also sheltered.


    However, those who hadmitted atrocities had their own ces. Even if they were under the brainwashing of the evil Specter, the blood in their hands could not be washed.


    That night, the holy ind for the first time in its establishment did not light up. It remained dark in the ruins of the blood of the evil and the fallen.


    They were attacked so silently as such no one has yet to know what really happened.


    "The headquarters sent a message, they apologize that they could not send people as the setting up of the array on their side is a lot moreplicated." Prince Nalu exined to Eli, Kayden, and the two captains, as they were the key figures of the operation.


    "Everything has been settled, we cannot pressure the headquarters when they also have several territories to protect. I believe that everyone here fully epted the risk of carrying out this operation in such a short time." Gabriel shook his head and exined.


    The rest nodded, the operation was sessful because of heaven''s favor. They were fully aware that winning this was close to impossible, but still a miracle happened. And so, they would not me another person for the lives of the people that were lost on their end.


    "What would be our next move then¡­" Nalu looked at the people around with worried faces.


    The vicinity of the Vanderford Empire and the holy ind was only for a day. In fact, the very fact that the light in the holy temple''s tower is not lit most likely would call attention to Vanderford.


    "We shall move in a few hours, let''s take the people with us first and take them to a safend¡­ The Headquarters have also decided to take a hold of this ce and so I am afraid that we would have to leave some people to defend." Prince Nalu ryed the decision of the elders.


    "How about High Priest Enoch, what is his decision?" Abaddon looked at Nalu and asked.


    "The High Priest''s intention was to summon all the other priests and temple knight orders who remained faithful to their calling. They wille in this ce as soon as the array is fixed on their end."


    "Alright then¡­ let us, the people of the temple stay and guard thend. The rest of you shall take the rest to a safe ce." Abaddon then decided.


    In his view, the holy ind is their duty, they would not let the Spectre take a hold of this ce again.


    Everyone''s face isplicated.


    They have just survived an intense fight, but now they have to stay calm once again.


    Because the next problem was meeting Vanderford and Spectre''s retaliation.


    "Let us gamble on the fact that the Pope and the rest are still in transit. Then we pray that the reinforcements wille. I have this nagging feeling¡­ that this ce will be thest battleground of this war." Eli could not help butment.


    She did not know, but there was something that makes her feel uneasy at the moment.


    Setting aside the matter of Cornelius and Yelena, she feels like there was still something that they were not ready for.


    In the end, she could not point a finger at it, so she could only subtly warn everyone while she does not have any proof yet.


    After the meeting, Eli and Kayden went back downstairs once again, this time they were now holding a blueprint of the underground structure. This was given to them by the administrators who were able to snatch the other administrator''s belongings.


    Then made it easy for them to explore the remaining part of the undergroundboratory.


    Standing in the direction where Cornelius pointed earlier, they immediately followed the instruction in the blueprint and opened the room.


    There they saw a room that was extremely frozen. A hundred ss caskets were kept and even as they were filled with a thickyer of frost, Eli and Kayden could immediately determine who they were!


    They were the corpses of the Asani vigers!

 Chapter 555 Discoveries

    ?"This is.." Kayden''s eyes widened in shock seeing how the bodies were preserved on the crystal clear caskets.


    "Cyronics¡­ it''s a way of preserving the corpses through extremely low temperatures¡­" Eli''s eyes flickered.


    She looked and observed the surroundings of the stock room to investigate. For the Spectre to even employ this kind of preservation method, they must need something to the asani''s bodies desperately.


    "But the corpses were already showing signs of decay¡­" Kayden frowned as he took out a magnifying ss to inspect the corpses closely.


    "ording to what I remember, cyronics only had a limit. Thinking about when the vige was wiped out, it''s been three decades, the rotting procedures must have started." Eli replied.


    "Eli-chan, Dr Kayden, do you think that the Spectre''s sudden insistence on the war must have been because of this? That they would soon lose the advantage of having these corpses and so they had to push for invasion?" Wisey asked the two.


    "But why so¡­ as far as we know now¡­ they were nning to procreate the asani genes through the fake pdin¡­ but if we follow that conversation it doesn''t exin why they needed to engage in war¡­" Kayden wondered.


    The three went silent after this¡­ they really could not understand why.


    "Well¡­ we should study this ce as fast as we can so that we will have a chance to know what the enemy really thinks," Eli replied.


    The rest agreed with the suggestion and started examining for a while. Each of them carried a recording stone to also keep evidence of the existence of this matter.


    Looking around Eli realized one of the corpses that were preserved had a visible rupture in her lower abdomen.


    She raised her brow and checked again.


    One corpse, two corpses¡­ ten corpses¡­ all of them had ruptured lower abdomens regardless of their gender!


    Having made sure that her observation is true to every corpse nearby, she immediately caught Kayden''s attention, "Brother, have you noticed?"


    Kayden looked at Eli meaningfully and nodded. "Let me verify further¡­"


    He then took protective gloves and touched one of the corpses. From his hands, he conjured a gentle strip of mana to examine the corpse in front of him.


    The surroundings went quiet, all eyes were on Kayden examining the corpse.


    After Kayden was finished examining the corpse, he went to examine several more.


    Only when Kayden was sure of the findings he observed on corpses, he turned to Eli and rest his ckened expression.


    "All of their reproductive organs were taken out¡­"


    "It seems that they have tried to execute postmortem extraction of the reproductive cells of these corpses¡­" Eli replied.


    "Indeed¡­ could the existence of the fake Pdin prove that they had some sess with it?" Wisey asked.


    Kayden shook his head and answered, " It''s probably not the case. They still have the receptors to use should they fail in using their reproductive cells."


    " I also agree¡­ besides although I can indeed feel that the fake pdin had the aura of the asanis, it was not as evident as when I came into contact with these corpses.


    The resonance in my body is stronger when I entered this ce than when I first encountered her.


    Not to mention the resonance I had with Little Han, it is iparable." Eli replied.


    "Then if we follow your hypothesis, they may have no more options than to use the receptors and literally make a new kind of asani!" Wisey concluded.


    "En¡­ an asanipatible with curse power¡­" Kayden continued.


    "It seems like we have reached a conjecture¡­ then let us find evidence to prove or refute our ims.." Eli smiled as she looked at the three of herpanions.


    The next moment, they immediately took away the corpses, cing them back on Kayden''s principal ring.


    That way, the corpses would be preserved in their current condition.


    "Brother¡­ the rings we possess had the ability to preserve the current state of anything we put in, right?" Eli asked as a thought dawned on her when she watched Kayden putting the corpses into the ring.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes¡­" Kayden replied with a questioning look wanting to find the meaning behind Eli''s question.


    "Well¡­" Eli looked around before she continued,


    "Seeing them use this method to preserve the bodies, then it could be that they were unable to use the ring, or even discover its abilities.


    Also added with the fact that the merfolks were able to find the second ring on their shores, could it be that they were unable to use the preserved egg and sperm cells stored in the third ring?"


    Hearing Eli''s guess, Kayden immediately nodded and his expression brightened. If that is the case, then once they find the third ring, then the number of their preserved specimens will add up!


    That in turn, will increase the chances of reviving the Asani race once more!


    With that, Eli and Kayden moved to read and inspect all the records that were retired from all of theboratories. Once they dived into their jobs, they had already left the exploration to Gabriel and Abaddon.


    They could not dy the matter, as it might be the key to understanding the enemy''s goals. Once they knew what these people wanted, then that is the time that all the people on their side unite to stop Vanderford and Spectre from reaching their goal!


    Meanwhile, the dwellers of the coastal areas started to notice the darkness in the direction of the holy ind.


    From the vantage point of their location, they would usually see a twinkling light in the direction of the ind which indicated the light of the main temple. At night it was like a star that had descended to be near the sea.


    However, they did not know what happened, but it seems like the temple did not light up their beacon tonight.


    The people wondered why this was the case and immediately reported it to their vige heads.


    Once the heads verified the situation, they were also puzzled. But they did not dare to be rmed, instead, they contacted the merchants who were trading with the temple daily and asked them what could be happening in the temple.


    "Ah¡­ it''s like this¡­ A day ago, the captains who met and traded with us said that there would be no more trading at the moment until next week.


    That is because the soldiers would be deployed tomorrow to go straight to our capital and join the ranks of His Majesty Emperor''s army.


    With the remaining people left behind, which would be just a few¡­ they advised us to only trade with them once a week as their consumption would be significantly lesser."


    This was what the merchant replied which was also what led the heads of the viges to conclude that everything is normal on the temple''s side.


    With that, they decided to ignore the matter.


    Little did they know that this was Gabriel''s scheme to buy some time for the operations to be settled and be kept for a few days.


    Before the war happened, he orchestrated that his team would be in charge of receiving the suppliers from the traders.


    Then they went to take advantage of this time to tell the traders that a great change would happen to the temple in the next few days as arge group of temple servants will embark on a voyage to head to the capital.


    But even though Gabriel schemed for this to happen, he was still gambling on the fact that the vigers in the coastal areas would not suspect anything and move to immediately report it to the higher authorities.


    While they were unable to know if this would be effective, still they were confident that they would still be able to deal with the aftermath and regroup once again in the next two days.


    At the different temples from all over Prasinos, the High Priests looked at their small number of troops with thoughtful expressions.


    They all gathered their temple knights and told them the situation of the temple as High Priest Enoch sent them the evidence of the main temple''s crookedness and the corruption of seven of the ten ordained knights.


    "Now we are calling you to respond and redeem the Holy Inds against the corrupted who would want to take over thend once again when they know of the fact that ourrades led by the 3rd and 7th captains of the temple knights were sessful in subduing the evil in the ind!


    Revered knights whomitted to using the sword only for the sake of righteousness¡­ Would you respond to the call and wield your sword to defeat the cursed users?"


    This was the question they left to the knights that they had gathered in their respective ces.


    "Yes, High Priest!" The knights did not even take long to answer. Instead, their eyes were filled with determination.


    How could they now, when a mere toon of two hundred people still moved forward to deal with an army of a thousand?


    The moment they heard of Abbadon and Gabriel''s operation, the fire in their hearts was ignited. There has never been a time for the temple knights to unite until this day!

 Chapter 556 The Experimentation

    ?Few dayster, the docks of the Croix territory were bustling with activity. A grand ship slowly approached the harbor as the people watched excitedly.


    This was because they were waiting for the arrival of the Pope and the Princes.


    As soon as the ship docked in the harbor, the cheers in the crowd intensified as they were waving their hands to greet the people offboarding the ship.


    While there was a stiff smile stered on the Pope, Rachana, and the prince''s faces, they were still angry deep inside.


    That is because they were going home with nothing in their possession!


    How bitter their hearts were when they saw that the people weed them in such a grand when they are literally penniless at the moment!


    They were seen as majestic and honorable people the moment they stepped out of the ship, but none of these people know that they did not even have a decent cover when they appeared on the interim ind.


    "Quick! Let''s head straight to the capital as I cannot spend another day more in these clothes!" The eldest of the princes whispered amongst them while still shing a stiff smile on the crowd.


    "We will do as you said¡­" The Pope also said, that he too does not feelfortable having only his garments as his possession.


    At least he should hastily meet the Cardinal and get some artifacts from him to use. Of course, that also includes a little bit of wealth from the temple treasury.


    "I''ll immediately arrange for the carriage, your Highnesses¡­" The knight who was escorting them immediately replied.


    However, the eldest prince among them shook his head and replied, "No we will take the flying beast. As for you, just try to keep up, or you can rent a flying beast as well¡­"


    There was a trace of impatience in his eyes but it was not enough for the crowd to notice.


    "That''s the best arrangement." The Pope agreed as well.


    And so after briefly greeting the crowd, they immediately went to an open area to mount the flying beast.


    The Pope and Rachana did not even bother to greet the high priest of the Croix city. They just immediately mounted the flying beast and flew away.


    Though the people did not think much of this matter, the High Priests and the servants in the Croix city immediately reported the matter to High Priest Enoch.


    "High Priest, the Pope, and the rest arrived in the city just today, but they immediately set off to the capital through the use of the flying beasts!"


    "I see¡­ then I shall notify our fellows on the ind." High Priest Enoch replied and he thanked the High Priest of Croix who informed him what happened.


    ''Thank heavens that the Croix Temple remained incorrupt!''


    If not they would never know the movements from the other side as soon as theynded on the ship.


    And so right after exchanging pleasantries with the High Priest of Croix, he immediately informed the rest of the coalition and they called the people in the Holy Ind.


    "ording to the Priest of Croix, the Pope and the rest might reach the capital in two days with the speed they were going¡­" They told the people on the holy ind, led by Abaddon and Gabriel.


    "We will prepare the troops here to get ready, Your Excellencies. As for the civilians and the wounded, they were already transported to our allied towns on a remote ind and needed the Vanderford territory to temporarily hide them until the farce had ended." Gabriel reported.


    "That is good to hear¡­ We have also gathered enough troops to be sent to your side. We just have to wait for the teleportation arrays to bepleted. Once it is done, we will transport the troops as soon as possible." Emperor Valentin replied.


    "Many thanks to our dear Leaders and High Priests¡­" Abaddon and Gabriel replied.


    "How is the investigation on Lady Eli and Dr. Einz''s end going?" The leaders also asked.


    "This¡­ Your Excellencies¡­ they were still in the midst of their research¡­ We have no clue when they would be starting to wrap up¡­" Gabriel looked troubled at the moment.


    It would be ideal for them for Eli and Kayden to finish as soon as possible but they also knew better not to pressure them as the discoveries in this research might have the power to subdue the enemiespletely.


    "So it''s like that¡­ no worries¡­ We will do our best to send the troops as soon as possible, but we believe that you know that there will be another encounter the moment the Pope and the rest enter Vanderford city."


    "Indeed, Your Excellencies¡­ we understand." Gabriel and Abaddon immediately replied along with the rest of the troops from the Green Wave territory.


    The meeting of the leaders and the people of the Holy ind ended at that.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For the next two days, the two sides immediately prepared for a possible battle as it would just be a matter of time before the enemy side knew that there was something wrong with the Holy Ind.


    On the other hand, Eli and Kayden were still deep within their research.


    They finally knew what happened in the research and how Rachana was actually ''made''!


    "To think that they really attempted to create babies out of those reproductive specimens they gathered on the asani corpses¡­" Eli frowned and her entire body shuddered.


    How could the people not even spare the dead from their evil schemes?


    "Indeed¡­ but the heavens really did not allow anything to happen because what they created does not have a spirit¡­ they were notplete people at all¡­" Kayden replied, he was now really confused and utterly disgusted by the schemes of the evil ones.


    "Soulless¡­ spiritless¡­ one cannot make a man with only a body¡­ this they could only make a blob zygote that does not even replicate itself¡­" Eli read the notes and summarized them.


    Apparently, they attempted several tactics such as directly allowing the posthumous egg cell and sperm cell to unite and form an embryo but it did not work. Next, they tried surrogacy and had some sess but the babies all perished¡­ except for one girl.


    That was Rachana.


    She carried with her half-blood of an asani and half-blood of a noble house under the Vanderford territory.


    Unfortunately, even if she had asani blood, the characteristics of an asani did not even manifest to her. It was as if the heavens refused to recognize her as an Asani at all.


    She was born a devourer, someone the noble house of the Vanderford does not ept as the entire nation actually favors Casters over all the two other types of mages.


    While she grew up, the noble house allowed Rachana to be on the holy ind for research.


    They did all things to trigger Rachana''s chance to change her constitution to another mage ss but to no avail.


    And so when Rachana was thirteen years old. The scientist decided to change their strategy. At this point, the scientists already knew that their past sess seemed to be a failure in actuality.


    With their newfound technologies, they gathered several samples of her receptors and studied them. They have found out that the receptors do not even match the asani''s receptors at all.


    This puzzled them even further to the point that they even doubted if Rachana was really a child conceived with the use of Asani sperm or not!


    But then they did not stop at that.


    Luckily, they carefully preserved the bodies of the asanis and managed to extract their receptors.


    They studied it carefully and also strategies for how to install it all into Rachana''s body without making her suffer tremendous pain.


    Since Rachana was the sole survivor of the surrogate sperm cells embedded in a woman''s womb, they saw to it that she was taken care of and nothing would hurt or even kill her during the process.


    They invented a particr syringe that carried the receptors carefully, protecting it until they reached their destination.


    The procedure is quiteplicated as to rece a receptor, they have to make sure to make Rachana''s body recover and treat the receptor as her own before recing another again.


    Eli and Kayden also found out that the experimentation of fusing human mana receptors and the werewolf receptors was also a by-product of the research.


    The hell wolves and eventually the curse puppets were products of this experimentation, all to prove that it was feasible to also administer this procedure to Rachana.


    After that, they slowly reced Rachana''s receptors, which took several years until she reached twenty years old, which was around the time when Elise escaped to the Riverfort hospital and chose to give birth to Little Han.


    Along the way, she also started to manifest the same features of an asani. Then, Rachana spent an entire year getting used to her new receptors and finally receive a ''new constitution''. She was the very first human-made Asani!


    Eli paused as she digested the findings in the book and her eyes stopped at the note of one of the scientists.


    "With Rachana''s sess in wielding the asani and the curse powers¡­ the vessel shall be even more powerful to carry the entirety of Birsha''s spirit¡­


    Once it was done... Then a new generation of people shall arise¡­ a race that carries the power of three heavenly beings, Asa, Ignis, and Birsha¡­ all of those would be enough to contend the forces of the heavenly realms and open the gate of mortal time!"

 Chapter 557 Wars Second Phase (1)

    ?"This is in madness!" Eximed Kayden as he read the notes.


    "How could they plot something like this¡­"


    "Guardian Asa''s vision is right, they are plotting so much just to enter the higher realms," Eli said as she felt goosebumps all over.


    One can only imagine howpletely sinister their plots were when you have seen and experienced firsthand the results of the enemy''s ns.


    She remembered the things that Guardian Asa told her on his remaining memory:


    ¨C


    "Now, child, I saw two things. The one you must fight and struggle so that it will be fulfilled, and the one that you must fight and struggle so that it will not seed¡­"


    "The thing you must fight for to be fulfilled is protecting the bloodlineing forth from you¡­"


    The one you must fight and struggle not to ever seed is the creation of the new bloodline out of Brisha doing abominable things to my people!


    My child, you must not let them seed! Ever!


    Do not let them seed in defying the heavens with the power of mortal time to forcefully open the gate to the heavenly realm and destroy it!"


    ¨C


    "We have already seeded in preserving the asani bloodline with Little Han. Now there is only the other premonition that we have to stop. If we weren''t able to take them down, then ournd would be no more¡­" Eli frowned in anxiousness.


    The research and the evidence all confirmed her previous realization!


    "The n was not only to have a vessel for Birsha but to also steal control of the mortal gate to attack the heavenly realm!" Kayden nodded in realization.


    At first, there was still great doubt when he first heard this matter through Eli''s vision with Guardian Asa.


    But now, he could no longer deny that the matter does not only entail defeating the forces in the heavenly realm...


    They needed to destroy the root cause of this matter once and for all!


    "Indeed¡­ Now there''s only one thing that we have to do¡­ Defeat the vessels bearing the fragment of Birsha andpletely eradicate his spirit in Prasinos!" Eli said with a cold yet determined expression.


    Determining what needs to be done, they wrapped up and wrote a report to be sent to the headquarters. In no time they left their office and understood that they had been in seclusion for several days.


    They saw the bustling activity outside the temple and realized that there were much more people on the ind than when theyst entered into their seclusion.


    "It''s like this¡­ the Headquarters along with the other temples in Prasinos who were still uncorrupted joined forces and sent their troops here.


    We are anticipating for the Pope''s troops to rush to the ind in no time." Gabriel dutifully filled them up with information to make sure that they were not left out.


    "I see¡­ How about the maind, is there anything significant to know on their side?" Eli asked.


    "Nothing much¡­ but it''s just that the fortress in the Gorge Region was fast-tracked. This is also due to the possible change in the battlefield, which is here on this ind. They were even nning to take out the forces stationed near the Mellenberg territory and join the fight here¡­" Gabriel replied.


    "But¡­ I have a hunch that the battle won''t only be in the end. That is because those who seek to take back thisnd would only be on the Pope''s side.


    As for the Vanderford, their hatred against Seirende and the rest of the allied forces would be much more unimaginable.


    So, therefore, they will not give up invading the maind." Kayden frowned as he analyzed the situation.


    "Indeed, that is why the headquarters could still not send more troops on their end, we only manage to stop one side of the spectre¡­ but we still have the entire Vanderford and even the Mellenberg Territory to watch out for¡­" Abaddon interjected with a grave expression.


    "Who knows¡­ the holy Ind would only be one of manyboratories they had at the moment¡­ we do now know if they already have an army of ferocious curse puppets and soldiers."


    The rest also had grievous expressions. This matter is getting more and more perilous.


    "And we are still at the stage of gathering our forces¡­" Eli fiddled with her fingers in anxiousness.


    As the war went on, she could now imagine the dread and tragedy of having to witness the cruelty of war. Nothing is stable and everything may crumble to nothingness when one is careless.


    "We can only pray and do our best. The more we have faith in the side we are fighting for, the more we will be strong¡­ no matter what kinds of tricks the enemies do." Prince Nalu alsomented.


    "Indeed."


    Just as they were speaking, a knock interrupted the door.


    "Come in!" one of them permitted the person who was knocking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Reporting to the Captains, there is a ruin that was discovered just below the main worship hall!" The knight replied.


    Hearing this the crowd frowned. There is still a ce they weren''t able to discover at the moment?


    In the end, they acknowledged the report and immediately stood up to see what was in the ruins.


    ¨C


    A few days ago¡­


    Vanderford''s officials were already anxious. The news of the Pope and the princes'' arrival in the Croix harbor was already the talk of the town.


    However, there was still no news at the side of the holy ind that was supposedly arriving in the capital tomorrow.


    As someone who has always had a close interaction with the temple, this matter is extremely abnormal. Usually, the other party would receive a notification through a messenger bird or even a notification paper before they enter the borders of the city.


    Now, ording to the original timeline, they should be entering the capital''s premises, and yet there was no news nor even advice from the border that they have already arrived.


    "What could be the problem?" One of the officials wondered.


    "Could it be that they encountered an enemy?"


    "An enemy IN the Vanderford Empire? That''s impossible!" Others refuted the im immediately.


    "Then we could only assume that they were stranded for some reason."


    "Did anyone double-check in the coastal area?"


    "Not yet!"


    "Let''s go and contact the viges in the area¡­ If we have to, let us backtrack and trace where exactly the Holy Ind''s troops were¡­"


    "If we could not find them, then we would have to face the anger of our Emperor who was already getting impatient to see the movements on our end!" The Chief strategist ordered everyone.


    "We will do as you say, Grand Duke!" The officials answered.


    Just like that the entire Vanderford pce scrambled to find the missing troops.


    On the other hand, the fight on the rear end of the gorge was already done.


    Now, Nathan and his allied troops were preparing to go back to the Gorge region as they were also finished reinstalling all the array traps that served as the protective belt of the deste wastnds.


    Going through the desert, Nathan and his troops could finally see a massive structure at a distance.


    "Wow, the construction team is indeed fast! It has only been less than a week!" The troops eximed in wonder and amazement.


    "That is because the chief engineer of the ce was actually Grandmaster Andi''s disciple. You should have known how famous they were in terms of craftsmanship and building structures!" Nathan had a proud look on his face, as a Farauld, he treated the Forgeworn as kin and so he was quite familiar with Randel as well.


    "I have heard of that, indeed! But still seeing the structure with my own eyes¡­ I still could not help but be in awe!"


    "Well, we might be more in awe when we finally see what was inside!" Nathan chuckled and encouraged the troops to move forward, only that they would arrive at the fortress earlier.


    As they went near, they could now clearly see how the fortress looked.


    It was made from sturdy boulders that seemed to have been sculpted to make a structure out of a massive mountain.


    If not for them knowing beforehand that this was a gorge, not a mountain area, they would have believed that the mountain above the gorge does exist!


    Although it might look like it was made from just pure earth, the internal structures have been carefully calcted so as to firmly bear and support the entire structure''s weight.


    Furthermore, the use of earth instead of other raw materials such as wood and steel is also more advantageous as it could better withstand the threats of extreme weather condition.


    "I could imagine that a bunch of earth mages worked tirelessly to build this fortress!" One soldier eximed.


    "Indeed, if not a mage, then this would not be done in such a short time. The headquarters really spent a lot to do these things, hiring several construction mages costs a lot!" Nathan sighed andmented.


    "It may be so¡­ but for this circumstance, it does not apply¡­" Suddenly Nathan was interrupted by a familiar voice.


    He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man with green hair approaching them amicably, "Olivier!"

 Chapter 558 Wars Second Phase (2)

    ?Olivier smiled at Nathan and greeted the team. "Thank you for your hard work and wee to the fortress!"


    "Let me bring you to your barracks." Olivier looked at the battle-worn troops in front of him and dutifully led them to the ce where they could rest.


    Along the way, he also introduced themon facilities inside the fortress.


    "This is the mess hall¡­ this is where we dine and prepare our food¡­"


    "Over there is the training and sparring area¡­ you may want to go visit there when you have already rested¡­"


    "This is the huddle area where the toon leaders and even our lieutenants and captains meet the rest of the army to announce any battle ns ahead."


    As Olivier introduced the facilities in the fortress, Nathan and the troops were repeatedly amazed. They could not believe that this fortress, all well thought off and excellently constructed, was made in just a few days.


    The awe in their faces was so evident that Olivier could not help but notice, "Are you shocked that this was made in such a short time?"


    The troops nodded candidly.


    Olivier let out a chuckle and nodded, "We were just as shocked as you when we could only witness how everything was mobilized in such a short time."


    "The crucial fact here was that the array ports we previously set up for ambush purposes were used to ease the transportation of the manpower and the rest of the resources.


    Of course, we could not ignore the fact that it was Randel who thought of how the entire structure came about."


    When they heard those words they immediately understood, the creation of the fortress is everyone''s effort, which is why it turned out so amazing in such a short time.


    "Alright, here is the way to your barracks. Feel free to rest and recuperate. We still have a lot of endeavors ahead."


    "Thank you, Sire!" The troops saluted and went on their way.


    As for Nathan, he went with Olivier and met the rest.


    "Is His Highness still unconscious?" Nathan asked worriedly.


    As the matter of the battle in the gorge was known to many, Nathan also knew of the fact that Leon sacrificed his body condition in order to wield the power that could withstand a vessel of the evil spirit fragment.


    Hearing Nathan''s question, Olivier dejectedly shook his head and answered, "Up until now, there were still no signs of him waking up. We have had his body checked many times already, but it seems like the mana receptors were still in the process of waking up."


    "Can we do something about it? Is there any clue from back home?" Nathan worriedly asked.


    Olivier could only shake his head and say, "Before His Highness decided to do this, he had already told us that this would happen. In fact, even he did not know how long he would be put to sleep once he used the power of the ancient spirit dragon."


    Nathan remained silent and his thoughts wandered. Having Leon out of the picture is really worrying, especially when the news of the possible face-off between the Pope and Eli''s side is already around the corner.


    "You know, I could not help but worry¡­" He said. "To handle one spirit fragment, my Little Sister Eli''s contracted spirit became dormant for a long time¡­"


    "What if that would be the case as well for His Highness¡­"


    Hearing Nathan''s concerns, the face of Olivier also darkened. He hadpletely forgotten about the matter of Wisey''s sleeping.


    Wisey only took one of the spirit fragment''s attacks and yet, it took her more than a year to recover.


    But his Captain fought a vessel carrier head-on and even exhausted himself by channeling the power of the ancient spirit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    How much more would Leon suffer then?


    A gloomy mood overwhelmed the twods as they were filled with worry over this matter.


    Moreover, if this is how intense the damage would be on their side just to face a vessel of the evil spirit fragment, then who among them can withstand its strength?


    While they were thinking about the sound of the second rm bell rang.


    Olivier raised his head and said, "It seems that we are being summoned."


    "Let''s go then.." Nathan knew that they could only choose to put the matter aside.


    At the rm of the bell, the captains and lieutenants, and even the toon leaders were summoned.


    In the huddle area, they met Temple Knight Captain, Mishael, First Prince Kazimir, and Second Prince Antoine.


    "As all of us are here¡­ we should start by announcing that the Vanderford troops will soon discover the recent attack on the Holy Ind." Kazimir stood up and started to exin everything.


    "Our informants and spies have already reported that the armies that were gathered in the capital are numerous. Naturally, this will be the troops whom the Pope and the Fake Pdin will bring should they find out the matter of the main temple."


    "The scale of troops was clearly way over the troops that were currently on the ind at the moment."


    "Thus we summoned you here to announce that we will be also participating in the battle by sending troops to reinforce our side."


    "This is the Pope and the Pdin we are talking about and so one must know that one would be facing a lot more curse users than the previous battle you have been into."


    "All of those who will volunteer will be led by our very own Temple Knight Captain, Mishael along with the Crimson des."


    "Also I would like to inform you that the Green Wave continent warriors will also be participating. And so we are saying that this fight is an important fight for us as this would be defending the side we are believing in."


    "The Pope along with those who side with him submitted to the Spectres and corrupted the main temple. That is why our brothers and friends fought to reim it a few days ago. Now we are going to defend it with our lives as well!"


    As soon as Kazimir exined the situation, the faces of the leaders turned serious.


    After a few days of smooth sailing battles, there would be another tougher one with a tougher enemy. But how could they cower when there were already several of the fallen who did their best in order for them toy the groundwork for victory?


    They became determined and resolute as they opened their mouths and stomped their feet in a battle cry.


    ¨C


    On the coast just across the holy ind, several soldiers stood on top of the cliff, putting telescopes on their eyes.


    They looked in the direction of the holy ind and determined that there were a lot of people, not from the temple, roaming around, guarding the ce.


    "It is as we have worried, there were intruders in the ce." One of them frowned and said,


    "Let''s be quick! This has to be reported immediately to the capital!" Another said.


    "Half of you continue to investigate, another half shall prepare the messenger birds. We have to inform the officials and the Pope on this matter!" Their leader said.

 Chapter 559 Wars Second Phase (3)

    ?"Not good! Not good!" A knight shouted as he ran down the hallway. He was sweating profusely as he rushed to the official''s hall.


    "Hold it, the Council is having a meeting with His Majesty¡­ Watch your conduct!" The knights assigned to guard the doors looked at the panicking soldier and frowned and warned.


    "You have to let me in! There''s something important that the Excellencies need to know!" The knight who was panting as he caught his breath insisted.


    "Let him in!" Just as the knights on guard are about to stop the knight once again, a voice inside the room could be heard.


    The guards opened the door immediately and let the knighte in.


    In the room, several men wore serious expressions as they looked at the knight who was still in a panic. Just looking at his face they knew that what he was bringing was extremely bad news.


    So all of them looked at him and waited for his words.


    Among them was the Pope, who had just arrived in the capital, and is now meeting with the officials at the moment.


    "I-invaders¡­ T-the holy ind!!! There were invaders spotted in the Holy Ind!!!" The knight eximed in dread. Although he knew that he might be beheaded for barging into the room, he insisted on bringing this news as it was extremely rming.


    ng!!!


    The Pope who had just picked up his tea, let go of the cup as he heard the news.


    Following that was a heavy silence in the room.


    "Repeat what you said again?" The Emperor of Vanderford also did not seem to take the issue well and so he looked at the knight nkly and asked once again.


    "Our knights went to the coastal area near the holy ind to investigate why there was no update on the armies going from the ind to the capital. In their investigation, they manage to catch sight of unfamiliar forces guarding thend¡­"


    "Your Eminence¡­ Your Majesty¡­ the knights back in the coastal area are afraid that the people in the main temple were either¡­


    Captured or wiped out!"


    Bang!


    The Pope could no longer take it and finally copsed.


    His face looked so pale as his body trembled. In his mind, all he could think about at the moment was how to exin the situation to Lord Raventer on.


    The Emperor''s face also darkened terribly as the news slowly sank in.


    "Gather all the troops, we will head to the coast right away!" With his face full of anger, he immediately looked at the officers around and ordered.


    "Your Majesty, please hold on! We still do not know what the situation is, what if this is just a trap¡­" The rest of the noblemen took courage to stop the Vanderford Emperor from hastily taking action.


    "Indeed, dear Majesty, please hear us out and do not take action too early!" The others chimed in.


    But will the Emperor just sit around after having heard another significant number of troops fall?


    He already had his entire ambush army wiped out.


    His sessor was also killed while being used as an official reason to start the war.


    Now his biggest ally, the main temple is also suffering another big blow. Why can he not take action immediately?


    Bang!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Vanderford Emperor used his mana and attacked the first noblemen that opposed his order. Looking at the poor nobleman whose body was badly crushed on the wall, the others shuddered in fear.


    "Who are you to defy the orders of the Emperor?!" Vanderford Emperor shouted angrily as he nced at the rest of the men.


    "Did your thinking and strategy ever take us to the advantageous side of this war?! None of your ns even managed to bring forth results and you are stopping me from doing what needs to be done?!"


    "Tell me, are you my subordinates, or you are the enemy spies? Why do your words and actions defy mine!"


    The Emperor''s thunderous voice rang in the hall causing the rest of the men to shudder and kneel with great apprehension.


    "Your Majesty¡­ we misspoke! Please forgive us!"


    "Please forgive us, your majesty!"


    "Have mercy on us!"


    The noblemen all pleaded for his mercy as soon as they realized that he was really angry. Afraid that they would be the next punching bag so that he could vent his anger, the officials did not even dare to look into his eyes as they conversed with him.


    "All you do is save your ess! Now work and do as I said or it will be your heads whom I will first take!" The Vanderford emperor roared.


    "Scram!" He bellowed once more.


    The officials then rushed to exit the room and do their duties.


    As for the knight who was still kneeling when he reported the news, the Emperor coldly looked up to him and said, "You¡­ Call the Pdin at once. She has to lead the army to fight!"


    "Y-yes¡­ right away, Your Majesty!" The knight then saluted and rushed to find the Pdin.


    Rachana was actually being served by the maids in bathing when she heard the news.


    With no more time to finish everything, she quickly asked them to wrap up and dress her quickly in battlefield clothing.


    In the end, she and all the rest of the troops avable were gathered in the pce square withplicated expressions on their faces.


    The Pope managed to return to consciousness as well, he very much wanted to fight but he knew better than anyone not to hastily get involved in the fight when nothing is really cast in stone yet.


    He believes that Rachana would be enough to handle the case.


    Both he and the Emperor thought that if there would be invaders on the holy ind, they would not be as many as the troops that Rachana would take.


    Granted, the original people in the Holy Ind were not few, butparing it to the current troops that they had, the two believed that it should be enough.


    As for the Captains possibly being defeated along with the Cardinal, the Pope believed that someone used tricks to outsmart them which is why theynded in the condition.


    There was no more speech nor any ceremony that happened.


    Once the instructions were announced by the Emperor, Rachana took the troops and rushed to the Holy Ind as fast as they could.


    In the fortress, the news from the roaming des that were stationed at the Vanderford immediately came.


    ze then immediately informed the headquarters to warn the troops on the Holy Ind.


    Receiving the news, Abaddon immediately rallied the troops and heightened the alert in the ce. The fight is nowing soon and they prayed that they will once again receive victory from the heavens!

 Chapter 560 Wars Second Phase (4)

    ?ck ck ck¡­


    The sound of unhurried and hesitating footsteps rang in the hall. The Pope dared not to look at the figure in front of him who was already emitting such a cold and dangerous aura.


    "Ramir is here, reporting to his Mightiest, Lord Raven."


    "Look up Ramir!" The voice which sounded alluring yet dangerous rang on the Pope''s ears.


    The Pope, Ramir, shuddered; he did not dare to look up yet he also did not dare to defy the Lord''s order in front of him.


    With great perturbation, Ramir slowly looked up, his eyes witnessing how Lord''s Raven changed two times.


    The first one was that of his usual facade, the face of the ancestor¡­ the prince of the first Vanderford n.


    Second was another face, that of deep purple hair looking like a fallen angel.


    Even if he had already known that Lord Raven has been manifesting in different faces, he still could not help but feel shocked. The person that they worship and submit to has many personas he could not figure out.


    "Tell me, what caused you toe here bearing such disgrace?" Lord Raven''s eyes shed in red glow as he coldly nced at Pope Ramir.


    "My Lord¡­ I¡­ have no words. The enemy is extremely cunning and even managed to obtain a lot of allies in the maind¡­."


    "There might also be traitors from our side¡­" Pope Ramir was almost out of words to say but he still opened his mouth and told what had to be said.


    "Might? Did you just say might?" Lord Raven raised his brows and said with a wave of unconcealed anger on his face.


    "You are saying to me¡­ something that you are not yet sure of?" He asked once more.


    "M-my Lord¡­ I do not dare¡­ It is just that our troops are yet toe and see the situation." Pope Ramir answered with terror.


    Deep inside he has many things to say, his grievances were not small either. But in front of Lord Raven, he could only say things more carefully.


    Boom!


    Suddenly a tyrannic bolt of curse power shot a few inches in front of Pope Ramir. The power was so terrifying that if not for Pope Ramir''s mental preparation for facing Lord Raven, he would have fainted in shock once more.


    "You are sending yet another vessel. Are you sending her for me to lose yet another bearer? If yes, I will make sure that none of you, not even your soul shall have any traces in all the dimensions!"


    Lord Raven shouted with a voice that caused Pope Ramir to shudder. One mouth with several voicesing out causing him to prostrate in horror.


    "I will ensure that this time the matter shall be resolved favorably on our side!" Pope Ramir vowed. "Rachana is the most special vessel we have prepared for you my Lord. Once she reaches the ind she will surelyplete the mission. I am confident that she can handle this."


    "You better be¡­" Lord Raven shouted once more.


    "I will have Razak be involved in the matter. Two of you shall work together and cause the enemies to suffer. If I lose one more vessel, I will make sure before your existence disappears, I will make you regret your ipetence over and over again¡­"


    Pope Ramir suddenly became suppressed by a gigantic pressure that made him unable to withstand kneeling.


    His body fell on the floor heavily while his face contorted in pain. He felt like all the pores of his skin were pricked by needles and that his ribs were squeezed very terribly. He gritted his teeth and prayed that the pain would notst very long.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, Lord Raven seemed to have been keen on giving out his punishment and so he had already forgotten how many times he had fainted and woke up in excruciating pain every time.


    In the end, he was thrown out of the hall by Lord Raven''s power and was only able to stand up after being unconscious for a few hours.


    Looking at the tightly shut door in front of him, Pope Ramir could only lower his head and limp back to the main pce.


    As he does that, the hatred he had for the Seirende and their allies, as well as the traitors that may have helped the invaders be sessful in attacking the main temple had grown so deep. So much that he would not hesitate to kill anyone that appeared in his sight belonging to that group.


    In the end, after recovering, he went to Emperor Razak, the Vanderford Emperor, and told him what he wanted.


    "We must no longer sit idly here and wait for the results. The Lord has been angry at our failure and the loss of another vessel, we have to take action personally!" Pope Ramir said to Emperor Razak.


    Emperor Razak waved his hands to dismiss Pope Ramir''s words. He looked at him begrudgingly and said, "It is you who caused me to fall down like this. I lost my son and a significant portion of my army. Why do you have to drag me down like this?!"


    He looked at the Pope with anger clearly evident in his eyes. He had yet to hold the Pope responsible for losing the Crown Prince who ultimately became the proxy for Ramir''s ns.


    Now not only did he lose his heir and a portion of his army, but he was also even punished by Lord Raven as well!


    But Pope Ramir did not feel guilty about the things that happened back in the Deste Wastnds, instead, he said,


    "Why are you now shying away from responsibility? Did you not agree with the n as well? Are you not even excited that your household shall take part in the glory once it is sessful?"


    "Now that it has ended in such a manner you only thought about making me responsible while in the entire process, you are informed and included as well!"


    "How dare you! I am the Emperor and you are only a Pope!" Not expecting the Pope to push the responsibility to him, Emperor Razak was deeply angered as he raised his hand and pointed at Pope Ramir''s face.


    "Heh¡­ you know that either of our positions was significant if the Lord wants us to be gone. Why are you ying the rank card now?"


    "Remember, if not for the Lord chose you to be the emperor, you must have been long buried in the ground¡­ that goes with all your descendants!" Pope Ramir coldly replied.


    Emperor Razak could only grit his teeth and vent his anger on other ces such as the furniture beside them.


    Bang!


    Pope Ramir was not even bothered by his tantrums and just continued sipping his tea while he watched him destroy the things in his office.


    In the end, Emperor Razak looked at Pope Ramir with a darkened expression and finally said, "I''ll get the empire ready. You shall get ready on our side too."


    "That is for the best¡­" Pope Ramir''s eyes flickered and a dangerous glint appeared on his pupils.


    He will not let go of the people who caused him to suffer such disgrace and so, he will make sure to use all the things at his disposal in order to prevent his enemies from getting the victory they want.


    After he had his conversation with the Emperor, he went back to his quarters and told his men,


    "Prepare for retaliation. No one is to rest nor eat until I confirm that our preparations are done!"


    "Yes, your holiness!" The temple knights answered.

 Chapter 561 Wars Second Phase (5)

    ?"Great Pdin¡­ We are here¡­" A knight went toward Rachana as he announced that they were already at their destination.


    They were not yet on the coast but rather on the mountain range behind it. This is so that the enemies on the holy ind shall not be alerted to see them.


    Two days and two nights of flying and rushing to the coast has made her and the entire army exhausted. But as it was a matter that was too urgent for their side, they had to do this.


    "Hmm¡­ ask everyone to covertly settle down. A day of rest and recuperation should be enough. Tomorrow night we have to do our approach." Rachana nodded and looked at the army behind her.


    They have already spent their mana in rushing to the area. A week of travel had gone so short in two days. Because of this Rachana knew that the exhaustion from the ride would not be of any help if they wanted to subdue the enemies.


    "Yes, Great Pdin!" the Lieutenant answered attentively and saluted before he went over to organize the troops.


    Rachana on the other hand selected a few temple knights to bring with her to see the situation on the coast.


    Observing the situation from the coast, they could see that the ce was heavily guarded and the people seemed to have been on high alert.


    One temple knight looked at Rachana and asked politely, "Dear Pdin, if I may ask a question?"


    "En¡­" Rachana raised her brows and looked at the knight permitting him to speak.


    "Why does the Pope insist on taking back the main temple instead of attacking the maind? Shouldn''t we be taking advantage of the fact that the troops aren''t around on the maind?" The knight asked with caution.


    Rachana just smiled and answered, "None of us here could understand¡­ It might only be His Majesty and the Pope who knew the reason¡­"


    ¨C


    On the other hand, the situation in the temple also changed.


    A few days ago, the knights cleaning up the temple discovered something underneath the main worship altar.


    It was a bizarre-looking ruin, with the suspicious residue of blood all around it and a series of runes that were drawn through it.


    "This¡­ a demonic altar?" Abaddon''s face darkened.


    Judging from the situation, the residue was still a few days old. He could already conclude that the activity here was done just before they attacked the holy temple.


    "Could it be offered to the evil entity that you mentioned before?" Gabriel looked at Eli and Kayden who had told them about the things they discovered in theboratory.


    By now everyone already knew what the Spectre has been up to, who they worshiped, and how they want to execute their ns.


    Kayden gave them a grave nod and went to the altar. cing a glove in his hand, he took a specimen of the blood from the altar and examined it.


    After a while, he went back and informed the group with a dark expression on his face.


    "Have you found something?" Eli asked, but her heart had already sunk judging from the expression on Kayden''s face.


    "Human, merfolk, and beast men among many¡­ all of them were detected in this blood specimen," Kayden exined.


    Everyone''s heart turned cold. Just how much evil will the Spectre do until they are satisfied?!


    "The thing is¡­ the blood specimen had traces of the potion they were making¡­ It might be that these people have been purposely fed by poison and some of them might also be the workers that did not make it because of the heavy contact with the potion making." He added.


    Everyone is gritting their teeth, this is beyond their expectations.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We should report this to the higher-ups and ask for their opinion on this matter¡­ As for what this kind of rune is doing, I only have one person in mind who could figure this out¡­ It''s Temple Knight 7th Captain Mishael, an expert on array making and runes¡­"


    Gabriel looked at everyone''s heavy expression. But now that they discovered it, they have to quickly figure out the purpose of this matter.


    "Have the others search for simr kinds of things too." He added.


    "Alright¡­" With the entire group agreeing, the manpower is divided into two teams, one for the preparation of war and another for investigating if there are any ces that had this bizzare thing as well.


    Fast forward to the present, Mishael teleported to this ce in order to figure out the function of the altar.


    Aside from the ce where they found the first altar, there were five more simr altars as well, with the first altar standing at the center of it all.


    "By now you should have figured out that these altars were part of an array, and the area of the array covers the entire holy ind¡­" Mishael told Eli and the rest.


    "But the thing is, these altars could work separately and together¡­ as long as someone managed to activate it." He continued.


    "Individually, it can function as a force-gathering rune that is capable of sending it to the owner of the array¡­"


    "But together¡­ It is a killing array with a controble trajectory¡­ As to its attack power... You can only imagine how destructive it is¡­"


    "This¡­ " Everyone''s expression darkened as the terror of the runes was revealed before them.


    Eli looked at Mishael and asked immediately, not wanting for the sinister altars to exist any longer, "Can we destroy it?"


    Mishael shook his head and answered truthfully, "We can but it will alert the evil entity at once¡­ At this point, we are not in any capacity to face him with a vast armying at us¡­"


    As they heard this, everyone clenched their fists as they felt helpless at the moment.


    In the end, while they want to get justice for the people victimized by the sinister altars, they have to get past the endeavor first.


    The attacking from the Vanderford Empire wasposed of arge army, with how little the ind is for a battlefield the chances of protecting themselves will be even lesser.


    And so they decided to just report the matter to the headquarters and wait for their decision. In the meantime, their eyes are on the battle ahead.


    A day passed by and the rm bells started to ring on the holy ind.


    "Enemies! Enemies!" The night sentries shouted at the top of their lungs.


    "Everyone, get into your positions!" The captains, Mishael, Gabriel, and Abaddon stood up and wielded their swords together with Eli, Kayden, and the top warriors from the Green Wave Ind.


    Right in front of them was Rachana''s vast army as they headed towards the ind at full speed, not even minding if the other party had already noticed them.


    "Mages hit the ind with all your might! Do not bother about the structures¡­ just kill as many people as you can from this distance!" Rachana ordered as she looked at the tiny ind from a distance slowly getting bigger and bigger in front of them.


    "Roger, Great Pdin!" The troops replied.


    From the holy ind''s vantage point, countless mana lights lit up in the air, like stars filling up the bright skies.


    None of the people there admire the beauty of it, because it was something that could take their lives in one shot!

 Chapter 562 Wars Second Phase (6)

    ?"Men! Activate the defense array!" Gabriel shouted as he raised his spear.


    His eyes did not even waver as he saw the dark skies turning brightly because of the countless attacksing in their direction.


    Viu viu Vwong!


    Layer byyer the arrays immediately appeared, and in the dark night, the holy ind was instantly covered by multicolored light in a dome shape.


    As the elemental mana attacks touched the surface of the array dome, they dissolved like water and only caused the outeryer to ripple like the ocean.


    "Mages, attack at the trajectory where the enemies were!" Mishael raised his sword and pointed in the direction where Rachana and the army wereing from.


    "Rear army, take care of those who sneaked back!" Abaddon raised his broad sword and directed the rear troops.


    Rachana pointed her staff forward and pointed in the direction of the Holy Ind. As the dome array lit up the ind, she already saw how many people were there and smiled triumphantly.


    Of course, the soldiersing with her also saw the same and they rejoiced in their hearts.


    "There''s no way they will survive ourrge-scale attack. So press forward and attack relentlessly!" Rachana shouted.


    Seeing that the other side of the battlefield was already starting their move, the other side remained calm andposed.


    They continued to deflect and attack the troops from a long distance, slowly defeating enemies from afar.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    shes and explosions filled the skies, rendering the nearby coast in a state of terror and rm as they were shocked to see such a huge fight happening right under their noses.


    In the end, the huge army overwhelmed the casters who kept on throwing the mana in their direction. At this point, they could no longer keep up with the unending flow of knightsing at them at full speed.


    Abaddon stood from the highest point of the ind and raised his hand shooting a signal re in the sky.


    Viu!!!


    Bright red light temporarily made the skies glow as Mishael shouted with all his might.


    "Summoners!"


    "Merfolk!"


    "Dragons!"


    "Flying Beastmen!"


    "Charge!!!!"


    "Roaaar!!!" The people stationed in their positions suddenly revealed themselves.


    They were actually submerged in the water and watching underneath as the skies lit up in a mana battle. They were waiting for the signal re to light up before finally moving to step into the battlefield.


    Now that the army reached their position, they moved fast and jumped out of the water.


    However, their figures did not charge toward the enemy to fight them directly. Instead, they flew past them, hovering overhead.


    The soldiers from the enemy side were flushed but soon they were confused that the other party suddenly flew past them instead of fighting them right away.


    The Lieutenant supervising the first charge suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"


    However, it was toote.


    The soldiers were now trapped in a and they could no longere out. The was very sturdy and was made in a material that sucks the mana out of the trapped being inside to make the even more sturdy.


    The ends of the were taken by the flying beastmen and the contracted beasts of the summoner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Roar!" Then the soldiers trapped inside were mercilessly burned by the dragons emerging with their half-humanoid form.


    "D*mn!" Rachana cursed as she saw that a quarter of her army was gone just like that.


    She was already expecting that the enemy would have allied with the Green Wave continent, for they were the only ones near the holy ind aside from the Vanderford.


    But she did not expect that the dragons, who are an extremely seclusive race, would also be participating in this battle!


    "Mages, continue to support the hunters!" Mishael directed as they shifted from the defensive stance to attacking.


    The enemy knights who were targeting the dragons to prevent them from burning the hunted knights were now facing the relentless long-distance attack of the magesing from the ind.


    Instantly, the surprise attack caused great chaos and panic in Rachana''s army.


    "This is not good! The Pope should know about this right away!" Rachana''s expression showed a trace of panic as she witnessed that the troops could not do anything at all as the people underwater continued tounch sneak attacks on the soldiers trying to approach the ind.


    What''s more, because it was night and the other party had the help of the merfolk, the ''underwater hunters'' were actually too hard to spot as they could go as deep as they liked.


    They tried attacking the water with electricity in an attempt to injure them but it seems like the troops were also prepared and were equipped with lightning protection items and arrays.


    "Tsk! The rest of the soldiers, retreat!" Rachana gritted her teeth and had no choice but to force her army to temporarily retreat and regroup.


    The knights heard her orders and immediately moved back to the shore. But the ones in the front had a hard time because they were still in a position too distant from the shore.


    In the end, only a few managed to go back and the rest were defeated by the hunters on the way.


    "What now¡­" The soldiers asked as they saw how the waters dividing the maind and the holy ind instantly calmed down the moment they fled to the shore.


    "We can''t go around the rear as well knowing that there were troops hiding under the waters, it would be difficult to direct the troops on the other side of the ind." Another one said.


    "Let''s wait for the Pdin''s decision." The Lieutenants knew best to organize their own troops as they waited for Rachana to think of something to remediate the situation


    From the holy ind, they clearly witnessed how the army retreated after being helpless in the situation. However, they did not let their guard down at all.


    Prince Nalu, who was leading the troops in the underground, sent the other toon leaders a call, "Should we charge to the shore now that they retreated?"


    But Abaddon quickly replied, "No, stay clear of the coast for a little bit, the other party had already figured out what our moves were. There is a high chance that they would start attacking the waters."


    True enough, just as Abaddon said, the same strategy was already being discussed on the other side of the sea.


    "Gather all the water and wind mages¡­e with me." Rachana looked at the army and immediately ordered.


    In a short while a toon of water and wind mages was formed and they walked to the end of the shoreline.


    "Troops get ready to charge once more as this mage team paves a way for us to the holy ind!" She said as she led the mages into casting their strongest attack to hit the sea.


    Rachana used her curse power with a subtle trace of asani power to create an enormous wind elemental attack as well.


    Boom! Woosh!!!


    Suddenly the sea in front of them acted violently as the water and the winds caused extreme chaos. Gigantic waves caused the water underneath to be turbulent.


    Fortunately, all the troops inside were with merfolk.


    With Abaddon and Nalu''s early warning, they had already steered clear of the original trajectory of the attack and were able to avoid getting caught by the raging waves.


    The shock wave from thebined attack of the mages forced them all to get out of the water and rush to the ind in haste.


    Seeing the ''hunter'' troops finally retreating, Rachana immediately raised her sword once more and said, "Charge at full speed, there is no need to worry about those hunters anymore!"


    This time, there were no other obstacles but the array defense dome!

 Chapter 563 Wars Second Phase (7)

    ?Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, the defensive dome array was now being attacked by the brute force of Rachana''s army. However, would Eli and the rest allow them to seed.


    On the underground, Eli and a team of temple knight mages have been pumping a lot of holy power and mana to maintain the integrity of the dome.


    "Let''s hold it as long as we can¡­ The longer the defense array stays the less the stress it would bring to our ground troops as soon as it breaks¡­" Eli creased her brows and focused on giving more of her mana to strengthen and maintain the array while she and her team used mana stones to fuel their operations.


    The more the defensive array holds, the more that the troops outside can easily do attacks to the people outside the array and reduce the enemies by thousands.


    They know fully well that they were understaffed as it was impossible for the alliance to transport such arge army in a small area like the ind and also in a very short time period.


    And so they have to hold on much longer in order for them to have a higher chance to achieve victory.


    In their hearts they knew that this would be a bloody fight, however, they were all ready. Because if they don''t fight now, they would still suffer under the tyranny of evil once they seed.


    Better die fighting now than dying under the enemy''s oppression!


    "Keep on attacking! We have the advantage of numbers! There were only a few of them and they would have plenty of mana in store!" The lieutenants of Rachana''s army also encouraged their soldiers to attack more fiercely.


    "Mage team and all who can do long-range attacks, defeat as many enemies as you can! Do not waste the time bought for us by the array team!" Abaddon, Gabriel, and Mishael also directed their team to shift to the offensive.


    At his word, countless attacks shot from their end targeting the people who were fiercely attacking the array.


    "Aaaaah!"


    "Iing!" One by one the enemy soldiers fell to their deaths and lost life as they were hit by their attacks.


    Even so, the attacks did not even slow down. Instead, the enemy troops attacked more fiercely because they knew that as long as they were not able to break the barrier, there would not be any movement from their side.


    "We should attack as well¡­" Prince Nalu looked at the other representatives of the races and joined the fight.


    The others nodded with a determined expressions.


    Woosh!


    Soon as they did, the waters in the ocean started to open and several gigantic waves grew behind the enemy troops!


    "Tidal Wave!"


    "Everyone watch out!" The warning from the rear did not help when the wave attacks were alreadying from behind.


    The others tried to flee but there were still many who were engulfed by gigantic waves that were made by Prince Nalu''s party.


    "We should go as well¡­" Kayden looked at his toon and took out their poisonous bombs and shot it at the fleeing troops.


    For the second time, the momentum of the fight turned once again and it was Rachana''s party who was forced to step back once again.


    Watching from the shore, Rachana was once again angered by the turn of events.


    Now she understood why the people of the temple back then were fooled. These people that they were fighting against had a lot of tricks in their sleeves.


    She could not deny the fact that there would be someone or a group of people who thought everything together and made them sessful in their attack.


    "These people had brains!" Rachana could not help but admit it despite her frustration.


    Even so, she had to do what she needed to do. Or else she would not be able to exin the reason for their loss.


    And so she decided to move. She flew all the way to the top of the dome.


    "Make way!" She roared in anger as she used her powers to sweep away her own allies who were blocking her way.


    This caused the entire battlefield to momentarily pause as her actions really startled both sides of the battlefield.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Then she looked down at the people of the holy ind with a look of disdain. "We are done ying with you!"


    "You knew very well that once this thing breaks, you are all going down, right?" She gloated.


    "But too bad, we would not allow you to get your hopes going any further¡­" Rachana smiled with a trace of ruthlessness.


    "What are you doing?! Continue to attack!" Abaddon looked at the distracted soldiers and woke them up with a reminder.


    With that, they directed their attacks toward Rachana who was just easily deflecting their attacks with the purple mana covering her body.


    "I told you, your efforts are futile¡­" She said as the wisps of purple and ck mana surged out of her body.


    Vrrrrr!!


    The next moment, an enormous amount of pressurended on Abaddon and the rest, including the soldiers outside the dome.


    Their faces slowly contorted as they could not contain the suppression effect of the aura that was being released by Rachana.


    "See?" Rachana looked at the bad state of the people on the ground and chuckled, "Once I move, you will have no chance at all!"


    "Arggg¡­." Abbadon gritted his teeth, and along with the men they started to resist, but most of them were already on the ground, eating the dust because of too much pressure from her suppression.


    "Now, I have no time to y with you. Just stay there obediently and let my men kill you all!" She announced.


    Then she stretched her hand and the wisps of mana all flowed toward it. Then it conjured itself into a massive mana ball that looked like a purple ckhole.


    Everyone''s heart sank as the cold waves of shivers ran down their backs.


    Just by looking at it, everyone knew that its power was beyond what the array could take.


    Moreover, with that kind of attack, it might even prate all the way to the ground where the array teams were.


    "N-not good!" Mishael''s face darkened.


    He realized the damage capacity and trajectory of the mysterious mana ball and it would really go straight to the eye of the defensive array, which is where Eli and the array team were working.


    "Eli-chan, the situation outside changed! The fake pdin is directly attacking the dome with her powers and it seems like she also knew about our position as well!"


    Wisey who was quietly observing the situation from the outside with the earth fairies immediately reported the matter to Eli.


    When Eli knew of this, she immediately alerted her team to escape, "All of you stay as far as possible to this point onwards, a huge attack ising on this area!"


    "But mydy, how about you?!" The mages did not even move as they were worried about Eli.


    "Do not worry about me, I have my ways to escape as well. Someone just has to maintain the barrier at thest second to dy the attack and buy us a little more time to escape. I''m confident that I have the ability to escape so you guys should move."


    Eli told them straightforwardly as she could not afford them to waste a second which might cost their lives.


    Because Eli had already ordered them, the mages looked at each other and nodded. "We will do as the Lady says¡­"


    Then they started to leave their positions and try to escape.


    Outside, when Mishael and the rest of the captains and leaders were also trying to ask their troops to move so that they would not be able to be caught by the damage of Rachana''s attack.


    "Whether you run or crawl, stay away from the trajectory of the mysterious cursed attack!" They shouted to the point where their vocal cords were already on the verge of breaking.


    Hearing their leader''s desperate cry to push them to save their lives from imminent death, the soldiers grit their teeth and forced their bodies to move away from the trajectory of the cursed mana ball.


    Watching them from above, Rachana let out a mocking chuckle, "Hahaha it''s no use even if you dodge this. Once it breaks this puny barrier, you will be attacked by my people anyways!"

 Chapter 564 Eli Vs. Rachana (1)

    ?Even with Rachana''s taunting, the determination to survive did not leave the knights'' faces.


    In their minds, as long as there is a way to have a chance to kill one more enemy, they will grit their teeth and try to survive.


    Rachana on the other hand did not mind their struggle as she looked at the ball of congealed curse power withces of asani mana.


    Controlling the massive ball of power, she pushed it toward the barrier array.


    Underneath the ground where Eli was trying her best to sustain the mana array alone, Wisey notified her, "Eli-chan, it''sing!"


    "Alright!" She acknowledged as she wore the artifacts she received from thete high priest, the one whom she used when she first appeared to the world as the Pdin.


    Then Eli gritted her teeth and circted her holy powers.


    In an instant, the barrier became more sturdy as her pure holy power nurtured the array at once.


    Bzzzzzt! Brrrrr!!!


    Crackle! Crackle!


    As soon as the ball of mana touched the surface of the barrier, the shing of the energy from both sides caused several waves of violent winds that swept away the soldiers and even Rachana who was outside was also being pushed back.


    She frowned upon seeing how it did not take an instant for the ball of mana to prate the barrier as she expected.


    Instead, the barrier seemed to have been retaliating by slowly dispelling theyers andyers of Rachana''s mana ball.


    Rachana frowned and immediately went nearer, there she infused more cursed power in order to expedite the process of breaching the dome barrier.


    "Arrgg!!" Eli felt her mind buzzing as she tried to hold for a little longer. "W-wisey how is it?"


    "Eli-chan, just a little bit more, there were still a few of the soldiers that were in the way of the mana ball''s trajectory!" Wisey answered worriedly, but she still encouraged Eli.


    "Alright!" Eli did her best to endure as long as possible. "Are we there yet?"


    "A few more seconds, Eli-chan! Hang in there¡­" Wisey answered.


    On the other hand, Rachana was getting annoyed, ''Why would the barrier not budge?''


    In the end, she concluded that she just underestimated the power of the barrier and increased more of her power into the ball.


    Eli felt the pressure from the newly injected energy. "Arrggg!!"


    If it was just to deflect the mana ball, she can do it with ease, as her powers were meant to deal with Rachana''s.


    However, she had to allocate a lot of her holy powers to maintain the barrier all over the holy ind which is already arge area then make the barrier sturdy enough to hold the mana ball in ce.


    "Faster!!! Move faster!" The soldiers knew that the moment the horrifying ball of mana stayed in ce because theirrades in the array team were doing their best to buy them more time.


    And so they picked up their pace and crawled as far as they could in the trajectory.


    "Now! Eli chan!" Wisey finally gave Eli the cue.


    "Raaaaah!!!!" Eli finally withdrew her powers that supplied the mana array and then circted it back again to directly sh with the force of Rachana''s attack!


    "It''sing!" The knights eximed, for some reason, the pressure from Rachana''s suppression suddenly disappeared due to the fact that she used more power to break into the barrier.


    "Men! Get ready to fight!" Abaddon and the rest of the captains raised their weapons and alerted the soldiers.


    Boom!


    Atst! The ball of mana broke into the barrier which immediately copsed.


    "Charge!!!" The knights from the holy ind ignored the gigantic balling from them. Instead, their eyes are on the vast army rushing toward them at full speed.


    That is because they have the confidence that the mana ball will be dealt with by their leaders and their only job was to deal with the rest of the army.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Merfolks! Attack!" Prince Nalu conjured another wave of tidal waves to sweep another portion of the enemy knights sideways.


    Then his men conjured a high water wall to divide the army and dy another portion of the army moving forward.


    "Dragons! Toast the enemies!" The lead warrior of the dragon n shouted as well. They immediately charged the enemies with high speed and attacked them ferociously with their elemental attacks.


    "Beastmen! Let''s go!" The beast men n charged as well. Flying beasts, four-legged beasts, and many more, all charged at the enemy without hesitation.


    "Remember to keep our distance from us!" Kayden warned them as he led the poison team to fight as well.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! A bloody war ignited.


    The lieutenants found their targets and met the toon leaders of the troops from the holy ind.


    Abaddon, Gabriel, Mishael, and the rest immediately faced them and tried to take them down as soon as possible.


    However, just like the temple captains, the lieutenants of the Vanderford army are also strong and hard to deal with.


    Moreover, they were more nourished with curse power than the temple knight captains who tend to hide their true nature as they still have to pose as the servants of heaven even though they have already sided with evil.


    As such the scene on the battlefield was tight as none of the two sides showed any signs of advantage.


    Meanwhile, the mana ball which Rachana expected to cause massive damage to the troops on the ground did not do as she wished


    Instead, the mana ball seemed to have been sucked by an unknown energy. Like a ma attracting it, the mana ball flew straight to where Eli was and where itnded.


    Boom!


    Shiuuuuuuu!


    After dealing a huge dent in the ground the mana ball only started to ''melt'' like liquid.


    "What''s happening?" Rachana felt that something was definitely wrong as there were already multiple times that her ns did not go along her way.


    She flew down toward the crash site of the mana ball to see what was up.


    She squinted her eyes with heightened vignce as she waited for the rubble and debris to settle down. ''What''s lying beyond that location, why are my powers acting so strange?'' She wondered.


    After some time, she finally knew the answer.


    Someone wearing a clean robe and a golden full-face mask directly hiding the wearer''s signs of identity appeared before her eyes.


    "It''s you!" Rachana''s eyes turned bloodshot as soon as she realized who the person in front of her was.


    Everything matched the description she got from their sources.


    The person in front of her was none other than Rachana''s natural nemesis!


    The one who made her suffer grave injuries for several months! The one who truly stands in her way of being the most revered woman in the world!


    The True Pdin!


    Eli looked at the highly provoked Rachana and did not say anything further.


    Seeing Rachana still processing everything, she used that time to recover from the loss she incurred from maintaining the dome alone for a few minutes and stopping the mana ball from exploding.


    "You are the one behind this all!!!" Rachana pointed at her with great hatred as she realized and slowly connected the dots.


    Even so, Eli remained silent, not intending to confirm nor refute Rachana''s usation.


    Instead, she took out her staff artifact from thete high priest and pointed it at Rachana.


    Ready to attack!

 Chapter 565 Eli Vs. Rachana (2)

    ?"Hahaha! Who would have thought that I would meet you here, you cursed thing!" Rachana''s body trembled due to the mix of anger and excitement.


    She took out a weapon from her space pouch, it was also a staff artifact but it was not golden as Eli''s. Instead, it was purplish ck with pulsating veins of light purple, giving a feel that whatever material used to forge her weapon is alive.


    "I will make sure to give you back the sufferings I experienced back then!" She dered with a raging voice.


    "Come¡­" Eli lowered the timbre of her voice and answered. This is so that she would not have any idea of who she was.


    As much as possible, she wanted to hide her identity so that the people she cared about would not be implicated because of her.


    Rachana was deeply provoked by her reply. It was mysterious that one word from Eli could make her hatred burn at its peak.


    Swoosh!


    Rachana shed from her position and appeared right in front of Eli, swinging her staff with all her might.


    ''ng!''


    The two weapons shed, causing a violent wave of winds to shoot everywhere, even affecting the soldiers on both sides.


    This caused the battlefield to be suddenly disturbed as they could not ignore the intensity of Eli and Rachana''s fight.


    Their ves continued to meet. Eli was heavily guarding while Rachana was actively attacking.


    But it could be seen first hand that Rachana is more well-versed inbat than Eli. That is because even if Rachana seemed to appear like the aggressive one, it was evident that she was not even using more than a quarter of her abilities.


    Her moves and attacks were all calcted to test her opponent.


    On the other hand, Eli realized the difference in theirbat abilities from the moment they first shed with their weapons.


    Meeting Rachana''s merciless attack, her hands and fingers almost dropped the weapon right away because of the impact.


    She had sparred several times with the vice captains Joab and Keren, even with the des, but Rachana seemed to have been born and raised to be the perfect fighter.


    There is power in her every move.


    As for her, she had just learned sword fighting andbat for merely about two years. What''s more, she was even trained for short swords as a weapon and not a double-handed artifact like the staff.


    Even with a simple parry with her hands, it was enough to send cold shivers down Eli''s back. If not for her subtly borrowing Baobao''s strength, she would have long lost in the exchange.


    But even with that, she felt like she could notst even five minutes dealing with Rachana''s swift and effortless attacks.


    "Master, I should just go out and assist you!" Baobao could not lie down and wait for Eli to bepletely at a disadvantage with Rachana''s attack. So he vehemently suggested that Eli allow him to join the fight.


    "Baobao, stay here¡­ you know what it means once you are out. Not only our families but even Little Han would possibly be in danger when everyone discovered who I really was." Eli replied and rejected Baobao''s insistence.


    "But, I can''t just watch you like this¡­" Baobao, for the first time in being Eli''s contracted beast, whined.


    Eli knew that Baobao meant well and so she was not angry and said, "Please stay patient Baobao¡­"


    "That''s right Baobao! Although it is a shame that we cannot appear together, Eli-chan still has me to use!" Wiseyforted her buddy and said.


    "I did not appear yet as Eli-chan''s contracted beast publicly so it would be a problem if I go out and assist her!" Wisey proudly says.


    "..." Baobao went silent for a while, but in the end, he answered with a convincing tone. "Alright, buddy. I leave the master to your care."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Of course! Of course!" Wisey answered enthusiastically.


    "Ok now, Baobao¡­ stay obedient while I, Wisey, get to work!" Wisey dered full of confidence.


    "En¡­ Cheering for you buddy!" Baobao replied with an encouraging tone.


    Eli was helpless during the two''s conversation but she could not react otherwise because she was busy parrying Rachana''s attack.


    She could not really help but wonder how Wisey could make Baobao put his hopes on her even when they first met. The two had always been acting like this.


    When ites to fighting, though Baobao was clearly the most capable of intimidating the enemy, he would always listen to what Wisey said. Is it because Wisey is really wise?


    To that, Eli did not know. Because whenever she sees the two, they would act silly and sometimes bicker with each other.


    "Your mind is drifting somewhere! You really want me to kill you fast aren''t you?" Rachana noticed Eli''s momentary absentmindedness even when covered with a mask.


    This made her feel greatly insulted and so she immediately pushed Eli back with even more forceful attacks.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Eli could not help but grit her teeth as her face frowned with the sudden increase of aggressiveness from Rachana''s attacks.


    But Rachana seemed to have been dead set on slowly wearing her off and prolonging her suffering. Although her attacks were all heavy and dangerous they were not something decisively fatal.


    Instead, Rachana''s attacks were meant to inflict more pain and suffering than taking away the opponent''s life at once.


    Enjoying the obvious shock in Eli''s movements, Rachana showed an even more excited smile as a creepyugh came out of her mouth.


    The next moment, she only used one hand to hold her weapon and the other congealed a miniature version of the mana ball she used to destroy the barrier earlier on.


    "Your luck has run out¡­ you know the matter from back then is just a mere fluke from your side¡­"


    "I have already seen through you¡­ apart from your ''gift'' from that realm, you can do nothing more! Without that power, you are just an ordinary person that could not be even enough to be food for my powers!" Rachana said as she released her mana ball attack to hit Eli''s right hand.


    Eli did not reply but instead took her time to retreat and create a distance between them with her sh steps.


    However, to her surprise, the mana ball followed her wherever she went.


    "Hahaha! Running is futile! That thing will not stop until itnds on its target!" Rachanaughed gloatingly as she watched Eli run to avoid the mana ball.


    Then she immediately disappeared from her spot and appeared exactly in front of Eli, swinging her staff to directly hit Eli''s head while the mana ball chased after Eli''s back.


    "You have nowhere to go now!" Rachana smiled as she mentally imagined her staffnding on Eli''s head so that she could finally see the face behind the mask - the identity of the true pdin!


    But this time, Eli opened her mouth and replied, "Not necessarily¡­"


    At her words, a bright light appeared from her back and a golden ethereal-looking spirit bird appeared behind Eli and directly faced the mana ball.


    Chiuuuuu!!!


    The sh of the ethereal bird and the mana ball caught everyone''s attention, and Rachana was immediately taken aback.


    "A spirit bird?" She mumbled in disbelief while her eyes were affixed on Wisey who was directly dealing with the mana ball all on her own!

 Chapter 566 Eli Vs. Rachana (3)

    On the tip of Wisey''s beak appeared a thin translucentyer of barrier that was sparkling in orange light as it churned the mana ball.


    Before their eyes, the mana ball was slowly being ground like a solid material by Wisey''s barrier.


    From afar, the leaders of the righteous side were shocked to see Eli appear in this type of clothes. Though the lowest of the knights might not know, they knew that it was Eli who was behind the mysterious garment.


    Moreover, they were shocked to know that this is how she was able to contain such a terrifying attack from Rachana.


    Unfortunately, Rachana''s shock was just momentary. She easilyposed herself and shed a confident smile saying, so what if you had a spiritpanion? How many attacks can she guard against me?"


    In her words, countless mana orbs appeared surrounding her.


    "Oh heavens¡­" The other knights eximed as they saw that these mana orbs all appeared ready to attack the mysterious figure fighting with them.


    "How will she be able to guard with that?" They could not help but worriedly ask.


    Kayden and Mishael looked at Eli with the same level of worry. They wanted to rush forward to help her, but they were still upied with the Lieutenants keeping them in check.


    It seems that the moment Eli appeared, the Lieutenants also made it so that they couldn''te to Eli and help her deal with Rachana.


    "Now, let''s see if you can avoid all of this." Rachana smiled and controlled all the mana orbs to target Eli and Wisey.


    "Wisey," Eli called out.


    "Let''s go!" Wisey answered.


    Then Wisey flew back to Eli''s shoulders and disappeared, seemingly disappearing. Then the next moment, Wisey''s barrier appeared to cover Eli''s entire body in a cube.


    While the mana orbs wereing Eli''s way, she did not move and just uttered, "Expand!"


    Shiuuuu!


    Instantly, the cube barrier that originally only covered her body then at her words the cube expanded by several meters.


    It did not wait for the mana orbs to arrive but instead, the cube expanded until they were all dissolved.


    "Eli-chan, if we keep this up, you''ll be exhausted," Wisey told Eli mentally.


    "I know¡­ she is not an easy opponent and also more experienced. Let''s go all out and do not drag this out anymore." Eli responded. "Baobao, I need you to lend me your powers again, Wisey, I need your agility."


    "Alright, count on us Eli-chan!" Wisey responded.


    "Sure, master!" Baobao also responded.


    Then immediately raised her staff and shook the bells on top of it.


    Rachana was shocked about the power of Eli, especially on how the barrier was easily able to deal with her orbs and so she became extremely vignt.


    It also intensified when she saw that Eli stopped and used her weapon in a different way. She knew that Eli was up to something and so she decided to no longer test the waters and go all out as well.


    "Beasts!" She shouted, in an instant, ten cursed puppets that were several times evenrger than the curse puppets Kayden saw in theboratories appeared at once.


    They charged at the barrier while Rachana also went forward to strike the barrier using her strongest move.


    "Puff!" Eli did not expect such a sudden move and could not help but vomit a mouthful of blood.


    The attack of the ten curse puppets with the strength of A-ss mages and Rachana who contained both the curse and the asani power is not something she could bear alone.


    "Master!"


    "Eli-chan, hang in there!"


    Wisey and Baobao shouted in worry as they knew the impact of the damage in Eli''s body.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "!!!" Kayden used every bit of his self-control not to shout Eli''s real name nor call him sister in front of the enemies, but his panic waspletely evident on his face as he was also unable to see that the Lieutenant was attacking him on a blind spot.


    "Dr. Kayden! Watch out!" The soldiers immediately warned Kayden, making him move to dodge the Lieutenant''s attack.


    Unfortunately, the Lieutenant attacked him from an angle that is extremely tricky and so Kayden was not able to avoid the attack which caused him to have a severe wound in the shoulders.


    "Tsk¡­ tsk.. Young man, you cannot be concerned about other people when you are at war. The enemies won''t wait for you!" The Lieutenant swung his sword and the drops of blood from Kayden''s bodynded on the ground.


    Kayden did not respond but instead used another potion to trick the lieutenant to force him to stand back. The poison around him really annoys the lieutenant but he med his luck on having to face such a troublesome enemy.


    With the distance his move created, Kayden immediately took medicine to stop the bleeding on his wounds and to heal his body. Though his healing potion is really effective, the wound was deep, and was even afflicted with curse power and so the process of healing is slower.


    Even so, he did not think about it much and decided to deal with the Lieutenant fast.


    Meanwhile, Rachana managed to see Eli''s situation as the stain of blood seeped through her mask down to her white garment. She got excited and continued to attack.


    "I''m fine¡­" Eli said, but her body was already trembling in pain as she was dividing her focus into maintaining the barrier and channeling her consciousness to the spiritual realm.


    Eli closed her eyes and begged the heavens once again.


    She knew how difficult her opponent was. Even when she already did a lot of training,pared to Rachana who was born and raised to be a fighter, she could neverpare.


    She realized that even if she was ''gifted'' as the pdin, she still could not make it if she tried to do everything on her own.


    In her heart, she was saying this prayer with the deepest sincerity:


    "Dear Great One, my Father in Heaven¡­


    I know now my shorings and my limits.


    I humbly ask you to show mercy on me and forgive my arrogance¡­


    For I know now that you are the source of everything I have.


    From my gifts to this life of mine,


    To my child, Johann, my love Leon and my family.


    Even this mission and responsibility came from you as well.


    And so I surrender all my pride and ns¡­


    I cannot do anything if I do it alone.


    Please look upon me and take over!"


    Unlike the prayers she had made before, there were no changes that could be seen outside after she prayed.


    Instead, from her consciousness, Eli could see that her soul was being rained down by light, lifting up her spirit and strengthening her soul.


    As it touched her, it felt like a burning fire that kept her mind running and her body alive. Though it was raging, it wasfortable for Eli.


    The next moment, she felt a newfound energying forth from her spirit, and all the pain she felt, including the heaviness from the relentless attacks of Rachana and her curse puppets suddenly faded away.


    When she opened her eyes, her dark midnight eyes lit up with a golden fire at the center of her pupils.


    "Thank you, Great One, for hearing my prayers." She smiled as she looked at Rachana, facing her with newfound courage.


    Courage noting from the confidence she had for herself, nor the power and talents she possessed.


    But courage because she knew that the One who gave it all to her had been with her the whole time!

 Chapter 567 Trigger

    Eli charged towards Rachana with the staff glowing with white rays on it, circting like they were little stars.


    She swung it with all her might toward Rachana who was also facing her attack head-on.


    Their weapons shed once more and the impact of their fight made the ground and the sea rumble.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Attack after attack, Eli felt that her body was lighter.


    Her senses and reflexes were enhanced multiple times the more she moved her body.


    She did not even need to think about how she would move nor how she would counterattack Rachana''s strike. It was like her body had something guiding her on how to fight!


    ''What''s happening? Why did her moves suddenly change?!''


    Purely in shock, Rachana could not help but panic and wonder when she battled with Eli.


    It feels like she was battling with a different person at the moment. Someone who is unpredictable, expert, and dangerous.


    "How could this be?" She could not help but mumble.


    Then she retreated for a while and controlled her puppets to be more aggressive in the fight. That is so that she could observe more of Eli''s moves.


    Roar!


    The curse puppets surrounded Eli. These beasts looked like giants targeting a child when Eli was trapped in their midst.


    "Let me see how you survive with them attacking you all at once!" Rachana shouted as she knew that Eli was no longer having the sturdy barricade that she used earlier.


    Eli did not even falter and faced the puppets calmly.


    With her heightened senses, she could feel who would be the first beast to reach her, then she immediately dodged.


    Then she shed on another cursed beast and struck it with her staff.


    Bang!


    Arooooo!!!


    The beast howled in agony as it felt like it was being crushed by a gigantic mountain. The impact of Eli''s attack made it buried several meters on the ground.


    Then Eli shed again on another one and swung her staff.


    Swooosh! Boom!


    The next moment, the cursed beast was beheaded and its body copsed on the ground.


    Silence¡­


    Every eye on the battlefield witnessed that moment when Eli beheaded the gigantic beast and was immediately stunned.


    Especially the few troops from the Seirende Empire. That is because her way of beheading the cursed beast was greatly simr to the manner in which Leon killed one as well.


    In contrast, the troops from the enemy side, even the Lieutenants had a fearful expressions. That is because they knew how formidable the cursed beast was and none of them were confident to defeat one alone!


    But then, the seemingly petite, inexperienced Pdin managed to take out two of them at once!


    "D*mn!" Rachana cursed as she felt a great sense of rm. The enemy''s ability had already repeatedly gone beyond her expectation.


    She no longer dared to y nor test the waters. The opponent in front of her would be able to kill her if she did not pay attention!


    She clenched her fist and no longer stood by.


    This time she charged while blending with the remaining crowd of Cursed beasts,pletely using them as her shield and concealment.


    Another terrifying exchange of blows and attacks ensued.


    It disturbed the battlefield so much that the Lieutenants started to stop their troops from retreating.


    "We don''t mind the enemy if they would be caught in the crossfire, but for us, we still have a lot of battles to do after this, so save your lives and retreat to the coast!" They announced.


    With their announcement, the troops from the Vanderford and main temple started to retreat.


    "Men, do not let them escape! The more we eliminate, the more we would help another ally!" Gabriel saw through the ns of the enemies and immediately caught the attention of the rest.


    "Charge! Chase them! Do not let them escape!" They shouted.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now they chased after the soldiers from the enemy side and eliminated those who could be taken down by their attack range.


    The people from the Green Wave continent supported them in terms of mobility.


    On the battlefield, Eli''s sweat has been rolling all over her body as she followed the guidance from heaven to fight and deal with multiple enemies.


    sh! Bang!


    Eli faced the attacks head-on while Wisey watched her back. Along the way, the voices in her head reminded her of the moves she had to make in that specific situation.


    "Find your center of gravity and transfer your weight on your left foot so that you could propel forward faster!" That was the voice of Joab during the time when she was still sparring in her training days.


    "Do not be conscious of the blindspots, instead loosen up your muscles so that you could be flexible enough to dodge an awkward attack!" Keren''s voice reminded in her mind.


    "That''s it, allow your spiritual powers to rule your body and even your mana! Do not resist how it was flowing into your body, visualize it as an electric current powering your every move!"


    Even High Priest Enoch''s advice reyed in her mind like they were coaching her as she fought with the cursed beast and Rachana.


    "Eli, imagine your weapon not only as an extension of your body but of your mind. Visualize what you want your weapon to do with your enemy, then move¡­ you''ll be surprised by what your mind can do!" Finally, it was Leon''s reminders that rang in her mind.


    Her eyes flickered, how many days has it been since she forced herself to stop thinking about her deep longing for Leon and Little Han?


    Now, she was facing one of the main enemies that hinders her from staying beside the two of her most beloved people in the world.


    ''Visualize what your weapon can do in your mind¡­'' Leon''s voice lingered in her ears.


    Eli looked around and saw the six remaining curse beasts and the ever-cunning Rachana surrounding her and giving her decisive blows.


    Of course, she could not dodge all of it and was also quite injured already, but her deep focus kept her from copsing.


    ''I want my weapon to do¡­'' She thought in her mind and imagined how all of the cursed beasts would fall to the ground lifeless at the strike of her staff, while Rachana kneel in defeat.


    ''I want all these hindrances to finally be defeated, so I could be a step nearer to my dream to see Leon and Little Han again!'' Eli dered in her heart as she simultaneously lifted her staff and struck it on the ground.


    "Aaaaghh!!! Go and perish!" Eli shouted with all her might as she struck the ground following the image in her mind.


    Ding¡­ Ding! Rumble!!!!


    The bells on her staff rang loudly. As it touched the earth, the ground shook and the cracks appeared and grew until it reached the spot where the cursed beast and Rachana stood, but it did not stop, it also targeted those enemies onnd.


    The troops on Eli''s side quickly saw the situation and rescued theirrades who were not alert enough to see the changes in the surroundings.


    In an instant, the entire holy ind''s ground seemingly cracked and appeared to have swallowed the enemies in it, including the cursed beast.


    "Arrooo!!!" The cursed beast stomped their feet and resisted with all their might, but the ground seemed to have be a hungry monster and opened up and ate them all.


    Rachana was also not expecting this phenomenon. However, since she reacted faster, she was able to jump on time¡­but at the cost of breaking her right leg.


    Now she hovered in the air, circting thest bit of her curse power to try to regenerate her amputated foot!


    ''Not good!'' She told herself as she looked around and saw that it was only her and her unfortunaterades who were still struggling to get out of the cracked ground and prevented themselves from falling into the dark abyss.


    Her cursed power is also running out, as she used humongous amounts earlier to break the barrier and summon ten cursed beasts at once.


    She is running out of options, and Rachana could no longer think of anything to retaliate for other than to find people to ''feed'' her power with.


    She looked around and saw herrades running far and their enemies running after.


    ''Equally strong people, they will work¡­ all of them shall be sacrificed¡­''


    However, she could no longer go that far because her curse power was slow to restore her leg.


    ''How to do it¡­'' She thought fast and thought of many ways to use all of the people around her, enemy or not as her food.


    Then her eyes suddenly caught on to something unusual on the ground.


    ¨C


    In the mountains between the capital and the way towards the coastal territory, Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak have been rushing to catch up with the troops fighting on the holy ind.


    But before they arrived on the mountain, both of them felt something and stopped. Then they looked in the direction straight ahead before staring at each other with triumph on their faces.


    "Rachana has seeded!" Pope Ramir excitedly said!

 Chapter 568 Breaking The Stalemate

    "We should hurry up, we will be able to catch them on time." Emperor Razak whose face has been tense ever since they were forced to make a move personally finally rxed.


    In his mind, at least his troops and Rachana did not fail them this time around.


    "Let''s go then¡­" The Pope headed over and rushed as well.


    The morning is about toe and so with a new enemy.


    But none on the ind knew that the Pope and the Emperor wereing. All they knew was the battle between Eli and Rachana was reaching its peak at the moment.


    Rachana discovered that the altars had revealed themselves and could not help but smile.


    "Who might have known that it is still intact?" She thought but in her heart, she was already rejoicing because the presence of the altars would surely turn the tables in her favor.


    Seeing Eli busy holding the cursed beast with her grand move, Rachana thought that this would be the perfect chance to use the altars.


    And so she immediately flew to the centermost altar and shed her wrist, "Come and obey me!" She shouted.


    Her figure dashed forward and the drop of her blood was ready to be smeared to the offering bowl as well. The altar seemed to also have sensed her presence and all of them immediately glowed as if hungry for sacrifices.


    "Eli chan! The fake Pdin is going after the altars!" Wisey noticed Rachana''s move and immediately warned Eli.


    Eli moved and chased after Rachana, their bodies bumping into each other.


    "F*ck" Rachana could not help but curse as she saw that she missed the chance to go near the altar.


    But Eli no longer wanted to let her go and so she could only struggle to fight until she had the chance to approach the altar once again.


    In an instant, the fight became a closebat fight as they intensely went for each other''s throats. Rachana had a weak bnce because her leg is yet to fully recover but that did not decrease her ferociousness and instincts in a battle.


    "I, Rachana, will not allow myself to be defeated by someone like you!" Rachana congealed her remaining mana and threw her fist to attack Eli.


    "I will not allow someone like you to spread terror to the innocent as well¡­" Eli replied while she used the staff to counter the other party''s blow.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The next moment, Eli clenched her fist tightly as well and turned her staff to hit Rachana at the other end.


    The move was so swift, and adding to Rachana''s current injury, she was hit directly.


    "Tsk¡­" Rachana felt the pain in her body as she was uncontrobly thrown several meters away from her original position.


    The loss of curse energy really affected her performance in the battle and so she was getting more and more desperate for a replenishment.


    Fortunately for her, there were several fallen men around, they were from the Vanderford''s troops and their lives were already hanging by a thread.


    "Give your life essence to me!" She said as she used her powers and directly sucked the life essence of these men.


    Dark purple veins appeared on her body as the life essence flowed in her body like a fountain.


    "That''s it¡­ give me more¡­" Rachana said with a satisfied smile.


    Eli''s face darkened as she realized what Rachana did in a span of a second. "Despicable!" She said as she saw how Rachana did not even hesitate to ''eat'' the lives of her own allies.


    "Let''s give her no chance, Eli!" Wisey said and the two moved at once.


    Wisey used several wind-de attacks to disrupt Rachana while Eli charged forward.


    Rachana saw them move but was unbothered. She made sure to get thest bit of life essence to the people around her even ignoring the attacksing from their side before she moved.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the end, the poor fallen men had their bodies dried up to the bones, their eyes staring at Rachana wide-eyed and in disbelief.


    The Lieutenant and the other officers from her troops did not react adversely to her choices, because just like her, their powers share the same nature. If there would be a time that they needed to replenish, they would also not hesitate to use their own men to save their lives.


    This extremely made Abaddon and the rest ufortable. Such a twisted way of thinking, and they could not help but be shocked about it.


    "Even if you replenish everything, your powers are limited." Eli looked at Rachana who had a smug look on her face.


    "What do you know? Besides, it is not only this power that I can use!" Rachana talked back.


    Then at her words, she used her power once again but this time it has the asani power covering her more. "This is the true nature of my power¡­ Look¡­ even if curse power won''t work on you, would this power not work on you as well? How would it make you feel to be hurt by the power of the guardian who was supposed to be on your side as well?" Rachana mocked Eli.


    "You have already used it earlier¡­ Am I still not standing in front of you even so?" Eli asked.


    "That is because I did not use it intently as well! If I had known, I would have used it earlier than now!" Rachana was greatly vexed by Eli''s question and was deeply insulted. She did not want the feeling of her mistakes being pointed out at the moment.


    "Regardless¡­ This is where you stop." Eli looked at Rachana who never showed remorse for her actions.


    "It is you who will die at this very moment! After you die, next to die is that investigator Eli, then the Third Prince of the Seirende will be mine!" Rachana dered as she admitted that it was her and ''Eli'' whom she greatly abhors at the moment.


    Eli felt ufortable with someone saying that they wanted to take away her fiance but she remained calm. If she loses her cool, then not only will Rachana suspect something, but it might also cause her to be defeated at the moment.


    In the end, she also prepared for her attack and met Rachana''s attack. The glowing gold and white wisps of power swirled on her hand and it congealed into a bright mana orb.


    The orb did not look formidable aspared to Rachana''s, instead, it was more of a gentle flow of mana dancing on her palms like it was swimming in the water.


    Since Rachana wants to end this in one blow, then she will do it as well.


    "This is your death¡­ weak pdin!" Rachana dered.


    The two rushed against each other and released their powers. In the dark skies, the sh of the two mana balls caused it to brighten in a moment.


    Just as this happened, Emperor Razak and the Pope saw the scene because they managed to traverse the mountain range that separates them from the coast.


    When they saw the two kinds of power sh, they could not help but frown as they did not expect that they would still see someone retaliate against their forces.


    When they felt earlier that the altars had been awakened they thought that Rachana was able to defeat all the invaders of the holy ind. But looking at the scene, it seems like it was far from over.


    "I''ll go and see the situation." The Pope stepped forward and was about to approach the battlefield but Emperor Razak immediately stopped him.


    "Don''t be hasty¡­ it won''t be toote to interver on if we are already this near to the battlefield. Besides, we expanded a lot of mana to catch up with them¡­ these old bones are tired." Emperor Razak said.


    Pope Ramir also got what Emperor Razak said and it was true that they were not in the best condition. And so with his persuasion, he also remained in the mountain and watched as he tried to rest for a while.


    However, their expressions suddenly changed when they saw that the dark-colored power was slowly being pushed by the gently white and gold power. And from their standpoint, Rachana was being pushed back as well.


    "Argggg!" Rachana gritted her teeth as she tried to resist the overwhelming power of Eli''s attack.


    But she could already feel that she was about to lose as the light around drowned herpletely.


    Boom!!!


    Finally, the sh reached its peak and Rachana waspletely surrounded by the bright and golden power, burning her skin rapidly.


    "This is not good!!! We have to rescue her!" Pope Ramir eximed when he saw the situation. "We cannot afford to lose another vessel or else¡­"


    "Say no more, let''s go!!!" Emperor Razak also knew what it meant if Rachana died, and so even if they were tired, they had to do what they had to do.

 Chapter 569 Two Joined The Fight

    Rescuing Rachana not only allows them to avoid the wrath of Lord Raven. As the best vessel made by the Spectre so far, she would soon contain and merge with Birsha''s spirit should Lord Raven''s earthly body finally die.


    Although most of the people thought that the ''vessels'' were actually people who had a fragment of spirit within them, the real vessels were actually Lord Raven''s future bodies.


    All the people who were called ''vessels'' had the spirit fragment with them. That is because the Spectre was trying to ascertain and condition their bodies to be the spare bodies of Lord Raven.


    Some of them wouldpletely absorb the spirit fragment, while others would just remain stagnant, at most they could only manifest stronger curse power than curse users without a spirit fragment.


    Those who were sessful to meld the fragment into their own spirits would be the future vessels of Lord Raven, who was the first man who had ever sessfully united with the full spirit of Birsha.


    Birsha is he and he is Birsha.


    From the first generation until now, Lord Raven had already used ten generations of vessels.


    Now that his body was nearly in its perishing state again, Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak knew that they could not afford to lose another true vessel, Rachana.


    "Do you regret that you did notplete the ritual of the vessels before you sent Rachana to this ce?" As they dashed, Emperor Razak asked Pope Ramir.


    "Kind of¡­ but in my mind, Rachana should have given birth to a worthy offspring with the Seirende Bloodline first before she entered the ritual." Pope Ramir replied with a serious tone.


    "I should have let Ranonplete his ritual before he was sent to war. If he had, then he could not have died that easily¡­" Emperor Razak mumbled softly.


    Pope Ramir looked at the Emperor and was sympathetic. Crown Prince Ranon''s death waspletely out of their expectations. It was so fast that they did not even have the time to react before knowing that he was already on the brink of death.


    In the end, they could only watch him die in front of the entire Prasinos as the first person to fall from their side during the war.


    "Let''s not make it happen again." Pope Ramir replied. This is the only thing that he could say in response to Emperor Razak''s words.


    The Emperor of the Vanderford Empire did not say anything more but immediately dashed toward the holy ind at full speed.


    On the battlefield, rubble and dust covered the entire area and no one could see the situation between Eli and Rachana at the moment.


    And so Abaddon, Gabriel, Mishael, and the rest could only do their best to take out the enemies trying to escape.


    However, just as they were doing that, they sensed a strong presenceing over toward them fast.


    "Someone ising!" The dragons shouted and saw the Pope and the Emperor right away.


    "It''s the Pope and the Emperor!" They immediately shuddered but then they still did not forget to warn and face them in an attempt to stop them.


    But Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak both had powerparable to the Chief Dragon so they could only stall them for a few seconds.


    Boom! Boom!


    A one-sided fight ensued as the rest of the allies also joined to stop the two from approaching.


    "We cannot let them go near the ind!" They shouted as they struggled to dy them.


    The three temple knight captains also moved forward and helped with the stalling, while they hoped that Eli could finish the fight on her own.


    "Get out of our way!" Pope Ramir only swiped his hands and saw that the soldiers were thrown into the sea violently.


    "You lot! Why are you retreating cowardly?! Kill those who were thrown away!! Make sure that they do not evere back and pester us in the fight!" On the other hand, Emperor Razak looked at his soldiers and bellowed in anger.


    The soldiers heard their emperor and started to chase after the injured soldier who tried to dy the two.


    Now that the tables have turned, it is now their turn to chase those who were chasing after them earlier.


    With the presence of the two, the stalemate was again broken in favor of those from the Spectre.


    Despair came to those soldiers who watched their captains getting easily defeated by the Pope and the Emperor.


    Now the mysterious pdin was still upied with the fight against Rachana, then another two stronger beings.


    Who could go against them now?!


    "We are really doomed¡­" They mumbled but they still clenched their swords unwilling to die without killing another enemy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Brothers! Let''s struggle onest time! One enemy killed is one burden taken away to those who survived!" They shouted as they brandished their swords and fought to the death.


    "Cough! Cough! Urgg.." As the rubble settled down, Eli saw Rachana''s sorry state. Her skin was badly burned and her armor was utterly broken.


    She was half kneeling on the ground while holding her left hand which waspletely limp as the white bones showed how badly she was hit by the shing of power. Her eyes looked at Eli with hatred.


    If she had more strength, she would have stretched out her hand and torn away the mask covering her face so that she could see who her opponent really is.


    That is herst wish before her final moments!


    She could not die not seeing the face of the abominable person who stood in her way!


    Eli no longer said anything but immediately looked her eyes at Rachana and dashed forward.


    She knew that there was an enemying on their way as their presence was already detected by Baobao beforehand.


    She had to kill Rachana before they reached her position and stop herpletely.


    Using her sh step and the strength from Baobao, she dashed to strike Rachana''s heart. Her speed was really scary as she didn''t even hesitate a single second the moment she found Rachana''s location.


    "Don''t you think about it!" At a distance, Pope Ramir saw that Eli was about to deal a fatal blow to Rachana and so he immediately used his curse power on his entire body.


    Then he shot an extremely fast purple light ray at Eli who was fast approaching Rachana.


    Bang!


    It was a direct hit!


    "No!!!!!" Kayden and Mishael saw the scene and shouted in despair. They used every strength in their body to move forward but then they were too injured to even catch up.


    Then Emperor Razak and Pope Ramir ignored the soldiers attempting to dy them and moved toward Eli and Rachana''s location.


    "You shall not go near her!" Prince Nalu and the rest used their might to stop Emperor Razak and Pope Ramir.


    They were all using their strongest powers to stop them from attacking Eli and rescuing Rachana.


    "Get away from me you filthy roaches!" Emperor Razak let out arge amount of aura in his body which became a sonic wave deafening everyone and pushing them far away with grave injuries on their bodies.


    Seeing that no one is near them anymore, the two shed and moved forward. Pope Ramir stretched out his hand with his nails colored dark purple. Although he would still not locate his target because of the thick rubble and dust, he could already sense her approximate location.


    He signaled Emperor Razak and they both advanced in that direction.


    "You shall not go near!" Baobao and Wisey, along with the hundred earth fairies materialized and blocked their way.


    Thousands of vines sprung on their feet and tried to firmly lock them in ce, the earth fairies used all their powers of the earth to stop the Pope and the Emperor from moving.


    Baobao and Wisey also took offense and started to attack Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak aggressively.


    "Such pests!" Pope Ramir was already fed up with the constant and futile attempts of the enemy to stop them and so he conjured a bright purple me to burn all the vines around him and the Emperor.


    Once they were free, they immediately targeted Wisey and Baobao with their curse power which is actually more potent than that of Rachana''s.


    Bang! Boom!


    Simultaneous attacks were released against the two contracted beasts and were directly hit.


    However, Wisey and Baobao stood their ground. Although they were injured, Baobao had arge wound on his belly, and Wisey with her body appears to have faded a lot, they were still standing on their ground unmoving.


    Eli, who was utterly injured and prone on the ground, looked at Baobao and Wisey''s unmoving figures with her blurry vision.


    She immediately stood up and faced the enemy with Baobao and Wisey.


    If it entails her facing these two people alone then so be it¡­


    She had no ns to die on this battlefield and leave Leon and Little Han alone!

 Chapter 570 Revealed!!!

    "So that is the person the oracle was talking about..."


    Emperor Razak looked at Eli''s blurry figure behind the dust and rubble, still not realizing that with her was the famed Panda contracted beast.


    The Pope, on the other hand, went straight to take Rachana''s body and used his powers to heal her critical wounds.


    His face darkened the moment he realized how severe her injury was.


    "This kind of injury can only be inflicted by those who were blessed by the guardians..." He frowned as he could not help but remember the true Pdin whom they briefly encountered in the Mellenberg territory.


    Wondering who she really was, Pope Ramir looked at Eli whose figure slowly became clearer.


    His eyes dted in shock as he finally saw half of Eli''s face, because the mask which had been protecting her, the staff, and the cloak which was given to her by thete High Priest was already destroyed in protecting her from his ruthless attack.


    "ck hair, obsidian eyes... Asani!"


    He shouted in disbelief as his body shuddered in excitement, anger, and frustration. "You are a real, full-blooded asani!"


    Pope Ramir''s voice was heard by everyone as he used mana in his voice as well.


    Therefore, everyone on the battlefield finally realized the face under the mask of the mysterious being that has been fighting against Rachana.


    Eli tried her best to stand up straight, holding her broken staff intently. As if on cue, the moment the people''s eyesid on her, the mask finally crumbled like powder, revealing her face.


    Although part of her face was covered with blood, the striking aura she naturally had could not be concealed.


    Somehow, the moment the allied forces saw Baobao, they immediately knew that it was Eli who was fighting all along.


    But they were shocked to hear Pope Ramir''s words when he told them that ELi was an asani.


    The others had been seeing Eli with her ck hair as they thought that she was also one of the women who wanted to dye her hair ck every now and then.


    So it was a shock to them that it was not because she liked to dye her hair but it was because of her true identity that she had ck hair.


    All along she had been sporting a testament of her true identity only that she was wearing a hazel brown eye color.


    Of course, among all the allied forces, the only people who knew Eli''s real identity were Kayden, Mishael, and Nalu as he belonged to the royalty of the Merfolk race.


    But still, they could not help but be alert and worried when they realized that Eli''s identity was already revealed to all.


    "Y-your majesty! She is none other than the great inventor Eli!" One of the Lieutenants from the enemy side also realized Eli''s identity and immediately shouted to inform Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak.


    "What?!" The two eximed in shock.


    It was already shocking for them to finally realize that the true Pdin was an asani but to know that she had been out in the entire Prasinos as the genius inventor everyone was talking about, they could no longer contain the frustration they had.


    Emperor Razak and Pope Ramir started to feel frustrated and insulted because the one that they wanted to defeat the most was actually making waves of changes in the world.


    She was even openly blocking their ns for Rachana and the Spectre!


    "Passport system... and the extreme block out of the Seirende Empire for undocumented travels..."


    "Various medical and scientific studies..."


    "Contributions on the mechanism of curse power detection and cure potion..."


    "All of which were somehow rted to you... You have been ruining our ns all along!" Emperor Razak raised his index finger and pointed at Eli as he shuddered while shouting.


    "You, whether you are the inventor or the pdin... you have been giving us a headache all along!"


    "You are really the Spectre''s enemy, Asani Eli!" Emperor Razak bellowed as he was shaking all over.


    At once, all the frustrations he experienced upon knowing that their ns to infiltrate the Seirende Empire back then came back to his mind and he was instantly livid.


    Pope Ramir did not react right away as he was weighing his options. Although it was true that Eli was an enemy, her body and abilities were too precious for him.


    When he first knew that she was an asani, he remembered a certain scientist back then who was giving them an anonymous report about his experimentation on what he believed was an asani girl.


    Although they never verified the authenticity of his im, the records that he sent greatly helped them in their own experimentation. In fact, the matter of harvesting the receptors one by one and extracting them from one body to another all came from that madman.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He never believed that what that madman was experimenting with was an asani until about three years ago, when he received a report that an asani was spotted in the Silver Dew forest.


    But after that report, there was no sighting of the asani at all. He was initially interested in it and asked the Ves''s side of the Spectre to initiate the search but who would have thought that months after the first sighting, the ck Hair fashion would rise?


    Now even if they knew that there was an asani that existed, they could not find them easily because many women started to dye their hair ck.


    It would be impossible for them to use a high-powered optical spell for every woman they see to inspect their real eye color as well!


    "The ck hair fashion... it seems like it was also you who caused that to happen, isn''t it?" Pope Ramir stood up while he connected the dots. He made sure that Rachana was recuperating steadily under his protection while he turned his attention to Eli.


    As an inventor, it would not be impossible for Eli to have invented a way for people to dye their hair ck.


    Eli did not answer, instead, she was trying to circte her holy powers and mana to recover.


    Pope Ramir did not need her answer as well, because it was too obvious now that they figured out who she was.


    However, his body froze when he realized something, and immediately he became excited!


    "You... have an offspring! You have a child!" He suddenly eximed as if he was feeling ted.


    Not only did he find an asani, but the asani was able to give birth to another asani! This would be extremely important to Lord Raven''s future as well.


    Eli, Baobao, and Wisey were shocked at Pope Ramir''s words. They could not believe that he was saying these words.


    ''How in the world did he know?!''


    They all panicked.


    Nalu, Mishael, and Kayden panicked as well, but now, they were still too injured to rescue Eli.


    "The report of a pregnant woman with a feature of an asani appeared about three years ago in Argentum. You are tied with the Forgeworns who owned the Argentum... You definitely have a child!"


    Dun! Dun!


    A cold wave of goosebumps drowned Eli as she heard Pope Ramir''s conjunction. How could this be... that careless mistake that time... cost her so much now.


    She felt like she was drowning in the abyss... Now everything was exposed and she had no way to escape this other than to defeat these two people and every enemy in the present at once!


    "Who might be the father then? Could it be the Third Prince as well?" Emperor Razak also chimed in, but the moment they said this, they already knew the answer.


    As the Third Prince''s fiance, a member of the Forgeworn and Farauld, there is no way that Leon would now know and bother about the existence of the child.


    There are two possibilities. One is that the child did not live upon birth, which is impossible knowing that the Forgeowrns and Farauld had good connections, they will not allow the child to die at birth.


    Second was that the child was his, Third Prince Leon''s son!


    "And if the child was his..." Emperor Razak looked at Pope Ramir, their eyes met and they became more excited.


    An asani, a real asani with the blood of the Seirende!


    The child was probably born and existing for more than a year now!


    All along the thing they were trying to achieve has already been done! All they needed was to know where he was.


    "Where is the child!" Pope Ramir looked at Eli greedily and asked.


    Eli did not answer, in fact, she could no longer think straight. Because she was extremely panicking at the moment.


    She no longer knows what to do... Little Han''s existence was exposed!


    Now even if she denied it, the thing was too obvious and she was facing the Pope, who had mind-reading abilities.


    True enough as Eli remained silent, the Pope did not bother hearing her reply and walked forward.


    Baobao and Wisey moved to block him but he just simply waved his hand while saying, "It doesn''t matter. A little peek at your mind will do!"

 Chapter 571 Desperation

    "No!" Eli stepped back but her body was too injured to run away.


    Emperor Razak already knew what Pope Ramir would do so he also charged at Eli and appeared from behind.


    He stretched out his hand, held Eli''s chin from the back fiercely, and her hands secured through with his strong arms.


    Eli panicked and tried to move by using her weight to resist Emperor Razak''s tight grip.


    "Urggh!" She moved her elbows and stomped her feet but to no avail.


    Pope Ramir was already approaching fast and once his hand touched her Little Han would be exposed.


    "You will not touch my sister!!" Kaden exhausted the remaining bit of his mana and conjured a strong wind de attack to stop Pope Ramir.


    Gabriel, Abaddon, and the rest also moved. With Eli''s panicked reaction, they knew that they could not allow Pope Ramir to read her mind.


    And so those who had the strength to send an attack from their position simultaneouslyunched their spells in an attempt to dy Pope Ramir and to buy time for Eli to escape on Emperor Razak''s clutches.


    The bloodied Baobao and weakened Wisey also rushed to separate Emperor Razak from Eli. "Master!"


    "Not a chance!" Emperor Razak smiled and immediately released a strong lighting attack on Eli, Baobao, and Wisey.


    "AAAAAhr!!!" Eli''s body burns as it twitches violently from the electrocution of Emperor Razak!


    Baobao was also severely injured; his originally pure white fur was filled with wounds and blood. Hey on the ground with his face on the ground, along with Wisey. Who''s ethereal body bes more transparent.


    "No!" Kayden was in tears when he saw Eli burned by lightning. As a doctor, he knew how painful it could be.


    To see visibly how her originally fair skin burned to bloody brown, Kayden could not help but clench his fist and crawl to the ground and beg, "Stop¡­ please stop¡­I beg you please¡­"


    But Emperor Razak only smiled. As if he was enjoying the suffering of ELi and the begging of the enemies, he did not stop electrocuting Eli''s body.


    Kayden''s begging and the people''s desperation gave him so much pleasure especially when he knew that these people were on the same side as those who had killed his son, Crown Prince Ranon.


    That time he could only stand on the Vanderford castle, helpless and powerless to do anything to save his son from the clutches of Leon''s attack.


    Now, isn''t the situation the same as what he had experienced before? Not only that, but the person in his hands was also someone whom his son''s murderer deemed as his future wife.


    ''If I kill her fiance right now, would that make the Mad Blood Third Prince crazy in despair? Heh¡­'' Emperor Razak was lost in his own thoughts as he continued torturing Eli.


    In truth, it was not that he deeply loved his son, after all, he had many sons and daughters whom he could choose as heirs.


    It is a matter of his pride. He personally chose Ranon and groomed him to be the most precious son of his lineage. He did not spare as much effort as the others, but he did on Ranon''s end.


    That is because he was hoping that he could immortalize his lineage by having him as the vessel of Lord Raven.


    If he was chosen as a vessel, then the Vanderford would stand at the top of Prasinos forever. But if he did not (because of Rachana) he would still be the most suitable heir for the throne.


    Now that he just died so untimely like that, all of his lifetime''s effort was gone so easily. So, why can he not express his grievance through this chance as well?


    Pope Ramir saw that Emperor Razak was bing more and more immersed in torturing Eli and so he immediately caught his attention and said, "Emperor, you must hold back a little, we still need her alive. Whatever you do, you must not let her precious life and body be totally worthless¡­"


    Emperor Razak''s bloodthirsty eyes flickered. He frowned and showed an unwilling face before he finally stopped his torture.


    Only then did he realize that Eli''s body was already limp and her eyes had already turned white as she was unconscious.


    "Tsk.." He scoffed in disdain as he threw Eli''s limp body in the ground and itnded exactly in front of Pope Ramir.


    "Do what you have to do!" When his source of pleasure was suddenly interrupted, he could no longer bother to entertain Pope Ramir and immediately walked out, picking one of the soldiers from the enemy''s side to start torturing him.


    Pope Ramir could only shake his head. But still, he bent down and stretched out his hand to read Eli''s mind. "Let me look into your mind and see everything in it!"


    He looked at Eli''s defenseless body with an excited smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¨C


    Back in Dragon Ind, Elifas and Calderon were ying with Little Han when thetter suddenly stopped.


    The image of Baobab and Wisey falling to the ground, injured and helpless, shed in his mind.


    Then from Baobao''s red blurry vision, Little Han saw his mother being tortured so violently.


    Plop!


    Little Han''s wooden sword fell to the ground and everyone became silent. They were on the training grounds as Little Han was fond of ying with wooden swords. Lots of dragon folks watched as the adorable two-year-old yed with swords with such a cuddly body.


    "What''s wrong? Is the sword too heavy?" Elifas looked back as he was choosing a suitable wooden sword for himself when he heard Little Han dropping his wooden sword.


    "Ngnnnn¡­" Little Hand stretched his two chubby hands and held his head with pain in his face. Then his body suddenly rolled on the ground as if he was enduring so much. "Uwaaaaaah!!!"


    Everyone was caught off-guard by him and was immediately thrown into panic.


    Calderon ran to their side and carried Little Han checking if he was injured, "What''s the wrong little one? Are you in pain?"


    But Little Han only squirmed while holding his head and let out heartbreaking groans and cries.


    "Elifas, call mother and the Grandmas immediately! Someone call the doctor!" Calderon took Little Han''s body and tried tofort him as much as he could.


    He knew that they could not handle the situation with them alone so he immediately instructed Elifas to call the elders and the others to call the doctor.


    "Boohoo!! Boohoo!" Little Han cried harder as he saw how her mother was tortured by Baobao''s perspective. He could even hear Kayden''s desperate begging in his vision.


    "Mommi!!! Mommi!!! Noooooo!!!" He cried as his eyes were already red in so much tears and pain.


    Fortunately, Calderon was holding his body really well, or else Little Han would surely roll out of his embrace because of how he violently moved by calling out his mother.


    Calderon was immediately in a panic when he heard Little Han''s cries he had a guess that Little Han was either seeing a premonition or he was seeing something bad about his mother.


    He and the rest knew that Little Han was also half a contractor of Baobao and Wisey because they were contracted at the time Eli was carrying him in her womb. That is why he somehow deduced that Little Han might sense that not only Baobao and Wisey are in danger, but his mother as well.


    Calderon looked around and saw a warrior standing on guard for them. He called him and immediately ordered, "Contact Grandpa at once, tell him that something might have happened in the Holy Ind, they have to immediately check the situation¡­ or else¡­"


    The warrior immediately changed his expression and his voice turned solemn, "Understood, young master!" Then he rushed to the office to find a way tomunicate with Grandpa Fafnir, who was in the headquarters along with the other leaders.


    Not long after Sessha, Grandpa Brygid, and the rest arrive. Their hearts ached to see the little adorable child holding his head in pain while curling his body in agony.


    Tears did not stop flowing down his face and his throat was already hoarse when he suddenly called out, "Daddi! Daddi! Save Mommi! Save Mommi pleeze!"


    ¨C


    In the fortress on the Gorge Region of the Deste Wastnds, there was a certain recovery room whose door was heavily guarded.


    "How many days has it been since His Highness Third Prince was in a deep sleep?" The des guarding the door sighed worriedly.


    The war was still at its peak and suddenly they heard about the terrifying face-off between the men on the holy ind and therge army of the Vanderford Empire.


    But before the other de could react, the door of the recovery room was swung open.


    Leon''s pale figure appeared as his eyes were filled with a great sense of panic and danger.


    "Your Highness!" The des immediately bowed and greeted him.


    However, Leon did not notice their surprised faces and immediately mumbled, "Zenith!"


    At his words, a portal of the spatial dimension opened and Leon stepped in without hesitation!

 Chapter 572 Deep In A Void

    "Young man¡­ you have worked hard¡­ It''s a pity that you have be like this¡­"


    In the dark vast space, Leon was hearing the voice of the ancient spirit dragon around him.


    He opened his eyes and saw that he was in a ce so dark. A light ethereal-looking spirit kept hovering around him.


    "Young man, now you will be stuck here¡­ until you find a way to go out¡­ your consciousness will stay here in the nothingness."


    It was then that Leon realized that it was the ancient dragon who was talking to him. He looked around and saw that there was nothing ahead nor behind him, not even on his left and right sides.


    The darkness seemed so endless and not even a gush of the wind blew to let him know that he was still on earth. "This is not the spatial void¡­" Leon looked at the hovering ancient spirit dragon and mumbled.


    "It isn''t¡­The spatial void you know still belongs to the earthly realm¡­ however, this ce doesn''t¡­" The ancient spirit answered.


    "Where is this ce?" Leon frowned, as the master of the Spatial King, he thought that he had already understood the mysteries of the different realms.


    The ancient spirit dragon hovered once again and said, "A realm not belonging to the Spatial Void nor the earth¡­ Not even the guardian realm, nor the heavenly realms¡­"


    Leon was still confused. It was neither the earth nor the heavens, not even the spatial void nor the guardian realms. So what is it?


    "You have been here before¡­" The spirit continued. "Look down and see what was beneath your feet¡­"


    At the ancient spirit dragon''s words, Leon looked down and saw that his feet were in the waters which did not make them wet at all.


    Leon''s eyes shed in realization, this is the same as the realm of paths, one that the open paths could take.


    "You are fortunate¡­ your soul and body did not disintegrate after bearing my full countenance. Your open-path constitution immediately pulled your soul and spirit here so that both of you can recover."


    "Now you only have to find the path out so that you can return to your body which is in a resting state at the moment. That is if you can find the way out in his realm."


    "Young man¡­ I apud you for your sacrifice¡­ I saw your memories, you have a child and a soon-to-be wife¡­ but you did not hesitate to sacrifice yourself even if it entails you being trapped forever in this ce¡­"


    With that being said, the ancient spirit''s voice became fainter as the light spirit also started to be more transparent.


    "Now, young man¡­ I only wish you luck as I am called back to my resting ce¡­"


    "Thank you¡­ senior ancient dragon¡­" Leon bowed as he bade goodbye to the fading presence of the ancient spirit dragon.


    The moment the ancient dragon''s presence disappeared, Leon''s surroundings became pitch dark. He did not think about which way to go and just followed the gentle push of the water-like substance in his feet.


    Clip clop¡­


    There was nothing around, only the sound of Leon''s footsteps. He walked aimlessly, not even knowing when he would reach the end.


    He did not know what time it was nor how long he had been walking forward.


    He did not even know if he had already been walking in circles or if he was just walking on an endless path.


    Woosh!


    Suddenly, a cold shivering wave of breeze swept over his body. It was piercing cold, so much that Leon could feel it seep to the core of his spirit trying to freeze his wandering soul. He was confused and mystified.


    The ancient spirit dragon already told him that he was not in his flesh form, so why would he even feel this frigid sensation?


    Even so, he still continued to walk, not even minding that the more he moved forward, the colder it was ahead.


    "Hahaha!"


    "Teehee!"


    "Poor one¡­ you''ll be stuck here forever¡­"


    As the cold wind blew, Leon started to hear a lot of mocking voices around him. They wereughing at him for being foolish to keep moving forward.


    "You''ll never be able to go back¡­"


    "Hehehe!"


    Theughing and mocking turned to discouragement. But Leon kept a straight face and did not stop walking, his pace gradually became faster and faster.


    The voices seemed to chase him even more as their voices grew louder and louder.


    "Even if you are able to¡­ your body might have long rotten and nourished the ground!"


    "Who knows, they might not even know who you might be!"


    "Give up and just stay!"


    Leon''s face became dark as he finally retaliated, "That won''t happen! My child and my fiance are waiting for me¡­"


    "Those from the earth would long forget you¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "They would move on and live¡­ forgetting you along the way."


    "How tragic!"


    "You don''t know me¡­ and you don''t know them as well!" Leon refused to hear their words and continued moving forward.


    This time, there was a pull from behind, preventing him from stepping forward.


    "You will never get out of here¡­"


    "Yes¡­ you will sumb here and ept your fate!"


    The voices rejoiced gloatingly.


    "N-no¡­" Leon looked forward. He was not seeing anything but he knew there was something ahead, something beyond this darkness.


    ''One more step¡­'' Leon tried his best to take a step forward, but he could no longer lift his leg up to take another step.


    He could even feel countless dark ink-like hands spring out of nowhere and hold his entire body in ce. "N-no!"


    This time, the words of the voices repeated in his head, and the fear started to invade. His ever-frigid eyes showed an obvious sense of panic and fear.


    He could no longer move forward, and the hands of darkness were holding him down. But he could not stay here for long.


    ''Eli and Little Han¡­ They need me¡­ I need them as well¡­''


    ''My parents, my brothers¡­ my friends and family¡­''


    ''My people¡­ they all need one more person to help them get the peace they wanted!''


    ''I still haven''t fulfilled the promise I made in the heavens!''


    ''That night¡­ I knelt to the heavens and asked the Great One to let my child be born¡­''


    ''For three days I asked the heavens to give me permission to marry my love, Eli¡­''


    ''I promised to protect and cherish the two of them¡­''


    "And I am not yet done!" Leon proimed as the fear in his eyes turned into an obsession.


    "Argggh!" Leon resisted the ink-like hands and moved forward. He moved his elbow and then his hands.


    He twisted his upper body and then his leg.


    Slowly he lifted his leg, but the hands stopped him even more!


    Even so, he did not care, he moved forward no matter how hard he was being pulled by the hands.


    "Step forward!" Hemanded his soul to move. The tip of his toe was a few inches away from the solid ground and Leon used everyst bit of his will toplete the step.


    Bang!


    As soon as his footnded on the ground, he heard the sound of something breaking. Then in an instant, the voices and the restrictive hands disappeared like brittle ss.


    Leon''s soul knelt on the ground¡­ even in his ethereal body, he was exhausted and his strength was long gone. But his surroundings changed, and the water-like thing turned out to be mana flow.


    Everything became bright like the night sky filled with stars. Only in front of him was arge tree of light.


    "Young man¡­ you''ve passed." A voiceing from the direction of the tree sounded.


    ''Passed?'' Leon thought but he did not voice out his question. ''What is this ce?''


    "This ce is the End of The Path." The voice answered him.


    "End of the Path? The Open Path¡­" Leon mumbled, immediately connecting the open path constitution as the end of the path.


    "Yes¡­ the ones that those who had the Open-Path''s constitution could pursue. "You passed the test I have given. Now you are worthy to see the End of the Path¡­"


    "But whates of it?" Leon frowned, open path, and S-ss mages were already considered as the epitome of power. He did not see what difference could the End of Path bring to one. Perhaps, it was also because he no longer desired any power stronger than what he had.


    "It is power¡­ but it is also an acknowledgment." The tree replied.


    "I don''t understand¡­" Leon replied. The other party''s words did not make sense, nor he did not see the importance of seeing the End of Path alone.


    "It is an acknowledgment from the heavens, and that you are worthy of their blessings, wielding the power that is, even more, higher than no man in Prasinos had known the SSS realm."


    "SSS realm?" Leon frowned and wanted to ask.


    But before he could do that, he could hear Little Han''s crying voice pleading, "Daddi! Daddi! Save Mommi! Save Mommi pleeze!"

 Chapter 573 Arrival And Escape

    Leon''s eyes shed in shock as his heart started to pound. "Little Han¡­ Eli¡­"


    "Young man, I see that the people you cherish need you. You have defeated the demons in your heart that stopped you from unlocking your potential¡­" The voice of the spirit tree said.


    Then a light orb fell from its branches, like a fruit that ripened. It fell gently in front of Leon and expanded into a portal.


    "Go¡­ do what you need to do. As for the power you obtained at the End of Path, you will experience it right away as you use it intently." The voice said as the light portal widened, beckoning Leon to step in.


    Leon looked at the tree and nodded, then without hesitation, he stepped into the portal. Drowned by the bright light, he felt that his soul was pulled somewhere in a swift manner.


    "Hah!!!" In the end, his body jolted and his eyes opened. He saw the surroundings and the bed he was sleeping on.


    "Where am I?" His eyes shed in confusion as he pulled his body up. He quickly found the door and realized that the des were guarding the ce when he opened it.


    He suddenly thought that he waspletely far from where Eli and Little Han were and so his eyes shed in panic and immediately summoned Zenith.


    "Zenith!" At his word, the portal opened and he immediately stepped into the spatial void.


    "Yes, master!" Zenith knew that his master had something urgent so he quickly showed himself and called Leon.


    "Take me to where Eli is!" He said in a hurry.


    "Right away, Master!" Zenith knew that there was danger on his master''s future wife''s side but because his favor for Eli had already been used up, he could no longer intervene.


    After all, even though he was bound in a contract with Leon, the requirements to summon him as the Spatial king are immensely high.


    Every time he manifested outside, he would take a lot of mana from Leon''s body. If he went out once more, he was afraid that he wouldpletely take away the chance for Leon to recover earlier.


    But now that his master is awake, he no longer hesitated and opened a portal for Leon directly connecting him to Eli.


    Leon stepped out swiftly, and the first thing he saw made his crystal blue eyes almost turn red in anger.


    "Atrocious!" He bellowed as he quickly shed and threw a punch toward the figure who was about to touch Eli''s body.


    Bang!!!


    The battlefield suddenly became silent. Just a second ago, one side was in total despair and another side was gloating, seeing victory as absolute.


    But they were suddenly disturbed by the image of the Pope receiving a punch from someone who was still covered with a mysterious light.


    Finally, Leon''s figure waspletely revealed to everyone. His eyes and countenance were full of an oppressing aura that made the enemies shudder.


    "T-the Blood prince¡­" The soldiers of the Vanderford uttered in disbelief.


    How could the Mad Dog Blood Prince appear in this ce out of nowhere?! They could not help but wonder.


    However, what baffles them the most was how he was able tond a punch on Pope Ramir that easily.


    They looked at the small crater a few meters away from the spot he was originally in. The Pope''s figure was still not appearing and so they weren''t sure if he was fine or if he took serious damage from Leon''s sudden attack.


    "Seirende spawn!" Emperor Razak saw Leon and was suddenly triggered.


    He immediately used his lightning powers to sh directly in front of him and conjured a strong mana to attack him, "Even if you are an S-ss¡­ you are still no match for me!"


    Then he twisted his body and moved, the lightning ball flying directly into Leon''s face.


    p!


    Leon did not even move his foot, he just lifted his hands and pped away the lightning ball that was blocking his vision and immediately stretched out his other hand to hold Emperor Razak''s neck.


    Seeing Leon''s move, Emperor Razak''s expression changed and he immediately stepped a few meters back. When he sessfully avoided Leon''s hand, he could still fill the cold lingering on the surface of his neck.


    "D*mn!" He could not help but curse. ''Did I just see myself being strangled by him earlier? Was it just an illusion?!''


    Emperor Razak became more vignt, it seems that he underestimated Leon, the war-crazy prince of the Seirende Empire.


    Leon recognized Emperor Razak and his power came to his attention. In a second of pondering, his eyes darkened and he dered dangerously, "You are the one who hurt her¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So what if it was me?" Emperor Razak was not intimidated and even smiled provocatively.


    Leon did not say anything, but he took a look at Eli''s charred body carefully, afraid that she would be implicated in the fight.


    He looked around and saw Kayden''s tragic state, then the other captains, then Baobao and Wisey. He finally understood the situation, but he still stayed silent.


    For him, the first thing to do was to ensure Eli was healed and out of danger.


    "Zenith¡­" Leon called once again.


    At his word, a portal opened and responded to Leon''s summon. "Yes, master." He answered mentally.


    "Take the allies away from here¡­ send them to a safe ce. Leave no one from our side behind." Leon ordered Zenith mentally.


    "Master¡­ with the master''s future wife''s condition, she might not be able to withstand the fluctuations of the spatial void¡­ It might bring her more harm than good." Zenith informed Leon worriedly.


    Eli''s state is even worse than when he first found Elise in the dungeon of the mad doctor before.


    Every part of her body was charred and bloodied. The electric current used to her has made all her receptors unable to function and every cell in her skin burst.


    Even Leon knew that if he carried Eli or touched her slightly, it would bring so much damage and harm to her. That is why he first thought of having Zenith take her away.


    But now, he couldn''t. Eli had to stay here on the dangerous battlefield if he wanted her to have more chances of recovery.


    "I understand." Leon nodded, "Just take the others away to safety."


    "Alright, master." Zenith then snapped his hands. Instantly, numerous array circles appeared on every member of the allied forces as Zenith prepared to transport them to a safe ce.


    "N-no¡­ Leon¡­ I have to say¡­ Eli.. my sister¡­" Kayden immediately understood the meaning of the array circles and immediately looked at Leon to quickly plead.


    "Let me stay¡­ Eli''s condition¡­" Kayden struggled to open his mouth and speak, however, he was too injured to even lift his head.


    "I''ll guard her previously¡­ just allow Zenith to bring you to a ce. If you are able to recover then you can ask him to let you back¡­" Leon knew that Kayden could also help Eli, but he also knew that Kayden needed help himself.


    "Zenith, I trust you to bring them to the best ce where they can receive help and be safe." Leon had no idea where their allies were stationed at the moment. So he had Zenith decide where to transport them,


    "Yes, master!" Zenith answered and quickly activated the array circles to take everyone away.


    Emperor Razak finally understood the meaning of the array, and so he hurriedly shouted, "Quick! Stop them!"


    However, Zenith was fast! He did not need to charge his mana toplete Leon''s orders. Before the enemies could even raise their swords, the knights from the allied forces all disappeared.


    They were immediately sent to the nearby ind where they also sent the other refugees including Kayden''s parents.


    "Goodness! What happened?!" The elders in charge of taking care of the refugees immediately saw an injured army appear out of nowhere and panicked.


    "Quick! Call for the medics and healers! We need to help them as soon as possible!"


    And so they swarmed to take care of the army immediately from the knights with the most serious injury to the superficial ones, the refugees and the rest worked together to heal them immediately.


    One pair of refugees, looking thin and frail, looked at a sorry figure among the crowd of injured knights.


    "Kayden!"


    "Son!"


    Cornelius and Yelena immediately rushed to his side in a fit of panic. During the days before the incident, they knew that the people who discovered them were Kayden, their son, and Eli.


    They immediately took him, Cornelius immediately examined his injuries, while Yelena used a gentle stream of mana to protect Kayden''s vital organs.


    "What happened¡­" Cornelius saw the despair and the dampness in Kayden''s face.


    Even though he did not interact with Kayden for years now, his instincts as a father knew that Kayden was more hurt emotionally than physically.


    "Dad¡­ Mom¡­ I was not able to protect her¡­ my sister¡­ she¡­" Kayden''s eyes shuddered once more, as tears fell to his green eyes uncontrobly.

 Chapter 574 The Battle Continues (1)

    Cornelius and Yelena looked at each other deeply broken.


    When they first saw Kayden, they knew that he was a man of confidence and unbelievable achievements. They even heard from the others that in both his personas as Kayden and Einz, he brought countless amounts of contributions in the medical field and dealing with the curse power.


    Now, Kayden was simply broken and dejected, having failed to do what he wanted.


    How could they have imagined how he felt, when he saw in his own eyes, his sister Eli tortured beyond recognition?


    In his mind, once again, he had failed both his sisters. He did not know when Elise died back then and did not even have the chance to help her when she was in danger.


    Now he was clearly watching Eli in danger, but he could not do anything, no matter what kind of trick he did.


    It was a devastating blow to him, someone who took the initiative to care for Eli as not only his sword sister but really as a sibling through their ties with the Asanis.


    Cornelius recognized the deep emotion in his son''s crying eyes. Kayden was bawling like a child, yet they did not mock him for doing so.


    Instead, he ced his palm on Kayden''s forehead, then gently wiped down his son''s tears. "Nothing will happen to her, Son. I assure you¡­ I know that you have done well and do your best to protect her. But this time, ept that it is not your ce to save her, nor mine nor anyone, but the heavens themselves."


    "So, rest your case and leave it to the heavens to deal with. Eli is someone whom the heavens blessed, they will not forsake her." Cornelius''forting voice slowly calmed Kayden down until he lost consciousness and passed out.


    Cornelius then looked at Yelena and said, "Shall I leave him to you?"


    Yelena looked at Kayden with a conflicted face and said, "I want to see her as much as possible, but my son needed someone with him. I know you know Eli''s bodily constitution best. You are the best person to help her at the moment. I leave her to you, husband."


    Cornelius looked at the struggling Yelena and kissed her forehead, "Don''t worry, she will pull through. I will do my best to help her."


    "En.. I trust and believe you¡­" Yelena hugged Kayden''s body as she continued to gently pour out her healing magic in him.


    Cornelius stood up and looked at the spot where the portal opened. He was not sure if he could convince the opening of the portal once again but he could not help but feel there was a lingering presence in the spot.


    He was gambling at the fact that the spatial void was not yetpletely closed and so he spoke in a polite manner, "Great spatial king¡­ I humbly implore your help to take me to where Eli is. I can help with her condition."


    Zenith immediately pulled Cornelius inside the spatial void and met him in his ethereal form. "You said that you can help my Master''s future wife?"


    Cornelius looked at the mystical figure and nodded his head, "I am her father." He simply said.


    To him, it does not matter if Eli was born not from their own DNA, he was her father, and Yelena was her mother. Nothing else matters. "She needs me, her father at the moment."


    Zenith did not answer for a little while, but Cornelius patiently waited. He knew that the Spatial King was asking for Leon''s permission at the moment.


    After a few moments, Zenith''s voice rang again and replied, "Let me take you there¡­ but be prepared, the battlefield is not good and so is my master''s future wife''s condition."


    "I am prepared." Cornelius nodded resolutely.


    Zenith then hovered around and opened a portal leading to the holy ind battlefield.


    There he saw Leon standing protectively on Eli''s side while keeping guard against the Pope and Emperor''s attack.


    He immediately stepped out and called, "Your Highness, Third Prince."


    Leon nodded and set up a protective array for the two of them then he said, "Sir Cornelius, I leave her to you. If you can please stabilize her to be able to safely go to the spatial void and transfer to the rescue ce."


    "Don''t worry¡­ I''ll do my best." Cornelius nodded with determination, but his heart could not help but be shocked when he saw Eli''s condition.


    No wonder his son was really devastated. Eli''s condition right now is beyond recognition.


    Leon cast him a grateful nce before he finally went to face the two.


    "Seirende spawn, you are really so confident to face the two of us aren''t you?" Emperor Razak mocked Leon.


    "You have no army, you are alone, and you are even protecting two people behind you! What can you do?" He waved at his army to which the army responded by assembling to face Leon.


    Leon was not the least provoked by him, his only worry was that one of them would make him busy dealing with the attacks and the other would choose to hit Eli and Cornelius behind. As for the army, he will let Biggie and the rest of his contracted beast deal with them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Suddenly, a sound came into the crater where Pope Ramir had fallen. Wisps of purple mes appeared there as Pope Ramir''s figure floated in the air.


    There were no injuries on his body however, the torn garments that he had was evidence that Leon indeed hurt him a lot during the attack.


    Pope Ramir looked at Leon, then to Eli. But he was shocked to see another person next to her, "Cornelius!"


    His eyes were red in shock when he saw the person whom he locked for years under theboratory free and well.


    Cornelius on the other hand did not bother with him. That was because he was busy stabilizing Eli at the moment.


    Her body was too damaged, and even if she survived, if she was not taken care of properly, she might be a vegetable.


    And so he used all his focus to slowly heal her body. He started with her vital organs to protect them from being damaged any further then moved to deal with the receptors which were the most delicate ones.


    With the chaos on the battlefield, however, he could not do anything topletely repair Eli''s receptors. All he could do is to slowly iste them from Eli''s mana stream so that it will temporarily reject any mana around.


    The battlefield is the worst environment for her at the moment. With a lot of fighting going on, the fluctuation of mana will affect her receptors causing them topletely disintegrate.


    And so the first thing he did was to encase it with his own mana so that it would serve as a barrier against the other harsher mana in the surroundings.


    "Biggie, and the rest, take care of the army." Leon saw that Cornelius was not affected by Pope Ramir''s attitude andpletely focused on healing Eli.


    And so he moved to face the two. Dealing with them earlier is the way to go.


    Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak looked at each other, seemingly understanding what they both thought.


    Emperor Razak moved with lightning speed while Pope Ramir shed on Cornelius''s position in an attempt to destroy the barrier protecting them.


    "You think that would be easy?!" Leon''s crystal blue eyes shed dangerously and a silver longsword immediately appeared in his hands.


    He turned his body and swiftly swung his sword at Cornelius''s position. Swoosh!


    The moment Emperor Ramir appeared on the spot, he was faced with a strong sword attack.


    His eyes darkened and immediately retreated, but who would have thought that Leon''s sword attack would reach him even if he had already retreated?


    He looked down and saw that his garment was now dead red on his abdomen. A bloody wound appeared making his lower body feel numb with the pain.


    "Pope!" The knights shouted worriedly.


    While this was happening, Emperor Razak did not even slow down the slightest. Between Ramir and him, he was the one who was more eager to kill Leon.


    And so even if Pope Ramir failed his attack, he would not let go of the opportunity to kill Leon at the moment.


    His sword appeared on his hands, wrapping it with ferocious lightning magic and cursed power.


    "Die!" He bellowed, seeing that Leon''s attention was still on Pope Ramir''s direction.


    Leon was not nervous at all, instead, he moved his body fluidly and turned once again.


    First, his free hand released a strong earth attack on Emperor Razak, a series of mountain boulders appeared in Emperor Razak''s way blocking his vision.


    Then he jumped to pursue the retreating Pope who was pumping his cursed power to close up the wound on his abdomen.


    "Urgh¡­ what''s happening." While Leon was busy fighting with the two elders, Rachana finally regained consciousness.


    The first thing that caught her eyes was the red-haired man who was valiantly moving with his sword while defending against Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak''s attacks.


    Her eyes flickered with awe, in an instant, she seemed to forget the pain of her injuries and became infatuated, "Third Prince Leon!"

 Chapter 575 The Battle Continues (2)

    An infatuated smile bloomed on her face as she watched Leon valiantly fighting against her own allies.


    In her eyes, Leon was like a stunning warrior. Every move he executed was exquisite, his red-blood hair dancing as the blood of the enemy painted the de of his sword.


    His crystal blue eyes shined brightly like a sunny sky, not tainted by any gloom. It was as if he could not even see defeat in his eyes.


    ''This is the man worthy of me!'' Rachana excitedly thought as she watched the battle unfold.


    The more she watched from where she was resting, the more her desire for him grew. She really wanted him!


    A smile bloomed on her lips, it was particrly bizarre to see it in her injured state. It was not a smile of a young girl in love, but that of an obsessed woman eager to fight to the death to get the man.


    She started daydreaming about how she would get Leon to be her partner after the war. How she would force him to copte with her and let her bear children of both their bloodlines.


    If Leon happened to see the images inside Rachana''s head, he would surely shudder and avoid her in disdain.


    In the battle, Ramir and Razak continued to exhaust Leon forcing him to divide his attention between Cornelius and Eli''s ce and his own ce.


    They were not the least bit impatient when they saw that he sessfully defended both ces in his own might. After all, he is only alone now. The only thing that could help him was his own contracted beast and Cornelius.


    Emperor Razak and Pope Ramir knew that he would soon be exhausted because there is no man who can stop an army and the two great leaders on his own.


    asionally, there were also casters and archers who sneaked their attack on him so that he could be distracted and his defenses would break.


    Leon, however, did not show signs of panicking or distraction at all. He was focused and determined. Even though his face was still a little paler, the more he used his mana and circte it in his body, the more he could feel that it was light and easy to move.


    He was not sure if it was because he had reached the End of Path but as soon as he concentrated, his vision would suddenly change.


    From his eyes, he could see the flow of manaing in all directions. All kinds of elemental mana seemed to be attracted to him as they danced like fluid smoke gently being pulled together toward him.


    He could see how it moves on the bodies of his enemy, even on Cornelius and Eli''s side. That is how he was able to know that Eli''s condition was extremely sensitive at the moment, and Cornelius had to carefully wrap all of her receptors for safety.


    However, he was still unable to discover what other things he can do with the power obtained at the End of Path. His battle prowess and power are slightly higher than the Pope and Emperor but that''s about it.


    Even so, it did not matter to him, because at the moment, the power he was wielding was enough to hold his ground against the two.


    "How persistent!" Emperor Razak could not help but spite Leon as he continued to attack him from one angle to another.


    "Don''t be too focused on defeating him at once. He is an S-ss after all, he is not an easy opponent." Pope Ramir reminded him.


    Emperor Razak did not answer, but his eyes were set on Leon. It was not that he was impatient, but he could not help but express his words over the shock of seeing Leon keeping his own stance against the two of them and the army behind them.


    Moreover, their curse power is limited. Although they have been using it at the moment, they did not dare to use it recklessly.


    Crown Prince Ranon, Rachana, and even the Cardinal and the rest of the temple knight captains have all fallen because they did not manage the usage of the curse power well.


    Yes, the curse power brings forth infinite levels of power, but its source is finite.


    They have to be mindful of using it, especially when dealing with cunning and exceptional people like Leon and Eli.


    Leon saw the calctive expression of the two elders and understood that they were trying to conserve their powers.


    His eyes lit up dangerously as he did not want to wait for a fight like this. The earlier he dealt with one of them, the easier it would be for him to focus.


    "Zenith!" Deciding what move to do next, he summoned Spatial King Zenith mentally and informed him of what to do next.


    "He is nning a big move, beware!" Emperor Razak looked at the Pope.


    In terms of battle prowess, Pope Ramir is slower than him. So he thought that he would be the easier target between the two of them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Pope Ramir''s eyes deepened and he became vignt. He also knew his condition very well. He had already suffered two big blows from Leon''s end, and he could only partially heal his body so that it wouldn''t affect his movements.


    Leon did not care if they became vignt. In his mind, he had to make an attack so that he could have one less person to deal with.


    He conjured mana on the tip of his sword, it was so tiny to the point that it was not visible to the naked eye.


    But he could see in his eyes that all the mana around was drawn in it, making it a formidable dot of concentrated mana.


    It swirled carefully before his eyes, but it was only seen by him.


    He looked at Pope Ramir and Emperor Razak who were deeply on guard. But they were quite confused when they saw that he was only doing a sword attack rather than a huge magic attack.


    But they did not dare to let their guard down.


    Leon quickly charged at Pope Ramir, as Emperor Razak had predicted.


    Pope Ramir signaled Emperor Razak, ''Go hit him while he is busy with me!''


    Emperor Razak got his nce and charged as well. He was running in rhythm with Leon''s charge then his figure flickered as soon as Leon stretched his hand with his sword pointing at Pope Ramir''s heart.


    ''What a straightforward move!'' Emperor Razak and Pope Ramir were kind of disappointed with Leon''s attack.


    Pope Ramir simply shed backward intending to get out of Leon''s range.


    He looked at Leon provocatively as he happened to sh a few meters away from him. Because Leon''s body was outstretched, he would have a hard time chasing him from his spot.


    But who would have thought that Leon''s figure would suddenly disappear and Emperor Razak''s sneak attack would strike an empty space?


    They were shocked to see that Leon suddenly reappeared directly on Pope Ramir and is still doing the same attack.


    The two of them were not able to quickly adapt to the situation as Leon''s move was so different from his usual sh steps. He was not moving fast, he was teleporting!


    ''Not good!'' Emperor Razak gritted his teeth as he tried to catch up with Leon who was now striking Pope Ramir who waspletely off guard.


    Cold beads of sweat appeared on Pope Ramir''s head and all that he could do was cover himself with his weapon to shield himself against Leon''s attack, but before his eyes, he could see that his weapon was shattered so easily like an eggshell.


    This time Rachana and the rest were on their feet as they did not expect that Leon would get the Pope this way. Without the weapon, his sword became unobstructed and continued to slice through Pope Ramir''s heart.


    "Puff!" Pope Ramir shuddered as he felt the excruciating pain prate his body. He literally could feel his flesh burn as he spat a huge mouthful of blood!


    "Pope!" The rest shouted.


    Emperor Razak''s eyes darkened when he saw the situation and immediately rushed to get to Pope Ramir''s spot.


    However, his body froze as he felt something in him seemingly explode.


    St!


    He was stunned as a shower of blood appeared before his eyes.


    His ears rang and the muffled voices of his army struggled to reach his ears. He was confused why Rachana and Ramir''s face was that of horror and shock.


    He looked down and could not process why there was a lot of blood sttered in front of him. Then he looked at his body and numbly raised his hand to touch his chest.


    A gaping hole appeared where his heart was supposed to be.


    "D*mn you Seirende spawn!" Finally understanding everything, his bloodshot eyes looked at Leon with hatred as his body fell on the ground face down!

 Chapter 576 Rachana Moves!

    The battlefield suddenly became silent as they saw both the Emperor and Pope copse on the ground!


    "No¡­this can''t be¡­" The soldiers and officials lost all their strength, dropping their swords in a fit of despair.


    "How could this possibly be?"


    "Just like that¡­ he killed our greatest leaders?" Their eyes be bloodshot and a pressuring amount of fear descended on them like a gigantic boulder.


    A cold piercing wind blew on Rachana''s face. The shock and unbelief left her staring wide-eyed at Leon who was still looking at the Pope coldly.


    He did not dare to let his guard down.


    The power of the curse is monstrous, and if he managed to hit the two of them, it would be the Pope who would survive. That is because the tip of the sword exploded on Emperor Razak''s side and not in him,


    "Aaaack¡­" Pope Ramir gasped for air as he tried to use his curse power to repair his heart. Just like what Leon expected he still had a chance to survive.


    The surviving lieutenants also noticed this and so they did not hesitate to summon all their puppet beasts and use them to distract Leon.


    "Roar!"


    Themotion woke Rachana back to reality. That''s it¡­ if her side loses, how would she be able to get the man for herself?


    She had to do something to turn the tables around!


    If not then what only awaits her is death! There is not even a chance for her to think of a way to control such a powerful person like Leon if their side would be defeated!


    Rachana immediately racked her brains as she watched the others swarm to Leon like crazy. Now the role was reversed. They were now the ones who were desperately sacrificing themselves and stalling time for their Leader to have a chance to live.


    Pope Ramir was trying to stay conscious as he rushed for his cursed power to hurriedly cure him. He was praying that Emperor Razak also had the chance to heal himself as well. As long as he stays conscious, they will have a chance to recover, even if their own heart explodes.


    That is the power of the curse!


    He also looked at the army who swarmed crazily at Leon like brainless zombies. He sighed in his heart and realized what they were doing.


    They knew that they would only die at the hands of Leon. Because even if he was alone earlier in the fight, the army did not dare to directly attack him but could only deal with his contracted beasts.


    But now¡­


    Countless men fell on the ground, their gazesnded on Pope Ramir with a determined look.


    ''Use our life force, Pope!'' That was the meaning of their gazes.


    Pope Ramir trembled and started to suck the life force out of their dying bodies.


    He did not even dare to hide it and just quickly sucked out their life force without reservation.


    Leon immediately noticed it but because the amount of life force being gathered was too great, the Pope was now able tounch a few powerful attacks to keep his distance from him.


    Finally determining that Leon was busy, Rachana moved to execute the n in her mind.


    Her body was still aching, however, she also gathered enough curse power to execute a few moves to go to a distance.


    Then her figure secretlynded on an altar at the centermost part of the array and hid on it.


    Leon and the others were on a battlefield near the south of the ind and they would not be able to notice her because the altar she was in was far back.


    She looked at Cornelius and found that he was still busy healing Eli. Her eyes shed dangerously.


    Then she slit her wrist once again and let her blood drip into the altar. Red blood kept flowing like a tiny stream at the face of the altar, but Rachana did not stop.


    She circted her curse power and the flow of the blood increased. After a few moments something changed.


    The red-flowing blood slowly turned into purple and as it flowed deeper and deeper the color became so deep that it almost turned ck.


    Rachana gritted her teeth as she felt a strong wave of pain on her body as the dark purple blood flowed. "Come! Rescue us! My Lord!" She let a weak mumble but her desperation was apparent in her voice.


    "Vrrrrr!!!"


    Leon only realized that something was wrong when the ind shook violently.


    Then he looked around and saw a streak of purple light sh and connected from one direction to another.


    Then finally it shot up in the sky.


    It was not only the holy ind that experienced the great earthquake.


    Even the castle of the Vanderford Empire, the Vanderford Institute, several remote ces across the Vanderford continent, the Mellenberg Territory¡­ even the old Ves territory and the working and fallen bases of the Spectre¡­


    A purple light appeared in each of these locations and everyone near these territories could see a purple pir light up the sky.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So in the end¡­ you, people, could not do anything without me in the picture."


    As the strange phenomenon happened, Lord Raven, in his persona of a devilishly handsome man with red eyes utteredzily.


    There was a purple portal in front of him but he was not keen on moving at all.


    Instead, he waved his hands to see what was the situation on the other side of the portal. The purple portal morphed into something like a mirror and showed the struggling Pope Ramir and the copsed body of Emperor Razak.


    Then the crazed soldiers were relentlessly sending themselves to death so that they could be food for Pope Ramir''s recovery.


    Finally Rachana, his vessel, who was desperately feeding her blood to the altar called him over.


    Lord Raven''s eyes darkened.


    "Useless people¡­" This time his countenance changed, and the voice that came from his mouth sounded like two people.


    "I have done everything and given them everything¡­ but they were still so easily defeated like this?" his voice said.


    "Then WE shalle forth and settle this matter. Or else the beings on that side would spite us for trying in vain!"


    Then Lord Raven''s eyes shed from red to purple.


    "Aren''t we in control of the things in here? What can they do¡­ didn''t you even manage to defeat one of the guardians?"


    Lord Raven''s eyes shed red once more and said, "Look at it yourself, your ns have all failed. The heavenly realm must have beenughing at us at the moment!"


    There was a trace of anger and wrath in his voice but in the room, there was no sign of any other person to converse with him.


    Instead, he seemed to be talking to himself.


    "WE shall go then¡­" Two voices agreed with each other.


    The Lord Raven''s eyes flickered and he finally stood from the throne he was originally sitting on.


    The portal which had turned into a mirror morphed once again and turned to its original state, then Lord Raven entered it without any sign of haste.


    Shudder!!!


    Back on the holy ind, Cornelius and Leon along with Rachana, Pope Ramir and the rest felt an oppressive aura that almost forced them to kneel at once.


    "He hade¡­" Leon''s eyes squinted in a serious expression.


    He knew at that moment that he would be facing the being that started it all!


    Lord Raven¡­ Fallen Angel Birsha!


    He was curious if they were two beings or if they had already melded into one.


    The others could not take the pressure and started to prostrate themselves before the being who was yet to appear.


    But Leon and Cornelius gritted their teeth and stayed firm. There is no way that they will bow down to an evil being!


    Pope Ramir suddenly became excited. At first, he was shocked to realize that the lord himself woulde to their rescue.


    But he soon realized that it was Rachana who was standing expectantly in the middle of the altar who made it all.


    His eyes shed in awe as he lifted his head and shouted among his people,"Behold! The Supreme being in all Prasinos hade!"


    "Bow down and swear allegiance to him! Lord Raven, the mighty manifestation of the First Ves and Deity Birsha!"


    "We pay respects to the Supreme Being, Lord Raven!"


    The surviving members of the army felt like their hope hade. So they immediately responded to Pope Ramir''s call.


    Lord Raven descended like he was indeed a deity worthy of every person''s worship. His eyes were full of cold distance yet a feeling that he was superior above all.


    "So who is the spiteful person who was causing trouble to my people?" His voice roared once again.


    Just hearing two voices in one person made everyone''s body shudder, regardless if it was out of fear or awe.


    Then Lord Raven''s gaze swept to the entire battlefield and saw Leon''s unbending figure, his eyes squinted as he utteredzily, "So it is you?"


    "Are you so haughty to stand on a battlefield alone?" He asked Leon as he looked at Cornelius who was hugging Eli''s unconscious body protectively.


    But before Leon could open his mouth to answer, a valiant voice beat him to it, "Who says he is alone?"

 Chapter 577 Lord Ravens Arrival

    Lord Raven''s eyes flickered and so was everyone who was ted to see him appear.


    Before they realized everything, countless teleportation portals lit up in the sky.


    From the time the first attack had happened through Rachana''s Army until now, the battle has been running for one night and a day.


    Now the surroundings were already darkening, and so the purple light that appeared as a signal of Lord Raven''s descent had already caught everyone''s attention. Especially the ones in the nearby rescue ind and the coastal ind.


    Now the appearance of countless array portals made it seem like the stars suddenly descended in the sky.


    Then one by one, several personalities appeared out of the teleportation portal.


    First were the members of the Crimson des and the Roaming des. They were a small army that had grown into five hundred but none of those who saw them knew that they were both the light and shadow of Leon''s war operations!


    Next were the two grandmasters, Grandpa Ben, and Grandpa Andi, they were apanied by General Farauld and Randel as their second inmand. With them was an army of a thousand men each.


    Then came the united army of the remnants of the temple, those who remained pure and uncorrupted. They were led by High Priest Enoch with the High Priest of the Croix territory as the second inmand.


    There were also the various members of the elves, dwarves, dragons, and the other ns of the Green Wave continent led by the respective deputy leaders of their own races.


    Although their highest inmand, their chiefs were nowhere to be found, the strength of their deputy leaders was all renowned and cannot be underestimated.


    Finally was the army of the Seirende Empire and their Allied nations. Just like the Greenwave continent, they were not led by their respective kings, instead, their highest figures were Kazimir and Antoine.


    The other members of the allied forces have also sent their strongest offspring into the war. That was because they already knew that Emperor Valentin was giving his everything on the line for sending all of his sons to war!


    Even among the armies were the most prominent nobles of the Seirende Empire, like the Astaze family, the Cross family, and many more!


    As the strongest figures of the army, Grandmaster Andi, Grandmaster Reuben, and High Priest Enoch all stepped forward and met the gaze of Lord Raven.


    "So you are trying to do onest struggle, I assume." Lord Raven was not even a little bit intimidated by the grand entrance of the armies on Leon''s side.


    Instead, he looked at them as if they were insects trying to burn themselves in fire. He released his sinister oppressive aura as he said these words with his voice which sounded like two people.


    Everyone from the armies frowned, this is the root of all evil in Seirende! He was really scary and revolting at the same time!


    Though they felt scared of Lord Raven''s appearance, their desire to fight against him did not diminish in the slightest.


    When Lord Raven''s nce swept the armies, he noticed two figures with red blood hair and crystal blue eyes. His eyes flickered as he shed a creepy smile, "So the rest of the Seirende''s spawns are here. This saves me a lot of time to wipe out your existence one by one."


    When Lord Raven said these words, his voice changed into only one person. The voices were filled with a deep hatred towards the descendants of the Seirende.


    Kazimir, Antoine, and the rest of the core members of the Seirende Empire immediately recognize that the one who was talking was probably the long-lost ancestor of the Ves n, way back from the founding of the empire.


    Otherwise, no one can exin the deep hatred they could feel in his tone towards the Seirende Imperial Family.


    Leon raised his head and looked at the army that appeared before them. Judging from their numbers, they were probably assembled at the fastest possible time and there were still a significant number of armies stationed on each fort determined beforehand.


    ''But this is good as well¡­ no one would have expected that the battle in the holy ind would escte into this scale.'' He thought.


    Now the biggest problem was the size of each army was now too huge for the ind itself.


    It was already too big for the Vanderford-Spectre army earlier, but now it is even smaller.


    The people in the nearest coastal area all shook in perturbation.


    They also packed up immediately and carried their children and women away from the battlefield.


    If it was before, they thought that their Empire''s army would have finished the battle earlier and they stayed in hopes of having a chance to plunder after the war.


    But seeing it escte into something this big, they regretted not running for refuge earlier! Now they could not even guarantee that they could run far enough so that they would not be implicated in the war before them.


    There was a long lull between the battlefield that only increased the tension between the two sides.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lord Raven was not keen on making a move either.


    He only looked at the opponents without care and no one seemed to know what he wanted to do.


    Seeing this, Wade, who was the representative of the merfolk, raised his weapon and struck it in the waters.


    The waves of the ocean suddenly moved. In conjunction with that, the other mages also moved, and out of the receding waters emerged a vast solidnd.


    In an instant, the small holy ind was suddenly connected to the coastal area of the Vanderford Continent, and arge battleground was formed!


    The face of the Vanderford-Spectre army darkened. The enemies were forcing them to fight in their ownnd and even attempt to implicate people!


    That also meant that once their side had fallen to the enemies, the United Alliance would invade their continent immediately after winning!


    Although this was a cunning move, it was also a great gamble for the United Alliance''s side, because they were basically trapping themselves in the terrain with no route to escape unless they spent anotherrge amount of resources to reactivate a teleportation array.


    Seeing the move by the enemy, Lord Raven found them amusing. Heughed crazily as if he was looking for a group of children who were trying to rebel against adults.


    "Hahahaha!" Hisughter roared in the entire battlefield giving everyone on both sides creeps on the back of their spine. Hisugh and actions were extremely sinister, utter evil.


    "Since you want to fight, I''ll let you fight¡­" He looked at the armies in front of him and pointed at the purple light pir which was still lighting brightly behind him.


    "Brace yourselves, I''ll let you fight until you can''t anymore!" Lord Raven smiled crazily and his face suddenly changed from a creepy devilish fallen angel to a true devil!


    Leon and the others lifted their swords in preparation but there was no movement on the army enemy''s side.


    Instead, on the various territories where the altars lit up and the purple light pirs appeared, there descended a huge colony of winged beasts that had four horns and fangs that extended longer than their faces.


    Their ws were sharpened with diamond and their tails were filled with spikes!


    Chaos spread on allnds, regardless if it was the Vanderford or Seriende¡­ except for Greenwave who fortunately did not have any altar present. Unfortunately, the Holy Ind is quite near them, so the possibility of these creatures flying toward the Green Wave continent is rather high.


    "Fight my army of Behemoths! Let me see if you can prevent yourselves from bing food to its stomach!"


    In the Headquarters of the United Alliance, reports after the report appeared and threw the leaders into chaos.


    "What you are saying is that our kingdom was swarmed with an unknown army of beasts?"


    "Your Highness! There were sightings in the Mellenberg Territory as well!"


    "Your Majesty! There was an army of beasts appearing on multiple parts of the Seirende Empire and the rest of the continent!"


    The remaining leaders in the headquarters have serious and anxious faces.


    They did not expect what kind of change the purple pir of light would bring to the war.


    "What to do¡­ we have already sent most of our senior and strongest army to the holy ind!"


    "Who can stand against these beasts?!"


    "Are there any more we can send to respond to these ces? We are notcking in an army but we are trulycking people who could lead the fight against these unknown creatures!" The leaders became worried.


    Although they all had sent a portion of the army to the holy ind, there were still enough soldiers to defend each of their own territories. But that was in case there would be a sudden attack against the armies of the Vanderford army.


    Not on the mystical type of unknown beast appearing from the sinister pirs of light!


    "There''s no choice¡­" Emperor Valentin said, looking intensely at the leaders around.


    "It''s time for us to pick up our armors my fellow monarchs and leaders¡­We have already sent our next in line on the battlefield of the holy ind¡­"


    "If not us, who can defend our people against these monsters?!"

 Chapter 578 Kill!

    Just like that, the worldwide battle started in the entire Prasinos.


    No longer was it against the Vanderford Empire and the Corrupted Main temple but it was already against Spectre and Lord Raven, the root of all evil in Prasinos!


    The leaders of all dominions and kingdoms, little or small, had all picked up their swords and wore their armor so that they could defend their respective cities and territories.


    Battle cries roared in every ce and the skies flickered with countless mysterious shes of light as the war ensued.


    Back to the holy ind, the army of the United Alliance did not panic. For they know that it was useless for them to worry about other things when they were already facing the mightiest enemy of all.


    "Men, do not think of anything but subdue the armies. Let us, your leaders, face the abominable enemyter on." Grandmaster Reuben stepped forward andmanded the armies.


    All of those who led the toon nodded. Lord Raven was not their opponent at this moment. Since this is a battle of life and death, they will ensure that their lives will not perish in vain.


    They vowed that before they died, they would defeat at least one soldier from the enemy side! They will not be foolish to take on an opponent too strong that they would die without even knowing why!


    Pope Ramir was now able to stand, and his eyes were looking furiously at High Priest Enoch.


    "You! Why do you appear to ruin my ns and block my way?! Enoch!" He shouted in seething anger as he red at High Priest Enoch.


    "You are just a mere High Priest! What makes you think that you could stand before me and spark rebellion?!" He continued.


    High Priest Croix was greatly angered by the Pope''s words against High Priest Enoch. Not many know but High Priest Enoch was one of the candidates for the Pope position but he politely declined and chose to stay in the Seirende Temple.


    He was about to retort when High Priest Enoch lifted his hand and looked at him gently, signaling that he would be the one to answer.


    "The moment you choose to side with evil, you have long lost your authority. No one in the temple is obligated to follow you, nor obey your words. For you have be the one we see as the enemy!" High Priest Enoch looked at the Pope without any emotions.


    To him there was no hatred nor regret towards the Pope, he only sees him as someone the temple should apprehend.


    "Hahaha!" Suddenly there was a loud mocking chuckle that rang in the entire battlefield.


    Lord Raven watched the exchange between the two and found it amusing. "What nice words to say!"


    "Ramir, you want to take on this old man?" He asked Pope Ramir as if he did not see the others as a threat.


    Pope Ramir''s eyes flickered, but soon his expression hardened as he answered, "Yes, My Lord. This servant wants to apprehend those who resist your authority!"


    Lord Raven examined Pope Ramir''s expression and smiled sinisterly, "Very well¡­ Redeem yourself. You have already failed me several times."


    While he was saying this, Lord Raven''s gaze moved to the body of Emperor Razak.


    Pope Ramir''s body stiffened,pletely understanding the meaning behind Lord Raven''s words. There was a deep sense of fear in his eyes but it turned into motivation as he looked at High Priest Enoch like he was his prey to ughter.


    "I will not fail you this time, My Lord." Pope Ramir replied.


    Lord Raven did not speak any word after that.


    Instead, he waved his hand and a call of purple light flew toward Pope Ramir, Emperor Razak, Rachana, and the rest of the injured officers and soldiers.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Something''s happening!" Leon and the rest prepared their battle stances as the mysterious orb flew toward the members of the enemy.


    They have a bad feeling about this!


    True enough, as soon as these lights reached the enemy''s bodies, significant changes happened!


    The entire army roared like trapped beasts, even Emperor Razak, who was supposed to be dead, had his body floating mid-air as the purple veins appeared on his body.


    "Whatever it is, do everything to disrupt the enemies!" Grandmasters Andi and Reuben immediately ordered and tried to kill off the nearest enemies around him.


    However, when they moved forward, they felt a huge wave of force stopping them from advancing forward, and even threw them backward several meters away.


    "Be polite¡­ I am not yet finished with my work." Lord Raven looked at them with furrowed brows, then turned his head again to watch his ''work'' before him and everyone''s eyes.


    "Aaaack!!!" The bodies of the armies from the Spectre side all transferred into something that is no longer fitting to be called human.


    Their skin turned dark purple, and their teeth grew longer into fangs. Their nails grew as sharp as steel and their eyes were red.


    The injuries they sustained were nowhere to be found and their features vary.


    Those who were high ranked, like Rachana, Emperor Razak, and the Pope along with their lieutenants have a pair of dark wings and several snake-like tails, just like the Crown Prince''s transformation back then.


    The ordinary soldiers have tails that seemed to work like snakes as well, but they only had one.


    The most eye-catching feature however was the raven mark on their foreheads. It was like a tattoo, however, the raven mark seemed to be eerily moving, looking at their opponents with its eyes.


    After their transformation, the new army looked at Grandmaster Reuben and the rest with sinister smiles and zing eyes.


    It could be felt from their respective positions that their strength also upgraded by leaps and bounds!


    "Not good¡­" The grandmasters and the rest all thought in their minds, but they did not have any intention to run away.


    "See¡­ It''s not only those puny guardians that could leave their mark on their people. Asa and Ignis, could bless the asanis and Seriende? I could bestow my people with divine powers too!" Lord Raven stood proudly as he was looking at the enemy side with a mocking expression.


    "Now, as the first to show your proud faces and attempt to resist me, then I give you the privilege to die with my new army!" Lord Raven spread his hands,


    The behemoths and the new army lined up and finally faced their enemy, the United Alliance.


    "Go on men¡­" Lord Raven nonchntly waved his hands like he was not in the middle of a war.


    His blood-red eyes glowed as his two voices appeared again.


    He shed a sinister greedy smile, a smile that was craving for chaos and horror to invade the hearts of the toughest men, and uttered,


    "Kill!"

 Chapter 579 Demonoid Army Vs. United Alliance

    "Roar!"


    As soon as Lord Raven uttered the word, a loud battle cry resounded in the skies and a strong battle ensued.


    He smiled happily as he watched everything unfold like he was looking at a horse race. He was watching in delight as blood sttered on the ground and man after man lost their lives in the process.


    Pope Ramir immediately went straight to High Priest Enoch and the High Priest of Croix territory, Paul.


    His zing eyes looked at the two High Priests sinisterly as he smiled creepily.


    Emperor Razak, who was supposed to be dead, quickly shed and headed in front of Kazimir and Antoine. General Farauld also quickly joined them to assist them in their battle.


    Rachana on the other hand, wanted to face the unconscious Eli and the busy Cornelius, but Randel blocked her way and she was stuck in dealing with him.


    Not many know, but Randel had already sessfully reached the S-ss during the battle. He only needed to be officially assessed so that everyone would know that there was yet another S-ss mage born in the Seirende Empire.


    Grandpa Andi, Grandpa Ben, and Leon looked at each other. The meaning in their eyes was apparent as they faced Lord Raven together.


    They dared not to underestimate his power, especially when they knew that he was wielding a power that does not belong to the mana of this world.


    Just like that, therge-scale battle unraveled. Horror and trembling swept into the roars that could be heard by the people who were praying to be not implicated from afar.


    "What''s happening to the holy ind?" After some time, those who were transported to the rescue point woke up and saw the changes in the sky and in the direction where they were fighting earlier.


    "A being called Lord Raven descended¡­ coincidentally, the Grandmasters and the rest were also transported from the Seirende Continent all the way to here as reinforcements." One of the elders who were taking care of them replied.


    "Then¡­ this is not good¡­ I have to go back and continue to fight as well!" Abaddon ignored the pain and stood up. He would not allow hisrades to die like that while he was here watching.


    "I will go as well¡­" Gabriel and Mishael also stood.


    The Elder who was taking care of their words panicked and eximed, "All of you please calm down. You were already injured and unable to properly fight!"


    "You will only lose your lives up there!" He was reprimanded there.


    But the trio and the others could not sit still and insisted.


    "I can still move!"


    "I can still wield my weapon!"


    "I can still kill one enemy!"


    They argued. The elders had no choice but to call the others so that they could calm down these people.


    In the end, it was Yelena, who used a knock-out powder to stimte them to sleep. "We can allow them to go, but only when their injuries have significantly recovered."


    The elders agree with Yelena''s suggestion, at this point although these soldiers can indeed stand and wield the sword, they would surely not stand a chance against the demonoid armies whom Lord Raven created.


    Back on the battlefield, the battle against Pope Ramir was quite intense. As his strength was already enhanced by leaps and bounds, High Priest Paul and Enoch could barely keep up with his attacks.


    Unlike Leon who is an S-ss mage, at most, the two High Priests were at the peak of the A-rank. As such, they could not match Pope Ramir''s strength which was nowparable with Leon, an S-ss mage.


    "Hehehehe¡­" Pope Ramir saw the dark faces of the two high priests and could not help butugh eerily. "Aren''t you two extremely prideful earlier? Where did your powers go?"


    He mocked them continuously as he tortured them with his swift and corrosive curse attacks.


    "Huff¡­ Huff!" High Priest Enoch and High Priest Paul tried to catch their breaths heavily as their aged bodiesined about the rigorous fight.


    They looked at each other and simultaneously used their divine power to enhance their condition. They were no longer as nimble as when they were in their prime. Now, they have to rely on the blessing from the divine power to keep up with their opponent.


    "That''s useless!" Pope Ramir''s smile widened as his ferocious set of fangs even glistened with purplish drool. He was like a monster ying with his prayers as he watched them struggle in vain before him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even so, the two high priests were not discouraged at all. Besides, their mission was not topletely defeat the Pope.


    But to hold him back so that Leon and the other Grandmasters would have enough time to defeat Lord Raven.


    Their missions were the same as the other two groups holding Rachana and Emperor Razak back.


    The Crimson and the Roaming des stood unitedly as they watched over the entire battlefield.


    Not many could notice but with the absence of the key figures busying themselves to fight against the strongest opponents, they were subtly navigating the rest of the army soldiers in an organized attack.


    Though they were slow, they were able to eliminate the behemoths and the other demonoid lieutenants one by one, while leaving the normal demonoids for the rest to clean up.


    They looked like they were scattered but if one would stop and look closely, one would realize that they were actually united and together with their attacks.


    On the other hand, Emperor Razak looked at Kazimir and Antoine with deep hatred.


    The gaping hole from his heart was still there, but in it was a creepy swarm of purple snake-like figures curling continuously as if to fill the hole in his chest.


    "Grrr!!" He roared as he pped his wings and descended to attack Antoine and Kazimir. When they immediately avoided the attack, and General Farauld came to view, Emperor Razak did not stop and still chased one of the two princes.


    Seeing that he was being ignored by the opponent multiple times, General Farauld figured out that Emperor Razak no longer had the capacity to think. The only thing that made him ''operate'' was the deep hatred he had against the Seirende Bloodline.


    Because of that, his eyes would not see anything unless he was able to defeat Kazimir and Antoine with his own hands.


    "Grrr!! Roarr!" Emperor Razak roared in frustration as he failed to catch the two multiple times and was even hit by their attacks.


    However, Kazimir, Antoine, and General Farauld did not rx a bit, because it seems like their serious attacks could barely hurt Emperor Razak''s skin.


    "His skin was even sturdier than the hardest armor!!!" General Farauld could not help but mumble.


    Kazimir and Antoine also became serious, they did not expect that this would be the kind of thing they would encounter once they confronted the enemies.


    The difference in power is too high! And they did not have the confidence that they would be able to stop or even defend themselves against the opponents.


    The battle against Rachana and Randel was rather intense, on the other hand.


    As one of the most exposed in curse research apart from Kayden, Randel was more familiar with the curse power than the rest of the crew.


    As such, he was able to incorporate anti-curse measures in his own attacks while fighting with Rachana.


    The only bizarre fact is that Rachana was emitting a faint familiar aura he could feel towards Eli. It was the power of the guardian Asa who, ording to the research published by Kayden and Eli a few days before the war, was forcefully nted on Rachana''s body.


    ''So this is the main reason why my blended attacks were a little less effective against her?'' Randel thought as he examined the wounds he managed to inflict on Rachana''s body by blending his own magic and the cure potion.


    He expected that these wounds would be deep enough to expose the bones behind the flesh, but it was only able to inflict slightly deep wounds.


    While he was thinking of a solution to his problem, Rachana screamed in a high-pitched tone almost causing the nearby demonoids and soldiers to roll on the ground and protect their ears.


    "Get out of my way!!! Filthy man!" Rachana looked at Randel resentfully.


    Behind Randel was the unconscious Eli who was still being healed by Cornelius. He looked so focused and did not even mind the chaos around him.


    He was dead set on curing Eli so that he would be able to take her out of the battlefield, but the sudden appearance of Lord Raven dyed him significantly.


    He was almost done covering three-fourths of all her receptors and was already on his way to seal the rest.


    But Rachana was set on not allowing him to sessfully heal Eli and so when she had an opportunity, she could asionally send a stray attack toward their direction to distract him and weaken their protective barrier.


    Randel immediately figured out Rachana''s motive and his eyes squinted dangerously, "You will not touch her¡­"

 Chapter 580 Hopelessness And Struggle

    Rachana onlyughed but still continued with what she wanted.


    She used an even more forceful attack to push back Randel and indiscriminately attack the surroundings.


    Her body was surging with energy and she could not help but feel invincible at the moment.


    As such she started to recklessly charge at Randel, ignoring his dangerous blended attacks containing anti-curse potions.


    Bang! Bang! Tsss!!


    Randel frowned as he tried his best to keep up with Rachana''s rampage. But the more they battle, the more he could see that his attacks were slowly rendering useless to her.


    He took a nce at the Pope and Emperor Razak''s side. He could see that the blended attacks that were painstakingly set up by his teammates were rather more effective than against Rachana.


    However when he remembered Rachana''s special identity he no longer questioned what was happening.


    The real thing that he could do at the moment is to try and hold Rachana back and look for the tiniest opportunity to weaken or even defeat her.


    The rest of his hopes were set on Leon, Grandmaster Andvari, and Grandmaster Reuben who was facing Lord Randel at the moment.


    The trio looked serious and focused as they faced the strongest opponent they have ever met.


    Lord Raven did not even move in his spot but instead attacked them with the full extent of his evil powers.


    "You three are really courageous enough to face me¡­ an immortal." He smiled with a crazed expression.


    "Puff!" In an instant, the three immediately vomited a mouthful of blood upon experiencing the might of Lord Raven''s demonic pressure.


    Even as they released the full extent of their S-ss powers they could only protect their heart and other vital organs so that they could maintain their lives at the moment.


    "This is not good¡­ we need to do something! HAHAHAHA! I can immediately read what is on your mind just by looking at your faces! Ahahahaha!"


    Lord Raven mocked the three of them as he tried to mimic a scared expression before exploding intoughter.


    Leon and the two grandmasters gritted their teeth, but they really did not expect the huge gap between them and Lord Raven.


    Now, they were really questioning themselves, how long would theyst against the fallen deity.


    Grandpa Andi did not want himself and his teammates to sumb to hopelessness and ultimately give up.


    And so he roared at the top of his lungs and gripped his war hammer with his remaining strength so that he could stand up. Just by doing this, he was already pushing his limits, but he did not care.


    If the three of them could not evennd a clean hit on Lord Raven''s body, then that meant that it was already the end of Prasinos. Because apart from them, there''s no one who could stand against him and resist.


    Following Grandpa Andi''s actions, Reuben and Leon also did their best to wield their respective weapons and prepare to attack.


    Lord Raven raised his brows and looked at them tauntingly, "Eh, you still want to fight? Very well, I''ll y with you until I get bored."


    Then he raised his fingers and gestured for the three of them toe and approach him in an attack.


    The trio charged with all their might, moving around their bodies in trying to get ustomed to the pressure of Lord Raven''s aura.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As soon as their weapons entered Lord Raven''s attacking range, he only waved his hands and saw their bodies fly like a kite with a broken string.


    "Cough! Cough!" Buried to the ground, Leon and the rest struggled to get up from the mini crater they had fallen into.


    Lord Raven did not even wait for them toe out, instead, he waved his hand once more and three purple orbs flew fast in their direction and continued to bombard them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Argg¡­" Grandmasters Andi and Reuben circted their mana to the fastest rate possible so that they could quickly build a shield to defend themselves, but their shields were like ss that easily breaks in Lord Raven''s power!


    Therefore they could only quickly execute their fastest mobility spells so that they could quickly escape the impact of the attack.


    Bang!!! Bang!! Bang!!


    Consecutive earth-shattering explosions interrupted the battlefield! However, none of the other fighters could afford to take their eyes away from their enemies.


    That is because each of them was facing the strongest opponents they could possibly face in their lifetimes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon was equally helpless as well. In his mind, he was questioning the fact of his experience while he was at the End of Paths. Could it be just a hallucination on his end? For he could not see his powers bing useful in the battle at all.


    He reprimanded himself for not being enthusiastic and naive about the power of the End of Path. He thought that the S-ss realm would be enough for him and there would be no more need for him to aim for greater power and abilities.


    However looking at it now, he was utterly regretful.


    He could have asked the voice in that tree to tell him what it takes to unlock and use the power of the End Of Path. Now that he was in the middle of a battle where any gap of carelessness could cause his life, he could no longer do so.


    Gloom and dread loomed over the face of the entire Prasinos.


    As the evening came, the moon did not even show its face, not even a glimpse of its faint luster.


    Instead, the new moon was the purple pir that quickly became the simple terror of everyone in Prasinos.


    Even on the battlefields outside the holy ind, Emperor Valentin and the rest of the leaders were doing their best to defend their territories.


    "Quick! Evacuate the women and children! Others shall face the behemoth and kill them without hesitation!" They all ordered as they tried to divide their troops.


    One to face the behemoths and defend, the other to evacuate the civilians.


    The appearance of the behemoth on their territories was something that they did not ever expect.


    Yes, they have made preparations to evacuate the young, women and the rest of the civilians in remote areas, but that was only limited to the ces where the nearby enemy troops have camped.


    There were no movements to their respective capitals and other cities at all.


    They scrambled to gather their troops and save their people from the hands of the mysterious evil creatures who indiscriminately kill people in theirnd.


    Cries of men, women, and children echoed the dreadful night. As dark as the night sky, so was the crimson painted on every wall and grounds of Prasinos.


    Countless innocent people, young and old have lost their lives. Their blood was screaming to the heavens above.


    Uncountable numbers of soldiers and knights have fallen on all battlefields. Their eyes were wide open, unwilling to die before seeing the peacee to the world they were leaving behind.


    Emperor Valentin and the Leaders all have reddened eyes, as they gripped the sword in their hands and swung it against the monsters.


    They have already forgotten how many monsters they have killed, but what they could not forget was the number of soldiers behind them, which was slowly dwindling down.


    They could not help but tremble and see the despair in their own eyes. They were people who were born to take a higher position, looked up to by all, and loved unconditionally.


    Now their glory became useless as their cities and territories were burned down. No amount of jewelry could save them from the fangs of the behemoths which only viewed them as food to eat and flies to kill.


    They looked at the heavens and desperately uttered their prayer in their own hearts. For they know that they could no longer handle it on their own.


    They have to ce their hopes on the one who was higher than the crown on their head.


    They have to call upon the Being whose dominion was even wider than the territories their hands and eye could reach.


    "Heavens¡­ did you really forsake ournds and refuse toe to our rescue?"


    "Will you hear your people''s cry and bring forth hope?"


    "We cry out, Oh Great One."


    "Wey down our crowns before you... For it is Useless when your people are dead."


    "Turn your eyes toward us and show us mercy!"


    "Oh, Great One, who made the heavens and the earth we love, Prasinos!"


    Suddenly, in a tiny spot in the middle of the holy ind battlefield, Cornelius was focused on keeping Eli''s receptors protected against the heavy fluctuation on the battlefield.


    "Hang in there¡­ my dear little daughter¡­" As the beads of sweat rolled on his forehead, Cornelius could not help but mutter.


    Not knowing that in Eli''s consciousness, something bizarre was happening.


    "Wake up¡­ open your eyes¡­Eli!"

 Chapter 581 I Am... Tired

    ?


    Eli felt like she had been sleeping for so long.


    However, thest time she remembered was that she had been fighting so badly against Rachana, Emperor Razak, and Pope Ramir.


    While she was fighting with her, every shoring that she had was slowly weighing her down.


    She thought that when the heavens blessed her with power, she was finally able to catch up with Rachana''s prowess in fighting.


    However, who would have thought that the Pope and Emperor woulde?


    They were even several times stronger and more experienced than Rachana in fighting! The most frightening thing was, the moment the twoid their eyes on her, her secrets were all exposed.


    Including the secret she did not want the enemy to know the most¡­ Little Han''s existence!


    She fought for her life and she fought to protect Little Han''s whereabouts.


    In the process, she was tortured beyond her imagination.


    Every part of her body was being shredded to pieces and she could not even shout in pain. Because the mere fact of opening her mouth and letting out her scream was already torture.


    The image in her eyes was the desperate moves of Baobao, Wisey, Kayden, and the rest of herrades to attempt to save her.


    She had seen their horror and how their spirits broke when she was being tortured in front of their eyes.


    She could not even let out a tear in her eye, because every moisture in her body was toasted by Emperor Razak''s electricity.


    ''No more¡­ please¡­ no more¡­'' That was the plea she was desperately shouting as Emperor Razak ruthlessly electrocuted her at increasing levels.


    ''Please¡­ no¡­ more¡­''


    ''I¡­ beg you¡­ please¡­''


    ''Have mercy¡­ please¡­''


    In face of pain and great torture, her mental fortitude totally broke down.


    Her very own cheery and curious character was taken away. Even the warmth she held onto since she went to Prasinos and met the people she truly cared for, they were all forgotten.


    The first taste ofpanionship with Wisey and Baobao¡­


    The very first time she used magic, and how she strived to grow it stronger¡­


    The dreadful feeling of killing her first enemy¡­


    The excitement of being a mother¡­


    The joy of holding her child for the first time¡­


    The feeling of being in love¡­


    The exhrating taste of her first kiss.


    The sensation of when her engagement ring was put on her finger¡­


    At that point, Eli no longer remembered it all. For her entire being was filled with pain, suffering, and begging.


    Begging not to her torturer but to the Great One whom she knew was watching from the heavenly realm.


    ''I can no longer go on¡­ Great One.''


    ''Please leave me be¡­''


    ''I''m tired!''


    ''I''m done!''


    ''Please let my work end here¡­ for I can no longer move forward¡­ Great One¡­''


    In her mind, as she was saying this, she finally lost all sensation.


    Her hearing, her vision, her sense of touch and smell, and most importantly, her pain and suffering.


    All she could see was the cold pitch-ck that was covering her and embracing her aggressively.


    Eli curled up in a fetal position and trembled.


    Then she wept.


    Her sniffles turned to sobs, her sobs turned to cries¡­


    Her cries turned to haunting wails.


    Like an aggrieved child who was disappointed in herself and the oue of her circumstance.


    Her groans were like desperateints, silent and deep but were screaming loudly.


    She cried and cried, as memories of her sufferings and hard work from her previous life until now were alling back to her like raging water in a broken dam. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Eli¡­ Eli¡­ wake up¡­" After some time, she finally heard a soft voice whispering in her ears.


    But she refused to respond and just hugged herself, sumbing to the emotions she felt at the moment.


    "Eli!! Hear me out¡­ please!"


    "Wake up!" The voice which was slowly turning more familiar with Eli continued to convince her.


    But Eli only frowned and replied, "No!" e


    "Wake up¡­ open your eyes¡­Eli!"


    "No! I''m tired!"


    "I won''t open my eyes!"


    "I will just stay here¡­ in here there''s need to worry and work hard!"


    "There is no pressure to be a great person, no one would depend on me¡­"


    "In here I can only think of myself, and not be afraid of falling short of others'' expectations."


    "I do not have to be scared to know if I fail as a mother or a woman¡­"


    Eli continued to mutter the things that made her refuse, convincing herself and the voice why she did not want to listen.


    "Eli¡­ Little Han needs you¡­"


    "So please wake up!" The voice did not grow impatient and just gently coaxed Eli to open her eyes.


    Eli''s trembling body paused at the mention of Little Han''s name, but she still did not open her eyes.


    "He is crying desperately when he feels the presence that you are in danger¡­ His cries reached the heavens¡­"


    When Eli heard it, her sobs and sniffles halted at once.


    Instantly the image of Little Han desperately crying invaded her mind and haunted her heart. She opened her eyes immediately, refusing to see that image of Little Han''s agony for even a second.


    When she opened her eyes, she was shocked by what she saw.


    There was a figure sitting beside her, she was dressed in pure white, her wings wereden with gold. There was a heavenly aura surrounding her, which made Eli recognize that the figure in front of her was a citizen of the heavenly realms.


    But that was not what surprised her.


    It was because the face of the figure in front of her was exactly the face of the body she had been living in Prasinos.


    "E-Elise?" She slowly stood up, lost for words as she looked at the figure in front of her.


    "How are you, Eli?" Elise smiled and squatted at her innocently, her eyes were full of stars twinkling in the midnight sky.


    "I¡­ I failed to protect Little Han¡­" Eli''s eyes heated once more and another session of crying is about to ensue.


    "It turns out, I cannot protect him well¡­ I failed at the task you have entrusted¡­ Elise." Tears in Eli''s eyes rolled heavily.


    While they were the same tears, it was way heavier than the tears she had already shed earlier on.


    "You still haven''t failed¡­ You can still go back." Elise smiled and wiped the tears gently from Eli''s eyes.


    But Eli shook her head and said, "No¡­ I think that I no longer deserve toe down there¡­ Elise¡­ you can take your body back¡­"


    "I''ll be satisfied here, watching you be a mother to Little Han¡­" Eli said with great bitterness welling in her heart.


    Even if she uttered these words, she was deeply unwilling. Because she knew deep in her heart how full her eptance was as Little Han''s mother¡­


    As Eli in Prasinos the fantasy world.


    However, she still forced herself to do so, because she clearly saw how she failed to do what she had to do.


    To her surprise, Elise did not agree with her and shook her head, "I cannot do that. I cannot take your body."


    "Why not? You are the owner of the body in the first ce. You are Little Han''s mother! And you have already fully recovered your soul!" Eli replied.


    But Elise looked at her meaningfully and shook her head once more.


    "Eli, I cannot take your body¡­ Even if I have aplete soul I cannot go down and do it."


    "Why?" Eli asked, clearly confused.


    "Because the body that you are in¡­ the identity you believed you borrowed¡­"


    "Was yours in the first ce¡­"


    "You are Little Han''s mother in the first ce."


    "From the beginning, you are Elise Fayre, Little Han''s mother!"

 Chapter 582 Memories (1)

    ?


    Eli stared at Elise with shock and confusion on her face.


    "What nonsense are you saying, Elise? How can I be you?" Eli felt the matter was ridiculous and could not help but ask Elise in doubt.


    When she came into the heavenly realm it was Elise''s soul and the great one whom she saw first.


    She even had a conversation with her before she epted the challenge of descending in Prasinos! If that was so, how was she even able to have a conversation with ''herself'' if she was really Elise Fayre?!


    ''Elise'' smiled and was not offended by her tantrums at all. Instead, she lifted her hand and pointed one of her fingers toward Eli''s forehead.


    "I cannot exin to you easily¡­ instead I will show you¡­" She said as Eli suddenly felt a wave of memory entering her mind.


    The memory started with the moment her mum died of cancer. Eli whose eyes were wet in tears looked dazedly at her mum''s emaciated figure while the nurses carefully covered her with a white cloth.


    After that, her days became gloomy and she felt like she had lost a part of her soul.


    But in the end, she was driven by the pressures of reality that she had to set aside her mourning and became a money-earning machine to pay for the rest of her mother''s bills.


    One day, as she went home from a hectic day in the office, she realized that her apartment was suddenly upied.


    She carefully opened the door and realized that there was a person waiting for her inside.


    It was her biological mother who had been estranged from her all her life.


    Eli''s eyes darkened as she coldly asked, "Why are you here in my mother''s house?"


    She looked at thedy who had been smoking a few butts of cigarettes as she couldn''t help but feel angered. She did not care if her biological mom did not care about her, but why did she not even appear when her very own sister was in the midst of suffering?


    She did not even show up at her funeral!


    "I want this house. Now that my sister is gone, it''s time for you to vacate this home as this was under my parent''s name." Her mother continued without even an ounce of affection.


    "How dare you¡­ It is my mum who worked hard to buy this apartment, it was her filial piety that this property was named under her parents but that does not give you the right to im this!" Eli felt so aggrieved.


    This biological mother of hers did not even regard his mum as her sister.


    "So what? How can you, the spawn of some random man I slept with talk to me like that? Hahaha!"


    Eli was startled, she always thought that she was just a child that was conceived by her biological mother when she was young and outgoing!


    "Did you know? That in order to support that mother of yours, my parents had put this house on a mortgage just for her to be sent abroad for some musicpetition?" She looked at Eli with hatred and disgust.


    "Why did they have to do that for her? I have always told them that I wanted to study at a prestigious university, but all they could say is that they were unable to finance my studies and I only have to be sent to a third-rate university."


    Smoking another stick of cigarette she continued.


    "I was supposed to be a girl with a lot of dreams and a lot of aspirations but I have to settle for a poor man''s university even after begging them for so long¡­"


    "But then I heard them mortgage this house withoutints when they heard that my younger sister needs money topete in the Menuhinpetition! How unfair was that?!"


    "Because of her! I had to sell myself to some old men just to get money and feed my dreams! If she can go to another country topete, why can''t I go to a premium university to study?!"


    "And so just as you could have heard from your mother, yes I slept around and sold my body for money."


    "But I did not think that I would have you¡­ the very evidence of my dirty past." She looked at Eli with great disdain and disgust.


    "Whenever I look at you I am reminded of all the lewd faces of the dirty old man who put me under their fat bodies and rode on me like a breeding cattle." She could not contain her contempt and took the ashtray near her and threw it at Eli.


    "Anyways¡­ It''s not that I needed this room¡­ After all, my life has been good. I had a rich husband, I owned a business just like I dreamed of during my youth. But the only thing that was left was to spite your "Mother" and my parents who chose her over me."


    "So pack your things and leave!" With her shout, her mother threw a stack of paper in front of her, it was a notarized im for the property her mother painstakingly redeemed for her parents.


    Eli clenched her fist and looked at the papers. After a long time, she closed her eyes and calmed herself down. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Give me until tomorrow. I will get my mother''s things out of the house." She said calmly.


    "You are easy to talk to!" Her biological mother finally smiled. She pressed the cigarette directly on the table and threw it on Eli as she strutted out of the apartment with a loud bang.


    Finally, Eli was alone.


    In the room that was formerly filled with the warmth and love of her mum.


    Then in the reality of why she was deeply abhorred by her biological mother.


    Filthy¡­


    That was the only thing that her biological mother did not say to her. But every look and every action had already screamed this word to her.


    "Hic¡­ hic¡­" Eli copsed in the room, looking at the dark ceiling that was usually still lit up at this time, while the faint sound of music filled the room.


    Now it was all filled with darkness and her cries.


    "Mum¡­ mum¡­ take me with you¡­"


    "This world is ugly without you¡­"


    "This life is meaningless when you are not around¡­ mummy¡­"


    "Hic! Hic!" Eli''s body trembled as she tried to hug herself.


    Though she held herself back earlier, her biological mother''s words were extremely hurtful to her.


    Especially at this moment, when she was already losing the will to live.


    She looked at the empty ceiling and the dark walls, desperately wanting for her mum to appear and whisper her words offort.


    "Mummy, where are you?"


    "I need your hug the most¡­" Eli curled up on the cold floor and her tears rolled to the floor along with the scattered ashes and papers left by her biological mother.


    She cried and cried, but her mum did not appear. As she realized this reality, her heart died.


    When she woke up the next morning, her mind was nk.


    She looked around and mechanically stood up, she started calling the movingpany and arranged for her mother''s things to be moved out.


    After that, she walked aimlessly in the busy daylight street, when she bumped into a woman whose face was covered with a big hat.


    Eli''s mind buzzed, she was pulled back to the present and remembered that moment in her life when she desperately begged for her mum toe back.


    In her heart, her true mother was not her biological mother, but Elena, her mum.


    However, even after she remembered this memory, she still did not get it.


    "What does that memory say about my question then??" Eli asked.


    Elise''s voice rang once more as she said, "Well you might not remember, but right after that memory there is another¡­"


    Then her memory continued, as she was aimlessly walking at the path of the sidewalk,


    "Wow¡­ I''ve never seen a human with only half a soul!!! Fascinating!" A voice sounded from a person passing on Eli''s sorry figure.


    "Pardon?" Eli stopped and turned but she didn''t see the person who told those words. The only scene she saw was the empty sidewalk behind her.


    "Half a soul?" Eli looked at the empty road again then turned not minding the bizarre situation.

 Chapter 583 Memories (2)

    ?


    Without an answer, the memory ended.


    She opened her eyes and saw ''Elise'' looking at her gently.


    "What does that memory mean?" Eli, utterly confused and lost, looked at ''Elise'' and asked desperately.


    "Your soul was split in two. Not because of an enemy intervention, but because of the destiny you have to carry in the very near future¡­"


    "Remember the book of knowledge that the Great One gave you?" ''Elise'' who is now not Elise asked the question.


    "... yes¡­" Eli said as she thought deeply. What would be the connection of the book on her soul splitting in half?


    "You might never realize it but you are not yet using the book in its full capacity even until now¡­"


    "The closest you have been in using the sliver of power from the Great One would be when you used it to destroy the fragments of the enemy''s spiritst internal war. But after that, did you not notice that the book only merely functions to you as if it contains knowledge?"


    ''Elise'' looked at Eli patiently and let her ponder things.


    True enough, when this was mentioned, Eli remembered how the Great One mentioned that the book contained a sliver of his power. But she did not really have the opportunity to understand this information.


    "Your soul had to be split in two and then had to be nurtured separately in order for your spirit to be able to bear the weight of the Great One''s power. Only then will you be able to use the book properly and defeat the enemy below..."


    "Thus, your soul was sent into two different times and developed two different identities on each timeline."


    "The purpose is to strengthen your soul by going through the tribtions that you went through in those lifetimes."


    "However¡­ the enemy¡­ those angels who rebelled against the heavens discovered you¡­ then everything changed."


    "Your soul in the modern world was forcefully ended through that ident, while your other half, Elise, also prematurely ended."


    "The n was for two of your souls to meet each other as soon as Elise entered the Realm of Paths. By that time, your life in the modern world would have been lived to the fullest ording to the ns and the assimtion would have been smoother with the two souls melding into one."


    "Apart from that, part of your second soul, Elise''s soul, had been infected by the decay power of the enemy which made the assimtion moreplicated."


    "You two would have recognized each other as one and the same the moment you two met, but then you two became two different people and beings because of the interference."


    "Alright¡­" Eli could no longer take the information and interrupted ''Elise''.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pausing for a long time before continuing, "So you mean to say, that it was not meant for us to meet during the time when we first saw each other in the heavenly realm?"


    ''Elise'' smiled and nodded, "But what you did not know was that the damage done by the enemy on Elise''s soul is far more serious. Her soul was shattered if not for Little Han''s innate spirit healing Elise''''s soul and pushing back the power of decay until the Great One stepped in."


    "Little Han?" Eli was taken aback, but when she saw ''Elise''s'' knowing smile, she remained silent.


    "That''s right, by now you should have known who Little Han was¡­ he was the boy that was saved by Asa in hisst moments. What you might not understand was that, because Guardian Asa used thest of his essence to save Little Han''s spirit, the two became one."


    "As for what it meant for you as his parent¡­ it is for another conversation that is not yet due at the moment. But now what you needed to understand was that, this was already the time for you and Elise''s soul to finally assimte."


    "The tribtion that you have experienced was alreadyplete when you were tortured by your opponent, while hers had already been done in that gruesome dungeon."


    "..." Eli''s mind and heart were in turmoil. Truly this is a lot for her to take in.


    To suddenly know that all her reality was not and that her identity was actually not what she thought it was¡­


    Elise¡­


    She was someone she viewed as a sister and friend. A person who could be her best friend and soulmate should their fates allow them to.


    But now that she knows that they were one and the same¡­ Eli could not help but feel conflicted once more.


    She was even more conflicted than the moments she hesitated and felt the guilt of taking her body and role as Little Han''s mother during those times she just descended in Prasinos.


    "Now are you saying that once we be one¡­ one of us would disappear and the other would prevail?" She muttered as she tried to take in the facts slowly in her mind.


    "No¡­ the two of you will both exist at the same time." The other answered.


    "..." <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If that''s the case, then who are you? And why is my mum also in the same timeline as Elise''s soul??" Eli asked.


    "For Yelena¡­ after her death on your timeline, her soul transcended to Elise''s timeline. Because two of you are destined to have her as mother¡­ and no other soul could do it but her."


    "Remember, the heavens aren''t bound by a timeline like the creation did, that is why it is possible for her to transcend to a timeline that ispletely different from yours in the modern world as long as it is willed by the heavens."


    "As for me, I am simply the guardian of Elise''s soul until the two of you be one and whole. My name is Caeli, the keeper of injured souls." As Caeli said this, her appearance changed from that of Elise, then all other faces that Eli could not recognize.


    "These are the forms of all the souls I kept, and every one of them had the same situation as you as they share the same destiny and fate like you as well - To bear the power of the Great One and defeat the fallen angels in the world assigned to you - Prasinos."


    "Hah¡­" Eli shook her head not willing to just idly ept the things that she was hearing at the moment.


    "I understand¡­ that it is a lot for you to take in Elise Mangit. But I am afraid that you cannot dwell into the matter any longer because¡­ the world and the people you and Elise Fayre both loved are already about to copse." Caeli remembered.


    Remembering Leon, Little Han, and the rest, Eli''s heart beat fast.


    "The war¡­ what happened to them?!" Eli began to panic as she looked at Caeli and nervously held her hand.


    "See for yourself¡­" With a wave of her hand, Caeli showed the situation to Eli.


    "The war as we speak has been going on for seven days. Many lives have been lost, but our side has not yet given up. With the guardians'' favor, they could hold for a little longer while waiting for you to end it all¡­ but that''s all we as citizens of the heavenly realm do for you."


    Eli watched the scene and saw that everyone was fighting desperately against Lord Raven and his armies.


    She could also see the boundless mana flowing to Leon and the rest, the colors representing all of the guardians of Prasinos supporting them in any way they can.


    Kayden and the rest also joined the fight along with Cornelius and Yelena.


    "Mum!" Eli shouted in panic but then the next scene made her even more worried.


    The behemoth monsters started to reach the Green Wave continent and they were just a breath away from reaching Little Han''s location if they were not defeated by the others who were defending the continent.


    "Prasinos is crumbling¡­ Eli¡­ you need to make a decision." Caeli softly said.


    "Did¡­ did you tell Elise everything? What did she say about it?" Eli for thest time expressed her resistance to soul assimtion.


    "Why don''t you ask her for yourself?" Caeli looked in another direction to which Eli turned her head to see.


    There she saw Elise who was smiling at her and Eli''s heart skipped a beat.


    Badump! Badump!


    She heard two heartbeats beating as one. An indescribable feeling of belongingness and identity resonated with her as she looked at Elise who was also looking back at her with the same emotion.


    "Isn''t this the best arrangement Eli? We are one and we live as one. I finally can find a piece of me that was missing since I opened my eyes, and you now found me in turn."


    "We can both hold Little Hand in our arms, our hearts would be one."


    "You are me¡­" Elise uttered.


    Eli did not know how, but she found herself walking toward Elise and touched her hand by replying, "I am you¡­"


    They both smiled and an indescribable sense of warmth andpleteness covered them both.


    "So are the two of you ready to be one person?" Caeli asked.


    They both nodded, finally determined.


    "Alright then¡­ two of you get ready." Caeli waved her palms and a mysterious warm light enveloped the two.


    Eli and Elise smiled at each other, their bodies were covered by the light and their hearts glowed in gold.


    They held their hands and allowed Caeli to work.


    As to how it will turn out for the two of them, they did not know¡­

 Chapter 584 Elise

    ?


    Caeli looked at the two souls who were now in the form of two white light orbs with gentle golden swirls of light hovering in them.


    Caeli looked at them with anxiousness and care at the same time.


    "Are you worried about Caeli?" Suddenly the voice of the Great One rang, to her asking her gently.


    "Only this time¡­ for there has not been any soul melding with one of them injured by the Fallen''s decay," Caeli replied.


    "You shall not worry, for the cleansing has been done. They shall be one, even when the enemy tries to interfere¡­ Those enemies cannot go against my will." The Great One said.


    Although his form did not appear around Caeli and the two souls, Caeli could feel that the Great One was looking at the two souls gently, full of love and warmth.


    "...''She'' both had done great things and endured hardship. ''She'' will surely seed." The Great One dered.


    Caeli only nodded and looked at the two souls slowly melding into one.


    Inside, Elise was now seeing everything that happened in Eli''s life.


    She knew from Caeli that Eli had already received a fragment of her memories, but because it was not a real assimtion, Eli was unable to fully understand Elise''s feelings at that time and only watched her memories unravel to her like a movie.


    Elise at the moment was reliving the life that Eli had.


    While Eli was doing that as well.


    The agony and the pain.


    The warmth and the victories.


    The embarrassment and helplessness.


    All of them were being ingrained and understood by the two as they were witnessing each other''s lives.


    As they did this, their souls, which were just the size of a ser ball, slowly grew.


    "Mum¡­'' Elise looked at Yelena''s dying state as she was consumed in the hospital, shivering in heartbreak.


    As far as her original life goes, she never met the woman.


    But why does it devastate her so much to see her life slowly wither before her eyes?


    If she was in human form at the moment, she would have clutched her heart and beat it hard. Because the pain was too much for her to bear that she would just want to rip her heart out to run away from the pain.


    That pain even intensified, when she was relieved the moment Eli saw her biological mother who cursed her for being the product of her filthy past.


    She relived how Eli lived like a human without a soul. A money-making puppet only wakes up to earn a sry and goes home to lie in bed in a daze.


    It was a dull life, Elise could totally concur with Eli at this point. It was really so dull that it is tragic.


    Eli on the other hand was in a daze.


    The memory that struck her the most was that moment when she ran out of Kayden''s vi after Elise tried to put up a brave front to Leon.


    After that, she felt Elise''s internal battle. The man was his adoptive brother''s best friend and her savior.


    How could they suddenly share a bed?!


    Her heart beat fast, how could a maiden like her, who only saw the outside world for four years understand the gravity of what happened that night?


    And so Eli relived the way Elise shook her head and brushed off the thoughts in her mind, until the moment she discovered that she was pregnant.


    The shock, hesitation, fear, and regret attacked her young mind aggressively, leaving her helpless and insecure.


    At that moment, she felt that she no longer deserved everyone''s earth as she had betrayed their feelings.


    She after all had no idea that the matter was not her and Leon''s choice but a scheme made by the enemy.


    So she beat herself up for several nights reprimanding herself why she was so ''lustful'' and ''promiscuous''.


    Outwardly, she smiled at the people of the Riverfort Hospital, but when she was in front of Kayden, she could barely raise her head in shame and guilt.


    The jar of her emotions suddenly broke, and one day she woke up with a decision to finally take action to get rid of the child.


    She sneaked out of the hospital to go to town for a few herbs that could induce miscarriage.


    However, when she was already there, her body shivered.


    Why would she do this?


    Why would she kill her own child?


    She realized how she came to live. She was unwanted, someone whose life does not even bear value to her very own parents. The only value that she had was the few silver shinies given to her parents when the madman bought her to torture.


    Now would she be cruel like them to an innocent child?


    All these emotions were relieved by Eli.


    Especially the desperation she had when she was murdered by the tracking knight Igor in the forest.


    How she watered the ground in her tears to tell the heavens how aggrieved she was.


    How she begged all the guardians to let her child live. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After they relieved each other''s lives, two souls looked at each other.


    "It seems that our lives have been tragic and sorrowful, is it?" Elise''s voice rang.


    "Do not worry, we will be happy¡­ we have Little Han, we have Leon¡­ we have our friends and family¡­ we will live in joy for sure, Elise."


    Eli replied, she knew that Elise had also relieved the moment when she took over her body, birthed Little Han, and developed feelings for Leon.


    Now she knew that what she felt, was also what she felt. And she was the same as well.


    At this moment, every part, emotion, and joy in both their lives have been deeply ingrained andbined into one big and beautiful soul.


    Elise.


    A name that they shared, a destiny they both owned.


    The golden light on their souls intertwined as Eli and Elise''s consciousness slowly melded into each other.


    To say that one of the personalities would dominate and the other would be overpowered is wrong.


    For both the individuality of Eli and Elise would cease to exist because once they be one, a new person is born.


    It''s just Elise.


    One who lived two lives yet loved the same set of people.


    Meanwhile, it''s the seventh day since the war started.


    Leon, Grandpa Andi, and Grandpa Ben were fighting desperately against a fallen angel Lord Raven.


    They could have been dead long ago if not for the fact that the guardians intervened.


    On the third day of their fight, the gates of mana in Prasinos suddenly opened and flowed like a gigantic ocean. That was the first miracle.


    The second miracle was that all those righteous who managed to survive at that moment did not even experience receptor fatigue, which was one of the phenomena that should have happened as soon as the first day of the war.


    Then there was the speedy recovery of Kayden and the rest of the injured people from the first battle. They appeared in full condition after the third day of the war as well and joined the battle against the demonoid Specter army which helped the others persist until the seventh day.


    However, even after fighting for so long, there was still no sign of the tables turning in their favor.


    The army of the enemy remained strong if any of these that were repeated seemed to keep on resurrecting like an endless pest.


    If they did not excuse all their cure potions at hand, they would not have permanently killed a few.


    But at this very moment, despair came upon them.


    Even High Priest Enoch, who had now permanently lost an eye, was now inplete despair.


    That is because thest cure potion has been consumed.


    Unless someone from the maind delivered them supplies, they could no longer reduce the number of enemies before them.


    And their side could only slowly dwindle due to exhaustion.


    Randel, Kazimir, Antoine, Kayden, and the rest looked in Eli''s direction.


    Her body was still battered, but she was already out of critical condition.


    Yelena was apanying her protectively as she continued to inject healing power into her body.


    ''When will she wake up?'' All the surviving people asked.


    Leon clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.


    Can he really not do anything?


    Would their efforts go down the drain after all the fights they gave?


    What can he do? How can he save his people?


    How can he live to see Eli and Little Han alive and well?


    Is it really that hopeless?


    Lord Raven saw the minuscule opening that was caused by Leon''s distraction.


    "You shall not let your mind wander when you are not even strong enough to face the enemy!" Lord Raven smiled as he immediately shed in front of Leon to stab his heart with his sharp nails,


    "Third Prince!" Grand Master Andi was nearer to Leon and so he was the first one to move.


    He shed with his dwarven body and extended his Warhammer to block Lord Raven''s nails from reaching Leon''s heart.


    It was so fast that even Leon froze momentarily.


    Suddenly droplets of blood sprayed on his face and his crystal blue eyes shook in disbelief.


    He reached out his hand to catch Grandpa Andi''s body in his arms.


    "G-grand¡­master¡­" He muttered in panic.

 Chapter 585 Hero No More

    ?


    Zenith immediately worked and opened a portal for Leon and Grandpa Andi to escape from Lord Raven''s attacking range.


    "Master!" Randel who was still upied with Rachana could not help but be worried.


    He and Leon were not only the people shaken by the sudden turn of events, even Kazimir and Antoine, the vice captains and the rest of the soldiers were also stunned and worried.


    "Get a grip of yourselves! Do not get distracted!!!" But just as they were about to sumb to the spiral of distress, Grandpa Reuben''s stern voice rang in the entire battlefield, jolting everyone awake from their senses.


    Grandpa Reuben''s eyes swept over the field with his eyes bloodshot and his body trembling, "You get distracted your life would be gone! Once our lives crumble here, then our world is no more! Do you understand?!"


    "... y-yes Grandmaster¡­" Leon lowered his head, as he stared at Grandpa Andi''s body.


    His head was ringing as he could no longer think straight.


    "... Young Prince, g¨Cget a grip¡­ this old man would not die with just this injury¡­ Remember, Little Han and the young generation''s lives are at stake at this moment¡­" Grandpa Andi, who was breathing heavily with red blood flowing out of his mouth spoke with struggle.


    "But this injury¡­" He looked at Grandpa Andi''s body.


    His limbs, from his shoulders, down to his hands were long and no longer to be seen, his ears were also torn apart.


    As he rushed to rescue the distracted Leon, He jumped and used his dwarven body, which is only three-fourths of Leon''s height to stop Lord Raven.


    At first, he used his war hammer to block Lord Raven''s hands from prating Leon''s chest. But what could a mere lump of the hardest metal in the world do to someone who is not from this world?


    And so the war hammer appeared to be like jelly in Lord Raven''s eyes as it continued to prate Leon.


    Grandpa Andi moved fast and used both of his hands to stop Lord Raven''s attack.


    He used all of his devourer''s mana and hugged Lord Raven''s hands with all his might.


    Stopping it with all his strength, his limbs were torn, separating them from his body. Because of that, his body which now does not have any limbs could only freefall Leon''s side following the momentum of Lord Raven''s attack.


    Luckily, at that moment, Zenith was able to pull Leon and Grandpa Andi away from Lord Raven''s attacking range, leaving him stabbing an empty space and with the great grandmaster''s hands clinging desperately to his arm.


    With that, Grandpa Andi was totally incapacitated, unable to wield his weapon in the fight.


    "It''s because of me¡­" Leon was devastated. Leon''s lips trembled as his eyes reddened in tears. "H-how could this be¡­"


    A great wave of guilt and self-me swelled in his heart, it was so painful that he wanted to dig out his heart to stop himself from ever feeling the pain once more.


    He knew how much Eli adored Grandpa Andi, he was the first person whom Eli befriended when she descended in Prasinos.


    He was also the one who took her in genuinely and treated her like a real granddaughter. As he lived with Eli, he too also had the same affection as hers.


    He had long treated him the same as histe grandfather and respected him from the bottom of his heart.


    But now, he was in this state because of him.


    Very soon, droplets of tears flowed from his crystal blue eyes as it fell on Grandpa Andi''s bloody aged face.


    "Young man¡­ I tell you¡­ to get a grip¡­ You can''t stay like that¡­" Grandpa Andi looked at Leon without any me as he shed a weak smile. If he had limbs at the moment, he could have stretched out his hands and wiped the Prince''s tears.


    s, he couldn''t¡­


    He knew his body well, with this severe damage and so much blood loss, even if there was a lot of mana around, he could no longer recover. Even if a miracle happened, he could only leave without his arms.


    "I¡­" Leon was still trembling, he was losing his strength as he felt that the burden he was holding was too much for him to bear.


    "GET YOURSELF TOGETHER LEON!" Kayden, whose eyes were equally red and tearful at the moment shouted with all his might.


    He knew what Leon was feeling, but they could not really afford for him to break his spirit as well.


    With his angry shout, Leon seemed to havee back to his senses and looked around.


    "What should I do?" He mumbled helplessly.


    In front of him was the enemy watching him make a fool of himself. Behind him were the people who were still fighting desperately for everyone''s survival.


    "Third Prince, would you let the Grandmaster down here? I''ll take care of him." Yelena, who was still carefully guarding and healing Eli also called Leon''s attention.


    Leon looked at Yelena and Eli, then at Grandmaster Andi who also gave him an affirming gaze. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In the end, he personally went down and ced Grandmaster Andi on Yelena''s side. Cornelius also tried to escape to go to Yelena''s side to see Grandpa Andi''s situation.


    The blood loss made Grandpa Andi''splexion pale and his gaze was slowly fading away.


    "We''ll do our best, Third Prince. You should go back." Cornelius gently patted Leon''s shoulder trying to let him clear his muddled mind.


    Although Leon nodded, he was still in a daze when he went back to the battlefield.


    "Still going to face me after that?" Lord Raven raised his hand, which was carrying Grandpa Andi''s severed hands like it was his trophy.


    Everyone''s eyes became bloodshot. Deep anger and humiliation sprang up to their hearts as they saw how the enemy treated Grandpa Andi''s hands like it was a ything!


    Those hands were not only capable of protecting hundreds of lives in Prasinos all these years, but it was also the same hands who crafted and designed a lot of marvelous things that made the people of Prasinos thrive and progress in living!


    Magical tools and weapons, simple machinery, carriages, and many more. They were all designed and invented by those hands.


    Now someone in front of them was treating it like it was a prize. Such disrespect made their hearts burn with anger and indignance.


    Unfortunately, Lord Raven did not seem to take their anger seriously. After all, the grandmasters and even the Third Prince could not even do anything to him.


    "What, angry now? Hahaha! Come and try to speed up your deaths already. I am really getting bored as you can see." Lord Ravenzily threw Grandpa Andi''s hands away not even looking where it would drop.


    Randel''s eyes shed quickly and hurried to catch the hands, he would never allow it to be thrown like that disgracefully.


    Fortunately, Lord Raven did not notice him as Grand Master Reuben also took that time to distract him with his attacks.


    Leon also sprang up in the action as he could no longer bear to do the same mistakes again.


    While he was fighting, he was praying.


    "Heavens, could there really be no change for us to save ournd from the hands of the evil one?"


    "Could there be really no hope for us to defeat the enemy before us?"


    "If so, why give this strength in the first ce? If it could not protect lives at the crucial moment?"


    "Why did you give me the power so overwhelming for other people, yet utterly useless to this evil one in front of me?"


    This was the question he was asking as he talked to the heavens in pleading. Leon smiled bitterly, it seems that he really was destined to fail at this moment.


    He stared at the skies for a while and his heart uttered,


    "Oh, Great Creator¡­


    It does not matter to me if I was not the hero destined to ovee this moment.


    I know that you will not allow your people to perish¡­


    And so I confess myplete trust in you, even if it means that I fall at the moment.


    For I know you will bring forth someone to defeat this enemy in front of me!"


    As soon as he uttered this prayer, the skies suddenly changed.


    Though it was daytime, the purple aura of evil had long enveloped the skies during these seven days.


    But this time, everyone saw that the clouds seemed to have parted above where they all stood, clearing the ominous purple gloom.


    Rumble!!!


    The next moment, the clouds and the sky suddenly roared as a shot of bright light immediately came down.


    "Heavens!" The entire army was so shocked that they almost dropped their weapons on the ground.


    Lord Raven''s face changed, "Oh¡­ so you''ve decided to intervene? You really cannot take away your love for these puny creations if yours are you, Overseer?"


    He looked at the skies and talked as if he knew who had caused suchmotions.


    "Are you going to finally go this time and deal with one of your ''unruly'' subordinates?" He asked without an ounce of respect.

 Chapter 586 Together

    ?


    Roar!


    As if to reply the heavens let out a loud thunder. It was so loud and imposing like all the creatures in the sky would have to prostrate in reverence upon its call.


    However, that is only what the others heard, but to Lord Raven and his demonoid, they heard a clear voice saying,


    "Why should I need toe down when my children are more than enough to deal with your futile efforts?" The Great One''s voice sounded like he was a proud father in the ears of Lord Raven and the enemies.


    "Hahaha! Do you think your children were enough? Look at this Overseer! Can''t you see that they were now on the verge of being ughtered by me and my army?!" Lord Raven pointed at the heavens with spite.


    His disrespect, arrogance, and spite were apparent as he spoke to the heavens.


    The heavens roared once more however, it was not as scary as it was the first time. That was because the Great One''s response was just a lightugh.


    This made Lord Raven extremely angry and insulted.


    But before he could open his mouth, the Great One''s voice already rang in his head. "You have no time to bicker with me, rebel. Look behind and see who my children really were."


    After that, a pair of brilliant lights shot from the sky once more, this time, the light immediately struck Leon and Eli''s position.


    It was so blinding and fast that everyone in the field immediately cowered to protect their eyes from the overwhelming brightness.


    They were unable to figure out where the streak of light actually descended exactly. All they knew was it just came down so fast and drowned them with light.


    Leon, who was the first one to be hit by light, found himself once more in front of the mystic tree in the End Of Path.


    "Young one, are you willing to finally embrace the essence of the Path''s End?" The same mysterious voice who talked to him the first time he came asked.


    "Yes¡­ as long as it leads me to the path of the righteous, I will ept." Leon this time did not hesitate nor reject.


    His defeat and mistake lead him to believe that his current strength is not enough to defeat the enemy.


    "Very well¡­" The voice replied with a calm tone. "Come forward and take this¡­"


    As the voice sounded, a fruit that does not look like any other familiar fruit in Leon''s knowledge appeared.


    He raised his hands and carefully took the fruit which the voice in the tree sent. As soon as it touched his hand, he was able to smell the sweet fragrance of strawberries.


    "Eat it and you will unlock the mysteries of this path." The voice rang once more.


    Leon knew not to dy any further. He took the fruit and ate it directly. The sweet taste of something simr to peach drizzled with the purest honey and a hint of citrus covered his lips.


    He had never tasted fruit like this. It was delightful, at the same time bizarre for there were no seeds in it. The entire fruit is edible and Leon ate it all until no trace was left.


    As soon as the mysterious fruit waspletely consumed, Leon''s vision changed.


    The gentle waves of mana surged so fast like the speed of light. The mysterious tree in front of him dissolved like light, revealing a person inside.


    It was someone whom Leon could not figure out with his naked eye. The only thing he knew was that it was the owner of the voice, and he looked like an angeling from the heavenly realm.


    "You''ve eaten the fruit of the End of Path, which makes you have the power over Prasinos''s life essence" The figure said.


    "Life essence? Isn''t it mana?" Leon did not understand.


    "While mana itself connotes life, it is not to be considered as essence. As mana is a product of the life force produced by the essence of life itself¡­" The voice exined.


    "The fruit you ate is part of the essence tree which I guard. The tree contains the essence of life for all of Prasinos. It is the very origin of life which holds this world together."


    Leon looked at the angel and asked, "Are you also a guardian of thend?"


    The angel shook his head gently and replied,


    "I am not a guardian of thend but of the Paths and the Tree. Both of them are part of Prasinos, but not in Prasinos¡­ just like how the spatial void and the Ancient Dragon Spirit could not be found in thend of Prasinos, yet still part of the same world."


    "I see¡­ Then has anyone before me managed to reach this ce?" Leon asked.


    "No¡­ you are the first one¡­ perhaps because Prasinos herself wanted for you to find it, that''s why the paths were opened for you¡­" <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Nevertheless, it was opened for a reason¡­ and you have already met the requirements to find it¡­"


    "The only thing that you should know is that, while you have the power of ''Life'' it was only for Prasinos, it ispletely different to the mortal time." The angel reminded Leon understood.


    "Now go forth, young man¡­ and answer Prasinos''s cry for her children." The angel whose face could not be seen waved his hands and gently pushed Leon''s consciousness away from the Realm of Paths.


    When Leon opened his eyes, his countenance immediately changed.


    His neck-long red hair grew longer on his back. In his crystal blue eyes, there was a shining array of stars rotating in it.


    And as he breathed he could feel every movement of the entirend. How Prasinos breathe in to take in the people''s cry and how it breathes out mana.


    He stretched out his hand and felt bizarre, the people around him were still blinded by the light, and only he could see what was happening in his surroundings.


    He waved his palms and was amazed that mana and life moved ording to his will.


    If he willed for the grass to be dry, then it will wilt. If he willed for it to grow then it would grow vastly.


    The only thing he had to remember was that while he could control ''life'' he could not control mortal time.


    From what he understood from the angel''s words¡­ that meant that he could not control destiny. If a living thing is destined to die, then it will die. If it is not yet the end of mortal time, then he could intervene as much as he wants.


    Leon closed his fist and became nervous, this power was utterly overwhelming and scary. However, he vowed to only use it against evil, not on the innocent.


    He looked at the position where Lord Raven was angrily cowering because of the bright light and was about to make his move when he felt a movement beside him.


    "Leon¡­" A familiar voice called him, making his entire body tremble.


    He no longer had to think and turned in the direction of the voice.


    There he met Eli with her obsidian eyes and dark hair. No traces of injury and torture could also be seen in her body anymore.


    However, something in her seemed to have changed.


    It was like he was looking at Eli, but a different Eli overall. Although he could not point it out exactly, he knew that something happened while she was in aa.


    The only thing he is certain though, is that he did not dislike this change. Instead, a whole new interest appeared in his heart, as if wanting to uncover the mystery of his love as soon as he had the chance.


    "I''ll exin to youter¡­ though I hope it will be easy for you to ept¡­ Leon." Eli looked at him with loving eyes, a hint of anxiousness and nervousness.


    Eli was afraid that herplete self would scare Leon but then, they were not in a situation where they could talk about these things.


    They had a formidable enemy in front of them, they had the world praying for the chaos to be stopped and resolved.


    As such, Eli looked at Leon and smiled, "Shall we?"


    Leon held Eli''s hand. It was warm and soft, the same sensation that he had been longing for a long time since the start of the war.


    It gave him newfound courage and strength, more than the confidence and security his new powers could give.


    "Together?" Leon looked at Eli''s obsidian eyes which were also filled with the same rotating stars as him.


    Eli smiled and squeezed Leon''s hand back, "Together!"


    The two looked at the direction of Lord Raven at the same time. Instantly the light disappeared, but it was still not enough to make everyone prepared for the two''s appearance.


    Leon and Eli let go of each other''s hands and rushed in Lord Raven''s direction.


    Lord Raven suddenly felt a formidable presenceing toward him and instinctively conjured a thick wall of shield from his sinister powers to blindly protect himself.


    Boom!


    The sound of the explosion rmed everyone on the battlefield, especially when they were still blinded by the surge of light!

 Chapter 587 Elis Retaliation

    ?


    "Filthy fools!!" Lord Raven gritted his teeth and used a lot of his power to resist the sudden attack.


    He did not expect that someone from the dying army would be able to release such an attack that could make him put his guards up.


    Even so, he was still unscathed when the attack finished. Not thinking too much, he looked at who the courageous fools were.


    The light continued to fade and the dust settled. Everyone on the battlefield also came back to their senses.


    Because of the explosion, all eyes were directed in a certain direction. The demonoid army looked at their supreme leader warily while the righteous side looked at them anxiously.


    "Whoever it was¡­ Oh heavens, please let them seed." High Priest Enoch could not help but pray aloud.


    The others heard his words and also prayed the same thing silently in their hearts.


    After all, before the sudden interruption, their army was already on itsst leg. What is left for them is to die in this very ce.


    Not long after, their prayers have been answered.


    Standing in front of them were two people whom they knew very well.


    "E-eli?" Kayden looked in Eli and Leon''s direction in a daze. However, something in his heart stirred. There seemed to be something different about Eli this time.


    It was both familiar yet mystifying at the same time.


    Then Kayden looked at Leon and was equally surprised. Leon''s countenance and appearance also changed.


    The couple looked formidable at the moment and everyone could not help but hold their breaths in hopes that the two could win the losing battle.


    "So it''s the two of you¡­" Lord Raven looked at Leon and Eli warily.


    This time, he did not dare to mock or taunt them, that was because he felt the strength of their attacks earlier, and it was something that could really affect him.


    He could not yet pinpoint it but he was sure that they had a kind of strength that would make it difficult for him.


    However, he knew that there was only a certain extent of heavenly power the two could yield on the surface of this earth.


    The heavenly powers are not meant to stay in this world for a reason.


    That is because mankind''s flesh could not contain the full strength of its powers. Unlike him who had already stayed here for generations.


    He had repeatedly tried to create an appropriate vessel for him to fully manifest his powers on earth and be the strongest being alive.


    "Leon, let me do something first¡­" Eli looked at Leon for a moment andmunicated softly.


    Though Eli did not understand, he felt that whatever Eli would do is something that would benefit the two of them, and so he nodded with hesitation.


    Eli lifted her hands, then a mysterious book appeared.


    Leon was already familiar with this book, but the others on the battlefield weren''t. Even so, they could not help but feel a deep sense of reverence uponying their eyes on the book.


    Lord Raven on the other hand was filled with shock and trembling. "You! How did you manage to have that!"


    He could not believe what he just saw! The young woman was actually wielding a portion of the book of knowledge!


    While it was not the entire book of knowledge that was in the heavenly realm, it was still a part of it!


    That meant that it also contained a portion of the power of the heavens in her hands!


    After thinking about this, Lord Ravenughed. This time, his usual two voices became one. But it was eerily different from the otheryer of the voice.


    "If you know how to use your brain, you will stop at this moment and hand me that thing¡­ young woman." Lord Raven''s mysterious voice said with a hint of pure threat.


    "Too bad, this isn''t for you, fallen Birsha," Eli replied coldly.


    Lord Raven''s eyes flickered, then he chuckled with a sinister look on his face, "Hah¡­ the Overseer must have damaged his mind and sent over a foolish young child to deal with me isn''t it?"


    Eli did not answer, instead, she slowly prepared her body tounch an attack.


    Lord Raven saw her attitude and became more annoyed, "Stupid!" He bellowed as he released a dense wave of his purple-colored power to attack Eli who was now charging at him without hesitation.


    Leon saw Lord Raven''s attack morph into pointy des so he immediately waved his hands to protect Eli''s path.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The purple des exploded as soon as they touched Leon''s power. But Eli was not affected at all due to Leon''s protection. She just continued to charge and stretched out her hand to reach out on Lord Raven''s neck.


    "You dare!" Lord Raven looked at Eli as if she was retarded as he immediately met her attack.


    Then just before Eli entered Lord Raven''s attacking range, the book opened and Eli mouthed the words from it.


    "There is no fear of God before his eyes.


    For he tters himself in his own eyes,


    When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates it.


    The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;


    He has ceased to be wise and to do good.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He devises wickedness on his bed;


    He sets himself in a way that is not good;


    He does not abhor evil!" [1]


    When she mouthed these words, the skies trembled once more as if it was passing judgment on the people below them.


    Lord Raven and the Demonoid army from all over the world froze and they started to shiver.


    The words that Eli said became something that exposes them naked. They could not help but feel that they were exposed and their deeds were let out for everyone to see.


    Eli did not stop there, seeing that Lord Raven suddenly went into a daze. The book of knowledge flipped once more and she recited what was on it.


    "The wicked plots against the just,


    And gnashes at him with his teeth.


    The Lordughs at him,


    For He sees that his day ising.


    The wicked have drawn the sword


    And have bent their bow,


    To cast down the poor and needy,


    To y those who are of upright conduct¡­


    Their sword shall enter their own heart,


    And their bows shall be broken!!!" [2]


    As soon as Eli finished these words, the skies roared and lightning started to rain in the heavens targeting the behemoths all over the world.


    Then she reached out toward Lord Raven''s heart and it prated like water.


    "No!" Lord Raven came to his senses toote when he realized that Eli had already touched his body.


    He felt his consciousness jumbled and his body no longer his own.


    "Anything but this!" He shouted with hatred but to no avail.


    He saw himself, his consciousness blurring out. But his hands were peeled in two, his body separating from his soul.


    But that was not all.


    Eli''s touch caused great pain to his spirit, as it was like a knife forcefully slicing through the core of his soul and spirit.


    No amount of power could stop her, for the power that she wielded came straight from the heavenly realms!


    "You shall be torn in two¡­" Eli coldly dered as Lord Raven''s two voices rang in misery.


    The Demonoid army panicked.


    Even Rachana, Emperor Razak, and Pope Ramir all trembled and cowered. As they epted Birsha''s power, he also shared his agony.


    And so they also felt the pain of their spirit being sliced by a holy existence searing their wickedness to nothing.


    Lord Raven was deeply unwilling, he could not let Eli seed in her works.


    He knew that Eli''s heavenly powers are limited and so he decided to put up a fight.


    He waved his ethereal-looking hand that was no longer caged in flesh and resisted. The first thing he wanted was to create a distance between him and Eli.


    His power contained arge portion of his curse power which made Eli subconsciously away. Her actions made Lord Raven satisfied as he heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as he would not be in contact with her while she was using the book, he would be good. He only had to attack in such a way that it would force her to wield another weapon other than the book.


    "You seemed to think that you disrupted my ns, fallen Birsha." Eli looked at the smug look on his face and muttered coldly.


    "Look at your precious half, and see if you can still rx." Eli pointed at a certain position which made him also turn that way.


    He was shocked by what he had seen and realized what Eli was actually aiming for.


    "You¡­ dare to separate me and the soul I infested?!" Fallen Birsha bellowed angrily. He could not believe that Eli''s seemingly foolish move was all done to force his angel spirit out of his vessel.


    "It''s time for you to end your life as a parasite and disappear from this world for good," Eli answered.


    Then she looked at Leon who also stepped forward and faced ''Lord Raven'' in the flesh.


    "It seems like it was me against you now¡­ Lord Raven¡­ or should I say, Ves Ancestor?"


    [1] Excerpts of Psalm 36


    [2] Excerpts of Psalm 37

 Chapter 588 Two-Fold Battle (1)

    ?


    They say history repeats itself¡­


    Once in thend of Prasinos, a man coined as the first Victor raised his sword and exhausted all his blessed powers to defeat the head of the Ves.


    Also in the same time period, the guardian of the mortal time Asa was killed by the evil spirit of the fallen Birsha in a brief exchange.


    Now, the same thing happened again and Prasinos remained the witness.


    Leon, a descendant of the First Victor faces the Ves Ancestor, the soul of the vengeful n who allied themselves to evil.


    On the other hand, Eli, a descendant carrying the blessings of Asa faces the root of the evil in Prasinos and the murderer of the guardian.


    ¨C


    Leon looked at the Ves Ancestor and his blood boiled.


    Uponying his eyes on him, there was a vision that he saw.


    It was the haunting faces of the people that fell victim to the selfish works of the Ves ancestor from generation to generation.


    Their voices were screaming justice in Leon''s ears, begging him to end the Ancestor''s evil for good.


    There, he saw how children were ced on a cold altar and mercilessly ughtered.


    There, he saw how several pregnant women were abducted and forcefully robbed of their unborn children from their wombs.


    There, he saw countless fathers searching high and low for their missing loved ones. How they be deranged and crazy with despair and hopelessness due to their disappearance.


    There, he saw countless non-human races mutted and continuously experimented so that evil goals were achieved.


    He saw endless atrocities and abominable deeds, which made his entire being scream in anger and indignance.


    Leon''s soul looked at the heavens and asked,


    "Oh Great Creator, have you given me this power to execute justice to the people?


    If so, then look upon me and guide me to victory!"


    After his prayer, the stars in his eyes rotated once more and all the mana in the earth resounded as if they were singing in chorus.


    The Ves Ancestor looked at Leon mockingly.


    Even if the girl beside him managed to split himself and Birsha''s spirit, he is still a strong vessel, a naturally strong mage, and a cursed user.


    His strength is still iparable to the old guardians that were fighting beside Leon earlier on.


    He does not believe that Leon would be able to take him on!


    Vrrrr!


    The wind and the ground shook. The Ves ancestor grinned sinisterly as he looked at Leon who still remained still in the midst of his turbulent emotion.


    "Come foolish man, and do not waste my time!" The Ancestor''s entire body was surrounded by a purple wisp of violent energy.


    The moment he lifted his hands, the earth beneath opened up, causing the soldiers on the ground to panic.


    The ground opened deeply, revealing the extremely hotva underneath. Its temperature seared the exhausted skin of the army and even the Demonoid soldiers bared their fangs and avoided the opening on the ground.


    Then, something shot to where the ancestor was standing.


    Bits and pieces of metal slowly floated in his hand. It slowly formed into a long weapon, with one giant de at the center with two smaller des beside it.


    It was a spear made of gold, tinum, and diamond. All of which were attracted by the ancestor''s power and were manipted into taking the shape of a weapon.


    He pointed it at Leon and immediately charged at him, seeing that Leon did not move still.


    ng!


    Just as he thought that Leon would be defenseless with his fast attack, his spear met a blood-red sword that was pulsating like it was moltenva forcefully molded into a sword.


    "Sword of Ignis!" Kazimir and Antoine felt the resonating powering from Leon''s direction and they could not help but look over.


    When they saw what it was, they eximed in shock. Leon is wielding the Sword of Ignis!


    It was the ultimate manifestation of the blessing of Ignis in their bloodline. It is said that only those who were qualified and desperate enough were able to trigger the sword toe out from the power of their blood. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    For several generations, even with S-ss Grandmaster Idelfonso, the sword has never appeared.


    And so everyone thought that the chances of the sword appearing had already faded and thinned out because the bloodline of Seirende was slowly dispersing.


    But now, the sword appeared at the most critical moment!


    Kazimir and Antoine''s eyes lit up with hope, and so were the rest of the army.


    "Heh, you foolish descendant think that the same weapon would kill me as well?" The Ves Ancestor''s eyes widened as he stared at the sword and continued to hit Leon mercilessly.


    Seeing the very same weapon that killed his father and forced him to flee and annex himself in the Vanderford, he could not help but be more aggressive and agitated.


    "No¡­ I will not suffer the same fate as my father! It is Seirende instead who will fall!" He bellowed.


    "Raaaah!" As he executed a full forced thrust move with his spear, the Ves ancestor gathered a massive amount of mana andced it with curse power to shoot it straight into Leon''s face who, in turn, was actually preparing to parry the attack with his sword.


    The Ves Ancestor smiled, as he thought that he had caught Leon off guard, however, a small portal opened at Leon''s face, swallowing the magic attack fully.


    On the other side of the battlefield, a portal opened behind Emperor Razak''s, and the full might of the Ves ancestor''s power hit him directly!


    Boom!


    Kazimir and Antoine leaped to retreat from the sudden explosion and were shocked. Although they knew that Leon could use the power of the spatial void, they never saw Leon use the power to this extent.


    Leon was also surprised as he too never expected that he would be able to control the spatial void to swallow an opponent''s attack.


    He only knows how to use the spatial void to divert his own attacks to other directions using the portal, but not the attack of others. That is because diverting such a violent ball of mana might cause a disturbance to the spatial void and would in turn fail to open the portal to the right destination point.


    It was so risky that he never dared to do it in such a situation where he had allies all around.


    But now that he epted the power of the End of Path, he never felt that this would be a problem at all!


    The diversion of the opponent''s power has seeded!


    "Aaaaaa¡­.arrrk¡­" Emperor Razak did not know what had happened, as he already had no consciousness, he only stared nkly at his upper body which was already blown in half.


    Kazimir and Antoine knew that this was done by Leon in order for them to wrap up the battle on their end and help the others.


    And so they unleashed their strongest attack to obliterate thest bit of Emperor Razak on the surface of the earth.


    Tzzzzzz¡­.


    The smell of burnt skin assaulted Kazimir and Antoine''s noses, but it was still not enough to mask the heavy scent of blood and death on the battlefield.


    Seeing the remnants of Emperor Razak''s body fall into theva well below, the two prince''s eyes turned warm.


    But that is only for a second, as they knew the reason why Leon sent them help - their youngest brother was hoping that they would help the others on the battlefield.


    With a gaze of understanding, Kazimir and Antoine took a deep breath and flew in different directions.


    Kazimir joined the two High Priests and faced Pope Ramir.


    Antoine went on Randel''s side and helped him face Rachana.


    Leon on the other hand faced the Ancestor''s wrath.


    "You and your stupid tricks! I''ll make sure that you will fall to this river of moltenva through my hands!"


    Leon however did not react and just continued to solemnly respond and counterattack.


    Even as he was already wielding the power, the source of the Ancestor''s power seemed to be endless as well.


    That is because he could see that the ancestor was actually taking all the life essence of the fallen on the battlefield and even around the Prasinos.


    In his eyes, he could see countless strands of purple life essence from far away¡­ from ces beyond the horizons and they were all flying towards the ancestor.


    Leon''s heart turned cold. It seems that as long as there would be deaths on both sides, there is a cursed power that the ancestor and the demonoid army can feed into.


    He lowered his eyes and thought. Then he remembered the voice in his head,


    "The tree contains the essence of life for all of Prasinos. It is the very origin of life which holds this world together¡­"


    Leon suddenly hands a thought, "If the essence of life closes its doors to move freely on earth¡­ then could the curse power ever steal again?"

 Chapter 589 Two-Fold Battle (2)

    ?


    ¨C


    Note: From this point onward we shall call the Ves Ancestor, Lord Raven, and the spirit fighting Eli, Birsha. As you know Birsha and Lord Raven''s spirit melded but was forcefully separated by Eli''s powers.


    ¨C


    As Leon thought of this, his body moved to defend against Lord Raven''s attacks. From the outside, one could see that both of them were on par with each other, and breaking the stalemate would still be far from reality.


    The strength of the opponent''s attack could potentially destroy half of the continent with a wave of his hand!


    If not for Leon also exerting great efforts to dampen the impact of the other party''s attack with his monstrous mana control, the surrounding allies would have been caught in the crossfire.


    ''His curse power seemed to have been endless¡­'' Leon''s eyes dimmed.


    The thought of Lord Raven freely taking away the life force of someone made his heart grow anxious.


    So far, Lord Raven only gets his curse power on the dead people around. But who knows when he would think of getting power over living people as well?


    ''I cannot wait for him to do that¡­'' Leon finally decided in his heart.


    He has to try if his theory is correct so that he can stop the Ves Ancestor, Lord Raven, and all the members of the demonoid army from sucking life force to feed their curse power.


    Boom!


    Harsh sonic waves and hundreds of rubble and dust exploded once more as Leon and Lord Raven''s attacks shed.


    "Heavens¡­" The soldiers near them could not help but retreat because how it was increasingly bing more dangerous and intense their fight was.


    In the process, there were also a lot of demonoid soldiers who were destroyed because they no longer have a sense of danger. However, that does not make the battle favor Leon''s side for the two of the strongest beings on the enemy side are still alive and well.


    Taking advantage of the cover that the dust and rubble made for him, he leaped backward to create a distance between himself and Lord Raven.


    ''It''s time to test my theory¡­'' Leon abandoned his weapons at hand and immediately focused on controlling the ''Essence of Life'' that makes Prasinos able to have an abundance of magic.


    "Essence which gives Prasinos life¡­"


    "Life which gives everyone the blessing of mana¡­"


    "If life itself could not be stolen and refused to be openly used by anyone, would it be food for the curse?"


    That is what Leon was thinking at the moment.


    And so he immediately activated his power from the Tree of Life.


    Voooong!!!


    His vision suddenly changed. Everything around him seemed to have stopped. Except for two people who were still busy fighting on their own battlefield, Eli and Birsha.


    Even so, that was not Leon''s priority at the moment- it was at the frozen figure, Lord Raven who looked like it was vigntly searching for him among the cloud of dust and rubble.


    Lord Raven''s body had countless amounts of purple threads spearing out from all directions. May it be high up in the air, or down deep in the ground these threads were connected everywhere.


    May it be a puny little grass in the hill or his own demonoids, all life forms were connected to him by these purple threads.


    The only ones who seemed to be unconnected were him and a select few of the warriors from their side, including the Grand Masters.


    This meant that all those that were attached in the life threads could be a source of life essence to Lord Raven! He could steal all of these and convert them all to his curse power!


    Leon continued to look around and observe more. He also noticed that all curse users had simr cases, albeit, the span to which their threads reached was on a limited area and their threads were thinner and fainter.


    "It''s time to cut these off!" Leon looked at the threads and summoned the mystic power of the three of life."


    As he lifted his hand, something in his heart resonated. "Badump!"


    Little wisps of gentle green light came forth from the ground, the air, and the sky.


    Somewhere inside the most secretive part of the Seirende Imperial Pce, the Leprechaun closed the book which he was reading and looked at the gloomy light from the stained ss window of the Imperial Archives. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The old Leprechaun had a rxed smile on his face as he mumbled, "s¡­ the young Seirende managed to get the approval of my dear mother Prasinos¡­"


    At the same time, in the deepest part of Seirende Central Bank, a crystalline-lookingke suddenly showed movements. The usually gentle and calmke shuddered, creating ripples in the water.


    Countless memory crystals circted into the waves as they slowly created a whirlpool at the center of theke.


    Just when it seemed like theke would be destroyed by a sudden tempest, a figure appeared in the middle of the whirlpool and also mumbled in a childish voice, "Mother Prasinos had bestowed power to someone¡­"


    Then the figure turned and faced a direction that could have been where Leon was facing from miles away, "Thed from the Seirende¡­ he better be using the power to finally end the evil in my mother''snd."


    Also at the same time, deep in the abyss, the ancient spirit dragon opened his eyes and looked at the Tree of Life, which was the same tree that Leon saw at the End of Paths.


    "See, Prasinos¡­ I did not bring the wrong child to you, am I?" The Ancient Spirit Dragon asked with a proud tone in his voice.


    The angel that guards the Tree of Life replied, "The Great Prasinos says that it thanks you for bringing the young man to her side¡­"


    "En¡­ I hope that he, and the chosen one of the heavens, will win this time¡­ I no longer want to see people perish because of the rebellious being that took root in thend." The Ancient Spirit Dragon replied as they watched how Leon would use Prasinos''s permission to control the ''Essence of Life''.


    Oblivious to the fact that many are now watching and observing his movement, Leon immediately swung his hand, in a gesture to cut something as he bellowed,


    "Every living thing¡­ and all that has received Prasinos in thisnd reject you, Oh Curse that steals!"


    "Begone and never take control of our lives again!" Leon coldly shouted.


    Snap!


    As soon as he finished his word and gesture, the cold saw millions of threads suddenly snapping before his eyes.


    Then as soon as it happened, the time resumed once more.


    Lord Raven immediately felt something was wrong. He suddenly felt like his body no longer moved as he wished and that his vision seemed to have made it so that he was involuntarily falling on the ground.


    "What on earth¡­" Lord Raven mumbled and tried to circte his mana but to his surprise, he could no longer feel mana on his body.


    "This can''t be!" He eximed in disbelief.


    Then he searched around and saw Leon''s calm figure.


    With the residual curse power he had on his body, he wielded his weapon and charged at Leon saying, "You! What did you do!"


    He was panicking, because while he was using his curse power, he could feel that the boundless power he had been enjoying earlier suddenly drained like a sinking ship.


    ''This can''t be! This can''t be! This can''t be!''


    He looked at Leon crazily and swung his sword haphazardly, but the other party only calmly responded to his attack and waited for an opening to deal with the final blow.


    Lord Raven saw that he could no longer replenish his curse power and could not even ess the mana around him.


    He is basically a magicless person once the remainder of his curse power stored in his body would totally deplete.


    But what made him even more crazy was that his hands and skin slowly started to wither.


    As the Ves Ancestor, he had been feeding with curse power to maintain his old body for thousands of years. And so without curse power¡­ his body would surely decay and crumble to dust!


    "Arrrgh!! Curse you!!!" He looked at Leon full of hatred andunched the strongest attack he could do at the moment.


    Seeing the opening that he was waiting for, Leon moved to stretch his sword to deal with the final strike.


    The sword that was made of various metals was rushing toward Leon''s heart as he in turn also twisted his body to initially dodge the attack and execute a counterattack.


    Leon stretched out his right hand to swing on Lord Raven''s neck and then snapped his fingers on his left hand.


    Simultaneously, the sword in his hand shed away Lord Raven''s neck, and a spatial portal appeared on the tip of Lord Raven''s sword then the other end of the sword went out on another portal that is right in front of his chest, piercing his heart directly.


    Lord Raven looked at Leon in disbelief as he felt his head being separated from his body and his heart being pierced by his own sword!

 Chapter 590 Two-Fold Battle (3)

    ?


    "W..retch¡­" That was thest word that Lord Raven uttered as he looked at Leon full of anger and disbelief.


    Leon coldly watched Lord Raven''s body plummet down to the ground beneath.


    Lord Raven''s head rolled on the cliff where the deep abyss he created earlier was. In front of everyone.


    Lord Raven''s head was burned by the angry river ofva at the bottom of the abyss while his body withered to skin and bones then slowly disintegrated to dust.


    "Roaaarrr!!" The crowd on the battlefield cheered and tears flowed in their eyes as they saw Lord Raven''s fall.


    "Thank Heavens! The Third Prince won!" They eximed praises and prayed to the heavens with gratitude.


    Tears were falling on their faces as they saw how the enemy who had oppressed them for generations finally die.


    With Lord Raven''s defeat, hope arises in the hearts of the soldiers and warriors on Leon''s side, however, Rachana and Pope Ramir''s eyes widened in fear and disbelief.


    The two parties all looked at the other battlefield who are fighting intensely. The oue of the bloody battle would depend on the fight between Birsha and Eli.


    If Eli ever seeds, then it would be the victory of the righteous and the peace in Prasinos would finally bloom forth.


    If Birsha prevails, then Prasinos would face the inevitable doom, as no one at present could contend against Birsha.


    Knowing that, Leon flew towards Eli''s side in hopes to help her in any way he could.


    Bang!


    Unfortunately, he was hindered by an invisible wall that he could not prate through even if he used all of his powers.


    "Master¡­ it seems like they were fighting in a different dimension within this same ce. It was like a barricade where no one other than the two could enter or escape." Zenith suddenly materialized and informed Leon of the matter.


    ''Will she be okay¡­'' Leon frowned as he looked at Eli who was fighting with Birsha inside the barricade.


    "Prince Master¡­ Eli-chan said to not worry about her, instead, we shall help the others in the fight so that no more lives will be lost. She said to believe in her and she will seed."


    Suddenly, Wisey and Baobao, whose appearances no longer had the grave injuries they sustained early in the fight appeared beside Leon as well.


    Leon looked at Eli reluctantly and smiled helplessly. Then with a deep breath he held his sword and said, "Alright, I believe in her. Always!"


    Then Leon carried his sword to face the demonoid army who was now in a panic state because just like Lord Raven, they could no longer replenish their curse power no matter what they did.


    Inside the barricade, Eli faced Birsha fearlessly as she no longer had the fear she had before.


    The fight between her and Birsha is quite bizarre.


    Unlike Lord Raven and Leon, their fight does not really focus onbat but rather on spiritual powers.


    Eli repeatedly tested spiritual attacks to break Birsha''s defense; however, the fallen Angel''s power could not still be underestimated.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Countless spiritual attacks flew from both sides and the two did their best to dodge each other''s attack.


    Eli looked at her body and saw the damage that Birsha''s attack could do.


    The moment Birsha''s attack touches the surface of her skin, her body, soul, and spirit would be injured.


    Birsha''s evil power lies in decay.


    His attacks would cause the affected part of her body to visibly decay.


    What''s more, the decay did not stop on her flesh but continues deeper into her soul causing her memories of her two lives to disperse.


    Eli now understood why The Great One chose to split her soul and spirit in two and let her live two lifetimes.


    Because if for some reason, Eli fought Birsha with only half a soul, then she would surely lose her being before she could even defeat him. It was a frightening thing to have your memories and your very being vanish slowly through the power of decay.


    Aside from this, her spirit would also be affected by the power of decay. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When the power of decay touches her spirit, she felt like she was drawing farther away from the heavens, and a window that pours out spiritual powers at her disposal would be destroyed and no longer usable.


    That also means that her attacks and spiritual power would be weaker. By now, she had ten windows of heaven and she already had three of them destroyed.


    More than that, Eli had a nagging feeling that if she did not stop Birsha from destroying her spirit, she would no longer have the capacity to fight against him, much less defeat him.


    As for her, she would disintegrate and disappear¡­ Fortunately, because of the Great One''s n to split her soul and spirit in half, she would be able tost longer in the fight.


    Her bigger spirit caused her to open ten windows, which fueled her powers to fight against Birsha.


    Birsha''s extremely damaging power is the very reason why Eli spent arge amount of her spiritual mana to create a strong barricade to iste the world outside.


    That is because once someone is hit by it, their existence would be erased in an instant!


    "Heh¡­ you seem to have your mind wandering at the moment, woman!" Birsha''s red eyes looked at Eli viciously as he uttered these words.


    "Are you being smug about the fact that your lover managed to defeat my vessel?" He continued as he threw more purple and ck colored spiritual attacks toward Eli.


    Eli did not bother to reply, after all, the one in front of her is someone she needed to defeat at all costs.


    "Hehehe¡­ do not get your hopes up! As long as I am around, I can find another vessel and create an army again!" Birsha grinned widely and his face became more sinister as he detailed his ns for Eli to hear.


    "As for you and yourrades, all of you will die here!"


    Birshaughed loudly as he conjured his decay powers and increased the size and speed of his spiritual attacks.


    Eli''s eyes dimmed, as she did her best to dodge the ferocious spiritual attacks.


    Ever since she was able to suddenly get close to Lord Raven a while ago, making her sessful in separating his and Birsha''s spirit, Birsha no longer wanted Eli to get near him again.


    As such, Eli has been struggling to find an opportunity to close the distance between her and Birsha so that she could execute another decisive attack using the remnant power of the Great One in the Book of Knowledge.


    Now that she has used it, she has a sense of how much power it contained as of the moment and Eli knew that once she released this and was not sessful, she no longer had anything at hand to defeat Birsha.


    Releasing the power at a long distance would decrease the sess rate, and so the only answer was to use it when she was closest to the fallen angel!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    With a vicious smile, Birsha released his spiritual attacks as if it was unlimited, and that he was not even worried that he would lose his powers anytime.


    "Are you wondering why I was not worried that I would run out of power?" He asked.


    Eli did not answer, but her mind was also wondering why. As far as she knows, Birsha as the fallen angel only had the remnants of his original power and could only fuel his power through the curse.


    But now where Leon sessfully cut off every connection of the curse power in all living things in Prasinos, he should have no means to replenish his power.


    Birsha grinned sinisterly once more and said, "Look at that vast army¡­" He waved his hand and pointed at Pope Ramir, Rachana, and the rest of the demonoids.


    "Aren''t they a free source of power?" Birsha grinned as he snapped his hand and in one second, a third of the behemoths suddenly disappeared from all over the world.


    "While the living things here would no longer give us powers, I still have my own people! After all, they could no longer be considered living! Hahaha!" Birshaughed as his body glowed purple.


    Then he released his powerful might, forcing Eli to step back vigntly.


    Birsha saw Eli''s reaction and has already read long ago her hesitations in mind, "I see that your powers are also limited, and so do I¡­"


    "But as long as you are hurt by my powers, your chances of replenishing also go down!"


    "As for me, I would still have the vast army around the world to fuel my spirit until I erase your existence to this world and spite the One who sent you here!"


    Birsha waved his hand once more and attacked Eli with a triumphant smile on his face. He looked at Eli as if she was a pet, he was toying with, watching her struggle until she stumbled.


    "Let''s see whose powers run out first!" He eximed.

 Chapter 591 Final Struggle!

    ?


    With his words, he executed another batch of spiritual attacks which flew fast and directly on Eli''s position.


    Eli immediately moved, injecting spiritual powers into her sh steps enabling her to dodge fast.


    However, this time the spiritual attacks did not explode upon the impact on her initial position.


    Instead, their trajectories changed and followed where Eli escaped!


    Eli was surprised that it happened, even so, she still moved with her instincts and escaped once more.


    While she was escaping, she did not notice the wide vicious smile on Birsha''s face, looking at her as if she had just fallen into a trap.


    She just focused on running away from the homing trajectories and was unable to see that Birsha also released another batch that is aiming directly at where she was going!


    When she noticed that three more trajectories areing to her face, Eli panicked but she did her best to immediately conjure spiritual attacks to try to stop the trajectories from both sides.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions were heard once more, and the purple and ck explosions immediately covered Eli''s figure.


    This sight made the onlookers be anxious about Eli''s condition.


    "Soldiers, keep fighting! We cannot help her if we do not finish what we have on hand!" Grand Master Reuben, who was now visibly exhausted in helping the army finish of the undying behemoths reminded those who were out of focus.


    On Eli''s side, she was about to heave a sigh of relief as she was sure that she was able to fight off the two batches of trajectory that were released by Birsha.


    However, she was unable to see that just behind one of the trajectories, Birsha was able to ce a hidden trajectory that hit Eli''s left shoulder directly!


    Tssssss!


    The spiritual attack immediately permeated Eli''s skin, ckening the portion of her flesh.


    Eli immediately felt the pain of her soul being injured as the power of decay moved directly to affect her soul and spirit.


    This time, another window disappeared and only six windows of heaven remained. Eli could feel that the spiritual powersing to her through the windows weakened once more and that something in her memories seemed to have been wiped away.


    On the first three windows destroyed, the memory of her past life from the time she tried to pick up the violin and piano was erased.


    This time, it was on her life here in Prasinos, the memory of her during the time she was recovering in the Riverfort hospital seemed to disappear.


    Eli became anxious, it seems like the first memories to disappear to her were those whom she deemed as happy and good memories and not those when she suffered tremendously in both lives!


    She feared that if this continued, she would forget Leon and Little Ha. She would forget her mum, Kayden, and all the people who treated her dearly!


    Eli clenched her fist and strengthen her heart''s desire to immediately deal with Birsha who was looking at her right now with an extremely pleased expression.


    "The expression on your face looks pleasing to me! How is it? How does it feel to slowly lose a part of yourself?" Birsha flew fast at her and immediately hovered to observe her expression.


    Eli took this time to release a few spiritual attacks to his position but Birsha simply dodged it all.


    "Hahaha! Stop struggling and just ept your fate! You are bound to lose to me! You and your army will lose and submit to me!" Birsha dered as he released another wave of spiritual attack.


    Learning from her previous mistake, Eli became more proactive. She directly used her spiritual attack to counter the trajectoriesing at her and also released more to attack Birsha.


    She did not stop there and learned to multiply the aggression showed by Birsha by releasing to many spiritual attacks at once, surprising Birsha while he was able to sustain injuries in the process!


    Birsha looked at his spiritual body and saw the small dents created by Eli''s recent attacks.


    Disdain shed in her eyes as he looked displeased that a random child dared toe up with him and act like she could fight him head-on.


    So far, aside from using the power of the book, the person in front of him did not seem to have any more tactics in her hand other than making scratches on her body.


    This made Birsha already bored and impatient. Eli''s attacks no longer pose any threat to him because he had already repeatedly provoked her, but it seems like she no longer has anything on her sleeve.


    And so he decided to finish this at once, after all, he had lost a lot of his people and would have to rebuild his army once more.


    He retrieved another batch of behemoths outside the barrier and their powers immediately returned to him, strengthening him by a few folds.


    "It''s time to end this, naive woman!" He eximed as a thick mist of purple powers covered his body. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eli felt a strong force trying to pull her away from her position. There was also the overwhelming sinister pressure attacking her entire being causing her to lose focus and almost copse.


    She immediately used her spiritual powers to wrap herself and protect her from the influence of Birsha''s sinister aura. Only then did she manage to return to her calm disposition and brace herself for whatever kind of attack Birsha wanted to do.


    Knowing that she also must not wait idly on this kind of battlefield, she also tried to stop Birsha from doing what he nned by attacking him relentlessly.


    However, her attacks seemed to have been hitting a sturdy wall making her heart sink!


    ''What to do?'' She asked herself as she knew that her attacks were now less effective because she only have six windows as a source of power.


    "I think I really have to use the book¡­" She thought as she knew that if she would be defeated before she could find an opportunity to get close to Birsha, then the power of the book she refused from using the entire battle would be wasted.


    Before she could move to execute her decision, Birsha already waved his hand and suddenly dispersed the thick aura of curse in the entire barrier


    Swooosh!!!


    The aura reached Eli like a wave of a strong breeze that immediately tried to invade her body through the power of decay.


    "Urggh!!!" Eli gritted her teeth and immediately circted her mana to continuously thicken the protection she ced on her body.


    She could see visibly in her eyes how the power of decay destroyed everyyer of her defenses like it was cutting severalyers of paper!


    "How long can you resist?! You cannot run either!" Birsha continued to release the dense curse power to overwhelm Eli.


    To deal with her once and for all, he rushed to her side and grabbed her neck.


    "kk!!!" Eli felt Birsha''s cold hand and tried to catch her breath. However, Birsha''s hand did not show any mercy and strangled her tightly.


    Eli squirmed and moved to resist him, her eyes were already watery and her defenses were slowly bing thin.


    "Aaaaackk!" In just a few seconds, the power of decay finally seeped through her body, directly destroying three of her windows.


    Seeing her suffer and slowly sumb to the power of decay, Birsha smiled triumphantly as he could already see the victory in front of him.


    Oblivious to him, Eli has already summoned the Book of Knowledge behind him!


    "R-relea..se!" Eli uttered in great difficulty while looking at the book in great hope.


    Birsha did not immediately understand what Eli initially said, but only when he felt a heavy pressure and burning sensation did he realize what Eli just did.


    Shiiiing!!!!


    Out of the book, a holy sword immediately flew and shed Birsha''s ethereal body directly in half.


    This move shocked him so much that he did not even think of catching up to Eli who had already fallen back at a distance to attempt to recover herself.


    Birsha stared at Eli wide-eyed as he saw his body getting burned by the de of the sword.


    "You! I''ll kill you!!! I''ll kill you in such a way that you would beg to be killed immediately rather than slowly suffer at my hand!" Birsha looked at the struggling Eli and rushed once more.


    With his ethereal body split in two, he moved toward''s Eli''s position and attempted to capture her. He ignored the pain of his ethereal body in mes as all he wanted at the moment was to make Eli suffer.


    Eli''s heart sank when she saw that the remaining power of the book was not enough to finish Birsha at once.


    Now she is really out of options, besides, with only three remaining windows, her body soul, and spirit had already been damaged to such an extent that she was no longer aware which of her memories were taken away.


    ''I guess I still failed¡­'' She mumbled as her vision dimmed while staring at Birsha''s approaching figure.


    "You have not, my dear. Actually, you did a great job." Suddenly a voice rang in her ears


    "Who¡­" She looked at who the owner of the voice was and realized¡­


    There were five figures standing in front of her, shielding her against the approaching Birsha!


    Then the man with green hair and emerald eyes among them had an understanding look in his eyes and said,


    "We''ll tellter, just rest here for now¡­"

 Chapter 592 Seven Words

    ?


    Eli''s vision blurred as she wondered who were the people who were shielding her from the approaching Birsha.


    With the remaining memories in her mind, she could no longer figure out who she was.


    Then the tanned man with midnight blue hair waved his hand and covered her in a water bubble, "Sleep and take your time¡­ your role is enough. We will finish it for you¡­ for it this is our job."


    Eli suddenly felt a warm power enveloping her as she saw herself being enclosed in the water bubble.


    She did not know that the one who had treated her was Zale, the guardian of the waters.


    Zale then pushed her outside the barrier. The bubble flew toward the area where Yelena was still tending to the gravely injured Grandpa Andi.


    "Eli¡­" Yelena called in deep worry. But her heart sank because she saw how nk Eli''s eyes were.


    "No¡­" Yelena''s heart sank and she shuddered as tears formed in her eyes.


    She realized that something was wrong with her daughter the moment she looked at her dazed eyes. There was not even an indication that Eli recognized people.


    Eli looked at the crying woman in a daze but did not really recognize her no matter how she thought about it.


    ''But why does my heart hurt so much?'' She asked as she touched her chest in great wonder.


    Then she looked at Grandpa Andi who was still in a deepa. Fortunately, Yelena was able to reattach Grandpa Andi''s hands in time because Randel was able to quickly recover it from Lord Raven back then.


    "What happened to him?" Eli asked with an innocent expression. She did not know why but she felt extremely anxious and distressed seeing the old injured dwarf sleeping deeply.


    Yelena''s eyes shed with a realization. She seemed to now realize what happened to Eli at the moment.


    Her eyes were filled with tears and she could not control her trembling.


    ''My daughter¡­ What happened to her?'' She asked inwardly. However, she forced a smile with a great effort to appear calm so as to not confuse Eli further.


    "He was injured by one of the viins¡­ but fortunately he is fine now¡­" Yelena answered slowly to ensure that Eli would not see the emotions she had at the moment.


    "I see¡­ poor grandpa¡­" Eli slowly answered as her eyes slowly closed and fell into a deep sleep.


    Back in the barrier, Celeste, Sylvain, Amihan, Ignis, and Zale faced the crazed Birsha with a serious expression.


    "You! How convenient of you to appear only now, when you had the humans do all the hard work for you?!" Birsha''s eyes glowed in red, it was quite a bizarre sight as he was still moving and talking with his ethereal body vertically split in half.


    "Well, it''s not like we can do much with the kind of rank you have no??" Zale with his carefree and rebellious personality directly answered him. He even shrugged his shoulders and stretched out his hands as if to tell that they really had no choice but to wait until Leon and Eli did their parts.


    Celeste, even though she had no fleshly body, rubbed her temples and sighed, ''Zale is really tactless!''


    "So what?! The Overseer said that sending a mere child will do, but look! I am still alive and kicking!" Birsha was greatly triggered by Zale''s tactless approach and was heavily insted.


    And so he went on and used the Great One''s words against Himself.


    Zale looked at Ignis, Sylvain, Amihan, and Celeste, "Can I punch this bbermouth?"


    His eyebrows were twitching as he tried to contain his annoyance toward Birsha.


    "You can''t until we finish the job, Bro¡­" Sylvain looked helpless as he patted Zale''s shoulders to try to calm him down.


    While Zale seemed to be the most unruly among the guardians, he was the one who would get angry when The Great One was insulted by mortals and rebels like Birsha.


    Ignis also knew Zale''s character and so he stepped up and faced Birsha, while Amihan worriedly pulled Zale''s hand like a little sister trying to calm his raging big brother.


    "Alright¡­ let''s finish this¡­ Prasinos had already cried for so long." Celesta also stepped up along with Sylvain and the rest.


    "Ganging up on me, I see¡­" Birsha smiled and mocked the guardians as he prepared to retaliate.


    He snapped his fingers and gathered all the curse power stored in the entire demonoid army, immediately wiping out all the enemies.


    Pope Ramir, Rachana, and the rest, even all those who are not at war but had been in contact with curse power or item, all disintegrated at the snap of his fingers.


    Their fleshly bodies turned to dust and what remained were orbs of purple core hovering towards Birsha''s location.


    Leon and the rest were shocked to see the enemy disappear in front of them.


    In shock, Leon instinctively looked up at Eli''s battlefield and recognized the five guardians. But he panicked when he did not see Eli inside the barrier.


    "Eli!" He rushed toward the location but soon saw Yelena trying to catch his attention in the vast and bloody battlefield.


    There he saw the sleeping Eli beside Grandpa Andi, she looked at peace but the nagging feeling that something became different in her.


    Even so, he started to calm down and his expression became firm and steadfast. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Leon raised his sword and shouted, "Men, stay alert, and do not let your guards down!"


    "The Great Guardians are fighting with us, although the enemies are no more, we still have one big fight to behold!"


    "Come with me and plead to the heavens, so that our side will seed!" Then he struck his sword to the ground and knelt in prayer.


    Grandmaster Reuben, the two princes, Randel and Kayden also followed as they sincerely prayed that the battle would be finally over.


    Solemn silence swept the battlefield.


    While the purple curse orbs flew endlessly from all over the world toward Birsha, all the men on the battlefieldid down their swords to kneel and pray.


    It was something so bizarre and unlikely to happen especially when the final battle is in sight.


    Even so, none of those who knelt thought that they were acting strangely.


    If what it takes to win is to kneel in surrender, they would kneel sincerely!


    If what it takes to save the innocent and thend they would be living on, then what is wrong with asking the Higher Being?!


    The five guardians all knew what was happening outside the barrier but did not utter a word.


    Instead, they silently looked at the gloating Birsha who was waiting for the orbs to heal and strengthen his body.


    Birsha waited patiently as he thought that the guardian''sck of actions was an act of their pride.


    However, he felt that something is wrong at the moment.


    "What¡­" He mumbled as he looked around.


    He was aware to have absorbed a lot of orbs at the moment, however, why does it seem like nothing on his strength changed?!


    Confused, he looked around and saw the vast amounts of purple orbsing toward him. They entered his ethereal body but then nothing really happened.


    "Now you realize what''s wrong¡­ The Overseer did not lie, the child is enough to deal with the likes of you." Ignis looked at the troubled Birsha and exined.


    "Sigh¡­ The Overseer really thought this through¡­ Look, he was not even aware that his heavenly powers were no more." Sylvainmented.


    "In truth, we aren''t really here to fight with you¡­ we are here to deal with you." Celeste also chimed in. "You have been defeated by her!"


    "Punish the wicked¡­" Amihan innocently mumbled.


    "Yeah, you think that you can get over an easy death? No way with the amount of evil you did!" Zale taunted back. "We are just here to drag you to punish you!"


    "You!!" Birsha was so angry that he tried to attack


    Then with Ignis''s lead, the guardians moved.


    Multi Colored light appeared on their bodies and a dark gloomy hole appeared beneath Birsha''s position.


    Birsha''s eyes grew in panic as he used whatever power remained in his sliced body and tried to run, "No!"


    But the guardians were faster than him and threw countless chains of light that corresponded to their powers.


    "Arrrgh!!! No!!! You can''t do this!" Birsha went crazy as he did not expect that he would get defeated just like that!


    He did not even know the exact point where he was defeated!


    How could this be?!


    The vast generations and years he spent building up his army, raising his vessels and growing his powers were done with just one slice of a sword?!


    Now these guardians dared to appear before him and ''clean him up''!


    But the Guardians did not hear his words and continued to restrain him with thousands of chains until he could no longer move.


    The only thing that could show the fight against them is the deathly reing from Birsha''s eyes.


    "Begone!!!" Ignis held the chains in his hand, as one of the guardians of theke of fire he pulled Bird''s body to be thrown deep into the dark bottomless pit.


    "You think you win because you defeated me? I am not the only one who could rebel! Just wait and see!" Birsha''s words lingered as he was thrown into the bottomless pit to suffer for eternity.


    Celeste and the other three then closed the ck hole and looked at the people. Celeste stepped forward and addressed all of mankind, whether or not they were on the battlefield, with seven simple words.


    "Brave children of Prasinos, you have won!"

 Chapter 593 End Of War

    ?


    As soon as the people heard these words, the skies lit up and the morning sun came.


    It was the birth of the peace that they have long waited for.


    Clip¡­ clop¡­ clip¡­ clop¡­


    In a second, tears fell from everyone''s eyes.


    "Ahhhhhh!!!" A loud roar of triumph and relief rang in every part of the city as they cried in tears of joy.


    And before them were gentle drips of rain that fell on everyone as if to also cry with them in relief.


    "Prasinos is crying¡­" Amihan with her innocent childish face mumbled.


    The men who had been fighting for so long all copsed in the crowd and hugged theirrades while crying.


    Even Mishael and Nathany on the ground with their exhausted bodies and let the rain wash their cries as they covered their reddish emotional eyes.


    "We won¡­. Heavens! We pulled through!!!"


    They mumbled under their exhausted breaths.


    Outside the battlefield, where the other leaders of the United Alliance were having their struggle with the behemoths, simr scenes urred as well.


    The cities that were burned down in dread finally had a solemn moment to rx and celebrate.


    Under the rain, they danced and shouted in joy as they praised heaven and their Maker. Those who had no choice but to dwell in secluded caves and underground refugees also went out and saw that everything is now fine and alright.


    The dark skies were now clear and bright.


    The ground that is contaminated with blood and curse was now being washed away by the gentle rain that was raining down on them at the moment.


    The leaders of the armies headed by Emperor Valentin and the rest also rxed for a little bit and enjoyed the moment of victory.


    However, they knew that the peace would be far from over because there is another endeavor that they have to solve.


    That was rebuilding the ruined viges and cities as well as healing and rescuing those who were injured and hurt.


    There is also the issue of providing the most immediate necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, and medicine.


    They had to handle it well so that there would be no riot among the survivors of the war.


    All of these things would be the tasks they needed to work with and so their duties were far from over.


    Back on the battlefield, Kayden, Leon, Grandpa Ben and the rest all went on Eli and Grandpa Andi''s side.


    They were worried about the state of the two who were still in a deep sleep after facing the most devious enemies on the battlefield.


    "Let''s take them to the shelter first¡­" Cornelius knew that the others were worried about the condition of the two but he did not want them to burden Yelena too much.


    And so he dragged his son Kayden, to take the lead in finding a good ce for Eli and Grandpa Andi to recuperate.


    "I''ll go with you!" Leon looked at the two patients and insisted on following the father and son.


    "Your Highness the Third Prince¡­ It''s fine. They are the best among the doctors and healers in the entire Prasinos. They will take care of the two just fine." Grandpa Ben gently ced his hands on Leon''s shoulders and advised him before the father and son could say anything.


    Leon paused and looked hesitant. Throughout the fight, he had only nced and checked Eli and Grandpa Andi for a few moments and had to fight. He did not have any time to worry because of how fast the turn of events came to be.


    Grandpa Ben understood Leon''s heart and worries. He too had the same thoughts and worries as him, however, there were still a lot of things to do in their position at the moment.


    He sighed and gestured his hand while saying again, "Look around us, Your Highness¡­ Even when their enemy is no more, the agony and suffering still lingers."


    "Before this would turn worse, we have to move and wrap these up." He added.


    Leon looked around.


    While there were joyful noises and triumphant cries, there was also sorrow and grief for the fallen. Those who were gravely injured also gritted their teeth and writhed in pain.


    This is war, and many lost their lives, their homes, and their most cherished ones.


    The five guardians also moved, leading their own domains to help with the aftermath of the war.


    Sylvain led the elves, dwarves, and the dwellers of the forest.


    Amihan led the dragons and all the flying beast men.


    Zale led the merfolks and the dwellers of the seas.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Celeste led the uncorrupted remnants of the temple.


    Ignis led the people of Seirende and the rest of the humans.


    They hovered to bless their own dominions with mana and energy so that they could get back at their feet and help those in need.


    With the Guardians actively working for Prasinos''s recovery, the possibility of the riot is also reduced to impossible.


    Everyone, old and young, strong and weak, moved to rebuild their ownmunities and helped those who were in need.


    Such great unity and camaraderie, the heavens had never seen it in the entire history of Prasinos, even when the First Victor conquered the continents!


    Each of the races, human and non-human, used their own talents to contribute in the best way possible.


    Those who are gifted in healing, they healed.


    Those who had wealth in food and herbs, they sent to those in need.


    Those who were talented in crafting and building used it to lead the people in reconstruction.


    There was really no time for everyone to celebrate victory yet because the chaos done by Birsha, Lord Raven and his demonoid army was widespread.


    As such, after the defeat of The Specter and the Vanderford Empire, all the efforts and resources were poured into the aftermath of the war.


    ¨C


    One monthter at the Dragon Vige.


    "Uh¡­" Grandpa Andi slowly opened his eyes and was able to see not the gloomy dreadful skies of the battle, but a peaceful sparkly ceiling of which he knew that only dragons were fond of.


    His mind went into a daze for a while before his mind remembered the war.


    "No! Ahh!!" He immediately squirmed to get up but suddenly he found that his arms were incredibly weak and not coordinating with his brain.


    That is when it hit him, that thest moment he had on the battlefield was losing both of his arms.


    "This¡­" Grandpa Andi looked at his hands and slowly tried to move his fingers. It seems like he was lucky enough to have his limbs reattached but then, it was not yet moving as well as he intended.


    "H-usband??" Suddenly, Grandpa Brygid''s exhausted voice rang on the bedside.


    These days, Grandpa Brygid refused to sleep and always sat at Grandpa Andi''s bedside to attend to his needs.


    When she saw Grandpa Andi sitting on the bed in a daze while staring at his hand, she thought that she was hallucinating from theck of sleep.


    "W-wife¡­" Grandpa Andi''s body trembled as he heard a familiar voice. With the memory of the dreadful war, he was in great disbelief that he would be hearing the voice of his wife the first thing he woke up.


    Grandpa Brygid could no longer say anything as her voice was drowned by her cries of relief as she held Grandpa Andi''s hands.


    Grandpa Andi was also in tears as he tried to envelop Grandma Brygid''s body in his embrace.


    The old couple cried for some time until they were able to adjust their emotions and finally talk about what happened in the war.


    Grandma Brygid gave him a brief rundown of what happened and how Eli was stitose at the moment.


    "I see¡­ Did the guardians say anything about Eli''s recovery?" Grandpa Andi also became worried upon hearing about Eli''s condition.


    Grandpa Brygid''s face changed and became a little bitplicated.


    "Well¡­ there''s something that the guardians told us¡­ It''s a littleplicated." Grandma Brygid became anxious as she tried to find out the words to say. "However, she is no longer in danger and is with the best healer''s care."


    She was also afraid that this would affect Grandpa Andi''s state of recovery and so she preferred to not tell Grandpa Andi about it yet.


    Grandpa Andi seemed to also understand Grandpa Brygid''s intention and so he no longer pursued a definite answer.


    His waking up has put the entire dragon vige in high spirits.


    Although he still could not ept many visitors, the Chief Dragon still made a banquet in order to celebrate his waking up.


    "Daddi¡­ Gwandpa Andi already wakey¡­ when will Mommi wakey too???" In the silent bedroom, Little Han''s eyes were brimming with tears as he looked at the unconscious Eli with heartache.


    Leon looked at the crying Little Han and he was also filled with sadness¡­


    He really felt sad for Eli and for Little Han.


    "Even if Eli awakens, would Little Han understand if her mother suddenly turns different?" He asked as heforted his son in his arms.

 Chapter 594 Struggles Of A Longing Man (1)

    ?


    A month has passed since the end of the war and the peace is slowly bing more apparent.


    There is a festive atmosphere in the dragon vige as Grandmaster Andvari finally wakes up from his severe injuries.


    I could not help but thank the heavens that his condition is slowly recovering. Most especially, because of the heavy guilt in my heart for causing such damage to him.


    Even now, I still have no idea how to face him.


    But with Little Han''s enthusiasm, I have no choice but to visit him once he has had enough rest.


    "Daddi?"


    As I got lost in my thoughts I was awoken by my son''s heartbreaking voice in between his sniffles.


    "Daddi¡­ Gwandpa Andi is already awake¡­ when will Mommi wake up too???"


    Little Han asked innocently. This a question that might have been harmless, yet to me, it was like a harsh reminder of what our reality is at the moment.


    I looked at him with great sadness as my heart broke at seeing our little one desperately clutch in his unconscious mother''s hand.


    Even more so, I was even more distressed knowing that the moment Eli woke up, she would be totally different.


    On the night of the war''s end, Aunt Yelena''s words haunted me.


    She said that the moment Eli interacted with her before falling unconscious, she clearly looked at her and Grandmaster Andi as if they were strangers.


    At that time, Aunt Yelena''s trembling body proved that it was not really something we do not have to bother.


    Knowing that Aunt Yelena was Eli''s mother in both lives, her fears were not something we cannot just dismiss.


    Unfortunately, even after Kayden, Uncle Cornelius, and Aunt Yelena joined forces to figure out Eli''s condition, they did not discover anything at all.


    It was only when the Guardians gathered us all that we came to understand what happened to her.


    And the truth they gave made us all devastated.


    That was three days ago when the Father Emperor came with my elder brothers and the rest to the dragon vige to check Grandmaster and Eli''s condition.


    While we were all convening in a conference room, the Guardians appeared before us much to our surprise.


    As we knelt in reverence, Guardian Ignis looked at me and said.


    "We havee to tell you about Eli''s condition¡­"


    The moment he said that my heart skipped a beat and my throat felt dry. The haunting news from Aunt Yelena and the unfruitful efforts made to make Eli''s condition improve would be finally exined.


    But I could feel that my mind and my heart might not be able to take the truth of the matter that easily.


    Guardian Ignis''s fiery eyes swept toward us and continued,


    "We chose this moment because we know that you people should be the ones to know about what happened to her in hopes that you would be the first people to understand."


    Everyone in the room became silent, especially the Farauld, Forgeworn, and the Silverdew couple who were undeniably Eli''s parental figures.


    "First, I''ll have you know what kind of thing Eli went through in order for her to be qualified to take on the Rebel Angel Birsha."


    The Guardian Sylvain proceeded to tell about Eli''s soul split in two and lived two lives.


    How it was necessary for her to go through the adversaries that she went through in those lives in order to be a strong contender.


    It was also at that moment that Kayden and I realized the truth about Eli and Elise.


    That they are one and the same, and in the first ce, Kayden did not lose her sister, and I did not lose the girl I saved back then.


    However, this did note as a relief to us, but it brought us a heavier burden.


    For we know what kind of life Elise went through in that dungeon, and we also knew what kind of life Eli had in her previous world.


    Just as we thought that the heaviness is already at its highest, we heard yet another word from the guardians.


    "Now¡­" Guardian Ignis looked at us once more and said, "The reason why Eli has to have arger soul and a stronger spirit is because of the power of decay wielded by the fallen angel."


    "Every time the power of decay hits one''s flesh, one would not only be injured in flesh but also in soul and in spirit."


    "Injury in the spirit meant that one would lose chances to go home to the heavenly realm once the mortal time is up." Guardian Celeste added.


    "While injury in the soul meant the loss of oneself. Our soul is what makes up one''s personality. You can also partly say that the soul includes one''s memories and personality."


    "And the more Eli was injured in the fight with the fallen angel, the more she loses herself and goes further away from the heavenly realms¡­"


    As the guardians exined this point, I could no longer bear to listen.


    My body trembled as my eyes heated up in raging emotions.


    But before my emotions exploded, Aunt Yelena''s shaking voice uttered, "Dear Guardians, tell us¡­ what is left of Eli?"


    ''What is left¡­''


    This question is so cruel and heartbreaking at the same time.


    I felt my heart breaking into pieces as my legs went weak. It was the first time in my life that I could not bear to hear the answer, a devastating truth!


    This time it was Guardian Zale''s voice that brought the news. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The only memories she had were her days in the dungeon and the first months when she lost you."


    Bam!


    I felt my body hitting the ground, knowing how heavy Guardian Zale''s words are.


    "Why¡­" I asked weakly, as my chest tightened and a great sense of grievance overwhelmed me.


    I only had a vague idea of what Eli had been through in those times.


    I ONLY HAVE A VAGUE IDEA!


    And yet, how could I ept the fact that the moment Eli would wake up, she would have to continue her life in those moments where she had to relive those traumas once more?


    "Why must she go through that pain once again?" I looked up and stared at the guardians angrily.


    I know deep in my heart that it is abominable to question them and the Great One but, my anger and frustration could not handle it.


    If there is one in this world who would feel aggrieved on Eli''s behalf then it should be me!


    "Why did you just watch until she had nothing left before you intervened?!"


    "Why must you bring her to this situation?!"


    "Aren''t you more powerful than us?"


    "Are you not the ones who should really take care of these rebels?"


    "Why have you left us to be at our own devices?"


    "Why have you let Eli suffer?!"


    My body rushed to approach them as I only thought to hold them ountable. However, several pairs of strong hands stopped me from approaching the guardians.


    "Son¡­ calm down." My Father Emperor softly reminded me, while I could feel that his hands were also trembling.


    "Third Prince¡­ please¡­" Grandmaster Reuben, Chief Dragon Fafnir, and Teacher Eugene, also held me back.


    Behind me, Aunt Yelena and the rest of the women were already crying in devastation.


    I gritted my teeth and looked at the guardians aggrievedly.


    The reason for my rage was not actually because of ming them for these things that happened, but rather, the hate in myself for facing another reality.


    I''ve failed to protect Eli. I''ve let her do the battle alone¡­ and now it hase to this.


    "Ah¡­" I hung my head low as I fell to the ground once more.


    No longer caring about my dignity, I wailed like a child for the tragedy that happened to the woman I love.


    I punched the ground repeatedly as the stone floor became wet with my tears and blood.


    Unfortunately, the pain I was inflicting upon myself physically could not numb the pain I was feeling at the core of my being.


    "Why?"


    "Why!!!!"


    I asked as I looked around everyone.


    "What sin did she do that she had to be sacrificed like this for our sake?" I looked at my Father whose eyes were also reddening in emotions and the rest.


    Everyone in the room was at the height of their emotions, and at that moment, it was not only me who struggled to face the truth.


    "We are sorry¡­" Suddenly, Guardian Amihan, who bears a childlike appearance stepped forward and squatted in front of me.


    Her round bright eyes looked at me sincerely as she said the simple words, "We are sorry, we have no strength to do it as well¡­"


    Her voice was filled with guilt and regret but as she was a guardian, she had no ability to shed a tear.


    Guardian Sylvain looked at me and gave a few words as well, "Third Prince, while we understand your emotions¡­ I want you to remember that what Eli did, is something she willingly took."


    "Not because we gave it to her as a responsibility¡­"


    "But because she was desperately thinking of you and Little Han at that moment."


    "Please, do not belittle her decision and sacrifice."


    "You are only insulting her this way."


    Guardian Sylvain''s words were like cleansing water being poured out to calm my raging soul, yet it left an utterly bitter taste in my mouth.


    I clenched my fist and dug the nails into my palms uncontrobly.


    I know of that fact! I know that it was Eli''s decision!


    But it is just too painful to know¡­


    That my other half was hurt this much for my sake!

 Chapter 595 Struggles Of A Longing Man (2)

    ?


    After that night, I did not know how I was able to spend my days after.


    The only thing that pushes me to keep my act together is my son, Little Han. For his sake, I had to get back at my feet and apany him while Eli is yet to awaken.


    I hugged my child andforted him from crying.


    We looked at the balcony where a faint light and sound of celebration could be heard.


    After some time, Little Han managed to sleep. I carefully tuck him beside his mother in hopes that he would sleep more peacefully.


    These days, Little Han also lost weight because he could not have proper sleep due to the anxiety from Eli''s condition.


    I looked at my son and love, with my thoughts wandering in a daze.


    Subconsciously, I went out on the balcony and stared at the peaceful evening skies.


    It was now filled with twinkling stars, not the gloomy purple skies that would be swarmed by demonoids and behemoths in all directions.


    This was the gift of our sacrifice. Not only by me and Eli but by everyone who lost their lives in the process of the bloody war.


    "You never told me you and future sister-inw already had a son¡­" Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind me.


    Startled, I turned around and saw my elder brothers Antoine and Kazimir.


    "First Brother¡­ Second Brother¡­" I greeted them while awkwardly meeting their knowing eyes.


    "Tsk¡­ you''ve gone astray, didn''t you? No matter how much of a jerk we were back then, we never thought that you would be even more bold and decisive when ites to these matters¡­"


    Second Brother Antoine had a teasing smile on his face as he handed out a ss of wine while First Brother Kazimir raised a bottle of wine they probably sneaked out of the banquet.


    "To think that you would use the pregnancy trick to tie down a woman¡­ Youngest, your ways are beyond my imagination." First Brother Kazimir also teased.


    "It''s not what you think¡­" I scratched my head, clearly unprepared for their sudden teasing.


    The two looked at me as they smiled helplessly.


    "Drink¡­" Second Brother patted my shoulder and pointed at the wine in my hand.


    First Brother, on the other hand, sat on the chairs left on the balcony as Second Brother dragged me in.


    "We heard what happened from our father¡­ please do not me him for saying¡­ We relentlessly pestered him to reveal what happened."


    "En¡­" I hummed as I took a light sip of the wine.


    It does not matter if they knew¡­ In fact, it would be more convenient for me if they know of these things as it makes things lessplicated when Eli wakes up.


    "We are here for you¡­ Don''t just take these burdens alone."


    "At least let out the heavy feelings you are bottling up inside¡­ Or if you had any struggles being a father to your son."


    "We are not the best fathers to our children, but we can at least hear you out."


    One after the other, the brothers whom I never thought would treat me like this in my lifetime, had given me words that mysteriously eased my emotions.


    "Besides, the moment our future sister-inw awakens, we can just make her fall in love with you once more." First Brother suggested seriously.


    "Yes! Besides, who would reject our cute nephew as their child? Look at him, he was already snatching the hearts of thedies around the dragon vige, how could he not capture back her mother''s heart?" Second Brother also chimed in.


    "As for those memories, don''t you have a lifetime to fill it all with good moments? You just have to work harder than before, don''t you think?"


    I listened to my two brothers as we finished the strong wine on the balcony.


    While their words sounded like it was simple, I could clearly see from their eyes that they were worried about our family.


    My heart felt a tingling sensation at that moment, it was as if my burdens lightened to a significant extent.


    Before they returned to their quarters, I looked at them and said sincerely, "First Brother¡­ Second Brother¡­ Thank you very much."


    In response, I saw their helpless smiles and on each side, their hands gently patted my shoulders.


    No words were needed, their intentions reached my heart warmly.


    I stayed for a little while, watching their shadowy figures blend into the darkness of the night.


    Afterward, I went back to our room, my eyesying gently on the mother and son tandem sleeping peacefully.


    "Ummm~~" Little Han suddenly scrunched his nose as if smelling something unpleasant.


    I sobered up a little and realized that the strong scent of wine has covered my body entirely. So I smiled and retreated to the bathroom to freshen up and remove the drunken smell in me.


    By the time I went out of the bathroom, I saw from the balcony that the banquet had died down and that the night was finally over.


    I looked at the two figures peacefully sleeping once more and a deep sense of longing washed over me.


    I knew very well that it was not advisable to squeeze myself into someone''s sick bed, but my entire being had been longing for the three of us to sleep together as a family like this ever since the war started. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ever since the two of us decided to face adversities to give Little Han a more peaceful growing environment, Eli and I worked hard toward our goal.


    We deliberately chose to sacrifice the time we should be spending with each other as a couple and as a parent to our child.


    And yet, after all, things were ovee¡­ why am I the only one waiting for our family to get back to where it used to be?


    I desperately wished that I would one day wake up and realize that everything is good and well.


    That Eli would be back and we would be finally together as one family.


    "Just tonight¡­ let me pretend that we are still a normal family," I mumbled the deepest desire I had at the moment.


    I bent over and gave Little Han and Eli a gentle kiss on their forehead, caressing them gently as I visualized that this was just a typical night for us.


    It''s just a little bit of pretending so that I could just feel like we are finally together.


    Then I carefully scooted on the end of the bed andid down as gently as I could to not disturb the two.


    I looked at Eli''s peaceful sleeping face, it was like she did not have anything going on at all.


    I held her hand... held it tightly, and brought it to my chest as I closed my eyes to sleep.


    The night went by so quickly as the warmth of the morning light woke me up.


    I slowly sat up and realized that for the first time since the end of the war, I was able to sleep so peacefully.


    Perhaps it was because of the wine I took with my brothers or the little pretentious trick I madest night.


    Beside me, my two angels were still in their peaceful slumber.


    Knowing that Little Han might soon be awake, I slowly got out of bed and went out of the room to prepare for the morning.


    Today, I might try for Little Han to interact more with his ymates in the dragon vige. It is not good for him to continue sticking at Eli''s side until she finally wakes up.


    I am sure Eli would also agree that the situation must not affect his growth and development.


    From his clothes to the baby powder, which both my son and I are particrly fond of.


    From his breakfast to the snacks he would soon take during his ytime.


    I prepared everything so that Little Han would be ready to face the day brightly. I smiled on my way back to Eli''s room when suddenly, a loud scream reached my ears.


    "Aaaaaahhhhh!!!"


    "Wahhh!"


    I was still in the corridor on my way back to Eli''s room when I heard amotion.


    My heart skipped a beat as I ran swiftly to open the door, not knowing the kind of mental preparation I had to do.


    That was because the situation I saw inside was like a harsh p on my reality that would surely haunt me for the days toe.


    There, I saw Eli''s frightened figure.


    She was wide awake as I always wished.


    I could finally see her obsidian midnight eyes, one that I always adored.


    Yet¡­


    Her face was full of terror and fear as she crouched on the corner of therge bed, embracing her body protectively while she shivered in anxiousness.


    "Mommi?!"


    On the other hand, I saw Little Han''s confused and terrified state looking at Eli, her dear mother, who was acting like she didn''t know him at all.


    Little Han stretched out his hand, in hopes to get his mother''s attention, which prompted me to drop all the things in my hand and dash to his side protectively.


    p!


    "AAAAAAahh!!"


    Just as I expected, as soon as Little Han stretched out his hand and approached her, Eli went into a hysteria, swatting away her hands blindly, and screaming in a shrill terrified voice.


    Fortunately, I came to Little Han on time protecting him from getting hurt by Eli''s actions.


    But I failed on one thing.


    I failed to protect my son''s heart, which was now broken into pieces as he stared in disbelief at the unfamiliar mother in his sight.


    "M-mommi???"

 Chapter 596 Struggles Of A Longing Man (3)

    ?


    The moment I saw my son''s confused and hurt expression, I felt like the skies fell upon me ever so mercilessly.


    His little body trembled, while his crystal blue eyes, which looked exactly like mine, were on the verge of breaking into tears.


    "Waaaah!!!" Little Han''s cries blended with Eli''s hysteria and soon the elders came rushing to the room and saw our terrible state.


    I hugged him tightly as I was also at a loss.


    Eli''s awakening and state are something that I could not prepare enough for, no matter how I tried my best.


    Her soulless terrified state was even more tragic than when she was the moment I saved her from the dungeon back then.


    Perhaps, it was because the memory she had was two lifetimes of suffering. Even the guardians weren''t sure if her mind could take the confusion of having a fragmented self-consciousness and memory.


    How absurd could it be, two have a memory of suffering from two different lives and yet, she could not find an exnation as to why she has suffered?


    "Heavens¡­" Grandmaster Reuben, Chief Eirllon, and Chief Fafnir all took over and smoothened things out.


    With the help of Aunt Yellena and Uncle Cornelius, they were able to calm Eli while I stare at her frightened figure while mechanically consoling my son who does not understand a thing about the situation.


    "Leon, get yourself together and bring the child away from here at the moment." Suddenly, I heard Father Emperor''s voice as he bent over and helped me up.


    "But Eli¡­" I mumbled, but in reality, my mind was not working properly at the moment. I really do not know what to do.


    "Let the elders take over, Little Han''s state is important too!" Father sternly said as he looked at me with a serious expression.


    His eyes looked at me with pity and worry, especially when his eyesnded on the troubled Little Han in my arms. With a firm voice, met my gaze once more and said, "Go!"


    Taking it as an order, I nodded nkly and went to another room where Little Han and I were supposed to stay.


    "Boohoohoo¡­ Daddi!! Wuwuwuwu¡­"


    As we entered the room and shut the door, Little Han''s heartbreaking cries covered the chambers.


    "Hush¡­ my son¡­ please¡­ calm down¡­" I caressed his little body while wiping his face gently, trying to console his emotions.


    "Wuwuwuwu¡­ Daddi¡­ mommi¡­ mommi is gone¡­ boohoohoo!" Little Han''s wails and the haunting reality struck the deepest of my soul.


    "No¡­ son. It''s not true¡­ Mommy is just¡­"


    "Your mommy is just¡­"


    I opened my mouth and closed it again. No matter what I do, I cannot seem to find words to assure my son¡­


    How could I do that? I am not even sure if I could assure myself either.


    Holding my son in my arms, I copsed at the bedside losing my energy and strength as I cried.


    My body trembled as I hugged my son bitterly and cried in an even more pathetic way than any other worthless man on the.


    I cried and cried, my wails even masking the sorrow my son was giving.


    At one point, my son, who was just more than two years old, stretched out his chubby little arms and wrapped them around my neck.


    With great difficulty, he mimicked the way I was patting him when I was consoling him earlier, even if he was crying and sniffling as well.


    "Daddi¡­daddi is sad¡­" With his childish and innocent voice, Little Han weakly called out.


    I tried to keep my emotions in check as I looked at him. Such a little one, trying to act strongly when I as a grown-up broke down in front of him.


    I cupped his face and gently wiped his tears, taking a deep breath as I answered, "I''m sorry son¡­"


    In between my tears, I lifted his little body and ced him in front of me.


    I knelt on the bedside looking at him an eye level as I slowly tried to exin before his innocent expression.


    "Daddy is sorry because I did not exin it to you¡­"


    "Mommy is like that because she was sick¡­"


    Slowly, my thoughts churned in my mind trying to find the simplest and safest words for my son to hear.


    I did not know if he could understand, but I prayed as I exined it carefully, that he would not take heart of what he would be seeing from Eli from this point forward.


    "Mommi is sick?" Little Han rubbed his eyes with his palms, trying to look as mature as possible.


    My heart ached as I saw his actions. He is just a two-year-old¡­


    Kids at his age aren''t supposed to evenprehend this situation and yet¡­ because of his abilities, he was able to get a hint of his surroundings and eventually get hurt by the matters of the adults.


    I held his hand, caressed it gently as I met his little crystal blue eyes, and exined,


    "Yes¡­ that''s why Daddy is sad as well."


    "Daddi¡­ what''s wwong with Mommi?" He asked with his face full of confusion and worry.


    I took a deep breath and answered, "Mommy, is trapped in a bad dream¡­"


    "Bad dweam??" My son tilted his head and blinked, worried as he showed that he understood what a bad dream is.


    "Yes¡­Mommy is sick because even if she wakes up, she could still see that she was in a bad dream¡­"


    "That is why she could not see us clearly¡­" <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "She could not hear us as well¡­"


    "Because in that dream she is alone and afraid¡­ that''s why she acted like that¡­"


    My heart tightened as I observed every expression my child was showing as he listened to my narrative.


    "Daddi¡­ mommi can''t see Johann?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Mommi can''t feel Johann as well?"


    "Yes, she cant¡­" I patiently answered.


    "Mommi is scawed (scared) ¡­ Daddi¡­" Little Han''s eyes once more brimmed with tears as he seemed to understand a bit of Eli''s situation. "When Johann has bad dweam, I cry¡­ it''s scawy¡­."


    "En¡­" I caressed his blood-red hair,forting him as he continued to mumble.


    "Daddi¡­ can we wake up Mommi?"


    "We can but it will take a long time¡­" I answered half-heartedly.


    For I know it would be harder to wake up someone whose reality is as dreadful as Eli''s remaining memories.


    "Can Little Han be patient and not be scared if Mommi is like that?" I asked him while I had a fleeting wish that this conversation would protect Little Han until Eli would be truly healed.


    My son''s face which bears both mine and Eli''s brightness and features looked at me for a long while.


    Then he nodded his little head, still bearing sadness and worry with his reddish eyes and nose as he answered.


    "Yesh¡­ Johann will wait for mommi¡­ Johann waited for Wisey too¡­"


    "Johann is good at waiting¡­"


    "Johann will be fine¡­" He said like it was an assurance while giving me a pained smile.


    Hearing his reply, I felt like a thousand swords pierced my heart violently. The pain is relentlessly condemning me for being powerless over the situation.


    How could Johann be okay with all of this?


    How could the situation not haunt him in his sleep?


    But even so, I as an adult and as his father had to be even stronger than him.


    I shed an assuring smile as well, while I cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead, "My Johann is a good child¡­"


    "Let''s pray together¡­ Maybe the Great One will help us heal Mommy fast. What do you think?"


    "Owkay!" Little Han beamed upon hearing my words.


    With that I smiled and apanied him all day, setting aside the fact about Eli''s waking.


    That evening when Little Han was finally asleep, I was summoned by the elders for my fiance''s matter.


    In the room, my friends and our family gathered and looked at me solemnly. Kayden, First Brother Kazimir, and Second Brother Antoine looked at me with worry and pity.


    I clenched my fist as I prepared for what they would be saying.


    The silence and heaviness in the room reached its peak, it was unbearable that I had the urge to turn my back and leave at once.


    But then Grandmaster Reuben finally let out a heavy sigh as he spoke.


    "Eli''s condition is far worse than we thought."


    "She recognizes no one¡­ and refuses to trust no one as well¡­" Uncle Cornelius continued.


    I bit my lips as I already knew that this woulde eventually, but what in the world shall we do?


    The question in my mind was not voiced out in my own mouth, but I searched for the answers in their faces.


    But to no avail.


    Everyone is just as powerless and clueless as I was. Even the most talented healers in the room, Kayden and his family were helpless as well.


    Realizing that we are at a dead end, I closed my eyes and tightened my fist.


    The decision that I had been brewing in my heartst night when my brothers talked to me finally solidified.


    I as the father to our family shall make a stand.


    For my son and for my Eli.


    I looked at the Elders, our family, and friends. With a tone that is as resolute as possible, I dered my decision,


    "I shall take Eli and Little Han back to Silver Dew¡­ to where it all began."


    "Until Elies back¡­ I shall apany them there¡­"


    I looked up and met their surprised gazes as I pleaded on my little family''s behalf.


    "I hope everyone understands and supports my decision¡­"

 Chapter 597 Struggles Of A Longing Man (4)

    ?


    The moment I raised my decision, the room was overtaken by a heavy silence.


    My heart pounded loudly as I prayed that the people in the room would support me in my decision.


    However, not all things would go my way¡­ that I understood really well.


    Uncle Cornelius was the first one to voice out his opinion as he expressed his concern,


    "Third Prince, I know you mean well¡­ However, Eli''s situation is something we cannot approach hastily."


    "That is because Eli is deeply unstable and that she could not be left with someone who does not know how to handle patients like her¡­"


    "Besides, as we have observed, Eli trusts no one, recognizes no one¡­ and if one mishandled the situation then it would be to her harm than good."


    Upon Uncle Cornelius''s words, the other elders also took his side and agreed.


    "Leon, I know that you were also thinking of her well-being, however, it is a great risk for us to make such a drastic change when Eli just woke up." Father Emperor said as he convinced me gently.


    "Why not allow a few days to pass so that we could observe Eli''s condition? If it turns out that she will be stable after some time, then we could try to think of the next step for her recovery?"


    I lowered my head and thought for a while. I evaluated my position and their opinion as well.


    In the end, although I was reluctant, I agreed to their suggestion and allowed Eli to be cared for in the Dragon vige for a few days.


    But that doesn''t mean that I would just wait. So while I allowed Eli to stay here for a while, I came with Kayden and the rest to take care of Eli and observe her condition all throughout.


    But the next few days came by and Eli''s situation only got worse.


    She refused to eat and went into hysteria every time she saw people.


    She rejects any kind of skinship and almost causes permanent harm to her body and hurts herself in the process.


    Aunt Yelena, Uncle Cornelius, and Kayden worked to sedate her every time, but the problem of her nourishment became an urgent matter.


    Because of her emotional state, she could no longer be sustained through a nourishing potion as one would need a stable flow of mana in order to absorb the nutrients packed in the tonics ingested.


    The need for her to be fed physically arises, however none of us can even get close to her at the moment.


    "This is not good¡­ she has been awake for a week yet she still refuses to ingest even a sip of water¡­ Leon, if this continues¡­ she might die of starvation." Kayden with his exhausted countenance looked at me in worry.


    "This waspletely different before when you just rescued her from that dungeon¡­ I don''t understand why the methods we employed to rehabilitate her back then aren''t effective now?" He mumbled in frustration.


    I knew the answer to his question but I do not think it is relevant for him to hear at the moment, because I know Kayden would figure it out soon as well.


    That was because Eli back then had the memory of her being actually rescued in the dungeon.


    But at this moment, none of those hopeful turning point moments remained in her mind.


    It was only fragments of her sufferings that would not make sense as to why she was in the Dragon Vige which is a totally different world than what she had in her previous life and memory.


    I looked at the mess around Eli''s bedroom and the small scared figure that was hiding in the darkest corner of the room.


    Uncle Cornelius already let Aunt Yelena retire for the day because she was also affected emotionally upon seeing her daughter''s state.


    "Kayden, can you leave this matter to me for a moment?? I''ll try one more time." I looked at my best friend and suggested.


    "Leon, we''ve already tried that so many times, but all of us failed." Kayden furrowed his brow and his tone tells me that it is futile to try once more.


    "But if we do nothing, then there is really no hope! We cannot give up at this point." I replied.


    I know that Kayden is frustrated and on the verge of giving up, but I cannot charge it against him, because all of us tried and gave our best.


    Kayden bit his lip and clenched his fist tightly but no words came to his mouth.


    I let out a heavy sigh as I observed his paleplexion. This dear friend of mine tends to carry the world on his shoulders and beats himself whenever he is stuck in a failure.


    I knelt down at his slumped figure and patted his sunken shoulders,


    "Today, I''ll try¡­ you rest and take turns tomorrow. If it doesn''t work, we will try again once more¡­ We cannot give up, aren''t we? Now that we have gotten the peace we have worked hard for¡­ how can we not let Eli taste and see the fruit of her sacrifice?"


    Kayden thought for a moment and gave a nod. I led him out of the room and asked for a few servants to clean up Eli''s room, making sure that they maintain a safe distance away from her.


    In the entire process, I took note of her every action. How her midnight obsidian eyes would stare at people who were working around her. <snext>lights</snext>


    I realized that when a certain person approaches her within a five-meter radius, her eyes will sh with alertness.


    ''So five meters was her limit¡­'' I thought to myself as I tried to remember her past reactions to people in thest few days.


    Once a person approaches her within a three-meter radius, she would go into hysterics.


    And as soon as one touches her to calm her down, she could cry and beg for help.


    In the process, she could violently struggle and inflict harm on herself and the people around her because of her desperate movements.


    ''Why is it so?'' I frowned and thought deeply.


    Only after every servant was done cleaning up did I have found my answer.


    When I rescued Elise before, the dungeon where she was tortured cruelly was a room with simr measures.


    In my recollection, the distance between the stone bed she was clutched in and the dungeon''s entrance was five meters.


    In the same cruel manner, the distance of the experimental tools which were actually torture devices was three meters from her stone bed.


    No wonder she would be triggered whenever someone approaches her in that distance!


    As soon as I realized this, I also came to notice that Eli would be also triggered by the random thud, the sound of metal, and ss clicking in. This might be also something that would remind her of the dreadful memories in the torture chamber.


    ''But that was easy to address¡­ but how about her experiences in the previous world?''


    ''How do those memories affect her at the moment?''


    I thought deeply but I can''t seem to find an answer. In the end, I decided to ask Wisey for some time, but as for now, I decided to slowly address what I am certain of.


    With a lead in mind, I notified the guards to look after Eli and went to the kitchen to ask for another set of meals.


    On the way back, I noticed Baobao and Wisey walking toward me, and Little Han riding on Baobao''s back.


    "Daddi!" My son called out excitedly.


    "How was your day son?" Holding the tray of food in my hands, I did not reject my son''s approach and instead engaged in a conversation with him for a little while.


    "We yed with Big Brothers!" Little Han grinned innocently, bringing a wave of warmth to my shaken heart. It was powerful that it was able to put a genuine smile on my face.


    "Really, then it''s good that you had fun," I answered.


    "Then you shall follow Baobao and Wisey for a while, can you? I''ll just bring this food to Mommy so that she can eat it." I exined to him gently so that he would somehow understand.


    But contrary to my expectations, Little Han shook his head and looked at the food longingly.


    "Daddy... Can I watch Mommi eat?"


    I was stumped by his question, so much so that I could not say a thing.


    I know I would have to reject his request but his clear and bright crystal blue eyes were so sincere and hopeful that I could not dare to disappoint him at all.


    "This¡­ son, Mommy is still not okay¡­"


    "You might be sad again seeing her unwell¡­" I tried to coax him to reject him indirectly hoping that he would understand.


    However, his words rendered me speechless once more, "Johann is ok being sad¡­ being sad is normal!"


    "Johann will be fine Daddi!"


    I looked at my son, my young little son saying these things that were beyond his age and could not believe what I heard.


    "Daddi, is it bad when Johann cwies because I am sad for Mommi?"


    In the end, his questions left me unable to retort.


    I could only sigh and answer truthfully, "Yes, it is not bad to be sad¡­ but Daddy is also sad when you are sad. That''s why Daddy doesn''t want you to see Mommy''s weak state." historical


    "But Johann can take it¡­ I won''t cwy loudly¡­ I will only cwy outside so that I won''t distuwb Mommi¡­"


    "Daddi pwease?"

 Chapter 598 Struggles Of A Longing Man (5)

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    Little Han looked at me pleadingly as his eyes twinkled with anticipation and assurance.


    I know more than anyone that letting Little Han see Eli''s terrible state would be inappropriate from every angle. But his persistence makes me unable to reject him firmly.


    "Prince Master, we will guard Little Han at a distance¡­ if you are worried that he would be hurt." In the end, Wisey intervened and gave a suggestion.


    I paused and thought for a moment.


    With the twopanions, I can be assured that Little Han would not be hurt, but I am still reluctant to let him see such a shocking scene.


    "If anything arises, then you shall go out with Little Han at once¡­ do you hear me?" After thinking for some time, I looked at Baobao and Wisey and requested.


    "Yes, Prince Master, we understand." The two furrypanions looked at me with certainty in their eyes.


    I know that as Little Han and Eli''s contractedpanions, they were also bound to act for the utmost well-being of their masters.


    They would never allow Little Han to be shocked because of such situations. And so I allowed them to take Little Han once Eli would show signs of going hysterical.


    Four of us finally reached Eli''s room which was now eerily quiet and dark.


    Eli does not like the bright light outside and she tends to hide in the darkest corners of the room.


    When Little Han saw the room, he closed his mouth and gestured that he would be quiet. It seems like he also knew not to disturb Eli at the moment.


    Fortunately, the three of them stopped just a few meters from Eli''s bedside.


    It was enough to see Eli who was hiding at the corner, and safe enough not to trigger her vignce.


    As for me, I gently ced the tray in a nearby cab.


    Knowing that random thuds, metal, and ss sounds would make her scared I deliberately asked the kitchen to use wooden utensils.


    Even the tray is made of light materials that even if it made a sound, it was soft and not rming for Eli to hear.


    "Eli¡­" I called out. "I brought your meal¡­"


    I stood at the six-meter mark and squatted slowly. My hand only brought a wooden cup of light juice so that she could take her liquids immediately.


    As soon as Eli heard my voice, she became vignt.


    Her dark obsidian eyes which used to look at me tenderly were now looking at me with terror and distrust.


    My body froze in dejection as I still could not get used to the way she views me. It pains me that in her mind at the moment, there is no trace of recognition on her face and actions.


    Even so, I need to seed in making her lower her guard, so I bent down and slowly moved to the five-meter mark.


    "Ahhh¡­" Eli trembled as she sensed my approach. Raising her hand to tuck herself with her hands and knees as cover she covered and squeezed herself to the corner.


    "Easy¡­" I raised my hands and let her see that I did not have anything in me.


    Then with my magic, I slowly pushed the wooden cup in an attempt to divert her attention to the food.


    "See¡­ I just came to bring you food. I won''t hurt you¡­" I looked at her and used my actions to show that I really did not mean her arm.


    Using a little twinkle light surrounding the wooden cup, I hoped that it would fascinate her in a way to lower her guard even a little.


    In the dark room, the magic I used was like little fireflies dancing around her.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel With the peculiar scene, Eli''s eyes glimmered with a bit of interest.


    She looked at the gentle twinkles but her vignce was still at its highest.


    "Is it beautiful?" I asked while observing every bit of her actions. Although there was not much reaction from her, I could see that she was fascinated by the magic I disyed.


    "I mean no harm¡­ I just want to give this to you¡­" I muttered as I very slowly moved the cup at an imperceptible speed so that she would not realize that the cup was moving toward her as she was attracted by the light.


    Eli followed the little glimmer of light and stared without any reaction.


    "Take it¡­ that''s for you¡­" Slowly coaxing her, I patiently waited.


    I do not believe that she lost the ability to properlyprehend things, as I know that she still had memories of her past life other than the seclusive memory in the torture dungeon. I am relying on that fact to keep her guard lowered. <snext>lights</snext>


    For a few minutes, there was still no movement, but that did not make me falter.


    I stayed on the five-meter mark and leaned on the wall perpendicr to the corner she was sitting.


    Ten minutester, her eyes flickered with vignce once more. I looked up and followed her gaze only to realize that Little Han also stood just in front of the five-meter mark.


    Apparently, he figured out that beyond the space where I was sitting, is a prohibited boundary.


    Little Han blinked at the two of us but he did not say anything. I could tell from his expression that he wanted to help Eli with her meal, but since I won''t coax her further he wouldn''t as well.


    In the end, he seemed to decide that apanying me and Eli would be the best course of action.


    "Come here¡­" I beckoned him to sit on myp, not wanting my child to feel alone while we coax Eli to eat.


    Little Han quietly approached me and I hugged him safely in my arms, his gaze not leaving Eli.


    At one point, I bitterly smiled as all we could do was wait for Eli to respond.


    But when I saw Eli staring at us nkly, following every movement we made, I remained calm and collected.


    Half an hour passed and I was amazed by Little Han''s patience as he did not even show any signs of boredom.


    He just sat obediently in myp, staring at the magic trick with his mother.


    "Growl¡­" But a few momentster, the silence was interrupted by a small growl near me.


    I looked down to see Little Han''s embarrassed face. His face was red like a tomato as he looked at Eli and me with guilt on his face.


    As we had already gone for about an hour in silence, Little Han felt like the little growl from his stomach broke the mood.


    "Are you hungry?" I smiled gently and caressed his face, letting him know that I do not me him at all.


    On the corner, Eli seemed to be interested in the sound Little Han had made. Without any change in expression, she followed Little Han''s movements.


    Little Han also looked at Eli reluctantly and shook his head saying, "Johann can eatter, Daddi¡­"


    I patted his back and replied, "You do not have to keep yourself hungry¡­ Let''s get the kitchen to prepare you a meal."


    "Ah¡­ no Daddi¡­ pwease don''t call the sewvants¡­ Mommi doesn''t like it¡­" Little Han seemed to panic and begged me not to do so.


    "Are you sure?" I coaxed him a few more times, but my son might have gotten the stubbornness from both his parents that he stuck to rejecting having a meal outside.


    I know that he just wanted to apany Eli in his own little way, but as a parent, I cannot neglect his condition as well.


    In the end, I looked at the food I got for Eli nearby and used magic to bring it over.


    Since I knew that Eli might not eat the food I brought right away, I covered the food with magic so that it would remain warm and fresh until it was consumed.


    In the tray, aside from the pitcher of juice, there is a pot of creamy vegetable chowder then a loaf of freshly baked bread.


    Fortunately, I also anticipated that Eli might put away the food should she go hysterical so I brought several portions of food and a pair of utensils as well.


    I took a bowl and served soup and sliced a few pieces of bread.historical


    As we were sitting on the floor, Little Han and I seemed to have an indoor pic with the food I brought inside.


    Little Han looked at me reluctantly, knowing that it was his mother''s food.


    Feeling warm toward how sensible my son is, I smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I left a good portion for Mommy, she will eat it if she is hungry as well.."


    "..."


    "Owkay¡­"


    After pausing to pray for a little while, my son finally nodded and took the spoon.


    Like a little grown-up, he scooped a spoonful of the soup and blew it gently. Then he carefully tasted it with delight.


    He looked at me with praise and dered, "Yummy!"

 Chapter 599 Struggles Of A Longing Man (6)

    ?


    I smiled and caressed my little bun''s head once more.


    He took another spoonful and ate it with delight. He even dipped the bread into the bowl and carefully ate it without a mess.


    "Really yummy, Daddi!!" He eximed.


    Seeing him enjoy things like this genuinely makes me feel relieved.


    I know that Little Han is struggling as well¡­ and I am always afraid that the things that happened to us, as his parents, would take away the joy of his childhoodpletely.


    And seeing him enjoy the food like this made me feel grateful and relieved.


    As I was watching him, he took another piece of bread and blew it gently. Surprisingly, he did not eat this piece but brought it toward me instead.


    "Daddi, try it! Izz yum!"


    Surprised, I momentarily looked at him, only to meet his expectant gaze. In the end, I seemed to have forgotten all the worries I had at the moment as I received the piece of bread my son gave me.


    Just like that, the two of us ate while Eli watched us without a word.


    Although I would want to turn my head to her side, I know that once I do, Little Han woulde back to his old self and would act with restraint once more.


    But I never would have imagined that my decision to simply focus on Little Han and allow him to eat in Eli''s presence would elicit reactions from Eli!


    Watching us from afar, Eli most probably thought that we were no longer paying heed to her side.


    Perhaps, she was really hungry and thirsty as well. That is why her hand finally moved to get the juice in front of her.


    The moment her hand touched the wooden cup that was surrounded by light and twinkling magic, I felt her movements.


    But as much as I was excited, I held back everything and continued paying attention to Little Han.


    Suddenly drawing our attention back to her might even stop her from taking a sip.


    I also cast a nce toward Baobao and Wisey hoping that they would also not react for a moment.


    We have to wait until Eli consumes the drink, perhaps even that would be great progress as well.


    And so, with my efforts to draw Little Han''s attention to my side, I let Eli grab the cup and consumed its contents.


    The heavens knew at that moment that I was praying that she would finish it all, as what the cup contained could barely sustain the fluid and nutrients her body needs at the moment.


    Holding back for a little while, I saw that Eli finally put down the cup, to which I sensed through my magic that it was empty.historical


    Finally!


    I rejoiced in my heart, for we have taken the first step.


    I could no longer hold my joy as I trembled in tion while looking at Eli with tender eyes, "Did you like it?"


    Eli seemed to have realized that I knew what she did and so she cowered once more.


    But even so, I was still happy and I knew that we could only take one step at a time with her. I shall not be greedy at all.


    p p p!


    Suddenly, I heard a series of soft ps on my side and realized that Little Han was smiling as well.


    "Mommi, good job!" Little Han praised as he looked at the empty wooden cup. "She finished the dwink!"


    I was shocked to see my son react that way and was I mediately nervous.


    Eli would get triggered by sudden sounds and I am sure that the ps would disturb her in a way.


    I held Little Han protectively, preparing for Eli''s sudden re but contrary to my expectations, she did not explode.


    Following Little Han''s giggles and praise, Eli only stared at us nkly and did not do anything at all.


    "Daddi, maybe Mommi wants soup as well¡­" Little Han looked at me expectantly. "Let''s give her food!"


    "... Alright¡­ but we must not force Mommy ok?" I sighed and agreed.


    "Owkkay~~ Mommi will like it because it''s yummy!!! It''s Daddi''s cooking!" My son proudly said.<snext>lights</snext>


    I once again served the meal to Eli and delivered the food in front of her using the same method.


    Unlike the first time, Eli followed our movements with her eyes. From taking the wooden bowl and serving the soup with it to bringing it in front of her. Eli''s eyes did not leave our movements.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel When the food came in front of her, the atmosphere in the room froze once more and my heart pounded in nervousness and anticipation.


    Part of me knew that it is less likely for Eli to take the food now, but of course, part of me believed in Little Han''s hope that Eli would take it.


    "Daddi, I want seconds too¡­ Johann is still hungwy~ hehe¡­" Once again breaking the long silence, Little Han rubbed his little tummy and looked at me with a hint of mischievousness.


    ''So that''s your n, little one!'' I inwardly eximed upon realizing what Little Han is trying to do.


    He seemed to want to use the opportunity to lower Eli''s guard in eating by having her feel that she hadpanions to eat with her.


    In that moment of realization, I could not help but be grateful for my son''s innocent yet observant actions.


    ''Alright son, I support you all the way¡­'' I decided in my heart.


    "I am hungry too¡­" I said with a knowing smile while dering, "Then let''s eat together¡­"


    "Yay~~" Little Han''s smile grew infectiously bright as he watched me scoop the rest of the soup and divide it among us two.


    Now Eli, Little Han, and I all had food on our tes. Whether or not Eli would eat, I would support Little Han''s n all the way.


    "Let''s eat while it''s warm¡­" I smiled and initiated by breaking the bread and dipping it into the creamy soup in the bowl.


    Little Han happily followed. His smile appeared to be simply enjoying the food at this time but his eyes revealed the intentions he had in his heart, which made my very own heart tremble in pain.


    Behind his cheery appearance, was the longing to see his mother back.


    Still, both of us choose to remain happy at the moment, after all, Eli already made a satisfying response earlier, though it would be even great if she would also eat with us as well.


    There weren''t any other sounds in the room other than the faint praises from Little Han''s food. But the next moment, a miracle before we happened¡­


    Soft rustles were heard in Eli''s corner, followed by the slow dragging of the bowl in front of her.


    Little Han and I froze in amazement as we watched Eli''s movement.


    My lungs seemed to have forgotten how to breathe when I saw Eli''s thin hands reach out on the utensils and slowly scoop a spoonful of soup. My heart beats loudly as I watch her bring the food to her mouth.


    Little Han and I did not make any sound and only watched her eat her first bite of the bread.


    One spoonful was done, so as the first slice of bread, then she took the cup I refilled with juice once more and took a sip out of it.


    My body trembled as my vision turned blurry. Maybe people would call me a fool for getting emotional at this moment, but only those who genuinely want Eli back would understand what I feel.


    It was hope, it was happiness! It was the anticipation that one day, Eli would smile again andpletely recover!


    Just like before, I held back my excitement and emotions and tried to pretend that we did not notice her movements.


    I looked at Little Han and saw him move to continue what he was eating. I was amazed at how he would act the same way I would as if he was already mature enough to be sensitive toward the situation.


    I watched him eat with a wide smile on his face, his crystal blue eyes squinted into two cute crescent moons as he waved his wooden spoon to savor the taste of the meal.


    Infected by his happiness and smile, we continued to eat.


    For the first time in a while, we are finally eating as a family again.


    It wasn''t any fancy meal, just a vegetable soup and bread I quickly prepared and a pitcher of fruit juice. There weren''t even any silverwares and we were even sitting on the cold bedroom floor.


    Yet this was the most tasty and warmest meal we''ve had since we were out of the continent!


    "Sniff¡­ sniff¡­ uwuwuuu¡­" Suddenly, I heard Little Han''s sniffles beside me, his redhead lowered down as he quickly wiped his tears while holding the bread in his little hand.


    "Son? Don''t cry¡­" I called out, but my voice was already quivering and my eyes also started to warm up.


    For I know that the very reason why he is crying is that his heart was deeply moved by this moment.


    "En¡­ sniff¡­ Sowwy Daddi¡­ sniff¡­ Johann is just happi¡­ sniff¡­"

 Chapter 600 Struggles Of A Longing Man (7)

    ?


    I chuckled to wipe my son''s crying face as tears also lingered in my eyes. This moment is so important for the two of us, who were waiting for Eli toe back, or at least, heal.


    Ironically, even as we ate in tears, the taste of the food we ate was a hundred times better than those that had been carefully prepared by the imperial chefs in the pce.


    Along with it was a hope that from this point forward, Eli''s consciousness would be better. There might be no assurance that her memories of us woulde back, but the possibility that she would soon recognize us as her family is more than enough.


    In the end, Little Han was full after having two servings of food, while I slowed my pace down to keep with Eli''s phase.


    As Kayden advised before, it is not good for Eli to eat a lot in one go, so I know not to force her to eat that much.


    I waited until she dropped her utensils and moved from her original position.


    "Done?" I asked softly, and of course Eli did not answer. She just looked at Little Han and I before staring nkly once more at an empty space.


    "I''m leaving a ss of water here¡­ take it if you are thirsty¡­" Taking the utensils, I filled another cup with water and delivered it to her once more.


    "Now¡­ I have to bring these back to the kitchen¡­ Little Han, let''s have Mommi rest ok?"


    Finally achieving such a big progress, I bent down and looked at my son to talk to him sincerely.


    "Owkay¡­" Little Han looked at Eli once more, he was extremely reluctant to leave his mother but still obediently nodded.


    "Good boy¡­" I hugged him and gave him a soft peck on his forehead before saying,


    "Don''t worry, this time I''ll let Baobao and Wisey look after Mommy for a while."


    "Then after bringing these to the kitchen, we will call Uncle Kayden to take a look at Mommy. Is that ok?" I asked softly.


    Little Han seemed to like my arrangement as he obediently nodded and answered, "Yesh, Daddi!"


    After asking Wisey and Baobao a favor to look after Eli, I quickly brought Little Han to the kitchen then we immediately called Kayden to report what happened.


    Hearing the news, Kayden was ted and was so excited to know the things we did.


    Even so, Kayden did not employ these methods right away as he knew that this cannot be taken lightly as well.


    "Thank you for your advice, I''ll make sure that these will be taken into ount greatly¡­" Kayden looked at us with gratefulness and appreciation.


    "It''s what we should do¡­" I looked at him and responded.


    Looking at my best friend''s tired face, I was hoping that he would ease up with the news for just a little bit.


    He had a lot on his te.


    Because apart from looking after Eli, he still had to lead with the rehabilitation of Grandmaster Andi.


    Moveover. Uncle Cornelius and Aunt Yelena can only do so much for a limited time, as they too came from years and years of torture under the corrupted Pope. As such they still needed to fully recover from the long term trauma they suffered for decades.


    Kayden let out a heavy sigh as he looked at his notes with worry and anxiousness, "I just hope this situation would notst that long¡­"


    Seeing his exhausted expression, I could not help but ache for him, having to feel the great sense of responsibility after all the things that happened.


    "Dear friend, you are not alone in this¡­ You have been preaching to me that matters but it''s time for me to preach the same thing as well¡­" I responded.


    "C''mon, do not let yourself be burned out by thinking that only you could fix these things alone."


    My dear friend looked at me helplessly before he nodded in acknowledgment. In any case, the good news was able to ease a little bit of the pressure he had at the moment. Both of us could only patiently wait for progress after all.


    With the news that came by, the elders were also excited about Eli''s improvement.


    However, the next day came by and we found out that Eli rejected people again.


    We tried the same method of feeding and took note of thefortable distance she had but to no avail.


    "What did we forget?" I asked Kayden as we stared at Eli who did not have any reactions even after serving the food.


    "I am just as clueless as you¡­" Kayden answered dejectedly. Just as we thought that there would be a progressive improvement, we were pped with a harsh reality.


    We thought about it for the entire day until Little Han came in the afternoon once more, asking if he could visit his mother.


    Knowing that Little Han was sensible enough, I convinced Kayden to allow him to observe with us. <snext>lights</snext>historical


    "Oh¡­ Mommi don''t wanna eat?" Little Han blinked with innocence as he stared at Eli who never looked at the food prepared in front of her.


    "Yes¡­ it seems like she is not in the mood to eat today." I helplessly exined in a simple way.


    "But Mommi will be sick if she doesn''t eat!" Little Han worriedly responded.


    Just as I was about to reply with some words of assurance to him, Little Han looked at me, and said, "Maybe, Mommi wants to eat with us again?"


    Hearing his suggestion, an epiphany struck my head. Here I am thinking that it was because of the magic and the strict observance of silence and distance that Eli responded.


    All this time, she responded because she was seeing people doing the thing as well.


    "Little Han is a genius!" I hugged my son, who has been leading me to witness miracles from miracles.


    Kayden stared at us clueless until I briefly told him my conclusion.


    In the end, we both agreed to give it a try, so I put down Little Han and said, "Little Han, stay with Uncle as I cook our dinner ok?"


    "Owkay Daddi!" Little Han smiled and nodded. But before I left, he looked at me once more and said, "Daddi, can Johann wequest for yummi chimken???"


    "Oh¡­ you want that?" Amused by my son''s request I smiled and pinched his chubby cheeks.


    "Hmm, yesh¡­ yummi chimcken, honey fwavor¡­." He mumbled.


    Kayden and I chuckled. With Kayden''s nod, I went to the kitchen and prepared the things.


    A separate menu for Little Han, and Eli, as we were still afraid that Eli''s digestive system would react adversely.


    As I was frying the honey-zed chicken, I remembered that Eli was the one who taught me this recipe. In fact, there were still some vors aside from the honey ze.


    Remembering those days, I took out another set of ingredients and fried more of the chicken wings. I prepared three other sauces, soy garlic, Korean barbeque, and garlic parmesan.


    Perhaps Kayden would enjoy and rx a little with Eli''s signature dish.


    When I went back, I had a few servants assist me in taking the food as it was prepared for four people at the moment.


    Little Han excitedly looked at the food cart and almost jumped out of Kayden''sp.


    "Chimken! Chimken!" My Little Bun pped his hands excitedly and as if it was already a rule, he went to the spot where he sat the day before and faced Eli.


    "Mommi, the food today is nice!" He beamed while looking at Eli, who was also staring at him in a daze.


    "Alright, settle down and I''ll take out the food." Instructing Kayden with my gaze, he sat beside Little Han as well.


    When all three of us were sitting in front of Eli, I already took out the tray of food and opened the lid.


    For Eli, it was the menu suggested by Kayden.


    Then I opened another and the fragrance of the fried chicken with the four different sauces filled the entire room.


    "Wahh!!" Little Han bounced on the spot as he looked at the tter of chicken with different sauces.


    "Oops, we shall say our graces before eating, my little nephew." Kayden chuckled, as he was immediately infected by Little Han''s excitement.


    "Oh¡­" Little Han realized his mistake and immediately sped his hand.


    With his cue Kayden and I also sped our hands and closed our eyes in silence as Little Han prayed.


    Little did we know that the moment we opened our eyes, we would see¡­


    Eli was already in front of us staring intently at the tter of fried chicken that we were about to eat.


    Too surprised to react to anything, we only managed to stare at her in a daze.


    Seeing that we did not move or anything, she frowned and looked at us then back to the chicken tter in front.


    Then finally, she pointed at the portion where the Korean barbeque zed chicken was arranged while she mouthed the word,


    "Mine!"

 Chapter 601 Struggles Of A Longing Man (8)

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    A weekter¡­


    Eli, Little Han, and I were finally back in our little log cabin in the Silver Dew Forest.


    It took a little while to prepare everything, especially waiting until Eli''s condition became stable enough to travel back to the territory.


    Fortunately, the Green Wave Continent and the Silver Dew forest were actually facing each other with a vast ocean in between.


    With the help of King Havelok and the Merfolk, we were able to transport Eli back to the Silverdew without issue.


    The log cabin looks almost the same, except for the overgrown greens and nts around the yard, as well as theck of luster it usually had when we were living there together.


    "Daddi~~ We''re home!" Little Han eximed excitedly as he saw a familiar site.


    I have already lost track of how long we haven''t been to this ce, but it surely brings out warm memories to me and my son. historical


    Only¡­ that I hope Eli would remember these memories as well.


    "En¡­ we''re home¡­ Let''s take your Mommy inside, shall we?" I looked at my son who was walking alongside Baobao and Wisey.


    Between us was Eli, staring nkly straight ahead, even so, she no longer protested having me and Little Han and invade her personal space.


    As she was staring at the home we have, there was no recognition in her eyes, no emotion, nothing at all.


    She was still like a living doll, having lost the ability to recognize people and emotions.


    "Mommi¡­ let''s go~" Little Han gave a wry smile as he held Eli''s hands full of hope and anticipation.


    However, Eli did not react at all.


    I wanted to stretch out my hands to console my son, as it breaks me to see him trying this hard. But I do not have the heart to break what little hope he had for his mother.


    I can''t¡­ I really can''t.


    And so I let out an excited smile as well, while I beckoned everyone to enter our home who had been waiting for us for a very long time.


    "Let''s go and show Mommy our home."


    I pushed Eli''s wheelchair as Little Han cheerfully skipped toward the door.


    ''This start is good¡­'' I thought to myself as I remembered the work we did to make sure that Eli would befortable enough to have someone near her.


    Back in that day, when she took the initiative to eat food with us and even said a word, we came to a realization.


    First is that Eli is mostfortable when Little Han is around. She seemed to be encouraged by his actions and likes to follow his movements.


    Second was that Eli might be better if she was exposed to the positive things she was able to recognize in her previous life. Just like when she saw her very own recipe which we both knew came from her previous life.


    "We have to gamble on triggering her memories of the previous life because the memories she had in this world were far too young." Kayden''s words became the key for the elders to also finally allow us to go back here.


    Starting that day, I worked hard with Little Han and stayed close to Eli until she was able to tolerate our presence enough to help her with her daily needs.


    From coaxing her to eat until tucking her to bed, we slowly worked towards bing people she would feelfortable with the most.


    As we entered the ce, the rustic yet cozy interior of the ce we called home.


    However,ing back once more gave me a different feeling. Back then, I would be excited and warm just seeing this very same view from my doorstep.


    But now, there is a certain wave of anxiousness and nostalgia as if those memories I have were something I would never experience anymore.


    "This is our home¡­ Eli¡­" I looked down at Eli and observed her reactions.


    Unfortunately, she only stared nkly and never showed any signs of recognition.


    A wry smile bloomed on my lips as I reprimanded myself for expecting too much.


    ''Leon¡­ let''s take it one step at a time¡­'' I reminded myself as I held onto Eli''s wheelchair once more and pushed her to the living room.


    "Weeeee!" Little Han''s lively screams filled the living room as he saw the plushie yground that he missed so dearly.


    "Sisi, Baobao let''s pway!!!" He walked toward the ypen excitedly as he rolled on the pile of stuffed toys that weed him home. <snext>lights</snext>


    ''I''m d that I cast preservation magic around the house¡­'' I mentallymended myself as I realized that the house and the toys would not have been clean and livable if I never thought of putting some magic to keep it clean.


    Watching my son act ording to his age, a great sense of relief and warmth appeared in my heart.


    It amazes me every time Little Han manages to pull Eli and me through. Even during this endeavor, he was always the reason a miracle happened in his mother''s condition.


    At least, we looked like a real family once more.


    I looked at Eli who seemed to be interested in the view she was seeing as well. My heart jumped when I saw that her dark nk eyes softened in a very subtle way as she was watching our son y.


    "Can I leave you here for a while? I''ll go and check the kitchen and the bedroom if their condition is alright¡­" I looked at her and asked softly.


    Eli looked at me without any chance of expression before giving a subtle nod. These days she could already respond to yes or no questions.


    She was able to blurt out single words to express herself asionally as well. It seems like it would take time for her to engage in a full conversation.


    With that, I left for the bedroom and checked its condition. Just like the living room, the bedroom is as clean as when we left it.


    Looking at the beds that have been left unused for a long while, I came to a decision to take the single bed even further away from therger bed on the other side.


    The problem is Little Han''s bed.


    When he started learning to express himself, he also started to insist on sleeping beside Eli. Because of that, we were not able to procure any bed for him at all.


    Now it seems like I have to take a quick trip to Silvertown to procure his own bed.


    After all, we cannot expect Eli to be amenable to letting our son sleep on her bed. Noting the things I need to fix in the bedroom I headed straight to the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, I realized that the indoor greens that we left had overgrown quite a bit, along with the vegetables in the garden.


    "It would be fine if I prepared pasta for today¡­" I thought as I looked at the healthy array of fooding fresh from our own garden.


    "Eli would like it if I make it a little bit spicier¡­" I looked at the ripe pepper in the distance and decided my next move.


    I decided to harvest this produce so that I could dry a portion of it for future use and the rest would be our lunch.


    As I worked in the kitchen, I purposely opened the door to have a good view of what was happening in the living room.


    I could see Little Han happily ying with Baobao and Wisey and Eli quietly watching at a distance.


    The picture was enough for me to be satisfied at the moment as I continued working in the kitchen with a smile. From now on, we will be living together, without fear of any enemy trying to take away our hard-earned peace.


    After a while, I went back to the kitchen to call them, "Lunch is ready¡­"


    "Yay~" Little Han plopped up from being buried with Baobao''s fluffy fur as he immediately excited the ypen and went near Eli.


    "Mommi, iz time to eat!" Little Han smiled as he stood in front of Eli.


    Eli only nodded without a word and looked toward me. She moved the wheels of her chair and maneuvered toward the kitchen.


    Our meal is a bit quiet and simple, the only thing that makes the surroundings livelier was Little Han''s giggles that was enough to warm up the atmosphere.


    I have prepared two versions of the pasta I made.


    Eli''s pasta is more spicy while Little Han''s was just vored the usual way.


    I could not help but smile as I saw Eli quietly eat the pasta without any frown on her face.


    Just like her innate attraction to fried chicken back then, it seems like the food that was usually present in her previous world had the power to spark a reaction from her.


    "After lunch, I might have to take a quick trip to Silvertown to buy some things¡­" I blurted out while eating.


    "We have to get a bed for Little Han and replenish the rice in our stockroom¡­" I continued.


    As expected, when Eli heard the word ''rice'', her eyes flickered and she looked at me interestingly and said,


    "Bring many¡­"

 Chapter 602 Struggles Of A Longing Man (9)

    ?


    My hand froze at that moment and the pasta that was beautifully rolled on my fork fell off because of my sudden pause.


    Realizing her reaction a wave of bliss and amusement sprung within my heart as I let out a low chuckle and replied, "I will¡­"


    After the meal, I set out to prepare for my quick trip to Silvertown.


    As of the moment, apart from a very few mystic creatures around, we were the only ones dwelling in the forest as the Silver Dew Elves were still preparing to go back from the Green Wave Continent.


    As such, the moment I go out, I would be leaving Eli and Little Han alone. Caught in a dilemma, I finally decided to introduce Zenith and Biggie to the group so that there would be extra protection for the two as I go.


    Going back to the living room, I looked at Little Han who was now looking really sleepy after a good lunch.


    "Son,e here¡­" I softly called him from his yground and squatted beside him while caressing the little sleepy head.


    "Daddi~" Little Han answered tenderly.


    "I''ll be going out for a while and only you and Mommy shall be left here with Baobao and Wisey¡­ will you be fine?" I asked though deep worry is creeping into my heart as I would really be leaving these two in the midst of the forest.


    "Iz fine, Daddi!! Johann will pwotect Mommi!" Hearing my words, the sleepiness on my son''s face vanished immediately and he became livelier.


    My eyes shed with guilt, however, it would still be worrying to take Eli around Silvertown when she is still unstable. Moreover, I am still not sure of the effects of war in the little town so to speak.


    With that in mind, I sighed and assured my son, "I will introduce you to someone who will also protect you while I am gone¡­"


    Little Han looked at me, blinking with his two little crystal blue eyes curiously.


    In a sh, I opened my palms and a Biggie appeared in his tiny form. Among all my familiars, Biggie is the most docile and protective. That is why I choose him to apany Little Han and Eli while I am away.


    "My son¡­ this is Biggie." I moved my palms and showed Biggie to Little Han closely.


    "Vrooo???" Biggie, the little earth golem stood up and moved his arms while looking at Little Han curiously. "Master¡­ son?"


    Although he could only let out some inaudible sounds, as his master, I was able to understand what he was saying.


    "Yes¡­ my son and soon-to-be wife," I answered while pointing at Eli who was watching us expressionlessly in the distance.


    "Wahhh¡­cute!" Little Han''s eyes shone brightly upon seeing Biggie, it was apparent that he was excited to see him.


    "Vrooo.." Biggie let out a hesitant sound which in my mind trantes to, "Shy¡­"


    Amused at the two''s interaction, I took Little Han''s palm and let Biggie sit on it as I instructed, "You can hold him, he will help you watch over the house."


    "Oohhh¡­" Little Han held Biggie carefully his eyes full of attentiveness as if he was afraid that Biggie would fall from his hands.


    "I will also leave another one to you¡­ You already saw him before¡­" After that, I called out and Zenith appeared beside me.


    "Hello, Little Master~ I''m Zenith, your new ymate! Nice to meet you again!" Zenith, who kept pestering me after the war upon seeing Little Han around.


    "Hewooo Zenith!" Little Han seemed to remember Zenith as well as he greeted him back.


    After getting acquainted with the two, I briefly talked to Eli even though she did not let out any respond. Then I reminded Baobao, Wisey, and the other two to immediately contact me should there be any problem.


    "Zenith, I''m ready to go." Finally, after all my reminders, I asked Zenith to open a spatial path for me to head straight to Silvertown.


    I could not afford to be gone for an extended time and so I have to use the fastest means possible.


    In a sh, I found myself in a secluded alley and realized that I had already teleported to Silvertown.


    Using the disguise magic I always use when I am out, I went out and headed to the market.


    As expected, the town was also quite affected as there was still a gloomy and oppressed state in the surroundings.


    Although there was not much fighting that happened here as there were only a few behemoths that managed to reach the town, the paths were still cut off which temporarily isted the town.


    While going to the market, I found out that a number of traders managed to reach the town in the past few months but the war still took a huge hit in the overall economy of the empire.


    As such, food became more expensive as of the moment.


    Fortunately, I was still able to find a few sacks of rice before the sunset and I was also able to buy a bed for Little Han. <snext>lights</snext>


    Hopefully, my son will not whine tonight though¡­


    In the end, it was almost dinner when I managed to go back, bringing all the necessary items needed for us to leave in the house.


    The rest of the night was peaceful. Uneventful yet warm.


    In the end, Little Han, knowing how sensible he is, obediently slept on the bed that I had prepared, while Eli took therger bed.


    This was the first time she would sleep in the log cabin and I was still afraid that she would not find itfortable.


    But even after Little Han and I said our nightly prayers, Eli did not have any adverse reactions and quietlyy in bed to sleep.


    I looked at my little family and a sense of calm and hope washed over me. It was like we three were re-learning to be families with each other.


    Step by step, we learn to interact with each other and put up with our circumstances. Over time, I also realized that I am also learning much about myself which I never realized before.


    In my entire lifetime, all I cared about was being strong and victorious against all the usations and challenges thrown at me.


    When I met Eli and found out about Little Han, it made me realize that I stillcked a lot of things to be a good person in general.


    Unfortunately, the responsibility as a protector of thend and as a father still prevailed so I was unable to work out these little things that I should still improve.


    Now, even though the circumstances aren''t ideal as what I have envisioned after the war, the heavens still used this situation to realize what Ick and what I should improve on.


    Having them by my side is enough¡­


    And just like Eli''s healing and Little Han''s growing, I too shall grow and improve to be a better husband and father they can rely on.


    Thinking about that paints a smile on my face. The fire of hope that seemed to have been struggling to burn inside my heart has be stronger.


    Tomorrow, and the next few days toe¡­ there will be much more.


    ¨C


    The news of the Silver Dew Elves'' arrival came a few dayster and now, Kayden and his family, Aunt Yelena and Uncle Cornelius visited the cabin. historical


    "Uncle Kayden!!! Gwanma! Gwanpa!!" As we weed the guests, Little Han smiled brightly while greeting the three.


    Kayden immediately scooped Little Han in his arms and hugged him tightly, beating his parents from holding their grandkids.


    I smiled, holding back my grin as I replied, "Wee, let''s go inside¡­"


    Helpless as they realized that they would not be able to snatch Little Han from their son, they let out a helpless expression as they followed inside.


    Leading them to the living room, they saw Eli who had now developed a habit of reading some books in her favorite corner of the room.


    Sensing the presence of the room, Eli lifted her gaze and gave a wary nod before greeting expressionlessly, "Good morning¡­"


    The three froze in shock seeing the improvement in Eli aspared to the situation they saw before. Their faces changed from amazement to gratitude then finally to relief.


    In the end, as I served them tea, I summarized everything that happened in the past week that led to her development.


    The atmosphere in the room became lighter as they heard my stories and like me, they looked at Eli with hope as they saw her quietly continue reading their book.


    Excusing myself, as I know that the family also needed some time to interact with Eli, I went to the kitchen to prepare for the mealter on.


    "You''ve done a great job¡­ my dear friend¡­" Behind me, Kayden''s voice rang, it turns out that he followed me to the kitchen for a chance to talk.


    "You''ve really done a great job." The second time Kayden spoke these words, there was a trace of gratefulness and emotions in them.


    My shoulders became tense as I slowly set the tray of tea cups on the sink. I didn''t know why but my friend''s words made me emotional as well.


    It was as if I had been waiting for these words to be said to me a huge weight on my heart finally disappeared.


    "En¡­" In the end, I never let out a word as I already felt my eyes warm with all the tears that were flowing in my eyes.

 Chapter 603 Finding My Way Back To You (1)

    ?


    *This series of chapters are written from Eli''s perspective*


    ''It''s dark¡­'' The moment I opened my eyes, confusion and dread crept over me.


    My eyes darted to the ceiling which I did not recognize. As far as I remember, there is only the cold mossy ceiling I was allowed to look into.


    No¡­ to be exact, there''s another kind of ceiling, it''s one that looks simpler and is painted in light colors.


    I pulled my body over and realized that the weight on my wrists and legs was long gone. Still, I could feel the pain all over my body. It is simr to the endless pain and suffering I used to suffer at particr times of the day.


    Moving my body around was still hard as I could feel every inch of my body heavy and throbbing in pain. My vision was still blurry and I could not really recognize the surroundings far from me.


    The only thing I could see would be those that are near me, but beyond that, it would be too dark.


    ''Where am I?''


    I looked down at the bed where I was and realized that it was not the stone-cold bed that I used to lie on.


    Then beside me, a little¡­ child¡­


    With blood-red hair and little chubby arms, sleeping peacefully right beside me?


    "Who¡­" I muttered, it was the first word I was able to say with my lips that were parched and dry.


    Tzzing!


    Suddenly a piercing headache attacked me and shes of dreadful memories appeared.


    Pain...


    Blood...


    Loneliness¡­


    Emptiness¡­


    And begging¡­


    Those were the memories that shed through my mind which I could not understand. These memories were fragmented and not even cohesive.


    To add to my confusion why does it seem that there was a mix of memories that could be considered to belong to two different worlds?


    The first one seemed to be in the simr world that I am in right now, only that it was filled with darkness, blood, pain, and terror¡­


    The second one seemed to be in another dimension, but strangely I felt familiar with the ce. Unfortunately, the memories that I had there caused my heart to be in throbbing pain.


    Clearly, it was just memories of me being alone, yet why do I suffer as much as the first memories where it was all physical pain?


    There was no exnation as to what and why I have these memories. Not even have a clue as to why I was suffering in both memories.


    However, whether it was true or not, my body''s reaction told me the answers. These are my memories, no doubt.


    ''What wrong did I do to have to live like that?'' I asked myself as my hands instinctively covered my body protectively.


    "M-mommi?" Suddenly there was a small childish voice that called my attention.


    The little child sleeping beside me seemed to have woken up. His crystal blue eyes looked at me with surprise and confusion, however, for some reason my body felt apprehensive and it started to shake.


    Only then did I remember, ording to my memories, I am still in this world and I could still be subject to the same pain in the memory I have?


    "Aaaahh!"


    I shouted in panic, trembling all over as I thought that the waking of the little child would bring me another wave of torture.


    "Mommi?!" The child blinked, he was beautiful¡­ however, to me, he might be the harbinger of pain.


    I saw him stretching out his little hands. There is no way that it looks like it is capable of hurting me.


    But seeing a hand reminded me of that man''s evil deeds.


    Whenever I see him stretch his hands toward me, I will suffer in torturous pain.


    I would be skinned alive¡­


    He would have ''harvested'' something in my body once more¡­


    "Aaaaah!!!" I shouted once more as if to seek help, waving my hands to deter the danger around me.


    Suddenly I heard hastened footsteps and finally knew that it was over¡­


    I would be tortured again¡­ I would be in pain again. <snext>lights</snext>


    One rushed footstep was followed by another, then another¡­


    My heart sank as I realized, did the madman invite his friends over to torture me all at the same time?


    My ears could hear their hurried steps and their shouts whom I could no longer understand.


    All I saw was within the darkness, there were several handsing toward me to lock me in ce.


    As my body trembled, my eyes were brimming with tears and I tried to fight back as I could.


    I no longer have the shackles that limit my movements, so I ignored my body''s pain and kicked around, waving my hand to deter those hands that were out to touch and hurt me.


    "Raaaah!!! Aaaah!!" I screamed in my tears and fought back. My throat was still dry and it was so painful to even let out a single word.


    However, why would I care about the little pain in my throat? These hands were all strong and it terrifies me knowing that what they would do next would bring me in much greater pain.


    Suddenly, I heard a man who was looking at me strangely. Although I did not recognize that look in his eyes, I know that he was something who could decide on my fate at any moment as he had been the one who had been instructing the others to hold me down.


    "This is not good¡­ we have to sedate her¡­" He muttered, to which I do not understand.


    Whatever it meant, I understood that I would be at their mercy and so I fought back even more fiercely trying to think of a way to run away from these ces.


    But the next moment, I felt a piercing pain flowing from my wrist.


    It was not a needle or any sharp object, but it was like a snake swimming inside my body freely as it went around my body like electricity. Suddenly I felt my entire body be weak and limp.


    A wave of dizziness invaded my vision as my eyes suddenly lost the will to stay open. Afterward, it was all darkness¡­


    The next few days, whenever I open my eyes, the same cycle would happen again.


    A group of people woulde around and try to control me. They brought food, medicine, and whatnot.


    But who is to say that they were all safe for me to ingest?


    In that cold and dark ce, I could still remember the sinister smile that madman had while bringing me a bowl of some liquid that would have different effects on my body.


    There''s one that would make me squirm in pain as I would feel like I was being eaten by a thousand ants. Then another that would make me awake and conscious while the man sliced away whatever part of my body he wanted to experiment with.


    With that, I am dead set on refusing anything they offer, whether it was to eat or drink.


    To go hungry and die of starvation might be better than falling into another scheme.


    lights¦­¦Ïvel As I looked at the eyes of the people who were around me, I could finally recognize the expression they had.


    It was a pity and worry.


    Yet, it was the very same expression that made me fall into a deeper hole back then.


    The madman who caused me to suffer from endless torture also looked at me with gentle eyes and an expression full of care and pity.


    I was once drawn to those eyes, and I even held onto his hands dependently. But the next moment, I found him smiling at me viciously while he was cing those cold heavy shackles on my hands.


    historical


    One thing I have actually realized, however, was these people around me did not have any ns to inflict immediate pain.


    I waited every day to see what they nned on doing, but every time, I only ended up getting ''sedated''.


    One time during the night, a young dignified-looking man, who was of elf descent came to my bedside and talked to me.


    "Eli¡­ please you have to eat¡­" His tone was begging while he was holding a bowl helplessly.


    "Many are waiting for you to recover ande back¡­ so please do not destroy yourself like this¡­"


    Much to my confusion, this man, whom others call Kayden kept on begging me while saying things I do not understand.


    I have no recollection of who he is, nor do I have any idea of whom he pertains to as the people waiting for me.


    Waiting for me to do what?


    What would be their n?


    Do they need me to do something?


    My head and my heart already hurt. I felt extremely tired of these confusion and fragmented memories.


    It seemed like a huge part of me vanished into nothingness.


    None of those whom these people around me were saying are helping either. So what shall I do?


    In the end, I found a dark corner. It was dark yet uncold, it was perfect enough for me to cower and protect myself against these peopleing at me with an intention I could never understand.

 Chapter 604 Finding My Way Back To You (2)

    ?


    Every time I open my eyes from being sedated, I would run to that corner and deter people trying toe near.


    No way would I let them hurt me again, no way I would let people fool me again.


    I belong to this dark corner.


    Having my back lean onto something sturdy, it feels like it was already secure enough.


    Days went on and the cruelty of thirst and hunger was slowly eating away my sanity. Yet I know that it does not make me better if I eat something dangerous once more.


    I could only sit and wait for my days to be over¡­ That way I would finally be free of these hurts and confusion.


    What good is it for me to live a life without reason?


    Not even my memories are helping me have that good reason to continue living.


    I stared nkly beyond space, emptying my mind which is only filled with memories I don''t even want to remember.


    I wish the days would pass quickly so that I would finally find my eternal sleep.


    The pain may still hurt my body, but it had long made my heart numb.


    I am already tired and the only thing I want is to have a rest.


    Little did I know that the safe bubble I created would be intruded upon in just a short time.


    Today, I felt a pair of captivating crystal blue eyes who had been staring at me at a distance finallye near the fence I made.


    ''What is his ordeal?'' I asked myself as I looked at him.


    I have already seen him with the man whom others called Kayden. He always maintained his distance but he was present every time these people tried to approach me.


    Just like others, I could not figure out his intentions. However, something in my chest seemed to itch whenever I met his gaze.


    It was as If I had seen him before and that he had brought me something more precious than anything I could ever imagine.


    But I could not find any answer in the memories I had.


    Today this mysterious man finally decided to approach me, however, he stopped just before he went beyond the border I made.


    ''Did he figure out where it was?''


    "Eli¡­I brought your meal¡­" Suddenly the man started to talk to me and called my name


    When I opened my eyes, the people around me already knew my name thus adding to the questions I had in mind.


    Now this man also did the same and called me in such a familiar way.


    I clenched my fist, not knowing who this person was as I dealt with my confusion. Why is it that among all the people who called me by my name, only his voice made me tremble and even feel moved?


    The next thing he did was to bend down, holding something to his hand, he reached out and sent something toward me.


    "Ahhh¡­" I eximed as the fear in me was triggered. This fear is deeply ingrained in every part of my being, causing terrorizing memories to sh before me like endless water.


    The man suddenly raised his hands after saying something.


    I could no longer hear nor understood what he was saying but I knew at this moment that he wanted to intrude.


    I clutched my hair as I tried to cover my head in an attempt to protect myself. The shaking of my knees caused me to falter, so I could only squeeze into the dark corner, the only thing that I could lean on.


    It''s better here in the dark. I could not see anything, I could not see the threatsing at me.


    Suddenly, a faint glow of light shone somewhere in my vision. I slightly looked up and my eyes saw something mystifying.


    It was a magical thing, a bunch of little lights surrounding a wooden cup of unknown liquid. I was drawn to the sight disyed before me.


    Beautiful, kind, and gentle.


    Such a delicate and warm feeling was before me, yet how could I have the knowledge to judge if the thing in front of me is good or sinister?


    Even so, my eyes continued to stare at it, not realizing that I was already getting lost in it, rxing my vignt awareness.


    But that streak was suddenly broken when I felt another presenceing toward me.


    I looked in the man''s direction and instinctively paused as I met his stare.


    Wanting to escape from his stare, I shifted my gaze away. Then and there, I saw yet another pair of eyes.


    Two little blue crystal orbs blinked and looked at me. There was a certain liveliness in his eyes that was coated by innocence.


    My gaze stayed on him and suddenly remembered.


    ''Ah¡­ He was that little child¡­''


    He was the very first and only one who was able to get near me since I opened my eyes. But remembering that moment, I furrowed my brows as I felt a painful pinch in my chest.


    I remembered I almost hurt him because of my actions. <snext>lights</snext>


    ''What is this feeling?''


    I stared at the two nkly, they were sitting on the floor observing me as they continued the magical disy while sending something toward me.


    My eyes were still drawn to the little twinkles of light in front of me, but my mind continued to seek the answers as to what kind of feeling I had in my chest.


    Why did my body react strangely the moment the man called me by my name?


    Why did the little child make my heart feel strange? His eyes also carried a hint of longing and somehow dependence.


    But¡­ Why is this kind of gaze directed toward me?


    "Grooooowl¡­" My contemtion was suddenly interrupted by a faint sound of growling in front of me.


    Suddenly, I saw the image of the man and the little child, it was one that caused a strange tremor inside me.


    The little child reddened seemingly embarrassed. He lowered his head as if he was reprimanding his stomach for disturbing the silence.


    "Are you hungry?" The man asked.


    In hisp, the child looked at me with reluctance and shyness as he answered in his childish voice, "Johann can eatter, Daddi¡­"


    ''So his name is Johann¡­''


    Caught by the scene in front of me I did not realize that I was already watching their every movement.


    From their conversation, it seems that the man and child had a father-and-son rtionship. Moreover, they were pertaining to someone called ''Mommy''.


    ''It should be the child''s mother¡­''


    I concluded and wondered, where is she?


    Silently, I watched their interaction. It was warm and loving, far from what my mind and my body could remember.


    historical


    ''I never experienced that kind of gentleness and warmth¡­'' Imented while lowering my head to rest on my knees.


    The scene before me sparked something strange inside me. It was longing and envy.


    Why did I never experience that kind of warmth and love?


    All I saw in my memories was loneliness and despair. Something that might actually define my identity.


    A pitiful person.


    ''They are lucky¡­'' I thought in my head as I watched them from a distance.


    Inside the dark room, with only the twinkling lightsing from the magic disy in front of me, I saw an image of love and tenderness, one thing that made me feel even lonelier.


    But even as my heartmented, I continued to watch their exchange until finally, the man managed to coax his little son to eat.


    He scooped some fooding from his tray and before my eyes, I watched the little one taste the food in his bowl.


    The way the little child beamed in delight upon tasting the food in his bowl was that of pure joy.


    In ways I could never be able to exin, his very expression seemed to bring a sense of calm and satisfaction to my heart.


    ''What is this?''


    ''What is this feeling?''


    ''Did they cast a spell to allure me to some illusion?''


    So many questions bugged me, making me feel ufortable.


    ''Who am I?''


    I asked myself as the trouble in my mind peaked at its highest.


    I knew that I could never find the answer by myself, which made me even feel more ufortable.


    In the end, I felt resigned, giving up my struggle to understand what was happening inside me and in my surroundings.


    I looked at the two once more, their smiles seemed to have an effect of making me feel at ease, but at the same time, vignt as well.


    This confusion, this fragmented feeling¡­ this revolting realization that I am but an iplete being, battled with the sight that I was witnessing.


    In front of me was a warm loving scene, inviting me to somehow take part in it.


    Deep inside me, were all bells of warning and tunes of terror.


    I lowered my hand, feeling ufortable because of the turmoil I am experiencing. I remained calm outwardly, but inside, I was already looking for an oasis to calm me down.


    The next moment, my hand stretched out at the ss in front of me. When I realized it, it was already toote¡­


    The sweet, cold yet refreshing taste of liquid had already reached my throat. It was toote to take my actions back.


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