Chapter 3: Elvie

“Cultist dogs, get out of Ashen City!”

“Traitors, get lost!”

“Disgusting! Why don’t you just go die!”

At the empire’s border, in a narrow alley of Ashen City, the atmosphere was chaotic.

A group of adults with bloodshot eyes surrounded a little girl in tattered clothes.

She curled up in the corner, her blonde hair covered in dust, like a trapped little lion, her gaze wary and hostile toward the crowd.

Yet, stubbornly, she shouted, “I’m not a cultist dog!”

“How dare you deny it! Your father, that cultist dog, has killed so many people! You’re no better!”

“My father isn’t!”

The little girl’s eyes turned red as she clenched her fists and shouted back, “He’s the strongest knight!”

She absolutely refused to let anyone slander her father!

“Pfft! What bullshit! The child of a beast is surely a beast’s child too!”

A burly man in the crowd grimaced and reached out to grab the girl’s hair.

The surrounding crowd angrily shouted out all sorts of filthy curses.

Most of them had lost their families because of the cult, but ironically, their anger was all vented on an innocent little girl.

For a moment, all the world’s malice surged like a tide, threatening to completely drown this young girl barely in her teens.

Instinctively, the girl shut her eyes tightly, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

But the expected pain never came, and even the shouts of abuse gradually faded away.

“Is it really right for a group of adults like you to bully a little girl here?”

A gentle voice sounded near her ear, cutting through the blatant hostility like a beam of light.

She slowly opened her tear-filled eyes and stared blankly at the tall figure before her.

The man stood like a towering wall, shielding her from all animosity.

Just like how her father used to stand in front of her when she was little.

“Who the hell are you? Mind your own business. Her father’s a cultist bastard! She can’t be any better!”

The burly man’s wrist was suddenly grabbed tight, his face flushed with anger as he growled.

But his voice had already weakened significantly—because the man in front of him wore gleaming silver armor with a longsword hanging at his waist.

This was clearly a real knight!

Li Ang couldn’t help but sneer at the man’s words, “If you could vent your anger on the real cultists, I’d respect you as a man, instead of impotently raging at a defenseless child.”

The burly man was silenced by Li Ang’s words, his face turning ashen.

The others didn’t dare make a sound after seeing Li Ang.

After all, he was a knight, and angering him could cost them their heads!

Seeing this, Li Ang said no more but turned to look at the wary little girl.

For a moment, their eyes locked.

He crouched down gently and said, “Elvie, I’m a friend of your father. He… asked me to take care of you. Would you like to come with me?”

The little girl scrutinized the man warily, biting her pale lips.

He looked nice, not like a bad person…

And the girl understood that right now, he was the only person she could trust.

After hesitating for a moment, she decisively nodded and reached out to grab his coat, saying seriously, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Seemingly afraid he might change his mind, she quickly added in a small voice, “I… I’m very useful, I won’t be a burden.”

Li Ang felt a pang of sympathy as he gently rubbed Elvie’s head.

In that instant, he seemed to see the time when he and his sister relied on each other—she was just as afraid of being abandoned back then.

He tenderly took her small hand and strode forward without hesitation, his sharp aura radiating power.

The crowd naturally parted to form a path, no one daring to block this young knight’s way.

They could only watch as the tall man and the small girl slowly disappeared down the alley.

“Big brother…”

“Hm?”

“My dad isn’t a bad person…”

“Yeah, he’s not.”

Li Ang ruffled Elvie’s dust-covered hair.

The little girl’s eyes lit up instantly, her clenched fists relaxing slightly as she moved closer to Li Ang.

***

Back at the residence, the first thing Li Ang did was send the little girl into the washroom and prepared a fresh set of clothes for her.

Soon, Elvie stepped out carefully from the washroom with damp hair, nervously tugging at the new clothes.

Such nice clothes—could she really wear them?

Li Ang looked at her and nodded with satisfaction.

The once filthy little face now looked much cuter, truly a budding beauty.

He waved at her, “Come here. Wet hair won’t make you sick.”

Elvie hesitated, then remembered the man’s words earlier and slowly walked over, still holding her arms cautiously.

The little one was quite careful.

Li Ang chuckled softly, reaching out to stroke Elvie’s head.

At the same time, he channeled his magic, condensing wind elemental power in his palm, letting it flow down the girl’s hair.

Suddenly, a strong gust swept through the quiet courtyard.

The girl’s golden hair fluttered like butterflies in the air, countless droplets tracing arcs as they fell to the ground.

Elvie was stunned to find the damp feeling instantly gone.

Instinctively, she touched her hair, amazed by its dry and smooth texture.

Amazing… so amazing.

Li Ang pinched her soft little cheek and asked, “Want to learn?”

Elvie hesitated briefly but then shook her head firmly.

“Oh? Why not?”

Li Ang raised an eyebrow.

Elvie pursed her lips, pointed to the longsword at Li Ang’s waist, and said determinedly, “I want to be a knight too!”

She had seen how the others changed their attitude the moment they saw Li Ang.

In her eyes, knights were the strongest!

She wanted to become strong!

“Good.”

Li Ang looked pleased.

At least he didn’t have to find ways to coax the little girl onto the path of knighthood; she would walk right in herself.

Li Ang pointed to an empty spot nearby, “Then let’s start now. Squat in a horse stance for an hour. Let me see if you have the talent to become a knight.”

Elvie didn’t reply but obediently squatted down to the side.

After just ten minutes, her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, but she bit her lip and persisted, her face turning pale.

Due to malnutrition, Elvie lost consciousness in less than half an hour, swaying and about to collapse to the ground.

Luckily, Li Ang was quick enough to catch her and laid the fainted little girl on the bed inside the room.

Her desperate spirit reminded Li Ang of when Vissilia trained him.

But back then, the young lady was never as gentle as he was—if he fainted, he would only get a disappointed look.

But deep down, they were the same: afraid of being abandoned, desperately trying to prove their worth.

“Big brother… can I become a knight?”

Moments later, Elvie slowly opened her eyes on the bed, nervously looking at Li Ang.

“Hmm, you definitely can.”

Li Ang pinched her cheek.

Hearing this, Elvie’s big eyes shone brightly.

Then, as if making up her mind, she shouted at Li Ang, “Then… can I call you master, big brother…?”

Li Ang was stunned for a moment, then his lips curled into a slight smile, “Sure.”

***

At Duke Howard’s Mansion, in a guest room.

The knight clad in silver armor had already taken off her armor.

It was hard to imagine that beneath the grim armor was a slender woman.

Her striking blonde hair fell over her shoulders.

Her exquisite face carried an air of solemnity and heroism.

Her figure, once hidden by armor, was now fully revealed.

The Blue Knight, who had won great victories at the border, pulled out a small cube of sugar wrapped in magic from her pocket.

She silently gazed at the moonlight outside the window and murmured, “Is it just a resemblance?”

“Or is it really you, master?”