Helos narrowed her eyes.
“Did you just say you were going out to ‘play’…?”
Her pale lavender eyes glimmered with suspicion as she stared at the ghost woman floating in midair, looking thoroughly guilty.
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Sylvia hung stiffly in the air, her hand—which had been about to poke Helos’s pillow—hovering awkwardly. On her usually pale, cold-beautiful face, a flash of panic now appeared.
“Ahem! You misheard!”
The great mage cleared her throat forcefully, trying to cover up her slip by raising her voice.
She abruptly straightened her back, clasped her hands behind her, and reassumed the lofty posture of a strict mentor.
“How could I have said I was going out to play? Am I that irresponsible of a teacher?”
“I’m here to supervise your special training! You need to understand—cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you fall back! Even a single day of slack can cause all your previous efforts to go to waste!”
“Is that so?”
Helos clearly wasn’t buying it.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, sat up on the bed, and casually grabbed the plush toy that had narrowly escaped Sylvia’s contamination.
“Then I guess I should thank you, Your Elderliness, for traveling all this way just to keep an eye on my training.”
“So? What are we training for?”
“Is it training on how to taste fine wine? After all, the wine cellar in Olivius City is stocked with some pretty good stuff—I bet you followed your nose here, didn’t you?”
“Or maybe training on how to eat delicious food?”
The girl asked with a look of disbelief.
“Fine! I think both are acceptable—no! Get serious, will you!”
Sylvia unconsciously wiped the corner of her mouth where no drool existed, then, furious and embarrassed, floated right in front of Helos and jabbed her finger hard into the girl’s forehead.
“I’m talking about something serious! Why are you so full of thoughts about eating, drinking, and having fun?”
“You were the one who brought it up first…”
Helos muttered under her breath, but under Sylvia’s murderous gaze, she wisely shut her mouth.
“Listen up.”
Sylvia took a deep breath, and the expression on her face finally turned serious.
“Even though your ‘mind’s eye’ has taken initial shape, that’s just a flower cultivated in a greenhouse. The environment there is too comfortable—no real danger, no constant survival pressure.”
She floated to the window and looked out at the snow-covered northern landscape.
“In such a comfortable environment, although your perception has improved quickly, it’s also easy to hit a bottleneck. You’re like a blade that’s just been sharpened—sharp, but lacking the tempering of actual combat.”
“So?”
Helos asked.
“So we need to change the environment.”
Sylvia turned around, her hollow eyes glowing faintly.
“After careful consideration, I’ve devised a brand new special training plan for you.”
“We’re going to the wilderness. Into the wilds filled with the unknown and danger.”
“Only in that environment—when you lose your sight, even your hearing and sense of smell—will your survival instinct be pushed to the extreme. And that instinct is the best catalyst to awaken the dormant power within you.”
Sylvia’s voice suddenly grew more serious.
“Imagine it: in a forest swept by wind and snow, in a night surrounded by magical beasts, you can only rely on your ‘perception’ to judge the enemy’s position and find hope for survival. That feeling of walking on the edge of life and death will definitely bring you gains.”
Helos listened, stunned.
But she had to admit, Sylvia’s words did strike a chord.
Though it sounded dangerous, even a bit self-torturing, she knew that her training in the Rose Pavilion had indeed hit a plateau. The practice of merely capturing traces of mana light was no longer bringing significant improvement.
She needed stronger stimulation, more real challenges.
And…
She really didn’t want to just laze around at home like a couch potato.
Helos rubbed her chin, speaking of danger, but a glint of eagerness flashed in her eyes.
“Sounds pretty dangerous, doesn’t it?”
“Then it’s settled!”
Sylvia was overjoyed and immediately made the decision.
“No time like the present—we leave tomorrow! On the way here, I sensed a decent forest nearby. The magical beasts there aren’t high-level, but they’re numerous and cunning. Perfect for you to practice on!”
“Hold on.”
Helos threw a bucket of cold water.
“What? Scared?”
Sylvia raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not about being scared.”
Helos shrugged helplessly.
“Teacher, have you forgotten where we are? This is Duke Olivia’s mansion—my home.”
“If I suddenly tell Julius and the others that I want to go wilderness survival and fight magical beasts…”
She pointed toward the door.
“Believe me, before I even step out the front gate, they’ll have tied me up and brought me back.”
“Besides, if my father doesn’t approve, this plan is impossible to execute.”
Helos sighed.
Though she had plenty of freedom at home now, when it came to matters of principle—especially those involving her safety—Duke Eisende had the absolute final say.
Without the head of the family’s nod, she couldn’t even get out the door.
“Then go persuade him!”
Sylvia said without hesitation.
“Aren’t you good with words? Use that spirit you had when you tricked that red-haired brat during the exam!”
Helos rolled her eyes.
“That’s different, isn’t it?”
Still, Sylvia’s suggestion did tempt her.
She also knew that hiding in a greenhouse forever wouldn’t make her truly strong.
If she wanted to protect herself and the people around her, she had to gain enough power.
Helos took a deep breath and stood up from the bed.
“Alright.”
“Let’s give it a try.”
She looked out the window at the darkening sky.
“Father, sister, and Julius should all be present tonight.”
“This is a good chance.”
Night fell.
The dining hall of Duke Olivia’s mansion was brightly lit.
The long table was covered with a spotless white cloth, and the silver cutlery gleamed softly under the light of the magic lamp. Though only four people were dining, the dishes on the table were still astonishingly abundant.
Duke Eisende sat at the head of the table.
The dignified middle-aged man wore casual clothes. Though his temples showed a hint of gray, his deep blue eyes were still sharp, and every gesture exuded an air of authority.
Eleanor sat on his left, elegantly cutting into the steak on her plate.
Julius sat opposite Helos, maintaining his usual silence, only occasionally swapping the meat he had cut from his own plate with hers.
The dining hall was very quiet, broken only by the soft clinking of knives and forks against plates.
This was the rule of the Olivias family—no talking while eating, no speaking while sleeping.
But today, Helos was restless.
She poked at the mashed potatoes on her plate with her fork, her gaze occasionally drifting toward her father at the head of the table.
She was mentally rehearsing how to bring up the seemingly insane training plan and get his approval.
“What’s wrong, Helos?”
Just as she was agonizing over it, Duke Eisende suddenly set down his knife and fork.
He picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth, and turned his sharp eyes toward his youngest daughter.
“You’ve been distracted throughout this meal. Is the food not to your liking? Or is something on your mind?”
The duke’s voice was stern, but there was a hint of concern barely hidden within it.
The atmosphere at the table instantly grew tense.
Eleanor and Julius both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Helos.
Helos jumped at being called out and quickly waved her hands.
“No, no, the food is fine.”
She looked at her father’s eyes, which seemed to see right through her, and knew that trying to hide anything was pointless.
So she decided to come straight out with it.
Helos took a deep breath and set down her utensils.
She sat up straight, her expression becoming more serious than ever before.
“Father.”
She met Duke Eisende’s eyes.
“There’s something I’d like to ask for your permission.”
“Oh?”
Eisende raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.
“Go ahead. As long as it’s reasonable, I’m not an unreasonable person.”
Helos paused, then gathered her courage and said loudly:
“I want to request permission to undergo a wilderness survival training session during this break!”