Chapter 167: Your Most Urgent Task Right Now Is…

Ella couldn’t quite understand why General Glengo had such a shocked, disbelieving, and devastated expression, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open.

Had Celes never slept in once in her life?

Glengo didn’t talk much—after a few simple words, he left.

So strange.

Around ten in the morning, Selina finally woke up, and seeing her husband beside her, she quickly grabbed him and asked,

“How is it?”

No further explanation was needed—she knew he understood what she was asking.

With a heavy heart, General Glengo slowly spoke to his wife.

A few seconds later, Selina’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean only Miss Ayla got up?!”

“I couldn’t believe it either, but that’s the truth. She’s still standing outside, and Little Sally hasn’t woken up yet.”

After speaking, Glengo paused, thought for a moment, hesitated, and decided to add, “Also, stop calling her Miss Ayla from now on. Call her Little Ai.”

It sounds pretty cute.

Celes woke up after eleven in the morning. In fact, she hadn’t slept long, since she only fell asleep late at night.

There was no free time after getting up; she was immediately informed about lunch.

A family meal.

“Sorry for the poor hospitality. Supplies are limited at the frontier.”

Glengo placed several plates on the table and said to Ella,

“Bear with it, Little Ai.”

Celes, only just awake, blinked in confusion.

Little Ai?

“Don’t say that. The food is already plentiful.”

Ella cut a piece of roast meat and placed it on her plate.

“I love this.”

“That’s good. I thought you’d dislike the lack of vegetables and fruit on the table.”

General Glengo smiled, and Selina secretly elbowed him.

Still laughing? Talk about serious matters!

“Oh, right. It’s like this, Little Ai, and Little Sally. About your plan, I thought it over and found most parts are solid, but there’s one detail to be careful about.”

Ella put down her knife and fork and sat up straight.

“Uncle, please go ahead.”

Glengo’s expression grew serious.

“It’s about execution. Since you’re the core of the plan, you should focus all your energy on this matter to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

The girl sitting nearby, about to eat something to replenish her blood sugar after waking up, froze.

Why say something like that?

Ella was also a bit puzzled but, not knowing the other party well, just thought it was encouragement.

“Uncle, please rest assured. We will devote ourselves fully to this important task and ensure it goes as planned. In fact, we’ve always done so.”

Glengo shook his head.

“You don’t get it. I mean truly devoting yourself, including your daily life. I’m not saying to disrupt normal living, but some things in life can distract or affect focus. Those need restraint. Do you understand?”

Ella blinked.

“I don’t quite understand.”

Are there things like that in daily life?

I don’t know.

Selina couldn’t help it and spoke up.

“For example, morning is a very important time. All the information accumulated overnight tends to break out then. If you miss it, you might lose vital matters and the best reaction time. So you must get up in the morning.”

Now Celes understood—it was because she hadn’t gotten up early today.

“Dad, Mom, I…”

“Don’t say any more.”

Glengo said sternly,

“Your most important task now is to train your body—hiss!”

Celes didn’t understand why her father wanted her to train.

She was a Sword Saint, after all.

Even among all young and strong humans, few could match her physique.

She also didn’t get why her father was pinched by her mother after saying that.

“In any case, that’s how it is. By the way, Little Ai, when is the Demon Army arriving?”

“Soon, Uncle. It should be in the next few days.”

“Alright. I’ll use these days to give the necessary orders.”

Lunch ended quickly.

After the meal, Ella left the tent first, as Selina held back Celes, clearly wanting to say something privately to her daughter.

“Little Sally, I won’t say you’re still young and all that. You’re already eighteen.”

Holding the bewildered girl, Selina spoke earnestly.

“I also won’t call her Miss Ayla….”

“Ahem.”

Glengo cleared his throat from the side.

“Alright, Little Ai.”

Selina corrected herself.

“I also won’t say Little Ai is still young, since that’s not accurate. The point is, your issue isn’t about age.”

Celes asked instinctively,

“Then what is it?”

“Of course, it’s about gender, my dear daughter. You’re a girl.”

Selina said.

“So is she!”

Next to them, Glengo opened his mouth.

“Actually, I think…”

“Don’t say a word!”

Selina took a deep breath.

“Fine. I’m not saying you can’t be that way, but you need to think more about it—about the future, where children come from, and most importantly, what your other three companions think about this matter.”

“Mom, I…”

“You don’t have to say it—just think about it more.”

She added,

“Also, your father was right earlier. Training your body is very important for you.”

With that, Celes was pushed out of the tent by her parents.

The cold wind of late autumn in the Northern Frontier howled.

The girl stood alone outside the tent, letting the wind blow over her as she finally sorted out her chaotic thoughts.

How could Mom and Dad think I wanted that with Ella? I didn’t show anything…

No, I wasn’t even thinking that way, really, I wasn’t.

“Celes, why are you standing here?”

Ella walked out from the tent she slept in last night and called to her.

“If you’re free today, want to go for a walk together?”

“N-no, no!”

Celes turned away guiltily.

“I have something to do!”

With that, she ran off in another direction.

Ella tilted her head, confused.

Well, whatever.

Anyway, the action plan was proceeding smoothly, and today’s lunch made her feel that Uncle and Aunt’s attitude toward her had grown oddly close.

Don’t say you don’t know why.

If it’s a good thing, why question it? Good is good.

In the next two days, Celes didn’t return to sleep in the guest tent, saying her parents had arranged a single room for her elsewhere.

Ella couldn’t find a chance to be alone with her.

Whenever they met, the girl was practicing swordsmanship, the ice-blue sword flowers swirling densely, her gaze utterly focused.

Her earnest effort made even Ella feel a bit self-conscious.

If this place weren’t so inconvenient for necromancy practice, she’d at least pull out a bone sword for some training herself.

Like that, on the afternoon of the fourth day, the Demon Tribe Army vanguard arrived at the Northern Frontier Line.