The meeting ended, and Isavel lowered her head, rubbing her temples.
She knew very well that raising the Rose Knights by five levels in just one month was nearly impossible, but if she couldn’t even achieve that, then talking about having the Rose Knights defeat an Abyssal Dragon six years from now was out of the question.
The next morning, she arrived at the Rose Knights’ Training Camp early.
Since these young female knights were almost all newcomers, the current method of training was primarily focused on physical conditioning, and today’s training was no exception.
At this stage, she didn’t expect them to master delicate techniques to slay enemies.
She only required that if they ever encountered danger, they had the stamina to run away.
This was all in preparation for the Abyssal Demon battle in a month’s time.
They might not be able to defeat those Abyssal Demons, but they must not die at their hands.
That was her only demand of them.
However, when she personally arrived at the training ground and saw the Rose Knights running laps around the training center, her beautiful brows couldn’t help but furrow.
Except for the few leading knights, the other girls looked relaxed, even laughing and chatting during the run.
How could this be acceptable?
Once on the battlefield, the Abyssal Demons wouldn’t be joking around with you.
Standing on the high platform at the side of the training field, Isavel snorted softly, “Everyone looks far too relaxed. How about I make things a little harder?”
With a wave of her hand, the space not far away began to distort, and soon, a massive beast emitting a ferocious magical aura crawled out of the warped space.
It resembled a wild bull, pitch black all over, with a pair of horns on its head that glistened sharply under the blazing sun.
“This is a rather temperamental young bull,” she said. “Its speed isn’t fast, but its endurance is quite good. If it catches up to you, it might just gore a hole right through you with those horns.”
Amid the girls’ terrified gazes, Isavel covered her mouth with a smile and continued, “But don’t worry, the Training Camp has a very thorough Corps Disposal System. After you die, your bodies will be properly buried.”
“That’s all. Have fun.”
With that, she turned and left, leaving behind an elegant silhouette.
Savage. Ruthless.
Isavel’s image grew even more terrifying in the girls’ minds, but unfortunately, they couldn’t gather to vent their fear because the beast was already charging straight at them.
Run!
At this moment, it was the only thought in all the girls’ hearts.
Perhaps because of Isavel’s magical suppression, the beast’s running speed wasn’t fast, and even the slowest runner among them could keep a distance.
But the frightening thing was that no one could match its endurance, and Isavel had never said when the training would end.
So even if the girls initially pulled ahead by a good distance, they gradually got caught up as their stamina gave out.
In moments like this, their willpower was tested the most.
Many girls had long lost feeling in their limbs and were moving out of pure instinct, their survival instinct refusing to let them stop.
Meilin, running at the back, was one of them.
She was thin and frail-looking, obviously not very physically strong. Her ability to keep running until now was due solely to her immense willpower.
But the body has limits. After pushing herself a little longer, her legs suddenly gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
“Meilin!”
The panicked shout of their captain Leanna rang in her ears. She knew the beast’s horns were closing in fast; if she didn’t get up soon, she’d die here.
But… her limbs wouldn’t move.
She could smell the bloodstained wind brought by the approaching beast.
At this moment, she lowered her eyes, feeling the world was unbearably unfair.
She was born into a miserable commoner family. Her father was a gambler who owed debts to many people and disappeared one day without a trace.
Her mother had to work tirelessly to pay off the debts and eventually fell ill, leaving the heavy burden of the family on Meilin’s shoulders.
To afford her mother’s treatment, at only thirteen, she already juggled several jobs, eating just one or two meals a day, resting only three or four hours.
Yet even then, if she couldn’t pay the debts on time, debt collectors would come and beat her up.
Such a life… if not for her mother, she would have ended it long ago.
But just when she thought her life would always be like this, the local Imperial Governor approached her with a flattering smile, handing over a large sum of money and a promise to cure her mother’s illness, inviting her to join the Rose Knights.
Happiness had come so suddenly. She had thought her efforts had moved the gods, and that she and her mother would finally live without worry.
But after arriving here, she realized…
This was hell.
Inhuman training and the constant threat of death hung over them like a sword.
No matter how strong their hearts were, under such torment, they would be on the verge of shattering.
Why? Why was the world so unfair?
If she had been born into a noble family, would she have suffered this pain?
The shadow of the beast loomed behind her, wrapping her in darkness. Meilin’s vision grew blurry; she could no longer think.
She didn’t want to die. Really, she didn’t.
But now she could do nothing but wait for the sharp horn to pierce her chest.
As she awaited this, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in her ears. A girl in a white dress scooped her up in her arms, warm and soft hands gently stroking her cheek.
“Are you alright, Meilin?”
She couldn’t see the girl’s face clearly, but she knew this girl was gentle, just like her mother.
Her eyes reddened as tears spilled over, and Meilin slowly came to from her numbness.
Only then did she realize the girl holding her was Saintess Silis.
And the beast that should have pierced her chest was now restrained by countless Magical Chains, forced to struggle weakly on the ground.
As the training ground of the knights, the place naturally had magic defenses against beasts, and Saintess Silis had activated these spells to save her.
She had survived.
After such a close call, she should have been overjoyed, yet her heart remained calm.
Leaning tightly against Silis, inhaling the lavender scent she exuded, she slowly closed her eyes and, like a child, clung to her like a mother.
“Meilin?”
“Mm, I’m fine.”
“Really fine?”
“Really.”
Feeling Silis’s concern, Meilin sniffled and gently squeezed the girl’s hands.
She really was fine.
She just… missed home a little.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.