“Master, it’s time to take your medicine.”
“I can manage on my own, really…”
Li Ang was helped up by Elvie. Seeing the girl’s persistence, he finally opened his mouth.
Although Elvie had been captured, she was actually unharmed.
It was Li Ang who had overexerted his magic trying to dominate the scene, leaving himself badly injured.
If it had escalated into a real fight, things would have been troublesome, but this display had served its purpose.
Elvie blew on the spoon, carefully feeding the prepared potion into Li Ang’s mouth little by little.
“It’s so bitter.”
Li Ang frowned.
“Master, be good. Here’s some candy.”
Elvie pulled out some sweets she had prepared earlier and fed them to him.
As the candy dissolved in his mouth, Li Ang’s expression relaxed considerably.
“Sorry, Master… it’s all my fault.”
Elvie’s delicate brows knit tightly with guilt.
Li Ang patted her head.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Why apologize? Isn’t it only natural for a master to stand up for their disciple?”
He pinched Elvie’s soft cheek and swallowed the last sip of medicine.
“Alright, there are some desserts I bought on the table. Go ahead and try them, see if they taste good.”
Elvie’s eyes reddened as she saw the desserts she had been craving on the table.
So Master had always been watching over her; she was never truly alone…
“But I didn’t become a knight…”
Elvie’s gaze darkened as she recalled the earlier scene.
Her long-held goal had been shattered. No knight order would accept her.
She felt like a beggar, utterly despised.
Seeing the girl grow more downcast, Li Ang scolded and gently tapped her head.
“Who said you have to join a knight order to be called a knight?”
“What matters is upholding the Knight’s Code. As long as you do that, you are a true knight.”
Elvie’s golden eyes brightened at his words.
She nodded, regaining her resolve.
“I understand, Master. I won’t disappoint you!”
“Good.”
Li Ang smiled.
“Our Elvie is the strongest.”
***
A few months later, Li Ang’s body had mostly recovered.
He could move freely, and Elvie’s training continued steadily.
He hadn’t stopped performing the ritual on her, which caused his own strength to regress to about the fifth tier.
Fortunately, Elvie was improving rapidly.
At this pace, she would soon be ready for the Final Sacrifice.
During this time, the girl grew increasingly clingy, which troubled Li Ang.
If this kept up, it would only get harder for Elvie to raise a hand against him.
Even if she knew he had killed her father, Li Ang doubted she could bring herself to do it.
He reclined in his rocking chair, watching the girl in the yard with a troubled expression.
Elvie gripped Li Ang’s knight sword and suddenly swung it at the wall.
Magic surged, and scattered leaves on the ground stirred in the wind.
With a loud crash—
The wall before her remained intact, but a tree behind it slowly toppled.
The magic seemed to transform into wind, passing through the wall to strike the tree.
This meant Elvie had officially reached the third tier.
As a reward, Li Ang presented her with a badge symbolizing knighthood.
Though Li Ang’s time was running short, he wasn’t rushing.
Instead, he assigned Elvie various tasks outside for practical experience.
Combat was the true test of one’s abilities; he didn’t want Elvie to be defenseless after he was gone.
Ashen City, as a gray borderland, was notoriously chaotic.
Most of the tasks he chose for Elvie involved simple missions against the Evil Cult.
She handled them well, and her reputation in Ashen City steadily improved.
She had effectively become a knight unaffiliated with any order.
Of course, Chris once invited Elvie to join the Knight Order, but she declined—she was still holding a grudge.
Except for one kidnapping mission where the enemy’s strength exceeded her capability, Li Ang intervened to kill the cult leader.
He also rescued a little girl who insisted on having him as her personal guard.
Finding her noisy, Li Ang handed her over to the Ashen Knight Order.
Later, he was stunned when Chris told him the girl was actually the daughter of Duke Howard.
He thought about the young lady’s strong-willed and stubborn personality and realized it matched that little girl perfectly.
Thankfully, it was simulated; otherwise, he’d definitely have caught the attention of Miss Visilia.
Today, Li Ang ran errands in the city, buying plenty of food.
Elvie’s tasks were nearly complete, so she should be returning soon.
Li Ang planned to cook a meal to celebrate her return, certain she’d be delighted to see a table full of dishes.
His movements were quick, and he soon finished preparing dinner.
With his magic sense, he detected Elvie was nearing home.
Sure enough, before long, a cheerful voice rang outside the door: “Master! I’m back!”
Li Ang opened the wooden door, and the golden-haired girl immediately threw herself into his chest, rubbing her head against him.
After being away on missions for so long, she had been unbearably homesick.
At this moment, she was no longer the knight who struck fear into the Evil Cult, but just an ordinary girl.
“All right, it’s good to have you back.”
Li Ang gently stroked her hair, stepping aside to let her in.
“Come, see what I prepared for you.”
Elvie leaned forward curiously and soon noticed the table piled high.
“Wow… what is all this, Master?”
Frowning, she leaned closer, staring at the plates covered in dark char and pondering.
“Ahem, this is a special dinner Master prepared just for you. It’s just a bit burnt. What do you think? Want to try some?”
Li Ang looked at her expectantly.
This was his first time cooking; before, he always dined with Visilia, and the mansion’s maids handled all the meals.
Under Li Ang’s hopeful gaze, Elvie speared a piece of roast and took a bite.
The bitter flavor instantly spread in her mouth, and her delicate face contorted.
After a moment, she recovered and looked at Li Ang softly.
“Master, during the days I was away, you didn’t eat food like this all the time, did you?”
At this, Li Ang admitted the meal was probably terrible. Squinting, he glanced to the side and said, “No, I ate at Granny Tracy’s next door.”
“Forget it, forget it. I’ll go buy another meal.”
Li Ang awkwardly began clearing the table, but Elvie stopped him.
Puffing up her cheeks and placing her hands on her hips, she said, “Why waste money? Master, just stay here and rest!”
Elvie tied up her hair and stormed into the kitchen with determination.
After a short while, the aroma filled the room.
A meal completely surpassing Li Ang’s cooking was ready.
Li Ang ate the tender, juicy roast and sighed, “What will I do if I can’t eat the food little Elvie makes from now on?”
“Well… then Elvie will cook for Master for a lifetime~”
Elvie smiled brightly, her eyes curved like crescent moons.