About three hours into their journey, Lilith was enjoying the view, except for noticing that Sivel was having a hard time keeping up, panting and sweating excessively.
When they came across a large waterfall with clean, flowing water, Lilith decided it was a good spot for a break. "Alright, let's take a rest here," she announced. As soon as she said this, Sivel collapsed to the ground, seemingly out of energy.
Lying on the ground, Sivel began to sob, tears streaming down her face. "Waaaa...." she cried, overwhelmed by the ordeal.
"Hurry up and wash up here," Lilith directed her, pointing toward the lake.
"Ah..." Sivel responded, realizing she had the opportunity to clean herself and regain her composure as a royal elf. She crawled towards the lake and allowed herself to gently fall in, ensuring she didn't go under.
Azriel approached Lilith with a thoughtful expression. "My lady," he began, capturing Lilith's attention.
"Hmmm?" Lilith responded.
"I have a question," Azriel said, pausing for a moment.
"What is it?" Lilith prompted.
"Why train her physically when you could simply bestow upon her the power she needs?" he inquired, genuinely curious about Lilith's approach.
Lilith gave Azriel a side eye, slightly amused by his question, considering it was Azriel who had initially suggested training Sivel. Yet, his point was valid. As a goddess, Lilith possessed the ability to enhance Sivel's physical capabilities directly. However, Lilith knew that simply granting power wasn't the most effective method for true growth.
Lilith considered Azriel's question carefully. She knew that if she were to just give Sivel power, the elf would only possess the strength bestowed upon her, with no room for further development. It would be akin to mixing oil with water that has been purifying over many years; the essence of growth would be lost.
More importantly, Lilith recognized that as Sivel was her disciple, the elf stood to inherit certain abilities from her, including her talent skill. This innate potential meant that Sivel would benefit more from training that encouraged her to tap into and expand her own capacities. In this way, Sivel wouldn't just have power; she would grow into it, making it truly hers.
"I see... this is the first time I've heard of such methods... as expected," Azriel muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. Realizing his place, he quickly added, "I'm sorry for questioning you, my lady..." and bowed slightly in respect.
"Don't apologize for everything..." Lilith responded with a gentle sigh, her focus already shifting towards finding Sivel. She appreciated Azriel's respect but wanted him to feel more at ease in their interactions.
"Noted..." Azriel whispered to himself, taking her advice to heart.
Meanwhile, Lilith wandered beside the lake, searching for Sivel. She soon spotted her, noticing how the elf was diligently washing away the sweat and grime from her body and face. Upon seeing Lilith, Sivel hesitated, a newfound formality creeping into her voice. "Ah... Lilith...?" Then, with a bit of awkwardness, she added, "Somehow 'teacher' now somehow feels better coming out of my mouth."
Lilith paused, contemplating Sivel's shift in demeanor. 'Did I go too hard on her?' she wondered, concerned that her rigorous training might have been too much for Sivel. Wanting to ease any discomfort, Lilith offered a supportive smile. "Call me what you feel comfortable with," she reassured Sivel.
"By the way... aren't you going to turn off your magic...?" Sivel stuttered, feeling the intense pressure of Lilith's magic making her whole body shake.
"No, I'll keep it on," Lilith replied cheerfully, her smile surprising Sivel.
"O-okay..." was all Sivel could say, nodding in acceptance. She realized arguing was pointless; she trusted Lilith's judgment.
Lilith then guided Sivel to sit by the lake, positioning herself right behind her. "Close your eyes," she instructed gently, her hands resting on Sivel's back near her core of mana.
"Yes..." Sivel complied, closing her eyes, bracing herself for what was to come.
But instead of feeling stronger or sensing an increase in her mana, Sivel noticed something different. She felt more attuned to the mana around her, as if she had become part of the environment itself. This wasn't just because of Lilith's immediate influence. It was due to the new talent skill Sivel had acquired through her connection with Lilith.
After about an hour of silent concentration, both Lilith and Sivel opened their eyes. Throughout this time, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Lilith had been intently focusing on aiding Sivel in strengthening her mana core, while Sivel was doing her best to keep pace with Lilith's guidance.
"Whoa..." Sivel was amazed as she stood up, feeling lighter than she ever had. Despite still being under the effect of Lilith's magic, it seemed to have no hold on her anymore. She felt as light as a feather.
Chuckling with joy at her newfound agility, Sivel began bouncing on the spot like a nimble boxer before leaping up to perch on a thick branch of a nearby tree.
Seeing this, Lilith decided to up the challenge, amplifying her magic to make Sivel feel its weight three times as heavily.
"Argh...!" Sivel couldn't hold back a scream as the branch under her gave way, snapping and sending her crashing to the ground, where she created a small crater on impact.
"What was that for?!" Sivel protested, trying to understand Lilith's sudden increase in intensity.
"I'm training you," Lilith said matter-of-factly, indicating it was time to move on. "Let's go. You don't have to walk on your hands anymore."
Hearing this, Sivel couldn't help but celebrate silently as she followed behind Lilith.
On their journey toward Veridiania, Lilith decided it was time to test Sivel's archery skills. "Hit that empty bird nest over there," she instructed, pointing to a nest four hundred meters away. Remarkably, all three of them had no trouble spotting it despite the distance.
Sivel readied her bow, pulling the string back to her jaw as her anchor point, and took aim. The arrow she released flew with precision, piercing both the nest and the branch upon which it rested—a demonstration of her formidable skill.
'It's like a sniper...' Lilith mused, impressed by the accuracy of Sivel's shot.
"How far can you shoot?" Lilith inquired, curious about the extent of Sivel's range.
"About a mile, but beyond that, my accuracy drops," Sivel answered honestly.
"Hmmm... Can I see your bow?" Lilith requested.
"Sure," Sivel complied, handing her bow over. Lilith then performed some magic on it, as evidenced by the glowing magic circle that briefly appeared on the bow.
Seeing an opportunity, Sivel turned to Azriel. "Could you retrieve my arrow?" she asked, hoping to leverage her status as Lilith's disciple.
"Why should I?" Azriel retorted, challenging her request.
"Because you're Lilith's butler, and I'm her disciple. I rank higher than you," Sivel argued, assuming her position afforded her certain privileges.
"Oh, really?" Azriel's tone was skeptical. "If you truly believe you outrank me in terms of power, you're mistaken."
"Enough, just get it for her," Lilith interjected, putting an end to their squabble.
Azriel, though silent, complied with Lilith's command. With a snap of his fingers, the arrow flew back into his hand. He handed it back to Sivel, but with the arrowhead pointed towards her—a subtle but clear message.
"Now try using this," Lilith said, handing the bow back to Sivel. As soon as Sivel took the bow, she immediately noticed the difference, especially in the tension of the bowstring.
"Ugh... why is it so strong?" Sivel struggled to understand, barely managing to pull the bowstring back to her ear. Normally, Sivel could easily draw an arrow repeatedly without issue, but now she found it challenging to draw even once.
Eventually, unable to maintain her grip, Sivel released the string. This action unleashed a gust of wind that seemed to manifest out of nowhere.
"Eh...?!" Sivel gasped in surprise.
"Oh, did you just use wind magic?" Lilith inquired, noting the unexpected event.
"Y-yes, but it was unusually powerful," Sivel responded, taken aback by the strength of her own magic.
"That's because you're growing stronger," Lilith explained, offering Sivel a comforting pat on the back.
Hearing Lilith's words, Sivel couldn't help but feel a wave of joy and excitement. Her elf ears twitched a clear sign of her happiness at realizing she was finally becoming stronger.