Morning arrived unbidden, with the leaves and trees filtering the spirited rays of sunlight that descended to illuminate the land of Verdantia. Birds outside the window began chirping—or perhaps debating—no one could tell.
Liora awoke from her slumber, feeling refreshed both physically and mentally. She had absorbed an abundance of information, lessons, and, most importantly, enlightenment. Still, a hint of frustration lingered as she recalled her exasperating and exhausting trial.
Without delay, she headed to the bathroom, relishing the refreshing touch of Verdantia's water, and prepared for the day's activities—though she was still uncertain what they entailed.
Not long after, a knock sounded at her door. Liora hurried to open it, revealing a royal maid with a warm smile. "Good morning, Miss Liora," the maid greeted. "You are awaited in the royal hall's dining room."
Liora nodded and smiled in response. "Thank you so much. I'll be there shortly."
With an aura exuding newfound maturity and authority, Liora made her way to the dining hall. The table was already occupied by important figures: Elowen, Elder Amir, Royal Advisor Zayn, and even King Darius of Verdantia himself.
Spotting them, Liora quickened her pace, bowing repeatedly as she spoke with earnestness and a tinge of panic. "I'm so sorry, truly sorry! I'm late and have kept all of you waiting. Please forgive me."
King Darius waved off her apology casually. "No need for that, Miss Liora. You haven't missed anything crucial. Please sit down and enjoy this breakfast—we'll need plenty of energy today."
Relieved, Liora replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty." Internally, she wondered about his cryptic remark regarding the day's plans but chose not to dwell on it too much. Instead, she focused on her lingering guilt and relief over her tardiness.
The group enjoyed the meal together, though conversation remained sparse aside from Advisor Zayn's mundane reports about kingdom affairs. After finishing their breakfast and cleansing their throats with water, King Darius turned to Liora. "Are you ready for today's activity, Miss Liora?"
Caught slightly off guard, Liora hesitated before responding, "F-forgive me, Your Majesty… What kind of activity do you mean?"
The king raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "I assumed you knew. Today, we're doing something fun—we're going to do some hunting!"
Liora furrowed her brow, utterly clueless. She glanced at Elowen, who pretended to study the ceiling as if equally unaware.
Her gaze then shifted to Elder Amir and Advisor Zayn, seeking clarification, but Zayn simply added without making eye contact, "Of course, we're not hunting deer—we're hunting trolls."
The statement was met with hearty laughter from the king, who quipped, "Hahaha! A thrilling activity, isn't it? Exhausting? Yes, indeed—but exciting nonetheless, right?"
Though still confused, Liora stifled her bewilderment and awkwardly joined in with a small laugh.
About an hour later, after breakfast, King Darius, Advisor Zayn, Elder Amir, Elowen, Liora, and ten elite royal guards clad in full armor gathered beneath the Royal Tree.
With pride and authority, the king addressed the group: "I've assembled ten of the finest warriors currently serving in the Kingdom of Verdantia to escort us and demonstrate our strength—though naturally, my daughter and her mentor remain unmatched!" he joked lightheartedly.
With these words and the king's blessing, the party set out in search of trolls to be relocated to another world.
The important figures rode horses, including Liora, while the royal soldiers walked around the procession of horses. They moved at a leisurely pace, with no time target to chase—this was just an ordinary hunt, serving both as training and a way to satisfy their curiosity about the strength of the mage hailed as the savior of humanity.
After about 30 minutes of travel, the lead soldier signaled for everyone to stop; he had found traces of the trolls they were hunting. Using hand gestures, he instructed one of his comrades to verify the tracks. Swiftly and silently, one soldier went to investigate.
Within five minutes, he returned to the group and delivered his report to the leader of the soldiers.
The leader spoke in a very low voice, yet still audible to those on horseback, addressing King Darius: "Your Majesty, our reconnaissance confirms four trolls resting approximately 100 meters beyond those bushes. However, this is only what we can see. We cannot guarantee whether more trolls are lurking nearby."
King Darius responded with a question: "Alright, then what? Can you handle it?" The soldier hesitated before replying, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but if I may be honest, I have a bad feeling about this. Trolls usually don't gather in groups larger than three, yet here we have four, with clear tracks indicating there may be even more hidden trolls nearby. One team of five soldiers can handle one troll, so we might only manage two trolls."
Elowen, who overheard the conversation, approached the soldier leader, cutting in: "Don't worry, soldier. You handle two trolls, and I'll take care of the rest."
The soldier instinctively protested, "B-but, Princess, what if unseen trolls appear and attack? We don't know their numbers!" Elowen shot him a somewhat disdainful look and replied, "Has the discipline training of Verdantia's soldiers changed? Since when do you dare oppose your superior?"
Startled by his own audacity, the soldier knelt and bowed his head, stammering, "F-forgive me, Princess. I've overstepped my bounds."
Everyone watched awkwardly, including King Darius, who attempted to mediate and ease the tension. "Enough, soldier. Just follow the princess's orders—I'm sure she has a plan that will keep us all safe."
Trembling with fear, the soldier leader replied, "Y-yes, Your Majesty. We'll carry out your orders immediately."
The king then turned to Elowen, asking cautiously, "A-and… can you handle it, my daughter? Don't push yourself too hard. We can call for reinforcements from the royal barracks."
Without looking at her father, Elowen gently urged her horse forward and said, "Just sit back and watch." She then called for Liora to approach. "Come here, Liora."
Slowly, Liora guided her horse closer. Elowen continued, "Liora, I want you to protect this group. The soldiers and I will deal with the trolls. Stay alert and take whatever action you deem necessary." Liora nodded firmly, replying, "Okay, I understand."
They proceeded cautiously, tying their horses and advancing on foot, moving stealthily to gain the advantage of surprise in battle. When they were within 50 meters of the troll group, the soldiers split into two teams of five each, preparing to ambush the unsuspecting creatures.
They ran as fast as they could while maintaining their formation, similar to the soldiers who had engaged in a friendly match with Liora some time ago. Three warriors led the charge, with two mages trailing slightly behind.
As they closed in, now just a few meters away, the trolls became aware of the attack—but it was already too late for them to respond effectively. From behind, the mages unleashed their spells: *Pulus Bandage*. Instantly, the hands of two trolls targeted by the two teams were wrapped in bandages made from pulus leaves.
Thick steam erupted from the bandages, as if the trolls' hands were being steamed or roasted alive. The trolls screamed in agony. However, the warriors, who had been sprinting forward, paid no heed to their cries. With a leap, they brought their swords down in a synchronized strike.
The combination of attacks was highly synergistic and effective. The strength and thickness of the trolls' skin, muscles, and bones had been softened by the mages' spells, making it easy for the warriors' powerful slashes to sever both arms of each troll effortlessly.
Though the ambush had been fairly successful so far, the soldiers did not stop. They knew all too well about the trolls' regenerative abilities and immediately launched their next assault.
The mages followed up with two spells at once: *Bamboo Skewer*. From the ground beneath the feet of the still-writhing trolls emerged two bamboo spikes per leg, each as thick as a human wrist, piercing through flesh and pinning them in place.
This was quickly followed by another round of Pulus Bandage, rendering the trolls even more helpless. Despite their impressive regenerative powers, there was little they could do against such relentless barrages.
What happened next mirrored what had occurred earlier with the trolls' arms—each warrior swung their swords at the base of the trolls' thighs, severing their legs cleanly. The trolls collapsed onto the ground, limbless but not yet dead; their arms had already begun regenerating, nearly reaching their elbows.
Without delay, the three warriors delivered repeated strikes to the trolls' necks, working together seamlessly. It looked almost like a coordinated effort to fell a particularly stubborn tree trunk.
After all, no creature is perfect—not even these trolls. While they possessed immense strength and remarkable regeneration, they shared one critical weakness: decapitation meant permanent death.
Within minutes, the heads of the two trolls handled by the royal elite soldiers were severed from their bodies. At that moment, the ongoing regeneration of their arms and legs ceased entirely, along with their screams of pain. It was clear—the trolls were dead.
Turning their attention to the other two trolls dealt with by Elowen, the soldiers noticed a similar outcome: both trolls lay lifeless, missing all limbs and heads.
The soldiers exchanged puzzled glances. They were confident they had dispatched their targets swiftly, yet seeing Elowen's trolls in the same state upon finishing their own confirmed something extraordinary—Elowen had defeated her trolls faster than they did, and she accomplished it alone.
Rewinding slightly to the start of the ambush: as the mages cast Pulus Bandage, Elowen simultaneously unleashed her attack. The voodoo doll floated above Elowen's palm, glowing faintly and spinning slowly.
With an air of mastery, she performed a triple casting—a demonstration of her skill and status as the successor to the Six Great Mages. First came *Root Grasp* : thick roots, each the size of a human thigh, erupted from the ground, binding and coiling around the legs, arms, and heads of the two trolls assigned to her.
Following that, she cast *Rafflesia Arnoldi's Garden*, summoning poisonous corpse flowers from the existing roots. These flowers released toxic gas and spores, inflicting burn-like wounds on the trolls' limbs and necks—a concept similar to the mages' spells, softening and slightly damaging targeted body parts.
Finally, she unleashed *Tree Bark Legion*, conjuring twenty thorn-covered, venomous tree-man warriors. Two tree-men per limb pulled and sawed at the trolls' restrained appendages while two more focused on their necks.
Bound by roots, weakened by poison, and sawed apart by sharp thorns, it didn't take long for all four limbs and both heads of the trolls to detach completely, scattering across the ground.
King Darius, Advisor Zayn, and Elder Amir awkwardly applauded the spectacle. Each clapped for different reasons: some out of relief that their soldiers had performed admirably, others because they felt safe from the troll threat, and one—King Darius—out of pride in his daughter's abilities.
To summarize: Elowen single-handedly eliminated two trolls in approximately ten minutes, while the two elite teams took fifteen minutes to complete their tasks. Impressive timing indeed, providing a sense of security for the people of Verdantia.
King Darius leaned toward Liora with pride—and perhaps a hint of arrogance—in his voice. "What do you think, Miss Liora? Our soldiers are quite impressive, aren't they?"
Liora responded with a small, awkward laugh, "Y-yes, they're amazing." However, their victory hadn't been silent; instead, it was accompanied by considerable noise. And as feared earlier, loud footsteps echoed through the bushes ahead, growing louder and closer.
Elowen shouted to the soldiers, "Retreat and protect the king!" Without hesitation, the soldiers obeyed, forming a defensive perimeter around the king.
Meanwhile, Elowen rushed back toward the group of spectators and addressed Liora. "Are you ready, Liora?" Liora nodded firmly, gripping the Starlight Staff with determination. "I'm ready," she replied confidently.
Glancing briefly at Liora's expression, Elowen smiled, proud and pleased by the aura exuded by her friend and junior. She encouraged Liora, saying, "Alright then, show us the results of your trials—the power once wielded by my ancestors."
"Of course," Liora answered with unwavering confidence. "I intend to do just that."
Before long, the source of the thundering footsteps revealed itself, brutally parting the bushes. Around twenty trolls charged forward, unconcerned about conserving energy or maintaining stealth due to their sheer size and strength.
The soldiers grew visibly anxious, well aware that handling this situation would require three to four platoons—or even an entire company. Yet, no one voiced these concerns aloud, trusting in the two special mages standing at the forefront of the group.