This Heroine's Friend Has the Power of Botany

Chapter 228

Completing the Task

"Just focus on the back...I’ll handle the front."

"N-no!! Mentor! Why are you helping me? Go help Duchess Ellie, quickly." Zoey was in a panic. She couldn’t believe that Mentor Wint would break formation like this. If something happened to Duchess Ellie, wouldn’t it mean they failed in their duties as guards?

"Don’t worry. Duchess Ellie isn’t that weak." Wint knew that Ellie had trained under Professor Lucien. Besides, he had fought alongside her before. At that time, she hadn’t learned much yet. Compared to then...Ellie must have improved a lot by now, right?

Moreover...there was a rumor that she had dealt with Professor Maxim, who had plotted against people in the institute. If that rumor wasn’t false...it meant that she was much stronger than them now!

"But..." Zoey began, but didn’t finish the sentence. In her mind, Duchess Ellie was a botanical magic user. Many people talked about this, saying that while botanical magic was rare, it wasn’t very useful. Therefore, most parents wouldn’t let their children study it. Only those who could do something else with botanical magic would have a chance to graduate.

Zoey had heard people say that Senior Ellie had passed the first year due to her skills in potion concocting. So...how could someone who relied only on potion-concocting skills handle a beast?

But Zoey’s thoughts were about to change entirely after witnessing the scene before her...

A monkey beast lunged at Ellie, extending its claws to scratch her face, intending to inflict a deep wound. If it could destroy its enemy’s eyes, it would gain a significant advantage. Additionally, the beast still had 2 more legs for continuous attacks, using its 2 free arms to launch itself at Ellie with speed. Faced with such an assault, anyone else would likely dodge or pull out defensive equipment.

But Ellie didn’t do what others would do!!

Ellie’s small frame seemed almost motionless, but if observed closely, she used the Soft Jade technique with her fingers. Her small fingers moved for just 1 second. A small smile appearing on her lips, and at the same time, the airborne three-legged monkey beast was shredded into 10-20 pieces. If not for the splattering blood, no one would have known what had happened.

The cuts of the thread were sharp and clean. The monkey didn’t even feel pain before death came for it. Such an unnoticed death was truly terrifying.

"W-what just happened?" Seeing that, Zoey was so shocked that she lost her composure, causing her small frame to stumble back 2 steps from the impact.

"Focus! Fight the enemy in front of you!"

Wint was also stunned by Ellie’s attack but felt relieved at the same time. Now, they just needed to ensure Zoey gained more combat experience. They needed to become strong enough so that Ellie wouldn’t have to step in and fight herself. As a knight, how could they let the one they’re supposed to protect come to their rescue!?

Zoey regained her senses, quickly regaining her footing and resuming her fight with the monkeys in front of her. However, there were too many Three-Colored Monkey beasts. No matter how many they killed, they seemed endless. Wint and Zoey had managed to take down 4 of the monkey beasts, while Koross had moved to handle the ones approaching from the rear—more than 10 of them.

However, due to their drawn-out attacks, the 3 of them were gradually lured away. Ellie was now left alone, becoming an easy target for the monkey beasts attacking from the front, sides, and above. Fortunately, Koross was guarding her back, preventing a full-surround attack.

Ellie showed no fear in this situation. She summoned her Spirit Rake, sweeping away all the enemies in front of her. Though the Empress’s Thread was effective, they required time to maneuver, especially for wide-area movements.

Ellie couldn’t handle all the monkeys at once. The first attack was always quick, but the second required recalling the Empress’s Thread from the previous strike before forming a new structure, effectively doubling the time. This was why the Empress only used it as a secret card.

Ellie had to use the rake to push them back slightly, buying time. Simultaneously, she wielded her whip to strike the monkey beasts descending from above. Her whip was special because it was sharp like a sword, but not as heavy as the regular sword. Of course, the force of her attacks depended on the swing arc. Ellie didn’t aim to kill them in one hit, so her whip only sent them flying back with wounds.

"Quickly finish off the ones she knocked back. Don’t let them recover." Wint, who had been observing Ellie’s attacks, grabbed Zoey, busy with defending, by the collar and tossed her towards the wounded monkeys to finish them off.

Zoey was much more focus. She had undergone rigorous training with her mentor, so she instinctively used her knife to stab into the body of the Three-Colored Monkey beast, splattering blood all over her face and body.

It didn’t take Ellie long to regain her footing. She then used the Empress’s Thread to finish off those who had fallen into the rake’s pit in one swift motion. Meanwhile, Koross joined in, decapitating the remaining monkeys, sending their heads flying in different directions. It was evident that he was in a hurry to deal with the creatures, as Ellie could hear his heavy breathing once he was done.

"I-It’s over..." Zoey panted heavily. Wint shook his head slightly, as if indicating that Zoey still had much to learn, though he himself was equally exhausted. Ellie was the only one who didn’t have to run around to deal with the beasts. She only needed the speed of her hands, and if the speed wasn’t enough, she could use the rake, but if that still not enough, she could rely on her little spores. It wasn’t too difficult for her.

Compared to her previous fight against the Fire-Eyed Yellow Cat beasts, she was much better prepared now. Besides, back then, she only had her bow and chain knife, making her attacks riskier.

"We should move forward quickly. The smell of blood will attract more beasts." Koross scanned the area warily. Their battle was too fierce, spreading blood everywhere, and the strong scent would undoubtedly become a problem. Ellie agreed, noticing through her spores that some beasts were already following the scent of blood towards them.

"I-I..." The little Zoey could barely stand. Wint sighed before turning his back to her.

"Get on."

"E-Eh?"

"Hurry up. You’re becoming a burden to everyone."

"U-Understood." The little girl slowly climbed onto Wint’s back, his cheeks reddening slightly as this was the most physical contact he’d ever had. Seeing their sweet moment, Ellie could only sigh. She picked up her pace, her small legs moving quickly forward.

Wint, still exhausted from the fight, felt like he was being punished. He had to carry Zoey’s weight and keep up with the pace. He wanted to ask to slow down, but when he looked at Koross for help, Koross pretended not to see him.

It took nearly an hour to reach the royal city. When they arrived, Wint felt like he was about to die. Leaning against the wall, he maintained his image and waved Zoey to follow everyone inside. He made a pretense of scouting around but was really just looking for a chance to rest his legs.

The palace officials were so surprised to see the first group of students delivering their mission. They were even more astonished to learn that this special group included mostly students from the Stratagem Branch. It seemed they had underestimated the students from the top institute.

"Hearing that your group includes Prince Jason, how is he faring?" One of the high-ranking soldiers asked.

"His Highness performed admirably. This accomplishment belongs to him and Second Young Lord Aman."

"Hmm? Oh, the Second Young Lord of the Setter family...But tell me...did His Highness cause any trouble...while being with such a high-ranking noble’s son?" Upon hearing that Prince Jason was with the second son of the Setter family, the soldier couldn’t quite imagine how a prince, who opposed many noble families despise receiving a lot of support from those nobles, could get along with the other party.

"Trouble? It’s not exactly trouble. Last night, His Highness merely challenged our Second Young Lord to a duel. It ended with his defeat, but it led to the mission being completed within 1 day and 1 night," Koross responded. Though his tone was courteous, it was evident he was proud.

"A duel? Sigh, His Highness is still the same as always."

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

"I...Actually, I have a favor to ask of you. You must be from the Setter family, correct? Our Prince is a good and honest man, but he often harbors prejudice against nobles. If he has offended you, I would ask you to overlook it," the high-ranking soldier said with a weary tone, but Ellie could sense his deep concern for the prince. Her curiosity was piqued, raising her small eyebrows.

"What is your relationship with His Highness, sir?"

"Hmm? Nothing significant. I was just an ordinary person aspiring to be a soldier. If not for His Highness...I wouldn’t have received such opportunities. So, you see...he is like a benefactor to me. Prince Jason never saw commoners like us as mere trash unworthy of opportunities, unlike many others. However...his extreme views, while popular among the commoners, tend to bring a lot of problems. After all, he is still a Prince and has to work with nobles."

"Huh. No wonder he is beloved by the people but not so favored by the nobles," Ellie stated what she knew. If it weren’t for the support of the Jarlon family, how many families would really want to support such a headstrong individual?

"But His Highness is truly a good person," little Zoey interjected. She had experienced the prince’s kindness when he helped her and the villagers in her hometown, so in her eyes, he was like a sole god who extended his helping hand.

"Yes, if he grows up a bit more and learns to balance between commoners and nobles, he will undoubtedly become a great Emperor."

"Oh, you are quite bold. Our current Emperor is still strong and well, yet you..."

"M-My lady, I didn’t mean it like that!" The middle-aged man quickly corrected himself, realizing he might have overstepped. Suggesting the prince should become the new Emperor could be seen as cursing the current Emperor to die or, if other people thought worse, they might see that the prince might want to rebel.

"I was just joking," Ellie winked playfully. Her lighthearted manner made everyone sigh in panic. Despite her teasing, Ellie’s words served as a subtle warning to others. Not everyone favored Prince Jason’s succession, and there were supporters of Prince Joseph around too. Thus, Prince Jason’s   supporters should conduct themselves well.

Having submitted their mission, the 4 prepared to return. However, Ellie sensed that some problems were undoubtedly going to arise.

While there were some who favored Prince Jason within this camp, there were also those who wished for his downfall!

Especially during this mission amidst the war, if the prince were too weak to protect himself, he couldn’t blame anyone else. As external conflicts intensified, internal strife often sought similar opportunities.

Koross signaled to Ellie with his gaze. His inspection skill was quite well, so he had picked up on the fact that someone was stealthily following them. It seemed like they really wanted to locate their small camp.

"We won’t return the same way."

"Eh? Why?" Zoey didn’t understand, her face turning pale when she heard what Koross said. She had been ready to fight the beasts they had encountered, but changing the route might mean facing even stronger creatures.

"Because we’ve hunted many monkey beasts, the smell of blood has probably attracted other beasts around. Changing our route is the right choice. And...trust Koross; he has fought countless battles. Next time, don’t question it further."

Ellie said in a flat tone, her serious expression made Wint sense that something was amiss. Zoey knew nothing, she merely felt that she was being reprimanded.

"I-I’m sorry."

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