Chapter 26: Shall We Start?

The next day,

A boy and a girl were surrounded by a thick patch of grass bordered by fragrant hedges and shrubs. A few heavy trees stood near the left edge. ; their trunk and crown rose like a pinnacle of the garden.

The flowers and plants looked neat and tidy as if they're fighting an eternal competition for the best spots. The hedges and shrubs reached 1.5m/5ft high, but this is something that only seems to happen outside of the wild.

A path of stepping stones curved around each bend in the garden, directing visitors around in a natural way. The grass looked like they wanted to reclaim even all pieces of land, eager to expand their dominion.

The trees have stood there for a dozen years and brought life and offered homes to life in so many ways. It's no wonder they are the pride and joy of the creator of this garden.

The flowers and plants definitely tried to claim their share of the glory, and the hedges and shrubs definitely deserved to be paid attention to as well, but the focus was just simply on the pale red-brown trees.

This place was none other than Lily's own inner courtyard.

And in the middle of the courtyard, there was a hundred-meter wide square area with silver jade tiles, which looked aesthetically pleasing as it reflected the sunlight.

"Wow, this place is so beautiful. The herbs and the flowers give off a fresh and crisp smell. It's like the air is so clean here. It must be because of the presence of those rare sky grade herbs."

Damien's voice was filled with awe and astonishment. He looked around the courtyard and even spotted some medicinal herbs that were quite expensive and hard to find.

Lily showed a sweet smile as she said, "I am glad you like my courtyard. I have always taken good care of this place since…" Lily's expression suddenly looked as if she was reminiscing some memories.

"Since?" Damien asked when he saw Lily suddenly getting lost in thought.

Lily's brows raised as she realized she got absorbed in her own thoughts, "Ah...it's nothing. Actually, this is the place where I usually seclude myself for cultivation. But I also spend my leisure time here by either reading some books or just immerse myself in my own thoughts while staring at the beautiful night sky."

Damien thought that her eyes expressed sadness for a moment but didn't ask since it wasn't his business.

So he didn't seem to mind her changing the topic and nodded, "Yes, I am sure this place can help one relax a lot. Even I am tempted to spend all my nights here, hahaha."

"Hehe…" Lily sweetly giggled as she said, "Well, even though you won't be able to spend your nights here, at least you can enjoy this place any time else. Also, considering your interest in alchemy, studying and researching these herbs in this place would surely help you learn with a clear and refreshed mind."

"Well, this only makes the job of looking after your garden more relaxing. So, this is the place where you want me to train you?" Damien asked as he was checking out the tiles with his feet.

"Well, this is the only place where I can make sure there are no eyes watching over us so that no one will find out what exactly we are doing here."

"Hmm, I guess you have really had this whole training thing planned and prepared well. But I wonder why your two bodyguards are not with you?" Damien asked since he thought that those two protectors were her bodyguards.

"Well, they aren't just bodyguards, they are like my protectors, and they only stick with me if I am in a dangerous place. Also, they have their own jobs to do as they hold respectful positions in the Imperial Ethereal Court. And here, it couldn't be safer since this is my own residence, and no one would dare to infiltrate it...well not without alerting the whole palace."

"Oh, what is this Imperial Ethereal Court?" Damien asked as he cocked his head.

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"Well, in our Rong Empire, there are several Ethereal Courts located around to recruit and train young practitioners so that they would mature into assets that could be valuable to our empire as a whole. And each of these Ethereal Courts might belong to a whole city or belong to an entire kingdom. But the most prestigious and distinguished Ethereal Court in our empire is our very own Imperial Ethereal Court. Actually, highly talented youngsters are sent from the other Ethereal Courts to ours so that they would have better prospects in their cultivation and reputation as well."

"Aha, that's a great way to develop your own empire, and at the same time, young talents would also be able to fulfill their dreams and have a chance to achieve things on their own." Damien felt that the Imperial Ethereal Court was like a prestigious institute or college in his previous life.

"Well, those who manage to earn the position of core disciple will be conferred with a noble title in accordance with their contribution. Some might even become generals who can lead an army on their own or be tasked with governing a large territory."

Damien nodded, "Hmm, no wonder they are all interested in joining the Imperial Ethereal Court. If I wanted to lead a comfortable life, I am sure I would have taken the same path."

"So, why don't you try joining the Imperial Ethereal Court? Once you have enough knowledge on alchemy, I can even help you get a position of an Alchemy teacher in our Alchemy department in the Imperial Ethereal Court." Lily asked as she looked at Damien with expectant eyes.

"Thanks for the offer, but I still prefer to join an organization dedicated to Alchemy itself, and also has a well-known reputation throughout the continent."

Lily gave a dry chuckle, "I see as expected. Well, here's the recommendation letter you asked for." She said as she handed out a sealed brown paper scroll.

Damien was surprised as he received the letter from her, "But why now? Today is just day one, and I haven't even taught you anything yet."

"It's nothing. It's not like you are going to run away after I give you the letter. Or will you?" Lily gave a playful smile.

Damien shook his head, "But why are you so nice to me?"

Lily shifted her eyes as she said, "Don't overthink things. I just gave you the letter to act as a motivation for you and not keep you second-guessing whether I would go back on my words. In the end, it's because I want you to teach me earnestly."

Damien squinted his eyes and sighed, "Fine. Also, you don't have to worry if I would teach you half-heartedly. I will teach you as much as you can learn and leave the rest to you."

Lily looked at Damien as her gaze focused, "Alright. By the way, since we are alone right now, do you mind telling me why you seem so different compared to the day when I rescued you? Not that I think it's bad."

Damien raised his eyebrows, "Oh, actually, this is how I really am. But at that time, I was just in a hopeless situation, which probably could have cost me my life. I had no one to trust, and when you rescued me, I couldn't help but get suspicious. The last thing I want is to get used by someone else without even realizing it. But so far, things have been looking good for me...I thought I had lost my dominant hand forever, but thanks to you, that's no longer the case. Also, my future looked bleak before all this happened. But now I can pursue my goals without any major impediments."

Lily nodded, "Oh, so that is why you don't have that gloomy air around you. Yes, I also prefer that you stay this way. But can you tell how you ended up in that place?"

Damien awkwardly smiled, "I am sorry, princess. But can we not talk about it? It just brings up unpleasant memories."

Lily glanced away, "Oh, sorry, I was just curious. But who taught you these sword skills?" Lily asked with pure curiosity.

"Honestly, I don't know. I know you might think that I am just avoiding your question, but I seriously don't remember. I guess I also trained on my own, but I don't have a clear idea about the person who taught me these things. It's like I always had these skills with me." Damien said with a thoughtful expression.

Lily's eyes squinted as if she had trouble believing him, "Well, forget about it. All that matters is that you have great talent in swordsmanship. So, shall we start then?"

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