In the serene ambiance of the Pace Garden, Rya and the dies were savoring the st bites of their sumptuous lunch. The warm sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting delicate shadows on the elegantly set table, adorned with vibrant flowers and fine porcein. Laughter mingled with the gentle rustle of leaves as they exchanged stories, their ptes brimming with an array of colorful dishes, each one a testament to the chef’s artistry. The air was fragrant with the scent of blooming roses, creating a perfect backdrop for their leisurely meal.

  Rya felt the stresses of remembering all the names and titles of the nobles fade away as she basked in the moment.

  'Haah... This is the life. I can't believe I've never enjoyed the pace gardens until now. I'll have to come here more often,' she thought.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the sweet aroma of the roses. A cool breeze caressed her skin, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

  The atmosphere was filled with a sense of calm, and most of the other women shared Rya’s feeling of serenity. However, one stood apart from the rest—Dalia. She was practically glued to Lady Fyrel, who seemed as determined as ever to “refine” the wolfkin’s rather questionable table manners. A whirlwind of activity and exasperation, Dalia was the only one who didn’t seem to share in the tranquil moment.

  "Now how do you use a napkin again?" the older dwarf quizzed the wolfkin, her patience wearing thin.

  Dalia looked up from her food with a confused expression, then gnced at her pte as if it held all the answers.

  "Uhh... you wipe your mouth with it?"

  "Well yes, but there's a proper way to do that, dear."

  Dalia stared at the cloth napkin for a few moments before slowly lifting it up to her face and dabbing her mouth.

  "Very good, Lady Dalia... It only took 15 minutes to correct all your bad habits," Fyrel smiled.

  Dalia gave Fyrel a nervous smile, "S-So, Lady Dwarf—"

  *Wack!*

  "EEP! FYRELLA! LADY FYRELLA!" Dalia yelped as she rubbed her head.

  Fyrel huffed, "Now now, we've been over this. You must learn to address me properly, Lady Dalia."

  Dalia whimpered and looked over to Rya for help but the Dark Elf couldn't help her friend.

  'Sorry, Dalia... I don't want to be on her bad side. She swings that cane around like no one's business,' Rya thought.

  Fyrel cleared her throat, "Now, as I was saying, Lady Dalia... You are the extension of your Lady. Whatever you do reflects on them, and they will be judged by your actions."

  Dalia sighed as she heard this for the fiftieth time today. And when she was about to mockingly repeat it, Fyrel showed her cane again, which made her shut up.

  "Now, how do you greet a person of noble rank?" Fyrel asked.

  "Um... bow?"

  *Wack!*

  "AAH!"

  "And...?"

  "Uh... ask how you can be of service?"

  *Wack!*

  "OUCH!!"

  "And...?"

  "A-Address them by title..."

  *Wack!*

  "OW!!! I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW! MAKE IT STOP, ALPHA!?" Dalia wailed as she ran behind Rya.

  "Um? Lady Fyrel? Do you have to keep hitting Dalia like this? She's trying her best..." Rya interjected.

  "Oh, don't worry. This is just a training exercise. You need to toughen her up," Fyrel said with a smile.

  "You're enjoying this too much," Queen Rianna interjected.

  "What can I say? I love teaching young girls how to be proper dies," Fyrel grinned.

  Yuliana, Ysranda, and Saffron all had a light ugh, while Nieren, Tayna, and Eine all grimaced at the thought of getting Fyrel's harsh training.

  "Haha! You girls. I only start using my cane for special girls like Lady Dalia," Fyrel giggled.

  "What the hell did I do?!" Dalia whimpered from behind Rya.

  "Language, Lady Dalia... I do it to make you the best you can be," Fyrel said.

  Dalia groaned and slumped her head onto the table.

  Rya patted Dalia on the back.

  "Don't worry, Dalia. She doesn't whip out the cane for me," Rya chuckled.

  Dalia looked up at her friend and saw the grin.

  "I-It's not funny! She's going to give me some lumps on my head at this rate!" Dalia excimed.

  "Now, now, you will learn. I am the best teacher you can find, so I hope you're not scking off," Fyrel huffed.

  "N-No, Lady D-Fyrel," Dalia said.

  "Alright, let's run through it once more," Fyrel decred, her cane tapping lightly against the floor as she turned to face the young wolfkin.

  With a reluctant sigh, Dalia shuffled back to her seat, an exasperated pout etched on her face. Fyrel, unfazed by Dalia's mood, unched into another round of lessons on proper etiquette for a dy. As she spoke, Dalia followed along, her expression still sour, but her keen ears perked up in listening, hoping to catch just one spark of interest in the seemingly endless rules of decorum.

  'Yeah... Looks like I'm not the only one who is studying. But I have no idea how I'm going to remember everyone's names for tomorrow's party. But it's better than—'

  "Huh?"

  Rya noticed a stream of essence coming from the north of the garden.

  'Is that the Spirit Spring? It's going flowing, like fifty feet in the air. I wonder what's making it flow like that?'

  Yuliana was the first to notice Rya's distracted look.

  "What's wrong, Ry?" Yuliana asked.

  "Oh? Um, it's nothing, Mom," Rya said with a smile.

  'Hmmm? That's a lie, Rya. Why are you lying?' Yuliana thought.

  "Hey, Mom... When can I get my Elder Sapling?" Rya asked.

  "Oh? Well? Your Sister needs to be adept in the Green Word before I will hand out the Elder Seeds... Wait? Why do you need the seedling? You know you can't just pnt it anywhere, Ry," Yuliana asked.

  Rya ughed nervously while scratching the back of her head. "I-I just thought if I could get my sapling, I could find out what makes the best location to pnt the sapling..."

  Yuliana stared at her daughter with a raised brow.

  "Listen, Ry. Finding the best spots to pnt our Elder Trees should be your mother's problem. We only got three chances to get an Elder Tree to take. Otherwise, the Wood Elves won't have a safe haven to call their home," Yuliana chided her.

  "B-But, Mom!" Rya excimed.

  "No buts! You will get your Elder Seed only after Nieren is proficient in the Green Word," Yuliana ordered.

  'Damn, but something is going on with the Spirit Spring in the Royal Garden. Wait.'

  "So, you'll let me pnt my Elder Seed once I get a sapling?" Rya asked.

  "Well? You have to tell me where you want to pnt it first. Then we'll talk," Yuliana stated.

  Rya then looked over at Nieren, who did a double-take when Rya smiled.

  "W-Why are you smiling at me like that, Rya?" Nieren stammered.

  "Oh, nothing... Just thinking that you need to do a Green Word lesson with Mom," Rya grinned.

  "Why?" Nieren asked.

  "Because you need to. Eine, it's time for you to develop your mana vein," Rya said.

  "What!? B-But I do know if I can sy a monster," Eine compined.

  "Yes, and isn't the best area to find monsters is in the Raski Forest? I don't know if that is the best use of your time, Rya," Rianna said.

  Rya gnced at the Queen and gave her a sly smile. "No worries, My Queen. I will bring the monsters to us," she decred.

  The Queen along with Baroness Ysandra and Saffron both had puzzled looks writing all over their faces.

  "I don't follow," Queen Rianna stated.

  "Yeah, I'm a little confused too," Saffron chimed in.

  "So you haven't seen my golems? Well follow me and let me show you the fun that can be had," Rya smiled.

  Rianna was still baffled but when she gnced over at Saffron Fairchild. Her eyes were wide in shock.

  "You've mastered earth mages greatest arcane art?" Saffron gasped.

  "Huh? Oh! I'm so used to using it that I keep forgetting that it's not a common thing to see," Rya sheepishly chuckled.

  "Well, yeah. You make everything trivial, Rya," Nieren remarked.

  "Heh, I suppose you're right. Anyway, we should go to the pace barracks. And that means you too Rianna," Rya smiled.

  "Me? Why me?" Queen Rianna asked.

  "Oh, because you could use some mana vein development as well," Rya teased.

  Queen Rianna's face flushed red, and she was at a loss for words.

  "You said I had an Elite Level Mana Vein, right?" Queen Rianna asked.

  "That's correct, Your Highness. It will give you an advantage when dealing with Leandra," Rya remarked.

  Rianna thought about it for a moment before nodding her head. "As long as it won't put us in danger. I will gdly accept your offer," the Queen said.

  "Excellent. And don't worry, my golems grips are like vices. They won't be releasing monsters they have captured," Rya reassured her.

  Tayna crossed her arms and nodded in agreement as she was the first person to benefit from Rya's Golems in the Raski Forest.

  "It's true, My Queen. Rya's Golems made it really easy to grow my Mana Vein," Tayna chimed in.

  "See? No harm will come to either of you," Rya grinned.

  "Very well, then lead the way, Rya," Queen Rianna smiled.

  The group exited the garden and walked out the east side of the castle and toward the Pace Barracks training grounds.