Chapter 396: Proper Reward
But just as quickly, the thought of rewarding them with the worm spirit beast came to his mindâand just as quickly, it vanished when he recalled the repulsed expressions on their faces while fighting them.
He couldnât even give them AC credits, since their status as slaves prevented them from having a balance.
He considered gifting sturdier bows, but after a brief glance at the ones they already had, he discarded that idea as well. A higher-quality bow than what they already possessed would be far too great a reward.
Seeing the contemplative look on his face, Naelith stepped forward.
"Did we make any mistakes?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice, afraid her earlier action might result in some form of punishment.
Leo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. His gaze then shifted to the group of elves standing aheadâthe ones who had brought the materials. They looked equally anxious.
"No, I was just thinking about what the proper rewards should be for you all after todayâs good work."
Naelith immediately shook her head.
"We donât need any rewards. The access to the training arena was more than enough. Please, donât trouble yourself." The other elves quickly voiced their agreement.
More than anything, they were simply grateful that Naelith had been forgiven. They didnât dare ask for anything else.
Leo scratched his head, confused. The elves werenât asking for anything, and he wasnât sure what to give. Still, he decided to start somewhere. He called out to the elves in the 2-star realm.
"Vaesyl, Lysira, come forward."
The two High 2-star elves stiffened in surprise when he called their names. Even the others were shocked that Leo had memorized them.
Of course he knewâthe system displayed their names clearly before him.
As they stood in front of him, Leo took out the Four Peak 2-star Soul Crystals and handed two to each of them.
"Good work today. Use these to enhance your innate mana capacity," he said before calling the next two.
"Lorael, Caelira, come here and take this."
They were Peak 2-star realm elves, and their rewards demanded higher-grade crystals.
He handed each of them one Pseudo 3-star Soul Crystal, followed by two Peak 2-star Soul Crystals as well.
"T-thank you, My Lord," they stammered, quickly retreating back into the crowd.
"Hmm... So I donât really have anything else that would benefit the others... butâ" His gaze shifted toward Nyxa, who sat elegantly behind the elves, her eyes closed.
"Alright. Iâll allow you to take Nyxa along with you as an extra layer of protection during exploration around the area," Leo said.
Nyxa had remained relatively free lately. While Shyra, Singham, Niri, and Grivak fought among themselves, she gained far less combat experience. Sending her with the elves would both ensure their safety and give her a chance to engage. In her 8 to 9-meter form, she could even carry them all away if they encountered a life-threatening situation.
Nyxa opened one eye at his words, glanced at the elves for a moment, then closed it again. It seemed she agreed.
Good. Leo nodded inwardly.
"Lord, thereâs no needâ" Naelith began, only to be interrupted.
"What are you doing, Leo?" Lily approached from behind, her voice light with curiosity.
Leo explained his dilemma regarding the rewards.
"Just this much?" Lily said with an eager smile, clearly already having an idea.
"Alright, let me handle it. I just need 20 to 30 of those crystal fish and a few Pebbleback Minnows."
Leo immediately understood.
"You want to make a private pool for them?"
The reason even pebbleback minnows were needed because these fish used dirt and debris to camouflage themselves, so when people would wash their bodies, the dirt that would be shed off their skin would be used by these fish and ultimately keep the water clean. A few other fish used unconsumable things that floated inside the water for their needs that kept the water clean.
Leo was surprised when he came to know about the different uses each fish had; it seemed Brant was well-versed in fish subject to be able to get exactly those fish.
Lily giggled softly.
"Iâve seen it in their eyes. Ever since the water pool was created at the center of the territory, theyâve wanted to take a dipâbut theyâve been holding back, afraid of being scolded or watched. So a private pool would be the perfect reward." Her tone was cheerful, and it was obvious she intended to enjoy it herself as well.
"Oh... alright," Leo replied, unsure what else to say. Still, he noticed the elvesâ pointy ears perk up at Lilyâs suggestion. No one objectedâit seemed she was right.
Then Lily stepped closer, leaning toward his ear.
"Ah, by the way, Iâll need a few more fish. I want to build a private bath for the two of us," she whispered, her breath lightly brushing against his ear before she pulled away.
Lilyâs principle was simpleâonly Leo was allowed to see her body in its full glory. She wouldnât expose herself, even slightly, to anyone else, not even another woman unless absolutely necessary. Her entire being was exclusively reserved for him. The thought of the elves or other girls wandering into a shared bathing area while she was there was unacceptable. Thus, the need for a private bath.
As Lily departed, another figure appearedâSylrael, her expression slightly tense.
"My Lord, I am very sorry that Naelith lost controlâ"
She began apologizing again, but after Leo explained the situation, she visibly relaxed. However, in the very next moment, she grabbed Naelith by her long ears and dragged her toward the training area, having realized Leo had granted them access.
It seemed Naelith wouldnât be spared even a momentâher lesson would begin immediately.
And rightfully so. Even though Leo had brushed it aside, the power Naelith had unleashed was enough to reduce any 2-star or lower being to charred remains if caught in the flames, and severely injure even 3-star realm elves.
They would have been hitâthe arrow had been far too fast for anyone to retreat to safety in time.
And just like that, a few days passed.
Ting!
>+100,000 AC - 1st ranked Fresher monthly salary
Balance: 13.9 M -> 14 Million AC
Ding!
>Elasian Aetherbloom has produced 3 Elasian Blooms.