Since the shop owner was an elf, there was naturally no need to worry about elf magic. Nevertheless, she was asked to stay in the back room as a basic courtesy.

“Princess Mephilia, would you like something to drink?” Avira asked.

Mephilia looked at the cup in front of Liana. “Liana, this is yours, right?”

“Yes,” Liana nodded. “What is it?”

Mephilia gently picked up the cup and put her mouth on the straw Liana had just bitten, letting the sweet liquid flow into her mouth with a subtle, lingering aftertaste.

Avira crossed her hands in front of her, watching Mephilia. “You two really have a good relationship.”

“Of course,” Mephilia didn’t intend to hide her feelings for Liana. “Isn’t that why Princess Avira invited Liana?”

Seeing her little scheme exposed, Avira laughed awkwardly and graciously admitted it. “After all, compared to Princess Mephilia, Miss Liana seemed easier to win over.”

“It seems Princess Avira can be mistaken at times,” Mephilia said seriously. “Liana is much harder to win over than I am.”

Mephilia had emphasized Liana’s extraordinariness to Avira many times.

And the brief conversation had already given Avira some new perspectives on Liana.

“Then I must eagerly anticipate what surprises Miss Liana will bring me,” Avira smiled. “Shall I go first, or would you like to?”

“The guest should get the explanation first, so let us begin,” Mephilia said.

Mephilia roughly explained the principles of spellcrafting to Avira. It involved rearranging incantations, interpreting the meanings of similar types of incantations, and then recombining them based on their meanings to create a new magic or modify an existing one.

“Rearranging and changing what the gods bestowed?” Avira said with interest. “Truly a rather insane action.”

“Yes, so it has faced strong opposition from some people who view my actions as blasphemy against the gods,” Mephilia said.

“This is a normal reaction. After all, for such a long time, we’ve grown accustomed to just accepting. We only gain new magic when someone’s magic awakens and they discover new spells. But the birth of ‘new’ magic can now be traced back over a hundred years,” Avira said.

“This is an extremely important discovery. Perhaps this is a test from the gods? Princess Mephilia, you needn’t mind those people. You did nothing wrong. If this continues, our research into magic might have stagnated. You’ve broken the situation where no new magic has appeared for so many years.

“And you could have completely hidden this secret, keeping it only for the Lisat lineage. After all, if you wanted to, you could have concealed it entirely.

“The Lisat Royal Capital could have found someone to pretend this was a gift from the gods during their magical awakening. That way, your Lisat Kingdom would have gained a tremendous advantage,” Avira said.

Mephilia certainly knew Avira was right, but...

“Perhaps Princess Avira is correct. Doing so would indeed give the people of Lisat some advantage. But paper can never wrap fire. Perhaps it could be kept secret for a short time, but eventually, it would be exposed, maybe today, maybe tomorrow. And after exposure, Lisat’s reputation and trust within the Lisat Kingdom would surely plummet.

“Trust, once broken, is nearly impossible to fully restore. No matter what, some misgivings will remain in people’s hearts. Rather than bearing this secret, it’s better to speak it directly. This way, it’s better for everyone, and it also benefits the world’s research into magic, doesn’t it?” Mephilia smiled.

“It seems I was being small-minded. I didn’t expect the people of the Lisat Kingdom to have such enlightenment,” Avira’s view of Mephilia changed again.

“Besides, Princess Avira, how do you know we haven’t studied it privately?” Mephilia smiled mysteriously.

Avira understood what Mephilia meant. Perhaps the Lisat Royal Capital had other cards and secrets, which gave them the confidence to make this public. But this point was no longer very important to them.

[Summon the power of nature, let fire spirits dance at my fingertips.]

A small flame appeared at Avira’s fingertips. “Since Princess Mephilia has been so sincere, unreservedly sharing the secrets you’ve mastered, I naturally must share our elven magic with you.”

The incantations of the elf race were completely different from those mastered by humans. They sounded more like singing.

“May I ask, Princess Mephilia, what is the incantation for a longsword in your human world?”

Mephilia told her the incantation for a longsword.

“Using Princess Mephilia’s method, it would be...”

[Summon the power of nature, forge fire spirits into a longsword.]

A blade of raging fire appeared in Princess Avira’s hand. She directly gripped the hilt with her bare hand, showcasing an advantage of the elf race.

They were favored by elements and nature, allowing them to easily accomplish what humans could not.

“It seems human incantations can also be merged with our elven incantations,” Avira said.

A flaming sword had appeared before everyone’s eyes for the first time. After all, humans couldn’t grip elemental weapons; at most, they could use wooden or stone sword incantations.

“What about Miss Liana? After seeing all this, do you have any special thoughts?” Avira asked.

“As someone who can’t use magic, what thoughts could I have?” Liana sucked on her straw, completely unable to understand the meaning of the elf race’s incantations! Were they really not singing?

“Miss Liana, don’t try to pretend you can’t use magic in front of elves. It will be exposed immediately. We elves are very sensitive to magical power. I can see that the magic particles around you are dancing; they seem to really like Miss Liana. It seems Miss Liana has quite a good magical affinity,” Avira said.

She continued, “Oh, I apologize. Was this a secret? But Princess Mephilia probably already knew this, right?”

“...” Even a Judge couldn’t detect it at a glance, yet an elf could discover it immediately. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any elves in the Lisat Kingdom, or she might have been exposed long ago.

And when she had met Sephirena, she truly couldn’t use magic. But if she were to find her now...

Thankfully, she had received this information now.

“Now, will you continue to conceal it, Miss Liana?” Avira asked.

“Is this an ability all elves possess?” Liana asked.

“Yes, the elven race is favored by magic. So, we are more sensitive to magic particles than anyone else in this world,” Avira said. “Even a newborn elf can see the magic particles on humans.”

“...” You’re exposing me, huh? Then Liana wouldn’t pretend anymore.

“Your elf incantations actually sound more like commands, right? Commands to nature, or perhaps requests?” Liana said.

Avira narrowed her eyes, her smile becoming somewhat stiff as she pondered a question.

What should she do now?

The elf race’s secret had been discovered. Normally, the person who discovered it would be immediately executed. But clearly, such an action would be highly irrational now.

Even without the threat of the Judge outside, Avira wouldn’t do such a thing now. Her purpose on this journey was to establish friendly relations with the Lisat Kingdom.

“How did you discover this?” Avira looked at Liana with curiosity.

It was impossible for someone of another race to notice this, unless she had truly deciphered the meaning of the incantations.

But that was impossible. Elf incantations and human incantations were two completely different systems. Although they had some similarities, it wasn’t something someone of Liana’s age could research, unless she was a reincarnated ancient being.

“Did another elf tell you about this?” For the elf race, this was an absolute taboo, a bottom line that no one could cross.

“Lady Avira, perhaps you should watch what happens next. I think you’ll have your answer,” Liana raised her hand. Since she had been discovered, there was no need to hide anymore. Watch carefully, Mephilia, I’ll only demonstrate this once.

Liana drank all the water in her cup at once, then picked up the cup. “Now, we know that [Create] means to create something. Just by adding specific incantations afterward, we can obtain what the incantation describes. We can also use this principle to translate some divine incantations, like [Create Stone]. When separated, we get ‘create’ and ‘stone’.”

“However, these are just the basics, as Mephilia mentioned earlier. But what I want to say is, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) what if we completely reverse it1She literally means reversing how you say it, so for example if the incantation is Create, then it becomes Etaerc? If we completely reverse [Create], then it becomes... [Destroy].”

The cup in Liana’s hand turned into a pile of sand, falling onto the table.

“Wait...” Mephilia’s eyes widened. Could it be done this way?

Avira’s shock was no less than Mephilia’s. Rearranging was one thing, but what was this about reading it backwards?!

“I’ve tried it. This effect only works on items created by magic, and if the other person notices, they can use magic to prevent it,” Liana said.

“Of course, [Create] isn’t the only incantation that can be reversed. As for the others, I’ll leave that for you to research. After all, my magical power is limited,” Liana said.

Liana understood this clearer than anyone, as she had personally experienced [Accelerate] and [Decelerate].

“It seems Princess Mephilia wasn’t lying to me. She truly received help from some benefactor to discover this,” Avira had seen Mephilia’s shocked expression. Like herself, Mephilia seemed to have just learned about this, explaining her stunned reaction.

The young girl before her truly seemed extraordinary.

“This is my latest discovery. Princess Avira, you’re the first person besides me to know about this,” Liana said. After all, no one would know that Loraviel already knew about this if she didn’t mention it.

“Also, why keep viewing magic through the old lens? Since it’s already been changed, why not change it completely?” Though Liana couldn’t think of how to change it further at the moment.

Although Liana’s magical power was somewhat weak, her affinity for magic was high. Her future achievements in magic would certainly be substantial.

And the fact that she could speak about completely changing magic, along with her understanding, was far ahead of anyone else in this world.

Avira began to believe that Liana might truly be able to translate divine incantations. “Miss Liana, do you understand the language of the gods?”

“How should I put it? I half-understand. After all, I know very few incantations now, and many I’ve only learned from books. My magical power is very weak, so I haven’t personally used them. Naturally, I don’t very clearly understand their mysteries, so I can’t claim to understand the language of the gods,” Liana said.

But if Liana were to use more magic, perhaps she could truly accomplish it?

Avira took a deep breath. This girl, Liana, was extraordinary.

“Lady Liana, you will always be the best friend of our Elf Forest,” Avira extended her hand. This trip had yielded unexpected gains.

Avira’s purpose in coming was to establish good relations with the Lisat Kingdom. Spellcrafting was merely a pretext.

After all, elves were naturally sensitive to nature. The elf race was currently experiencing many internal changes: the death of the Third Princess, the disappearance of the Fourth Princess, and signs of withering in the Tree of Life.

Just one of these events would have drawn the attention of the elf race, let alone all of them occurring at once. This made the elf race realize that in the near future, an event significant enough to change the world would definitely occur.

They had initially thought that changing incantations and creating new spells would be significant enough, but the Tree of Life continued to wither, proving that it wasn’t about this.

And for something more significant than spellcrafting, the elf race could only think of one thing: the demon race.

Their lifespan was much longer than humans’. Among the current elf race, there were even elves who had personally witnessed the demons.

They had come this time to inform King Lisat about this matter. After all, compared to the Luska Kingdom, the Lisat Kingdom was better.

After meeting Mephilia and Liana, Avira was even more certain of this. The Lisat Kingdom was far more formidable than they had imagined.

“I apologize for my previous discourteous views of Lady Liana,” Avira bowed in apology.

“There’s no need to be so formal,” Liana felt somewhat embarrassed. The other’s status was much higher than her own. To put it bluntly, Avira’s position could rival that of King Lisat.

“Originally, I thought this journey might not be very smooth, but after meeting Princess Mephilia and Lady Liana, that thought has changed,” Avira said.

“Hmm? Didn’t you come for the exchange of magic?” Mephilia asked.

“That was just an excuse,” Avira no longer saw a need to conceal it. “Let’s go see His Majesty the King.”

She had found those she believed could discuss this matter with her.

When she first arrived in the Lisat Kingdom, King Lisat had told her one thing: to choose one of the three heirs to discuss this matter.

Because of its importance, King Lisat had asked Avira to select carefully, without rushing, giving her a week’s time.

However, Avira had made her selection in just half a day, and what had completely convinced her wasn’t Mephilia, but Liana.

“I understand,” Mephilia stood up.

They moved to the king’s garden.

“Princess Avira, have you selected so quickly?” King Lisat stood in that familiar garden.

The once-blooming flowers had closed due to the season, making the scene somewhat desolate.

However, there were also some flowers that only bloomed in winter, appearing before Liana.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I believe Princess Mephilia and Lady Liana are excellent choices,” Avira said.

“Is that so?” King Lisat glanced at Liana and Mephilia. “Can you tell me why you chose these two and not the others?”

“I hope King Lisat won’t be angry at what I’m about to say,” Avira smiled.

“Of course not, since I asked the question,” King Lisat smiled.

“Second Prince Oester, I don’t know why, though he’s very polite, always gives me a very uncomfortable feeling. I can’t pinpoint the reason, and I’m not deliberately targeting Second Prince Oester,” Avira said.

Was this her sixth sense? Or was her body instinctively telling her that this person couldn’t be trusted at all? Avira herself wasn’t quite sure.

“Crown Prince Hodwen gave me a good first impression. He’s humble and seems very bright. However, when discussing magic, he seemed to become a different person, extremely radical. For those who cannot use magic, he would almost drive them away.

“Our kind doesn’t mind this aspect, or rather, many elves agree with this view. After all, we elves can use magic from birth. If not for Princess Mephilia, I would have chosen Crown Prince Hodwen.”

“As for why I chose Princess Mephilia, the reason is simple. Princess Mephilia demonstrated her abilities to me. Just the matter of spellcrafting was enough for me to make my judgment, not to mention that Lady Liana, who is by Princess Mephilia’s side, gave me a great surprise,” Avira said.

“Oh? A great surprise?” King Lisat looked at Liana with curiosity. “Liana, what kind of surprise could make Princess Avira allow you to participate?”

Liana had to demonstrate once more.

In King Lisat’s old, profound eyes, a glimmer of light flashed. This was indeed a method he had never considered.

“Amazing, isn’t it? Princess Mephilia’s expression at that time was the same as King Lisat’s, seeming to have just learned about it,” Avira said.

“...” Eh? You elf.

Liana had wanted to maintain a lower profile, but now she had been thrust into the spotlight.

“Truly worthy of being Ambis and Rayen’s daughter.”

“Rather than this, perhaps let’s discuss something else? Like why we’ve come here?” Liana lowered her head in embarrassment. She really wasn’t used to this kind of situation.

But she didn’t realize that in the future, many such scenarios await her. She was indispensable, the female protagonist.

The group sat under the pavilion, with Mephilia personally brewing tea for everyone. However, after the tea was poured, Liana held her cup but hesitated to drink.

“What’s wrong, Liana? Don’t you like it?” King Lisat asked.

“...How could that be?” Liana picked up the cup and drank it all at once. The bitter taste lingered in her mouth. It was still as unpalatable as ever!

“The taste is good. I like it very much,” Liana smiled.

“That’s good. Take some more back later. The previous batch I gave you should be finished by now,” King Lisat said.

“...Alright.” Liana had just given that stuff away, and now she would have more. How should she deal with it?!

“Ahem,” Avira cleared her throat. What she was about to say was very important.

“King Lisat, you do believe in the existence of the demon race, don’t you?” Avira asked.

King Lisat’s smile faded, becoming very serious and solemn. “The demon race?”

“Yes, that demon race.”

“I’ve heard of it, but there are very few records about demons. Most have been lost in the river of time. Our understanding of the demon race is just fragments passed down by word of mouth,” King Lisat said.

“The demon race truly exists.”