However, in front of Karl, her proud achievements and talents seemed so insignificant.
How long had Karl officially studied magic at the academy? The full term wasn't even three months.
But his magical achievements, his understanding of magic, and this unprecedented spatial teleportation ability had far surpassed hers.
"Perhaps... should I consider stepping down from my position as a court advisor?" A thought arose in her heart.
These political maneuvers and trivial matters at court were indeed consuming a lot of her time and energy.
If she devoted that much time to research...
But as soon as this thought appeared, another, deeper emotion came to mind.
Karl was so good and improving so fast; she should be happy and proud of him.
But at this moment, she felt a trembling fear in her heart for no reason, afraid that Karl was moving too fast, so fast that she couldn't keep up with all his progress.
She is afraid that one day, when Karl faces a stronger enemy, a more difficult dilemma,
she will be unable to help due to her lack of ability, and become a useless burden.
She was even more afraid... whether Karl would no longer need her then, and leave?
This fear, born of love and the disappointment in her own pride, pierced her heart like a thin ice thorn.
But this negativity lasted only a few seconds. Triss was never one to easily admit defeat and succumb to pessimism.
She shouted to herself: "Triss! Get a grip! You can't give in! You are the best! Even if... even if you can't catch up to him in the end,"
"But as long as you can still see his back and stand by his side, that is enough to be proud of! And who said you can't catch up?!"
She thought this in her heart, and her hands clenched into fists, unconsciously exerting force, and her face regained its luster of determination and refusal to admit defeat.
Karl, nearby, first looked at Triss in a daze, and then a brief mix of emotions flickered across her face.
Finally, she inexplicably clenched her fists and cheered herself on, looking very confused.
He was about to ask what she had been thinking, but she didn't respond when he called several times.
At that moment, Triss fully recovered from her own thoughts.
She turned her head, and a bright, determined smile had already appeared on her face, as if the haze just now had never existed.
She said to Karl, "Karl, I have managed to master the Arzu's Shield you gave me before."
"As for Arzu's Thunderbolt... there's also some progress, but it will probably take time before I can truly succeed in releasing and constructing the spell."
She paused and continued: "Since the matter here is settled, I'll go back first."
"I need to hurry and practice my spells, and master Arzu's Thunderbolt as soon as possible!"
Karl noticed that she had quickly recovered and swallowed his words.
He nodded and said, "Alright, pay attention to balancing work and rest. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Got it!" Triss smiled sweetly, waved her hand, and turned to leave the alley.
...
Soon after parting with Triss, Karl's figure appeared through a portal near the Temple of Melitele in Ellander.
He didn't stop, under the surprised, curious, or admiring gazes of the priestesses and some believers who had come to pray,
directly through the solemn foyer, quickly heading to the quieter area behind the temple.
When he reached the curtain leading to the inner sanctuary, he happened to meet Nenneke, who was lifting the curtain from the inside.
When Nenneke saw Karl, she didn't show surprise, but gave a kind smile, as if she had already expected his arrival.
"Karl, come. The goddess... I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Karl nodded to Nenneke, thanked her, and entered the inner sanctuary, the heart of the temple.
Unlike the first time he came here, this time, as soon as he entered the inner sanctuary, before he could even look up at the majestic statue of the goddess Melitele,
his vision began to blur and distort. But this time, he didn't feel the same strong mental trance as the first time.
He felt his body lose balance and soared upwards in a smooth passage.
Surrounded by a river of energy rushing by like a rainbow.
At that moment, a soft voice with obvious surprise sounded in his ears.
The next moment, the surrounding scene stabilized, and he found himself in a place full of life, birds, and flowers.
The sky here was clear, the light soft, flowers blooming everywhere, and he was again in the other side's divine realm.
And the goddess Melitele herself was no longer the misty form of the triple phantom superposition of the old woman, the girl, and the pregnant woman that Karl had seen before.
At this moment, she appeared as a blonde woman wearing a wreath of flowers and a light white tulle dress.
Her face was flawless, with a natural blush, her eyes clear and full of wisdom, and her entire being radiated warmth, love, and life.
She sat on a seat made entirely of living, leafy trees, growing naturally.
A few brightly colored butterflies danced beside her, rabbits hopped at her feet, and even a majestic brown bear lay quietly nearby.
Seeing Karl appear, a smile appeared on Melitele's face, and in this smile, there was an indescribable surprise.
She gently waved her hand, indicating that Karl didn't need to be formal.
Karl looked down and saw that on the green grass at his feet, vines and grass were intertwining and growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
They quickly occupied a quite comfortable spot right next to him.
Karl wasn't restrained and, seeing this, sat down on it with a broad smile. The vine seat turned out to be more stable and comfortable than he had imagined.
Once Karl was seated, Melitele looked him over from head to toe, and the amazement in her eyes deepened.
"But I haven't seen you for just two or three months..." she said, her voice like a spring breeze brushing over strings, pleasant to the ear.
"You... have already crossed that threshold and become a demigod."
She paused slightly, and her tone became teasing: "Well, by my standards, you are quite weak, and the condensed divine power is also very rare."
However, her next words made Karl's heart beat faster.
"But what truly surprised me isn't just your rate of growth, but... the path you have chosen."
"In other words, what you have come to like is actually... a fragment of the divine head of Saur."
When the name "Saur" was mentioned, Melitele's expression became very complex.
A deep sadness and profound memory flickered in those clear eyes, as if stirred by memories buried deep within.