In front of the crystal ball, there was a tiny sapling only a finger’s length tall. If not observed carefully, it would be easy to miss. Milton’s trial involved using the power of the ‘life authority’ from the teachings to make it grow rapidly. Within this process lay many mysteries of life, and those who did not understand the teachings would find it impossible to achieve this.
Isis appreciated this straightforward trial. She approached the sapling and placed her hands on the crystal ball. Magic surged at her fingertips, stirring memories of her past when she possessed divine power. She confidently asserted that in understanding the teachings of life, she was second to none.
With a mere flick of her fingers, the magic within the crystal ball surged forth, causing the sapling before it to sway and grow quickly. In no time, it grew into a tree as tall as a person. Isis stopped its growth out of fear of startling Milton. Otherwise, creating an even larger tree would have been as simple as waving her hand.
“Is this sufficient, Mr. Milton?”
After completing this task, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to look at Milton. To her surprise, Milton’s eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid.
Pressing her lips together, Isis realized she had revealed too much. It seemed that even the High Priest of the Life Church only had a superficial understanding of the teachings. After regaining his composure, Milton was overjoyed. His gaze toward Isis was no longer pure, but mixed with curiosity and respect, much like a student looking at a teacher. At the same time, he felt a desire to seek her guidance, hoping that Miss Isis might clarify his doubts about the teachings.
“This is sufficient, yes. In the Life Church of the past, Miss Isis, your position must have been quite high, I assume?”
Milton’s face shone with a radiant smile, as if he had discovered a treasure. Isis’s previous words were forgotten in his excitement. Having never held a position higher than a priest, but possessing such profound understanding of the teachings, it seemed impossible. Isis must have been reluctant to discuss these matters, which was why she hadn’t mentioned them.
Moreover, given her deep understanding of the teachings, she might have been a bishop or even an archbishop in some region of the Life Church…
Thinking this, the respect in his eyes deepened.
“My position… was quite respectable, I suppose.”
Isis replied casually, knowing she had passed the trial. She then inquired about what concerned her, “By the way, what exactly does a temporary priest do?”
‘Quite respectable?’ Isis is certainly modest.
Milton stroked his remaining beard and explained, “A temporary priest’s duties are simple: to teach the teachings of the Life Church to the younger elves. The pay is calculated by the hours taught, at five silver coins for every two hours.”
Two hours for five silver coins? That means four hours a day would earn ten silver coins, and in just two days, twenty silver coins could be easily earned. Suddenly, Isis saw a glimmer of hope for escaping Prell.
“If possible, could you take me there now?”
She seemed eager, hoping to gather the twenty silver coins as soon as possible before Beacai returned. Milton, however, misunderstood her intentions, thinking she was keen to teach the younger elves. His smile widened with delight.
“Miss Isis is indeed responsible. But wouldn’t you consider becoming a formal priest of our Life Church? With your presence, the Life Church in Prell would only grow stronger.”
After witnessing her ability to make a sapling grow into a tall tree, Milton was determined to invite her to join the Life Church in Prell. With her expertise, not only would the younger elves benefit, but even the priests would advance their understanding to new heights. Since the Life Church fell into chaos, few elves had fled to Prell, and those with a deep understanding of the teachings were rare. Even Milton, among the priests, was merely the tallest among the short.
Isis’s joining would certainly revitalize the Life Church.
Confronted with his invitation, Isis shook her head, declining. Two reasons led to her refusal: she would soon leave Prell and couldn’t stay long as a priest, and secondly, the elves in Prell were living comfortably, so her intervention wasn’t necessary. They were under Beacai’s protection and could be considered a sanctuary for elves.
Seeing her refusal, Milton didn’t insist. After sharing some tips about being a priest, he led her to the church, briefly introducing her before allowing her to begin teaching the teachings of life.
The long benches in the church hall were filled with young elves, their eyes wide with anticipation, eager to learn the truth of life. Among them, Isis spotted a familiar face.
“Lily?”
“Isis sister?”
The five-year-old girl blinked her large eyes, her adorable appearance causing nearby elf believers to cover their mouths, resisting the urge to rush over and hug her tightly. Had Philomena really sent such a young child to learn the teachings of life at the church?
Isis smiled softly, feeling she couldn’t disappoint these children. She recalled the teachings of life she had established and began to explain them in the simplest terms possible. Unfortunately, the young elves couldn’t grasp the difference between her teachings and those of the other priests, so they continued to frown, unable to comprehend Isis’s words.
Instead, the elf believers on either side had their eyes sparkling with enlightenment, moving from supervising the children to fully concentrating on her lecture, deepening their understanding of life.
Before long, a white-haired old man mysteriously appeared among the young elves. He sat obediently on the bench, pen in hand, recording Isis’s words. Isis could only smile wryly, not bothering to intervene.
Milton was truly treating her as his student. But as a High Priest, his duties were busier than those of ordinary priests. So, if he was here, whose responsibilities had been shifted to someone else?
Isis felt a pang of sympathy for the other priests.
The two hours of teaching passed quickly. After a brief rest, a new priest took over, continuing to teach the teachings of the church to the elves. It was only then that Isis realized not all young elves were well-behaved.