บท 5: Gabriella's Hard Time

'That's good. She has a good impression of me. I was surprised because she was afraid of the ghost manifestation earlier. But, I've got her attention now.'

Ely prepared a bed for her and Gabriella. She only had one bed and would share it with her disciple this night. That way, no one had to sleep on the floor or a wooden bench.

'But, about the story, I told her... I hope there aren't any Heavenly Demons in this world. I only need to slay some ghosts and eliminate some evil things. For Gab-chan's ambition... Well, I might be able to help with the organization's affairs once she gets stronger. She has to work hard for me~' Ely threw the thought to the back of her mind and sat on the bed.

She summoned her Lost Prayer grimoire to check the quest she should have completed.

[Purify a desperate cursed creature on the Sacred Mountain][Reward: Reliable subordinate] [Complete]

[The agent of the White Realm is amused by your antics]

'I know, right! This Gohei is a super reliable purification rod. The holy weapon to obliterate evil. The desperate cursed one can even turn back to normal.' Ely took out her wooden wand and stroked it with great care.

'I also have a catalyst-type ultimate weapon to slay the evil, Kagura Verity. I must always have several backup plans and last resort methods to ensure my safety~' Ely took out a set of three tiers of twelve bells artifact.

This tree-like bells artifact held immense holy power and was visible even though it was dormant. She hadn't found another opportunity to unleash that legendary holy artifact's power since her Gohei could still get the job done.

Ely knew that she was actually a weak human girl. She had to rely on so many weapons and items or even ask for help from others. For a mere mortal with limited capabilities, she had a huge wish to accomplish.

He-Dao was already helping her in her first year in this unknown new world. With all the items she had in her inventory now, her life would never be in danger as long as she was extra careful. After all, she was a fragile girl in a dangerous and vicious world of magic and cultivation.

'What is he doing now, hmm? He is a powerful deity, or perhaps God, but he looked overwhelmed when he left that day. He and his accomplices also never came back. Hope all goes well on his side.' Ely stared at the moon, hoping that good luck would always be with him, her first friend in this world.

*Creak*

The bathroom door opened, and Gabriella walked out wrapped only in a big towel. She tucked a lock of her long golden blonde hair behind her pointy ear. She felt so fresh and fragrant after a good warm shower.

"Gab-chan, please wear this." Ely came over with a set of yellow pajamas in hand.

Gabriella nodded in response and took off her towel on the spot. She wore the sleeping pajama quickly, but there was a small problem. The size was a bit big for her young elf body.

"Hmm, I might be able to adjust the bust size a bit. Our body size isn't that much different. Gab-chan, how old are you approximately?" Ely rubbed her chin as she scanned Gabriella up and down.

"This year... Supposedly, fourteen?" Gabriella wasn't sure, but she could only guess based on her current body growth.

"Fourteen, and you already possess a well-developed body? You also still have room to grow." Ely tried to imagine the mature Gabriella in the future. It was a figure of a pretty elf big sister with a dignified, elegant charm!

"Mm, elves don't have any significant growth rate difference from humans. The average growth period starts from the age of eight to eighteen. However, elves are blessed with a longer lifespan than humans." Gabriella nodded slightly.

"Ahem. Anyway, let's sleep. Tomorrow we will collect some necessities and sew new clothes for you." Ely cleared her throat and walked back into her bedroom.

Gabriella followed right after, but she suddenly stopped in the doorway. She found the bedroom was like a void of the white flower garden. It gave a sacred yet eerie feeling as she stared more profoundly into the room.

She could see a simple bed in the middle of the room, two pillows placed side by side, and a unique turquoise dream catcher hanging above the bed's headrest. That ornament invited her to come closer and sleep on the bed.

A mysterious mist emerged under the bed as if reinforcing the otherworldly atmosphere.

"Gulp..." Gabriella didn't dare to move a single step.

"Gab-chan? What are you doing? Come here. We only have one bed for now, but we'll make a new one tomorrow." Ely grabbed Gabriella's hand and pulled the young elf into the room.

"..." Gabriella glanced left and right tensely. She had no idea why the ethereal atmosphere vanished after her master grabbed her hand.

She could see some unique and holy-type artifacts casually placed on the table. The wooden wand that instantly killed the 5th Rank ghost was placed above the nightstand. Not to mention the beautiful nature paintings on the walls that exuded a divine-like spell aura.

Gabriella had unknowingly been lying in bed under Ely's lead. She clutched the blanket but didn't dare to look around again because she felt that she was being watched by so many divine-like entities. Ornaments hanging on the wall above the bed also made her uneasy.

She was afraid that if she fell asleep, she would not be able to wake up again. There were too many holy items nearby.

Ely noticed Gabriella's anxiety. That might be because of unpleasant things in the past, but she had predicted the trauma. She grasped Gabriella's hand and then spoke softly. "It's okay. The nightmare is already the distant past. You're safe. Just close your eyes and let yourself go to a beautiful sleep."

It was like a comfort ringing in Gabriella's ears. Her anxiety eased up, and she closed her eyes in relaxation. Ely was beside her, and she felt very safe there.

"Huu-huu..." The young elf went to dreamland a few seconds later.

When sunlight entered the room through the gap between the curtains, Gabriella found that Ely was no longer beside her.

She immediately got out of bed to do some chores so she could feel useful. Yet, she found an adorable little plushie lying on the pillow. It was a bit like Ely, and it caused the young elf to get the urge to embrace it.

"..." Gabriella felt troubled because she had to tidy the bed before her master returned. However, her inner self said something else.

She looked right and left, then succumbed to her heart's desire to hug the adorable plushie. "So cute..."

After a few self-satisfying moments, Gabriella returned the plushie to its original spot. She then quickly tidied up the bed.

The bedroom's cleanliness was beyond doubt. Thus, she decided to head out to prepare breakfast.

'Uuh, that scared me to death. Why Gab-chan suddenly hugged me tightly in her arms? It's a rather odd way of waking people up. Wait, e-eh? Why did I turn into a little plushie again? What's wrong with my innate abilities? Did my transformation go out of control again?' Ely plushie breathed a sigh of relief when Gabriella was gone.

She immediately jumped out of bed and transformed into her original human form, complete with her shrine priestess outfit.

Ely waited a few seconds before silently sneaking out of the room through the window. She pretended to come from outside and visited the kitchen because some noises were coming from there.

"..." Gabriella felt troubled because she did not dare to use top-tier cookware casually. She also needed the courage to cook using high-quality ingredients with her pathetic cooking skills.

Her most outstanding achievement in the last three minutes was holding the top-tier kitchen knife in her hands without trembling.

"Gab-chan, why are you staring at the vegetable so intensely? It won't cut by itself if just you stare at it." Ely grasped Gabriella's shoulders from behind. She felt this young elf was under a lot of stress and tension, but she controlled the energy flow within Gabriella's body to a calm state.

"Kyah! Milady, I-, I want to cook breakfast for us. But, but..." Gabriella flinched in surprise. She even stammered when explaining her predicament.

"Hmm-mm~ I appreciate your effort, but it will be difficult if you want to cook something without sufficient skill. This knife is very sharp and can hurt you if you are not careful. What if I teach you how to cook food for breakfast?" Ely could tell Gabriella didn't know how to cook food. The adorable elf was struggling to make a dish to impress her but didn't know how.

That way, the master and subordinate cooked simple delicacies to strengthen their relationship. After breakfast, Ely and Gabriella prepared themselves for a short trip.

"I'm sorry, Gab-chan. I only have a spare pajama and a cloak. Please bear with it until we buy new clothes for you." Ely apologized because Gabriella was still wearing pajamas under that big cloak.

"That's fine, milady." Gabriella had no complaint in the first place. She was aware that Ely's shrine priestess outfit was a top-tier artifact, and no similar spare outfit. That outfit cleanliness and hygiene were always guaranteed because of the self-clean effect.

She couldn't measure the exact tier because of her measly power, but she was sure it was above S Rank or above! She couldn't measure every item in Ely's humble abode with her insignificant 3rd Rank power.

*Sob*

Gabriella covered her mouth as she felt incompetent and weak. She was still unworthy of becoming Ely's follower. However, she would train hard to become a figure worthy of following her master.