?Chapter 727:


    Once the butler departed, Elena turned to Wesley. “I’d like to take a closer look around, if you don’t mind.”


    Wesley nodded, his face unreadable. Meanwhile, Lizzie remained eager to continue guiding them.


    Wesley had not anticipated this level of engagement from Lizzie.


    Elena’s sharp eyes scanned the area, and sure enough, the telltale signs of a military presence were there. The roadside loudspeakers, worn-out camouge boots discarded nearby, and soldiers’ multipurpose shovels leaning against trees—it was clear that troops had set up camp here at some point.


    Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain shot up Elena’s leg as she took another step. ncing down, she saw a thin, jagged leaf sticking out of a fresh cut on her ankle.


    Her face remained impassive. These mountains were crawling with poisonous nts, and this wasn’t her first run-in with their sharp edges. Her mentor had always drilled into her that nature often keeps the cure close to the poison.


    Her gazended on a vibrant purple flower. But before she could reach for it, Lizzie darted over and snatched it first. “Don’t worry!” she eximed. “Crush this purple flower and put it on your cut—it’ll heal up in no time!”


    Elena’sposure flickered slightly, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “How do you know that?” The flower Lizzie held was identical to the antidote her mentor had taught her about years ago.


    Lizzie enthusiastically mashed the petals until their juice oozed out, then carefully smeared it onto Elena’s cut. With a sweet, innocent smile, she exined, “An old man told me all about it.”


    An old man? Could it have been her mentor? Elena, usually so controlled, felt a surge of excitement. “What did this old man look like?”


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    Lizzie paused, a thoughtful frown on her face, then shook her head. “I don’t remember. He has left already.”


    Elena’s fleeting hope crashed and burned. She lowered her eyes and decided not to press the issue.


    Noticing Elena’s sudden quietness, Lizzie asked hesitantly, “Are you upset?”


    Elena gently ruffled Lizzie’s hair. “Thanks for showing me around today, Lizzie. It’s gettingte—you should head back.”


    Lizzie hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave. “Will I see you again?”


    Elena wasn’t about to make promises she couldn’t keep. “A school will be built on the ind. Study hard, and one day, you’ll get to see what’s out there.”


    Though Lizzie was reluctant to part ways with Elena, she understood that Elena wasn’t from this ind and would eventually return to her own home.


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