Her words carried unprecedented respect as she replied: "No, Triss, I only recently arrived in Terra, about half an hour before you."
She paused, and her voice even carried a barely perceptible hint of pride: "Lord Karl... was merciful and has already forgiven my foolish mistakes."
"Now I am under his command and have sworn allegiance to him."
Hearing this, Triss's pale green eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze full of scrutiny and inquiry.
She shifted between Karl's calm face and Keira's obviously unnatural expression.
Keira felt her friend's gaze, which seemed to pierce her soul.
She remembered the awkward moment not long ago when she had "self-righteously" volunteered, only to be ruthlessly rejected and even despised.
Her cheeks flushed, and her gaze instinctively averted.
She didn't dare to meet Triss's eyes, just staring at the ground as if there were something incredibly attractive there.
Unlike Keira's embarrassment, Karl remained calm and composed.
He seemed not to notice the subtle atmosphere between the two sorceresses, a smile playing on his lips.
He said to Triss: "Triss, thank you for stepping away from your busy duties as a court advisor to help."
"Since Keira is here, your collaboration should reduce the pressure of performing large-scale illusions."
Triss extended her slender fingers and carefully tucked a strand of fiery red hair that the breeze had blown against her cheek behind her ear.
She playfully winked at Karl, a sly glint in her eyes, carefully observing the slightest change in Karl's expression.
She smiled and delivered a message: "Karl, maybe you don't need to 'find time' anymore."
"I have officially resigned from my position as a court advisor. From now on... unless something unexpected happens, I will probably stay in Terra permanently."
This news made Karl pause for a moment, but there was little surprise in his eyes.
He nodded and smiled faintly, saying: "Oh? That's good, Triss. I'm happy for you."
"Free from those tedious routines, you can devote more time and energy to studying the spells you love."
Hearing Karl's understanding and support for her decision, Triss's eyes lit up with joy. She nodded slightly, warmth spreading in her heart.
Standing by, Keira felt a mix of emotions, her gaze at Triss complex and difficult to read.
Her eyes were mixed with indescribable envy, slight jealousy, and a deeper pain.
She longed to regain power and return to her former status and glory.
She was willing to sign that harsh contract, bordering on selling her body and soul, promising both freedom and the future.
And Triss, a "friend" she had once secretly competed with in some ways,
yet she had so easily and voluntarily given up everything she had once dreamed of, and now Keira still had to struggle desperately to make amends.
This strong sense of inequality was like a fine needle, piercing Keira's heart with sharp pain.
......
A few minutes later, the three arrived at a relatively open and quiet place outside Terra, shaded by grass and forest.
Under the cover of Karl's bio-field, the figures and voices of the three were completely hidden.
Meanwhile, the knights who had received Karl's notification and followed his instructions came here one by one, not wearing plate armor.
There were also thirty-two older children, eager for martial arts, loosening up on the open field to warm up.
No one noticed that Karl and the other two were standing on the edge of the nearby grass.
Karl turned his head, his gaze falling on Triss and Keira, and he asked quietly: "There are thirty-two people gathered, and this is only part of them."
"Can the illusion you cast together cloud their perception and trap them in an illusion of a fierce battle?"
"For example, mistakenly thinking a comrade has died a violent death, or that they are fighting a life-and-death battle with a ferocious monster?"
Triss did not immediately express her opinion, but turned her gaze to Keira. When it came to illusions, Keira's skills were indeed deeper than her own.
Hearing this, Keira showed a concerned expression. She carefully considered her words and replied cautiously.
"Lord Karl, purely visual, auditory, and even olfactory illusions can indeed be constructed together to partially cloud their perception."
"But... the essence of an illusion is the projection of false energy; upon touch, the illusion is pierced by reality, instantly revealing it to be an illusion."
"Unless you are an extremely skilled master of illusions, perhaps capable of creating high-level illusions that retain the 'feeling of reality' even when touched."
"But... Triss and I cannot do that yet."
She paused and proposed an additional plan: "Perhaps, while maintaining the illusion, combined with powerful psychic energy, we can continuously influence their minds, suggesting and interfering with their thinking."
"Make them subconsciously 'ignore' these obvious flaws caused by touch, forcibly maintaining the illusion."
"But this requires two distractions and a huge magical support, which is a great test for the sorceress, and it most likely won't last long."
Karl listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the air.
He raised his brows and proposed a more radical but realistic plan.
"So, what if the opponents they are fighting are not pure illusions, but real monsters?"
"Use real enemies, combining your illusions to simulate the scene and mental interference."
"Use real monsters?!" Keira gasped, paused for a moment, and a look of seriousness and worry appeared on her face.
"Like that... Although it greatly enhances the realism and oppressive feeling of the illusion, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, the casualties are unpredictable."
"Lord Karl, monsters won't play our game. They really kill and eat people! Are you... are you sure you want to take such a big risk?"
"Yes, only by facing a real threat of death can you awaken your own courage or reveal your true cowardice." Karl nodded without hesitation.
"And with me present, there will be no casualties in such a minor skirmish."
His gaze turned to Triss: "Triss, first use invisibility spells to hide, so you won't be seen. I'll go catch some suitable monsters now."
Before he finished speaking, Karl raised his hand, and a dazzling golden divine power burst from his fingers.
He quickly drew a few circles in the void, golden energy sparks crackling, forming a portal.
Through the portal, a vague scene of a rocky wilderness could be seen.