Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 116 Successful Advancement
Having completed the contract, Kruze held the pine spirit insect in his hands, nimbly slid down from the tree, and upon landing, solemnly bowed to Reyes: "Father, the contract has been successful."

Reyes looked at his eldest son, who was calm, capable, and constantly surprising, with pride in his eyes. He patted Kruse's shoulder again, his words conveying everything.

The surrounding militiamen and local residents also cheered and congratulated them sincerely.

The newly contracted pine spirit insect was carefully brought back to the castle's insect room and placed in a specially made insect box that had been prepared beforehand, lined with soft moss and small pine branches.

The arrival of this new member immediately caused quite a stir, especially for the youngest member of the family.

As soon as Kruse placed the insect box firmly, Elena squeezed over like a happy little deer, clinging to the edge of the box, her big blue eyes sparkling with excitement and curiosity.

"Big brother! Is there a new fairy bug again? Let me see! I want to see it!" she shouted impatiently, then added, revealing her true intention, "I want to name it!"

Seeing his sister's eager expression, Kruze couldn't help but chuckle. He gently opened the lid of the insect box, revealing the little creature inside.

This newborn pine tree spirit insect is still small in size, and its whole body is grayish-green, similar to the color of the bark of the old pine tree. It looks simple and unadorned, and even a little inconspicuous.

It lay quietly on the moss, the only thing that stood out was the three thin, emerald-green pine needles growing on its head, which trembled slightly with its breathing, like antennas.

Compared to the already awakened and clearly communicative Qingcui, this pine tree spirit insect is clearly still in a very rudimentary stage, lacking any intelligence.

Even though Kruzee understood Elvish, he couldn't communicate with him effectively at this moment. He was more like a newly born spirit of nature, following its instincts, a bewildered "newborn."

But this didn't diminish Elena's affection for it. She opened her eyes wide, carefully examining the small, grayish-green figure in the insect box, especially the three playful pine needles on its head; the more she looked, the cuter it seemed. She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands and laughed:
"Wow! It's so cute! And it has three little needles on its head! From now on... your name will be 'Greenie'!"

"..."

The moment Elena uttered her crisp, confident naming declaration, the air in the insect chamber seemed to freeze for a moment.

Kruse's smile froze instantly, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Green... Greenie?
Such a simple and unadorned name, and a bit... rustic?

Give it to a spirit insect that represents the mysteries of nature and the future of the territory?
Even the usually composed and seasoned Baron Reyes couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his temples, a helpless expression of being "shocked" showing on his face.

He looked at the dusty little creature in the insect box, then at his little daughter who was praising him for choosing such a good name, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

How did such a perfectly fine, mysterious little insect end up with such a... well, very "down-to-earth" name?

Elena, completely oblivious to the complex emotions of her brother and father, was quite pleased with her "masterpiece." She leaned closer to the insect box and whispered to "Greenie" inside, "Greenie, Greenie, do you like your new name? Grow up quickly!"

The pine tree spirit insect seemed to sense Elena's pure kindness and joy, and the three pine needles on its head swayed gently, making an extremely faint, almost imperceptible rustling sound, as a kind of response.

Kruze and his father exchanged a glance, both seeing the same helplessness and a hint of indulgent smile in each other's eyes. Well, if Elena likes it, then let her be.

After all, the name "Green Girl" sounds... quite vibrant, doesn't it?

It's better than calling it "dusty".

Reyes cleared his throat, deciding to end the "controversy" about the name. He turned to Kruze, his tone becoming serious again: "Pine Tree Spirit Insect... 'Greenie's' abilities, in what aspects are they mainly manifested?"

Kruze composed himself and replied, "Father, based on our initial perception and feedback from the spirit insects, 'Greenie's' ability should promote pine forest growth, improve timber quality, and potentially increase pine tree production of resin and pine nuts. With it, our territory's timber and firewood supply will be more stable and of higher quality, and the resin can also serve as a good trade commodity."

Hearing about these practical benefits, Reyes nodded, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his face.

Names and such are all minor details; the real key is to strengthen the territory's power.

Just as everyone had settled the newborn "Greenie" and were preparing to leave the insect room, a strong and pure wave of natural magic suddenly spread out from a corner of the room like ripples!
Kruze reacted the fastest, turning around abruptly and instantly locking his gaze on the source of the fluctuations—the insect box containing the plump pupa of the emerald elf insect!

The once smooth and lustrous green pupa was now emitting an increasingly bright, vibrant emerald light, twinkling like a beating heart, illuminating the entire insect chamber. A powerful life energy was almost overflowing from it.

This sudden turn of events left everyone holding their breath.

The color drained from Rezal's face, and he instinctively grabbed his father's arm guard beside him in a tense grip, his voice trembling: "Father! Qingcui... what happened to Qingcui? Could it be... that she failed to advance?!" He couldn't bear to imagine the worst possible outcome.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Elena jumped up like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, giving her second brother a hard slap on the back of the head without any politeness, and retorted angrily, "Second brother, what nonsense are you talking about! Qingcui is amazing! She won't fail!"

But her small hands, tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, and her equally tense face betrayed her inner unease; her words sounded more like an attempt to encourage herself.

The atmosphere inside the insect chamber instantly became extremely tense.

Kruze did not participate in his siblings' argument; he discreetly and quickly put on the Elf King's monocle.

The vision behind the lens penetrated the radiant cocoon, and he clearly "saw" that the verdant green inside the pupa had changed dramatically, its size had increased several times, its form was more elegant and fluid, and the magic it contained was not only immense but also solid and stable, pulsating rhythmically in sync with the flashing light outside.

That's not a sign of impending collapse, but rather the final accumulation of energy before a new life emerges from its cocoon!

His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, a relieved smile appeared on his face, and his voice reached everyone's ears clearly and confidently:

"No, quite the opposite. Green... it's about to successfully advance!"

　I asked my editor today, and he said my readership is too low. I need 300,000 words before it can be published. This month, I'm asking for your help by reading my updates every day so I can get it published. Thank you all.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)