"Any disturbance even it was in a slightest manner may cause a  failure to my breaking through so I must do it as soon as possible. And I just hope no circumstances will happen while I'm breaking through." Lucelle's thought.
While the five children were standby few meters away from Lucelle and few meters apart from each other, ensuring that no one would disturb their savior, Lucelle, on the other hand, she began to draw a magic array which can help her in breaking through and can easily help her gather magic essence in the surroundings.
After few minutes, she sat down cross-legged in the center of the magic array while her hands were pressed on the abdomen sidely, perching the left hand to another hand.
Silently as her eyes closed, she began circulating her magic power in her magic heart.
She noticed that the magic power within was nearly empty and complicated.
Magic power in the magic heart couldn't be empty unless the magic heart was broken or the magic user was crippled. And it might be complicated because of the backlash of the forbidden spell.
But it didn't stop her from circulating. She needed to make her magic power flow from her heart, to the veins and to the entire body.
Unexpectedly, she vomited blood that made her stop circulating.
"W-what happened?! Did I rush things too much? Did I do wrong? But... I did what was written in the manual that I read back then at my family's library? No... I should not give up, I can't lose hope? I must try again..." she mumbled.
This time, she drank a supplementing magic power elixir from one of the thorid rings. Next, she began to gather the magic essence of the surroundings and let herself absorbed them, slowly but surely.
And now, more than half of her magic power was recovered.
Just like the last time, she circulated the magic power within her magic heart and it became enlarge enough for a storage of 3rd-circle magic level. Then, she let the magic power throughout her entire body.
And suddenly, a vertical light from her body flew out to the sky.
"Finally, I broke through!" Lucelle happily exclaimed, "Not only that, I completely recovered from my internal injuries and the wound on my right foot was also healed. I never thought breaking through can help me this much. And I never felt so refreshed in my life!"
She let out fire to the tree near from her and the tree was thoroughly scorching till no ashes could be seen.
"How fierce! So this is what a 3rd-circle magic level can do, huh?"
Then her gaze turned to the children who were now watching her afar, amazed by her magic spell.
"I'm done. You don't need to guard there anymore!" said by Lucelle as she made a 'come here' gesture.
Then the children quickly rushed toward her.
"Thank you for protecting me."
John smiled, and so the others, "We are glad to help you, Big Sister, even though it's not much. But don't worry, when we are strong enough... we will definitely protect you. We will kill all your enemies!"
She bitterly smiled. Enemies, huh? Those Feronia Kingdom's bastards?! Then I can't wait to kill them with my own hands, too.
She patted John's head, "Really?" then they started walking.
His face slightly became red, "Y-yes!"
"How old are you now?" she asked.
"10," he simply answered.
"Then I will ask you. Have you already killed someone? Or have you seen someone at your age kill another person?"
"N-not yet." he stuttered.
"Hmmm... So where did you got the courage to say that you will kill someone for me?
"To protect you?" he innocently uttered.
Lucelle laughed, "I don't really need your protection. I am strong enough to protect myself, you know. And besides, I know that you can't kill someone with your own hands. You might be afraid of taking one's life, you are afraid of blood, you might get trauma if you'll kill someone or you have not enough strength or power to kill someone. There are many reasons that hinders you to kill some---."
When she realized what she was saying to the innocent child, she immediately covered her mouth with both hands.
What did I say that?! What nonsense I was talking when in fact I am, too, afraid of taking human's life. Yes, I killed someone but that was not a human being, instead another race: goblins. And it was even my first time taking lives. Shut your dirty mouth, Lucy! You are influencing the children too much, a bad influence!
Lucelle was even more shocked when she had hear his innocent answer.
"Then, I will just overcome my fears and I will get stronger. After that, I can kill someone, right? Big Sister Celle?"
She faked a smile, "Ahh... yes. You can overcome your fears and you can also get stronger by training and working hard. It's time that matters. But you should not kill someone if there's no reason. Did you hear me?"
"Yes!" he nodded twice, "I won't kill anyone as much as I can."
Lucelle couldn't help but to heavily sigh and whispered, "Did I influence him too much?"
"Why are you sighing, Big Sister?" he naively asked.
"I a-am just tired from walking. And also, my magic level is currently unstable," she replied, half-lie and half-truth.
It was lie that she was tired from walking, but it was true that she was currently unstable as she was just broke through earlier. She needed time to stabilize her magic power and her foundation.
"You are strong, but you are tired. I am weak, but why can't I---"
He was halted when a man appeared in front of them, sweating and had a heavy breathing. Moreover, he was also wounded.
_TRAVANGEL_