Chapter 4
"Bad weather…long time no see, old friend!"
Pegasus walked into the small house under the mage tower. Virgil took off his drenched cloak and tossed it on the ground. A gentleman with a deep blue suit welcomed him and snapped his fingers. Many water droplets, barely reaching Virgil's knees, appeared on the ground. They caught Virgil's cloak, but it seemed as though they couldn't hold on, as they passed right through it.
The water lord gentleman picked up the cloak from the floor and hung it on a hanger. Virgil walked on, with dirty water flowing down from his boots, leaving dirty marks on the wooden floor. The water droplets moved towards him and jumped next to his footsteps. Soon, the water droplets became dirty, and the deep blue gentleman snapped his fingers again, making them disappear into thin air.
Virgil tossed his bow and quiver aside, sprawled on the sofa, with his long limbs stretched out, watching the deep blue gentleman calmly tidy everything up.
Finally, the water lord pointed at the box on the ground and asked, "Mr. Virgil, what is this?"
Virgil smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up, and said, "It's for Xerath."
The water elemental held the box and lifted the black cloth covering it. What he saw inside surprised him, "Is this a child?"
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs behind them. Virgil turned around and saw a serious woman in a black robe descending the steps.
Her black robe nearly touched the ground as she walked. Her black leather shoes were barely visible. She had tightly pursed lips and a serious and calm expression. It seemed like she had never smiled before, making it difficult for others to guess her age. Her neat golden hair was tightly tied up, not a single strand out of place. Her peculiar gray eyes coldly looked at Virgil, but she nodded in acknowledgement when he looked back at her.
"Virgil, long time no see."
"Xerath! Old friend, it's been a long time. Have you had any happy moments recently?"
Xerath shook her head, "There hasn't been much to be happy about before you arrived."
Virgil didn't misunderstand this statement. In fact, his actions this time were completely at Xerath's request.
"Yes, yes, this time you will definitely be happy. A-grade demon beast, guaranteed to satisfy you." Virgil pointed at the cage in the water elemental's hand. Now the black cloth covering it had been lifted, and the little girl woke up under the artificial light. She seemed confused about where she was. After seeing Virgil, she tried to curl up into a ball.
Xerath exchanged glances with her for a moment, then looked at Virgil. "Are you desperate and using this method to deceive us?"
Virgil exclaimed, "None of you believe me! She single-handedly blew up the entire temple! You should really see it, all the rocks melted. She can summon small earthquakes and wind blades at will. I used up all the scrolls you sold me, including the one that could save my life, just to barely capture her. Heaven bear witness, I only labeled her as A-grade to save a few fees…"
"Alright, Virgil," Xerath took a deerskin bag out of her sleeve and threw it on the table. "Coins are too troublesome, I brought gold bars. I hope you won't find them undesirable."
Flat gold bars emerged from the bag, with ten small gold bars inside. Virgil slowly counted them and then took out two sheepskin scrolls from his waist pouch.
"Our contract, come and sign."
The water elemental brought a bottle of ink and two dipping pens from the nearby cupboard. After signing on the sheepskin scrolls separately, Virgil opened another piece of parchment and said, "This is the agreement, she is now yours."
Xerath extended a fair and well-proportioned hand and received the scroll. The scroll burned silently in her hand, with pale flames flickering and a hint of crimson. The flames consumed her palm without pain, and she waited patiently for the flames to burn out.
Her hand was unharmed, with a pile of ashes in her palm. She blew on it casually, and the ashes scattered into the air. There were still some red things left in her palm, resembling several threads, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to be the lines on her palm.
"Unless I die at her hands."
Virgil nodded, "Unless you die at her hands."
She turned her head and saw the big blue guy holding the child, so she asked, "Hyectra, what are you doing?"
"Oh, madam, she was really dirty, so I cleaned her up."
A large and unusual water droplet fell from the girl's feet. The droplet was not only murky but also difficult to describe its color. It dropped onto the ground and sadly spread out, then disappeared into thin air with a snap of the magician's fingers.
"What a beautiful child," she quickly traced a complex pattern in the air with her slender fingers. Suddenly, the dirty cage turned red and emitted smoke, burning from the inside to ashes. Xerath stood up, walked to the water elemental, and muttered, "Light as a feather."
Hyectra let go of the girl, and the rune rope that bound her landed in Xerath's hand. Holding the floating little one, she walked up the stairs. Virgil saw her lightly touch the glowing crystal on the handrail and then wave her hand in the air, displaying a Light Mirror Technique.
Outside, there was thunder and lightning, and the strong wind lifted sand and stones into the air, crashing against the wind barrier surrounding the mage tower.
Virgil heard her say, "The weather is bad, won't you stay for dinner?"
"It's just past noon now, shall we go up for dinner?"
"No, come up and see this A-grade demon beast. Are you coming?"
Virgil hurriedly followed up.
Just as Virgil had imagined, the girl seemed very interested in this place, whether it was the blue water elemental beside her or the expressionless Elemental Archmage. She showed neither fear nor disgust.
"Xerath, what exactly is she? Is she a half-elf? Or some kind of humanoid dragon?"
Xerath's cold voice came from the front, "Half-elves surely have pointed ears, and dragons in their human form would have a deep voice. They cannot speak human language. Did you hear her deep voice?"
"No. Then is she an orc? Or a mixed breed with a fallen demon or something?"
"If an orc and any other species were to have a child, the child would definitely have golden eyes. Her eyes are green. Fallen demons cannot have children with humans."
"Ah, knowledgeable archmage, what exactly is she? Is she an elemental creature?"
"Why are you asking me, oh knowledgeable Demon Hunter?"
