Chapter 84
Xerath pressed her knuckles against her forehead, thinking for a while before looking up and saying, "Charm? Funny talk? Being likable and such, those are things I can never learn in my lifetime, right?"
Virgil squinted his eyes and scrutinized her, his gaze carrying a sense of disbelief, "I kind of feel like you're not complimenting me."
"Oh, forget it, do you want to keep reading?"
Virgil changed to another page and continued reading, "What is this?"
On it was still Sylas's handwriting.
"...about the 'love' you mentioned before, although I don't understand, I quite like the twin siblings and get along well with them. At least the first step is completed, right?"
"Oh ~ Oh ~ my dear old friend ~ What is this? Goodness, you actually said these things to her? I thought you, as an old-fashioned person, would keep it from her until love unexpectedly arrives and she, out of fear, hides it from you until that shameless guy proposes a plan for elopement."
"Virgil, stop your daydreaming." Xerath appeared slightly uncomfortable, "Why keep it from her? Isn't it smart to prepare for possible things that might happen, as a wise person would do?"
"And then? And then? There must be a sequel, right? How did you answer her?"
"I said liking someone is a good start, but you don't necessarily have to treat it as a task to fulfill. It's... like you said, something that comes unexpectedly, just go with the flow. After all, I'm still single until now, and I've never had that feeling of finding my true love."
"Of course, that's for sure. It's really scary, Sylas will surely complete the task you assigned her, I'm afraid she'll settle for someone who's just okay and get married."
"I won't make that kind of mistake. Why would I ask someone else to do something that I myself can't accomplish?"
"And then?" Virgil wasn't satisfied with Xerath directly telling him the conclusion, so he took the letter into his own hands and found the reply in the third letter.
He frowned, "Why did she mention the phrase 'to spend a lifetime together'?"
Xerath said, "That's because I told her that you can have many people you like, but eventually one of them can develop into a romantic relationship and maybe even a lifelong partner."
Virgil's gaze turned mischievous and teasing, "I thought you didn't know! Turns out you understand these things too?"
"Isn't this a theoretical and universal model? In theory, there's nothing wrong with it, right?"
Virgil remained silent, staring at her, and Titus also sensed something and lifted one end of the cushion.
Being stared at like this, Xerath's expression wavered a little. She lightly clenched her slender hand into a fist and propped it against her chin. She sighed and said, "I have never said that I don't want to get married or be single for life. I just haven't met someone who meets my standards. To be more accurate, someone who makes me feel willing to give love."
Virgil said, "I thought you wanted to be single for life. You have never shown much interest in anyone."
"Nobody has appeared who is worth my interest yet."
"What kind of person would make you interested?"
Xerath looked at him strangely, as if he asked a very silly question, "Of course, first we need to get along. Secondly, you should be able to understand me, and at least have the willingness to understand me. It would be best if we have a similar level of knowledge, otherwise, being willing to learn for me is also acceptable."
"Actually, I have a question that I'm very concerned about. If you want to find a lifelong partner, you have to start with the archmages, right? Are there any archmages that you can get along with?"
Xerath looked at him strangely again, "I can get along with all of them."
"Don't play dumb, archmage! Developing a deeper love relationship from someone you like, isn't that your own conclusion? Isn't getting along the first condition for someone that you like?"
"I never said that I have to choose from the archmages, that's what you said."
Virgil frowned, "Your answer today is really tricky. But I have to ask, even if we look at it from a different angle, among those people you communicate with, is there no one that you can get along with and interested in?"
"I have always been interested in their academic research."
"You know I'm not talking about that."
"Virgil, I never pry into others' privacy, because I don't want others to do the same to me. Of course, if someone insists on telling me, that's a different story."
"But how can you live with others if you don't take the time to understand a person's life?"
Xerath raised one hand and said, "Wait a minute. I didn't say I had to choose among these people who communicate with each other."
"Didn't you say you needed someone you can get along with? It doesn't have to be just your pen pals, right?"
Xerath looked at him with surprise and said, "Of course not, Virgil. I suspect that someone other than me helped you cheat during the test."
Virgil objected loudly, "You're questioning my integrity and ability! Well, besides these pen pals you've been communicating with for years, who else do you think I can have good conversations with?"
"Sylas," Xerath said confidently, "an exception. You've lost."
Virgil didn't give up, "Isn't she also your pen pal?"
"You just said long-term communication."
Virgil was speechless.
"And, the people I get along with are not just limited to pen friends, they are just a subset of the people who have already appeared and may become people I like. Perhaps I can also get along with a stranger who has fate? Don't you often chat with strangers and have a great conversation?"
"Are you different? Can you have a great conversation with strangers?"
"You have no reason to exclude this possibility. Why refuse the possibility of strangers? The probability of whether I can get along with each stranger who appears is random and independent."
Virgil said, "We have a tool called experience induction. Based on the experience of going out with you so many times, I have never seen you get along with anyone else. And when I'm not around..."
Xerath retorted, "When I go out alone, for example, when I go to a meeting, I can make a few connections."
"But that's mostly limited to your pen friends, right? They all eventually become your pen friends, those people you don't bother knowing their privacy, can you give me any counterexamples?"
Xerath looked at him surprisingly, "Of course it's Sylas. Even random children you brought to me, I can have a great conversation with. Can't you let go of this obsession with such random events?"
Virgil rolled his eyes and said, "Then I won't dwell on this issue, answer the next one: If you find someone you like, what will you do with the little beast? What if she doesn't accept?"
Xerath frowned and asked with great confusion, "She will graduate in five years at most and have her own mage tower. Combining with my 37 years of single experience, I think it's unlikely to happen in the next five years."
Virgil laughed and raised Titus, pretending it was speaking, "Who just said 'love often comes unexpectedly'?"
"Woof!" Titus twisted discontentedly, but its short legs couldn't reach any surface.
Xerath pondered for a moment, "I can't answer this right now. I can't judge the situation. I haven't felt any potential 'significant other' more important than the little beast."
Virgil burst into laughter, "Clueless pretty boy, you might as well date the little beast!"
Xerath laughed along but her expression gradually turned serious, and she whispered to her old friend, "Virgil, don't joke too much."
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Virgil quickly changed the subject, "It's so difficult to dig in the Dragonbone area. I wonder what mysterious force field the Dragonbone is involved with. The local wind element has become unusually active, and the sand dunes have been shifting more frequently. You can often see the buried excavation site by the next day. Archmage, do you have a moment to give some guidance?"
"Sounds interesting. It might be related to the earth's energy. This was originally a summer extracurricular practice, and I was planning to take... students there. But first, I have to attend a gathering. It's been a while since I've seen everyone, and I really miss them. However, who knows what interesting ideas might come up when everyone gets together, so I can't guarantee my availability."
Virgil was just trying to change the topic, he wasn't really introducing a job to her. In fact, there are many ways to deal with such excavation sites that don't require a mage. Common wizards can build "dams" at the edges of the sand dunes, using rocks to block the dunes and redirect them elsewhere. There's no need to involve an archmage. And who knows how much money they would charge for their services?
"Looks like I'll have to leave tomorrow?"
"If you don't mind, you can stay here. But after I leave, Elvis will return to the Elemental Realm in two days. If you don't mind cooking for yourself, you can stay until I come back."
Virgil smiled, "I can activate it myself."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Let's settle it like this, except... Sylas's room, you can move around freely."
The awkwardness caused by that name just moments ago clearly hadn't faded. The two of them fell into silence, feeling something was off. Only Titus barked a couple of times. To cover up the awkwardness, Virgil quickly pretended to comfort Titus, while Xerath left the living room and returned to her own bedroom.
She was dressed quite casually in her bedroom, with her hair scattered and lying on the soft bed. Three floating orbs of light slowly revolved around her head. Sylas had just opened her latest letter, but she hadn't had time to read its contents yet.
This should have been sent last weekend. Sylas's exams are coming up this week, and after the exams, there will be a long summer vacation.
The students of Star Song Castle Primary School can apply to various advanced schools based on their grades, and most of them are accepted into the school's advanced section.
Therefore, Xerath realized that Sylas might not have time to write back during this exam cramming week. Thinking about not receiving a letter from Sylas at this time next week, Xerath felt a lack of interest in "the next weekend."
