“Come out quickly! Or don’t blame us for being rude!” Hilvia’s eyes blazed with fury.
“Don’t be nervous, I’m coming down now.”
Judging by the voice, it was a relatively young man, clear and bright without any hoarseness, carrying an inexplicable optimism.
After a few scattered sounds, sure enough, a handsome young man jumped down and landed steadily on the ground without the slightest wobble.
Not a speck of dirt was stained on him.
Sairi nervously stared at the man, noticing his peculiar attire.
He had neatly parted purple hair and wore a tall top hat. On his left eye, he sported a single lens. Shouldn’t glasses have two lenses? His face was pale and tender, quite handsome actually.
If he were just an ordinary girl, she might have swooned, but Sairi was no ordinary girl. Instead, she felt this man was a strange uncle.
Looking down, he was dressed in a flashy suit, stepping in a pair of black leather shoes. His clothes were adorned with many decorative accessories, and a floral tie hung around his chest.
“Who are you? What do you want with us?” Compared to Hilvia, Sairi’s tone was a bit calmer.
“No need to be afraid, I’m just a magician, traveling the world alone.”
“A magician?”
Are there magicians in this other world? What kind of magic tricks does he perform? Besides, this world already has magic, so why would anyone need stage magic? Magic is so much more practical than tricks.
Sairi suspected this man might have ulterior motives.
“Yes, as you can see, I’m a magician—genuine, no fake.”
“Who would believe that? This world has such useful magic. Who would bother chasing after stage magic instead?”
Sairi obviously didn’t buy his words.
“Magic and stage magic are two different things. Magic is indeed powerful and practical, but it makes people overly reliant on it, neglecting their own abilities. In contrast, our magic tricks are more astonishing and dazzling.”
“Pfft~”
Sairi understood immediately—this man just thought stage magic was flashier and more showy, something to boast about. He was probably someone without much real magical ability.
“Miss, please don’t show such a disdainful expression. We magicians also possess profound skills. Our abilities are by no means inferior to those great mages.”
“We don’t care about your skills. What we want to know is why you’re here. Why were you hiding in the tree just now? What were you trying to do behind our backs?”
Hilvia’s tone was as sharp as a blade, the Holy Sword pointed straight at the strange man before them.
“Don’t be nervous, I mean no harm. As I said, I’m a magician traveling the world alone.”
“Then why were you hiding in the tree?”
“Hiding? I was just resting in the tree. You’re the newcomers. I had been up there for quite a while.”
“Do you think we believe you?”
Hilvia remained suspicious—perhaps even excessively cautious?
“What else could it be? I arrived here last night. Worried about wild beasts, I slept in the tree. I was half asleep when I heard you calling below, so I came down.”
Sairi was stunned for a moment; that explanation did seem reasonable.
“You’re such a skilled magician, and yet you’re afraid of wild beasts?” Hilvia pressed on.
“Magicians need rest too. What if I fell asleep and got ambushed? And even though dealing with those beasts is easy, it still wastes time and energy. It’s simpler to just sleep in the tree.”
“Hilvia, I think he makes some sense. Maybe we’re misjudging him?”
“What nonsense, Sairi. Who wanders alone in a place like this without reason? No telling what his intentions are.”
“Hey, could you two ladies keep it down when discussing someone behind their back? It’s rude to talk about someone right in front of them.”
“Aren’t we just suspicious of you?”
“Come on, I really have no such intentions. If I wanted to attack you, why waste time talking? I should have ambushed you when you first came, even brought backup.”
The man defended himself earnestly.
“Yet here you are, pointing a sword at us two girls like you want a fight. Who’s trying to start a fight here?”
“Hey, Hilvia, how about we put away the Holy Sword first? Pointing it at someone like this really isn’t good. If there’s something to discuss, let’s talk it out.”
***
Hilvia sighed helplessly but had no better option.
“Fine, but you better behave, or don’t blame us if we act.”
With a snap of her fingers, the Holy Sword vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Hilvia then crossed her arms, watching the man’s every move carefully.
Sairi, on the other hand, was curious about what kind of magician this otherworldly man was, and what magic he could use.
“Um, my name is Sairi, and this is my good friend Hilvia. What’s your name?”
“Hm… Sairi, that suits you well—bright, lively, radiant, like a pure little angel.”
Hearing this, Sairi couldn’t help but feel a chill crawl over her scalp. This man was strange, and just like Hilvia, quick to launch into flowery compliments.
“Hey, don’t make assumptions about my name or appearance! Tell us your name quickly!”
“Alright, alright. I am the great magician—Autelanz.”
“Autelanz?”
“‘Z’! Autelanz! Your knowledge needs improvement. How did you study culture?”
“Ah? Well… I haven’t really studied culture much…”
“What? Such a cute little angel hasn’t studied much? What have your parents been doing?”
“Cough!”
Seeing Autelanz about to poke fun at Sairi, Hilvia quickly stepped in to block.
“Um, this child is an orphan and used to be blind, couldn’t see anything, so couldn’t attend school. She only recently met me, and when she did, she was able to see.”
“Oh? That’s a strange story. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Little sister, do you remember what happened?”
What was Hilvia doing dragging this conversation into personal matters? How was Sairi supposed to answer?
“Um… I don’t know about the past. I met Hilvia after I could see, and we started traveling together.”
“Such a touching friendship. But you don’t have to be sad. You’re so beautiful, and if you’re gloomy, it makes others sad just looking at you.”
“Huh?”
Autelanz went overboard. He was lying, but she actually got flustered.
“Such beautiful ladies, each carrying their own fateful stories~”
Autelanz didn’t hold back, starting to talk to himself as he confidently approached Sairi. Hilvia had already moved beside Sairi instead of standing in front of her.
“Fateful stories? What do you mean?”
“Literally what I said. From your story and the tale of the Yongzhe Hilvia, it’s clear you two are no ordinary people.”
“You’re no ordinary person either.”
“Of course I know. The Yongzhe of the Kingdom of Humans left the Royal Capital without permission, escaping control. Now the entire capital’s officials are searching for you.”
“Are you going to warn those insects?”
“Um, Miss Sairi, could you speak a bit more politely? Don’t always jump to conclusions about others. Sure, the Royal Capital has its pests and troublemakers, but also kind, wise, and brave people.”
Now you’re lecturing me.
“I’m not warning them. I have no interest. I don’t care for money or wealth—I love the art of magic!”
Though absurd, judging by his earlier defense about the difference between magic and stage magic, Sairi felt Autelanz was sincere.
“Alright, I’ll reluctantly believe you. But don’t follow us around.”
“How can I not? Aren’t you heading to the Bloodspirit Empire?”
“What business is it of yours if we are?”
“More people, more company. Besides, I’ve been to the Bloodspirit Empire before. I might be able to help you on your journey.”
Autelanz volunteered eagerly, and his hands weren’t exactly still.
Autel…
Autelanz stepped forward in front of Sairi. She noticed the height difference was quite significant—she wasn’t even as tall as his chest. Her body still felt too small and delicate.
Just as Sairi was lost in thought, Autelanz suddenly reached around and touched the back of her head.
“!!! What are you doing? A grown man suddenly touching a girl?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I saw something on your hair.”
“Something on my hair?”
Autelanz then placed his hand in front of Sairi, and she noticed it was a card—a cliché start to a magic trick…
“Tch… such a cheesy trick, boring.”
“Don’t rush, this card is quite useful.”
“Why should I believe you?”
Autelanz didn’t answer but waved the card left and right in front of Sairi. Then, in the next second, it suddenly disappeared.
“Guess where it went?”
“Your sleeve.”
“Of course not! The answer is revealed!” Autelanz made a flashy turn and knelt on one knee before Sairi.
At the same time, his other arm reached inside his sleeve and pulled out a bunch of colorful flowers, offering them to Sairi.
“How’s that? These roses and lilies are fresh, not wilted at all—full of life.”
As crows flew overhead leaving six spots,
Sairi couldn’t help but gag at Autelanz’s outdated performance, utterly disgusted.
So cheesy, so cheesy. Sairi wasn’t buying any of it. The image of the great magician Autelanz had been boasting about was already shattered in her mind.
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