“I’ll do my best…”
The Shopkeeper’s words put a lot of pressure on Liuli.
To be honest, no matter how much preparation one did, it often felt meaningless.
All sorts of unexpected events would inevitably crop up to disrupt one’s plans.
However, if it was just about raising a pet, these difficulties always seemed like something that could be overcome.
“Haha, since the Princess is prepared, I can feel at ease showing them to you.”
The Shopkeeper led the way, and after walking a short distance, they arrived at an entirely new area. Here, Liuli saw many jars containing Forest Elementals.
“Um, how are these Forest Elementals obtained?”
Although Liuli felt it was a bit rude to ask about someone’s source of income, Forest Elementals were Magic Beasts with unique intelligence.
They could think independently and even communicate with their Master.
For Liuli, this was still a very fresh concept, making it impossible for her to view these little creatures as mere pets.
“Most were caught after causing trouble in the homes of the Elf Race, while others were captured in the Forest by certain Elves looking to earn some extra cash. However, Forest Elementals are quite clever. Generally speaking, wild ones aren’t that easy to catch. But these little guys often get complacent and let their guard down after a successful prank. That is the easiest time to capture them.”
“I can’t help but feel that the way you put it is a bit scary, Shopkeeper… It sounds almost like human trafficking.” Liuli really wasn’t sure if she should be nitpicking this issue.
It was mainly because the Forest Elementals looked too much like humans, which caused a sense of sympathy to rise within her unconsciously. “Also, why are all these Forest Elementals sleeping?”
If only one or two were sleeping, Liuli might have explained it away as them being tired from playing. But with every single Forest Elemental asleep, it was truly strange. It felt as if some sort of trick had been used.
“Because I used some Magic to suppress them. After all, with so many Forest Elementals, if I didn’t keep them asleep, the constant ruckus would be more than an average person could bear.”
“Uh, so do many customers buy Forest Elementals?”
“Strictly speaking, not many. Most are Merchants from other Races. Local members of the Elf Race don’t exactly fond of these little guys.”
“Um, can I learn a bit about the personalities of these Forest Elementals?”
After all, she didn’t want the pet she bought to be a master of mischief. In fact, a personality like Gugu’s would be quite nice.
“You can, but Princess, the personalities of these Forest Elementals can’t be determined at a glance. These little ones are very smart. Sometimes, in order to be bought, they will even pretend to be well-behaved, only to reveal their true nature once they get home.”
“But what is the point of doing that? What if they are abandoned after exposing their true nature?”
“Princess, do you really think these little guys can think that far ahead?” The Shopkeeper stroked a glass jar, seemingly lost in thought. “Besides, if the opportunity is right, it might also be a chance for these little ones to regain their freedom.”
The Shopkeeper’s words left Liuli somewhat speechless. For a moment, she didn’t know if her plan to raise a Forest Elemental was right or wrong.
Seeing a little creature that looked so much like a human being kept by her, a wave of hesitation inevitably rose in Liuli’s heart.
She truly couldn’t distinguish the difference between these creatures and humans.
“In short, if the Princess wants to raise a Forest Elemental, you certainly can. However, do not treat them as innocent, adorable things. This is to prevent you from being pranked when you go softhearted. This is the experience everyone has gathered over time.”
Well, Liuli had indeed gone softhearted for just a moment before being discovered and refuted by the Shopkeeper.
But honestly, looking at Gugu’s personality, Liuli found it hard to believe how naughty Forest Elementals could be.
After all, seeing was believing. She hadn’t seen a naughty Forest Elemental yet, but a well-behaved one was currently right in front of her.
This gave Liuli some peace of mind. Perhaps after she put in the effort to teach them, her own Forest Elemental would also become well-behaved.
“Shopkeeper, can you wake these little guys up?”
Regardless, if she really intended to buy a Forest Elemental, she still had to pick one. Perhaps those that didn’t look very lively would be the well-behaved ones?
“Of course. However, it might be very noisy if I wake them all at once, so how about I wake them one by one?”
“Alright.” This didn’t make much of a difference to Liuli. At most, it would just take a little more time to choose.
To the current Liuli, time was one of the cheapest things she had. It was always better to take her time picking.
Of course, the selection process was actually a bit boring. The moment these little creatures saw Liuli, they were all eager to show their most perfect side.
Nuzzling and clinging were common, and those acting spoiled were everywhere.
Recalling what the Shopkeeper had said, Liuli didn’t dare take the current performance of these little ones as their true personalities.
“Um, Shopkeeper, is there any way to control them? Like a Contract or something?”
Anyone could say nice words, but not everyone could follow through.
If there was a similar Contract that could make these Forest Elementals perfectly fulfill the promises they were making now, wouldn’t that save her a lot of worry?
“You can give it a try, Princess. Generally, Forest Elementals won’t agree to such a Contract. If you don’t believe me, you are welcome to ask them.”
Sure enough, after Liuli asked if anyone was willing to sign a Contract, many of the Forest Elementals shut their mouths.
It seemed they weren’t as well-behaved as they had just promised.
Although Liuli knew that this so-called Contract was no different from a deed of sale and was undoubtedly unfair to the weaker party, she had no choice.
Liuli was the buyer, and at this moment, she had to find a way to provide herself with an advantage.
Therefore, refusal was something Liuli could have predicted. If anything, if someone had actually agreed without hesitation at a time like this, that would be the real problem.
“I need to look a bit more, if that’s alright?”
“Of course. These little guys are very shrewd. Princess, you must make sure to see them clearly while you are choosing.”
The Shopkeeper told her to see clearly, but she didn’t even know the Forest Elementals.
If she were asked to describe the personalities of Forest Elementals, she wouldn’t know the first thing about it.
Under such circumstances, how was she supposed to choose well?
In the end, it would probably just come down to picking the one that caught her eye the most.