“Ah, sorry, sorry, but you really do look like a child.”
Wei Bai might have realized his words were a bit offensive, so his tone softened a bit.
“Oh? Sir, then may I ask where exactly you see a child in me?”
“Well, it’s mainly because your height is a bit… too petite.”
Wei Bai said recklessly, not noticing the suppressed anger in the other’s tone, and instead began to analyze it matter-of-factly.
But there was one more thing he didn’t dare say out loud.
His eyes kept glancing at the girl’s chest, and Wei Bai was shocked to find that there were almost no signs of development at all.
Yeah, he confirmed it repeatedly; there was nothing at all.
Therefore, Wei Bai felt it was only natural that he subconsciously treated her like a child.
“You really are quite bold, staring at me so brazenly. Are you thinking about something offensive in that head of yours?”
The brown-haired loli looked at Wei Bai with a fake smile, her brown eyes fixed on his face as if she were thinking of something interesting.
“No, nothing of the sort. Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”
Feeling the girl’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Wei Bai swallowed hard and felt a shiver run through his body.
He felt like he would lose something very important if he stayed any longer.
No, he had to leave quickly.
Just as he was about to leave, he was blocked by the loli in front of him.
Looking at this loli whose height only reached his chest, Wei Bai couldn’t help but take a step back.
“Sir, could you stay for a moment? Being so disrespectful to a lady, I think your manners need some re-education.”
“No, no need. I have business, very urgent business.”
“What kind of business?”
“That’s none of your business, is it?”
Having been blocked for so long, Wei Bai was honestly getting a bit irritated, especially since the girl was firmly blocking his path as if she wouldn’t let it go until the bitter end.
Tsk, it’s just because I called her small. Why is she taking it so seriously?
Sure enough, those with narrow chests also have narrow minds.
“In that case, you may go, sir.” The girl feigned helplessness and stepped aside to make a path for Wei Bai.
Seeing this, Wei Bai didn’t waste any words.
He really did have urgent business; the Seventh-tier Magic he had just obtained was waiting for him to learn.
He lifted his foot and walked past without hesitation, but a sentence from the girl as he passed her made him stop in his tracks.
“You wouldn’t want anyone else to know about the fact that you’re hiding a demi-human, would you, sir?”
The voice was very low, audible only to the two of them.
“What demi-human? Where am I hiding one?” Although Wei Bai was surprised, he still retorted.
He wasn’t sure if she really had solid evidence or if she was just bluffing.
Wei Bai felt even more that she was just messing with him without any basis.
After all, this person was so petty; she would definitely try to get back at him for what just happened.
“Your body is covered in the scent of an elf, sir.”
The girl’s words shocked Wei Bai to the core.
He knew the power of the pendant all too well; it could conceal everything about him perfectly. As for the scent the girl mentioned…
Where? Where is it? He hadn’t smelled it for so long, and no one else had either. This girl in front of him could just smell it like that?!
How could that be possible?
“You must be thinking, how could I possibly smell it, right?” The girl looked up at Wei Bai, her eyes full of playfulness. “I am an alchemist. If you don’t believe me, feel free to strut down the street. When the time comes, it won’t just be a weak and cute little loli looking for trouble.”
“Heh, kid, don’t go slandering people. You’re just talking nonsense without proof. Do you think anyone will believe you?”
“If you don’t want your friend to get into trouble, then please be a bit more polite.”
“After all, the person in front of you is the current Chief Alchemist. There are ways to handle this.”
“You’re bragging without even a script, kid. ‘Chief Alchemist’? I might as well say I’m the Chief Magician.” Wei Bai had originally been skeptical of her judgment, but hearing this, all his doubts vanished, replaced only by ridicule.
What a joke. If a little brat like this can be the Chief Alchemist, is there any hope left for alchemy in this world?
“Fine then, good luck to you, sir. Although I’m sorry that a precious ingredient will be taken away by those barbaric guards, I’ve done my best. It’s not my fault.” The girl waved her hand regretfully and prepared to leave.
“Wait, what did you say?” Wei Bai caught the key piece of information: the guards were coming for him.
“In this peaceful era, aren’t the guards doing their duty? Who are they arresting? Isn’t Carven City doing just fine?”
“Your information is quite outdated, sir.”
“Just this morning, residual mana from a spell was detected in the eastern outskirts of the city. The guards went to investigate and actually found the scent of an elf.”
“I didn’t believe it at first, until I met you.”
“If you knew even a little about the human attitude toward elves, you could probably guess what those guards want to do.”
“They’re going to search?” Wei Bai blurted out without thinking.
“Exactly. At that time, they’ll bring a Detector and barge into your home like barbarians, sniffing around everywhere like wild dogs.”
The girl explained calmly, while Wei Bai felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, his heart filled with lingering fear.
His trail had been discovered.
“I don’t believe you.”
Even so, Wei Bai didn’t dare to easily trust this girl who had appeared out of nowhere.
“If you don’t believe me, then fine. Your elf companion will be the one out of luck.” The girl looked indifferent; she didn’t care anyway, as it had nothing to do with her.
Hearing this, Wei Bai couldn’t help but think.
After he left, he hadn’t considered the residual mana after casting a spell.
According to Carven City’s Mana Detection Array, detecting mana residue within several miles was easy.
And after they reached that forest, he hadn’t intentionally hidden the elf’s scent, so it would be easy to find traces of an elf using detection magic.
Doesn’t that mean…?
Thinking of this, Wei Bai broke out in a cold sweat. He could gamble—gamble that the girl in front of him was lying.
But he didn’t dare gamble.
If he lost, it would cost him his life.
No, he couldn’t gamble.
“Fine, I believe you. So, what should I do?” Wei Bai softened his stance.
He had no choice; he was risking his life now.
For the sake of his own survival, he had to yield for now.
“Oh? Can I take it that you’ve yielded, sir?” The girl stared at Wei Bai again, a pleasant smile on her face. “Or are you just chickening out?”
“I just don’t want to cause trouble. After all, having someone barge into my home and flip through everything is never good.” Wei Bai gritted his teeth, swallowing his pride.
Endure for a moment to keep the peace.
Comforting himself this way, Wei Bai met the girl’s eyes without fear.
“Oh my, although I really want to help you, sir, given someone’s previous attitude, I’m quite conflicted right now.”
The girl’s smile grew even brighter, but to Wei Bai, such a cute smile was full of mockery and smugness.
Tsk, this person! Truly narrow-minded. It serves her right for being so completely flat!
“I’m sorry, very sorry. I hope you can be magnanimous and overlook my mistakes. Please accept my apology.”
Despite his internal thoughts, Wei Bai had to bow his head.
After all, the girl in front of him might actually have a way to help.
He would just find a chance to get back at her later.
A real man doesn’t get hung up on formalities; being adaptable is a virtue.
“Ah, I accept your not-so-sincere apology, sir. But…”
The girl’s tone shifted, and a bad premonition surfaced in Wei Bai’s heart.
Is this ironing board plotting something else again?
“But business is business. I can’t help you for nothing. You have to give me something.”
“What thing?”
Wei Bai knew she wouldn’t help for free, but hearing this, he actually felt a sense of relief.
They didn’t even know each other, and they’d had a bit of friction earlier.
If she helped him unconditionally, Wei Bai would be even more suspicious.
No one gets up early without a profit.
If she were really that selfless, she must have an even more sinister plan.
On the contrary, since she actively proposed a condition, Wei Bai felt more at ease because the known cost and risk were controllable.
“I’m an alchemist, and I’ve been brewing a special potion lately. However, one of the ingredients is very difficult to obtain. At least, with my abilities, I can’t get my hands on it.”
The girl stared closely at Wei Bai’s face, noticing that his expression didn’t change much.
“Hey, look, I’m not an alchemist. Didn’t you say you were the Chief Alchemist? If even you can’t get it, where am I supposed to find it?”
Wei Bai was almost laughed in exasperation.
He felt like the girl was playing with him.
“No, you can get it.”
A cunning, triumphant smile appeared on the girl’s face again.
“I need a cup of elf blood. You can’t even buy this stuff; it’s not allowed on the market.”
Wei Bai fell silent.
Well, he really could get this.
In fact, he could provide as much as she wanted.
Faced with the powerful self-healing abilities of a long-lived race, a cup of blood was really nothing.
“Fine, I agree. But before that, I need to verify if you really have a way to hide the elf’s trail.”
Wei Bai agreed readily.
“Then, it’s a pleasure to work with you. Since we’ve become partners, I think we should get to know each other.”
The girl lifted her skirt, took a small step back, and gave a slight bow.
“Phil Ramrad. It is a pleasure to meet you.”