“Hehe, what a lovely young lady. Judging by her appearance, is she a fox demon?”
“No, this is the Princess of our Academy.”
Aili sounded exceptionally proud as she introduced Liuli. This made Liuli feel a bit shy.
Although she truly was a princess, stating it like that to a commoner always made her feel as if she were posing.
‘I’m a princess, but saying it to ordinary people like this makes me feel like a bit of a show-off.’
“No wonder there have been rumors of an esteemed guest visiting these past two days. So you are the Princess of St. Leia.”
The Shopkeeper didn’t act startled or shocked by Liuli’s identity, which helped Liuli relax quite a bit.
After all, her temperament was still that of an ordinary person. ‘I would be really sad if people distanced themselves from me just because of my status as a princess.’
“Miss, you don’t seem surprised by this?”
“Because even if an esteemed guest visits, it doesn’t mean much to us commoners. At most, there might be a curfew, but what does that have to do with us ordinary merchants?”
Liuli looked at the Shopkeeper’s nonchalant, indifferent expression with some surprise.
‘Is this Shopkeeper actually some kind of hidden master living in seclusion? That would explain why she’s so composed in the face of everything.’
“However, since the Princess has graced us with her presence, it seems it does have a little something to do with us commoners after all. Is Her Highness looking for a pet?”
“Yes, I want to see if you have any Forest Elementals.”
On second thought, as a merchant, she would naturally have met all sorts of people, so her social skills were likely maxed out.
What Liuli hadn’t expected, however, was for the woman to remain so confident when facing someone of higher status.
Liuli actually envied people like her. ‘My tongue is always getting tied, and sometimes I make irredeemable mistakes because of it.’
“A Forest Elemental? Those little rascals aren’t exactly docile pets. Are you sure you want to raise one, Princess?”
“Yes, I plan to look first. Even though I know Forest Elementals can be mischievous, I still want to see them.”
“Of course. However, I must remind the Princess that the abandonment rate for Forest Elementals is very high. You must think it through carefully before deciding to get one.”
As the Shopkeeper spoke, she took a glass jar down from a nearby shelf. Inside lay an Elemental Spirit the size of a palm, sleeping peacefully.
“Wake up, we have a guest.”
Liuli watched as the Shopkeeper tapped on the jar. After waking the Forest Elemental, she opened the lid.
“Mmm, don’t be so noisy…” The Forest Elemental flew up unsteadily and landed on the Shopkeeper’s shoulder, leaning intimately against her cheek. “If a guest is here, then they’re here. Master never needed me to come out before…”
Looking at the incredibly well-behaved Forest Elemental in front of her, Liuli was surprised. ‘I heard Forest Elementals were all extremely mischievous. Why is this one so cute?’
“I called you out because this guest wants to buy a Forest Elemental.”
“Eh? A guest wants to buy a Forest Elemental?”
Upon hearing that, the Forest Elemental wore a shocked expression. She then quickly flew over to Liuli, darting up and down to observe her.
“Is she actually a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox!” The Forest Elemental seemed very excited and even lunged straight into the nine large fox tails behind Liuli. “Ah, this fluffy feeling… it really is the legendary Nine-tailed Celestial Fox!”
“Don’t—don’t dive in there!”
Although long-term living had allowed Liuli to adapt to the sensitivity of her tails, a sudden sneak attack like this was still difficult to handle.
“Gugu, come back!”
Very well. Liuli had been thinking that Forest Elementals weren’t necessarily mischievous creatures, but after being “backstabbed” in the tail like that, she finally understood why the abandonment rate was so high.
‘If I had to deal with this every day, I’d probably resolve to give it up sooner or later.’
“Master, this is a rare opportunity! It’s a chance to get close to a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox! You might not see one in an entire lifetime. If I don’t seize this chance now, who knows when the next one will be?”
The Forest Elemental named Gugu seemed to find it a great pity, but she still followed the Shopkeeper’s order and reluctantly crawled out from Liuli’s tails.
The fact that she could listen to and execute her master’s orders already made her better than an average pet.
‘As long as a pet is obedient enough, it doesn’t really matter if they’re smart or not.’
“Hehe, beautiful and kind fox demon lady, since you’re planning on raising a clever and cute Forest Elemental as a pet, why not consider me? I can help you with things within my power, and all you need to provide is a bit of magic power that’s negligible to you. Well? Care to consider it?”
“Gugu, how can you turn against me like that? I’ve raised you for so long, and you turn coat just because the Princess might give you some benefits?”
“No, no, no, Master! This isn’t just a few benefits; this is the Pure Magic of a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox! Believe me, Master, no one can refuse this kind of magic power. Even you would be unable to resist after experiencing such refined power. But don’t worry, Master, I won’t leave you.”
Liuli looked at Gugu and suddenly felt that this tiny Forest Elemental was very smart. Not only could she sense her master’s emotions, but she could even offer comfort. ‘It would be nice if I could have a Forest Elemental like this.’
“Miss Shopkeeper, I’m a bit curious. Aren’t Forest Elementals usually known for being very mischievous? Why is this one—er, Gugu—so obedient?”
“A mischievous personality is just the norm; it doesn’t mean it can’t be changed. As long as you’re willing to be patient and train them well, even a Forest Elemental can be taught. Of course, the creature’s innate character is also important. Gugu is actually one of the relatively quiet ones.”
“In that case, the effort required must be several times higher, right?”
“Naturally. It’s the same for all pets, not just Forest Elementals. Once you decide to raise a pet, you must be prepared to take responsibility. Especially for those with extroverted personalities like the Forest Elemental—you can’t just get one because you’re charmed by their looks and then abandon them shortly after. That is very irresponsible behavior. However, I believe you aren’t that kind of person, right, Princess?”