Abyss Sequence-Chapter 357 - 14: Terms of the Deal
When the caravan set off to sell goods in other Elf Cities, Julia also helped Sasa get in touch with the academy.
If elves want to communicate over long distances, besides using the Intercity Messenger, there is another method that requires consuming a large amount of magic power.
It’s called the ’communication sigil’, the longer the communication distance, the more magic power is needed.
However, the magic power of elves themselves cannot supply the usage of the communication sigil, so magic crystals are needed.
Because of this, every time the communication sigil is used for communication, it’s a significant expense.
However, this matter involves the ’Saint’s Blood’, which is precious even to the academy.
[Are you the human ’Sasa’?]
The communication sigil is a black stone the size of a washbasin, and when activated, the runes carved on the surface of the stone emit a faint glow.
The stone trembles slightly, emitting a distorted voice that falls into Sasa’s ears.
"That’s right, I am Sasa."
Even though the elf on the other side of the communication sigil couldn’t see her, Sasa still wore a smile.
[You possess the Saint’s Blood, and you want to trade it for the chance to read books in the academy’s library, correct?]
"That’s right, and we’ve already bestowed the blood on an elf. She is our proof to you."
After Sasa said this, it fell silent on the other side of the communication sigil. If not for the runes still being active, she would have suspected the elf on the other side had left.
After a while, the elf on the other side said: [You want to enter the library to read, that’s possible, but only one person can enter. How much are you willing to pay?]
"An amount that grants an elf the effect of the Saint’s Blood." Sasa answered.
It went silent again on the other side, likely in discussion.
[Alright, but you only have one day to read in the library.] The elf on the other side said.
That’s enough!
In fact, this time far exceeded Sasa’s expectations.
Sasa originally thought she would only be able to read for a few hours in the library, but unexpectedly, the elves were so generous, granting her one day.
However, for the elves of the academy, the terms she offered might also be quite generous.
Then, Sasa negotiated a bit more with the academy’s elves, hoping that the academy would cover the cost of using the teleportation array.
After two exchanges of banter with the academy elves, they agreed.
This once again confirmed to Sasa the value of the ’Saint’s Blood’.
In the eyes of the elves, the value of the Saint’s Blood was much higher than she had imagined.
Watching the communication sigil dim, Sasa turned and walked out of the Lord’s Mansion’s communication room.
The elf responsible for mediating between Sasa and the academy was the Lord of Gass City, who confirmed that Julia had received the Saint’s Blood, and thus initiated communication with the academy at her request.
At this moment, the Lord of Gass City, leaning on a cane, was standing outside the communication room. Seeing Sasa come out, he smiled and asked, "Lady Sasa, how did it go?"
Sasa nodded, "It went well."
The Lord of Gass City smiled again and abruptly asked, "Is Yan Luo the Saint?"
Sasa smiled, "So what if he is?"
She had long anticipated that the Lord of Gass City, this ’most learned elf in the territory’, would be able to guess that Yan Luo was the Saint, even without Julia’s report.
She didn’t know whether it was Julia who reported this to the Lord of Gass City.
"I suspected something was amiss before. When you first came, although you acted the part well, you seemed not to know much about the Saint. I wondered then if there was a break in your history, causing knowledge about the ’Saint’ to be lost. Later, I learned that Yan Luo could consume demons to gain strength, which confirmed his identity." The Lord of Gass City honestly shared his thought process.
Sasa looked at the elderly elf before her and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Gass City intends to cooperate sincerely with you," the Lord of Gass City replied.
This answer left Sasa slightly taken aback.
The Lord of Gass City revealed a mischievous smile, "You might think I intend to use this secret to threaten you, right? Having dealt with your kind a few times, I’ve figured out how you humans think. Compared to you, Yan Luo is the outlier. That’s why we won’t betray Yan Luo. Elves are not like humans; we value emotions more. I am grateful to Yan Luo, and we also respect you for proposing to industrialize us. We won’t betray emotions for profit.
"Since we’re planning to cooperate sincerely, we have to be honest and open, right?"
Sasa pressed her lips together, reluctantly falling silent.
"Don’t worry, I will keep this secret," the Lord of Gass City said as he walked away, leaning on his cane. "However, I must remind you, not all elves are weak and easily deceived. While we value emotions, if we have no emotional ties, we won’t hesitate to strike."
A flash of inspiration crossed Sasa’s mind, realizing the Lord of Gass City was giving her a hint.
In Gass City, she could still exploit the respect she received from its people to do some excessive things, but at the academy, she couldn’t. She hadn’t formed any emotional connections with the elves there.
"Thank you, old sir!" Sasa called after the departing back of the Lord of Gass City.
The Lord of Gass City chuckled and went on his way.
......
Upon returning to her residence, Sasa shared the outcome of her negotiations with the academy elves with Yan Luo and the others.
"The academy has agreed. I can go there as early as tomorrow, or at the latest within a month. They won’t wait beyond that,"
Sasa expressed her plan, "I want to go to the academy tomorrow. At that time, I hope Ms. Bilukova can accompany me."
Yulia nodded in agreement, "Since it relates to me, I am willing to accompany you."
Wang Lingyu frowned while sipping the bitter tea of Alfheim, questioning, "So, from tomorrow, it will just be Yan Luo and me here?"
The others were also set to leave the next day to sell goods in other Elf Cities.
Yan Luo thought for a moment and then turned to Wang Lingyu, "In that case, why not join me in hunting demons tomorrow?"
Wang Lingyu was shocked, "Other couples engage in activities like walking the streets, shopping, or watching movies, but with you, it becomes hunting demons together? That does sound rather romantic. Alright, let’s do it!"
Sasa looked at Wang Lingyu in surprise, as she couldn’t detect any romantic tone in the earlier conversation.
Sitting to the side, Yulia wore an amused aunt-like smile, watching the interactions between the young couple, Yan Luo and Wang Lingyu, as one of the few entertainments in her days here.
Time flew by, and the next day, everyone left the residence.
As Yan Luo drove the armored vehicle out of the city, he saw Julia at the city gate, preparing to patrol the Gass Forest, and called her to get in.
Julia sat in the back seat and glanced at Wang Lingyu in the front passenger seat.
Although she was also wearing a full exoskeleton, Wang Lingyu was noticeably taller than Sasa, so Julia immediately recognized that the person wasn’t Sasa.
Is she Yan Luo’s lover?
Thinking of it, Julia recalled she hadn’t formally introduced herself to Wang Lingyu and initiated the conversation: "Are you Yan Luo’s lover? I’m his friend, Julia. Nice to meet you."
Wang Lingyu initially felt displeased about Julia getting in the car, but upon hearing her self-identification, she responded with a couple of disgruntled hums, intending to express her discontent. Yet, her mouth couldn’t help but turn up as she awkwardly said, "I’m Wang Lingyu, and yes, I’m Yan Luo’s lover!"
Yan Luo, hands on the steering wheel, eyes on the road ahead, asked Julia, "Are you going on patrol?"
Julia was fully equipped, carrying leather armor, a bow, and a fine sword.
Julia nodded, "Yes, I still have forestry patrol duties."
"What about Suniya?" Yan Luo asked offhandedly.
Julia replied, "Suniya just returned a couple of days ago. She’ll be resting at home for a few days and learning about the firearm maintenance knowledge you brought."
Gass City’s rangers spend many days in the forest for every outing. They don’t rest long in the city upon returning; they go back to the forest once they feel rested enough.
Suniya especially loves using firearms, recently even changing her long-standing fighting style.
In soft whispers, Yan Luo drove the armored vehicle through the barrier, entering the forest.
