Chapter 40: White-haired Loli?
Today is Sunday, and with no plans in the morning, Xivista got up early and took a hot bath under the service of a maid.
Currently, there is only one master in the Algia mansion, so for once, she has some freedom.
After bathing, with her wet, wavy long hair draped over her shoulders, Xivista changed into a loose nightgown, with her smooth, slender legs bare, and threw herself onto the soft bed, hugging a pillow, comfortably narrowing her eyes and enjoying the tranquility of the holiday.
Moments later, Xivista suddenly opened her eyes, glanced at the empty bedroom, and her eyes darted around.
“Let’s try that ‘thing’ I just bought.”
Thinking of something, her little face turned slightly red, and she instinctively reached for the dimensional ring on her pinky.
But the familiar metallic touch did not come, and Xivista’s expression froze as she quickly sat up in bed.
Only then did she remember that she had lent the ring to Shaya to borrow money, and she hadn’t asked for it back yet; after all, twenty thousand gold coins is not a small amount.
“Oh no…”
“Oh no, no, no, no!!”
Xivista wanted to cry but had no tears, tugging hard at her hair with both hands, completely losing her usual elegance and composure.
Why did she forget to take such an important thing when leaving?
…
“What did you say?”
Shaya slammed his hands on the counter, wide-eyed in inquiry.
He had brought over the ten thousand gold coins he won from Angelica, wanting to buy some virtual world stone powder and then hurry to see the Witch.
After reading the letter from the informant that morning, a sense of unseen urgency had been urging him on.
Not only was he investigating the potential conflict caused by “the Sun,” but he was also likely already targeted by the Algia family.
Only being a Grand Knight was far from enough.
Moreover, with Shaya currently weak, he had to die once to refresh his status.
Thus, he specially came to this secret channel, but the other party’s response chilled his heart.
“So, the goods are simply insufficient. Virtual world stone powder and such.” A lazy yet displeased voice came, “And be gentler; don’t break my counter!”
Shaya looked down and made eye contact with the small figure behind the counter.
She was a petite loli in a cute-style nightgown, her white long hair somewhat messily tied up and draping over her partially exposed pink shoulders, rubbing her sleepy eyes, looking at him with impatience.
Notably, her eyes had an unusual crimson hue.
Overall, she looked like a little girl, probably under twelve years old, but her tone was surprisingly mature.
Shaya looked at her pink cotton slippers and twitched a little at the corner of his eye.
“If I were your age, I definitely wouldn’t have the face to call myself ‘my lady’.” He scoffed, “Right, old vampire lady over a thousand years old?”
The white-haired loli glared at him and waved her fist: “It’s very rude to casually discuss a woman’s age, you little brat!”
“And, I am a Bloodsucker! A noble Bloodsucker!”
“Yikes!”
Seemingly due to over-exerting herself, her adorable nightgown slipped gently off her slender shoulder, and the previously arrogant little loli’s expression instantly stiffened.
Then she twitched her mouth, slowly pulled her nightgown back up to her shoulder, and pretended to be calm: “Ahem — someone like you, a virgin boy, must have never appreciated the wonders of a mature woman’s beauty, right?”
“……”
Shaya covered his forehead, unable to bear looking at her, and slowly moved his gaze away.
They say rich lolis are rich lolis; she can have such a large… area at such a young age.
But if he thought about it, this girl was already over a thousand years old, which arguably made her an old woman even by the long lifespans of Bloodsuckers, so there was really nothing to be proud of.
The white-haired loli currently making a fuss was named Octave Kaels, a Bloodsucker woman whom Shaya inadvertently saved five years ago. She is an alchemist who runs a magical device store deep in an alley on Minden Street.
Her business is usually dismal, with Shaya being the only one who regularly visits.
All the materials Shaya needs, including the forbidden book for the ritual, are provided by her.
However, Shaya knew nothing of Octave’s background; he only knew she seemed to have been a member of some vampire family.
“How much do you have left now?”
Shaya sighed, watching Octave organize her clothes as he spoke.
Time is tight; there are only two days left until the meeting time set by the informant, and Shaya can’t afford to go see anyone in such a weak state.
Moreover, many people in the Royal Capital are eyeing him.
Upon hearing this, Octave rolled her eyes and rummaged through the drawer under the counter. After a hard search, she finally found a somewhat dusty glass vial.
The bottom of the vial contained a thin layer of crystal powder, the same type of material that Shaya usually uses for rituals.
This is the priceless virtual world stone powder.
Looking at the amount in the vial, Shaya frowned, took it, and weighed it slightly: “This is only about one gram. But at least two grams are needed for a single ritual, right?”
“Well, then you’ll have to wait a little longer, because my source seems to have run into some trouble lately and can’t be providing this stuff frequently.”
Octave plopped down onto the chair beside her, crossed her legs, and swung her slippers.
In fact, what she had just taken out was still a stock from long ago.
“But I don’t have time to wait.” Shaya said somewhat irritably, tapping his fingers quickly against the wooden counter, “Is there any other way, old lady?”
“Is this the attitude when asking someone for help?”
A soft snort came from Octave’s nose as she casually kicked her pink cotton slippers towards Shaya.
“Please enlighten me, your noble Bloodsucker highness!”
Shaya picked up the slippers, walked up to her, and helped her put them back on.
Then, like a true knight, he knelt on one knee solemnly, took her delicate little hand, and gently placed a kiss on her fingertips.
“Stop it! I’m not any noble highness~”
Octave seemed very pleased with this title, her crimson eyes shining slightly as she cupped her face and said.
After so many years of interacting with this old woman, Shaya had long figured out her personality and temperament.
“Actually, it’s possible to slightly simplify the ceremony as well, provided that the entity needing communication doesn’t harbor any hostility towards you and doesn’t consider simplifying the ritual as an act of disrespect.” Octave rested her chin on her white, tender hand, “In that case, the corresponding amount of virtual world stone powder can also be reduced by half.”
“However, a significantly reduced quantity could lead to an increased chance of not being able to precisely transport to the desired location, but generally speaking, it won’t deviate too much.”
After saying this with a hint of pride, when Octave opened her eyes again, she realized the boy had already disappeared from the shop.
“Hey!”
“The money hasn’t been paid yet! Damn it, nasty man!”
