I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 578

Chapter 36 Alchemy Workshop
The Silver Moon Elf, like an ice beauty, turned her silver-white eyes and gently nodded, confirming Sirius’s words. Then, the elf maid bowed slightly to the young count:
“I can still remember the route. If Young Master wants the sea route from El to the Elf Forest, it will take about two or three days.”
Holding the girl’s delicate and smooth small hand, Igert couldn’t help but reveal a smile on his face… The Elf Forest could not confirm whether it was enough to expel the God King’s will from Veer’s body, but that land of elves where gods existed was indeed one of their few choices.
“But why is this Silver Moon Elf only providing a route and not returning together? Elves are very family-oriented creatures…”
As soon as this doubt surfaced in his mind, Igert shook his head and smiled it away.
If this elf lady named Irene truly wanted to go home, she would have had countless opportunities during her twenty-plus years on this continent, and there would be no need to wait until now.
As for the specific reasons… that was her privacy, and he didn’t need to ask.
However, considering the timing, it coincided with the “Black Moon Tide” and the subsequent Great Closure experienced by the Elf Empire. Igert guessed that perhaps there might be some connection?
“Thank you, Sister Irene.”
Count Sirius said with a smile, then his pale golden, clear pupils shifted slightly, facing the maiden before him:
“However, the sea surface outside Vinash Port is currently frozen, and normal navigation will require at least half of the ice to melt. In the meantime, Miss Verafia, why don’t you temporarily stay in Vinash City.”
Verafia nodded. This was indeed the right thing to do, but she soon fell into a slight hesitation.
Staying in the city’s inn would certainly incur expenses, and Igert still had more than ten Pekka gold coins… But could foreign currency circulate in this city?
Although discussing money would undoubtedly be a disgrace to a Goddess Princess, it was a problem that had to be considered.
Besides the accommodation problem… what about her skirt?
Her gaze fell slightly, touching a piece of pure white silk skirt.
The skirt she was wearing was purchased for her by Igert in a small town in the coastal area before they left Peka.
The silk material, fused with alchemical magic, was not only soft and comfortable, but its superior quality would not be easily damaged even by magical attacks… A skirt that would not be out of place even in the eyes of a noble lady, no wonder it sold for more than one gold coin.
But no matter how good the quality, it was still just a girl’s skirt.
In these days, without the flow of magic, the casting of spells, and the ability to command fire elves to burn away dust for her… Although she took good care of it, due to the lack of replacement skirts, the soft fabric showed faint creases of wear and tear.
Hmm. She wanted a new, pretty skirt…
Although she knew it was rather unreasonable, such a thought inexplicably arose in her heart… Verafia gently bit her lip, her large, watery, gorgeous golden eyes looking at Igert with a hint of difficulty.
“If Miss Verafia and Lord Igert are worried about accommodation, if you don’t mind, why not stay in the castle? I will have the maids prepare rooms for you.”
Sirius, having noticed her thoughts, looked down with his pale golden eyes, a smile appearing, his gentle voice like the warm breeze of romantic nights.
Igert looked up in surprise: “My Lord Count, aren’t you worried about our origins?”
From their first meeting, Count Sirius’s impression on him was that of a gentle and kind young man, unlike any noble lord he had encountered… But even so, letting them, strangers, stay in the castle still surprised Igert.
After all, they were from a distant, strange continent… Who could be sure that they wouldn’t harbor ill intentions amidst such kindness?
“Worried…? How could that be? You are Brother Azer’s friends, invited to Vinash Castle by him, so what more would I have to worry about.”
He chuckled and shook his head. A gentle smile lightly appeared on Sirius’s handsome face. Although he was looking at the young man and woman before him, it felt as if he were reminiscing about the past:
“Moreover, Brother Azer has briefly told me about the stories of Miss Verafia and Mr. Igert. Such stories… if I can help in some way, perhaps they will be recorded in poems.”
The young count made a small joke in a rather quiet tone at the end.
“Mmm…”
Whether it was his imagination or not, in that brief moment, the faint smile that appeared on Sirius’s face gave her a strong sense of déjà vu… like the smile of “gentleness” that Igert saw in his eyes.
Could this little count also have a girl he liked?
Verafia blinked curiously.
Suddenly at this moment, the door of the room was lightly knocked. Sirius looked up slightly.
“My Lord Count, Lord Trist is waiting for you. Sir Knight said there is an important military and political matter to report to you.”
From the crack of the door, a timid maid’s voice could be heard. Verafia blinked slightly, remembering that the young count before her hadn’t gone to see the old knight of the Punishing Army directly but had come to find them first.
“Yes, I understand. Please let Lord Trist wait.”
He replied looking up. Sirius rubbed his temples again, tilted his head, appearing somewhat troubled:
“It’s rare for Uncle Trist to act like this. Is there really something important… But even so, he could have come to me directly, or just handled it himself.”
Sirius’s muttering voice caused the normally cold and exquisite face of the Silver Moon Elf maid beside him to reveal a rare smile, looking at the young man with doting affection.
“I originally wanted to accompany Mr. Igert and the others later… but it seems like Uncle Trist will find me often, so I will take my leave afterwards.”
With an apologetic smile, Sirius said to the three young people before him.
“No. Actually, we’ve already troubled you greatly, my Lord Count… I will remember your help.” Igert said.
“This is nothing… Oh, by the way, Sister Irene.”
Sirius shook his head with a faint smile on his face, as if he had thought of something, and gently called out, then took a small bag from the Silver Moon Elf matriarch.
Verafia’s gaze was immediately drawn to it.
Woven from silver silk, embroidered with white patterns outlining the exquisite family crest representing the Gassol family… More importantly, from the subtle clinking of metal, she could guess that it was a large bag of gold coins.
“This is…”
“Mr. Igert, you are from a strange continent, so you probably don’t have much Alliance currency on you, right? Here is one hundred gold, which should be enough to craft a suitable magic gun for Miss Verafia.”
Sirius handed the money bag in his hand to Igert. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the girl beside him, as if recalling the difficulty on her small face earlier, a playful smile suddenly appeared on his face.
“Mmm… if there’s still anything else, Vinash City has many suitable clothing stores. For a beautiful and cute girl like Miss Verafia, you can go and see if there are any dresses that suit you?”
“Mmm!”
As if her thoughts were seen through, a blush spread all the way to her earlobes.
What a nuisance… She was a noble Goddess Princess, and even her superficial identity was that of a young lady. It was embarrassing to want pretty dresses like a little girl, wasn’t it!
What’s more, the young man beside her knew her past identity as Lothel… The girl buried her blushing little face into the young man’s embrace.
However, Verafia, having come to her senses, immediately realized that such an action seemed even more embarrassing.
Sirius laughed twice, seemingly unburdened as well. After bidding them farewell, he set off and left the room.
Only after the blush on her face faded did Verafia lift her small head and glare playfully at the young man who was smiling and stroking her hair. Seeing that Sirius and the Silver Moon Elf had already left the room, she released Igert and stood firm again.
Although still a little shy, Miss Verafia quickly recovered, and only a trace of redness remained on her snowy cheeks.
However, at this moment, she felt something was amiss again…
Although Sirius’s last words just now were not malicious and were just a joke, for an opposite sex to say that to a girl they had just met, and who clearly had a partner, it was considered a minor offense.
But strangely, apart from the shame and anger in her heart… she didn’t feel much anger, even though she was essentially a girl…?
Verafia raised her eyes and met the black-haired young man’s deep blue eyes. In Igert’s gaze, she saw the same thoughts.
Ophi, standing beside them, blinked her eyes, her slender and exquisite dragon tail behind her skirt swaying slightly, her frost-blue eyes filled with confusion, wondering if these two were going to show affection again, and in front of her, a dragon?
……
Her thoughts yielded no conclusion. In the end, Verafia attributed it to the fact that this little count was very cute, and it was just a joke without any malice.
Afterward, accompanied by a maid, the three left the castle. Outside the main gate, the red-haired young man with a sword was waiting. He looked up and saw their figures, a smile appearing on his face.
“Miss Verafia, have you seen Young Master?”
Looking at the red-haired young man who greeted her, Verafia tilted her small face, her jade fingers prettily grasping the fine silk hair: “Little Count… hmm, he’s indeed a very cute child, very likable.”
The girl’s feigned serious tone made Igert stifle a laugh.
He looked at the girl’s tender little face with amusement, thinking that this young lady didn’t look much older than Count Sirius, and she was also a child.
“But why is Azer waiting here?”
To the girl’s charming question, Azer smiled and said:
“…A few days ago, I promised Miss Verafia that I would take you to the best alchemy workshop in Vinash City. May I ask if Miss Verafia and you have time now?”
—
How about a more relaxed style…?