Chapter 11: Honor Among Thieves

Astraea certainly didn’t have any mind-reading magic; Luo En’s reaction was just too easy to read.

After teasing Luo En, the little elf continued explaining, “Everyone’s so warm to me simply because I’m warm to them too.”

As for what that warmth meant… given that the little elf had cleared out an entire street of thugs and gangs, anything she did was considered warm by these servants.

These servants also had families outside, so the little elf’s cleanup naturally helped their relatives survive as well.

But the moment she left, gangs would soon spring up here again. 

Astraea’s gaze dimmed for an instant, though she knew this was unavoidable.

The essence of gangs was the lower classes spontaneously filling a power vacuum. 

As long as that vacuum remained unfilled, no matter how many times the little elf swept them away, it would be useless.

As for how to eradicate gangs for good? 

Forget it. 

The little elf was afraid the All-Father would glare her to death with one look.

“Warm?”

Luo En looked thoughtful. 

He wasn’t stupid, so he could understand that the little elf was talking about the principle of giving true sincerity and receiving it in return.

But the little elf’s explanation was too vague; Luo En couldn’t grasp what exactly she had done to earn such enthusiastic repayment from the servants.

“It’s normal that you don’t get it. How could a grunt knight understand the psychology of the lower classes?” Astraea said, in no rush. 

She was a long-lived elf with plenty of time to explain things clearly to Luo En.

But now it was time to meet the main party—the owner of this estate, Viscount Adrian.

The little elf led Luo En into the viscount’s reception room. 

Honestly, no matter how many times she came, she could barely resist the urge to swipe something and sell it.

This viscount was far too wealthy. 

At least Astraea, who had been a wage slave in her past life and a country elf in this one, had never seen such an extravagantly luxurious place.

And then…

“You shameless little thief! How dare you show your face in front of me!”

The still spry old viscount stormed down the stairs, fuming even more when he saw the little elf lounging on a leather sofa, playing with an emerald ornament.

“Last time you stole a gold necklace from me—what are you stealing this time?! Get out! Get out! You’re not welcome here!” The viscount cursed loudly. 

The little elf didn’t mind, but Luo En felt a bit awkward.

“Viscount Adrian, there must be some misunderstanding. Lady Astraea wouldn’t…” Luo En watched the little elf shove the emerald ornament into a cloth bag, and the explanation he was about to give suddenly got stuck in his throat. “…wouldn’t steal anything, right? Uh.”

“And you are?”

The viscount turned his gaze to the nervous Luo En, having no recollection of knowing him. And since this man had come with the little elf and called her ‘teacher’…

A flash of insight struck the viscount. He understood! Astraea, that shameless thief, had brought her apprentice to practice in his house! And this time, she was so bold she didn’t even wait until night—she came in broad daylight!

“Guards! Guards! Arrest these two thieves at once!” the viscount shouted. Luo En immediately sensed trouble.

“Wait!” Luo En placed his hand on the longsword at his back, his expression anxious as he looked at Astraea, who had now fully stuffed the emerald ornament into her bag, hoping she would clarify.

Though he felt the little elf had already cemented her reputation as a thief.

“Heh heh.” Astraea, living up to Luo En’s expectations, let out a pleased sound, then raised her left hand and aimed it at the viscount. “Silence.”

A small magic circle appeared over the viscount’s mouth, and the entire reception room fell silent. The viscount still had his mouth open, looking like he was shouting, but no sound came out.

Viscount Adrian’s face darkened as if it could drip water. He stopped struggling uselessly and just stared at the little elf.

She, in turn, shamelessly said, “Relax, Lord Viscount. I’m not here to steal today, so I’m not a thief, right?”

“That’s right, that’s right! We’re not thieves,” Luo En chimed in hastily, not wanting to offend a viscount, even if the man wasn’t one with real authority.

“See? I’m taking things openly, so I’m actually a bandit.”

“Right, right, we’re… Lady Astraea!” Luo En let out a sharp shriek, proving that his innocence was compromised.

Astraea waved her small hand, cutting off the mana flow. Viscount Adrian could speak again.

“Hmph! Smooth talker. Tell me, what’s your purpose?” The viscount walked over to the sofa opposite and sat down. During all this, not a single guard had shown up; only a few servants curiously observed the reception room from outside.

The viscount seethed inwardly. Either the little elf had used magic to seal the room, or the guards had already been dealt with.

“Ahem. Viscount Adrian, I’ve actually come here to ask for a favor.”

“I don’t see any attitude of asking for a favor.”

“Please, Lord Viscount, High Priest Adrian!”

This time, Astraea stood up from the sofa, bowing sincerely to the old viscount. Her attitude and tone were so earnest that even Luo En was almost moved.

But Viscount Adrian wasn’t fooled, especially when he saw the little elf’s right hand slide out from under her cloak and snatch a silver ornament from the table.

The old viscount’s cheek twitched, and he nearly started cursing again.

But remembering the little elf’s magic, and being outmatched in spellcraft, he had to steady himself and said, “Fine, what is it? Spit it out.”

“It’s like this, Lord High Priest Adrian. I think I’ve been targeted by something unclean recently.” Astraea put on a serious face. This involved her own affairs, possibly even souls and gods—she had to be serious.

“Alright, hold out your hand and let me see.”

Viscount Adrian—no, High Priest Adrian—didn’t even lift his eyelids. At over sixty, he hadn’t lived enough yet.

There was still infinite knowledge and wisdom in the world for him to explore. He had to stay calm and composed… In short, he complied.

Astraea nervously extended her left hand. The old viscount didn’t yet know she was an elf; she just hoped he wouldn’t make a big fuss after examining her.

Otherwise, the little elf would have some trouble escaping a citywide manhunt again.

As for Luo En? Astraea felt that after spending so much time together, it was only a matter of time before he learned her identity. She was just afraid to reveal it herself.

She was afraid—afraid of shattering certain expectations with her own hands.

Even though she wouldn’t admit to those expectations herself.

Viscount Adrian looked at the little elf’s short arm. He silently stood up and stepped closer.

It wasn’t that he needed to be near for a better examination; it was simply that her arm was too short for him to reach.

“Hmm…”

The old viscount grasped her hand and closed his eyes to sense carefully.

Luo En watched with a hint of jealousy—he’d never even held her hand before…

“Hmm?”

The moment the old viscount probed mana into her body, he noticed something wrong. The little elf’s body structure was completely different from a human’s; those two hearts alone were enough to identify her race.

“El—Huh?!”

Viscount Adrian was about to exclaim, but suddenly a brilliant blue light burst from the little elf’s body, forcing the half-shouted word to stick in his throat.

“What’s wrong?” the little elf asked in confusion. In her eyes, the viscount had just sent mana into her body, then suddenly opened his eyes as if to shout, only to stop after the first syllable, now staring at her in disbelief.

“You… y-y-you!”

The viscount abruptly let go and stumbled back. His aged, somewhat cloudy eyes seemed to flash with a sharp light. He pointed at the little elf, stammering several “you”s but failing to finish the sentence.

Astraea turned to look at Luo En, only to see him equally puzzled.

Clearly, both the little elf and the squire couldn’t see anything else.

After failing to utter his intended words, the old viscount gave up trying. He changed his tune: “Go, just go! There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Huh? But I really do feel strange. I often say weird things to Luo En.”

“Yes, Lord Viscount. And there seem to be five voices in my head constantly arguing, giving me no peace.”

Luo En added, clearly both of them could tell the old viscount was hiding something.

But the viscount only wanted to get rid of them now. He had just glanced at the squire standing beside the little elf, and it almost made him cry.

The little elf gave off only a blue light, but this unknown young man beside her gave off a multicolored radiance!

As the High Priest of the God of Wisdom and Strategy, the learned viscount knew exactly who the owners of those different colored lights were! But he couldn’t say it! His god had imposed a gag order on him, and now he was choking on it.

“You’re fine! Even if there’s a problem, it’s not yours. You’re doing great!”

The viscount almost shouted. He had just resolved to stay calm, but now he only wanted to send these two oddballs away as fast as possible.

Oh, come on—blessed by five gods! There probably wasn’t anyone in the world in a better state than these two.

The other four gods were one thing, but he really didn’t understand why the All-Father hadn’t burned this elf alive. Speculating about gods was pointless, though. The viscount had already started ushering them out.

“Steward! Escort the two guests out!”

The viscount shouted, and this time someone finally came in to escort the little elf and the squire out. The viscount dared not slight them either—he was afraid of displeasing that god and being sent to reincarnation with a single slap.

“Like… that?”

The little elf withdrew her hand in confusion. It seemed she wouldn’t get answers from the God of Wisdom and Strategy. She considered which church to visit next to check on her and Luo En’s condition.