“Lady Kabellin, how did you rest last night?”
Ailaira raised her teacup toward Kabellin, who had just pushed open the door, offering an unspoken invitation.
Kabellin sighed as she sat across from Ailaira. If she had a choice, she truly didn’t want to face this witch again, but she had no choice but to obey the Imperial Princess’s orders.
Under immense pressure, Kabellin maintained a disciplined and rigorous demeanor, offering a gentle smile.
“Lady Ailaira’s hospitality was very thoughtful. The room’s decor gave me a sense of comfort as if I had never left the Elf Forest. It was just a bit noisy this morning, though the vitality of you humans is understandable.”
Kabellin’s words carried a hidden meaning. Clearly, she had noticed the duel between Andrea and Kuchierkan.
She had also fought against Kuchierkan herself, which was why she understood the sheer weight of Andrea’s ability to briefly suppress the Dragon Princess. She couldn’t help but remark:
“I didn’t expect this chapel to be such a den of hidden experts. Aside from an outstanding alchemy genius like Lady Ailaira, there is actually a young lady with such formidable martial prowess.”
Kabellin took out the incredibly precious potion Ailaira had given her.
Even after being unsealed for one day and one night, its color and medicinal properties hadn’t diminished in the slightest. It was evident that this witch’s efficiency in utilizing and extracting medicinal ingredients had reached an appalling level.
Thinking of this, Kabellin recalled her communication with Her Highness the Imperial Princess last night, and a sense of urgency appeared in her eyes.
It was the panic of being surpassed in one’s own field of expertise. One must know that exporting high-quality alchemy potions had always been a major trade route for the elves.
However, for some reason, the volume of potions ordered by humans from the elves had dropped significantly over the past few years, and the elves hadn’t known why.
Now, Kabellin understood. It was all because of the sudden emergence of the woman sitting across from her. Kabellin had sent the news back to the Elf Forest.
Once the elven intelligence department linked the names
“Water Silver Witch” and “Ailaira Green,” they immediately pieced together why their industry had taken such a massive hit. It was because this woman had single-handedly overturned the entire magic market, practically seizing the power to set prices for herself.
Kabellin let out another soft sigh and praised her sincerely, “Your Excellency is truly extraordinary. With such talent, and as a human yourself, you are surely the light of humanity’s prosperity.”
Such a grand compliment took Ailaira by surprise. She set down her teacup and laughed softly, shaking her head.
“Lady Kabellin overpraises me. I am merely a merchant. Everything I do is just to accumulate wealth for myself. It’s hardly noble.”
‘Heh, light of humanity’s prosperity? Go ask those nobles in the Royal Capital. Every single one of them hates my guts. Even the Church and the Royal Capital probably don’t even see me as human anymore.’
Ailaira’s self-awareness was quite thorough. She wasn’t so bad that everyone loathed her, but she wasn’t so good that everyone loved her either. She was just a shrewd person who only did things that benefited her. Although she was a transmigrator, tasks like “humanity’s prosperity” or “saving the world” should be left to those with actual ambition. She couldn’t handle that weight.
Upon hearing this, Kabellin shook her head firmly and insisted, “When a person is powerful enough, everything around them will naturally begin to revolve around them.”
“Lady Ailaira, you are clearly such a person.”
“Fine, fine, whatever you say is right.” Ailaira raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. She didn’t know what had gotten into this elf today, praising her non-stop. Was she trying to get a discount? “Should we discuss the sale of this potion now?”
“After all, Lady Kabellin seemed very anxious yesterday, so I didn’t want to say too much then.”
Kabellin recalled the few hours she had spent in the restroom yesterday, self-soothing. Her legs still felt a faint sense of lingering weakness. Tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear to hide her reddened tips, Kabellin feigned composure.
“My Elf Race is indeed determined to obtain this potion. However, your Excellency also mentioned that there are prerequisites for its use, correct?”
“Yes. It must be used within the clearly defined boundaries of the Human Kingdom—preferably in cities where humans gather.”
This made Kabellin hesitate. Such a geographical restriction sounded like a trap to lure the elves over. She leaned forward, her open neckline revealing a deep cleavage as she lowered her voice.
“Is this because of Lady Ailaira’s personal preference?”
Ailaira’s eyelids flickered, shocked by Kabellin’s surprising train of thought. Without changing her expression, she raised a finger and pointed toward the ceiling, speaking with implied meaning. “To be honest, this potion is just a catalyst. The thing that can truly help Non-Human Races shorten their Growth Phase is—”
The answer went without saying.
Kabellin fell silent instantly, staring at Ailaira with a pale face as if she were witnessing something terrifying. Ailaira calmly picked up her teacup to comfort her. “So, I am also taking a great risk. But for you all, there is no risk at all. I am simply making use of Him.”
“This… this is no longer a matter I can decide! I must go back and consult with the Elf Queen.”
Ailaira expressed her understanding. To show her sincerity, she pulled out another perfectly preserved Growth Acceleration Potion and pushed it toward Kabellin, appearing completely transparent.
“Then you may take this potion back to report. Feel free to use any means to verify my words. I believe this business will still proceed quite pleasantly.”
Kabellin tucked both potions away, her expression gradually becoming solemn.
The fact that Ailaira could hand over the potions so casually proved only two things: producing this potion wasn’t difficult for Ailaira herself—or at least it wasn’t particularly precious—and she wasn’t worried at all that the elven alchemists could crack or reverse-engineer her formula. She was incredibly confident.
“Thank you again for your generosity, Miss Ailaira. I will leave a Communication Magic Circle for you and provide an answer as soon as possible.”
Ailaira stood up and shook Kabellin’s hand. “Then in exchange, would Lady Kabellin mind cooperating with me for a few small experiments? I need reference samples to further refine this potion. Don’t worry, it’s very safe.”
At this point, Kabellin couldn’t really refuse. She could only agree hesitantly, “Al… alright, as long as it doesn’t involve anything dangerous.”
The two successfully concluded their conversation. Just as they were chatting casually to build rapport, a frantic set of footsteps echoed from outside. The door was kicked open by a fiery figure. Andrea stood at the entrance, arms crossed over her waist in a cocky stance as she announced:
“I’m back!”
Then, Andrea realized there wasn’t just Ailaira in the office, but also a curvaceous elf. The excitement on Andrea’s face gradually faded, replaced by a stone-cold stare directed at Ailaira. Thoughts of the interest Ailaira had shown in elves in the past swirled in her mind, leaving her heart in a mess. She threw out a single sentence:
“I have something to tell you. I’ll wait in your room.”
Then, she pulled the door shut and turned to leave.
Kabellin watched this scene play out and glanced at Ailaira with a bit of embarrassment, speaking up to lighten the mood. “Ah, did that young lady misunderstand something?”
“She’s always like that. She’s just acting serious.”
Kabellin lifted her tea, hiding her curious expression. ‘The change in that lady’s emotions just now… she was definitely jealous, wasn’t she?!’
‘So the Water Silver Witch likes this sort of thing? I should report this discovery to Her Highness as well. It might be a breakthrough point.’