Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 82

[Translated By Divinity]

“Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn’t look like a place that would sell raspberry juice.”

Damian still doubted his memory and asked Lilliana if she was sure. She nodded and walked towards the apartment building.

“Lilliana, it’s dangerous.”

Damian tried to stop her, worried that something might fall from the dilapidated building, which looked like it could collapse at any moment. But she went to the main entrance and pressed the buzzer for the first floor.

Bzzt!

Fortunately, the buzzer seemed to be working, as a sharp ringing sound echoed. And after about ten seconds, a voice came through the intercom.

—Who is it?

Lilliana and Damian looked at each other, then spoke into the intercom.

“We’re here to buy raspberry juice.”

—…

The person, presumably the owner of the apartment, remained silent after hearing their response, and they both gulped nervously. Then, without warning, the thick iron door creaked open.

—Come in.

They peeked inside. A faint light was leaking through the doorway. They exchanged glances once more, then cautiously stepped inside.

Damian walked ahead of Lilliana, wary of any potential danger.

The place they entered looked like a shop. No, it wasn’t just like a shop; it was a shop. More specifically, it was a general store.

Various miscellaneous items with no common category were displayed on the shelves, each with a price tag attached.

Some shelves were filled with kitchenware, while others were overflowing with toy dolls. Instead of bright incandescent lights, somewhat anachronistic gas lamps illuminated the space.

After navigating through the clutter, they finally reached what seemed to be a counter. In the middle of it, an elderly lady with a large hat pulled low over her face was sitting. She slowly stood up.

Damian, still wary, hid Lilliana behind him and stepped forward.

“Excuse me… who are you?”

When Damian asked, Lilliana cleared her throat from behind him.

It was quite awkward to ask who the other person was when they were the ones who had come to visit. The other person must have thought the same, as she let out a chuckle and said,

“Then who are you?”

Her voice was sharp. Lilliana pulled Damian back by his sleeve, stepped forward, and leaned on the counter, saying,

“I’m Lilliana Carnell, and this is Damian Stern. We were referred by Pascal Gnome.”

The elderly lady suddenly burst into laughter.

“Oh! Pascal Gnome! I know her, I know her! It’s been years since I last saw her. How is she doing?”

Lilliana, sensing that she knew Pascal well, replied cautiously,

“Pascal Gnome is currently asleep.”

“Asleep? Why?”

“Well… she used up all her energy trying to save me after an accident…”

Lilliana answered with an awkward laugh, and the elderly lady crossed her arms and looked her up and down.

“It seems something serious happened. But what’s your relationship with that earth spirit?”

“We’re like aunt and niece.”

At Lilliana’s words, the old woman adjusted the hat she was wearing.

Her face, which had been hidden under the hat, was revealed. She was a rather intellectual-looking woman, which didn’t match her sharp voice.

She leaned closer to Lilliana, examining her up and down with an intrigued expression, and asked,

“Aunt? Niece?”

“We’re not actually blood-related. My mother is Deltaius Salamander, and she was close friends with Pascal Gnome, so I call her my aunt.”

The old woman’s eyes sparkled as Lilliana continued her explanation.

“You’re saying you’re a human with Salamander blood?”

“Yes.”

When Lilliana confirmed, the woman quickly came out from behind the counter and approached her. Damian tried to stop her, but she was faster.

The elderly lady suddenly reached out and touched Lilliana’s hair, startling her. But the woman didn’t mind Lilliana’s reaction.

She held Lilliana’s head and examined it closely, then buried her face in her hair and sniffed.

As she continued her actions, Lilliana’s expression gradually turned strange.

The woman, after sniffing her hair, clapped her hands and finally stepped back from Lilliana.

“The smell of a bonfire! A human child with the power of a Salamander! Deltaius Salamander! I know, I know. The story of the Salamander who appeared after the birth of Oracis and took a human as a companion is famous. Very famous.”

“Well, I…”

Lilliana tried to speak, flustered, but the old woman was faster.

“Child, you said your name was Lilliana Carnell? I am the wizard Soliel. You can just call me Soliel.”

Lilliana nudged Damian’s side with her elbow, a slightly excited expression on her face.

“See? I told you she was a wizard.”

“I didn’t expect a wizard to be living in a dilapidated building like this. I wasn’t even sure wizards actually existed…”

“Ha! It only looks this way on the outside. This whole building is under a spell! I just made it look like an abandoned building with magic. This is my home, and no one can enter without the password, like you did! And although we’re scattered, wizards are living in hiding all over the world.”

Soliel, the self-proclaimed wizard, adjusted her cloak dramatically and asked,

“So, child with the power of a spirit, what brings you here?”

“I’d like to request a few spells.”

Lilliana took out an opal the size of her fingernail from her pocket and showed it to her.

She had brought several jewels, but she was still wary of Soliel and wanted to gauge her reaction by showing her a small opal first.

Soliel glanced at the opal and snorted.

“The quality of the jewel a Gnome gives you can’t be this low.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at her words. But Soliel waved her hand dismissively and continued,

“The bigger and better the quality of the jewel, the stronger the magic. So with a measly opal like that, I can only cast insignificant spells. You’re the niece of a Gnome, and this is all you brought?”

Lilliana hugged her bag and asked,

“Then what kind of jewel do I need for the magic I want to request?”

“What kind of magic?”

“Mainly protective magic.”

Soliel shrugged at Lilliana’s words.

“The greater the value of the jewel, the higher the level of protection magic. If you want the highest level of protection, bring a jewel of corresponding value. That’s your choice. But regardless, I don’t sell magic for free. No matter how expensive the jewel, it belongs to the client, not me. But I do charge a fee for imbuing the jewel with magic.”

Lilliana finally relaxed her grip on her bag and said in a bright voice,

“Ah, if that’s the case, then there’s no problem. I’ll pay you handsomely for your services.”

“Of course. You’re the niece of a Gnome, after all.”

Soliel smiled at Lilliana, a capitalist’s grin on her face. Meanwhile, Damian was lost in thought. Then he tapped Lilliana’s shoulder and said,

“We’ll need two kinds of jewels: ones you can carry with you at all times and ones to keep at home. I’d like to avoid overly flashy jewels for the ones you carry. It’ll be troublesome if they attract attention.”

“But what if the magic is too weak and can’t protect me when something happens?”

“I’ll be by your side as much as possible, so it’ll be fine. It’s similar to the pistol I bought you. It’s insurance.”

At Damian’s words, Soliel cackled.

“The magic contained in small jewels might be relatively insignificant, but that doesn’t mean my magic itself is weak. It might not offer perfect protection, but it’ll buy you enough time to defend yourself. But…”

Soliel leaned closer to Lilliana and asked,

“Who are you trying to protect yourself from?”

“Royalist nobles.”

Lilliana’s answer made Soliel’s face crumple in disgust.

***

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