r18novel Chapter 16: Old Friend
Chapter 16: Old Friend
"I thought you'd forgotten about me, Miss Sylvania."
"I haven't forgotten you, we just haven't been in touch for a while."
"You call this a period of time?" The white-bearded old man sat in his chair, looking at the girl in front of him with a hint of helplessness.
"But you haven't changed at all; you're exactly the same as you were ten years ago."
"It's only been ten years." Catherine shrugged and sat down opposite him. "You haven't changed much either, have you?"
"Hahaha... I'm so glad Miss Sylvania would say that." The old man chuckled and shook his head. "But I'm already sixty-four years old."
"Back then, vampires were still children," Cinderella said, shrugging and glancing at the courtyard in the distance. "Do you still have that hobby now?"
"Training disciples...isn't that a normal thing?" The old man coughed a few times as he spoke. "For us humans, life is so short...naturally, we hope that someone will inherit our legacy."
"I remember you had an outstanding student, didn't you?" Cidelina asked casually, "who served in the Kingdom of Asura as..."
"King Brogion..." the old man casually uttered his name: "He is the chief wand maker in the Kingdom of Asura."
"He did indeed inherit most of my skills... but he didn't choose to stay in the Duchy of Neris," the old man said, pursing his lips. "Instead, he chose to go to something called Asura."
"The Asuras don't understand magic at all," he said, coughing a few times. "Those guys only know about power politics..."
"But aren't the people of the Asura Kingdom very rich?" Sidlin shrugged. "Isn't that what you humans like?"
"I must correct you on this... Miss Sylvania... It's not just humans who like it, demons, elves... I should say that no one except you dislikes money."
"If someone doesn't like it... then it just means they're not short of money."
"I see..." Cidelina smiled gently upon hearing this. "Then why are you so angry about your student?"
"Angry? I'm not angry." The old man coughed a few times. "I was just casually talking about him... Okay, let's not talk about this anymore."
"You came to see me because you need something, right?"
"Ah...yes." Cidelyn nodded.
"Ten years have passed, and you still haven't learned a single thing about human relationships?" The old man shook his head helplessly.
"This is something humans should learn, not vampires," Sidrin said, slowly taking the blue crystal from her bosom and placing it on the table.
"Tsk..." The old man clicked his tongue, then pushed up his glasses and looked at the crystal in front of him, saying, "A-grade Deep Sea Demon Whale King's magic stone...?"
"Are you making a water-attribute staff?"
"Hmm." Cinderella nodded, then picked up the tea on the table, swirled it, but didn't drink it.
The old man picked up the crystal and looked at it for a few seconds, then slowly asked, "I remember mentioning ten years ago that I wanted to make you a staff."
"I remember you didn't want one back then... What's changed now... that made you realize a mage should have a staff?"
"This isn't my staff." Catherine ultimately lacked the courage to drink her tea. After looking at it again and again, she put down her teacup and said, "This is for my students."
"A student?" The old man raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "An apprentice, perhaps?"
"What's the difference?"
"You can call all students of La Noah University your students... but only your apprentices can receive the staff from you."
"Is that a separate claim?" Catherine asked calmly. "I just noticed a few days ago that her staff looked rather worn out."
"It's not suitable for her future development."
Upon hearing this, the old man suddenly laughed. He shook his head with a smile and then coughed violently, so much so that he had to pick up his teacup and take a sip.
"Is there anything to be happy about?" Cidelina asked, puzzled by his behavior.
"I just find you very interesting..." the old man said, shaking his head. "Just now you were wondering why I take on so many apprentices..."
"As it turns out, you yourself have an apprentice."
"Because she's delicious."
Catherine's answer caused the old man's smile to freeze slightly, then turn into helplessness: "Fine... fine, you always have a lot of reasons."
"It's true." Cidelina didn't like the old woman speculating about her like that, so she said calmly, "You know I never lie."
"I believe you on that," the old man said, changing the subject. "So... what level of mage is your apprentice? What race is he? How tall is he?"
"She is a high-level water mage, and also knows high-level fire and earth magic... but her forte is water magic."
"Their race is the demon race, the Migrudia race."
"As for height..." Catherine thought for a moment and said, "About 1.45 meters."
"Such a young apprentice?" The old man paused, then looked at Catherine's height: "She's quite a good match for you."
"Do you want to die?"
"Hahahaha." The old man laughed loudly, completely ignoring Catherine's words. "Anyway, I understand..."
"This magic crystal is of very good quality... I'm confident I can forge a decent staff."
"But to be honest... cough cough cough..." He coughed a few more times, "You should probably go find Brocion... he's in his prime."
“I don’t know him,” Catherine said slowly. “You know… I don’t like dealing with strangers.”
"We were once strangers."
"Strangers who saved each other's lives?" Cidel tilted her head slightly, looking towards the courtyard not far away.
"You only saved me," the old man smiled, then said, "but I assure you... this staff will be my, Astra Vero's, finest creation."
"The kind that will definitely satisfy you."
"I believe in you." Cidelina nodded gently upon hearing this, then looked at the young people in the distance and asked, "Among these people, is there anyone who can succeed you?"
"Not yet...they're still a bit lacking..." Astra paused, then added, "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I was thinking about who I should ask to make the staff after you die," Catherine's answer sounded unusually cold, but it did not surprise Astra.
Hearing this, he smiled and shook his head: "Then why don't you get to know an elven craftsman?"
Sidlin didn't reply, but quietly looked into the distance, her gaze slightly raised to the slowly rising moon.
"What a pity, Astra," she said suddenly.
"What's wrong?"
"If you were a young girl... I might be willing to turn you into a vampire like me," Catherine said, emphasizing each word. "That way, you wouldn't have to die."
"Let's skip it." Astra shook her head with a smile. "Neither becoming a girl nor becoming a vampire is what I want."
"Why?" Cidelina paused, then asked, "Aren't humans all afraid of death?"
"Perhaps?" Astra shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "Some people are like that..."
"But that doesn't include me." He smoothed his gray beard slightly. "Death is a gift from the gods to mankind... Sometimes, a well-timed death is more appropriate than immortality."
"Is that so?" Cidelina looked at him with a slight confusion.
"You will understand, Miss Sylvania," Astra said, slowly closing her eyes. "You will understand someday."
"Why can't you tell me the answer?" Cinderella frowned slightly.
"Because this answer can't be given just by talking," Astra said, waving her hand. "Once the staff is finished... I'll write to you."
"I see."
Sidley nodded gently and then leaped into the air.
"She really doesn't miss out at all."
Watching her retreating figure, the old man said nothing more.