Chapter 87: Night Conversations
“Gloria Sister!”
Vivian flipped over and sat up, resting her head on the other’s long and sturdy thigh, blinking her eyes and asking, “Are we continuing the story today?”
Gloria gently brushed the little girl’s hair and covered Vivian’s arm with a blanket, whispering, “Don’t catch a cold. This autumn is much colder than before; winter is probably coming soon.”
As a High-Level Witch, she was basically unaffected by the weather, as her spells could adapt to most environments. However, Vivian was still just a little girl, and her spell learning had only just begun; if she caught a cold, it would be easy for her to get sick. Gloria brought her legs together to help the little girl find a more comfortable position and gently stroked Vivian’s long hair, softly saying, “Let’s take a break today. I have some things I want to discuss with you.”
The little girl nodded obediently and then said, “Is it about Brother planning to leave?”
Very clever.
Gloria slightly nodded, looking into Vivian’s eyes, and said seriously, “You are far smarter and more understanding than other children. I believe you know there may be many dangers on this journey.”
“Do you really plan to go to Leaffall City with Soren?” The little girl’s expression was serious without a moment’s hesitation as she said, “Of course. Wherever Brother goes, I will go too. Besides, with Brother protecting me, a little danger is not a problem.”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress’s expression also turned serious as she said solemnly, “Although Soren is a capable Wanderer, there are many dangers he is unprepared for. There are even two-headed Ogres appearing in the south; something major is definitely happening. It’s too dangerous for both of you to set out. Let alone you’ll have to enter the forest in Leaffall City, where there are many monsters that ordinary people cannot handle.”
“If Soren inadvertently encounters any, he might not even be able to protect himself, let alone your safety.”
Vivian appeared momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Then, surprisingly, her small face showed a serious expression as she earnestly said, “It’s okay. I can protect Brother! I feel much stronger now than before!”
That answer was incorrect.
What’s with this serious face and sense of mission?
Gloria had mentally rehearsed what she wanted to say several times, but she couldn’t find the words. Vivian’s response completely exceeded her expectations. Listening to the little girl’s extremely serious words, she surprisingly found herself speechless. Protecting Soren?
You are just an eight-year-old girl.
Would Soren feel gratified or ashamed upon hearing this?
“Silly girl.”
Gloria ruffled Vivian’s little head with exasperation, seemingly helpless as she said, “Then why can’t you persuade Soren not to go over there? Knowing that the wilderness is dangerous, why do you want to go so far, when you’re both not strong enough? Why not stay here or follow me to the Northern Region? You can be by my side to continue learning spells, and Soren wouldn’t have to take such great risks. You have no relatives in the Elf Kingdom; going over rashly could lead to a lot of hardship.”
“Soren cares about you very much; if you persuade him, maybe he will give up the idea of going over there.”
The little girl hesitated, biting her finger. Gloria reached out to pull her pale finger out and gently patted her head, seriously saying, “No sucking on your fingers.”
Vivian giggled, sticking out her tongue, and then seriously said, “Brother must have a reason for going over there, even though he hasn’t told me why.”
“But Brother’s decision is definitely correct.”
Gloria sighed helplessly, feeling a sudden urge to drag Soren out and give him a good beating. She said gravely, “No one’s decisions are always right. Besides, Soren is just an adventurer; there are many things he has never encountered. There are two-headed Dragons near the Elven Forest, Moonblade Panthers, and various bizarre creatures. It’s really dangerous if you both accidentally run into them!”
The little girl seemed unconvinced and pouted as if being unreasonable, saying, “Brother is definitely right. Even if he’s wrong, it’s for my good.”
“Don’t say bad things about him!”
“Brother is the best brother in the world and will also be the most powerful brother in the future.”
Vivian wore a determined expression, looking as if she believed even more than Soren that he could become an extraordinary hero.
The Merchant Caravan Mistress sighed again in helplessness, saying, “Sometimes, I really wonder if you two are biological siblings. But seeing you like this, I truly believe it.”
“You two have the same temperament.”
Vivian didn’t speak, but a hint of pride appeared on her little face, as if she felt that being compared to Soren was something to be very happy about.
The Merchant Caravan Mistress had no idea about Soren’s position in Vivian’s heart.
He was not just a brother; at times, he was more like a father, using his strong back to support a sky for her. No one remembered what Soren used to look like. In the eyes of others, Soren was just a somewhat reserved and cold-faced Wanderer with good skills, and sometimes a ruthless character. But in this world, there was one person who remembered what Soren looked like before. Since she was very small, she began remembering things. In her earliest memories, her brother was a handsome boy with dimples when he smiled, who would hold her—then only one or two years old—on warm sunny afternoons after he was done with his chores, showing her flowers, catching butterflies, and making funny faces to make her giggle.
At that time, their mother had not gone mad; although they lived in poverty, it was not too bad.
Later, they became orphans.
Soren, fourteen or fifteen, wandered with her, barely three years old. Her brother did almost everything he could to support her. She still remembered the fierce expression he had the first time he fought for her, comforting her when she cried. She remembered the trembling hands he had the first time he stole something, mixed with joy and tension. She remembered the trembling night when he first killed someone for her; even with his back turned to her, she could still sense his fear. He couldn’t dare to sleep, while she could only tightly hold his arm with her small hands. Curling up in his embrace, it seemed that combining their courage would be enough. Brother smiled less and less over time, and his expression became increasingly cold. Only when he comforted her did he reveal a beautifully warm smile that made one’s heart feel warm, showing two lovely dimples.
They both had dimples, which was a wonderful thing.
Brother was Brother. He was not just a brother; there were some things outsiders would never understand, and they didn’t need outsiders to understand.
“Gloria sister.”
Vivian shyly glanced at the Merchant Caravan Mistress and quietly said, “Why don’t you come with us? If we encounter any danger, Brother and Vivian can’t handle it alone; you can protect us! You’re so powerful, it should be no problem. Plus, it’s so boring staying here every day; don’t you want to see the Elf Kingdom?”
The Merchant Caravan Mistress was suddenly amused. She reached out and patted the little girl on the head, saying exasperatedly, “I clearly told you not to go to the Elf side; how did it turn into you wanting me to come along?”
The little girl peeked at the Merchant Caravan Mistress, hesitantly showing a bit of a spoiled demeanor, quietly saying, “What if we really face some monsters, and neither Brother nor I can fight them? Wouldn’t Vivian get eaten by the monsters!”
“I wouldn’t be able to see sister again. Boo hoo hoo!”
The little girl’s acting was poor; although she pretended to cry, no tears were falling. She rubbed her eyes with her small hand and sneakily looked at Gloria. But her little appearance was genuinely cute and also funny, making the Merchant Caravan Mistress unable to help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly.
Slap!
She directly pulled the little girl out, placing her flat on her lap and setting her in position, then raised her hand and gave her a smack on the bottom, as if to vent her irritation, saying, “That’s what you get for pretending! Little rascal!”
After speaking, she gently sighed, as if hesitating for a moment, and slowly said, “Let me think about it.” [Charm Interference! Persuasion Successful!]
It felt as if she hadn’t achieved her goal but was instead touched by the little girl’s pitiful expression, causing the Merchant Caravan Mistress to look somewhat discouraged as she stood up to leave. However, at that moment, the little girl suddenly reached out and grabbed one of her fingers, softly saying, “Gloria sister. Can you sleep with me tonight?”
“Okay.” The Merchant Caravan Mistress hesitated for a moment and then gently nodded. She pulled back the soft velvet blanket and lay down, with Vivian like a little kitten burrowing into her embrace, resting her little head against her chest.
The little girl sniffed with her delicate nose, like a little puppy, and nudged her, softly saying, “Sister smells so good.”
Gloria didn’t respond; she just held the little girl and closed her eyes. Sometimes, she didn’t know why she couldn’t harden her heart against Vivian; perhaps it was because she really liked this little girl. From the very beginning, seeing her skinny and small appearance triggered a sense of maternal instinct within her, making her feel a bit heartbroken. As they spent more time together, Vivian often unconsciously infected her with happiness, joy, seriousness, and caring thoughts.
It was something hard to articulate, but she truly enjoyed the days with the little girl by her side; perhaps they really shared some similarities.
“Sister’s chest is soft and feels so nice.”
The little girl seemed not very sleepy, curiously pinching Gloria’s chest, the age of curiosity was at its peak, as anything novel could attract her attention. Vivian’s memory of her mother was very vague; she could hardly remember her face. The current Merchant Caravan Mistress largely filled the gap in her imagination of her mother—a gentle, beautiful, elegant woman who treated her well and cared for her.
Slap!
She got smacked on the bottom again.
Vivian obediently withdrew her hands, although she really wanted to touch again.
A faint blush appeared on Gloria’s face as she glared at her with annoyance, saying sternly, “No more moving around, especially no more touching; just sleep honestly, or I’ll cast a sleep spell on you.”
The little girl finally settled down.
She hugged one of the Merchant Caravan Mistress’s arms, burying her head in the latter’s embrace, breathing steadily, and soon fell asleep under the pleasant fragrance.
After all, children of this age love to sleep.
