Chapter 0009: The Balance of Life and Death

Brad quickly nodded and immediately raised his hand: "Alright! Then I will help—"

Hearing Airo speak to the flower spirit in another language, Coco lifted her head from the pile of food, her eyes reflecting a hue of curiosity. However, in the end, she could not resist the aroma of the food and continued to bury her head in the pile of bread

So, she did not lie? The cheese pie stolen by the undead soldier indeed was not given to her, which caused her to be truly starving

Aero glanced at Buffy, then looked at Blade, whose face was filled with question marks yet held back from asking, and smiled.

Aero got up, personally poured a cup of hot water, and walked over intending to place it in her arms. However, the young girl appeared to be too stiff, so Aero could only gently pull her to sit down at the dining table and placed the hot water in front of her

Carrying Coco upstairs, Airo pushed open the door to the room next to his own, offering a standard gentlemanly greeting as a welcome.

Coco visibly flinched when she saw Airo's hand reaching out, clearly out of fear, yet she ultimately did not show much aversion to Airo's touch

The nearby Blade remained silent, not asking any questions. However, the fairy Baffy could not help but speak up, asking: "(Fairy language) What exactly is the background of this child?"

It is indeed remarkable that Coco, as a necromancer, claims to be completely unaware of the situation at hand

Blaid touched the back of his head and smiled at Coco over there: "Although I don't understand such complicated matters, I believe what the president said is correct. Since people are alive, they will inevitably die, so death is indeed a part of life, right? Therefore, I will not discriminate against you, rest assured, hehe"

Hehe. Blade, go get some food again. (Fairy language) Barfi, bring another cup of milk, and then sprinkle some floral fragrance

Aero closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then nodded and said: "Well... it really is. As far as I know, necromancers are quite rare among wizards. At your age, you should be studying at some magic academy. But Coco, how did you end up near Pelican Town?"

The progress is satisfactory. At least this child admits that he is indeed an attuned user of death magic

Blaid lifted the latch and stood behind Airo, holding a parfait.

Having long hair makes it really uncomfortable to be cooped up in a hat for such a long time... It seems it's time to find an opportunity to get this hair cut.

However, this little girl just ate four large pieces of bread, two eggs, and five cups of hot milk, clearly looking as if she hadn't eaten for several days

First, we need to think of a way to solve your problem with the undead soldiers. If you have nowhere to go tonight, you can rest here for the night.

That is not what I summoned

I... I am not... the necromancer... sir... you have mistaken... the person...

But for Airo...

First, she said she cannot control the undead soldiers, is this statement true or false

Because we are living human beings, the majority of magical affinities tend to lean towards life magic. Only a very small number of individuals develop an affinity for the powers of death magic. It is also due to humanity's fear of death that there is sometimes prejudice and fear towards necromancers, who can command the dead, with some even believing that necromancers are inherently evil and represent the antithesis of life magic

However, compared to my own hair, the more problematic one is Coco in the next room

Blaid nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, I understand. This is what it means to be companions, right? I often chat with Barfi as well; Barfi is to me what Xiaobai is to you."

A voice filled with weakness and fear escaped from the little girl's lips, and her gaze involuntarily shifted away, unable to look in the direction of Airo again

She appeared somewhat timid

The duo of Buffy and Blade continues to maintain that expression full of question marks. While Buffy does not understand, that is one thing; Blade, on the other hand, is grinning foolishly, wearing an expression that seems to want to ask but dares not to.

Call

Aero took a sip of the hot water in his hand, then turned to instruct Blade to bring some hot milk. Soon, the hot milk was placed in front of Coco, and the little girl stared wide-eyed at the liquid in the cup, unable to help but swallow.

After a long silence, Blade brought over a cup of hot water. After Airo took a sip, he finally stood up, the corners of his mouth slightly curling up: "A necromancer, huh? Quite young, but with considerable magical power."

On August 6, 1301, meal expenses: -2 iron. Balance: 84 gold, 2 silver, 4 copper, 3 iron

However, her ears were upright, and after having eaten and drunk to her satisfaction, she once again restrained the appearance of a starving ghost she had just displayed, becoming reserved once more

Blaid nodded, his face filled with compassion. He poured another glass of milk for the little girl and turned to speak with Buffy. Unfortunately, Buffy still wore a face full of questions.

Aero was combing his hair, continuing to sit at the head of the bed with a frown

Coco lowered her head again, her eyes averted as she was not good at lying. Her pupils and the *illustration* book kept moving, clearly trying hard to come up with a lie that she could get away with.

Aero sat in the dining chair with a smile, carefully examining the girl from top to bottom

Forget it

I... I summoned it a long time ago... However, I later discovered... that I cannot lift... the magic... President Brother... You just saw it... That thing... it just... tried to kill me...

What is the purpose of a food-thieving undead soldier who does not require sustenance

Coco raised her head and timidly glanced at the president in front of her. Finally, gathering her courage, she released her right hand, reached for the cup, and took a sip.

Aero lit the oil lamp, illuminating the bar on the first floor. Napa continued to lean on the bar, not even glancing at the little girl sitting in the chair, who appeared to be quite shy.

Looking at Airo's gentle smile, Coco inexplicably felt a chill run through her, causing her to shiver slightly. She tucked her neck in and cautiously nodded.

Coco, however, shuddered slightly, and the small twig in her hand was suddenly turned around, with the thinner end tremblingly pointed at Airo

Two thin, bony calves protruded from beneath the robe, their dirty little feet shyly overlapping, with the toes curled up

What is even more astonishing is why a poorly skilled necromancer would appear in Pelican Town

However, fundamentally speaking, both life magic and death magic belong to the realm of natural magic. Death is an inescapable aspect of life, a part of the life process. Life is also a part of death, capable of imbuing death with greater meaning. A life devoid of death and a death devoid of life cannot exist independently; the two are complementary and form a unified whole.

Hmm ...? ... Could it be related to the gold mines in the Longmian Mountains?

It is truly a pity that if one could sell this hair at a good price in the capital, there would be no one in this small border town of the empire willing to buy hair

Coco involuntarily shouted out, but perhaps realizing that her voice was too loud, she shrank back again, timidly grasping the dry twig in her hand, and softly said—

However, Airo began to worry about his own thoughts, wondering if the notion that the other person's lies were too unconvincing indicated that he had become a habitual liar himself

The warriors of our guild may not have undergone systematic training, but your undead soldiers move with grace and possess exceptional swordsmanship. This is certainly not a reason to claim that the magic is too weak

I am not that remarkable... My magic... is still quite weak...

Reflecting on it now, I truly feel fortunate to be able to study at the Old Teng Tree Academy! It is also quite a stroke of luck to have access to the books of the Magic Department! However, this is not the time to boast that all these theories are merely memorized from the books.

A category that is the most numerous and the most extensive is collectively referred to as life magic. Whether it is fire, lightning, earth, blessing, and so on, all can be considered a type of life magic.

This is indeed a fact

One's own room must be tidied by oneself, and others are not allowed to help. Here, everyone is required to manage their own affairs. Is there any problem with that

Another type corresponds to death magic, which is the counterpart of life magic. Curses, that is, death, suffering, and even the driving of the deceased, all belong to death magic

A pair of small hands grasped the tattered branch, yet seemed uncertain about how to position them, sometimes curling up and at other times placing them behind.

Even if I acknowledge you as a necromancer, I will not take any action against you. We are all members of the magical community, and I do not hold such prejudices.

Buffy did not understand what Brad was saying, but she might have thought that Brad was complimenting her, and immediately wore a proud expression on her face

Coco held the cup carefully, stealing glances at Airo. The little girl had a hint of anxiety on her face, likely unable to fathom Airo's thoughts, which made her feel uneasy

Faced with the sumptuous feast before her, Coco could no longer hold back; her other hand finally released the withered branch, and she grasped the bread and milk with both hands

It indeed looks quite pitiful. But rest assured, Coco. In my guild, no one can harm you, including your undead soldiers.

Coco shrank her neck, pulling her entire body back into the large robe, resembling a small ball: "During my travels... I... encountered a monster... so... I used magic... to summon Little White... Ah, Little White is that skeleton! I... I... felt too lonely during my journey... so... I chatted with Little White..."

The bread, eggs, and milk in front of Coco have all been completely consumed, and the little girl's lips are covered in crumbs.

This little girl is not skilled at lying, at least not as much as she is at other things. However, even though she is not very good at it, she still managed to conceal some matters from herself

He reached out his hand and gently stroked the little girl's head

Napa yawned and continued to lie down and sleep

Unfortunately, the skill of lying is still too low

After explaining it well in two different languages, Airo looked at the expressions of Blade and Buffy, still somewhat confused

However, it is indeed true that a thief stole the round cheese pie from the mayor of Cheese Town during the day today. This pie could not have been eaten by a soldier; it could only have been consumed by a living being. And this little girl has already stated that the undead soldier is her magic

Travel? And then the magic lost control?

Therefore, I hope that both of you do not hold any prejudice against necromancers, and there is no need to label someone simply because of the terms 'necromancer' or 'death magic'. That being said, do both of you understand?

In this world, some individuals possess a certain affinity for magic from the moment of their birth. The degree of magical affinity varies among different races; for instance, every member of the Fairy Flower tribe, like the Parfait, possesses magical affinity. In contrast, among humans, it is likely that only one in a hundred, one in a thousand, or even one in ten thousand individuals will have such an affinity for magic

Those who possess an affinity for magic can become wizards after undergoing some systematic magical training. Although wizards are categorized into numerous detailed classifications in this world, fundamentally, magic belongs to a natural force. Since it is a natural force, the most basic classification of magic can only be divided into two types

However...

In that case, the so-called out-of-control undead soldiers is nothing but nonsense; that girl is lying

Baffy sat on Blade's shoulder, swinging her feet and laughing as she said: "(Fairy language) So, you humans have done so much research on magic? I have no objections, after all, I have lost count of how many plants I have witnessed being born and dying.

After that ... ... Xiao Bai and I ... ... repelled the monsters. However, ever since then ... ... Xiao Bai ... ... has become somewhat uncontrollable ... ...

The small body is hidden within the oversized robe, creating a somewhat mismatched impression, which further accentuates the child's short stature

Aero remained silent, merely continuing to smile as he watched the little girl eat.

Well, sooner or later I have to tell you. This child is a wizard, and the faction they belong to, from the perspective of magical taxonomy, is classified as belonging to the necromancer faction

You may rest here with me now, just as I mentioned earlier, the Song of the Mermaid will never discriminate against anyone. No matter how many lies you have told, or how many things you have concealed. Since I have decided to believe in you, I will certainly believe in you completely

At the small table, after cautiously taking two bites and seeing that Airo had no objections at all, she finally let go completely and began to eat heartily.

Chairman, the door is closed

Rising from his seat, Airo glanced at the time, turned his head, and continued to speak with a smile.

Before long, a pile of leftover bread and baked eggs was placed in front of Coco for dinner, and Parfait poured her a glass of milk, adding a touch of fragrance.

Perhaps it was the warm milk in front of her that made the little girl let down her guard. Or perhaps it was the gentle tone of Airo's voice that filled her with a sense of comfort

At this point, I only hope that these matters do not stray too far beyond my control, lest I find myself completely bankrupt three years from now

Coco looked at the cobwebs and dust filling the room, clearly surprised, but Airo did not give her the time to act coy; he shut the door behind him and returned to his own room

He thought for a moment and decided to correct the misconceptions of the two regarding necromancers before they could form any misunderstandings, and then he said

No one has taught you that the most crucial point when lying is to genuinely believe that the lie you are telling is not a lie

So pitiful

I am here for tourism

As a necromancer, her inability to dispel her own summons can be excused, as it may simply indicate that her magical studies are not yet sufficient

Is the strength too weak

Aero suppressed the excitement within, yet the expression on his face still bore that faint smile, which was difficult for others to decipher

After taking care of her hair, Airo put down the comb and sighed

The undead soldiers are the deceased, a product of magic, and do not require sustenance

Turn off the lights, go to bed, and cover yourself with the quilt

The cheese pies sold at the mayor's house in Round Cheese Town are quite substantial; one person could probably eat them for two days.

Closing the door, Airo finally let out a sigh of relief, removed his hat, and let his golden hair cascade down.

However, her gaze at Airo was no longer filled with fear

As for Brad and Buffy standing nearby, the two of them remained there until Airo instructed them to go to bed, at which point this duo happily went upstairs

I ... ... I ... ...

Just now, I intentionally took some food to give to her, and as a result, this little girl finished it all. She ate every last bit.

Such a statement clearly presents issues

Aero sat in front of the vanity, pinching her hair and frowning. In the end, she could only helplessly toss her hair aside, take off her coat, and change into a comfortable set of pajamas

With one gulp, the young girl licked her lips, which were smeared with a milky white liquid, and in one breath, she lifted the cup and drank all the milk in it.