Chapter 293 There's more to the story. She was in immense pain and extremely angry.
“In essence, it’s not wrong for you to call me that, but of course I would prefer you to see me as an alchemical being,” the innkeeper said with a hearty smile. “Then let me introduce myself, Your Majesty.”
She bowed to the Elf King: "My magical name is Okmi Reddedenaut Phoenix Lee, but my master usually calls me by my name Vivian, and my former flower fairy relatives prefer to call me Vivili."
Alchemical life? Master?
Shu Xin stared intently at the alchemical doll before her, who bowed with human etiquette but had the appearance of a riverside elf. Clearly, the master the other party spoke of was human.
After inheriting Lilita's throne, Shuxin also gained many abilities. However, since she came from a scientific world, she did not have a deep understanding of the laws she controlled. Basically, she would do whatever she wanted, and then find that she could do it, so she would do it. In fact, the magical abilities she inherited from Lilita were essentially the authority of the creator goddess Lefra.
The continent of Lefra is not yet stable enough to support gods, so the nine demigods of the River Elves are forced to remain in a semi-standby state. However, the Creator God is essentially this continent, so Shu Xin herself can use the Creator God's power normally.
Shu Xin stared at the innkeeper for a long time, and soon noticed the runic chains inside his body—
Compared to the extremely intricate and complex rune chains that once existed within the flower fairies, the rune chains within the innkeeper's body were remarkably simple and efficient.
As Shu Xin watched, she realized that the two had completely different functions. The runes in the flower fairy's body were for sealing and controlling, while the runes in the innkeeper's body were for linking and extending. In other words, the former was actually a rune lock, while the latter was a rune chain, but it was certain that they came from the same source.
Shu Xin can now understand that these runes are for alchemy. The human race has a very strict and clear distinction between alchemists and mages. Therefore, the human who created the innkeeper is an alchemist, and this alchemist is the culprit who bound and imprisoned the flower fairy!
...Wait, is it really the culprit?
Shu Xin initially thought that the elves had fallen into such a terrible state because of the human mages. Later, she learned that the human mage friend that the original elves had befriended was actually a good person, but this unfortunate fellow was ruined by his own blood relatives, and the overly naive and innocent riverside elves were also brought to a miserable state.
This can't be attributed to the primordial elves making bad friends; it's just pure bad luck. Everyone here has had the worst luck imaginable.
As for the rune chains inside the flower fairy's body, Shu Xin naturally assumed that it was the work of the good magician's bad relatives. Furthermore, with the help of the Tree of Life, the rune chains had been removed, so Shu Xin stopped worrying about it.
As a result, the innkeeper who had been touring the country to run the Magic Cat Market and had been diligently and conscientiously trying to help the poor flower fairy suddenly appeared. She even revealed that she was an alchemical doll, and Shu Xin immediately recognized that her master was the creator of the rune lock inside the flower fairy's body.
...So, there's more to the story?
The hotel owner generously allowed Shu Xin to look him over, his face bearing the warm smile typical of a businessman, as if what she had just revealed was not some rare secret, but rather a good deal on small commodities at a street stall.
Shu Xin remained silent for a while before speaking: "How would you like me to address you?"
The innkeeper readily agreed, "Then naturally I would prefer you to call me Vivi, Your Majesty. I've been called that name for almost three thousand years!"
Wow, this alchemist is indeed a figure from three thousand years ago.
Shu Xin picked up the teacup on the table in the reception room, took a sip of water as a tactical gesture, and mentally prepared herself before speaking: "Okay, Vivi, perhaps you want to tell me a very long story?"
Vivili's eyes crinkled into a smile: "Actually, Your Majesty, it's quite the opposite. The story is rather short."
The combat-type alchemist idol, affectionately called Vivian by her master, was hunting monsters to replenish her alchemical materials as usual when she suddenly received a summons from her master.
Upon seeing its master, who was dressed in black mourning clothes, the alchemical doll received no further instructions. Instead, it was ordered to remain where it was. After waiting for some time, the doll received a command from its master—
Carry two alchemical items to a location. One item will automatically disintegrate at the destination, while the other item needs to be held and preserved by the doll for a long time until a new instruction is given.
“The place my master asked me to go to is the present-day Garnar Plain. That black mist refuses entry to humans, but I am just a magical puppet,” Vivili shrugged, “so I came here without any hindrance.”
The first alchemical artifact brought by the alchemical doll became the rune lock on the hearts of the flower fairies.
Vivili lowered her eyes and explained in a low voice, "Although you may not believe it... I can swear to Berisama that the rune locks that Master crafted were originally intended to help the flower fairies survive... After the Tree of Life was damaged, the magic concentration across the entire continent dropped sharply, and large numbers of flower fairies died from weakness right after they were born! Only after the rune locks appeared did they slowly adapt to the magic environment..."
“Initially, the flower fairies didn’t distinguish between slaves and nobles. Those of their kind who suffered fatal wounds and became small were actually protected and treated more carefully. I don’t know when it started, but they actually thought that their shrunken members were being punished by the gods…” Vivi smiled bitterly. “After all, I am just a combat-type alchemical doll. The changes in my thoughts, feelings and perceptions are still too complicated for me even now.”
"Your master participated in the modification of the primordial spirits, didn't he?" Shu Xin asked.
Flower fairies are not true fairies, but rather the embodiment of the fragile law. The rune lock can extend the lifespan of flower fairies by locking and imprisoning magic power within their bodies, which means that the alchemist who created the rune lock already possessed the ability to interfere with and manipulate the laws of nature.
Where did this ability come from? It couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could it? Even if this alchemist's skill was so profound that it could interfere with the laws of the world, such an exquisite rune lock, perfectly suited to a flower fairy, couldn't possibly have been derived from mere theoretical calculations. Thinking about it more closely is just hellish...
Vivi sighed: "I am only responsible for hunting and do not know anything about my master's alchemical research, but I think the answer to your question is yes."
“Although my understanding of emotions is not yet deep enough, my perception of feelings has always been quite keen. My master summoned me suddenly after attending the funeral of a magician friend. She was in immense pain and extremely angry at the time,” Vivili described calmly.
She raised her hand, and a soft magical glow emanated from her palm: "I don't know what happened. That was the first time I saw Master get angry. I think the second alchemical artifact that Master ordered me to bring might be related to what happened back then."
Shu Xin: "...Is your master's magic friend a water magician named Delia?"
Vivili was somewhat surprised: "Yes, Your Majesty." She seemed thoughtful, "...The calamity that befell the elves is related to my master's magician friend, is that right?"
Shu Xin nodded, speechless for a moment.
The alchemists have all gone to the funeral, so it's obvious that Delia has been killed by her awful relatives. Could it be that her alchemist friend is only now realizing that something is wrong?
Delia was deceived by her blood relatives, and it's likely that her alchemist friend was also tricked along with her. Deceiving one is the same as deceiving two, so they're truly good friends, getting deceived together.
Shu Xin was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. She didn't know what to say, so she turned her gaze to the alchemical artifact in Vivi's hand. It was golden in color and shaped like an egg, looking exactly like a golden egg: "This is... a life support device?"
“Yes, Your Majesty, my master paid a great price to preserve these little lives. Just yesterday, I saw new instructions on the device, and I need to deliver them to the leader of the elves.” Vivili said, gently touching the golden egg.
The life support device's golden shell rippled with faint light, began to become transparent, and finally revealed the image inside: several fawns curled up in a ball, fast asleep.
Shu Xin's eyes widened in surprise: "This is a gibbon fawn?!"
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Author's Note: Okmi Reddeard & Phoenix Lee
I've completely transliterated this name; the English version is: Alchemy·RedDeadNettle·Phoenix·Lee
It means: Alchemy, Red Nettle, Phoenix, Li
The first three define the alchemical doll and its key magical materials, magical attributes, and magical abilities;
As for Lee, I took the Middle English word Lea, which means "grassland, forest cutter," and is a surname describing a place of residence. Putting it in a magic name can be traced back to family origin.
Li is the surname of Vivili's master. She shared her surname with her magical creations, which means that she regarded the alchemical dolls as family members of her own family, rather than ordinary alchemical artifacts.
Regarding Vivili's oath, Belisama is a divine name, the goddess of fire and craftsmanship in British mythology. Her name, in Old Celtic, means 'the brightest one'. As a symbol of fire and craftsmanship, Belisama's authority encompasses the realms of fire, light, alchemy, and forging; in this worldview, she protects alchemical life.
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