Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos

Chapter 106. Talking with Ariel. Hidden Wind.

Verdantia and Cinderielle didn't expect to bump into Ariel, so they were similarly surprised. "Indeed. What a surprise. What are you doing here?"

Ariel smiled as she took a chair and sat with them. "Well, you know the drill. I go around all the nearby cities with the caravan to find some exotic materials and such and sell what I can. Speaking of which, Liu Shu's commodities are quite popular! Each time I arrive at a new town, the people that previously bought them come asking for more!"

Verdantia remembered how her mother could feel the World Tree aura from her staff, and even when she knew that her mother was a bit special in that regard, she asked. "Have any high-level people approached you lately?"

Ariel got thoughtful. "Honestly, I am not really good at discerning these things myself. Beyond Level 14~15, everyone looks the same. Like... 'strong!' Hahaha. Do you know what I mean?"

Verdantia sipped her beverage and answered. "No idea."

Ariel blinked and looked at the red-haired Sylvan, only to be met with a pair of pitying orange eyes. "Being a human must be tough."

Ariel's lip corners began madly twitching. "Anyways, people like that appeared a few times, but not often. They came to buy the few <Delicious Berries (F- Rank)> that I have." She remembered. "By the way, since Liu Shu doesn't have any need for materials, I've been exchanging them for money."

Cinderielle asked with a playful smirk that hid the cold edge in her eyes. "Are you properly storing the value of the berries? I heard from Ignatia that you tried to scam Liu Shu the first time around."

Ariel raised her arms. "That was an honest mistake. I have reformed, I swear! I've saved all the money and accounts in a book for you to revise as well. Moreover, Flor knows how many of each berry she gave me, and you two can always come to my caravan and see at what price I have them."

Verdantia was about to take another sip, but the cup was empty, so she placed it aside and asked. "What are the prices?"

Ariel commented. "Well, the ones that can recover energy are 8 Lir Coins each."

Verdantia and Cinderielle blinked. The red-haired Sylvan asked, surprised. "8 Lir Coin? That's quite a lot for an F- Rank fruit."

Ariel nodded. "It's really good, that's why I said that the materials Liu Shu asked for previously were too little to sell all these things. Although they are F- Rank, each fruit has incredibly pure energy, and you can eat them without thinking about anything. For low-level people, the Phoer Berries have shown signs of healing even old wounds and scarring." Ariel scratched her head. "I've already had a few potion makers come to me, asking me to give them a steady supply to create new potions and such."

Verdantia blinked. She was a potion maker herself, so she understood the value of the berries. It was just that Verdantia never really thought of using Liu Shu's materials in her potion-making. Somewhere in her head, she ignored that option because using Liu Shu's materials felt somewhat wrong as if she were objectifying Liu Shu.

However, her mind changed. 'Others are using her materials and eating them at will... Does avoiding to use them make me more of a stranger to Liu'er compared to those who do use them?'

Verdantia's heart was filled with jealousy in a matter of a few seconds. 'I must be the one knowing the most. Heh, those disgusting potion makers are handling Liu Shu's fruits and investigating them while I am here, acting all pure and everything. What an asinine thing to do.'

Ariel coughed. "Verdantia, it might be my imagination, but I can feel a strange aura around you. Are you okay? Can you stop it? No, I am serious, stop it, it's getting scary, haha...ha?"