The higher you are, the more humble you are.
Javier's home was on Ninth Avenue in the wealthy district of the south of the city. It was a white three-story building with a large garden.
" We're here." Brand jumped off the carriage and carried Miya down to his side. The little girl was still clutching the mage's red robe tightly without saying a word.
The butler, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, greeted him respectfully. His meticulous hair and decent coat made the nearly 50-year-old butler Andrew look as energetic as the young man.
" Respected Lord Brand, the master is already waiting in the hall. Please…" Brand nodded and was about to take a step forward following the butler's directions when he suddenly turned to look at the little girl. He then gently bent down and said to Miya," I'll get someone to clean you up and change your clothes. Your wound also needs to be treated."
The little girl hesitated for a moment under Brand's gaze. She nodded slightly and let go of her mage robe, her eyes still fixed on Brand.
"As you wish, my lord. "I'll get the maid to do it for you now," the old butler said without missing the opportunity and waved his hand behind him without looking back.
The two maids carried the dirty little girl to the servant's room in the backyard. The little girl bit her lip and turned to look at Brand uneasily until her line of sight around the corner was blocked.
Brand nodded at the old butler and continued walking towards the hall.
The exquisite oak door was painted with a luxurious white lacquer, and there was also an exquisite Four Leaf Clover Trading Firm's emblem on it. The ring on the door was not simply covered in gold, but a highly skilled gilding memory, making the golden knocker look smooth, restrained, and steady. It seemed that the Four Leaf Clover Trading Firm with a hundred years of history was not something ordinary nouveau riche could compare to.
"I saw your carriage from afar, Mr. Brand!”A warm greeting made Brand, who had come to Javier's residence for the first time, withdraw his gaze from the door.
The owner of the voice was Javier himself, a slightly plump middle-aged man. In addition to the belly that came with living like a prince, Javier could also be considered dignified. He dressed casually and did not have the bad taste of ordinary businessmen who wanted to hang jewelry all over their bodies.
" Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Javier. It's my pleasure to be your guest," the mage replied in a friendly manner to his enthusiastic host.
The master was very satisfied with the mage's compliments, and even felt a little overwhelmed by the favor. Although mages were not uncommon, it was not a pleasant thing to deal with these guys who had been in the Magic Tower until their brains had gone stiff. Clearly, Brand's attitude made Javier, who had not been confident before, heave a sigh of relief.
In the past, even though Brand had personally gone to the trading firm to select goods, he had not spoken much and was rather cold to others. Now that the host and guest were so friendly, how could Javier, who had taken the initiative to invite the mages to a banquet, not be happy?
The two of them sat next to the warm fireplace. Although the sun had not completely set outside, the cold wave at the end of autumn was gradually making people feel a little cold.
The soft and dancing fire shone on their faces as they discussed the issue of the payment account. In fact, the so-called settlement of payment was just a reason for attending the banquet. Every month, Brand would ask the servant Caterina to go to the trading firm to settle the various payments for the month. After completing these trivial tasks, the master changed the topic and finally got to the main topic.
" Mr. Brand, last month, when I was purchasing goods from Sea Breeze City, I found something strange. When I wore it to sleep, I always dreamed of an endless forest," Javier said as he picked up a small box from the coffee table and opened it to pass it to the mage.
After taking a look at it, Brand's expression became a little strange, which made his master nervous.
" This is the Wood Leaf Ring. Every elf will receive this ring when they reach adulthood. It is said to be made from the dead leaves of the World Tree. It can guide the elves to find their way home in the vast forest." The mage paused and continued,""What puzzles me is that this ring looks brand new. How long have you had it?”。
The clueless Javier tried to recall honestly and confirmed that it had not been on his hand for more than 20 days, and he had only worn it a few times.
" Logically speaking, only elves can wear this kind of ring, and once it's taken off, it means that an elf has returned to the embrace of the World Tree." The mage downed the wine in his other hand.
The owner suddenly felt a little uneasy. After all, Javier was only a good port merchant, not a smuggler at the border. He could not fully understand what this item represented.
Brand took a deep look at him and slowly said, Mr. Javier, you might have gotten into trouble."
Just as his master was about to say something, two maids brought Mia, who had changed into a new set of clothes, to the mage. Miya stumbled and pounced on the mage. Just as the mage was hesitating whether to stand up and hug the little girl, Miya skillfully grabbed the corner of her mage robe and stood beside the chair like a frightened little animal.
" Sir, this little miss has sprained her ankle…" The older of the two maids explained to the mage awkwardly.
Brand followed the maid's instructions and looked down. Miya's feet were swollen and bruised. It seemed that she had been injured for a long time. Brandt nodded at the maids. Just as he was about to take out his pocket, his master interrupted.
" Well done. Go down and get three silver coins from Andrew." Brand smiled and said to Javier,"" Sorry for making you spend money…"
Master was smart enough not to ask about Mia. He brought the topic back to the Leaf Ring.
"Sir, what trouble do you mean?”，Obviously, Javier, who didn't understand the traditions of the elves, was still confused.
Brand recalled the description of the elves in the archives of the Hand of Truth Society. He told him that this ring could only be taken off after the death of the elves. Moreover, there was no trace of history on this ring, and it looked like it was new. This meant that this was left behind by a young elf after he was killed, and the owner of this item would definitely be in trouble.
Shocked, Javier swallowed the bitter saliva in his mouth and asked with difficulty,"Are you saying that if the elves want revenge, they will come to me?”
" There's no doubt that the elves don't trust humans. The long, bloody war of ten thousand years has almost killed all the High Elves. They only hate humans and the Alliance…"
" Sir, please do me a favor." Javier, who had always been calm in the face of chaos, was about to break down. God knew why he had brought the Leaf Ring back.
Brand thought for a moment and agreed to Javier's request. He also told Javier that he would bring the ring to the Hand of Truth. The magic field in the Hand of Truth would be able to isolate the ring's fluctuations, making it impossible for the elves to find it.
The rest of the dinner was a little dull. One of them wanted to take the ring back to the academy to study it properly, and the other wanted to get rid of this trouble as soon as possible. The only normal person was Mia, who was curled up beside Brand. She ate enough for two people.
After bidding farewell to the grateful Javier and rejecting his offer to arrange a carriage, he brought Mia out of Ninth Avenue. Brand walked slowly, thinking about the clues of this matter. The little girl was forcefully lifted up by the mage when he remembered that she had an injury on her foot. This made Brand secretly scold himself for rejecting the Javier family's carriage.
The street lamps were bright, and the night had fallen. The mage who wasn't tall carried Mia's shadow under the street lamps and gradually disappeared.
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