[Vol. 8] Chapter 83: Miss Violet Doesn’t Like Selling Things
The moment Ayla realized the truth, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine. A wave of fear and confusion rushed over her like a flood. Her sapphire-blue eyes shrank in shock as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
She had always assumed that the hidden person watching her, the one behind the strange force that made the stalkers disappear, was Miss Violet. She thought Violet had just shown up along with the recent strange events.
But if Violet wasn’t the one secretly watching her…
Then who, or what, was this mysterious being that she had accidentally discovered today?
How long had it been spying on her from the shadows?
The thought that every move she had made might have been seen by some unknown eyes without her even noticing made Ayla’s skin crawl. But at the same time, her natural curiosity and desire for knowledge as a scholar burned stronger than ever.
Of course, she couldn’t find the answer on her own. So, without really thinking, she turned her gaze toward the black-haired girl sitting across the table in the stone pavilion. There was something strangely familiar about her, but Ayla couldn’t remember when or where they had met.
Instead of asking questions, she spoke with a serious expression.
“Miss Violet, if you have any requests, please just say so. I’m just a small scholar, I don’t have any big secrets worth your attention. But I do understand that nothing in life comes for free.”
“Very good, very good~ It’s rare to see someone understand and calm down so quickly,” Violet replied, clapping lightly in approval and giving a small nod.
“Just as you guessed, besides those few obvious thugs, there’s indeed another hidden force watching you from the shadows. Unlike the first group, this one is far more dangerous, even I find it troublesome. That means you probably can’t handle it on your own.”
“They’re still hiding for now and haven’t made their move. But once they do, it will hit like a landslide or a tidal wave. And I believe that moment is coming very soon. In other words, your time is running out.”
Ayla frowned slightly but didn’t say anything right away. She knew that someone like Violet wouldn’t say this unless there was more to come.
Sure enough, the black-haired girl, clearly someone of high status, gave a small smile and continued.
“If you want to learn more about that hidden force, you could try questioning the stalkers we captured. They may not know much, but they’re likely connected in some way. How much you can get out of them depends on your skill.”
“But I’ll say this again, even if you find out the truth, facing that force by yourself will be almost impossible. The Spirit Veil Merchant Guild might protect you for a while, but not forever. When the nest falls, no egg survives. If you really want to protect yourself, your best option is to take the initiative. Join forces with other strong people and fight back together, to destroy the source of that threat.”
“Of course, you don’t have the strength to do something like that just yet. That’s why I’d like to give you a suggestion.”
Ayla quietly looked into the girl’s clear, silver-blue eyes. Without showing much emotion, she nodded.
“…Please tell me, Miss Violet.”
“Hehe, don’t be so nervous. Being afraid of me won’t help you at all. The path to gaining power that I’m about to offer you is totally proper and official. In fact, it’s one of the most traditional and trustworthy ways out there. And right now, an incredibly rare chance, something that only comes once in a thousand years, is right in front of you. Miss Ayla, don’t you have even the slightest interest?”
“…?”
The lightborn girl froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
“You mean… the Chosen Hero?”
Ayla stayed silent.
Yes… If there was any power in this world that could truly be called “completely reliable,” it would be the Goddess of the Primordial Light, the one who had just arrived in the Holy City yesterday and shown her divine power with her own hands. She was, without a doubt, the most powerful being.
If someone could receive her blessing and become one of the Chosen, then no matter who or what was secretly after Ayla, they would be forced to back off under the light of the Goddess. And the benefits didn’t stop at what Miss Violet had just listed, there would be even more beyond that.
But the problem was, could Ayla really become that one-in-a-billion lucky person?
After feeling a bit tempted, Ayla quickly shook her head with a sigh.
“I understand what you’re saying. But the title of Chosen Hero is something everyone dreams of. Right now, more than seventy percent of the world’s greatest heroes have already gathered in the Holy City for this. I’m just a small scholar. Even if I have some ability, I can barely protect myself…”
“There are only six spots for the Chosen. Even if there were sixty, or six hundred, how could someone like me hope to compete for one? Miss Violet, you’re not planning to pull strings for me… are you?”
Ayla’s words were mostly self-mocking, with just a hint of testing the waters. But the black-haired girl simply smiled faintly and shook her head.
“What does the Goddess have to do with someone like me? I’m only offering a suggestion. Whether or not you become a Chosen Hero is up to your own effort. I can’t interfere. But as the saying goes, no matter how hard something seems, the chance of success and failure is always fifty-fifty. If you don’t even try and just give up, then your chance is really zero.”
“Miss Ayla, you might think your strength and background are nothing special. But in my eyes, you’re already quite good. The Goddess doesn’t choose heroes based only on power. If She did, wouldn’t it be easier for Her to just do everything Herself? So why not gather your courage and give it a try? Even if you fail, what have you lost?”
Seeing that Ayla was still unsure, the black-haired girl added another line with a smile, just like a smooth-talking merchant.
“How about this, until the Chosen Heroes are officially announced, I’ll be staying in the Angel City for a while. As long as you decide to join the competition, no matter the outcome, you’re welcome to come to the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild for help if you run into any problems. Think of it as a small reward. How’s that?”
“……”
Ayla silently stared at the noble girl in front of her. She didn’t speak.
Everything the girl had said made sense. In fact, she was offering quite a lot of help and support. But Ayla still had one question that had been bothering her. She had asked it once before, but the girl had quietly avoided answering.
“Miss Violet… why are you so determined to get me to join the competition for the Chosen Heroes? Why are you helping me like this? Have we… met somewhere before?”
Hearing this, the black-haired girl gave a mysterious and amused smile. She stood up, took a piece of the finest cake offered by the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, and glanced off to the side, as if looking at something far away.
“It’s nothing, really. I just think it would be a shame for such a rare gem to stay hidden in the dust, so I thought I’d give you a small push. As for why I want to help you…”