Silvanus withdrew his hand and nodded. "As long as you like it."
Matthew stared at the seashell in Ariana’s hand. A faint glimr suddenly flashed, making him frown slightly. He did not know whether it was just his imagination, but it seed that the gem on Silvanus’s earring had flashed at the sa ti.
Silvanus looked back and happened to catch Matthew’s gaze. He could not help asking, "What is it?"
Matthew shook his head, adjusted his glasses, and said softly, "It’s nothing. When did you get your ear pierced?"
Hearing that, Silvanus could not help glancing away. He touched his ear and laughed lightly. "You really pay attention to the smallest details."
Matthew wanted to say that this was not a small detail at all. But just then, Silvanus had already stepped over and draped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him forward while talking nonstop. "It’s a gift from a friend I t at sea. Alright, let’s skip the sea. I’m kind of obsessed with it now anyway. In Eldoria, I made a new friend. He’s really beautiful. Well, actually, all elves are beautiful..."
On the way back to the dormitory, Matthew’s ears were almost completely filled with talk about Silvanus’s new friend. In truth, Silvanus talked about many things. It was only that Matthew’s mind kept circling back to that one matter. He smiled, but whatever he was thinking, only he himself knew.
Off to the side, Ariana asked with sparkling eyes, "So there aren’t just tall elves, but also tiny elves? I thought those only existed in legends."
Silvanus lifted his chin, feeling as though he had suddenly beco ten years more childish.
The cold voice of the Outer God rang in Matthew’s mind. "Your friend looks really stupid."
"Shut up. I’ll kill you," Matthew replied without the slightest hesitation.
But the Outer God rely chuckled. Rather than being frightened by the threat, it seed to be looking forward to it.
Silvanus bade Matthew farewell. The mont Silvanus’s figure disappeared from sight, the smile on Matthew’s face vanished as well.
He walked on, his pace growing faster and faster. He felt as though the darkness inside him was about to erupt again.
He quickened his steps, but he was not heading back to the dormitory. He needed to find a source of flesh and blood to calm himself down.
At the sa ti, Silvanus had already returned to his room. The mont he closed the door, Vivian imdiately jumped onto the bed. Her body went soft, almost lting into a rug. She opened her mouth and spoke, "I’m exhausted to death, Silvanus. That flashy, multicolored fish had no idea what kind of ga it was playing. We almost all died!"
As she spoke, Vivian stood up on her hind legs. One forepaw clenched into a fist like a mangosteen, and she declared loudly, "Good thing I’m insanely skilled. My strength is worth a hundred enemies! I punch like this, I kick like this, and then like this..."
While talking, she twisted her body, flailing her legs and arms nonstop. She spun around several tis, looking both smug and ridiculous.
But just then, the atmosphere suddenly seed to freeze. It felt as though an icy breath swept through the room. Vivian could not help shivering. Instinctively, she lifted her head, only to imdiately see a faint rfolk apparition floating right above her head!
Vivian’s fur practically exploded on the spot, her body puffing into a ball of fluff. She opened her mouth, but before she could even hiss, her head was pressed down.
Nerio’s tail fin rippled with light as he chuckled, his voice youthful. "Which flashy, multicolored creature was this cute little fox just talking about? How adorable."
His voice stretched out, sing-song and clear, making Vivian shudder repeatedly. Realizing she could not move even a little, she imdiately scread, "Silvanus, help!"
Silvanus had just finished taking care of business when he heard Vivian’s scream. He thought so shadow creature had followed them ho. Who would have guessed that when he stepped out, he would see Vivian being restrained by Nerio with one hand, her limbs flailing uselessly no matter how hard she struggled.
As for Nerio, he hovered in midair, his body sowhat translucent. One hand propped up his chin, the other pressed down on Vivian’s head, and he was even licking his lips as he said, "This fox looks pretty tasty too."
Silvanus: "..."
At this mont, Vivian had also spotted Silvanus and almost imdiately screeched, "Silvanus, I want fish for lunch!"
Silvanus truly wanted to remind Vivian not to have that much confidence in him, but in the end he said nothing and simply walked over.
Nerio noticed Silvanus as well. He imdiately released Vivian, turned around, tucked his tail away, and obediently sat on the bed. Even so, his translucent body gave the impression that he might pass straight through the bed at any mont.
Silvanus lightly touched his earring. Before he could say anything, Nerio had already stretched both hands forward, blinking his big round eyes as he obediently asked, "You promised to bring seashells. Where are they?"
Silvanus replied flatly, "I don’t have any."
Off to the side, Vivian spoke up loudly, "Silvanus, do you know this fish? He’s really an eyesore. He’s already asking for gifts the mont he shows up. Let tell you, he’s incredibly vicious..."
Before Vivian could even finish speaking, Nerio’s tears had already begun to fall, drop by drop, like turquoise beads. Before they could touch the ground, they dissolved into motes of light.
Vivian froze, her tail drooping as she looked toward Silvanus.
Silvanus: "..."
Silvanus pulled Vivian into his arms and looked over at Nerio. "Stop pretending to be pitiful. Speak. What exactly is going on?"
The way he spoke was as though he were giving Nerio one last chance.
Nerio said nothing. He simply buried his face into the bed, continuing to sob.
Vivian opened her mouth, closed it, and in the end could not help saying, "Don’t cry anymore. Thank you for killing that black fish. I won’t say you’re vicious anymore, okay? Don’t cry."
Silvanus could not help looking at Vivian, thinking how foolish she was. Nerio shed just a few tears and she was already fooled.
Nerio felt the mattress sink slightly, and then Silvanus’s voice sounded. "I’m kidding. Here, this is yours."
Hearing that, Nerio could not help lifting his head to look. Sure enough, he saw a sharp, spiraled seashell, blue spines growing all around it. The nacre actually glowed with a beautiful pale blue light, and it was large too, nearly half the size of Nerio’s face.
"Guaranteed to be the prettiest one. You can even hear the sound of the sea from it," Silvanus said slowly.
Nerio looked at Silvanus. His expression carried a hint of helplessness and resignation, yet there was no trace of disgust.
He had not even expected Silvanus to give him anything after all this. All of it had just been a sulking tantrum on his part.
Yet Silvanus had not forgotten his promise to him.
Nerio imdiately pounced and hugged Silvanus tightly, his fish tail swaying nonstop.
Even the seashell in Silvanus’s hand was knocked onto the bed.
Nerio was overjoyed, smiling so widely that the two fangs at the corners of his mouth showed. In an obedient tone, he said, "Silvanus, I’m sorry. I won’t play pranks again next ti, really."
Silvanus only felt that Nerio was like a mischievous younger brother. He was not angry, but he still needed to know exactly how everything had unfolded.
He gently rubbed Nerio’s head and said softly, "Alright, wipe away your tears. Now you can talk, right?"
Nerio happily held the seashell in his hands, admiring it, then lifting it to his ear. In the end, he even leaned in to sniff it. Compared to playing with it, he looked more like he was about to open his mouth and taste it.
Hearing Silvanus say that, he nodded without much concern. "Of course. You can ask anything."
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