chapter 10

Mirabelle took a deep breath.

She had constantly been thinking about what just happened as she headed towards the apothecary. Honestly, with her current power level, she was capable of saving those two elves from earlier. However, the problem was with what she would do after that—

What should she do after saving them? If she tried to forcefully take them away, her mother would…

'This is something that I'm helpless, truly helpless about.'

She consoled herself with such irresponsible words. However, no matter how much she consoled herself, it was a fact that she had ignored someone who needed help.

Mirabelle walked for a few minutes and finally reached the store marked with a red cross in her mental minimap. She raised her head and directly looked at the sign with a glowing red cross in front of her.

"The apothecary should be here…"

She was able to find the apothecary just by following a minimap, this truly did feel like an RPG game. Mirabelle had personally created everything here. Yet, even though she was the creator of this world, she was far too weak. She couldn't do anything. Her heart was filled with a feeling of helplessness.

She covered up her blue hair with a hat and then opened the door, causing the chimes on the door to ring.

"Dear guest, what do you need?"

A vampire youth walked out from the back of the store when he heard the chimes. He greeted Mirabelle just like a merchant would. Still, his experienced eyes checked Mirabelle's clothing, and when he saw that this little female elf brat was wearing really tattered clothing, his first impression was that she shouldn't have much money at all. His friendliness immediately dissipated significantly.

"I'm sorry, dear guest. It's time for us to close, so we…"

"Owner, can I get some medical supplies with my money?"

"Eh? Money, what type of money? Could you show me?"

Mirabelle brought out several pieces of green elven ore from her bag on her waist and placed them on the counter. The vampire youth's eyes immediately lit up when he saw the pieces of elven ore. These rocks seemed rather plain and ordinary, but in fact, elven ore was actually highly valuable. A single piece of elven ore would be priceless. Actually, the higher-level vampires had decided to attack the elves' territory all for the sake of the elven ore.

—These were mystical rocks that were capable of completely restoring one's MP as well as act as an energy source to power a city.

For all species, not just the vampires, elven ore was a highly rare and precious resource. Thus, elven ore was truly valuable and apart from the vampires, humans also tried to collect as much elven ore as they could. However, humans only had one reason for collecting elven ore. They used the elven ore as an energy source to power their weapon—magical puppets.

Actually, elven ore was quite abundant as a mining resource on the other side of the world map. Though, in this part of the world, elven ore was incredibly scarce. Only the vampire nobles and higher-ups were permitted to possess elven ore. Was this little elf girl ordered by her master to come and purchase some medications?

The vampire youth felt that this was highly possible. He based this hypothesis on her really tattered clothing. Still, he didn't care about her circumstances since he was just a merchant who only cared about profits. He of course would take the elven ore since it was valuable to him.

Based on what this girl had just said, it seemed that this girl doesn't know the true value of elven ore.

"Little girl, these rocks of yours don't seem to be worth much money…"

"But, I only have these three pieces left on me…"

"That's fine. I'll be a good person to you then. I'll give you three bandages, three pain relief medications, and three bottles of medical alcohol in exchange for these three pieces of elven ore, how about it? I'm being really generous here already…"

"Generous? I don't believe that at all. I think that you just want to scam me. Please don't think that I'm just a little girl. I doubt a single person in this world has a better idea of the value of items than I do…"

Mirabelle changed her previous innocent tone and used an even more experienced tone than the apothecary shop owner to him. But in the next instant, she returned to using her innocent and pure-sounding tone.

"My master taught Mirabelle to say all of that. However, Mirabelle's master doesn't want all that much. Master simply wants big brother to give me all the bandages and pain medication in your store…"

Mirabelle tilted her head and used a sparkling expression in her sapphire-blue eyes as she looked directly at the store owner. She used such a sweet tone that she really wanted to vomit as she spoke to the young vampire apothecary store owner.

Mirabelle wanted to vomit because she was actually trying to act cute just for the sake of some bandages and pain medication. However, the vampire store owner indeed felt that she was simply a cute little girl doing cute things.

"All… all the medications… I don't think that will be possible with only three pieces of elven ore…"

"Of course, Mirabelle won't ask for too much. I only hope that you can give me as much as you can…"

"I see. How about 20 bandages and 30 bottles of pain medication, then?"

This was about half of all his medical supplies if he didn't count his warehouse stock.

Mirabelle silently mulled it over.

"Then Mirabelle will just exchange one elven ore for this much…"

"Um… Little girl, are you being serious?"

The vampire store owner saw that Mirabelle directly put two pieces of elven ore back into her waist bag. It seemed that she was being quite serious.

"Eh? Do you wish for Mirabelle's master to directly come speak to you? What will happen to you if Mirabelle's master learns that you dared to try and scam Mirabelle?"

Actually, Mirabelle was only bluffing. This store owner was rather afraid of Mirabelle's theoretical master. Only nobles or higher-level vampires would be allowed to possess elven ore, after all.

—That was why he was a bit afraid.

However, vampire royalty would never come to such a place. He was only afraid that her master was a vampire noble. If her master was a vampire noble, then it would be highly possible that—

Additionally, Mirabelle was dressed in a way that seemed like she didn't want to be recognized. So, compared to earning more money, he felt that he wisely chose the safe route.

"A, alright then, I'll exchange this for you…"

Actually, he would still profit by giving her these medical supplies for one elven ore. As long as he sold the elven ore to another race outside the city wall, he would be able to sell the elven ore for several times the profit.

"Thank you for coming. Please come again…"

The chimes rang again as she left. Mirabelle swiftly ran away from this place after taking back her elven ore. The vampire store owner picked up the elven ore once again and looked closely at this piece of rock that could bring him countless wealth. However, when he used his fingers to rub the elven ore…

A green powder flecked off from the rock.

"!?"

This was actually just a rock!? He had been fooled by such a little girl!? Mirabelle only brought out the elven ore that she had originally shown the vampire store owner but actually, she really did possess three pieces of elven ore. However, the one she gave the vampire store owner wasn't an elven ore but a piece of rock with some neon paint on it. Mirabelle had swiftly replaced the elven ore with the fake rock at the final moment. That scammer merchant was probably really angry by now.

Mirabelle's steps really lightened and sped up as she thought about this.

"I need to hurry back and treat my mother's wounds…"

Just as she was skipping and hopping on the path back, she accidentally crashed into a man. Mirabelle dropped the elven ore that she was holding and the man picked it up. He started toying with the green crystal in his hand.

This man was wearing a large black jacket, gray gloves, and thick-rimmed eyeglasses. He kept talking to himself as he played with the elven ore.

"Elf crystals, also known as elven ore. After the vampires started mining this ore, only the vampire nobles or vampire royalty were typically allowed to possess it. The other [slaves] shouldn't have anything so valuable. Still, there's another possibility…"

His eyes shone with experience behind his thick-rimmed eyeglasses. Mirabelle had a frightened expression when she saw his eyes. Due to the impact that she had just received… Her cape fell off her back.

"Rumors said that the elven princess had managed to escape before the vampires attacked and created this castle of blood. I never expected that I would see you here. Ahh, so you must be a [wild] slave. No, more accurately speaking, you're that fugitive princess."