To the servant’s word, Ovid naturally took no offence, since he felt that it was rather petty to do so. However, this did remind him of an occasion when his mother had berated an attendant for a similar insult. Compared to his tamer and meek nature, his mother was much more strong-willed.

Ovid thought that the only significant matter he had realised from the servants babbling, was the difference in the flow of time between this world and the minor realm. As Ovid was a physicist by nature, he soon delved into contemplation. When the plate of food Ovid had previously ordered arrived, he was in no mood to respond, his mind continuing to wonder.

Only when Anna had arrived at the table, did Ovid regain his cohesion.

“Have you asked Cai Hua about housing for the elves?” Anna asked.

Ovid nodded stiffly, as he had not moved his body away from the table for a long time, he said, “Although he dislikes the way I am doing things, he did not reject letting the elves live in his minor realm.”

Anna’s eyes brightened and dashed away, leaning over the table toward Ovid, she asked, “From what Julia had told me, the elves are naturally gifted with magic, with over a hundred of them, I should be able to provide for the deficiencies that came with my fated constellation, even if I take a small sliver of their share. As long as Cai Hua is willing to split off a portion of his minor realm to me to house elves, I would not need to worry about mana until I researched the level of bishop.”

Anna’s mind was similar to Ovid’s, both possessing a single-minded and stubborn nature with a strong curiosity, so their talent should not be too different. Yet Anna had been born under the same constellation as Julia, causing her to be insufficient in the gathering of mana. Fortunately, she does not need to struggle too much to solve this issue, Cai Hua had already given her the chance to walk on another path.

“That’s fine, just ask them first,” Ovid proceeded to leave the table, wanting to return to the room upstairs.

Anna blocked Ovid’s movement with her hands and said, “You are not agreeing with me?”

Ovid’s expression with just as dull as before, making it impossible to tell what he was feeling, yet Anna was extremely confident that Ovid was indeed angry. Ovid after momentarily stopped, shook off Anna’s hand, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as if just sleeping.

It was at the peak of daytime in the South of the Julian Empire, where the weather is naturally warm, but the aura surrounding Ovid more closely resembled the mountain ranges of the North.

Anna ordered for a few cups of strong liquor from the owner, glancing at Ovid, she said, “The reason I want to use the mana coming off their body is for your good. Martha, the strongest person in the empire aside from Julia, is the lord over this region.”

“Considering that you have saved them from a life of servitude, it is the least they can do for you. With the mana, I can properly start learning healing spells, at that time, I can help you recover after a battle.”

“Cai Hua has many pills with him, I do not get into many fights anyway.”

Anna brought a cup of liquor to Ovid, placing it on a nearby table, she said, “Cai Hua’s personality is erratic, who knows when he will find another person to focus on. Considering your personality, won’t it be better to have a reliable source of healing.”

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Taking a sip from the liquor, a wave of cold air was expelled from Ovid’s body, he said, “The elves are more reliable than Cai Hua?”

Although the air surrounding him was colder than before, Anna could tell that Ovid’s mood had improved, “Their current level are all quite low, hence why they captured and sold as slaves while the rest of their clan remained aloof, compared to a saint such as Cai Hua, even if there are a thousand of these elves, each with their own thoughts, they are more reliable than one Cai Hua.”

“If we continue to advance in our levels and exceed their lifespan, we can still rely on the elves next generation. Since there are not enough males, all we need to do is invite some.”

Ovid placed down the cup, his mood worsening. A person as pure as Anna should bare no malicious intents, and determining the direction she had made the plan for, it was obvious that she would not mistreat them. Yet this treatment was more akin to investments for the future, showing a great lack of empathy.

This was a fundamental difference between Ovid’s world and this world, where there is an obvious difference from man to man in regards to value, there is no possibility that those at the top would treat those at the bottom as livestock, those like Cai Hua had long seen themselves above all others.

Anna, as the closest person to Julia, would have this trait even more exemplified, even if Ovid were to spend a great deal of time teaching her his morals and ideas, Anna, regardless of how much of a blank slate she was, already subconsciously places different values on people. Although Anna’s interests were shaped by him, and various restrictions were placed by his teachings, Anna probably won’t be like a modern person.

Ovid opened his eyes, which were almost as clear as Anna’s, after greeting her glance with his own, he sighed and left.

Anna felt slightly undignified, puffing her cheeks, sitting onto the chair Ovid originally had been on, she began to eat the meal Ovid had ordered, but not eaten.

After taking the first bite, she felt the food was excessively salty, adding a pinch of sugar onto the meal, she then found it was too sweet.

Ovid dislikes seasoning, so there is less salt than what she usually ate.

Her hands were a bit shaky; when she had been adding the sugar, a good portion had been split onto the table, so it cannot also be too sweet.

Her eyes were a bit dull.

Her heart also became a bit duller.

---

Anna was a bona fide rich woman, since her earliest days, although she had been working for Julia, she had a life of luxury equal to many nobles in the human kingdom. Even the most desolate of servants under the richest individual would live a better life than a peasant, after all.

Later, when she had left the capital, she did not experience any poverty, the wealth on her body was more than long enough to last until Cai Hua arrived.

Thus, if she had found the food unfavourable, it would have been more natural to have simply ordered another to be cooked.

Yet Anna had stubbornly finished the food Ovid had ordered.

Anna had always lived a carefree life, so this unfamiliar feeling was very uncomfortable.

Leaving to take a walk through the city streets, she found herself unable to bargain as greatly as she had been previously in Phalaris.

It was probably due to her unfamiliarity with the city, Anna told herself after arriving by the beach of the Straton confluence.

Stepping into a small creek flowing into the confluence, she didn’t mind the edge of her stola becoming wet. Anna glanced toward the North, staring past the river, and toward the furthest point possible.

Not so coincidentally, it was also in the direction of Julian, the capital.

A moment later, Anna took out the knife that had originally belonged to Zoe but now have been used to dissect many animals, starting from the boar Ovid had killed casually, she took it out from its wooden sheath.

Despite the use of the knife, no blood could be seen, and the edge was even sharper than it had been in the hands of Zoe. The only factor that was not as well care for was the decorations.

The blade had been well kept and maintained.

One of the first things Ovid had told her was that he had came from another world, so Anna was well aware that their way of thinking was different.

Anna thought that since this world was not his, Ovid would eventually adapt… and she still thinks that, but the disagreements between the two had been gradually increasing.

After staring for a long time, Anna convinced herself that ultimately, what she was doing, was for the good of Ovid and herself and Ovid had yet to directly voice his discontent.

Yes, it was fine to use the elves, after all, the bit of mana she will take, would be inconsequential.

Anna said in her heart silently.

Turning away the river, she returned to the inn.

After seeing the figure of Aegis, Anna’s curious eyes lit up once more.