The female devils I saved came to my door

She opened the box, picked up the old fairy tale picture books one by one, and read them carefully. She wanted to do a final review before selling these books.

Unfortunately, she ran out of time.

An old man with a white beard wearing a weird pointed hat and a star-patterned robe appeared at the edge of the market.

He looked left and right, and from time to time he would hold up a crystal ball and shake it, like a modern man playing with navigation equipment.

The old man obviously didn't know his way around very well, and he walked around in circles in the market in a daze.

Finally, he saw the stall next to the market, and saw Lovna on the stall who was reading a fairy tale picture book attentively, and Hilna sitting aside doing nothing.

"Oh! So it's here!"

His eyes lit up, and he walked up happily, took the fairy tale picture book in Lovna's hand, and looked at it carefully as if holding a sacred object:

"What Mr. Charles said is true! He really made hundreds of pop-up books! Wow, what a beautiful work of art... His hands are as dexterous as the angels of the Creator... It's really amazing!"

He was in high spirits and dancing, like a child who had picked up a beautiful stone.

"Hey, what are you doing with my book..."

Lovna was about to reprimand the other party, but Hilna quickly stopped her and whispered in her ear: "Teacher Charles said that the nobleman is an old man who wears a pointed hat and likes to wear strange robes. He has a somewhat temperamental personality. Weird...so don't talk nonsense, he is the one here to trade!"

The old man was holding the picture book and was happy for a while, then he noticed the two girls beside him.

"Oh, you are Mr. Charles's students, right?"

The old man raised his hat and made a somewhat funny bow: "Your teacher, Mr. Charles, is really a genius with dexterous hands. You are the happiest students who can grow up reading these beautiful picture books!"

After saying this, Lovna's face looked better.

But she still wasn't happy.

After all, the person in front of her came to take away the picture book that she regarded as a treasure.

The old man checked the picture books in the box. Every time he opened one, he admired it and sighed at how perfect Ciel's story conception, drawings and three-dimensional picture books were.

After confirming that the number of picture books exceeded a hundred, he nodded and took out a large iron box from under his loose robe.

The iron box looks very simple, but strangely, this box is completely sealed without any gaps.

Shake the iron box and listen to the sound inside. It feels like there is a book inside.

"Here, this is what I promised Mr. Charles. Give this thing to him, and give these picture books of his to me. It's a fair deal - goodbye, two ladies, and I wish you a happy winter celebration!"

After saying that, the old man impatiently closed the box full of fairy tale picture books, whistled, and miraculously he and the box flew into the air, and then swayed away into the distance.

But the citizens passing by didn't panic at all, as if they didn't see him at all.

"Teacher Charles said that the nobleman who made the deal is an old magician." Hilna shrugged: "The levitation technique plus the concealment technique are not that mysterious."

"Oh..." Lovna, who didn't understand magic, could only say this.

"Okay, sister, don't be so sad." Hilna showed an encouraging smile: "The teacher said that if the old doesn't go away, the new won't come. No need to pin our nostalgia and cherishment on inanimate objects. As long as we Remember the truths in those stories and the adventures of those protagonists, then everything will be meaningful."

"That's what I say, but I'm still a little sad..."

"It's okay, let's go pick out a gift for Teacher Charles!" Hilna took her sister's hand with one hand, picked up the iron box given by the old man with the other hand, and left the stall: "Take advantage of the busiest time at noon. , let’s choose quickly and go see the teacher in the afternoon.”

"we can only do this."

The two girls searched together in the market. They selected for a while, and finally, Hilna selected some shiny otter skins captured by an old hunter.

"This otter skin is really good. We can buy it and make a sturdy coat for Teacher Charles."

The old hunter quoted a price that Lovna couldn't accept, but Sirna readily took out the gold coins and didn't even bother to bargain.

"You don't need to pay for it, sister. I make enough money from helping people paint these days." That's what she said.

Lovna also knew that the little money in her hand was not even enough, so she could only nod wordlessly.

Holding this otter skin, Hilna, who was satisfied, set foot on the road to Charles' residence with her sister.

Hilna was in a good mood recently and was humming along the way, but Lovna was still uneasy - she thought of the hundreds of fairy tale picture books that the old man took away, and she felt it was a pity.

"What did Mr. Charles exchange for those picture books? Is it worth it?"

Thinking like this, before they knew it, they were approaching their destination.

A red brick hut with smoke coming out of the chimney appeared in the field of vision. The bright colors were very conspicuous on the snow-covered ground. On the wooden frame set up outside the house, there was a pile of sausages and dried meat hanging, and several pieces of dried meat were hung to dry. piece of clothing.

The door of the hut was also open casually, as if there was no fear of any thieves or robbers.

In fact, there is no need to worry, because in Ipoli, no one will come to Teacher Charles's house to steal and rob.

There seemed to be other guests in the house. Lovna and Hilna stopped at the door before entering the house. They looked inside for a while and found out that it was the priest of the Ipoli Church.

He was talking to Teacher Charles about the renovation of the church, and he came to ask Charles to restore the paintings in the church.

"I'll take care of this. I'll go to church when I have free time in the next two days." Charles agreed directly.

The priest was very grateful, said a few words of thanks, then stood up and left.

After going out to see off the guests, Charles also saw two girls standing by the door: "Silna, Lovna, have you been waiting for a long time? Come in."

Several years later, he still looks like a teenager.

It was exactly the same as when Lovna first met.

Sometimes, looking at Teacher Charles's serious and busy face, Lovna even felt that he was her peer in a trance.

Even...the eyes looking at Teacher Charles are no longer distant admiration, but straight-up admiration.

Hot milk with caramel was boiling on the fire in the house. Next to the fire were sliced ​​sausages, dried meat, some freshly baked white bread, and of course the cheese that Lovna's mother had sent a few days ago.

They are all Lovna’s favorite foods.

Charles took the two girls to the stove, took out the folding stool he made, and pointed at the steaming food: "Are you hungry? The food has just been heated up and can be eaten directly."

Because Mr. Charles can summon flames at any time, there is always hot food in his home, unlike most people who have to worry about firewood consumption.

Especially in winter, life in this cabin is always more casual and relaxing.

Lovna was about to speak, but Sirna had already taken the lead: "Teacher Charles, sister Lovna and I have prepared a gift for you."

"A gift?" Charles noticed the otter skin wrapped on the girl's back: "Are these furs?"

"You guessed it...half of it." Hilna smiled and held up the otter skins, took a deep breath, and then recited a spell.

In the warm cabin, ripples spread like water ripples, and the invisible magic power quickly rolled up these otter skins in the air, and they were tanned and smoothed in the air.

Then, thin golden threads appeared from Sirna's hands like long and agile snakes, swimming around the tanned furs.

They seemed to be pulled by an invisible thin needle, flying up and down among the furs... After a dazzling sewing process, a shiny black leather jacket appeared.

The excess scraps were not wasted and were directly sewn into a small hat.

"Teacher, happy winter celebration!" Holding the fur in her hands, Hilna stepped forward, put the coat on the teacher, and put the fur hat on the teacher: "Sister Lovna and I specially chose it, and it turned out to be... It suits the teacher very well.”

This fur suit is made to fit very well, and even the lining pocket is marked with the words "To Hilna and Lovna's best teacher, Ciel".

"Oh, thank you..." Teacher Charles looked at the smiling girl in front of him and touched her head happily: "It cost you money. Sirna, your magic talent is getting stronger and stronger."

"It's okay, as long as the teacher is happy." Sirna replied immediately.

"Ah...well, as long as the teacher is happy..." Luovna stared blankly at the tricks her sister had done, and then she realized what she was doing and could only agree.

This gift actually has nothing to do with her: the otter skin was chosen by Sirna, the money was paid by Sirna, and the tailoring of the magic was done by Sirna.

Lovna could only watch from the sidelines, but she didn't do anything to help.

18. Teacher Ciel’s gift

After thanking the two girls for their gifts, Ciel was also somewhat relieved.

He was about to say something grateful, but Hilna took out something else at this time: "Teacher Charles, today I finally waited for the old magician you mentioned at the market, and he took away your Those fairy tale picture books left behind this iron box. Then they flew away."

"Oh, it's finally been delivered."

After taking the iron box, Ciel shook it.

The contents of this box are quite substantial.

He nodded with satisfaction, and then tapped the box a few times.

The shell of this "iron box" was like paper licked by flames, or like thin ice held in the hand. It quickly melted into a pool of molten iron, dripping down the gaps between Charles' fingers, and evaporating on the ground. Disappeared.

When the iron box wrapped with magic disappeared, what was left in Ciel's hands was a thick book with a dark cover.

"Teacher, what kind of book is this?" Hilna became curious.

She also wanted to know what was worth trading hundreds of fairy tale picture books for.

"It is a high-level magic book that records many dangerous magics and incantation rituals."

Ciel very carefully asked the two girls to sit down, holding the magic book in hand. He also moved a chair and sat across from them.

He looked at the two girls and said slowly: "It has been seven or eight years since I came to Yiboli. But I still remember it clearly: Sirna, not long after I came here, because of teaching you magic knowledge, The result almost turned you into a monster."

"It's not the teacher's fault." Hilna quickly denied: "It was me who lost control of myself. I was like a monster in the city, casting destructive spells everywhere and causing misery to many innocent people. Over the years, I have The teacher helped me find the victims’ families to deal with the aftermath…”

Charles continued: "No need to apologize, Sirna, you were just a child at the time, and you were a very obedient and good child. It was me who was hasty and taught magic to a six or seven-year-old child without thinking, and that was the reason why something happened to you... …I can’t imagine what would have happened if Lovna hadn’t found you in the Everglades.”

Lovna was a little confused: "Teacher, why did you suddenly bring up these old events?"

"Don't worry, let me finish..."

Charles sorted out his thoughts: "Anyway, ever since you lost control that time, I have been taking care of you two. Since then, I have always asked you to keep secrets and not show your magic in front of others. Over the years , I only took you to play games and told you stories, and I deliberately did not teach you any magic knowledge to Sirna, just because I was afraid that you would lose control again."

"I understand the teacher's difficulty." Hilna nodded: "I have a lot of magic now. I can make ice and make drinks in the summer, I can create a hut with a wave of my hand, and I can eat fresh food anytime, anywhere. fruits... these are enough. I am very satisfied and don’t need a teacher to teach me anything more.”

"No, Sirna, you haven't realized the reason for my guilt yet."

Ciel snapped his fingers, and the door of the house immediately closed, and the windows were automatically covered with a layer of darkness.

"Hilna, I have never told you how strong your magic talent is. When you were six or seven years old, you directly awakened your talent and cast dozens of complex elemental spells just by relying on the fragments of magic book pages I gave you. Genius. Your record is not comparable to that of many saints who have been blessed by the gods.

"If I let you hide your talent all your life and only use magic for fun in private, then I would be too irresponsible as a teacher. Besides, you have grown up now. I can no longer limit your future. You deserve it. More."

Ciel said, took out the magic book in his hand and opened a page at random:

"So, I decided to teach you real magic knowledge from today on. Moreover, what I want to teach you is not only simple elemental magic, but also more complex and ancient spells.

"This magic book is the collection of the old mage from a neighboring country. Although it is a fragment of a handwritten magic book, the content is quite detailed and rich.

"Silna, starting from today, you don't have to hide your talent as a magician. I will tell everyone: My student Silna has awakened her magic talent this winter. I am very happy that she will be my apprentice. , learn magic with me.

“Although I am a self-taught third-rate mage, I will do my best to understand the knowledge in this book and pass on this knowledge to you while ensuring safety.

"I promise that I won't let you collapse because you lost control like you did when you were seven years old. I will also find ways to let you receive more formal magic education in the future.

"Sirna, are you willing?"

This New Year's gift is really unexpected.

Sirna stared blankly at Charles's serious eyes, suddenly blushed, and stood up excitedly.

After a brief shock, she immediately responded: "Teacher, I do!"

"Okay." Charles waited for her to calm down, then nodded and said, "We will start classes after the winter celebration is over. Just have fun these days and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Thank you, teacher!"

Lovna looked at her cheerful sister. Although she had a happy expression on the surface, she still felt a little lonely inside.

It turns out that those hundreds of fairy tale picture books were exchanged for a magic book...

That's right, Teacher Charles created these picture books just to make Hilna happy.

Now that she has grown up, there is nothing wrong with exchanging picture books for things that are more useful to Hilna for her future.

But, it's still a little sad.

But she shouldn't show it in front of her sister and Teacher Ciel, as it would make her appear to be a jealous and stingy person.

So she just smiled and congratulated Sirna.

Charles looked at Lovna quietly, seeming to notice the loneliness in her laughter, and said: "Lovna, I also have a gift prepared for you."

"what?"

"This gift is a bit big. Come with me."

With the girl who didn't know why, Charles opened the small door of the study room and said while pushing the door open: "...I originally planned to prepare it for you earlier, but the workload was greater than I expected, so I postponed it until today."