Wizard: Scamming a Demon God

Chapter 180: Chapter 146: Dragon Witch Lorna (2)

"Good. It seems we can have a proper conversation now." Seeing the Witch calm down, Isaac was a bit surprised. ’She seems mentally stable.’ "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Isaac Solomon, an ordinary Tier Two Mage. This is my Servant Demon, Liu Li. She’s the one who changed your clothes.

"Relax. Although I bought you, you are not a slave here. Once your body has recovered, you can decide where you want to go. If you wish, I can also contact the Witch Country and have you sent there safely. Alright, your turn."

After he finished, Lorna was silent for a moment. She slowly pulled her right hand, which Liu Li had released, back under the covers, leaving only her head exposed. Then, she said, "My name is Lorna. I’m a... Witch. You bought me... Master?"

Hearing Lorna’s address, Isaac gave a helpless smile. "You don’t have to call me Master. Just call me Isaac. As I said, you’re not a slave here, and I won’t force you to stay. I bought you for two reasons. First, I don’t want to be targeted by the Witch Country over future business dealings. Second, I’m also a bit curious about a Witch’s Magic. But rest assured, the latter will require your consent."

Lorna watched Isaac in silence, not letting her guard down. Because when it came to the Witch Country...

She didn’t trust them either...

Otherwise, after all these years, she would have made it to the Witch Country long ago.

After going through things like that, it was very difficult for them to trust anyone.

Isaac wasn’t surprised by this in the least. After all, there were two Witches in Solomon alone, so he knew a little about their situation. He also didn’t have his older brother’s charisma, the kind that could make a Witch fall head over heels for him.

So, seeing the silent Lorna, Isaac didn’t say anything more. He just got up and prepared to leave.

"You can stay here for now. There’s a Cabin in the Woods in the Forest Land beside the castle; you should know how to use one of those. After you’ve recovered a bit, you can go buy yourself some food and equipment if you’re worried." As he spoke, Isaac pointed to a bulging pouch on the nightstand. "There are fifty Gold Coins and three Magic Crystals inside, each worth one thousand Gold Coins. If that’s not enough, tell Liu Li. I have things to do, so I’m leaving."

With that, Isaac turned and left the room with Liu Li, leaving Lorna sitting dazedly on the bed alone.

This wasn’t some kind of seduction tactic; Isaac was genuinely busy.

Tomorrow, he had to go to the Floating City to discuss some current problems with the Dragon Blood Secret Medicine with several senior figures. He needed to review the data he’d prepared and also arrange the affairs of his domain for the near future, since he might not be back anytime soon.

It was entirely possible he’d be there for ten days to half a month. If that were the case, the Secret Mages’ training would have to be conducted by the Saint Master, who was, after all, a mature Secret Mage himself now.

Long after Isaac left, the dazed Lorna finally snapped out of it. She was silent for a moment, then picked up the pouch from the nightstand. Opening it, she saw there was indeed a small handful of Gold Coins and three small Magic Crystals inside.

She had never used this type of Magic Crystal, but she had seen them before.

Magic Crystals were typically used for large-scale transactions. Gold Coins were simply too inconvenient to carry, and since this world had no institutions like banks, items of equivalent value were used for major deals instead.

Magic Crystals were one of the most common.

It had to be said that people are pragmatic creatures. Everything Isaac had just said didn’t carry as much weight as the pouch of money now resting in Lorna’s hand.

Because while Lorna had met plenty of swindlers, she’d rarely seen one who started by handing over cash—especially not one who would give away over three thousand Gold Coins at once. Could this really be a swindler?

’If this is a swindler, then...’

’Then I’m willing to be swindled!’

thought Lorna, her hair a mess on the bed, her small hands clutching the pouch tightly.

「Night. The dining hall.」

"You were looking for me?" Isaac set his food container on the dining table and sat down across from the Witch, Lorna. He normally wouldn’t come to the dining hall for meals; he’d usually just make do in his lab so he could get back to his research right after eating. But Liu Li had said Lorna wanted to see him, so he had made a point to come out for this meal.

As Isaac shoveled food into his mouth, he sized up Lorna. He could tell she hadn’t spent the money well. She had changed her clothes, but it was just ordinary Leather Armor, not made of Demon Hide and with no Enchantment. It was the kind of plain Leather Armor that even most Adventurers wouldn’t bother buying. Her pants and shoes were the same; her entire outfit probably wasn’t worth even half a Silver Coin.

This puzzled Isaac. He knew Witches had a hard life, but at sixteen or seventeen, she should have decent control over her Magic. It shouldn’t have been impossible for her to earn money.

’Even just selling Demon Materials, it should be easy enough to earn a passable set of Magic Equipment. Why is she so destitute?’

As if sensing Isaac’s gaze, Lorna shrank back a little and said, "I... I feel safer this way."

Isaac understood and nodded. ’Makes sense,’ he thought. ’Best not to flaunt your wealth.’

’If she wants to buy a low-key set of Magic Equipment, it’s not just a matter of money. That kind of thing takes time to procure; it can’t be rushed.’

"Looks like you’ve thought things through."

"Yes. Thank you. And... can I stay here for a while? I don’t want to go to the Witch Country, but I haven’t figured out where else to go yet." As if worried Isaac would refuse, Lorna quickly added, "Don’t worry, I won’t be a freeloader! I can work!"

Isaac swallowed a mouthful of Demon Flesh and said, "I understand how you feel. But like I said this morning, you’re free here. You can stay as long as you like. Well, that’s not quite right. If you stay for a long time, you’ll have to get your own food. Other than that, there are no other requirements.

"You don’t need to do any work. The only thing I would ask is for you to let me study your Magic Ability. But rest assured, I will ask for your consent, and it will absolutely conform to all the Truth Association’s standards for the observation and study of free people."

"...Th-thank you." Lorna was silent for a moment, then lowered her head and thanked him again.

"You don’t have to..." Before Isaac could finish, he heard Lorna’s quiet, hitching sobs. Watching the tears stream down her face, Isaac scratched his head. ’Was she moved, or did I say something to remind her of a sad memory?’

Isaac thought back on their conversation and the atmosphere and concluded she was probably just moved.

Having been single in two lifetimes, Isaac had no experience comforting women. So, after a moment’s thought, he just went back to eating his dinner and decided to let Lorna cry it out. They could talk once she was done.

Sure enough, Isaac’s method was quite effective. Lorna soon stemmed her tears and reined in her emotions. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her jaw and said, "If you want to conduct research... I... I will cooperate with you!"

Lorna decided to be bold and take a gamble!

’I’ll bet on Isaac being a good person!’

’If I lose, it’s just death. At worst, I’ll go back to being a slave. But if I win...’

’Then I’ll never have to return to that life of constant fear!’

’Besides, Isaac seems really rich!’

As expected, no matter the world, the most powerful technique for picking up women was, and always would be, having money.

"There’s no rush for that." Isaac waved his hand dismissively while continuing to eat. "You arrived so suddenly, I haven’t figured out how I want to conduct the research yet. Take your time. For now, just live here. Oh, right. Since you plan on staying long-term, it just so happens I’m preparing to build a Mage Tower. I can give you a floor. Just give your requirements to Smith, and he’ll add it in for you."

"A Mage Tower... No, no, I couldn’t possibly use that!" Lorna hurriedly waved her hands in refusal.

"A Witch is also a Caster, how could you not have a use for a lab? Relax, it’s just the right to use it; I’m not gifting it to you. Since you’ve decided to stay, you should think carefully about how we’ll cooperate in the future. Don’t worry, take your time. I need to think about it on my end, too," Isaac said with a shrug.

Lorna wasn’t like Smith or Liu Li; she was a true outsider. For now, Isaac really hadn’t figured out how to interact with her. Buying her had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.