After listening to Angel’s inquiry, Dong Liz didn’t hesitate at all and immediately raised her hand: "I know the answer to this question!"
Angel frowned, about to say something, but then saw Dong Liz turn her head towards the empty air next to her: "Sister, can I answer this question?"
Angel and Portia exchanged glances through the light screen without saying a word, just silently watching Dong Liz’s one-person show.
After a few seconds, Dong Liz curled up a smile, turned to Angel and said: "Sister agreed... Can I answer now?"
Angel: "...Sure."
Dong Liz tilted her head and said proudly: "Because my sister told me, I can only choose Nail Granny or Lord Pat."
Angel: "What’s the reason? Choosing between Nail Granny or me, there should be a reason, right?"
"Reason?" Dong Liz asked in confusion: "Sister says who to find, so that’s who we find, that’s the reason."
"..." Angel felt like slamming the door and leaving; your answer was no answer at all.
At this point, Portia chimed in: "I think Wizard Pat’s intention is not just to have you answer, but to hope your sister can tell him why it’s only Nail Granny or Wizard Pat."
Portia knew clearly, when talking to Dong Liz, she couldn’t beat around the bush; she had to directly point out the main focus of the issue and the intended recipient of the inquiry, otherwise Dong Liz could drag on talking nonsense all day.
"You’re asking my sister...? Well, okay." Dong Liz shrugged, put on an airy demeanor.
She "bailed out" for a full two minutes, ultimately, it was Portia who broke the silence.
"Has your sister already answered?" Portia asked.
Dong Liz nodded: "She said it long ago."
Pause, Dong Liz suddenly blinked: "Didn’t the two of you hear it?"
"Didn’t hear it." Portia: "You should understand, your sister isn’t someone everyone can hear or see, so if your sister said something, you better convey it."
"Oh I see..." Dong Liz bowed her head in silence for two seconds, then suddenly lifted her head again, smiling brightly: "If you want me to convey my sister’s words, you need to trade with me!"
Dong Liz’s whole person seemed to glow, like a sneaky kitten, she gestured ’two’ towards Angel: "My condition is, I also want a hat! One for me, one for my sister, two in total."
Angel rubbed his somewhat aching temples, sighed, and signaled with his eyes to Portia: If Dong Liz keeps talking like this, he doesn’t want to continue the conversation anymore.
If necessary, he would reject both of Portia’s conditions and directly contact Sterling.
Portia obviously understood Angel’s expression, helplessly folded up her wavering fan, turned to Dong Liz: "To just convey, you want to get an extra alchemy tool, there aren’t such cheap things in the world."
Dong Liz looked at Portia seriously: "This isn’t a cheap thing, conveying for my sister, only I can do it, it’s what I deserve."
Dong Liz meant, she put in labor, she deserved compensation.
This statement seemed fine but was unreasonable in the current context. They were obviously the ones seeking help, yet it felt like they were acting like noble lords, demanding others beg them.
Portia thought about reasoning with Dong Liz, but seeing her stubborn expression, considering their encounters over this period, she realized it was tough to make Dong Liz change her words.
After contemplating momentarily, she said: "Is your sister thinking the same? Does your sister also agree, that just for conveying her words, you can ask for anything?"
Portia decided to start with Dong Liz’s sister.
Since her sister designated Angel and Nail Granny to refine hats, surely she has her reasons. If her sister is somewhat reasonable, she’d understand Dong Liz’s exorbitant request not only wouldn’t gain Angel’s support, but might make Angel directly walk away.
Is this the outcome Dong Liz’s sister wants?
Hearing Portia’s words, Dong Liz hesitated for a moment, but still turned to the nonexistent sister, muttering as if communicating.
When Portia thought her strategy might be working, unexpectedly, after a while Dong Liz raised her head: "My sister said this is what I deserve."
Hearing Dong Liz’s words, Angel’s expression was calm, but he was already thinking about contacting Sterling...
Portia’s gaze towards Dong Liz was also somewhat annoyed, but in front of Angel, she repressed her emotions.
"Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say." Portia said lightly.
Not just Angel, Portia also had no more good will towards Dong Liz.
Perhaps seeing Portia’s unfriendly expression, Dong Liz added a line: "My sister said every contribution has a cost, I’m conveying her words, it’s a form of contribution that requires a cost. Not only you two, even my mentor wanting to hear my sister’s words also needs a cost."
The mentor Dong Liz mentioned is Shaloo Ridge’s Basket Witch, Witch Shaloo.
Portia was initially about to issue a guest eviction, but listening to the notion that even Witch Shaloo wanting Dong Liz to convey her sister’s words also requires a cost, held her words back.
At this moment, Dong Liz continued: "Moreover, I’m not insisting that Lord Pat refine two hats, sister needs Lord Pat’s hat, but I can have other people’s hats, for example, Portia can refine the hat too~"
Portia’s originally frowned brow, slightly relaxed a little. She saw that Dong Liz also took a step back; if it didn’t trouble Angel, but let herself refine the hat, Portia could accept that.
However, Portia didn’t immediately nod but looked at Dong Liz, then at Angel on the other side of the light screen: "Wait a moment, I’ll contact Witch Shaloo at the signal tower nearby."
Portia still planned to ask Witch Shaloo personally.
Is Dong Liz really making a ludicrous demand, or is that the necessary cost?
...
About five minutes later, Portia returned from outside the door and re-entered the light screen.
Portia nodded slightly to Angel: "Witch Shaloo didn’t say much, but she admitted, even if she wanted to know Galatea’s words, she needs to pay a cost to Dong Liz. Moreover... the cost isn’t small."
Galatea is Dong Liz’s sister’s name.
As for the "not small cost" Portia mentioned, she was hinting to Angel that this time Dong Liz wasn’t making an outrageous demand.
...If even Dong Liz’s mentor needs to pay a significant cost, then paying a bit seems acceptable.
After Portia finished speaking, she looked at Dong Liz: "I can promise you, I will bear this cost. If you want a hat, after leaving the signal tower, we can discuss it."
"Now, can you convey your sister’s words?"
"With a hat, everything’s negotiable~" Dong Liz nodded with a smile: "What do you need my sister to say, I can ask now."
Portia didn’t speak, but instead looked at Angel.
Originally, Angel wanted to leave, but Portia went to ask the Witch Shaloo and then decided to refine a hat for Dong Liz herself, so Angel temporarily found no reason to leave.
Since he couldn’t leave, he continued to ask.
"The previous question remains, why can I only choose Nail Granny and me?"
This time Dong Liz didn’t hesitate and directly said, "Because only the hats refined by Nail Granny and Lord Pat can increase my survival rate to ninety percent. If I survive, my sister survives. Therefore, my sister must have the hat of Nail Granny or Lord Pat."
Survival rate? Angel was stunned for a moment. He had envisaged many possibilities but had completely not expected Dong Liz’s answer to be so unexpected.
Not to mention Angel, even Portia didn’t understand, looking at Dong Liz in confusion: "Why is the hat they refine related to the survival rate?"
Dong Liz paused for a moment, seemingly speaking with Galatea, before saying, "I will have a long journey task coming up, and according to my sister’s judgment, the mortality rate for this task will be very high, at least seventy percent. And the only way to reduce the mortality rate and increase the survival rate is to find Nail Granny or Lord Pat to refine a hat."
Angel was still confused, but Portia seemed to have thought of something.
"The long journey task you mentioned, is it the cross-realm mission issued by the Sky Tower?" Portia asked.
Dong Liz nodded: "That’s right."
Portia: "The reward for this task is very high, but the danger level is equally high. Why would Witch Shaloo agree to let you participate in this long journey task?"
Dong Liz spread her hands: "The Mentor initially disagreed, but because this task was chosen by my sister, she agreed."
In short, Galatea’s will even changed the perspective of Witch Shaloo.
Previously, when Portia went to contact Witch Shaloo, she had vaguely noticed Witch Shaloo’s regard for Galatea, but now it seems that this regard is even more than she imagined.
Portia originally thought that there was a secret on Galatea, and now it seems indeed correct.
"What is the long journey task you mentioned? Also, does your sister have prophecy abilities, Dong Liz?" Having listened for so long, Angel was still confused and simply asked directly.
Two questions, the first directed at Portia, and the second directed at Dong Liz.
Dong Liz spoke first: "My sister doesn’t prophesy, but she can borrow a bit of power from Big Ben to see my future."
Big Ben? What’s that?
And if it’s not prophecy, what ability does she have?
Angel was about to inquire when Dong Liz added: "If the lord is interested in my sister’s abilities, then it won’t be something that a hat can trade for~"
Angel glanced at Dong Liz and didn’t ask further. For now, it seems that Dong Liz’s sister indeed has some mysterious powers, but these powers have yet to make Angel feel particularly mystical.
Portia also spoke at this moment: "The long journey task is a recently issued task by the Sky Tower, issued by... City Lord Rosen and Dean Muse."
"...The task location is not in the Southern Domain but in the Ancient Asia World... The personnel for the task is limited to Third Level Apprentices, and the rewards are quite generous..."
When Portia described this "long journey task," many parts were deliberately vague. It’s not to hide it from Angel but not wanting Dong Liz to know the internal details of this task.
However, Dong Liz didn’t care at all, maintaining an indifferent attitude.
Or perhaps, Dong Liz already knew the inside story, but it simply didn’t matter to her.
Although Portia’s description of the long journey task was vague, she left quite a few hints. These hints were understandable to Angel.
For example, the publishers are connected to two city lords; also, the task location is... the Ancient Asia World!
With these hints, Angel already grasped the full scope of the long journey task. He might even know more than Portia!
Because the attention of the high-level figures in the Sky Mechanical City on the Ancient Asia World was, in fact, caused by Angel.
The Ancient Asia World is not particularly special; it’s a world not too far from the Southern Domain with average resources and no unique transcendent materials. Despite its proximity to the Southern Domain, Southern Domain Wizards seldom visit the Ancient Asia World.