Alchemy Master

Chapter 1069, The Unicorn

Translator: Silavin

In the days that followed, Qin Yichen resided within Fiery’s residence for seven or eight days.

To those from a Foreign Race, this would have been the highest of honours. Yet Qin Yichen found himself feeling as though each day dragged on like a year.

During this period, Fiery was almost never present in the residence. Each morning, he would dash out in a frantic hurry, and only return deep into the night.

Moreover, every time he returned, he was thoroughly drunk, collapsing into his room and sleeping soundly, not once mentioning the matter of meeting the Elf Queen.

During this time, Qin Yichen noticed that the immense power within Little Ling’er’s body had begun to restlessly stir, which only deepened his unease.

Then one day, somewhat to Qin Yichen’s surprise, Fiery did not dash off as usual. Instead, he arrived at Qin Yichen’s location dressed formally in full attire.

“Little Brother Qin, let us go. It is time to take you before the Elf Queen.”

Fiery spoke with a solemn expression. “But let me warn you first, I can bring you there. Once we arrive, you must not speak out of turn, and must observe all proper etiquette. Understood?”

Qin Yichen nodded. Seeing Fiery dressed, he seemed more dependable than expected.

After straightening his own attire, Qin Yichen took Little Ling’er with him and followed Fiery outside.

At that moment, beyond the residence, a creature Qin Yichen had never encountered before descended through the air at Fiery’s summons.

This creature was pure white from head to tail, shaped like a large and magnificent horse, yet upon its back grew two immaculate feathered wings. More striking still was the single crystalline curved horn that grew from the centre of its forehead, from which a sacred aura faintly radiated outward.

“This is… a Unicorn!?” At the sight of this creature, Qin Yichen’s pupils contracted slightly.

Unicorns were gentle by nature. They were said to possess the ability to read the hearts of people, granting passage only to those who loved peace and held kindness within them, drawn particularly to the pure of Soul, those untainted by the corruption of the Mortal World.

This species had, according to the records of many Races, long since vanished from existence.

Yet Qin Yichen had once read in the ancient records of the Human Race that Unicorns had never truly gone extinct. They had always lived together with the Elf Race within the Elf Forest.

“Wow, what a beautiful white horse!” Beside him, Little Ling’er let out a delighted cry, and her small figure shot straight towards the Unicorn.

“Be careful.” Nearby, Fiery had been issuing instructions to several guards. Upon seeing this, he urgently called out.

Unicorns were creatures that were proud and sacred in nature. Even among the Elf Race who lived alongside them, not everyone could earn their acceptance.

Unicorns possessed an innate and keen sense of perception. Towards those they did not favour, they would absolutely not permit any means of contact.

This particular Unicorn was one with whom Fiery had signed a contract with only after becoming a Deacon of the Fire Elves.

Though this creature appeared utterly gentle, any Elf who tried to touch it carelessly risked being injured by its retaliation. Even Fiery himself did not dare casually approach Unicorns other than his own. A moment of inattention could easily result in injury. And that was speaking of an adult Elf, let alone such a young girl.

Yet his warning came a beat too late. Perhaps he had also underestimated Little Ling’er’s speed, for in the blink of an eye, with just a few bounding leaps, the small girl had come to stand directly before the Unicorn.

“Little girl, don’t touch it!” Seeing this, Fiery could only cry out loudly in warning.

Yet Little Ling’er appeared not to have heard Fiery’s warning at all. Her small hand was already stroking the long leg of the Unicorn.

At the sight of this, several of the High Rank Elves standing nearby squeezed their eyes shut, unable to watch.

They remembered with sharp clarity that the very first time they had laid eyes on a Unicorn, one curious Brother had approached in precisely the same manner as Little Ling’er was doing now.

In the end, that person had been kicked by the Unicorn so hard that several ribs were shattered, leaving him bedridden for a full half-month.

And that had been an Elf, with all their power of healing. If this had happened to someone of a different Race, the recovery would likely have taken no less than half a year.

As for this small girl before them, none could say whether that tiny frame of hers could withstand even a single blow from the Unicorn’s hoof.

In the moment they shut their eyes, no unusual sound emerged. After a brief pause, those Elves cautiously opened their eyes.

Yet, the scene that greeted them left them staring in dumbfounded silence.

Fiery stood beside the Unicorn, his figure rigid and motionless, while before him, the Unicorn with whom he had signed his contract, far from looking ready to send Little Ling’er flying, had instead dropped gently to all four knees in submission, rubbing its proud head affectionately against Little Ling’er.

The intimacy of that gesture exceeded even the warmth it typically showed towards Fiery himself.

“Wow, pretty horse, you are so nice… What is your name?”

“Ah, Bai Ling? That does not sound right. From now on, your name is Xue.”

And at that moment, Little Ling’er was gently stroking the white mane between the Unicorn’s ears, murmuring softly with a light smile.

Of all those present, perhaps only Qin Yichen was not particularly startled. The remaining Elves, including Fiery himself, were each left with expressions of blank disbelief.

Fiery’s astonishment was the most pronounced of all. Perhaps due to the closeness of his position, Little Ling’er’s murmured words reached his ears with perfect clarity.

When he heard Little Ling’er say that Bai Ling was not a fitting name, his already ruddy complexion deepened by several shades.

Bai Ling was a fine wine produced within the Elf Race, and had once been Fiery’s most beloved drink. That was the very reason he had named this Unicorn, Bai Ling.

Yet what baffled him most profoundly was how Little Ling’er could have known the Unicorn’s name.

Even he, who had signed a contract with this Unicorn, could only communicate with it through the contract itself, sharing a degree of mutual awareness but nothing close to direct exchange.

Yet the small girl before him, delicate as a porcelain doll, and the Unicorn were interacting with all the ease and warmth of old companions reunited after a long separation.

[How is this happening?]

“So, it is true that Unicorns are drawn to children with pure hearts.”

After quite some time, those High Rank Elves finally recovered from their shock. They exchanged glances with one another, unable to hold back their sighs.

The other Elves quietly nodded their agreement. In their view, only this explanation could account for what they were seeing.

“How can this be?” Fiery’s brow creased deeply, as though he was still turning the question over in his mind, searching for the reason. Yet even with all his years of experience, he could not explain the scene before him.

“Deacon, it is time to depart. If you wait much longer, you will be late.”

In the end, it was one of the guards who helpfully intervened, pulling Fiery back from his thoughts.

“Let’s go.”

Fiery gazed somewhat helplessly at the Unicorn, which now appeared to have completely forgotten his existence, and spoke with the flat tone of a man moving on instinct alone.