Elf?
Looking at those pointed ears, Lin Lan was momentarily lost in thought.
He recalled the elves' appearances in the story chapters but could not link the sci-fi styled Pioneers with the poor little girl before him.
Then he noticed that Lisa's ears weren't as long as an elf's, only having pointed auricles, while overall they remained as small and exquisite as a normal child's.
"Are you a descendant of elves?" Lin Lan asked instinctively.
Lisa blinked her large eyes, seemingly misunderstanding what the Lord was saying.
"Lisa is a Witch, a very valuable Witch."
She repeated her request earnestly: "Lord, can you sell me?"
Although her sister had warned her never to show her pointed ears to others, as their parents had fled to prevent bad people from selling Lisa,
Lisa now had her own thoughts.
Her parents had already gone far away, and her sister was gravely ill. No matter how hard she tried picking small fish and shells by the sea, from day to night, it wouldn't buy the expensive herbs Uncle Ed mentioned.
She hoped the Lord would sell her, so her sister could have money for treatment.
Lin Lan frowned deeply.
He gazed at the little girl who seemed like an elf, recalling the sculpture on the ship's bow and Charles's description of witches:
— Witches possess magic to block the ocean's view, naturally blessed adventurers by the sea.
This description starkly contrasted Lin Lan's firsthand view of the elf tribes.
One side was fantastical, the other sci-fi, the only similarity being the unique ears.
"Can you use witches' magic?" Lin Lan pondered for a moment and continued to ask Lisa.
"No..."
Little Lisa's voice trailed off; she was quite honest about this point.
To prove her worth, she stood on tiptoe and quickly pointed to her pointed ears: "But I can hear heart sounds, just like other witches!"
For Lisa, hearing the 'heart sounds' of all worldly things had become instinctive, not just living creatures; she could even hear the heart sounds of sailboats, sea breezes, and waves.
Witches can hear others' heart sounds...
Well, here's another strange fact.
"What do I sound like then?" Lin Lan was a bit curious.
"The Lord sounds like a beach in the summer evening."
Lisa's pointed ears wiggled slightly, and she earnestly responded: "The wind and waves are gentle, though the sea is very dark, the beautiful shells under the moonlight shine brightly!"
Lin Lan: ...
The childlike and whimsical words of little Lisa were so abstract that he couldn't understand a thing.
Meanwhile, the pointed-eared child continued to listen, Lisa twitched her ears and listened more intently.
She had never heard such warm and wondrous 'heart sounds.'
Under the light of the Red Moon, the dark sea had already formed a whirlpool, swirling rapidly and mysteriously, causing more waves to crash onto the shore, washing over the 'square' beautiful shells.
Most of the shells were white, with only a few having strange patterns; Lisa curiously perked up her ears, trying to hear the square shell with black patterns clearly...
The moonlight fluttered.
The next moment, she fell groggily in front of Lin Lan.
"Lisa?" Lin Lan instinctively held up the suddenly sleeping little girl, momentarily surprised.
How does a young one sleep so abruptly?
He lightly shook her body.
Lisa remained with her eyes closed, her mouth curving into a smile, muttering happily in her sleep: "Sister, you're finally better..."
Lin Lan showed a somewhat helpless expression and gently placed the sleeping child on the bench.
Forget it, the link between elves and witches can be set aside for now. As a minor Lord, such secrets buried in the river of time are not something he needs to concern himself with.
The immediate issue to address is her sister's illness.
Hopefully, it isn't a severe infectious disease...
Lin Lan looked out the window, his expression gradually growing solemn. He was well aware of the conditions in his domain, where even a common flu could easily claim lives among the common people.
Moments later, steady footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.
The manor's butler, Mr. Berge, gently pushed open the door: "Lord Roland, do you have any instructions?"
"This child's family has recently fallen ill; she is here seeking help."
Lin Lan pointed to the child curled up on the chair, concisely saying: "Mr. Berge, how much do you know about a disease with the symptom of 'excessive vomiting of blood'?"
The old butler was momentarily stunned, then his calm demeanor changed.
"If I am not mistaken, it's the Blood Plague..."
Fear flashed in his eyes: "Lord Roland, her family might have contracted the Blood Plague!"
Lin Lan's eye twitched.
Well, what you fear indeed seems to come...
"Where does this disease come from, and how does it spread?" Lin Lan's voice became serious.
"As a Lion Heart noble, you should have heard, Lord Roland..."
The old butler's expression was worried, cautiously observing the Lord's demeanor: "Anyone who defiles Lion's Heart Glory will be afflicted by the Blood Catastrophe bestowed by the former king."
Lion's Heart Glory? Blood Catastrophe?
Lin Lan furrowed his brows, searching the original host's memory, finding traces of these concepts.
What does 'Lion's Heart Glory' mean?
Simply put, this term is a glorified way to describe the Lion Heart noble group, and for the lowly commoners, nobles bearing the Lion Heart lineage's blood are the supreme glory.
The Blood Catastrophe is even more absurd.
Supposedly stemming from King Arthur's fury, if anyone attempts to trample on the Royal Court's authority, a sanguine catastrophe will befall the sinners, causing them to die miserably, drained of blood...
It's like a vicious dog lurking in shadows, its malicious gaze fixed on anyone daring to challenge the nobility.
Why would such a curse appear in the remote Seagull Town?
Lin Lan's gaze fell on Lisa.
The thinly dressed girl curled up like a small animal, her white and frail wrists and ankles covered with bruises and scratches from the rocks.
The fire flickered, illuminating the side of the gray-haired young man's face.
Whenever the young lord fell into thought, his gray eyes always gave off a deep impression.
Butler Berge stood nervously beside him, waiting.
"Is there a cure for Blood Plague?"
After a moment, Lin Lan raised his head and posed a new question.
"Why would you think so?"
Berge's expression turned astonished: "Surely you understand that treating Blood Plague is the utmost desecration of Lion's Heart Glory..."
"Answer my question." Lin Lan interrupted his rambling.
"Lord Roland, I... I truly don't know..."
Cold sweat seeped from the old butler's back, his lips trembling as if he recalled something terrifying: "No one has ever dared to become the sinner who profanes Lion's Heart Glory."
He completely failed to understand why Lord Roland harbored such a wild notion.
After all, he was part of the Lion Heart nobility!
To know that if this reaches the ears of powerful nobles, the Judicial Court's knights would ride in on their steeds, purifying the impure sin with their sacred blades...
The old butler trembled as he described the dreadful consequences, only to find the Lord's face remained entirely unafraid.
"Have her rest for now."
Lin Lan said mildly: "I'll spend some time alone in the study."