## Chapter 96: Shala's Little Spell
Originally, I had planned to take advantage of the crowd gradually thinning out to go say hello to Kashya and discuss my mission, but looking from afar, she was already surrounded by a group of people. They were probably like me, having arrived late and missed the registration, so they were now rushing to receive missions from Kashya. Seeing the continuous tide of people surging towards her, I wisely chose to give up. Forget it, going to Akara tomorrow would be the same. Even if I didn't get any missions, with my strength, going solo wouldn't be a problem at all. Informing them was just out of politeness and respect, after all, they were the administrators of the Rogue Encampment.
The four of us chatted along the way, and before long, we returned to Lal's house. Auntie Shali had already come out to greet us. To my surprise, our Little Cutie had also returned. Seeing it was me from afar, Shala exclaimed and pounced over like a gust of wind, hugging my arm. Mhm, she used to just hang onto my neck before. It seems our Little Cutie has grown up and is gradually becoming more reserved. Mhm, her body also seems to have grown quite a bit. The soft and warm touch transmitted through her clothes made me keep rubbing my nose, and it took a lot of effort to suppress the improper thoughts in my mind.
"Big Brother, quick, quick..."
Soon after entering the house and before sitting down for long, Shala impatiently pulled my arm and led me to the courtyard, saying she wanted to show me the results of her efforts over the past few months.
She pulled me aside and went to the tree herself. She lowered her head slightly, closed her eyes, and lightly clasped her hands over her chest. Coupled with her angelic face, it gave her a feeling of sacredness and inviolability. I saw her cherry lips part slightly, probably chanting some Incantation, for quite a while. The two small hands clasped over her chest slowly unfolded, her small palms lightly supporting upwards, and her eyes suddenly opened wide.
A cool breeze blew past...
Uh... is this the legendary Wind Magic?
"This... this is an accident, mhm... it's an accident..."
Little Shala pouted her little mouth in annoyance. It had clearly been successful in the Training Camp, so why wasn't it working now? It made her make a fool of herself in front of her beloved Big Brother. Darn it, darn it, darn it...
Taking a deep breath, she tried hard to calm her heart. Then, she continued to clasp her hands together, standing under the lush green tree. Her white clothes danced in the wind, like duckweed floating in the breeze, light and graceful. She continued to softly chant the complex Incantation, then spread her hands. Unfortunately, besides the beautiful posture, the effect seemed to be...
"How... how could this be? Impossible..."
Shala pouted her little mouth in defiance. She glanced at me and saw that I still had an encouraging smile on my face. Her heart warmed, and she tried to calm herself down, continuing to cast her only spell.
Unfortunately, it was as if fate was working against her. She tried over ten times in a row, and not one succeeded.
How could this happen? Shala was so wronged she was almost in tears. Her reddened eyes were filled with tears, but she stubbornly cast her spell again and again.
When she failed for who knows how many times and the tears were about to overflow, suddenly a pair of strong and powerful hands gently embraced her, pulling her into my embrace. That gentle, cherished feeling made her close her eyes comfortably. Her heart was filled with peace and warmth, and the anger and grievance she felt instantly vanished.
"It's okay, Big Brother knows Shala has been working very hard to learn. Because Big Brother, back then, spent several whole years just to cast one spell. Shala is already amazing. Learning magic isn't something that happens overnight, so there's no need to rush."
I gently held Shala in my arms and comforted her softly. Shala had already done very well. As a Druid who is also proficient in the Elemental School, I could clearly feel the active presence of Fire Element around Shala when she was chanting. Although there was a world of difference compared to Wizards like Linya, Shala had only been learning for a few months. Being able to reach this level was already quite good.
"Come, calm your heart carefully. Don't think about anything, and don't be afraid of the Fire Element. You just need to firmly believe that it will surely submit to your will, and it will surely follow your call. That's all you need to do..."
I gently held Shala's hands. "Come, I'll be with you the whole time. There's no problem."
Shala's body trembled slightly. She looked up and gazed at me with misty eyes. After a while, as if having made up her mind, she took a deep breath. She gripped back with her small hands, clasping my hands, which were gently holding hers, tightly against her chest. Her fair forehead gently rested against my fist.
Mhm, this posture, how should I put it? To say it was ambiguous, it didn't seem to have that meaning. It felt very gentle, very reassuring, as if our two hearts were merging together. That soulful care and acceptance made my heart melt.
Shala had already begun chanting the Incantation. Her soft chanting voice was barely audible, my ears couldn't possibly hear it, but incredibly, I could clearly feel that Incantation, as if it was transmitted directly into my heart.
"Omnipresent spirits of fire, please listen carefully to my command, display your power before my eyes, Flame Skill!"
A tiny flame gently floated in the palms of the two of us. It seemed like it could be blown out by a gust of wind, but it stubbornly burned, just like Shala's unrelenting effort.
"Look, Big Brother, this is our flame."
Shala gently raised her head and smiled at me. Her crimson pupils and pink long hair, illuminated by the tiny flame, appeared so serene and beautiful. The charm of that sweet smile made me slightly taken aback. The Little Cutie before me had truly grown up without me realizing it. The charm of a budding young girl, though youthful, already exuded an alluring aura.
"Hehe, didn't I say so? Shala can definitely do it."
I was stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted. For this spell, so as not to disappoint Shala, I also contributed a little bit of effort, gathering the surrounding Fire Element. After all, no matter what, I was a Druid proficient in both Fire and Ice Elements. However, most of the credit still belonged to Shala. In fact, as long as she could truly calm her heart, she could do it by herself. The previous failures were probably just because my presence made her feel a slight sense of urgency in her heart.
"It's almost time for dinner, let's hurry back to the house, otherwise Auntie Shali will... again." I said in a low voice. Without realizing it, we had been out for nearly an hour. Auntie Shali's teasing always made it feel like we were having a secret rendezvous. My skin is thick enough, so it's no problem, but Shala definitely couldn't handle it.
Seeming to recall the previous situation, Shala shyly lowered her head and obediently followed behind me into the house. The flame in our palms had long since extinguished, but the flame in our hearts, as long as that bond still exists, will never dim.
Not long after dinner, Shala had to go to the Training Camp tomorrow, so although she really wanted to stay with us, she still had to go to bed early. As for Lal and the other four, having been separated for nearly three months, we naturally had endless topics to talk about. Especially Daoge, after not seeing him for a while, his bragging skills seemed to have improved greatly. A perfectly normal training experience was exaggerated by him as if it were like the Journey to the West, enduring eighty-one hardships to obtain scriptures. He could brag about a fight with a single Imp for half a day. If his glib tongue were in my original world, he would definitely be a star salesman.
It wasn't until late at night that everyone dispersed, still wanting more. The Barbarian brothers and I naturally did as usual, just spread out a blanket in the courtyard and lay down to sleep.
Mhm, why is my nose always a little itchy? Sleepily shaking my head, I forced my eyes open. Ugh, it was Shala, that naughty Little Cutie, squatting in front of me and scratching my nose with a blade of grass. Darn little girl, if Auntie Shali wasn't watching and smiling from the side, I might have really pounced on her and given her extremely elastic butt a few hard spanks.
"Big Brother, don't be angry."
Seeing me fuming and glaring, Shala lay on my chest and said softly. Her sweet voice instantly made my anger vanish without a trace. Darn it, she's truly a little demon. If she's like this now, what will she be like when she grows up?
I helplessly shook my head. Holding Shala, who was lying on my chest, I sat up. Wow, the sky had just brightened, the morning sun had only just shown a corner.
"Shala, are you going to the Training Camp so early?" I rubbed my sleepy eyes and asked.
"Ah... I'll be late."
When I said that, Shala seemed to suddenly remember that she had to go to the Training Camp. She quickly jumped up and rushed into the house.
"Truly a girl who won't grow up."
Watching her hurried figure, Auntie Shali lovingly scolded with a smile from the side.
After washing up a bit, Shala had already finished breakfast and was getting ready to leave.
"Shala, wait, I'll take you. I also want to see what the Training Camp is like."
"Really? That's great."
When Shala heard me say that, she immediately rubbed against my arm affectionately with joy.
"Mhm, yeah, I used to be trained by my Master. I've never actually been to the Training Camp in the Rogue Encampment." I nodded, bringing out my flawlessly modified Diablo-style Background. That mysterious Master had long since become an object of speculation for everyone.
"Then, Auntie Shali, we're leaving now." I said goodbye, and Shala had already pulled me out the door.
(end of chapter)