CHAPTER 376: 260 GET ON THE BUS FIRST, THEN BUY THE TICKET (6K)_3

And now, it’s turned into her asking such a question.

"Hmm? You didn’t get it? I want you to become my close friend..."

"Alright, I already know, no need to say more."

Svanni interrupted Herbert’s "feigned reluctance," and said seriously, "What I mean is after making me your ’close friend’, what do you want me to do?"

Her expression showed some disdain, she rolled her eyes at Herbert.

After Herbert’s little charade, she unconsciously let down some of her defenses, revealing some of her true character.

"Of course, I want you to tell the truth."

Herbert decided to get to the point, revealing his true intention: "I want to know the truth."

"For instance, why do you target your sister? What’s so important about her that you’re so invested?"

Stella Moore.

The current head of the Dark Elf Moore Clan, a powerful and wicked being.

But more than her identity, what piqued Herbert’s interest was the relationship between Svanni and her, what grudges and feelings existed between the two.

Svanni has been in the Third Commandment Hall for so long now, one could say she has cut her worldly ties.

In Herbert’s eyes, Svanni is actually quite cold.

She only cares about her experiments, her research, and is completely indifferent to other matters.

Even regard for family blood ties, in her view, are just samples for experiments, part of refining her research.

Yet, this cold and unfeeling existence, why did she change her mind after interacting with those people?

Herbert didn’t know the past between her and Stella, but based on instinct and the current circumstances, he deduced there might be two possibilities.

Either there’s an irreconcilable enmity between Stella and Svanni, fearing captivity even if it comes to that.

Or, Stella... might be a crucial element in completing Svanni’s research.

Herbert leaned towards the latter but couldn’t completely disregard the former, so he needed to ask Svanni clearly.

"Furthermore, I need to know if I help you, what can I gain from it? And the risks involved."

This was also a focal point for Herbert.

Herbert actually had no resistance to the idea of helping Svanni.

After all, he wasn’t familiar with Stina, and there was some animosity between them, so taking action wasn’t an issue.

But, even with siblings, accounts need to be settled clearly.

The bustling world, all for profit; the bustling world, all for gain.

Even with close friends, whether to help also depends on the pros and cons the matter brings.

If it’s just an insignificant favor, then helping is fine.

But if the cost is too high, further consideration is needed.

"And lastly... if I don’t help you, what kind of danger would I face?"

Herbert asked a series of questions directly, without any roundabout, abandoning any false pretense, speaking plainly about what he sought.

The reasoning for action and weighing the pros and cons.

"..."

It seems Svanni didn’t answer; she squinted her eyes, somewhat amusedly asked, "So, after all this roundabout, the best you hope for is for me to tell you no lies or concealments?"

Herbert nodded seriously, "Well, you could understand it that simply, but more than that, I hope to gain your trust."

Listening to this earnest response, Svanni suddenly felt like laughing.

"Heh, haha..."

But it wasn’t a mockery, rather a bit speechless, but mostly reflective.

Really, talking about close friends.

You just want me to speak the truth, don’t you?

If this is all you seek, why bother going in such a big circle... haha.

Suddenly, Svanni felt quite cheerful, gently shook her head, and laughed lightly, "As for your questions, I indeed can answer truthfully as you wish."

"The relationship between Stella and me is somewhat complex."

Her gaze turned a bit distant, recalling the distant past.

"Because of our blood relation, from the moment we were born, we were destined to be rivals, always compared to each other since childhood."

"Those people hoped we could compete against each other, ultimately determining a victor, while the other becomes a servant to the winner."

"In their eyes, this is an entirely normal thing; no Dark Elf can resist such a temptation, hehe."

Thinking of this, Svanni couldn’t help but mockingly laugh.

What a ridiculous group of people.

"But they were disappointed; I wasn’t interested in such things."

"Herbert, you might have noticed I’m somewhat unusual."

Perhaps it was Herbert’s behavior today; Svanni spoke frankly about her uniqueness.

"I am uninterested in everything other Dark Elves desire, be it slaughter or schemes, none of it matters to me."

"I do not wish for power over others, I only want to complete my research that intrigues me."

"So, I defied their expectations."

"But... Stella is different; she was seen as the perfect Dark Elf."

"Like I mentioned earlier, Stella embodies every trait you’d associate with a Dark Elf."

"Evil, greedy, insane... a perfect Dark Elf."

Listening to Svanni’s description, an image slowly emerged in Herbert’s mind of a Dark Elf similar in appearance but radiating a different aura.