Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Purchase

Upon hearing Stroph's words, Lilly was surprised and hastened to say, "Young man, are you sure? I warn you at once, if you want to kill her, she's not for sale!" Her voice was rather harsh and her face was serious, apparently she really tried to take care of her slaves.

Stroph looked at her and calmly replied, "Don't worry, she'll be all right, you have my word, how much?" He had to get this girl, what he had noticed examining her, shocked him greatly.

Lilly turned to Stroph and looking into his eyes, she realized that he really wanted to buy the girl. He seemed to be adamant on this point. After some time of her pondering she frowned and replied, "If she really will be alright, you may consider those 20,000 given earlier as a payment for her" She still wasn't completely sure about this young man, but this was a chance for the girl to stop finally killing herself, she couldn't let it go.

Hearing about the price Stroph only nodded slightly and continued looking at the girl said: "Would you give me a chance to talk to her privately?" Stroph wanted to know more about her, this girl was very interesting.

Lilly answered rather quickly, "All right, she's yours now, I won't bother you" After these words she turned around and left. Lilly seemed to be a little nervous, on the one hand the weight of responsibility for this girl's fate was finally off her shoulders, and on the other she wasn't sure if this white-haired boy would keep his word.

Stroph didn't start talking right away, he kept looking and looking at the skinny girl sitting in the filthy cold cage, and it could be told she was here of her own volition. The girl was also silent, though she was blind, she sensed the presence of Stroph and Lilly perfectly. Because of her heightened hearing and sense of smell, as well as her other senses, she was perfectly able to create a picture in front of her.

Thanks to even slight vibrations she could see everything perfectly, only without the colors. Even without looking at Stroph, she knew he was about six feet tall.

The girl was a living example of the first rule of alchemy--To get something, you must give something of equal value in return.

But that wasn't what attracted Stroph; she wasn't the only blind person in the world.

After a few minutes of contemplation, Stroph broke the total silence and said quietly: "What's your name?"

When she heard his words, the girl was silent for a while, but eventually she answered, "I don't have a name..." Her voice was very quiet and weak, it felt like her life was coming to the end and she had no energy left for anything at all.

"That's not good, you need a name, since I'm your master now, do you mind if I name you? Having a name is a good thing". Stroph couldn't let the fact that she hasn`t got any name, after all, every living creature should have one.

The girl nodded slightly and in the same weak voice said: "I don't mind... but do you really want to buy me...?"

Stroph immediately replied, "Yes, I really want to get you out of here, don't worry, I'm not some pervert or sadist, I'm just an ordinary lazybones."

Hearing his last word the girl giggled slightly and said: "So, what name will you give me?"

"Violet Blank! Objections aren`t accepted!" In Stroph's head, a name that he thought was appropriate immediately appeared.

"No objections, it's a good name... I like it..." The girl's voice seemed to lighten up a bit, apparently the name really appealed to her.

"Violet, why are you here?" After her agreement, Stroph immediately asked the next question using her new name.

"Before I tell you, master, what is your name and how should I address you?" Violet wanted to know the name of the man standing before her.

"Stroph White, you may address me as you wish, master or by name."

Violet nodded and said: "Master, I don't remember how I got here, I was told I was barely alive and they just found me in the street and ..."

She wanted to continue, but Stroph interrupted her: "No, no, no, you`ve misunderstood me, I didn't ask how you got here, I asked why you are here, I know about your little anomaly."

Hearing Stroph's last words Violet raised her head for the first time and looked at him. She was greatly shocked and she didn't understand how he could know about it.

" You shouldn't be surprised, It could be said we're in the same boat in that way". Stroph was silent for a while then continued: "My eyes are much better than other people's, so I can easily notice some things in your body that no one else can."

Violet's face froze in shock, she couldn't have thought of such a thing. Seeing her reaction Stroph continued: "Violet, what do you want? Power? Money? Strength? May be, a quiet cozy home?"

Violet recovered from her shock and after thinking for a while answered, "I don't know, I don't understand people who want anything, especially strength, what's the point of it?"

Stroph sighed, looked at the girl and replied, "Violet, many people say that strength isn`t important and that you can defeat strong enemies without it. Tactics, intelligence, number, certain sacrifices, skills, techniques and more, all these can actually help you to defeat an opponent who is two, three, four, perhaps in special situations even ten times stronger than you."

"And is that a bad thing? It seems to me strength can be curbed by many other factors" Violet didn't understand what Stroph was getting at. Everyone was well aware that using tactics alone you could win even if you were weaker.

Stroph calmly replied, "Violet, what will you do if your boldest plans, crazy tactics, incredible sacrifices can't even leave a scratch on your enemy? What will you do if your enemy is not a couple of times stronger than you, but a thousand times? Such tricks and factors can only help when the opponents are roughly similar in strength, but not when in the fight you are like a moth trying to win the battle with the sun. If you are strong enough, nothing can stop you. All possible obstacles will simply be swept away by your strength."

Violet was silent for a long time as she was digesting what she had just heard. Stroph's words led her into a deep reflection about life and her purpose in it.

After about ten minutes, Stroph saw that she had made up her mind, he extended his hand forward and said in a loud voice: "Violet Blank, come with me and be my shield!"

After his words, Violet slowly rose and quickly got down on one knee in front of Stroph, whereupon she confidently said: "Master, I will follow you! I will be your shield!"

Seeing her answer, Stroph nodded satisfactorily and said with a slight smile on his face: "Let`s go, I think we should be leaving by now."

Stroph slowly turned and walked towards the stairs, seeing this Violet was completely convinced that he knew about her anomaly. In order for her to get out she would have had to open her cage, but Stroph didn`t do that.

The next moment, Violet grabbed hold of the iron bars of the cage and pulled them apart easily. It was because of this that Stroph decided to buy her, with his own eyes he noticed that her muscles were different from those of other people, there was incredible strength in her frail body.

Catching up with Stroph she asked with a little uncertainty: "Master...where are we going?"

Stroph looked at her and instantly replied, "It's obvious! We're going for food!"