"The autumn wind carries the message of falling leaves, heralding the imminent arrival of the harsh northern winter."

  "On your way home, you unexpectedly encounter a young girl of mixed Demon Race blood, her body covered in scars, even more frail than the vagrants you've seen in the slums."

  "You treat her wounds, give her food, and bring her back to your home."

  "You don't consider yourself noble, nor do you think of yourself as grand; you're simply extending a small kindness within your means."

  "Yet to her, this is a dazzling salvation, like the sun."

  The thick soles of boots.

  Stepping on the dry fallen leaves on the road.

  Making a crisp, subtle sound.

  Xu Xi held the girl's hand, leading her through the dark alley, away from the foul stench of decay, crossing a small channel, and stepping up a few stairs.

  A courtyard of white and brown appeared before them, clean and serene; this was Xu Xi's residence in Allenson City.

  "Go on in."

  Faced with the clean courtyard, the Demon Race girl seemed a bit hesitant, so Xu Xi exerted a little more force, half-dragging her into the courtyard.

  Plop—

  Plop—

  Footsteps echoed on the stone path of the courtyard, accentuating its emptiness.

  Exposed to the sunlight, the girl looked very uncomfortable, constantly squinting and trying to lower her head, avoiding the blinding light that made her uneasy.

  However.

  Her small hand was tightly held by Xu Xi, preventing her from escaping as she used to.

  Gradually, she tried to open her eyes.

  What she saw was the soft sunlight filtering through the brick and lattice, scattered and fragmented by the plants and flowers, casting a beautiful light and shadow on the path.

  In the tranquility, the sound of insects could be heard.

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  If one listened carefully, the hissing of steam engines from the city center could also be heard.

  "So beautiful..." the girl's eyes reflected Xu Xi's figure, discovering for the first time how wonderful the world of light could be, realizing for the first time that she too could stand in the sunlight.

  As long as she held onto this man's hand, she could muster the courage.

  ...

  "You brought the Demon Race girl home, and the first thing you did was take her into the bathroom for a thorough cleaning."

  "The girl had been wandering for too long, living among garbage piles for years, and the Water Magic you used earlier was not enough to cleanse her completely."

  "You summoned the Elemental Spirit of Water to join you in casting the Water Purification Magic."

  "You succeeded."

  "The filth on the girl was completely purified and removed by you."

  "Whoosh, whoosh."

  In the bathroom.

  The sound of water flowing continuously echoed.

  Xu Xi pressed the valve, and with the unique hissing noise of mechanical operation, steaming hot water flowed from the pipes, which Xu Xi controlled to pour over the girl's head.

  "So it's gray hair."

  Xu Xi murmured softly.

  He rubbed the girl's head with his palm, washing away the clumps formed by mud and water, revealing long gray-silver hair once it was clean.

  The hair's luster was very dull and felt rough, like dried straw.

  This was a sign of extreme malnutrition.

  Naturally.

  There was no need for surprise.

  After all, the girl's body was emaciated, with protruding bones visible through her skin, a testament to her frailty, giving a strong impression that she could die at any moment.

  With such physical conditions, just being alive was a miracle, and there was certainly no extra nutrition for her hair.

  How pitiful.

  Xu Xi sighed inwardly again, helping the girl wash her hair and hands, then handed her the hot water pipe under her bewildered gaze.

  "Can you wash yourself from here?"

  Xu Xi spoke.

  He could help with her hair and hands, but for more private parts of her body, Xu Xi decided it was best for the girl to handle it herself.

  After all, she was no longer a baby needing constant care.

  Some things.

  Needed to be instilled from now.

  "Okay..." the girl nodded slightly.

  After handing her the hot water pipe, Xu Xi left the bathroom, taking the opportunity while she washed herself to go out and buy some clothes.

  He had been living alone.

  There were no clothes for a little girl in the house.

  And what the girl had been wearing couldn't really be called clothes; it was more accurately described as rags, which Xu Xi had already burned away.

  "......"

  Returning with the clothes, the girl had just finished washing.

  She stood alone in the bathroom, holding the hot water pipe, motionless like a hardened statue, the pipe still spewing hot water, disappearing down the drain.

  Her eyes were vacant.

  When Xu Xi appeared, she looked at him.

  Like a robot, waiting for Xu Xi's next command.

  "Come out, and dry yourself off."

  "To turn off the hot water, press here."

  With the girl looking bewildered, Xu Xi pressed the valve on the bathroom wall, and a few seconds later, the hot water pipe in the girl's hand stopped flowing.

  Then, he covered her with a large towel, drying her wet body.

  Her hair was not forgotten.

  Xu Xi used Fire Magic in his left hand and Wind Magic in his right, creating a unique warm breeze that dried the girl's hair thoroughly, leaving no water droplets.

  Then came the new clothes.

  The clothes he bought for the girl weren't particularly stylish.

  Even so, after she changed into them, there was a refreshing sense of newness.

  If one had to describe it, it was a feeling of finally becoming "human," no longer disposable trash, no longer unnoticed fallen leaves, but a real "person" standing here.

  Seeing the girl looking so renewed, Xu Xi smiled.

  "Yes, you look much more spirited now."

  Taking the girl's hand again.

  Xu Xi prepared to lead her to the living quarters.

  The corridor extended straight inward, not very long, with the room prepared for the girl at the end.

  Hand on the doorknob, just before pushing the door open, Xu Xi seemed to remember something, looking down at the girl:

  "Do you have a name?"

  "Krisa..." the Demon Race girl, who had been silent, finally responded, looking up to meet Xu Xi's gaze, "Krisa Christina."

  Her eyes still empty and hollow.

  Showing no feedback from the world.

  But faintly, Xu Xi seemed to see a hint of expectation.

  "Krisa, what a beautiful name," Xu Xi said softly, gently rubbing the girl's hair, pushing open the wooden door, and leading her inside.

  "You have learned the true name of the Demon Race girl."

  "Krisa Christina."

  "This name is beautiful, you thought to yourself, and you said it aloud."

  "You settled everything for Krisa, and from today, you officially adopted her, adopting a witch."

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