"People are wrong to think Elemental Life has no intelligence. Fire, water, wind, and earth elementals all have intelligence approaching or surpassing that of beasts. They just rarely communicate."
"The Sea Folk coexist with water elementals, and Deep Dwarves coexist with earth elementals. Red Dragons and fire dragons enslave fire elementals, while many Floating Islands keep wind elementals. Those are proof enough. Elemental Elders possess intelligence nearly equal to our own."
Setting aside Mr. Swaro's deliberate teasing, his knowledge gave Annan's smooth brain some long-overdue nourishment.
But Annan only wanted to know how to win Elemental Life over. "What do they like?"
For once, Mr. Swaro did not mock him. A hint of nostalgia surfaced in his expression. "Things they would never encounter in their lives."
"I was thinking of giving the Earth Elemental Leader a piece of Mountain Copper. What do you think?"
"Are you rich?"
Annan took out three Magic Stones. "The Mage Tower's Fall, Betar's Redemption, and Annan Potter and the Magic Stone run for seven hours altogether. Watch them, and I'll teach you how to make money."
"Potter, how dare you use my own magic against me!"
After teaching Annan what he wanted to know, Mr. Swaro cast Greater Elemental Language once more.
Besides learning about elementals, Annan had come to understand Mr. Swaro a little better. Mr. Swaro no longer seemed to dislike him quite so much—or perhaps he never had. He merely held a tiny, almost negligible prejudice against Sorcerers.
That prejudice had not vanished, though. On his way back, Mr. Swaro cast the Purification Spell several times, as if he had just fought a Succubus, lest Annan had somehow left a trace on him.
As for the Mountain Copper, Swaro suggested Annan give it a try.
As Elemental Life, the material an elemental