The sun shone through the tall canopy, forming a bright beam of light between the crisscrossing branches and leaves, and sprinkling mottled spots of light on the forest path covered with fallen leaves. Unknown small beasts suddenly sprang out of the bushes with a series of small sounds.
A male gray elf, short as a child, with short gray hair, came out of the nearby bushes. He was wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt often worn by residents of the mossy forest area. He carried a bag sewn with a thick cloth on his shoulder, and a tool for gathering herbs hung on his waist. The sunlight in the forest fell on his gray eyes, glowing faintly.
With a slight rustling sound, a few other gray elves also came out of the nearby bushes and paths. They gathered together and began to check the day's harvest.
A gray elf companion came up to the short-haired man and said casually, "Rupert, I'm moving to the city tomorrow."
The short-haired gray elf widened his eyes in surprise. "Why?"
"Haven't you heard? The matriarch is calling for young and strong people who are looking forward to a new life to gather in the city, "his companion explained." We have a lot of orders with the Cecil Empire for alchemy raw materials. The scholars have built many large herbal fields and distillation plants around the city. The work in the city is much more dignified than picking fruits and honey in the forest. "
"… I've heard, but I'm not going. I've lived in the forest for most of my life. I'm not used to the chaotic atmosphere in the city. "
"I knew you would say that." Another companion came up from the side and patted the short-haired gray elf on the shoulder. "We will miss you. When we have time, we will come and see you."
"You also want to …"
"We are all going to try our luck. The matriarch has always been smart. We have decided to listen to her call. What if everyone can live a better life?"
His companions left one by one. In the end, only the short-haired Gray Elf was left standing at the entrance of the forest. He stood there blankly for a while, then came to the side of the small path. This nimble Gray Elf climbed up a huge rock. From this high place, he looked into the distance with a slightly hesitant gaze.
Outside the dense forest, on the open space at the edge of the forest, a beautiful city stood quietly beside the Venti Nile River. It was the capital city of the gray elves, Windsong, which they were proud of.
The hardworking gray elves had taken root in the mossy forest for thousands of years. This ancient city had also taken root here with the gray elves for thousands of years. The changes carried out by the wise Baizhi family in the recent two centuries had given the city a new luster. The gray elves, who were used to being aloof from worldly affairs in the mossy forest, suddenly realized their talents in the field of commerce. The prosperous herbal and alchemy processing business suddenly made Windsong the most important commercial node in the northern part of the Augoray tribal country.
More and more gray elves changed the habits passed down from generation to generation. They walked from the forest to the city and traveled all over the Western Continent through the trade route. They changed the views of many other races about the gray elves, who were short and weak, and brought unimaginable wealth to the mossy forest. Today, Windsong was more prosperous than any other time in history. The newly built city was filled with merchants and representatives from various races. The matriarch of the gray elves, Wenna Baizhi, sat in the center of the city. Just like her wise father, she led this land to become richer and stronger every day.
However, not all gray elves had given up on their traditions. In this vast mossy forest, there were dozens of large and small forests. There were still many gray elves who clung to the habit of living in seclusion and accompanying nature. As more and more roads and towns occupied important nodes in the forest, and after a trade route was opened to the human world through the forest, these gray elves who clung to their traditions gradually became like hermits in modern society. They became an anomaly in the general trend of civilization. Continuing to live in the past … seemed more and more inappropriate.
"Maybe … it's time to walk out of the forest …"
…
A tall Red Valley messenger came along the main road by the Venti River and entered the city before noon.
The familiar scenery of the city relaxed the messenger. He wore a smock with the Baizhi family's emblem and led a horse through the bustling streets in the south of Windsong. Various vendors shouted in different dialects. There were also a variety of shops and colorful flags that fluttered in the wind along the bustling streets.
Short gray elves could be seen everywhere. There were also tall orcs, Red Valley people, humans, and even dwarves and fairies among the pedestrians. In this market, which was mainly used for small to medium-sized medicinal transactions, merchants from all over the world were asking about prices and planning for the next day. They were scheming against each other under the rules. They were generous and stingy with every copper coin in their pockets.
As the messenger passed through the busiest part of the market, a group of soldiers walked past the intersection at the end of the market. Their shiny armor and powerful mechanical crossbows made these short warriors look majestic.
A carriage that entered the city in the morning was stopped by several merchants for questioning. On the carriage hung the emblem of Cecil. A human merchant with a heavy accent stood in front of the carriage, his face flushed with excitement as he boasted about his experiences on this long trade route. The odd-job workers were busy moving goods behind the carriage, and one of them used an inaudible eastern dialect to tell a vulgar joke, causing the others to laugh incessantly.
A gray elf merchant was selling scattered cloth at the end of the market. It was the "woven cloth" that originated from Typhon. Cecil's people used the magic train to transport it over thousands of miles. Although the bulk of the trade was controlled by the upper merchants, the scattered goods could still be circulated to the small merchants.
A few short dwarves gathered in front of the cloth stall. They reached out and twisted the plain and cheap cloth. One of the dwarves frowned, but his companions were moved by the low price and began to bargain with the vendor.
The messenger crossed the lively and almost noisy street and walked in the direction of the chief's longhouse. He passed by the square in front of the longhouse and saw that something was being built in the largest square in Windsong City. A group of human and gray elf workers were busy there, and a huge crystal device had been erected. The metal base under the crystal device shone under the sun, and rune boards waiting to be assembled could be seen on the ground everywhere in the square.
There were curious children at the edge of the square, and there were also many citizens gathered to watch. A few tall orc mercenaries were working together with the guards of the square to maintain order. The strong warriors covered in hair, who looked like a combination of tiger or some kind of feline and human, carried frightening chopping axes, but could only smile helplessly at the overly enthusiastic citizens.
The chief's longhouse stood on the other side of the square, and the flag of the Augulay tribe was hanging on the tall tower and balcony. The messenger crossed the square and curiously looked at the crystal device not far away, which seemed to be almost completed.
A low but slightly soft voice came from the side. "Cecil's people brought the magic obelisk. It is said that when this thing is erected, half of Windsong City will be able to use bright magic stone lamps. In the future, we won't have to worry about the old streets in the west of the city burning because of overturned lampstands."
The messenger followed the voice and saw a female orc warrior talking to him. She had cat-like eyes, ears, hair and even a tail, but her face and body were obviously feminine. This uncoordinated and rough appearance was the embodiment of beauty among the orcs.
"Madam Morilina, I brought letters from the east." The messenger smiled. "International letters."
The female orc probably smiled, her sharp teeth gleaming. She raised her hand and pointed in the direction of the longhouse. "The ancestors bless you, Mr. Todd. The matriarch is inside. She must have been waiting for these letters for a long time."
The messenger thanked her and walked past the soldiers at the edge of the square, through the ramp between the longhouse and the square, and came to the door of the longhouse. A servant was already waiting there and led him into the longhouse.
After walking through a long corridor and coming to the lord's reception room on the second floor, he came to the chief of the gray elves, Vena Baizhi. Sunlight shone into the room through a row of neatly arranged diamond-shaped narrow windows on the wall, casting bright spots on the furnishings in the room. The wooden desk, cabinet, chair and shelf looked smaller than the furniture commonly used by humans. The female gray elf, who was as short as a child, sat on a high-back chair that was still very wide for her and smiled at the messenger. "Todd, I've been waiting for you for a long time. I thought you would come back on the train carrying the alchemy potion yesterday."
"Sorry, there was a slight delay when I went through the customs in Ten Forest City. Cecil's people are adjusting the work procedures in their government office, and the clerks there are not familiar with them yet." The messenger lowered his head and then took out a thick package and handed it to the chief of the gray elves. "This is the letter you've been waiting for."
"I don't really blame you. Compared to a few years ago, the speed of sending letters from the human world to the moss forest is much faster now." Vena smiled and took the package. She weighed it in her hand and could not help but raise her eyebrows. "Sigh … that child still writes so much …"
The messenger could not help but smile. "My lady is good at expressing her feelings with words."
"Since you're coming from the other side, tell me. How's Merry in Cecil?" Vena blinked and did not rush to open the thick stack of letters. "Has she adapted to life in the human world?"
"As far as I can see, she's as good there as she is in Wind Song." The messenger nodded and said. "Rather than saying that she's adapted to life in the human world, it's better to say that the people of Cecil have indeed achieved an equal attitude toward all the alien races. Cecil City is friendlier than I thought. Many people of different races and countries visit the city, including the people of Typhon, who have a tense relationship with Cecil. All kinds of races gather there, just like the scenery in the market of Wind Song City. Everyone there lives well and will not be discriminated against because of their race and habits.
"Of course, the law there also treats everyone equally. Even the elves and even the dragon descendants, who are regarded as honored guests and allies by the people of Cecil, will be arrested and imprisoned for violating the law. In a way, we can be more assured about the safety of my lady. She has always been a well-educated child who respects the law and rules."
This messenger was able to calmly and methodically analyze these matters. Clearly, his identity here was not as simple as a "messenger".
"Dragon descendants?" Vena raised her eyebrows. "We did receive news that the Empire of Cecil and the Duchy of Holy Dragon had established diplomatic relations … but we didn't expect those dragon descendants to come out of the mountains so quickly. I thought it would take at least until next year for real dragon descendants to appear in the city of Cecil. "
"We once tried to knock on the door between the mountains of the Duchy of Holy Dragon, but due to the long distance and different customs, we never succeeded. Now it seems that the merchants of Cecil are indeed better than us at 'knocking on the door,'" Todd said. "As far as I can see, the dragon descendants are not all closed and conservative. At least the dragon descendants living in the city of Cecil look no different from ordinary people — and they get along very well with the people of Cecil. Let me think … they have a very interesting way of greeting their friends in Cecil … "
The "messenger" recalled for a while and gestured with his hands. "Oh, it's like this. Raise your hand, pretend that you are holding a glass of wine, and then …
Then he shouted, 'Friend! Frost Resistance Potion! Pause, pause! ' And then make a gesture of drinking it down … "
"This …" Vena Baizhi stared at the scene that Todd gestured. After a long while, she shook her head in confusion. "I really can't understand the customs of the dragon descendants … no wonder they are a race that can survive in such a cold place."
She then looked up. "But those details aren't important. What's important is that we now have a chance to do business with those dragonkin. Perhaps I need to discuss this with Schwacker. Go inform him and ask him to come over in the evening."
"Yes, leader."
After Todd left the room, Vena Baizhi looked at the thick packet of letters. After staring at them for a while, the leader of the gray elves finally reached out her hand and sighed. "Sigh … after all, they are my own children … When the magic net signal of the Empire of Cecil is connected, everything will be fine …"
The first letter was opened, and the beautiful handwriting came into Vena's eyes.
"Mother, I have been living in Cecil City for a while. This is indeed an incredible city …"
…
"What an incredible adventure of a lifetime …"
Gwen put down the thick ancient book in his hand and could not help rubbing his eyes as he softly muttered to himself.
In the past few days, he had basically been studying this ancient book whenever he had time. Now, he had finally finished reading the records of Modiel Werde's adventure.
He had gained a lot of knowledge that had been lost in history, and on the map hanging in the study, there were many marks of different sizes that were worth paying attention to.
After a few days of reading, what he wanted to say the most was a sigh.
Modiel Werde … could indeed be called the greatest adventurer in the world, and there was probably no one who could compare to him.
The news to the Northern Region had already been sent out. Victoria Werde had already known that the lost treasure of her family had been recovered. Other than expressing her surprise and gratitude, she also said that she would bring the book with her when she came to the Imperial Capital in winter. Before that, the book would be kept on Gwen's desk for a while.
This book had to be returned to the Werde family. Gwen did not intend to keep it for himself. After all, the most important content in a book was the knowledge it contained, and this knowledge could be made into copies. The precious original contained the owner's longing for an old friend, so it should be returned to its rightful owner.
However, before Victoria came to the Imperial Capital and returned the book, Gwen felt that he had to confirm the details of the content mentioned in the book with someone.
After resting behind the desk to relieve the fatigue from reading for a long time, Gwen raised his hand and looked at the Mithril Ring on his finger.
It had been a while since he spoke to My Pony.
After chatting with Miss Pony, I wonder if she's interested in Modiel Velde's adventures …
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