Ellis gawked at his surroundings like an excited tourist.

Overall, the village gave off a feeling similar to a giant tree house.

In short, everything was made out of wood.

Large wooden platforms stuck out from the trunks of the trees. Supported by the branches underneath, they extended past what should normally be physically possible. The largest of these platforms was nearly five hundred meters in diameter.

The villagers built various structures on top of the platforms, ranging from something simple like a stall, all the way to the more complex constructs like a brick and mortar-shaped building, just without the brick and mortar. Still, the majority of the structures consisted of large hut-shaped houses.

Each platform revolved around a singular tree and multiple platforms were connected with one another through a series of wooden bridges. Just with a cursory glance, Ellis immediately identified ten or so of these giant platforms. There were many more too, located far past where his eyes could reach. After all, this spot was only a small section of the entire village.

All in all, it was a very novel experience.

“Ilpin Village, was it? Is that what this place is called?” Ellis asked as his eyes slowly surveyed the various platforms scattered around him.

Grisella shook her head. “No, that’s just what outsiders like to call it. I don’t think this place has an official name… at least, not one given by its residents.”

“Why? I’d imagine a name would be a pretty important thing to have for any village.”

“Well, I don’t really know, but I heard that this place used to have a name.”

“Used to? Why the past tense?” Ellis tilted his head in confusion.

“It was a name from more than a million years ago, a name personally given to the village by the God that resided within this forest. Through the passage of time, the name was inevitably lost.” She explained. “The tribesmen of this village do not want to give it a new name. They are still waiting, waiting for the day when the name returns to them.”

“That’s quite a bit of backstory…”

Grisella shrugged her shoulders. “It sounds like a big deal, but really, I made it sound more important than it actually is. In truth, the squirrels are just too lazy to think of one.” She paused for a second. “Enough about that, let’s head to the Village chief’s house.”

“Already? Don’t you think we should spend a bit of time exploring the village?” After such a drab and dreary ‘childhood’, visiting a place like this was a breath of fresh air. Naturally, Ellis wanted to take his time and sightsee. Everything else can come after he had his fill.

“No, I do not!” She instantly rejected. Grisella really did not want the rumor of them being a couple to spread. After all, it would definitely ruin her image! Going around with this guy would only serve to further exasperate her situation.

Right now, all she wanted to do was find a guide and leave the village as quickly as possible.

“Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud. It won’t take that long. You know a bit about this place, don’t you? Come on, show us around.” Ellis did not take no for an answer. Standing on his shoulders, Ena similarly let out a cry. She too was quite interested in her new environment.

Without a shred of hesitation, he quickly moved towards the nearest walkway.

“Ah, wait…” Grisella hesitated for a moment before she breathed out a defeated sigh and trailed after him.

Like that, the impromptu ‘Ilpin village tour’ was officially set in motion.

As they walked, Ellis couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering. It was only natural. After all, this was the very first established settlement that he had ever visited!

Grisella guided him to some of the village’s more famous landmarks.

The first destination was a giant, five-story wooden building. Apparently, it was an auction house, but it wasn’t very busy. In fact, the only time that it ever opened was during festivals or after a big hunt. Instead of using it for its intended purpose though, the tribe would often convert the place into a giant banquet hall.

The second destination was a wooden plank that extended out ten feet past the platform. “This is where they punish people,” she explained. “Traitors and criminals get pushed off the plank. Their end result is to be expected.” Grisella paused for a second, before she reiterated her words. “They plummet to their deaths.”

Ellis felt somewhat stupefied. “Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“Don’t worry.” She reassured him. “They reserve this thing only for the more serious crimes, like murder or infidelity.”

“Infidelity?” His eyes widened. “That, does that really deserve death?”

“That’s just how this village is. They are strict when it comes to things like that… Such a rule really keeps all the lechers and perverts at bay…” Grisella turned to him and smiled a subtle smile.

“…” Ellis let out a weak chuckle.

After a while, the group headed towards their third destination. They passed multiple platforms and crossed several bridges. At some point during the tour, Ena had run off somewhere, but Ellis did not really mind. This was already a long-standing habit of hers.

For now, he focused his attention on their third destination. According to Grisella, their next destination was a farm. Or at least, the village’s own version of a farm.

When they arrived, Ellis couldn’t help but frown.

They stood in the middle of an empty platform. Aside from the massive tree in front of him, there really was nothing else here.

“Are you sure you got the right place?” Ellis jokingly commented as he slowly observed his surroundings.

“Don’t look at the platform, look at the tree.” Grisella chided.

He quickly redirected his gaze. At first glance, the tree looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that a layer of green fuzz covered the surface of the trunk.

“It’s Kibley Moss,” she explained. “A parasitic species of moss that can grow on almost any living creature. It has about the same nutritional value as wheat.

“Under normal circumstances, they aren’t really the type of thing that you can harvest. At least, not on such a large-scale. The moss simply sucks everything dry. Often times, the host species die off from starvation. This place is different though. The vitality of the trees within this forest is so strong that they can even withstand the parasitic nature of the Kibley moss.

“It actually works quite well, especially since large scale production of regular crops is basically impossible inside this forest.”

“What does it taste like?” Ellis wasn’t really all that concerned with the background of the moss. He was more interested in its practical usage. For a foodie like him, the taste was a vital component of any ingredient.

“Um, it’s somewhat bland and somewhat watery. Not at all very good.” She crinkled her nose and made an ugly expression. It was clear that she had prior experience with the moss.

“Ah, that’s unfortunate,” Ellis breathed out a disappointed sigh. He shook his head, “Let’s just move on.”

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Grisella guided him to their next destination.

The next landmark was a market place. It was located on an intersection between four large trees. A series of bridges connected it to other platforms, but the market place itself was not attached to any tree. Instead, it was kept suspended by several dozen ropes that were attached to the upper canopy.

While there was no risk of it falling off, the platform was very unstable, and often shook like a sailboat in the middle of an ocean.

“Commerce Square. It’s the busiest place in the village.” Grisella explained.

True to her word, the platform was packed to the brim with villagers. While Ellis had seen a couple of them while traveling through the village, this was the first time he had ever seen so many people packed together.

The tribesmen of the village all possessed squirrel features. A pair of rounded ears and a fluffy tail. Like Nar-Wynn, the men walked around with nothing but a loincloth. The women were similarly dressed, the only difference being an additional piece of cloth that covered their breasts.

Most of the people here had tanned skin, quite different from the woman he had met earlier.

As Ellis stepped onto the platform, he noticed the scent of cooked meat wafting through the air. There were several food stalls within his vicinity. Some saw heavy traffic, while others were practically avoided by the villagers.

The square was set up in a way where all the vendors were lined along the edges of the platform. Aside from food, the villagers also sold things like clay pots and colorful jewelry made out of wooden beads.

“The village doesn’t really have a set currency. Most of the business done here happen through a bartering system. They trade stuff like medicine, silk, salt, monster parts, all sorts of things.”

As the two walked through the busy platform, Ellis noticed a peculiarity. Some of the women around him were wearing something that resembled a dress. It was a colorful piece of thin fabric that accentuated their bodies. While the dye that they used to decorate the dresses with wasn’t very good, the material of the dress itself was top notch.

It was a style of clothing that resembled the outfits from his past life. Amidst all the loincloths and furry tops, a dress of such quality definitely stood out.

Come to think of it, Lisbeth also wore something similar…

Grisella had long noticed his wandering eyes. She pinched his side. Ellis flinched. When he turned towards her, Grisella had already looked away.

“Those dresses are made out of spider silk.” she succinctly explained, “It’s a bit hard to come by, so generally, only the wives of a strong warrior get to wear them. In a sense, they’re like status symbols.”

She then went on to describe the general make up of this particular region of the forest.

The village shared its territory with two large monster groups. The first group was comprised of a monkey-like monster. These monkeys were quite stubborn and highly territorial. They attacked quite frequently too. To the villagers, they were nothing more than pests that needed to be removed.

As for the second group, they were fewer in number, but several times stronger. A species of spider known as the Silk Weaver. They weren’t exclusive to the forest, but Ilpin’s Silk Weavers were several sizes larger than the normal variant.

They lived somewhere amidst the canopies. To the villagers, a Silk Weaver’s silk sac was a precious treasure. They often organized hunting groups for the sole purpose of harvesting silk sacs.

“I see… basically, all the ones wearing dresses are married? So, they’re like housewives?” Ellis summarized.

Grisella narrowed her eyes. “…Yes, you could put it that, but I don’t really like how you describe it.”

He directly chose to ignore her heated eyes.

Ah, come to think of it, that guy, wasn’t he a warrior too? He briefly recalled back to the annoying Nar-Wynn. That man wanted to marry Grisella. Of course, Ellis was averse to such a proposition.

Still, she wouldn’t look half bad in a dress like that…

The silk dresses that the squirrel wives wore featured short bottoms and low-cut tops. What’s more, they were backless. Basically, the dresses were very revealing. A person of Grisella’s ‘talents’ would certainly look pretty damn ravishing in one.

Unaware of Ellis’s wandering thoughts, they continued walking.

Eventually, the number of people around them began to dwindle. They arrived at the center of the Commerce Square.

“That’s a…” He widened his eyes in surprise.

A dull grey statue.

It was located at the exact center of the platform. Depicted on it was a woman. She wore a layer of thick clothes. A hood covered her head, while her hands were pressed together, as if in prayer.

Then, there was her face. The statue did not have a face. It was smudged out… or maybe it had never been sculpted in the first place.

“….”

Ellis stared at the statue for a long time. He couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of familiarity.

“That’s the goddess of the forest,” Grisella spoke from beside him. “I mentioned it to you before, didn’t I? This place, these people, they all descended from the kingdom of a God. In fact, supposedly, their very first ancestor was a direct apostle. A squirrel that had achieved great strength and became human.”

“This thing,” she pointed at the statue, “It’s supposed to be a depiction of the goddess.”

“Why doesn’t it have a face?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Grisella shrugged her shoulders, “You’d have to ask its creator.”

“Creator?” Ellis furrowed his brow. “How old is this thing?”

“Nine, ten years old maybe.”

“What?!” He widened his eyes in shock. He had half expected the statue to be some relic from a bygone era. To think that it was so recent…

“Who created it?”

She shook her head. “I don’t remember his name, but… it was created by a man who lost his mind.”

“Lost his mind?”

“Mm.” Grisella nodded. “One day, he suddenly declared himself to be the prophet of God. In his fit of madness, he carved out this stone statue.”

“That… is it really okay to keep something like that in a place as busy as this square?” Ellis looked doubtful. “Did the villagers believe his nonsensical claims?”

“They didn’t. The only reason why they put it up here on display was because it was the sculptor’s dying wish.”

“Wait, the sculptor… he died?”

She nodded again. “Yes, almost immediately after he completed his statue. Down to his last dying breath, he wished nothing more than for his sculpture to be placed somewhere where the whole village could see it.

“Normally, they would never listen to such a madman, but apparently, the sculptor used to be pretty important within the village.”

“I see…” It certainly sounded like an odd tale.

“It’s a shame too,” Grisella continued with a sigh. “The sculptor, I heard he had a child.”

She stared up at the statue’s blank face. For a long time, she remained silent. “That man, I wonder what sort of thoughts ran through his head? When he died, did he ever think about how his actions would affect his children?”

“…”

Ellis did not respond. He similarly stared up at the statue. A blank slate. Emotionless. He could not discern anything from its face. Nothing, except for that lingering sense of familiarity.

“…”

“….”

“Are you hungry?” Grisella suddenly asked, breaking the ensuing silence. She turned towards him. “I’ll go get some Kibley stew for you.”

“Eh? That moss thing? I thought you said it doesn’t taste good.” Ellis wrinkled his nose in mock-disgust.

“It doesn’t, but it’s a local delicacy. You need to experience new things while you’re still alive. After all, life is meant to be lived adventurously.”

She did not wait for his response. Grisella quickly walked over towards a nearby food stall.

For the first time in a long time, Ellis was alone. He looked back up at the statue. A deep frown formed on his lips. Again, the feeling of familiarity remained. Why is this thing so damn familiar?

It was an irritating feeling. He felt like he had seen it before, but he simply could not figure out when or where.

Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly noticed movement from out of the corner of his eye.

A young child stood in front of the statue. He might have been a boy, but then again, he might have been a girl. It was quite difficult to tell. Dark bags underneath his eyes, long tufts of unkempt hair, and freckles. There were freckles on his cheeks.

Ellis had not noticed the boy approach. No… in fact, the kid might have been here all along. He possessed such a thin presence that Ellis had completely overlooked him.

“Do you think she’s pretty?” The child suddenly asked. His voice was high pitched and androgynous. It only added to the mystery of his gender.

“Who is?” Ellis tilted his head.

“The statue lady.” He clarified. “The god of this forest. Do you think she’s pretty?”

Ellis thought for a moment. If he had his information correct, then the God of this forest was also one of the gods who betrayed Alma way back when. Someone like that was definitely a scummy scumbag. “No,” he said, “She’s probably ugly. Isn’t that why she’s wearing the cloak? To hide her ugliness?”

“…”

The child widened his eyes in surprise. He stayed silent for a while. “… That was not the answer I expected. Most people think she’s pretty. When they look up at the statue, even though it has no face, they still can’t help but think she’s pretty.”

“They go, ‘ah, it’s a shame that it was never finished…’ -stuff like that.” He paused for a moment. “Some people even go as far as to worship the statue. They say that it houses a slumbering god. The god who ruled over this forest, but… I don’t think she’s really a god.”

“Why?” Ellis asked out loud. He was somewhat intrigued by this young child.

No, more importantly, why did he suddenly start talking to me?

“A god that can’t protect its people… what sort of god is that?” The child solemnly stated.

“Hmm…” Ellis mulled over his words for a moment. He couldn’t help but nod his head. “She really does sound like a scummy god.”

The boy began to nod his head before he stopped himself. “She’s not a god.” He reiterated.

“Right. Sorry, not a god.”

“Still…” The boy hesitated for a moment. “I… I think she’s pretty. A girl with flowing blond hair and an oval shaped face. Pointy knife ears and sharp eyes… that’s what she probably looked like. A beautiful woman like that fits the statue the best, but… she not a, she’s not my god.”

“…”

A thought suddenly surfaced in Ellis’s mind, but just before it could fully form, someone suddenly yelled.

“You, what are you doing here!”

Ellis turned around. He saw a woman dressed in furs. Her clothes were somewhat tattered, while her hair was tied in a loose ponytail. He instinctively widened his eyes. Despite her messy appearance, he did have to admit, she was beautiful.

“Geh!” The child’s face cringed. Without waiting another second, he immediately sprinted away. He ran headfirst into the crowd.

“Ah, hey! You damn brat, get back here!” The lady quickly chased after him.

Ellis watched as both their figures gradually disappeared amidst the sea of people around him.