What I see in front of me is something that can only be found in a fantasy world, something that is difficult to imagine without a picture or illustration. This place is so beautiful, too beautiful that it almost made me forget about the living conditions of the previous three young elves which was also one of my questions.
Why are they the only ones there?
Why don't they live inside Elecya like the other elves who now use magical flying boats, soaring high above the kingdom, reaching the height of the towering towers, almost reaching the top of Yggdrasil. The main tree serves as their home and a palace for the nobles.
There are many holes covered with wooden doors and glass, the houses of the elves who live directly inside the tree trunk. Some also live outside, in small houses shaped like wide muffins with two windows made of glass in the front and beautiful wooden doors between those windows.
The bluish auras rise up, emerging from within the roots of the trees and moving slowly like an aurora before vanishing at the top of Yggdrasil.
The now open gate is equally magnificent, made of a shining white stone with random patterns in a glowing light blue color. It is framed by beautiful cream-colored roots directly connected to the roots of the Yggdrasil tree.
We could actually fly up and enter from above. However, according to Zhao Feng, we must pass through the main gate first in order to be registered in the guest list, so that their security system doesn't accidentally harm those who have no ill intentions.
Unless if they have to of course.
We enter inside, captivated by the bustling view of the elven kingdom filled with race with pointed ears. Some of them glance at us, curious, and then continue with their activities as if we don't exist.
That doesn't mean we're being ignored; we are still attended to by the shopkeepers and patrolling guards. However, most of the kingdom's residents choose to keep their distance as if we carry a dangerous disease.
According to one of the soldiers whom the gray hair asked about their behavior, he said that there have been several attacks on their shops without any particular reason, leaving behind a mark with the word 'HIVE' written in red paint.
They have made every effort to track down these individuals but have been unable to find any of them, as if they vanished from the face of the earth.
That's the reason why the kingdom's inhabitants feel uneasy around us. From the evidence they have gathered, it's clear that the culprits are outsiders because the elven race would never use impure magic or they would fall ill and die. And no elf would be foolish enough to engage in such actions just to seek attention.
"With that, please excuse me," said the soldier, bowing and returning to his patrol duties.
"So, Zhao, did you come up with something brilliant in that sharp mind of yours? I'm sure you've found the answer," said black-hair confidently, but in less than a second, his confidence was shattered and trampled upon by Zhao Feng's expression. "Y-you have no idea who could have done this?" the black hair asked in disbelief.
Zhao shook his head slowly, deepening the furrow on his forehead as conflicting thoughts clashed within him.
None of them were related, frustrating the gray-haired one until he finally chose to take a long sigh to calm himself down. "We'll figure this out after we finish Zent's quest. There is a possibility that the two are connected," he said.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Then we continued our journey along Elecya's main road, which was so wide that it could accommodate eight horse-drawn carriages lined up side by side. Not far ahead, elves could be seen using giant golden leaves as an elevator to ascend to higher levels in order to reach their destinations across another giant tree slightly smaller than Yggdrasil.
The journey to that tree was quite long and time-consuming, so they preferred to use the magic-powered elevator and then pass through the elevated walkways bound by thick roots as big as a man's fist.
The more you looked up, the more of these walkways and floating boats you would find, seemingly the main mode of transportation unlike Alfcity, which used Hoverbikes.
"Hmm, according to the information, that person should be there," Zhao Feng remarked, pointing to a large building bustling with visitors, with large windows on the front side, towering high up to the second floor. "Unworthy Balance, the place where you can find the best drinks in this world."
My eyes widened instantly upon hearing him say that. "Do the elves have a bar? Aren't they known for upholding purity and justice?" I asked, not understand.
"That's true. But they also need time to release the pent-up resentment in their hearts. That's where they do it while drinking beverages made from pure mana, which they consider to be within the elven code of ethics. Besides, they would never touch beer, so I guess it's fine," explained the black hair, and we entered together.
As soon as I stepped on a beautiful brown carpet adorned with exquisite gold patterns, I felt like I was stepping into a luxurious bar that I would never visit in my lifetime.
Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't have the money.
The existence of the elf bar, which I never expected, truly gave me a new experience of the fantasy world. It was something that, honestly, I had never even thought of before.
When Zhao Feng finished ordering a few drinks, we moved towards a table near the window. There were two beautiful cream-colored sofas there, made of intertwined roots, forming a large sofa that could accommodate three people, with smooth, glossy brown wood as its frame.
In front of us, there was a table made of the same material. However, its roots were much larger and sturdy, in a dark brown shade. In the middle, a beautiful blue flower grew, radiating brightly even in the morning.
A waitress approached, a young female elf who carried the tray not with her hands but floated in the air with a faint golden aura, holding the tray from beneath.
She came closer, placed Zhao Feng's ordered drinks on the table, excused herself, and continue to serve other visitors.
"Oh, we're saved. I thought she was here," said the black hair, sighing in relief.
"Who is she?" I asked, curious.
"Oh! Just someone who's crazy about--"
"Zhao Feng!"
We both turned towards the source of the voice.
Not far from a door that seemed to lead to a staff room, stood a beautiful young elf with long flowing blonde hair that fluttered like a flag as she ran towards us, extending her arms.
Black hair looked like they had seen a ghost, while Zhao Feng, for the first time, showed a displeased expression as he sipped his drink, a deep blue liquid with glowing light blue beads that was so mesmerizing. It was like seeing the night sky in a glass.
"Zhao Feng!" she exclaimed once again, embracing him tightly as he tried his best not to throw the elf out the window "Why did you disappear for so long? You have no idea how much I missed you..." she said, putting wide sparkling eyes which I think has its own name.
"Doe eyes,"
Ah, yes! Thank you, Z.
"Who is she?" I asked black hair, who could only let out a long sigh while witnessing the scene before us. They resembled two pandas, with Zhao as the adult panda and the elf as the baby panda who would never be separated from its mother.
"She's Iona. A crazy elf who never leaves Zhao's side once they meet. I myself don't know why, but the two of them have their own story that Zhao hasn't told me until now."
"Ohh! Dark hair! You're here too. Hmm?" She turned towards me, startled, and glanced around before approaching and whispering, "You should hide your face before-"
"Iona! Where have you been? You haven't- Oh.. Well well, look who we have here," said a white-haired elf woman who reminded me of an elf version of Celine, with a pair of predator-like eyes scanning their prey. "May I know your name, Pretty Boy..?"
"Hoho, I'd prefer you with him rather than Celine," Z shouted with a meaningful smile.
Shut up you pervert!