harleyscars Page 267
Page 267
The shopkeeper looked around, bewildered, dusted off his knees, glanced at Atelier, paused for a moment, looked closely, and asked:
"Guest... Hmm, haven't I seen you somewhere before? Oh! I remember now!"
He stroked his chin, a wise look on his face, and said:
"You're the girlfriend of that warrior senior who's always spouting 'ciallo'!"
"Wha, what?"
Artemis was taken aback. Although she didn't understand what the shopkeeper was talking about, a strange feeling immediately connected the shopkeeper's description with Latis. She glanced at herself and asked, puzzled:
"How did you recognize it?"
"This customer needs props for emergencies in remote areas..." the shopkeeper's wife whispered in his ear. The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, then smiled and said:
"Guests, my joyous occasion is truly thanks to you all. Please come to the reception area in the inner room for a chat!"
……
"……I see."
After the store manager explained, Artemis nodded with curiosity.
According to the store manager, he was so overwhelmed by the saccharine scent of Latis's successful confession of love the very next day that he lost his senses and immediately closed the store and ran back to Lundia to confess to his current wife.
Of course, the confession was not smooth sailing. After not seeing each other for many years, they had become strangers. Unfortunately, the shop manager was a taciturn and lazy person. Otherwise, he would have confessed successfully back in his student days.
After a dry, silent dinner, his wife was so disappointed that she planned to go back to school and never see him again. But then he suddenly saw Latis at the entrance of the Fantasy Game Store.
Although he didn't know who the female knight was playing games with Latis, and the incident happened so suddenly that he didn't have time to greet her, it gave him a flash of inspiration, and he suggested to his wife that they play games together.
Unexpectedly, this immediately sparked a conversation between the two. They not only took turns conquering the newly updated boss rush mode of "Ape God" overnight, but also talked about the famous illusion animations of Lundia. In the end, they bought several figures, some assembled and some finished, including some R18 versions.
However, the anime and manga market in Lundia was still too expensive. After much deliberation, they decided that the "domestic version" from Senhailing would be more economical. Since the store manager happened to have a store in Hardcore City, they decided to develop their anime and manga business in Senhailing.
Then they immediately hit it off and got married.
Although it sounds like the fantasies of a lazy, otaku boy on his deathbed, it is indeed so perfect. Well, we still need to have some fantasies about a better life, what if they come true?
"Anyway, it's all thanks to you that I finally made up my mind... By the way, are that female knight and your lover really alright?"
After pondering for a long time, the store manager finally asked with a hesitant look.
"Hmm...she's also one of our companions, and we're very close to her."
Artemis sighed slightly, but since she had already spoken privately with Jennifer before the journey began, she only pursed her lips with a hint of jealousy and said:
"So, store manager, how did you recognize me?"
"Oh, this?" The shop manager scratched his head, chuckled, and explained:
"Although your hooded coat is not much different from the most common traveler's clothing on the mainland, your temperament and figure are still very outstanding, and for a shopkeeper like me who has handled countless plant-related props, the plant scent on you is indeed very unique."
"If you need to conceal your identity while adventuring, I suggest you use disguise or other spells to adjust your figure, weight, etc. Although all of this will be unrecognizable under the cover of a hood, there will always be some intuition. Perhaps this is magic."
“I see.” Artemis nodded in understanding, quickly realizing that this might be one of the changes brought about by the seed that Latis had given her.
She had already discovered that after absorbing the seed given to her by Latis, her elven bloodline concentration, magic affinity, and forest perception had all increased significantly. It was only natural that this made her temperament stand out even more, which is why it broke her usual adventure experience.
“I understand, I will make the adjustments.” Ateliers paused, then continued, “So, shopkeeper, do you have any item recommendations? As I mentioned before, I need to go to a very remote place…”
The shopkeeper looked thoughtful. Based on his years of experience interacting with merchants, he was pretty sure that the secluded place pointed to Dragon Horn Territory. However, he also knew the importance of asking fewer questions and thinking less, so he simply said:
"Sir, I'll pack it for you. My wife will deliver the props to you shortly. Please wait at the back door."
Is it that rigorous?
“That is certainly necessary. I heard about your lover’s glorious deeds when I first returned to Lundia. Although his name will soon disappear in this information age, my wife, as his classmate, also speaks highly of him. Therefore, as his lover, you should receive our support.”
Artemis nodded with some surprise, gave a mage's salute, and then walked towards the back door following the signs for the reception room.
On her way to the back door, she saw many replicas of anime figures produced by Lundia, including the newly updated "Father of Dragons" from the famous fantasy game "Punish the Succubus". Looking at the somewhat familiar muscular and burly man, she couldn't help but smile.
"My elder brother will leave countless marks on this land; he is not just my lover..."
The half-elf stopped at the back door. The uncertainty about the journey ahead and the slight fear of leaving Latis gradually dissipated in the small shop where Latis had once left its mark, transforming into an expectation for the future and a faint sense of pride.
"For a mischievous little sprite like me who secretly tricked my older brother into liking me, just having him now is a happiness I'll cherish forever... Ah, I wish he would like me even more... But I can't be greedy, little sprite..."
She exhaled softly, slowly untangling those delicate and tangled emotions like vines, and then replanting them in her heart.
"After helping my older brother resolve this long-standing issue, I really wanted to take this opportunity to ask him to give me some more affection... cough cough, how could I say that? I'm so shameless!"
Artemis touched her slightly flushed cheeks, calmed herself down, and with a composed look in her eyes, began to consider her next steps.
"After leaving Hardstem City, heading south will take you through Tendrils Village to Thick Root Village... We previously bypassed the densely populated Tendrils Village; this time we can go and take a look. It's very close to Dragonhorn Territory; perhaps we can find traces of the circulation of ritual magic materials."
She had just made up her mind when she saw the female shop assistant walking quickly down the corridor with a small bag in her hand.
"Sir, please take this. These are some items my husband picked out. Although their quality and value are so-so, only worth about a hundred gold coins, they should still be of some use in an emergency... Hehe, when we're playing Minecraft online, he's a real survival expert!"
Artemis took the small bag from the shop assistant, listened to her chatter for a few minutes with a smile, then thought for a moment, took out one hundred gold whites and some potions from the dimensional gap, and handed them to the shop assistant.
"Thank you for your help. Please accept these. Congratulations on your marriage!" She winked and pointed to the potions the shop assistant was holding, dumbfounded.
"Staying up late is bad for your health and can easily leave you feeling weak. These potions are made with 'elephant grass' as a base, which helps boost energy and improve physical health... You can take them in moderation once you've settled into your lives."
Artemis withdrew her right hand and rubbed her fingers together with a hint of shyness. This was a plant she had cultivated for Latis, but the time was not yet right, so she had not yet shown it to him.
Anyway, I'm off now. See you again sometime!
She waved to the female shop assistant, turned around, tightened her hood, and pushed open the door to leave.
When the door closed, Ateliers had already used her disguise magic to transform herself into a woman with a cold expression. Originally, her face was thin but her chin was slightly round, but now it had been transformed into a face with sharp cheeks.
Hidden, slender vines slowly wrapped around her calves, waist, and arms, making her appear broader and somewhat like a gender-swapped version of Latis.
"Dragon Horn Territory, what secrets are you hiding?"
Artemis muttered to herself in a cold tone. She looked ahead, her mind filled with memories of when she first met Latis, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Then, she took a step forward, her body lightened, and she sprouted wings, quickly flying away.
Chapter 272 Elf Side Quest 2. The Empress's Majesty
The Tendrils Village is located on the trade route from Hardroot City to Root Village. Because the trees here are relatively sparse, many terrestrial roots are scattered on the ground like curly tendrils, naturally dividing the slightly undulating ground into many small areas. Therefore, the people who live here call this area "Tendons Village".
There is no outer boundary here; on the contrary, when merchants follow the trade route to the vicinity of some simple wooden houses and tents, they have already entered this settlement.
The temporary buildings ahead are getting denser; it seems we're approaching the center of this settlement...
Artemis strode briskly, her gaze sweeping across the scene on both sides of the trade route. Amidst the dense tendrils, she saw many low wooden huts, barely tall enough for a person to stand. The huts were separated by broad tendrils with a few sharp spikes, forming a small open space in front of each hut. These spaces, cleared by human hands, were filled with various kinds of goods.
"These are all ordinary goods here; I wonder if there are more secretive items circulating further ahead."
She recalled the knowledge she had gained about ritual magic materials, pondered for a moment, and then gently touched the magic book at her waist with her right hand.
hum...
The fluctuations of the [Fifth Ring Spell - Asking Nature] spread outwards from the soles of her boots where they touched the ground, like fine ripples. After a few seconds, they swept back in layers from all around, interacting slightly with the magic covering the soles of her boots, and then projecting rough information about the surroundings into her mind.
"There are about a hundred dwellings within the spell's range, but not many are large wooden houses. There are no concealment facilities, nor any strong magical fluctuations; it doesn't seem dangerous..."
She nodded, continuing to think as she steadily moved forward:
"The magical items given by the shopkeeper in Hardstem City include those that can instantly create a patch of vegetation, those that can form brief illusions, and those that can pile up large rocks. These will all be very useful for the upcoming adventure. With these, the overall preparations should be quite complete."
Artemis felt a little more at ease. She moved her toes and took a step toward the nearest large building. At the same time, the grimoire at her waist opened slightly, the pages turned, and finally stopped at the page for [First-Circle Spell - Obtain a Familiar].
A deep green bluebird peeked out from her sleeve and landed in her clasped hands. She bent down, straightened her boot laces, and gently placed the bluebird down when no one was looking.
Flutter, flutter, flutter…
The bluebird, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky, projected its view of the view into Atelius's mind. She nodded slightly, paused in front of a clump of lush tendrils, and looked at the large wooden house within.
"This price?? Holy crap, is this made of tree bark or tree grains?"
An angry shout came from inside the cabin. Artemis frowned slightly and stopped outside the cabin to observe the situation first.
"Look at what you're saying! Where can you find any morning glory trees at this time of year? These are the best ones left by the growers. You think they're too expensive, and I think they're too expensive too!"
"Damn it... tsk, give me a piece."
"Here, take this piece."
Is this wood guaranteed to ripen?
"...I run a lumber stall, would I sell you raw lumber?"
"I'm asking you, is this wood guaranteed to be ripe?"
"...Are you here to cause trouble?!"
With a series of crackling sounds, chaos erupted inside the wooden house. Several merchants dressed in linen robes rushed out, displaying a running speed comparable to that of the Lundian reporters. They swept past Ateliers and disappeared in a few seconds.
"Sarilang! Sarilang!"
A piercing scream rang out from inside the house. Atelier's eyes sharpened, and she lightly moved to the edge of the cabin. The vines inside the hood instantly tightened it, leaving only a small gap and allowing Bluebird to observe this inexplicable farce from above.
Suddenly, she caught a strange smell—the stale scent of wood oil with a faint animal odor. This instantly reminded her of a ritual magic material she had learned about in the library of Herod City—"Wood Tiger Oil."
This is one of the most common ritual magic materials because its generation conditions are not complicated. Any aquatic plant that is over a hundred years old can produce this material in the sacs at the base of its roots. The preservation conditions are also not demanding. It only needs to be kept in a non-static state after it is taken out and exposed to air.
As a material imbued with magic, it is relatively mild in nature and suitable for containing other magical materials so that they can react simultaneously within it.
"So that's how it is! The so-called 'dawn and dusk wood' is just a facade. It rotates slightly at different angles depending on the time of day; it's actually a container used to store 'wood tiger oil'!"
Artemis instantly understood what had just happened. Perhaps a transaction of ritual materials had taken place in this cabin. No wonder she couldn't understand why there was a bargaining scene over an ordinary piece of Dawnwood. It turned out that what was being traded was not just the outer shell of the Dawnwood!
"But it doesn't warrant killing someone like that..."
A question flashed through her mind, and she was about to secretly chase after the merchants who were robbing the Dawn and Dusk Wood when a commotion suddenly broke out. She immediately stopped and let the bluebird in the air follow the fleeing merchants.
"Damn it, who called out 'Sarilang'? They inexplicably killed me."
A burly man emerged from the cabin, rubbing his stomach. He glanced around, cursing, his gaze sweeping over the corner where Ateliers was hiding. He shook his head without a second thought and said:
"Forget it, they're just a few expendable pawns, let them go. Next time, don't yell 'damn it' all over the place, they're all from Dragon Horn's territory, don't make such a fuss..."
"We really didn't call for help, boss. You know me, if I did, the chickens next door would be on fire..."
"Hmm? Is there anything else?"
Artemis maintained a small-scale "Inquiry into Nature," sensing the man turn and return to the cabin from behind a corner, her heart filled with doubt.
Is the community of Tendrils so diverse now? I remember when I was a child, it was full of merchants from all over the country selling souvenirs...