It was already late when I came back from the market in the town, and there were fewer pedestrians on the streets. The wooden houses in the town were lit up with orange lights, dotting the peaceful forest.
Arriving at the Huanshu Hotel where they were staying, Lorraine Hill and Charlie had a dinner of oranges and smoked fish, and then returned to the room to rest.
This is the third floor of the hotel. The entire hotel is built around a big tree. There are about 20 scattered rooms on each floor, which shows how thick the big tree is.
The furnishings in the room are simple and warm, and are basically made of locally made wooden furniture. There is a glowing potted plant on the table as a light source. If you want to sleep at night, you can cover it with the cover, which is equivalent to turning off the lights.
Sitting at the small table, Lorraine Hill looked at the small glowing tree carefully, and it took him a while to satisfy his curiosity.
[White Thread Show Chrysanthemum] (Black Iron Level): It can turn the absorbed mana into a small shiny shrub. It has been improved and currently has some insect repellent effects.
In the past, some plants would emit faint light at night to attract insects for pollination. Later, the forest elves improved these plants for many generations, and today we have the bright potted plants. Not only do they no longer attract insects, but they emit mosquito repellent.
Its subtle fragrance is deeply loved by the elves.
The rise of humans has not been as long as the elves ruling the continent. During these long years, the elves have also accumulated many technologies and abilities that are difficult for humans to master.
After observing the potted plants on the table, Lorraine Hill opened the small door of the balcony and stood by the wooden railing to look at the town at night.
The small river, like a stream, meanders through the town, reflecting the lights in the houses. The clear and clear chirping of various insects can be heard from the grassy corners of the forest, making the night no longer lonely, but in another sense.
The liveliness and tranquility.
Looking into the distance, behind the night shrouded by the big trees, the outline of a large dome building is faintly revealed, showing its shape among the thick trees.
That's probably the school Xia Li mentioned during the day.
"A caged paradise wrapped with vines", this is the school where Charlie graduated from. The most famous thing in the school is the birdcage-like hollow building.
An ancient stone birdcage, entwined with green vines, leans slightly against the mountain wall, in the shade of the trees.
Whenever lessons are given, the knowledgeable elders of the elves will stand in the circular square in the middle of the birdcage, while the young elves who are students will fall on the vines wrapping the birdcage like butterflies.
These vines are not as thin as they appear from a distance. Their thick structures are wrapped around the stone bird cages. After generations of students and teachers have taken care of them, they have formed small platforms for students to stand on.
Or sit and listen to the lecture.
With Charlie and the school scene she described turning around in his mind, Lorraine Hill thought that before leaving tomorrow, he must go to the "birdcage" to satisfy his curiosity.
At night, covered with a comfortable white quilt, Lorraine Hill fell into a peaceful sleep.
the next day.
"Good morning~"
Early in the morning, Lorraine Hill was woken up by Charlie's crisp knock on the door. While rubbing her eyes, the girl reluctantly climbed out of the bed and opened the door for Charlie wearing slippers.
Recently, Lorraine Hill has developed the habit of sleeping in in the morning, and he is still a little uncomfortable with the sudden change.
"Let's go have some breakfast, Jia Lan." She urged Lorraine Hill to comb her hair and change clothes quickly. Charlie couldn't wait to take her new friend out to eat.
"Okay, wait a moment."
Lorraine Hill responded a little helplessly, then put his hand into the cool basin, sprinkled water drops on his face to wash his face, so that he could wake up a little, and then went downstairs with Charlie.
The forehead and hair on both sides were still a little damp. Walking in the early morning breeze, some coolness came from it. Lorraine Hill stood on the gravel street of the town and looked at the place where the sun rose in the distance.
The orange-red sun rises in the east, its shape cut by the tall trees. The sunlight shines in the forest, forming a clear path of light and dark. Tiny water mist floats and swims in the morning light, and then slowly evaporates.
"It's very beautiful. Only diligent people can see the beauty of the morning." Charlie paid the bill at the hotel and came to Lorraine Hill's side.
"My previous teacher told us that the sun in the morning light is a more beautiful scenery than the sunset at dusk. It also has a kind of vitality and hope that the sunset does not have. You can see the snow-white clouds in the sky, covered by the clouds below.
The sun shines into a rare golden color, flowing under the blue and clear sky."
"Indeed."
Lorraine Hill nodded with deep sympathy. She had seen the golden clouds in the morning when she was in elementary school. In middle and high school, she either got up too late or got up too early and went to school before dawn.
As for this kind of scenery, it can only remain in my childhood memory.
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat well."
Then, Charlie pulled Lorraine Hill towards the other side of the river. They crossed small bridges and streets, turned around big trees, and then stopped in front of a stone hut under a big tree.
This seems to be a place for making pastries and bread. It is shaped like a thick and short mushroom, and a sweet smell comes from the stone chimney behind it.
When we arrived here, there were already many elf students queuing up here. Fortunately, the queue was not long and we could wait a little longer.
Lorraine Hill watched the elf students holding book bags in one hand and cakes wrapped in lotus leaves in the other, eating and walking towards the academy.
When Lorraine Hill came to the store, she took a look at the warm and colorful decoration inside.
The shopkeepers are an elf couple, they have silver hair and wear aprons, and they are busy serving students who come to buy breakfast one after another.
"I want two cherry parfaits, Sister Tisi~" Charlie spoke first, and she seemed to be very familiar with the shop owner.
"Okay. It turns out to be Charlie, are you back now?" The mature elf sister took out a lotus leaf soaked in water, put the cut triangular pastry into it, and then put a few large cherries in it.
Click on it and hand it to Charlie.
"Yeah, but I'm passing by with friends this time. I'll come back and stay longer next time."
"Gee, you can't tell for sure. You young guys have one idea every day, and you may not know where you'll be by then."
"Okay, here, is this your friend?" She looked at Lorraine Hill, who didn't have pointed ears, and was slightly surprised and curious.
"Yes, this is Jia Lan, from Emenas. I will take her to the Emerald Garden."
"What a good name. It sounds like an Eastern person. I haven't been to the East for a long time and I miss it a little now." As she spoke, the mature elf woman handed two pastries to Charlie and Lorraine.
"Then let's go and come back next time~"
Afterwards, Charlie and Lorraine Hill walked out together, and then slowly explained.
"I used to come to this shop often when I was in school, so I am very familiar with it. I have always liked their pastries. They are not too hot and they are paired with iced fresh fruits. They taste great~" Xia Li said vigorously
Recommended.
Lorraine Hill nodded with a smile, and then tasted it in small bites.
The pastry seems to be steamed with rice flour mixed with other ingredients. It is soft and glutinous without being too sticky. The cherries on top taste cold and sour, which very well dilutes the monotony of the pastry itself and brings a different kind of flavor.
It's stimulating and has a smooth mouth-feeling comfort.
“It’s delicious.”
"What I said is right, hehe."
After eating the pastries, the two walked on the gravel road under the tall trees. After walking around for a while, they arrived in front of the academy.
The lawn in front of the academy is paved with white stone slabs, gradually connecting the forest with the academy. There are no walls here. Standing under the tall tree canopy in front of the academy, you can look at most of the buildings in the academy.
The largest and most famous building among them is naturally the huge auditorium and classroom that looks like a birdcage. Classes are currently being taught inside. A forest elf teacher is demonstrating a spell, and one green bird after another takes shape in front of him, and then in the tall building
birdcage flying around inside the auditorium.
Soon, a burst of admiring applause came from the Birdcage Auditorium.
Except for the largest auditorium classroom, other teachers and students were on the lawn under the trees or in the tall tree-lined classrooms, talking about their respective courses.
The students and teachers here sit or lie down, and there are no specific postures. Some even lean on the soft white tiger and watch the teacher lecture. Only occasionally when they feel the need, they will take out their books and write down some information.
thing.
From the various subtle sounds coming from the wind, Lorraine Hill gradually perceived and understood the content of these lectures, which roughly included mathematics, history, culture, extraordinary practice, combat, herbal medicine, and even some niche topics.
aesthetics.
If compared with Emenas, this place is like the central school building where the first grade students stayed and part of the Walled City Academy, and the courses taught here are very similar.
However, it does not involve the religion, death, priests, chaos, and purification content of Temple Academy, nor does it include the famous courses of Tower Academy and Bridge Academy, such as science, alchemy, military, code, dragon transformation, etc.
Although there are fewer subjects, considering that this is not the largest academy in the forest, we must adapt to local conditions and consider the conditions for running a school. This is already very good.
"How's it going? Doesn't it feel familiar and friendly?" Charlie turned her head and said with a smile.
"Actually, I went to Emenas once, and that time I went to exchange and learn with my tutor."
"Emenas is indeed very big, and the sages are also very powerful, but I still like it here better, because it is more comfortable to stay here, I don't have to worry too much, and there is not so much competition."
…
"Ahaha, don't you feel like I'm exaggerating? In fact, sometimes we also envy those students who can get into Emenas. But, if you don't succeed, you won't be too regretful."
"I'll take you for a walk around the academy. It's not a wasted trip."
Afterwards, Charlie took Lorraine Hill to wander around the academy among the trees, and introduced to her what kind of courses are generally taught here, where there is a dining room, and behind the mountain wall there are a group of mushroom-like animals.
The small house is a student dormitory, as well as caves and lakes where students usually play and gather, etc.
By the time the two of them had finished walking around the academy, it was already noon.
"Then it's time to set off, Jia Lan."
After returning to the town, Charlie and Lorraine Hill once again boarded the white 'flying bird', and then gradually escaped from it with the swaying wings flapping, and jumped into the vast forest again.
This time, as they gradually entered the depths of the forest, many changes occurred in the surrounding environment.
What we see are no longer the villages and small towns where dozens or hundreds of people gathered in the past, but cities with a large population.
Most of these cities have wooden or white rock structures and are built under rivers and tree shades. From time to time, airships and monsters land in them, and forest elves shuttle between them.
The city is not a single plane, but a complex three-dimensional structure built on hillsides and among giant trees.
And after passing through a thick forest one time, the scenery in front of them brightened up, and a vast field appeared in their eyes.
Because of the planting of different crops, these fields show huge squares of different colors on the ground, some are light yellow, some are green, some are light red with green, some are with purple flowers in full bloom, etc. Some forest elves are wearing rough clothes.
Wearing clothes with white wide sleeves, carrying a basket and tools, he walked on the path in the field. There was also a big boar dragging an iron plow in the field. He made a snoring sound from time to time and was guided forward by the elf in front of him.
After leaving the forest, the field of vision suddenly broadened. In addition to the fields in the giant valley below, Lorraine Hill could also see the big trees in the hazy clouds in the distance.
"Those are the 'Three Holy Trees' in the Emerald Garden today. They were re-cultivated by the ancestors after the World Tree collapsed." Pointing to the outline of the big tree in the distance, Xia Li explained briefly.
"In the past, there were three elves living under the World Tree. The silver elves were good at forging and famous for their martial arts and dancing. The forest elves were keen on planting and could use bows and arrows as their main weapons. The ice elves were mostly calm, and scholars and spellcasters were more popular among them.
many."
"This was a traditional method of classification in the past. Although it is not applicable now, it can still roughly tell the different styles of each elves."
"We are going to the Emerald Garden soon. Jialan needs to follow me closely, otherwise you will get lost, haha."
Then, while flying in the soothing wind, Charlie began to talk about the situation in the Emerald Garden.
"There are many forest elves there. There are probably millions of elves living under the 'Three Holy Trees', and the buildings and streets inside are very complex. They are not as neat and uniform as humans, but mostly use rings or semicircles.
The structure, like a large ring within a small ring, is distributed under the sacred tree."
"Inside each large ring is a relatively complete living environment, with shops, houses, places needed for daily use, and some even have small schools and libraries."
"The largest 26 rings are the most densely populated areas in the Emerald Garden. They are very prosperous inside, with opera houses, art galleries, large fountain squares, comfortable hot spring baths, etc., and you can also take long-distance rides.
It's a flying airship, but that one is slower and not as fast as our 'flying bird'."
"Lady Vesterna lives in the 'Golden Leaf Corolla' ring. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that the 26 largest rings are all named after corollas, such as 'Blue Calyx Corolla', 'Bramble Leaf Corolla' and 'Red
Dyed flower crowns' and so on."
"The Emerald Garden is very big. Even I haven't walked through some of the corollas. I'm just familiar with the 'Golden Leaf Corolla' and the 'Blue Calyx Corolla'. If you stay in the Emerald Garden for a long time, you can see more of them.
Look, each corolla has its own characteristics, and there is a slight competition between them."
"Then, the introduction ends here. We need to speed up, Jia Lan. Hold on tight to me, hahaha~"
As he spoke, a burst of refreshing laughter streaked across the blue sky, running towards the distant outline of the giant tree, and the bustling scene in the Emerald Garden slowly unfolded into Lorraine Hill's eyes.