Chapter 206 The Mother Tree and the Meeting with the Elf Lunch, Eve, Old Tales...
At noon, the elven maidservant delivered a delicious lunch to Lai and Tata as scheduled.
Just as Lei was about to have his meal, there was another knock on the door.
When he opened the door, the elves filed in again, replacing his original lunch with a dozen or so new, exquisite dishes.
Before Lai could figure out what was going on, the elves had already left.
Then Seyia arrived and appeared before him.
"I don't need to have lunch with Mother today, so I had them bring lunch to your place."
"good."
Tata wanted to sleep a little longer, so she didn't force him to wake up. The two sat down and began to enjoy their lunch.
The elves' lunch wasn't entirely vegetarian; because of the human Laiyi, there were two more meat dishes on the menu.
For lunch, the two had whole-wheat bread with milk as their main course, pan-fried veal steak with rosemary and lettuce as their main dish, along with some sausages and leg meat, and mushroom soup.
Of course, there's also the indispensable fresh vegetable salad, and orange liqueur with a slightly bitter but sweet aftertaste.
Finally, a fruit salad with six kinds of fruit and a light barley tea were served as dessert.
Seyah's lunch was plentiful and delicious, retaining its original flavor, but it was a little bland for Lai.
Lai didn't really like eating the veal steaks that were still bleeding when cut open, so he left a lot of them.
Without the protection of modern medical care, there is a risk of parasitic infection. Even with the food of the elven court, he still cannot convince himself to accept raw meat.
Was lunch not to your liking today?
"Saya asked."
"No, you know, I'm not used to eating raw food."
Seyia chuckled.
His appearance was indeed among the best, even among the elves. Lai withdrew his gaze.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the high priest."
Seia, along with Lai and Tata, once again boarded a carriage and, after passing through numerous checkpoints, finally left the beautiful palace built against the mountain.
They parked their carriage in a nearby courtyard shortly after leaving the palace.
The group then switched to walking, followed by two elven warriors responsible for protecting Saiya's safety, or, more importantly, for "monitoring."
Since Sayya's "previous offense," his family has never dared to let him go out alone again—fearing that something unexpected might happen again.
The people passing by on the roadside were all elves with light-colored hair, but Lai, a human with black hair, stood out the most.
The elves looked at him with curiosity and inquiry.
"It's not trading season yet, and other races aren't allowed to interact within the tribe, so everyone is a bit curious."
In autumn, a small number of merchants gather here to trade gold coins and various other items for our tribe's fine wines, fruits, and seeds.
Seyah explained to Lei.
"So that's how it is."
Ray put on the hood of the thin cloak that Sey had prepared for him.
This blocked most of his view.
"Don't worry, my friend, no one means any harm."
Saiya also wore a hood; his striking appearance drew everyone's attention.
Led by Seya, the group arrived near the Elf Mother Tree.
The closer you get to it, the more you can intuitively feel its immense size.
As Seyia had said, the Elf Mother Tree was now only a sapling of a few years old, but its size was clearly disproportionate to its age.
"He is a gift from nature."
He symbolizes life and light.
History begins with Eve.
Darkness fades away because of Eve.
Praise you
The Great Eve
You are the earth's storyteller
It is also the beginning of everything.
......”
Ryan translated for Lai the songs that the elves by the Mother Tree kept chanting.
The ethereal and mysterious ancient Elvish language bestowed upon the mother tree an inviolable sacred light.
The elves are the sons of the forest and the most devout followers of the mother tree, Eve.
"This is our mother tree—Eve."
Saiya gently touched the mother tree with his hand and slowly closed his eyes, as if communicating with it.
"Come and try it, Ray. It's alright, you're a friend of the elves."
“Go, Ray, you only get one chance in your life.”
"Rian said in Ray's mind."
Lai approached and, like Sienna, placed his palm on the massive trunk of the mother tree.
What kind of feeling is this?
Ray had the illusion that his right hand was firmly drawn to the mother tree.
The magic power in his body was involuntarily drawn out by the mother tree, and at the same time, a purer and more profound wood magic flowed back from his palm.
He relaxed completely, his thoughts seemingly immersed in a warm river, which evoked a strange sense of emotion in Lai.
Just like when I was a child, before I was abandoned, my mother's warm embrace.
Simple—Simple—
This is a call from the depths of the soul.
His sixth sense told him that the voice came from the enormous thing under his command.
At this moment, that feeling of transcendence over everything came over me again.
He could clearly feel the relaxation and satisfaction deep within his heart.
simple--
"Ray!"
"Ray!"
When Lai came to his senses, he found that Seyah was looking at him with concern.
"What happened? You've been in a meditative state for a long time."
"fine."
Lai withdrew his right hand and took a deep look at the mother tree.
"Let's go, don't keep Priest Thorin waiting too long."
"Oh, okay."
Thorin lived in a treehouse in the northwest corner of the Elven Kingdom, where there were almost no other elves.
He lived a secluded life away from the elves, and had his own orchard.
"The High Priest is the interpreter of the Mother Tree; it is said that he can communicate directly with the Mother Tree."
This is an interesting statement. Since there is such a thing as communication, it means that in their eyes the mother tree is a living entity.
Ray discovered that, both in the Eton Forest and within the Elven territory, the trees were much taller than those in the human towns.
This phenomenon is far beyond what Lei currently understands.
"These trees have been here for thousands of years."
Seyar led the way for Laiyi by climbing the wooden ladder that ran along the entire tree, while the two elven warriors guarded the entrance to the ladder.
“I don’t know how long the high priest lived, but I guess he was at least several thousand years old. He was a priest when my mother was still a princess. It is said that he participated in the ‘holy war’.”
"Do elves have such long lifespans?"
"It is indeed very long, but it still can't compare to the dragon race."
Lai suddenly realized that on this continent of swords and magic, even the shortest-lived human race could live to be two hundred years old.
It is indeed somewhat inappropriate to view the lifespan of elves with outdated perspectives.
"Ray, guess how old I am now."
Seyah then changed the subject, asking Ray to guess his age.
Since Seia asked that question, he must be older than he looks. Lei carefully considered his answer.
“You look like you’re only eighteen years old, but I think you shouldn’t be that young from an elven perspective.”
For the first time, Lei discovered that Seyah actually liked to laugh so much.
"Hmm, your analysis is spot on, so what's the final conclusion?"
Sixty years old?
At around sixty years old, Hagrid was already quite old, and Rayleigh found it hard to connect the seemingly young Seyar with someone of Hagrid's generation.
"No, I am already 150 years old."
"Saya said seriously."
At this age, they are roughly the same generation as Gugge. The elves' ages are completely disproportionate to their appearance, which makes Lai sigh a little.
"Our race is blessed by the Mother Tree, which allows us to live a long time and age more slowly than other races."
But precisely because of this, very few new Pokémon are born each year.
The forest gave us magic and freedom, but it also diminished our ability to reproduce.
As Seyah slowly recounted the story, Lai suspected that these things were beyond the comprehension of an ordinary human like himself.
"The beast father and mother have only had one cub in decades."
Tata continued speaking.
The winding stairs did not hinder the little monster's pace; he kept close behind the two of them and explicitly refused Ray's suggestion to carry him up the stairs.
Tata wants to take this opportunity to lose some weight.
This was the second time he had heard the word "fat" from an acquaintance, which made the little monster feel a sense of dissatisfaction.
"The more powerful a race is, the more difficult it is for its offspring to survive."
Lei concluded.
That makes sense.
"So you're not allowed to leave the tribe before you reach adulthood?"
"Yes, there will be teachers who will specifically teach us archery and magic. However, the things that different ethnic groups learn will also differ."
Seyia sighed.
"Are there other ethnic groups?"
"Of course, Ray, you don't think that the elves in the Eton Forest are all elves, do you?"
Lei's tone was uncertain.
"Isn't that right?"
"That's about right. But in the far north, in the frigid lands, there lives another race that is more skilled in water-related magic. We once shared a common ancestor."
"I see."
As they chatted, they arrived at the residence of the priest Thorin, a manor built in the trees. They were greeted by a white tiger cub with snow-white fur.
He really liked Tata, the little monster of the same age, and kept pouncing on her.
"Awoooooo!"
Little one, don't bite the beast's ear!
The tiger cub wouldn't listen; some people are just being crazy, and the more you try to stop him, the more enthusiastic he gets.
He was making muffled noises, and Seya couldn't understand what he was saying.
"Awooooo!"
The beast is really angry!
Seeing Tata's imposing stance, Lai used a combination of lifting, pressing, and biting to firmly control the tiger cub beneath him.
The tiger cubs were still restless and tried to resist. But under Tata's weight, they suffered a crushing defeat.
"Tata is becoming more and more charismatic."
Tata released his grip, and the tiger cub howled and ran toward Thorin, constantly complaining and feigning pitifulness.
Thorin touched the tiger cub's forehead to comfort him, and the cub turned and ran back to the small garden, chasing flowers and butterflies.
Heaven knows why there's even a garden here.
The things he had seen during this period far exceeded Ray's previous understanding, and he had become somewhat accustomed to them.
"Tata, don't be jealous or upset. He's just a little monster that's only a few months old. I found him when he was lost at the edge of the forest. He's at the age where he loves to play."
"But you will always be number one in my heart."
Sorin added.
"Who's angry!"
The little monster spat out the fur stuck in its mouth.
This isn't playing together; it's clearly using them as punching bags for bear cubs to practice hunting.
"Welcome."
Thorin led the way, and they arrived at a small open-air pavilion surrounded by many flowers and plants.
The wisteria flowers hanging down from the stone pillars have bloomed and are swaying gently in the breeze.
However, Ray had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery; he was wondering what High Priest Thorin had mentioned about his old injury.
"You've been to the mother tree?"
"Um."
"Saya answered."
"Did the mother tree tell you?"
Thorin couldn't help but laugh.
“I’m not a god, how could I possibly know? It’s just a guess. I don’t think you would let your friends who have come from afar miss the beautiful scenery of the kingdom.”
Saya was somewhat embarrassed after being mocked, and the rumors were definitely not as credible as they seemed.
"Did you find anything?"
Seyia glanced at Leie meaningfully, then immediately rejected the idea.
"No."
"I wonder what you meant by mentioning old injuries this morning."
Ray asked, as he also wanted to know about the body.
"I just noticed a scar on your forehead, may I take a look?"
"good."
Lei deliberately brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, exposing the scar to everyone.
Thorin extended his palm in front of him, and Ray felt a faint herbal scent, followed by a warm, tingling sensation on his forehead.
"Strange, very strange."
Thorin withdrew his hand.
"What's wrong?"
When Seya asked, Tata also turned his gaze to Thorin.
“His skull had been fractured, but it has healed now, so he should have been dead by then.”
Lai was startled, recalling the sounds he had heard at the Elven Mother Tree. He had to admit that the elves possessed considerable strength.
"Several years ago, on a rainy night, I rolled down a mountain and hit my head, remaining unconscious for more than a month. Later, I was awakened by the town's doctor using a wood element stone, after which I lost some of my memories."
Lei explained simply that neither Seya nor Tata, with whom he had spent more time, had ever heard him mention this past event.
"Wood elemental stone? You're a human wood-type mage, so that makes sense."
"Aside from these symptoms, are there any others?"
"No other abnormalities were found."
"You're really lucky to have survived all that."
Lai smiled faintly and remained silent. His true identity was already known to some extent by Ryan, and the Elf Mother Tree seemed to have sensed it as well.
Fortunately, neither of them would betray him, and he didn't want to expose this secret to others again.
"Uncle Elf, where are your honey and crispy fruit?"
"Don't worry, Tata, they're right in front of you."
Thorin waved his hand, and sure enough, the peach, still glistening with dew, appeared on the table.
Tata knew this wasn't magic, but rather due to the spatial ring on Thorin's hand.
"Try it. You can't find peaches this fresh outside of the Elf Kingdom this season."
Seymour and Ray each took one.
It's a crisp peach, not the soft, juicy kind. The peach has a very good texture and taste.
Tata finished the whole thing quickly and cleanly.
"Tata, would you like to try your magic?"
"Is it okay? Is it really okay?"
The little monster looked at Thorin with sparkling eyes, clearly overjoyed to be able to use magic again.
"Yes, that's fine."
The elf approached Tata, whispered a few words in his ear, and then casually replaced the little monster's neck with an exquisite necklace made of pink crystal and lace.
At this moment, Tata's mind was completely filled with the joy of being able to use magic.
Although still a little annoyed, she simply ignored the elf's actions.
He jumped onto the stone table, took a deep breath, and used ice magic on the cup on the table. Instantly, a small ice cone appeared on the table, encasing the cup.
"Ley, look!"
"Tata is awesome."
Lei praised it earnestly, saying that the little monster felt as if it had eaten a whole jar of honey.
"Tata is amazing!"
Saiya was also generous with his praise for Tata.
Thorin nodded in agreement and led the applause for Tata.
"I only said it once and you remembered it. It's rare to see a little monster with such high talent as you."
Tata was delighted; besides delicious food, nothing makes her happier than being praised.
The little monster's beautiful tail stood up again, and at some point, the elf had attached a delicate lace cord to its tail to match the necklace.
It looks like a beautiful and proud Persian cat.
The meeting of the group ended pleasantly in the afternoon. When Ray and the others left, Thorin handed Ray a small bag containing several necklaces and told him to take it with him.
Tomorrow will be the last day that Lei and Tata spend together.
The day after tomorrow morning, after returning Tata to her father, Lai will also step into the magic circle of the Elf Kingdom and head to the unknown royal city.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
