Chapter 192 Elven Tribe on High Alert, Arrival, Map Hanging...
After a night's rest, they cleaned up the trash on the ground, extinguished the campfire with water, and Lai and his group set off again.
In the morning, with plenty of sunlight, they can see the sun for a while. But in the afternoon, when the sun is setting, only the shadowy shadows of the trees remain.
Gradually, the narrow, winding path on the road turned into a wide dirt road.
As darkness fell, although they had not yet reached the elven tribe, they could already see traces of the elves' activities.
They were not far away, but Lai did not choose to continue traveling in the dark. Instead, he found a place to rest.
Judging from the current distance, they should arrive around midnight.
Although their group consisted of only one human, one elf, and a small magical beast, their sudden visit at night would undoubtedly cause considerable inconvenience to the elf tribe.
It's fine to continue the journey tomorrow; there's no need to rush.
The glass lamps were turned on, and the campfire was lit.
Lai boiled a pot of water and heated up some steamed buns and dumplings. He and Seya sat on opposite sides, eating sausages grilled over the embers.
These were all made by Linda; the ingredients were very high-quality, and the taste was especially good.
The oil from the sausages sizzled as it dripped onto the charcoal fire.
The outer skin is baked to a crispy perfection, sprinkled with Laiyi's own spicy barbecue seasoning, and one bite leaves your mouth full of fragrance.
If only we had some corn at this time, we could roast it over charcoal and have it as a snack and a filling meal.
Thinking back, the last time I ate grilled sausage was at home.
Lei had prepared plenty of meat and vegetables, along with chilled fruit wine and sweet, crisp watermelon. Everyone was there, and nothing had happened yet.
On hot autumn nights, hang glass lamps in the yard, with the barbecue grill right under them.
Lai was carefully grilling meat skewers under the light, and the unique aroma of barbecue wafted through the yard, very enticing. The table was filled with everyone's laughter and chatter.
The scene was incredibly lively, and the grilled skewers smelled amazing.
It happened last autumn, but in the blink of an eye, everything has changed.
Saiya quietly ate the steamed buns that had already been heated up, along with the grilled sausage.
"Someone's coming!"
Tata reminded her.
A few meters away, two elves riding deer were pointing arrows at Lai and Seya. The little monster jumped in front of them, baring its sharp teeth.
Who are you? What is your purpose in coming here?
The elf spoke in the common language of the continent, which Lai could understand. He put down the sausage and bowl in his hands and raised his hand to indicate that he meant no harm.
Seeing how wary the two elves were of them, Seya, being of the same race, naturally stood in front of Laiyi and Tata.
Lai heard Seyar speak a long passage in a language he couldn't understand, and the two elves opposite him communicated with him several times before he finally slowly put down his bow and arrow.
Seya was in a good mood, as if he had received very useful information from them.
“Lai, they are the residents of the elven tribe named ‘Abyss’ on the stone tablet we saw on the road.”
I have explained to them that we meant no harm and that we are on our way to the right place. They have agreed to take us back to the elven tribe tomorrow to meet their elders.
"Okay, thank you."
"You are welcome."
Saiya smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling. He had proven his importance to their small team with his strength.
"Would you like to come and rest for a while?"
Lei asked the two elves opposite him.
Just as described in the book "Vagura on Race Anecdotes", elves do indeed have extraordinary appearances.
They were tall and slender, with deep-set eyes, porcelain-white skin, and strong physiques.
Judging from their appearance alone, they both exude an aura of quiet authority and asceticism, which in modern terms can be described as the popular type of handsome men with a restrained and aloof demeanor.
They shook their heads, but one of them seemed quite interested in the half-eaten bun Tata had eaten.
"We haven't finished our patrol yet, we can't rest, we have to leave immediately."
"Would you like to try a steamed bun? It's filled with radish and beef."
Without waiting for a reply, Lei wrapped four buns in clean leaves and gave them to them.
"It's handmade, have a taste."
Seya spoke a few more words in Elvish, and the two elves on the other side eventually accepted them and thanked Lei.
Did you stew meat last night?
The elf who was more interested in the steamed buns asked in Elvish, but Lei couldn't understand what he was saying. It was Seya who answered, though he did so in Common.
"Yes, Ray is a very good cook. He stewed a whole red rockbird with chestnuts and dates last night."
Seya answered with a smile, and the elf, having received the answer he wanted, bid farewell and rode away from Lai and his group's temporary camp on a long-horned deer.
Once they were far away, the elf picked up the bun that Lai had given him and examined it closely.
"Here you go, have a taste too."
He stuffed the buns into his companion's hands, then picked one up and took a bite himself.
"tasty."
"Aren't you afraid they might do something underhanded?"
His companion glanced sideways at the elf, speechless at his audacity.
"Hmm, it's alright. I brought some herbs that can help detoxify, and besides, they're not poisonous."
The three elves devoured a large steamed bun in one bite, and seeing how happily they were eating, the other one finally took a bite to taste it as well.
The radish has a strong flavor, but the meat is also very fragrant. It's a type of beef that's not very common; you have to trade with the orc tribe to get it.
"I knew there couldn't be an elf in the patrol team who could cook so well. Sure enough, there was no stewed meat after we got back from patrol last night. It turns out it was this human named Lei who made it. I really want to try his cooking sometime."
The elf was talking and eating at the same time. He had already finished the second bun and was just about to go for the third bun when his companion swiftly snatched it away.
"Don't be so stingy, we're brothers!"
The elf glanced at him sideways.
"Valen, two buns each, don't be greedy. Also, we are not brothers born of the same mother."
"whispering sound."
Valen shrugged.
"You can't finish it all. Didn't you already eat before we left?"
As Valen watched his companion devour a bun in two bites, he silently gave him a thumbs up.
"You're good, you're amazing."
"Hurry up and patrol, we'll be busy when we get back tomorrow."
"Okay, you're such a hypocrite."
Valen rode off first on his stag, afraid that his companions would cause trouble for him if they heard the last three words he said.
However, the elf merely chuckled and made no reaction.
The night passed quickly, and just as Lei and his friends finished breakfast, the two elves they had met the night before arrived.
After reporting the matter to the patrol captain, they received his permission to return early, taking Laiyi and Seya with them to the elven tribe.
With the local elves leading the way, the carriage passed through three waves of traps without any obstacles and finally arrived near the tribe.
From afar, one could see rows of flowering trees and neat fields, but no houses or similar buildings were in sight. It wasn't until they entered the small elven village that Lai discovered their houses were built in the trees.
You can see it as soon as you look up.
Rattan ladders made of vines and planks connect the trees, creating rows of exquisite wooden houses at varying heights. They blend so well with the exceptionally tall trees that they are easily missed if you don't look closely.
"Why are you back? What happened?"
The little girl feeding the deer below asked a question, and then she saw Lai and Seya.
“A human is coming. Is the elder here? We need to talk to him.”
"Yes, go look for him in the tree, he's at home."
"good."
The above dialogue was translated by Seya for Lei.
"You can leave the carriage here for now, and Lisa will help take care of it."
These words were spoken in Common by the rather serious elf, and Lei thanked him and the elf girl named Lisa.
After spending half a day together, Lei had figured out the personalities of the two elves.
Laiyi, Seya, and Tata followed the two elves through the area where longhorn deer were raised. After walking a distance, they arrived at a spiral wooden staircase built around a giant tree.
Along the way, many elves stood in the trees watching them.
They climbed the wooden ladder for about thirty meters and came to a large wooden platform. After that, they followed the aerial vine ladder to the very center, to the thickest tree.
"That's a sapling."
Seya whispered to Laiyi, and Laiyi nodded.
On the thickest branches of the sapling is a large wooden house, with wisteria hanging down from the branches like a waterfall, hiding most of the house behind it.
It's not the peak blooming season for wisteria yet, but its stunning beauty is already palpable.
"Elder, we have brought the person back."
Two elves bowed respectfully outside the door.
"Come in."
"yes."
After they brought Lai and Seya inside, they stood guard at the door.
Inside the wooden house, a very dignified-looking elf uncle sat in a wicker chair in the living room.
"Guests from afar, please have a seat. May I ask how you found our elven tribe, and what brings you here?"
"Elder, may the Mother Tree bless you."
Saiya greeted the elders with a ritual unique to the Elven race, her posture composed and graceful, so perfect that there was not a single flaw.
However, the fact that he was making this gesture with such a disguised face made it seem a little incongruous.
However, after he finished bowing, the elder seemed to have guessed something and became even more friendly.
Lai placed the map scroll that Gug had given him on the table. The elder picked up the scroll, gently stroking it, looking very nostalgic.
"How did you get this map? What is your relationship with Guge?"
"We are from the same village."
Lai briefly explained the situation, and the elder was deeply moved upon hearing about Guge's current state.
"I met Guge about a hundred years ago. At that time, I had just become a tribal elder. He came to our tribe by chance and was the first human we had seen in all those years."
He also had a good brother named Xi'ou, who saved Guge from being chased by a stag. After that, Guge would come here every year, bringing us all sorts of novel gadgets from human society.
Later, I heard that some misfortunes had happened in his family, and that he was getting old, so he never came back here.
After the elder finished speaking, his expression turned somewhat forlorn. But when Sayya heard him mention Western Europe's name, he became excited.
He felt that the Western Europe the elder spoke of was the one he knew.
He had heard from Western Europe about a small village on the edge of the Eton Forest where an old friend named Gug lived, which is why he sought refuge in the village when he was desperate. He did indeed receive help from the villagers.
Seyah looked at Lei.
“Since he gave you the map, you must be a very trustworthy person. I trust Guge’s judgment.”
The elder's gaze toward Lei was no longer so cold.
"Is there something you need that you've gone to so much trouble to find us here?"
The elder asked.
Lei organized his thoughts and explained the purpose of his trip.
"We request to borrow a map from you to the Elf Kingdom."
Upon hearing Lai's words, the elder frowned, looking quite troubled.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Sayya spoke at length with the elder in Elvish.
The elf's expression shifted from hesitation to doubt, but after testing Seya's physical condition with magic, his attitude became respectful.
After another conversation, the two arranged temporary accommodations for Lai and Sai.
"What did they just say?"
Upon arriving at her lodgings, Tata asked curiously.
The elf spoke in a tone that sounded like he was chanting an obscure incantation. He could understand some of it, but Ray definitely didn't know anything.
"I briefly explained my identity. I know Theo, who is a very skilled archer. I used Theo to get close to the elder and gain his trust."
"So Seya got the map?"
Tata continued to ask the elf.
"Yes, you are a very clever little monster."
Seym ruffled Tata's hair and touched the little monster's horn, but Tata shook his head and brushed it away.
"I'm sorry, there's no teleportation array here, but we can stay and rest for a few days. Is that alright?"
This was what Sayya said to Lei.
Seeing his fellow tribesmen again filled Sayya with great excitement.
"Okay. But..."
"I know we can't stay too long."
"Um."
At dinner time, the elves prepared a sumptuous meal and fruit for Laiyi and Saiya.
They were curious about this human, Lei, but never intended to offend him.
Sitting among a group of handsome men and beautiful women, Lai behaved with poise and grace, which won the favor of many elves.
That night, although they slept in a suspended wooden cabin, everyone slept very well.
They haven't slept in a bed for almost two weeks.
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