NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 384
So, the Hero Party spent a few days in Theocaly, mingling with the Lizardmen.
The guests of the Lizardman Great Warrior Quatzel-Gar, being exceptional adventurers, earned a great deal of respect from many Lizardmen and enjoyed their hospitality, diving into various Lizardman cultures and the Festival of White Flowers.
“This festival seems like it’s gathered every white flower in the world!”
“Lizardmen take gathering these flowers very seriously. They spare no effort in collecting offerings for the Creator Dragon God.”
Thanks to spending a few days together, Elf Girl Lily and the Lizardman Archmage Fer had gotten pretty close.
They even spoke comfortably like this.
“The cityscape filled with ephemeral but beautiful flowers. No elf could ever turn their nose up at this sight.”
“Just a heads up, on the last day, these flowers will be offered to the Creator Dragon God. It would be problematic if you criticized the harsh scene of sending the flowers away.”
“Hmm… It’s indeed a pity to bid farewell to these beautifully bloomed flowers, but… these flowers themselves earnestly wish for such a fate. They are delighted to be offered as a sacrifice to the Lizardmen’s god. As an outsider, I can’t say anything.”
At Lily’s words, Fer nodded slightly and replied.
“That’s a relief. Since an elf once caused a commotion during the festival, they’ve been extra strict with ideological screenings for elves visiting the Festival of White Flowers. If you were to cause trouble as a guest of the Uncle, it would put him in quite a bind.”
Seeing Fer mumble, Lily chuckled softly.
Ah, the friendship blossoming beyond racial boundaries. I love it!
This friendship might have sprouted thanks to the discussion about the perspectives on spirits that occurred the day before between the two races.
Elves who harness power through contracts with spirits, and Lizardmen who consider spirits as friends and exchange powers. Which side is right… each has its own pros and cons.
Even though Fer was pretty kind to others besides Lily, he had a strangely guarded vibe around Yurica.
……
“The goal of the journey… to meet all the Ancient Gods… that’s no small feat.”
“But it’s something that must be done.”
“If the Dragon Priestess says it must be done, it must indeed be something necessary for the world. I’ll help with my limited knowledge.”
Fer… no, most Lizardmen have a peculiar kindness towards Alice.
They tend to care for her like a little child, always trying to pack her snacks whenever they get the chance.
“But, choosing the God of the Sea as the next Ancient God to meet isn’t a great idea.”
“Why not?”
“The God of the Sea isn’t one you can meet easily. He resides in the distant sea, and his location isn’t easily discernible. Of course, if you can earn the favor of the mermaids, you might get some guidance…”
Fer held back his words. It was clear what he was thinking.
Mermaids are beings that live deep in the sea. While they often approach curious ships above the water, their high caution is proportional to their curiosity.
It’s easy to spot them from afar, but it feels impossible to talk to them.
Of course, it’s not that there haven’t been cases where people befriended mermaids; it just requires an immense amount of time, effort, and a barrage of gifts to forge such a bond. It’s not usually easy.
“So, what should we do?”
“Well, first, you need to win the favor of the mermaids.”
“Win the favor of the mermaids?”
“Yes. Mermaids adore beautiful things. If you have something that captivates their hearts, they’ll guide you. For instance….”
“For instance?”
“Beautifully crafted gems and jewelry.”
Calmly explaining, Fer continued.
“Mermaids are born and live in the deep sea, so they don’t easily encounter things from outside water. They can’t even see these pure white flowers in the depths of the ocean.”
Listening to Fer, Alice nodded. It would indeed be impossible for the mermaids deep in the ocean to come across things like that.
“Among the things that can maintain their shape under the sea, something that a mermaid could prefer… is definitely gems.”
“Gems.”
“Yes. Beautiful gems. They especially love jewelry adorned with such gems in silver or gold. Such pieces maintain their elegance underwater for a long time.”
“But aren’t gems hard to find underwater?”
“Not completely absent. There are gems like pearls… I mean, maybe saying pearls are gems is stretching it a bit, but they exist.”
“Pearls?”
“Yes. It’s a round gem with a subtle hue created by clams… No, not a gem per se, but something like that exists. It takes a long time to form inside clams, so they are deemed pretty valuable on land. Anyway, since mermaids rarely see gems besides pearls, giving them jewelry made of those gems will surely win their favor.”
“Jewelry made of gems….”
“Yes. Naturally, items made from precious metals and gems aren’t cheap, but I’m sure the Dragon Priestess and the Hero can procure them without an issue. So if you gift such gem jewelry to the mermaids…”
“You’ll earn their guidance?”
“Exactly.”
Listening to this, Eric nodded slightly and said.
“So, before meeting the God of the Sea, we need to prepare jewelry made of gems to win the favor of the mermaids…?”
“Then, it seems the next destination is decided…”
While most of the Hero Party understood and accepted this intention,
“Ugh, um…”
Finna was nodding reluctantly with a distressed expression.
“So, is the next stop Sagarmatha?”
“That place… I’d really prefer to postpone it…”
Finna said shyly as if she really, really didn’t want to go. She seemed unwilling to return home.
“As for postponing, well… If there’s a good enough reason, I might consider it.”
“As I mentioned before… I ran away from home, so if I go back, I’ll be in a lot of trouble and likely confined… I’d like to return with something to convince my father if possible.”
“Isn’t being blessed by the Sacred Flame enough?”
“Huh? Well… I know this is definitely more than just ordinary results, but I feel like it won’t be sufficient.”
At that statement, the Hero Party fell into deep thought.
If one of their comrades was that reluctant, is it really right to go there? Do they bear enough burden for it?
Or should the Hero and the Dragon Priestess persuade her father instead?
“I don’t think the absence of a small dwarf will cause any major issues.”
“Lily. No racism.”
Lily, who was about to make a stereotypical dwarf joke, instantly shut her mouth at Alice’s remark.
“I think we can persuade Finna’s father… but maybe we should push back the God of the Sea and place Sagarmatha in front…”
“Our World Tree is a kind one, so if we have a proper request, we can definitely meet it.”
In response to Lily, Yurica spoke in a low voice.
“That’s kindness according to elf standards, right?”
“Elf standards? The World Tree is kind to everyone!”
But Gadf… no, elves… give off a slightly unsettling vibe…
Is it their lifespan’s inherent arrogance? Should they have shortened their lifespan? No, but then again, short-lived elves aren’t really elves.
“The World Tree? Oh, right. I did have a request for the World Tree.”
Lily tilted her head slightly at Fer’s interjection.
“Request?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s more of a favor to ask than a request.”
“A favor…? What kind of favor?”
Seeing Lily’s puzzled face, Fer casually replied.
“It’s a favor to borrow a treasure in order to find out the location of the God of the Wind.”
“A treasure?”
“Yes. The capricious God of the Wind is always wandering the world to ensure the winds continue, and to know the location of such a God, you need the power of a spirit with considerable strength. Unfortunately, the spirit I’m acquainted with happens to be too weak, so I can’t pinpoint where the God of the Wind is.”
The spirit’s power is lacking… Hmm… The treasures in Yggdrasil… Ah.
Could it be that?
“Wait. Are you saying you want to borrow the Branch of Harmony?”
“Glad you caught on quickly.”
The Branch of Harmony. A branch of the World Tree Yggdrasil bestowed upon the elves. By crystallizing the essence of spirits into jewels and shaping it into a staff, it’s an elf’s treasure.
Just possessing it amplifies the power of spirits for elves.
And it’s a symbol of the elven royal family.
“That’s an elven treasure and a symbol of the royal family! To just casually ask to borrow it like it’s some tool next door, do you really think that’s reasonable?”
Lily exclaimed in disbelief. Though, asking for someone’s family heirloom would truly be a hard sell.
“It’s just an elven treasure, right? If it’s to solve the issues the Dragon Priestess has, borrowing such a treasure shouldn’t be too much to ask. Surely the elves wouldn’t mind lending it for a hero who saved the world from the Demon King?”
“Ugh, uggh…”
“I’m not asking for you to hand it over forever; I’d just borrow it for a bit to amplify the power of spirits and then return it. Is that such a big deal? There’s no other way to learn the location of the God of the Wind!”
“Well, that…”
“If you have a better way to find out where the God of the Wind is, I wouldn’t have to ask for this favor. You who oppose this must have some better way up your sleeve?”
Lily fell silent. Generally speaking, it’s not easy to ascertain the whereabouts of the Sylphs.
The place with the highest possibility would be where the Jo-in Tribe resides, but even that is more like a hunch, and one can’t state it with certainty.
Thus, Lily could only hang her head in silence, unable to rebut.
“I’m not just asking you to lend it without reason. As a Lizardman Archmage, my name holds weight. If during my time as a Lizardman Archmage the elves request help from me, I’ll help you once.”
“Alright, I’ll head back to the Great Forest and discuss it. I’m not sure if they’ll lend it to you…”
Yggdrasil is quite generous, so if it’s necessary, they’d willingly lend it out.
The issue lies with the elves… will those high-and-mighty elves really lend it so easily? I’m not so sure.
“But where on earth did you gain such knowledge?”
“It’s a collection of wisdom accumulated over a long time by the predecessors of the Lizardman Archmages.”
The repository of knowledge from Lizardman Archmages is quite impressive…!
I could only express pure admiration.