บท 110: Chapter 110. New Resident.
Flor was resting in Liu Shu's branches when she heard Liu Shu's ethereal and echoey voice. 'Flor, someone is approaching from above.'
The Rose Fairy Queen's closed eyes flew open, and she quickly moved, using her speed to fly above the World Tree and look skyward. "Don't worry, let me handle it. However, have the <Mother Of Thousand Flower Field> aim at her."
Liu Shu giggled. 'Okay~. However, I can't feel bad intentions! So, don't be too harsh.'
Flor smiled. "We'll see."
"What will you see, Rose Fairy Queen?"
Flor look at the woman that has approached around 60 meters above her with a raised eyebrow. "A Wind Attributed Sylvan. Quite a rarity."
The woman's lips arched, giving her elegant face a cool edge. Her stormy grey eyes and hair flowed with the wind that maintained her body in the air. "I've been investigating this place for a while. While you are quite thorough on land, you fail to look above your heads. Eventually, this will become a problem, Rose Fairy Queen." The Sylvan smirked. "Thankfully for you, I have no bad intentions."
Flor nodded. "I see. So, what do you want, Wind Sylvan?"
"You can call me Tempestria. Wind Sylvan sounds too condescending." Said Tempestria with a relaxed smile.
The Rose Fairy Queen blinked and nodded. "You can call me Flor then. Will you come down to talk, or do you prefer to be up here?"
Tempestria's grey eyes looked around the town and chuckled. "Well, I don't mind going down, but being pointed at by so many dangerous things is quite… Nervewracking."
Flor was internally surprised. 'She noticed? Such sharp senses.'
Tempestria looked at Liu Shu, her grey eyes flashing with deep thoughts. "Will you present yourself, little World Tree?"
'I am not little!'
Tempestria chuckled, her laugh as free-spirited as the wind. "Okay, okay. Then, will you present yourself, beautiful World Tree?"
Liu Shu giggled. 'I can! I am Tianlian Liu Shu, a World Tree! Hm… I really like growing fruits that can help the creatures around me!'
Tempestria's grey eyes softened a bit. "Tianlian Liu Shu… It's a pretty name. But that's too long. Can I call you Shu'er?"
Flor blinked, feeling a sense of deja vu as her eyes jumped between the World Tree and the Sylvan. 'This situation is somewhat… familiar.'
Liu Shu answered Tempestria with enthusiasm. 'I like it! I heard Verdantia say that the "'er" at the end is a form of endearment, right?"
Tempestria lifted her eyebrows. "Oh… The Liferoot Miss also uses it. It is interesting for nobility to use those kinds of terms. I guess Liferoot are a bit different, aren't they?"
'Different?' Liu Shu asked. 'How are they different?'
Tempestria smiled. "Don't worry about that. So, how about you stop aiming at me with your flowers, Shu'er? Can I descend and land by your side?"
Liu Shu said with a cute and energetic tone. 'No!'
Flor couldn't hold in the burst of laughter while Tempestria almost fell from midair. "W-Why not?"
Liu Shu commented cheerfully. 'Because I don't know you~. I feel like I can trust you, but Flor always tells me that I need to verify first! So, you can't! If you want to land, land outside my walls~.'
Flor said with laughter in her voice. "Right, right. Go outside to land."
Tempestria snorted. "You are teaching her some useless knowledge."
'She isn't!' Liu Shu exclaimed with conviction. 'Flor always takes care of me and teaches me useful things!'
Tempestria saw the smug smile on Flor's face and sighed. "Sure, sure. I am in the wrong, Shu'er. I'll go and land outside, okay?"
'Good~.' Liu Shu hummed happily and observed as Tempestria and Flor moved across the sky, landing outside her walls.
Because of <World Tree Eye>, Liu Shu had no problem looking outside her walls.
Flor asked. "Well, what is a Level 9 Sylvan doing here? I can tell that while you are similar to Verdantia and Cinderielle, you feel much more…"
Tempestria smirked. "Brutal? Strong~? Beautiful, perhaps?"
Flor deadpanned. "I was going to say another thing, but arrogant sounds perfect."
Tempestria laughed, and Flor sighed. "I mean to say that you feel more like a warrior than them."
The Wind Sylvan flicked her grey hair and nodded. "Well, that's normal. Unlike those missies, I've been fighting since I unlocked my system page. A large part of my experience points come from hunts with my mercenary group."
Flor blinked. "Mercenary group?"
Tempestria proudly smiled. "Of course. I even created it myself. We are quite known in the explorer association. We are a Low-Ranked group."
Flor asked. "Is that good?"
Tempestria explained. "Like with everything, we are classified with system ranks. Basic rank, low-rank, medium-rank, high-rank, etc."
Flor asked, curious. "And, what is the way to classify a mercenary group?"
Tempestria commented. "A mix of the numbers and strength of the members. Also, completing tasks can elevate your mercenary's rank as well. Strength is not everything, after all. If someone is strong but never completes tasks successfully, then it doesn't matter how strong they are."
Flor nodded. "I see."
Tempestria commented. "So, I've been observing this place for the last few months, and I've decided to become part of it as well. Do you think you can accept a group with 4 Level 10 humans and one Level 9 Sylvan?"
Flor asked with a raised eyebrow. "Humans?"
Tempestria shrugged. "Yes. There are many more humans than Sylvans, and Sylvans usually like to work alone or in temporary parties. Sylvan-only parties are rare as well."
Flor tilted her head. "Do you think we have enough currency to pay your mercenary group, or have you thought about us perhaps not wanting to hire you because of your human companions?"
Tempestria nodded. "I have. That's why, if you don't accept the human partners, I can try to create a Sylvan-only party with the help of those two other Sylvans. They are quite good for being flowers raised in a greenhouse."
Flor was surprised. "You are ready to abandon that group? Haven't you been there for a long time?"
Tempestria blinked. "Not at all. I became part of their group around a year ago. I don't like to stay in single places for too long. However, I think that this town…" Tempestria looked at the walls and smiled. "Feels quite nice to settle down."
The Rose Fairy Queen frowned. "How old are you?"
Tempestria looked confused and answered. "20 years old, why?"
Flor almost fell from mid-air. "W-What!?"
Tempestria asked, startled. "What's wrong?"
Flor shouted. "From the way you were talking, I thought you were a century-old sylvan or something!"
Tempestria answered, speechless. "A century-old Sylvan being Level 9? I wouldn't have the face to go outside if it were like that! I am the same age as the Liferoot Miss and that fiery one."
Liu Shu commented. 'I already knew~. Flor, you are so silly. Can't you notice her life signals?"
Flor answered flatly. "I can't. Nobody other than you can, Liu Shu. Not even Verdantia can do so as proficient as you when she is a Life Attributed Sylvan."
Liu Shu giggled. 'Being blind must be hard.'
Tempestria laughed. "She is quite a handful, isn't she?"
Flor rolled her eyes. "Whatever, whatever. I don't want more humans to know about this place. Having Ariel and her teammates know already makes me nervous each time they return. I don't want to continue feeling that."
Tempestria shrugged. "Sure. I never really committed to the Mercenary group, so I have quite a few savings. How much does staying in one of those houses cost?"
Flor blinked. "Cost? It's free. You just need to have Liu Shu's permission."
Tempestria paused and asked strangely. "Is the Liferoot Miss not involved in city matters?"
Flor answered. "Not at all. She is quite involved. I would say that she is the most involved. Why?"
Tempestria was a bit confused but didn't insist. "No, I'll ask her later." Then, she looked toward the wall and smiled. "So, can I enter and live in one of those houses, Shu'er?"
This time, Liu Shu agreed. 'Sure!'
Flor sighed and guided Tempestria inside. "You Sylvans are really strange."
Tempestria was amused and asked. "Why?"
Flor commented. "Liu Shu is really tolerant toward all of you, and I still haven't discovered why."
Tempestria laughed. "Perhaps she can sense our good intentions~?"
Flor gave her a side glance. "Good intentions? I know what you want from her, Tempestria. Your facial expressions are identical to the other two!"
Tempestria blinked twice and acted stupid. "What are you talking about?"
Flor rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. Just follow me."
Tempestria and Flor returned to the inner side of the small town, and the Sylvan couldn't help but smile. "It's quite a cozy place. In the future, this town will be bustling, though."
Flor asked. "Huh? How do you know?"
Tempestria smiled. "You understand how precious Liu Shu's berries are for you, but you don't truly understand how powerful they are for a society growing around a World Tree. Or, more than not understanding, you can't imagine it would be the correct term."
Flor was stunned. "You even know about the berries?"
Tempestria shook her head. "I don't know about those." Flor followed her finger and saw her pointing at the breakthrough berry and the new refinement, palace, resonance, and affinity berries. "But I know about those four. I saw them once in the <Sunflower Caravan>'s market."
Flor blinked and smiled. "Well, if those four are already enough to make the city around Liu Shu bustling as you say, the ones you don't know will probably make you never want to leave." The Rose Fairy Queen interrupted. "Too early to know. First, gain our trust. Then, I can not only tell you but also give you one of those. Also…" Flor paused and looked at Tempestria with a serious face. "Don't try to steal them or sneak away without informing me. I want to know if you are inside the town or outside at all moments."
Tempestria snorted. "What are you, my mother?"
Flor smiled. "I am the second leader of this place. If you want to stay here, you need my permission to do so."
Tempestria titled her head. "Second? Who is the first?"
Flor pointed at the tall tree in the middle of the town and commented. "That one is the leader. If she says that she wants someone gone, then not even I can, or better said, won't stop her."
Tempestria agreed with that. "Sure. I'll have it in mind and inform you each time I will go out or each time I return. I am not used to that, but a small sacrifice like that to live here is not bad. Speaking of sacrifices, do I have one house for myself? Or do I share it?"
Flor and Tempestria arrived at the <Lignified Town Hall>, and she answered while climbing the stairs to the third floor. "You will share it for now. Liu Shu is gathering materials to create another batch of ten houses. Once she finishes around 50 of them, I guess individual housing might be possible."
Tempestria nodded and looked outside the window of the office. "What about those two houses?"
Flor followed her gaze and exclaimed. "Oh! Those are houses that have been improved by <Living Wood City>. One of Liu Shu's skills. Among other things, it has a line of text that reads [There is a 10% chance of increasing the wood items sub-level after completion up to the "+" rank.]"
Tempestria was impressed. "That's a powerful effect. So, the houses around are what F Rank and those are F+ Rank?"
Flor's smile widened. "Wrong, they are E- Rank, and the stronger-looking houses are E Rank."
Tempestria blinked a few times and muttered. "It seems that I've underestimated that cutie."
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