Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Long-Haired Elf (Part One)

The Supreme God Darymos is just and strict toward mortals; whenever he closes a door before you, he will always open a window. Likewise, when he gives you a pair of spectacles, he will also send you a letter. What? You ask what the connection is between these two things? As far as I know, the only link is this: Xian Ge Yayi has just received a pair of spectacles, and so, he received a letter as well.

Therefore, there is no necessary connection between the two! Of course, this letter was not written by the Father of the Gods who dwell in heaven, but by our greedy and beautiful ice sorceress, Fei Yin.

The elven ranger opened his adventurer’s journal, turned to the communication page, and quickly read through Fei Yin’s magical message. Thank the heavens, with the help of the “spectacles,” he no longer had to flatten his nose against the page to see the words clearly—though, for him, this might not actually be a good thing.

I took the notebook from the ashen-faced, bitterly smiling elven ranger and read the letter Fei Yin had written to him: “Little Xian, my sister has a class-change quest she can’t complete. Get over here and help, quickly. I might consider wiping off the small change from your debt of 6,374,216 gold coins to show my generosity. Also, don’t forget you still owe me an ‘Eagle’s Eye’ pendant, four bottles of ‘Snowmelt Dust’ potion, a ‘Dawn Prophecy’ staff, a ‘Resplendent Embrace’ robe, two ‘Hymn of Honor’ rings, thirty sheets of ‘Pristine Beast Hide,’ fifteen bottles of ‘Potent Mana Elixir’... I haven’t forgotten any of these debts—they’re all carefully recorded, and I expect you to repay them promptly.”

Aside from the first line, the rest of this magical letter, running to several hundred words, listed more than a hundred different items, ranging from the world-shattering artifact “Heartbreaker”—used by the legendary Doomsday King, Darren Thiel—to worthless junk like “chicken feathers” and “foxtail grass” that would rot in the streets, unwanted by anyone. It could be said that the list contained everything imaginable.

It seems to me that for our mighty Father of the Gods in heaven—the Supreme God Darymos—it might not be difficult to recreate a world, but to gather every single item on this list within his own creation would be a truly daunting task.

Rather than a plea for help, this letter reads more like a debt collection notice—which, of course, perfectly suits the unique temperament and charm of our mage friend.

When a friend remembers you in their hour of need, and seeks your help with such enthusiasm, it should be considered an honor. Xian Ge Yayi, thus honored, turned so pale with excitement that sweat beaded on his brow in the name of friendship—I have rarely seen anyone express their joy and excitement in such a fashion.

At Xian Ge Yayi’s earnest insistence, I had no choice but to accompany him to see Fei Yin. The reason he brought me along was that he needed to explain to his creditor how the money in his purse turned into various ores, which were then endlessly refined and polished, finally becoming the pair of oversized lenses perched on his face. I was his most reliable witness.

Soon, we stepped off the carriage and set foot on the streets of Moonstream City. Moonstream City lies on the eastern side of the Gemflower Plains—a city belonging to the elves.

Here, you will not find a single house built of brick or stone; every building is formed from the natural growth of great trees, shrubs, and vines. The refined aesthetic and delicate creativity of the nature goddess Nachernia is displayed everywhere: those seemingly massive, clumsy branches grow in unique patterns, outlining the city’s gentle curves; boughs and vines are finely woven into eaves and walls that shield from wind and rain; lush leaves adorn the walls, swaying lightly in the breeze, creating an atmosphere of whimsical charm.

We arrived just at midnight. Silvery moonlight filtered down through the crowns of towering trees, glimmering on the trembling leaves, casting a thousand rippling waves of light. The whole city seemed to dance in silence—a dreamlike, ethereal vision.

Even the finest human architecture, compared to the simplest cottage here, would seem as coarse as a lump of dirty clay; no matter how elegant or graceful their carvings and statues, they become lifeless and vulgar when set beside any moonlit leaf. It is as though nature herself mocks such clumsy imitation, highlighting the awkwardness of human craft with her effortless artistry.

The “art” so celebrated by so-called “wise races” is utterly defeated, unworthy of mention, before this living miracle. To dwell in such a place, favored by the goddess of nature, it is no wonder the elves proudly claim themselves to be the noblest and most refined people on all of Falvi.

“Little Xian, over here!” Beneath the central Tree of Life in Moonstream City, the elegant ice mage Fei Yin was waving and calling loudly to Xian Ge Yayi.

She wore a blue-violet robe, threaded with shining silver patterns, and in her hand was a short-handled staff set with a moon-blue crystal, exuding a faint, bone-chilling aura. Compared with our first meeting, our mage friend’s attire was even more splendid, her bearing more graceful.

Hearing her voice, Xian Ge Yayi could not suppress a shiver. He hunched his shoulders, forced a stiff, obsequious smile onto his face, tugged at my sleeve, and trudged over.

“Oh, my most beautiful, most merciful, most kind, most generous Lady Fei Yin, it is my greatest honor to be of service to you. I dared not tarry even a moment, but took the carriage and rushed here as fast as I could,” he gushed.

“Carriage?” The simple mention seemed to strike a nerve with Fei Yin. She frowned delicately. “You actually came by carriage? Shameful! Utterly shameful! Taking a carriage from Campnavia to Moonstream City costs twenty-seven silver coins. That’s enough to buy two bottles of potent healing potion, or four bottles of regular mana potion, nine pieces of complete wolf hide, thirty bundles of grass fruit, seventy-two cuts of boar meat! If you loaned out those twenty-seven silver coins at high interest, in twenty years they’d become eighteen gold coins. Eighteen gold coins! Do you know how many years of healing potions that would buy? Which half of your—well, which half of you is worth nine gold coins? How dare you ride in a carriage while owing me money! Extravagant! Decadent! Wasteful! As punishment, this debt is added to your account—remember, you now owe me another eighteen gold coins.”

Barely having spoken a single sentence, he had already incurred another eighteen gold coins of debt. Previously, I wondered how Xian Ge Yayi could have amassed such a staggering mountain of debts, but now I find myself puzzled as to how, after so long knowing Fei Yin, he owes only “that little.” It seems Xian Ge Yayi is quite used to this. Wisely, he made no attempt to argue, merely wiped the cold sweat from the back of his neck, slipped behind me, and pushed me forward to stand before Fei Yin. “Permit me to introduce, without your prior approval, your old friend—our brave and valiant warrior, Mr. Geoffrey Kyd.”