I Have a Task Log

The group, dressed in their everyday clothes, followed the Wood Elf attendant through the tree-canopy corridors.

Upon reaching a giant tree, they ascended a staircase step by step toward its crown.

Butterflies drifted down from the sky, circling and dancing around them.

A few more steps upward, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

A splendid, dazzling sea of flowers burst into view. Planters cultivated on living wood rested among verdant branches, with flowers blooming so profusely that it was hard to tell whether the surrounding green belonged to the flora or the leaves of the giant tree itself.

These Elves had actually built a garden at the crown of the tree.

’It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this a hanging garden,’ Colin thought.

The group followed the maze-like paths, partitioned by flowers, and slowly made their way to the center of the garden.

Here, there were several floral gazebos, and between them stood round tables laden with food.

At the moment, people in formal attire were mingling among the round tables.

These magnificently dressed people looked no different from the butterflies flitting among the flowerbeds.

Colin looked closer and did indeed spot a few familiar faces.

Probably Field Staff or Adventurer teams from the Gray Hand.

Orelia reached out a small hand to tug on Colin’s Cloak and whispered uneasily, "Mr. Colin, we..."

"Don’t worry about it. Edwin was the one who told us to come as we are," Colin whispered comfortingly.

He glanced around and immediately found Edwin, who was dressed in shabby clothes.

The Paladin was sitting in a corner gazebo with a few others. Seated with him were Asvir, the Master of the Black Tower, and the father and son duo from the Weston Clan.

Edwin smiled and waved them over.

Colin glanced at their surroundings and led his team over.

There was no one else around the gazebo. The other teams had probably seen the important figures sitting there and voluntarily kept their distance.

"How was your day, Colin?" Edwin asked.

"Not bad," Colin shrugged.

"Didn’t you bring formal wear? Hmm... I should have had Morel tell you," Asvir said, rubbing his forehead.

A pot-bellied, middle-aged man in formal wear sitting beside them sized them up and down.

He waved a hand dismissively. "Is that it? This one doesn’t look like anything special."

"I don’t know what you expect from an Adventurer who’s only been at it for a little over half a year. You and your brother were faring much worse back in the day," Asvir teased.

"We didn’t call ourselves ’Adventurers’ back then," the middle-aged man retorted.

"Not to worry, sir. Humans progress very quickly," said a male Elf sitting nearby.

The Elf appeared to be a Day Elf. He had a slender build and delicate features, and he wore a verdant laurel crown and a shimmering silver robe. At first glance, one might have mistaken him for a female Elf.

Besides him, there were several other Day Elves nearby.

These Elves also wore laurel crowns and robes, and each possessed the same kind of delicate, androgynous features that made it difficult to determine their gender.

Their beautiful faces were so similar that Colin had trouble telling them apart at a glance.

"No matter how fast, it won’t be enough to keep up with the current situation. Not unless you’re looking for someone to collect our corpses!" the middle-aged man said, displeased.

Colin didn’t want to say anything.

He could tell the man’s emotions were unstable; he seemed like some poor soul about to be sent to the gallows.

While Asvir and the middle-aged man bickered, Edwin came forward and had Colin and the others take the stone seats at the edge of the gazebo.

As soon as Colin sat down, he realized Ale, who had been behind him, was gone.

Although he was confused, he couldn’t go looking for her at that moment, so he had no choice but to sit down for the time being.

Edwin sat down again and said to Colin, "This is Percival Aragonda, an old friend of ours. You can just call him Percy."

"Don’t mind what this guy says. He used to be a real badass who’d venture deep into The Underdark to take on Gray Dwarves. Now he’s just a fat pig who gets winded after taking two steps," Asvir said mercilessly.

"Oh, shut it." Percy waved to someone outside. "Get me some of those colorful little cakes, and those thin, crispy little cookies, thanks!"

An Elf attendant quickly brought him what he asked for.

Percy heedlessly took the plate and began to stuff his face. Crumbs scattered across his large belly, making him look sloppy and utterly out of place in the elegant surroundings.

The surrounding Elves then began to chat idly among themselves.

They were mostly talking about old stories from who-knows-how-many years ago. Colin heard many family names mentioned, but even though he had read numerous books on history and culture, he couldn’t understand their conversation.

Asvir and Percy, who was beside him, also joined the Elves’ conversation.

After a while, Edwin leaned over, patted Colin’s shoulder, and whispered, "If you’re bored, you can leave. It’s fine to just leave the party. If you’re hungry, remember to grab something to eat."

"Alright, we’ll get going then."

After saying this, Colin led the rest of his group out of the gazebo.

Just as he was about to look for Ale, he turned around and saw the cloaked Half-Elf was right behind him.

"Where did you go?" Colin asked.

Ale said, "I saw someone I knew."

"It’s best to let me know before you go off to chat with someone, otherwi—" Before Colin could finish, another voice came from the side.

"Pardon me, are you Mr. Colin?"

He turned to see a group of men and women dressed in Deepwater City-style formal wear. The owner of the voice was a man with short brown hair and the rugged features of the Northern Lands.

Colin paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered them. They seemed to be that team of traditional nobles he had met at the victory banquet.

The man gave an awkward smile and said, "Ah, you must have forgotten. I’m..."

’Karen Valenza? Yes, that’s it!’

In the nick of time, Colin recalled the man’s surname and quickly said, "Mr. Valenza! Yes, Mr. Valenza. How can I help you?"

"It’s been a while, so I thought I’d come say hello. You all look a little uncomfortable. How about joining us for some games and a bite to eat?"

"If you’d like, sure," Colin said.

The man’s enthusiastic attitude struck him as a bit strange.

’These nobles were so aloof at first. Why the sudden enthusiasm now?’