I Have a Task Log

"Then what are we waiting for? Let me treat you to a meal. We can catch up," Albert invited with a smile.

Colin let out an awkward chuckle.

The man had helped them a lot in the past, taken over Kase’s tribe, and now he was offering to buy them a meal.

To be honest, he felt a little embarrassed.

But in the end, Colin remembered Bob telling him not to stand on ceremony, so he steeled himself, nodded, and said, "Alright, let’s go."

The two groups then headed toward a giant Elf tree together.

"By the way, what are you doing here?" Colin was the first to ask.

"To be honest, Colin, I’d rather talk about more interesting topics, like your life as an Adventurer." Albert sighed, then added with a smile, "We’re mainly here to discuss some Defense matters with the Silver Star Court. The Orc Tribes to the northeast have been getting a bit restless lately."

Colin said with some emotion, "I feel like the whole world is descending into chaos."

"That’s for sure. The aftershocks of the Winter Calamity are still being felt. Life is bound to get harder for the Orcs surviving in the desert. Under these circumstances, they have no choice but to raid the south."

Albert continued, "And it’s not just us. The Drow underground will definitely be impacted too. Those subterranean oases are excellent food-producing lands, and the Orcs don’t like those Elves either, even if they have fallen into darkness."

"So how are things in the Weston Clan’s territory?" Colin asked.

Albert shot Colin a look, his expression clearly saying, ’You really find this stuff interesting?’

After a moment, he said, "It’s not too bad, actually. I’ve already negotiated deals with several merchant guilds, so our financial situation is slowly improving. With money, the monsters aren’t much to fear. There will always be Adventurers who can handle them. The main concern now is the approaching Orc army."

"Is an Orc army that hard to deal with?" Dorn, who was standing nearby, interjected.

"Very hard."

Albert nodded and continued, "There are just too many of them, and every Orc is stronger than a normal human. If they gather, their numbers could reach over a hundred thousand. Even High Tier Adventurers would have a hard time defeating them in a direct confrontation.

"When that time comes, we can only try to destroy their food supplies and harass their legions. But that won’t stop them from pillaging our villages and lands. By the time we manage to defeat the Orc army, the manors we’ve built up will have long been burned to the ground."

"That does sound like a lot of trouble." Colin thought for a moment, then decided to switch to a happier topic. "The papers recently said that Navy Governor Laine Deville crushed the Frost Giant fleet. That’s one major problem solved, at least."

"Is that so?"

After that brief reply, Albert fell into a long silence. The smile on his face slowly stiffened until it vanished completely.

’Did I say something wrong?’

Just as Colin was about to change the subject again, the smile returned to Albert’s face.

He said, "Laine is a remarkable man. He’s about our age, but he’s already leading great armies into battle. The title of Navy Governor isn’t something you get just by talking."

"That’s for sure," Colin nodded.

There were some differences between the navy and the army in Thousand Masts City.

Besides the army established by the city-state, the Recruits from various clans were also counted as part of the army. Powerful clans held more sway within the army’s ranks.

The navy, on the other hand, was formed with funds allocated exclusively by the city-state, making it difficult for clan influence to penetrate. This made the position of Navy Governor incredibly prestigious—though some clans did make "additional contributions," it was always done discreetly.

"He was already fighting campaigns abroad at seventeen. In his very first battle, he wiped out a notorious Pirate fleet. At twenty, he joined forces with the Tritons to annihilate a massive Sahuagin tribe. He achieves a great victory every time he goes on an expedition. Now, even the Frost Giants have to bow to him."

Albert sighed. "Even though we live in the same world, the gap between people can be immense."

"Tell me about it," Colin nodded in agreement.

The group chatted as they walked, eventually climbing a ladder to the middle level of a giant tree.

Here, there was a treetop restaurant made of white living wood. On the living wood wall next to the restaurant’s entrance, the grain of the wood twisted and coiled, forming several lifelike pictures.

’This kind of decoration, spurred by Magic, must be much more expensive than normal construction,’ Colin thought.

Albert walked in without hesitation, and the others followed.

The restaurant’s interior had almost no sharp corners; most surfaces were gentle curves. A branch extended from the ceiling.

Growing on the branch were flowers that emitted a faint silver glow, around which photophilic insects gathered and danced.

Led by Albert, the group sat down at a large round table.

"Won’t you two sit down and have something to eat as well?" Albert asked, looking at the Guards behind him.

The two Guards snapped to attention with a CLATTER and said in a stern voice, "We will watch over your safety, my lord!"

As soon as they finished speaking, a Wood Elf with a blank expression walked over and handed Albert a menu.

The young noble then ordered a lavish spread of dishes.

Just when Colin thought he had ordered enough food for everyone, Albert passed the menu over to him.

Colin stared at the Common Language on the menu, his scalp tingling with dread.

Just then, a small hand reached out and took the edge of the menu.

Colin quickly let go, passing the troublesome task to Ale.

"Our dining customs are quite relaxed; you don’t need to observe too many formalities. You just need to order an appetizer, a main course, a side dish, soup, and a dessert, in that order. Since most Elves have small appetites, humans should order two of each, and Orcs should order four of each."

As she spoke, Ale ordered food for the group in the Elf Language.

Although her tone was very professional, her attire made it difficult to take her words seriously.

In any case, the ordeal of ordering was over.

A short while later, their appetizers were brought out. They consisted of several small plates of pickled or fresh fruit, which were indeed appetizing and refreshing.

After they finished, the main course and side dishes arrived.

An Elf waiter very elegantly placed a wooden tray in front of Colin.

On it was a palm-sized piece of white bread and a plate of... snails?

The snails were about the size of a fist. Just four of them filled the entire plate. The openings of their shells were covered with a green substance that gave off a faint, nutty aroma.

"Ale, what is..." Colin looked at the dish, at a bit of a loss as to how to begin.