I Have a Task Log

Colin did the same again, casting [Web] toward the grass to the side.

This time, the spray of webbing didn’t catch on anything, landing directly on the ground to form a web-like carpet.

This fluffy carpet was over a meter thick, nearly as tall as Dorn. It would easily trap any ordinary person.

Seeing this, Colin walked over and took a couple of steps.

The webbing on the ground was still sticky. An ordinary person would find it impossible to move.

After a few more tests, Colin focused his thoughts and withdrew from the sensorially realistic environment.

As his senses returned to reality, the scene before him was unchanged. A moment later, a faint floral scent drifted over from the distance.

A short while later, Ale brought over the freshly brewed tea, poured a cup, and handed it to him.

"Thank you," Colin said, taking the cup and having a sip.

It was just an ordinary floral tea, with a slight sweetness that suggested a bit of honey had been added.

"Didn’t that Elf just say we have a day off? Are we just going to sit here drinking tea and chatting?" Dorn tapped the table with his finger. "And you, Elf Princess, are you only going to pour for him?"

"If you admit your arms are too short to reach it, then I’ll pour you a cup," Ale said, her voice muffled by the cloak still covering her head.

Dorn grumbled a bit and pretended not to hear.

Colin stretched. "Let’s go for a walk in a bit. I’m curious to see what an Elven city looks like."

After a few more sips of tea, the group got ready, left the room, and headed toward the base of the giant tree.

Luckily, with Ale being a local, it didn’t take them long to find a staircase that spiraled down around the trunk. As it descended, it also connected to other treehouses built on the giant tree.

The treehouses in the upper parts were generally residences, but the farther they descended, the more of them served as shops.

The upper levels were primarily inhabited by Day Elves and Moon Elves, while the lower levels were home to mostly Wood Elves.

They saw a number of Elven citizens along the way.

They could also hear the constant, faint sound of harps and singing, though they couldn’t tell who was performing.

The Elves had very aloof expressions, though it probably wasn’t because they were hostile toward other races.

Colin made a point of observing them. ’Even when two Elves are together, they rarely show any exaggerated smiles. It’s mostly just placid conversation. Maybe after so many long years, they’ve exhausted every interesting topic, and this is just how they’ve learned to interact.’

The kind of radiant smiles one might see on humans were basically only found on the faces of Elven children.

Colin observed his surroundings as they walked.

He discovered that the white, living wood forming the houses and platforms on the giant tree seemed to be a type of vine. If one looked closely at the connection points between the living wood and the tree, one could see something resembling the suction-cup-like pads of a creeper.

The group soon reached the ground.

Just as it had looked from above, the area was almost entirely lawn, with virtually no man-made structures to be seen.

The vendors who lived at the tree’s base set up their small stalls between the giant tree’s roots. The root systems of the white, living wood that grew on the tree were also visible there.

Although there were considerably more Elves walking on the ground, the foot traffic could hardly be called heavy.

The group wandered aimlessly beneath the tree.

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Colin suddenly felt that the giant trees the Elves inhabited were like skyscrapers.

Even though the Elven homes weren’t packed together, a single giant tree could still house many Elves. Therefore, the total area of Silver Star Court wasn’t actually that large, certainly much smaller than Thousand Masts City.

It was also worth mentioning that while Ale believed Elves preferred to live far apart due to their temperament, this habit was also rooted in practical concerns.

Compared to humans, Elves have a much closer relationship with Nature.

Many Elven city-states lack walls. Their defenses rely mainly on the giant thorn bushes growing around the city, the complex terrain of the forest, and naturally occurring mists.

As soon as an enemy enters Elven territory, the forest itself sends out a warning, and the world-renowned Wood Elf Rangers will give the invaders a harsh reception.

Because of this, Elves actively maintain the forest’s ecosystem and live in more scattered settlements, ensuring they can launch guerrilla warfare against invaders at a moment’s notice.

Furthermore, because of this, most of an Elf’s diet consists of things foraged from the forest, like acorns, mushrooms, and wild vegetables.

Thus, for the Elves, the forest is both their source of food and their security.

Over time, they never adopted slash-and-burn agriculture, which would destroy the forest to produce grain. They also became extremely hostile toward any creature that wished to harm the forest. The forest’s limited food output is also a likely reason for the Elves’ relatively small population.

In a way, the Elves and the forest could be considered a single symbiotic organism.

"Kase? Hey, Colin!"

Just as the group was idly strolling about, a familiar voice called out from nearby.

Turning toward the voice, Colin saw its owner was none other than the next Family Head of the Weston Family, whom he hadn’t seen in ages: Albert Weston.

The young noble strode toward them with a smile. He wore a dark tunic, practical breeches, and riding boots, looking as though he were heading out for a hunt.

He was followed by two guards in Full Plate Armor, carrying Shields and Armed Swords. They clanked as they walked.

"It’s been a while, Mr. Weston." Colin stepped forward, greeting him with a slight nod.

"Why ’Mr. Weston’? I thought we were friends already. Just call me Albert, Colin." Albert stepped forward and clapped Kase on his sturdy arm. "You’re looking much stronger, Kase."

"That’s for sure." Kase let out a laugh, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"I heard you’re all bona fide White Blades now. The moment I first saw you, I knew you wouldn’t be stuck at the New Blood rank forever." Albert looked rather excited. "Seems my eye for talent is pretty good."

Albert nodded to the others. "A pleasure to meet all of you."

Ale, still concealed beneath her cloak, lifted its hem to perform a curtsy.

Albert looked somewhat surprised at this. He then said to Colin, "Is that your automaton? Its movements are so fluid."

Colin glanced at Ale under her cloak. ’She really does look like a strange, cloaked automaton.’

He cleared his throat and started to speak again, "These are my teammates. This is..."

"Pardon me, Lady Golden Flame of Aurelion," Albert said. "I trust your family’s Gemstone business is going well? The Orcs have begun interfering with the trade routes between the Dwarves and the Supreme Forest again."

’Just as you’d expect from the heir of a great family,’ Colin thought with admiration. ’He can converse with a strange person completely wrapped in a cloak without batting an eye.’

Ale replied, "It has been relatively smooth so far. The routes our caravans take are rarely plundered by Orcs."

"That is heartening news. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future." Albert smiled and nodded, then continued, "But let’s skip the boring business talk for now. I know an excellent Elven restaurant nearby. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

Before Colin could respond, Kase, standing at his side, blurted out, "Nope! We haven’t eaten a thing."