Chapter 224: Apricot and Farewell
Defeating a Sequence 4 Demonic Beast was naturally effortless for Lolan Hill; she would likely find a Sequence 6 Demonic Beast more challenging.
She had originally planned to return directly to the Tixil Mountains, but since there was a mission during the holiday, taking a slight detour to visit the northern grasslands wasn’t too troublesome.
After the subject exams concluded, some students returned home to rest for two months, while others discussed traveling to other places. Since the end of last year when Clancia defeated the West Wind, the continent had gradually returned to peace.
Although there were undercurrents, no war had erupted on the surface, and most regions remained relatively safe.
In the central school building, in the dormitory, several girls gathered together. On the table were several plates of washed apricots, all picked nearby in the dormitory building.
The apricots were slightly smaller than eggs, very fresh, with alternating green and red skins, looking quite appetizing. Due to the altitude and terrain, the apricots from Emanas ripened later, but their yield was also substantial.
Around the central school building’s dormitories, rows of apricot trees were planted. The thick fruits hanging heavily from the branches looked like large bunches of grapes, bending the branches down to the ground.
The school encouraged students to pick and enjoy the apricots, and after the holiday, staff would harvest any remaining ones. Those that were extra would be sold elsewhere, which was also a small source of income for the school.
Though Emanas did not charge tuition fees, it always had ample funds. One reason was that various nations contributed significant sums to secure名额数量, and many graduates, after achieving success over the years, would also give back to the school.
“The texture is very soft and sweet,” Nia said as she ate an apricot.
“Mm-hm,” Alena bit into an apricot and then reached for two more.
“I remember eating these before, but they were bought from a store at that time,” Letis recalled the scene from her childhood.
“Emanas’ apricots are quite famous; many nobles and wealthy people also like them.”
“Is it because they’re tasty?” Alena asked, somewhat slurring her words.
“It is said that this variety was jointly cultivated and modified by the Sequence Extraordinary Beings of the Elves and humans during the Chaos War.”
“Because of the prolonged war, many grain-producing areas were lost, especially in the plains where there was no natural defense against attacks from those corrupted Demonic Beasts or wild animals. These high-yield fruit trees were specially cultivated for that reason.”
“The apricot trees around our central school building were part of that large-scale cultivation back then.”
“There were other plants cultivated as well, such as the luminescent flowers at the Temple Academy that can absorb corpses and form the necromantic power of the Dead序列. The Trunkwood at the Fortress Academy, the sap of which is highly toxic,” Letis answered after some thought.
“Why hasn’t anyone told me about these before?” Alena was puzzled. Such new and interesting things should have been widely known.
“The Trunkwood grows in a restricted area, fenced off due to its lethal toxicity. Many feared students might accidentally harm themselves, and they kept it a secret out of concern that students might become curious.”
“As for me, I only learned about this extraordinary plant from my father’s collection of books. I haven’t seen it myself either,” Letis said, removing the pit from a peach and putting the flesh in her mouth.
“That’s interesting,” Lolan recalled the system’s task rewards, looking forward to the magical functions of the seven-color flowers.
“By the way, the airship from Rourna has arrived. I’m leaving tonight to go back home,” Letis said with a hint of reluctance.
“What about you all?”
“Lily invited me to visit her place. I’ve never been to Cangcui, so I plan to go and see it,” Alena said eagerly.
“I’m going to the Guofya Grassland first with Nia, and then we’ll head back,” Lolan said, slowing down as she ate too many peaches.
“Grassland? What will it be like? Is the scenery beautiful?” Letis wondered aloud.
“If it’s your first time, it might seem fresh and exciting, but actually, it isn’t very pleasant,” Nia shared her thoughts, but seemed unwilling to elaborate further.
After finishing their peaches, they gathered and chatted until the afternoon when Letis left with her luggage. Later, Alena went back with Lily.
The next day, Lolan and Nia boarded an airship bound for the Northern Region. The final destination was Mufeng City in Clancia, and from there, they would enter the Guofya Grassland.
The airship’s propellers spun rapidly, accompanied by a whistling wind, lifting the ship higher and making the earth below appear smaller. It flew through towering cliffs and gorges, along a westward canyon with a winding river inside.
The vast Blue River was nearly a kilometer wide, but from high above, it looked as thin as a ribbon. The land within the canyon was mostly desert, presenting a yellowish hue. Although called a canyon, it was actually higher than many mountains, making the airship look small as it flew through it.
The feeling of being extraordinarily small made one marvel at the wonders of nature.
Once the airship stabilized, passengers were allowed to leave their seats and move around.
Lolan Hill and Nia stood by the railing, gazing at the magnificent scenery below. No matter how many times they saw it, it still left them with an unparalleled sense of awe. In the vast and grand world, individuals felt so insignificant.
The last time they came here was just after the harsh winter, and half a year had passed unnoticed. Lolan Hill sighed inwardly, then thought of the young lady named Jena. Unfortunately, after entering the school, they hadn’t seen each other again, and she didn’t know which class Jena was in now.
As the airship sailed through the magnificent canyon, a wave rose from the Blue River, and a large fish head with a bluish-black color emerged from the water. The river surged, and the fish’s eyes, murky and somewhat lifeless, stared blankly. Its scales looked strange, as if they were jagged blades.
This unknown demonic beast looked up at the sky, seemingly sensing something, but after a long gaze, its murky eyes couldn’t find the target, so it continued to dive. The dark shadow swimming seemed confused, as if it couldn’t think clearly, but overall, it moved toward the east and downstream. If one could observe underwater, they would notice that the water plants withered wherever this giant fish swam, and some fish and shrimp twisted and died.
Three days later, the airship landed in Mufeng City.
Lolan Hill and Nia carried their luggage off the airship. Although it was only September, there was already a chill here. Green leaves were interspersed with partially yellow ones; some hadn’t fully turned yellow, swirling in the wind before slowly falling.
“The airship is really fast. When I went to Emanas in early spring, I traveled with a trade caravan and it took more than half a month,” Nia said with a sigh. If not for Lolan inviting her to ride the airship, she would have followed the caravan back, just like she did at the beginning of the year.
She still had money given by her tribe, but thinking about how everyone had worked hard to save it, she found it difficult to spend. Having grown up enduring hardships, the importance of money was deeply ingrained in her mind.
“From now on, I’ll show you the way, Lolan~”
Nia smiled and pulled Lolan Hill’s hand as they walked out through the wide city gate. In the distance, a world of undulating green stretched, the wind rustling through the grass, creating ripples.
—
Thank you to Night不懂Black, Frost Flying Snow, and Strangers Meeting on the Road for your generous support.
