Chapter 416: Dinner on the Beach
After parting ways with Terry Tong and others, Lolan Hill and her companions entered the distinctive island.
On both sides of the road were tall coconut trees, their broad leaves high above, blocking out the sunlight and casting most of the path under the shade of the canopy, giving it a somewhat secluded feel.
The buildings lining the street were not very tall, about two to three stories, with exteriors that resembled sand grains in color. However, the colorful clothes worn by passersby made the scene lively and not monotonous.
Unlike the previous Youberi and different from Hope Lane, this place had many foreign travelers. One could see Easterners in long-sleeved robes with hairpins, Falcon Kingdom residents dressed in desert styles, and occasionally, a couple of mages adorned with feathers and leaf headdresses, showcasing various national styles.
Local mages were accustomed to applying eyeshadow on their eyelids, which was quite distinctive, predominantly in white and blue tones. They wielded staffs made of rattan, ivory, and bones, completely different from the mages of Frost Rose who mostly used metal staffs with symmetrical and neat structures.
“Where should we stay?”
As they walked down the street, looking at the shops around them, they discussed where to stay for the next few days.
In the end, they found a local guide who led them through a tour before they finally decided on their accommodation.
It was a small island chain on the southern side of the island, backed by hills, with gentle sea breezes. The inn they chose was unique, with each room being a small cabin.
These cabins were not far from the beach, nestled within a grove of trees, entirely made of wood. They were suspended above the ground with parallel supports. The cabins were round, with a gently sloping conical roof.
After depositing the required security deposit, the innkeeper handed the keys to the girls and led them there, allowing them to distribute and choose their rooms themselves. Since the rooms were spacious enough to accommodate 2-3 people, this time they selected four nearby cabins.
“The windflowers in the rooms can repel insects, so you don’t need to worry,” said the well-maintained landlady as she handed over the keys and then left after giving some instructions.
The girls would be staying here for a while to address the problem of swordfish attacks and overpopulation in the nearby sea.
Lolan Hill still shared a room with Keti.
She pushed open the closed door, revealing a spacious interior. The sea breeze fluttered the white gauze curtains, creating a soft rustling sound.
First, they put down their luggage and rested on the bed for a while before heading to the previously agreed-upon meeting spot.
Ye Ling wore a simple white dress, running barefoot on the beach, sometimes leaping high to try and pick coconuts by the seaside. This little one, after a period of rest, was full of energy.
Alena and Lily started a small fire under the shade by the shore, skewering little fish on wooden sticks, the aroma wafting through the air.
Bumansa and Nia brought over a small table and placed it on the ground, continuing to prepare the utensils.
Letis and Nia had gone out to buy a lot of food and drinks, and were slowly making their way back.
“Lolan, Keti~” Alena waved at the two, inviting them over.
“Here, let’s all grill the fish together.” She handed over several skewers with little fish on them.
“What is that, Lolan?” Keti pointed curiously at one of the skewers, which had tentacles on it.
“That must be squid,” the young lady guessed, not eating much seafood.
“Yes, it’s squid, but this kind has a nice texture, quite chewy,” Alena nodded.
The four of them gathered around the dark red charcoal fire, grilling various foods. The aroma of salt and pepper spread around the fire, increasing everyone’s appetite. Meanwhile, the preparations on the other side were almost complete.
“How about we eat while we grill?” Bumansa suggested, inviting everyone over.
“Mm.”
Bumansa picked up a small knife, cutting the coconut meat into tiny pieces, then added some water and lemon, stirring everything together before pouring a cup for each person.
Then Letis took out a small jar of freshly bought brown sugar, opened the lid, letting everyone add it as they pleased.
The rich coconut juice had a hint of sweetness and sourness, very smooth and delicious, complementing the grilled fish sprinkled with salt and pepper, providing a unique experience.
“Tasty~” Lily gave a thumbs up.
“Hehe.” Alena nodded proudly. Tonight’s dinner was her arrangement, after all, being a local of the Southern Isles, she knew better.
“All the squid skewers are finished,” Yeling held the empty skewers, looking around, searching for more squid.
“It seems there are none left. Should we catch some more?” Alena suggested.
Yeling hesitated but finally nodded.
“Come with me,” Alena pulled her towards the sea.
“Wait a moment, we’ll be back soon.” With that, she jumped into the water with Yeling, splashing a wave.
“Lolan Hill really has initiative,” she thought, but suddenly wondered if Yeling might not accept the appearance of the squid.
The rest continued to eat and chat.
“The climate by the sea is indeed excellent.”
Lily suggested, “Why don’t we play a little game?”
“What kind of game?”
“A very simple game. I will write down a number between 1 and 100. Everyone will guess, and I will narrow down the range based on your answers until someone guesses correctly, and that person loses.”
“I get it,” Letis and Bumansa nodded, while Keti looked somewhat confused at Lolan.
Lan Hill.
”Let’s just play and see,” Lolan told Keti not to worry.
So Lily first wrote a number on the back of a small wooden board in secret, then covered it.
”Now it starts!”
Letis: “56”
”It’s too big.”
Bumansa: “40”
”It’s too big.”
Vimya: “20”
”It’s too small.”
Nia: “30”
”It’s too small.”
The young lady thought it must be between 30 and 40, then said, “33.”
”It’s too big.”
Now it was Keti’s turn. Lolan explained to her. “The only numbers you can choose now are 31 or 32. If you guess correctly, you lose.”
”That means there’s a 50% chance. If you happen to guess right, you lose; if you don’t guess right, the remaining number must be the one I wrote, which means I lose.” Lily added.
”Does Keti still have any questions? Also, no cheating with extraordinary abilities,” Lolan Hill said.
”I understand,” Keti nodded and answered.
”32.”
”Oh, it turned out… It was me who lost.” Lily reluctantly flipped over the small wooden board, and indeed, it read 31.
”How did Keti do it?” Lily wanted to figure it out.
”Because Lily wrote 31,” Keti innocently said.
”Hold on, how did you know I wrote 31? Did you cheat?”
”No, Keti didn’t cheat,” the red-haired witch said somewhat wrongfully.
”It’s because Lily’s shoulder and wrist movements indicated that it was 31.”
Well, as expected of a witch, she could know the result just by visual observation.
They decided that next time they write a number, everyone else should turn around to ensure the fairness of the game. At this moment, Ye Ling and Alena returned.
”Wow, don’t bring it over here.”
Ye Ling leaped out of the water, shouting loudly as she ran towards Lolan Hill, while Alena followed behind, holding a squirming squid with a gray semi-transparent body and long tentacles, its peculiar and sticky appearance still alive.
”Take it away, I never want to eat squid again >.<" Ye Ling grabbed Lolan Hill's clothes and hid behind her, shouting.
"Hahaha." Laughter echoed on the beach under the moonlight.
Thank you to the readers who have supported me: Sleepless Light, Room Lamp Words, Reader 20190424114706940, Reader 20190214153156064, Reader 77, Reader 20170317043145791, and six other readers for their support.
(End of Chapter)
