Above The Sky
Chapter 396 - 396 367 Elves Scholar 33

396: Chapter 367: Elves Scholar (3/3) 396: Chapter 367: Elves Scholar (3/3) According to this Elf who must be from Canaan Moore, the carriage Ian saw when he killed the Sharp Claw Tiger was his property, and the coachman was an employee from Nauman City.

He originally planned to come to South Ridge, delve into the Bison Mountain Range, and travel to the autonomous region to conduct a cultural investigation of the Mountain People.

Unexpectedly, he hadn’t even crossed the Indigo Mountain Gorge Entrance, which was theoretically ‘quite safe,’ when he was attacked by a Sharp Claw Tiger around the Agate Stone Plains.

He fled alone in a panic, lamentably, the coachman and the carriage were lost at first encounter.

Magical Beasts generally wouldn’t specifically target non-Sublimators, ordinary humans, for food; after all, human flesh is truly scarce and, at that time, most ordinary people didn’t have much fat.

It would take more effort to gnaw on their bones than to just eat a few Camel Beasts instead.

In any case, he was very grateful to Ian for avenging his carriage and coachman.

To express his thanks, he decided to give Ian fifteen Talle and an Elves-crafted gemstone bracelet.

The gemstone bracelet was meticulously crafted, and the emeralds were genuine.

The price was around fifteen Talle as well, making it a very valuable accessory.

“I actually don’t need…

Save this money for the family of the coachman who died unexpectedly.”

But Ian wasn’t particularly interested.

Instead, he was quite intrigued as he sized up the green-haired Elf before him, making eye contact with the latter’s golden pupils.

Even in Terra, a world where the average person’s appearance was that of a handsome man or a beautiful woman, there were still levels of attractiveness, and by human standards, Elves were exceptionally beautiful without exception.

Yet, this Elf before him was outstanding even among Elves.

The Elf who called himself ‘Anfa’ wore a Scholar’s Robe, his green hair flowing straight down to his waist, and his physique was well-proportioned and sleek.

He certainly lived up to his claim of ‘frequently venturing into the wild for exploration and research.’ However, on his right shoulder hung a long iron chain, slanted across his chest and abdomen, reaching down to his waist.

This was a symbol of the ‘Lifelong Oath’ in Terra’s Elf culture, often used in important rituals.

Of course, usually, no one would carry such a thing around, but among Elves, there was a martial art that could utilize iron chains, though whether Anfa thought the same was unknown.

“Your generosity touches me.”

Anfa’s words carried a hint of surprise, but he quickly returned to his original polite and measured demeanor, “As you wish, I shall add the thank-you money originally intended for you to the funeral expenses planned for the victimized Mar family.”

Ian nodded slightly.

However, he was still concerned about the blue mist he saw around Anfa with his own eyes.

Yes, Anfa was a Sublimator, and a strong one at that, likely from the Water Series.

Although he might not have been able to beat the frenzied Sharp Claw Tiger, he did not appear as fragile as he pretended to be, merely an Ordinary Scholar.

The Elf’s disguise was very good; even Ian’s usual Element Sensing couldn’t detect a hint of a Sublimator’s aura.

If not for his Foresight View, he would have been completely deceived.

“This technique of concealing one’s aura is indeed worth learning.”

Because his hidden identity was often detected, Ian was now contemplating how to better disguise his aura—though he knew it wasn’t very realistic.

Those who really could see through his concealed identity were either old acquaintances of his teacher or simply witnesses who already knew his identity from the outset.

For such people, ordinary methods of concealment were useless.

As for the fact that the other party concealed his strength, Ian wasn’t too concerned.

After all, he was also hiding his strength.

It was a mutual understanding.

By the end of their conversation, Anfa also made a request, “Respected Knight, may I travel with you to Leyan Territory?

I don’t mind traveling at night, and am willing to pay for it.”

“Naturally, you can.”

Ian agreed, “There’s no need for payment.

Didn’t you say you’re some kind of ‘Minority Culture Researcher’?

I’d be happy to hear about your research findings on the way, if they’re not meant to be kept secret.”

“If that is your wish.”

The Elf smiled and bowed.

Contrary to the slight aloofness conveyed by his handsome appearance and polite demeanor, Anfa was actually quite talkative, or rather, very willing to explain his work to others.

According to his own introduction, Anfa was originally a researcher at Canaan Moore’s ‘Ancient Civilization Research Institute.’

However, during his research, he noticed that the cultures of Natives, Mountain People, and Immigrants were intricately linked to civilizations of the former epochs.

As a result, he decided to skip the comfortable research environment of the institute and go to the countryside, the wild forests, to communicate with the locals in dangerous areas and to uncover some of the hidden truths in their ancient legends and myths.

As time passed and civilizations expanded, these primal Native cultures were disappearing, and many histories from the Lost Epoch were only handed down through the ancient legends of Natives and Mountain People.

“Our continent is fraught with wars; the Setar Empire has the longest and most stable history, but even so, three great upheavals are akin to a change of dynasty; the turmoil of Dark Moon has destroyed research materials that were the culmination of centuries’ worth of previous scholars’ efforts.”

As he spoke, the handsome Elf’s expression showed profound regret, “Many tasks must be restarted, and I can only do what I can.”

Ian knew that Anfa’s research trajectory was quite correct—just like the forebears of the Redwood Natives, the Redwood People, were indeed the remnants of the previous Epoch’s Terra civilization.

Their legends and various sacrificial rituals indeed have countless connections to the technologies and history of the previous civilization.

Yet, this was undoubtedly a dangerous profession.

Dealing with the Mountain People was manageable, as long as you respected their Dragon God, they might even invite you for a warm meal, but the Redwood Forest Natives were different, they were very likely to turn an investigator into a warm meal.

Even with the more benign natives from other areas, simple communication was fine, but delving into their deeper cultural lore and participating in various rituals and sacrificial rites was definitely not information easily extracted.

That had to be the result of their complete approval, and it was hardly a realm that an ordinary researcher could get involved with.

“Originally, I would have hired a group of adventurers to accompany me, but currently I am on vacation.

I only came to the Leyan Territory to research the history of integration between the Imperial People and the Mountain People.

I never expected that the periphery of the Agate Stone Plains would also have such fierce beasts.”

As Anfa spoke, a look of helplessness crossed his face.

Ian nodded slightly, sensing that this statement was over ninety percent true, much more believable than the previous half-truths and half-fabrications of his self-introduction.

“To integrate with the Mountain People?”

So he followed up, saying, “I’m not very familiar with this matter, could you elaborate?”

“With great pleasure.”

Aside from the questionable parts about him, Anfa was indeed a qualified researcher, having done thorough homework before heading to the Mountain People’s Autonomous Region.

Contrary to what many outsiders believed, the Leyan Territory was not an occupied area, but an experimental zone for integration between the Empire and the Mountain People.

The First Baron Leyan was a descendant of a marriage between Imperial People and Mountain People, serving as a bridge during the postwar negotiation period.

Moreover, medicinal plants like the Golden Leaf Tree and Radiance Grass, as well as Spirit Energy Plants, were traditional cultivation techniques of the Mountain People, used for healing hunters, cultivating Sublimators, and Spirit Energy Users.

It’s said that the Mountain People who intermarried back then were from a highly respected Elder lineage, and every few generations, a Baron Leyan would marry or welcome into their family a member of the Mountain People, whether a woman or a man.

“Although all the Mountain People worship the Dragon God, the differences among their tribes are as vast as heaven and earth, including some with cannibalistic sacrificial traditions like the Redwood Natives; however, most of them have either changed or have been exterminated.”

Anfa also revealed his interest in the Redwood Natives, especially after learning from Ian that they had been defeated and subdued by Harrison Port, which piqued his curiosity even more.

Nevertheless, he still planned to visit the Mountain People first

Ian listened attentively throughout, satisfying his own curiosity.

He also noticed that after recounting all this history for him, Anfa, who was seated at the front of the carriage, took out a small booklet and began to write something earnestly onto it.

Even though he was looking at it upside down, Ian could still make out that ‘Knight of Gold Leaf Town’ referred to himself, although the numbers with plus signs that followed were not quite clear in their meaning.

He laughed, saying, “You can call me ‘Guide.’ What is that you’re writing in the booklet?

Ah, forgive my impertinence, if you’d rather not say, you needn’t say.”

“Haha, it’s just a simple record of the people I meet and their related actions.”

Anfa didn’t mind this at all.

After changing ‘Knight of Gold Leaf Town’ to ‘Guide’, he looked up with a smile, “On the journey of researching minority cultures, I’ve encountered many kind people who’ve helped me, as well as many who’ve scammed me.”

“In my hometown of Canaan Moore, there’s a saying, ‘All words are illusory, only actions in hand are the truth’—I note down everyone’s actions, using numbers in this little booklet, so as not to forget.”

“For instance, Guide sir, for slaying the Sharp Claw Tiger that attacked me, your generosity towards the victim, and your willingness to take me part of the way to Leyan Territory and so on, that’s ‘+175’…

um, taking an average across our time together, that’s a quite high score, you truly are a good person.”

Ian wondered, “Isn’t this the Book of Grudges of the Dwarves?

Except you’ve added in content about friendship.

Or is this part of the solemn elf oath culture?”

Of course, it sounded more like some kind of reputation or affection system—Ian hadn’t expected someone to actually calculate this themselves.

“No, this is just a personal habit of mine.”

Putting away the Little Book of Resentment, Anfa’s gaze lowered slightly, his tone a bit emotional, “Feelings, goodwill, and hatred are hard to quantify, but there should be some measure, so I keep a record, to use as a reference.”

“Regardless of the attitude, whether it’s smiling or disdain on the surface, only judging by actions yields a much higher accuracy than listening to words.”

“Hmm, there’s some truth to that.”

Ian didn’t offer an opinion on this, but in his heart, he changed his impression of Anfa from ‘suspicious elf scholar’ to ‘interesting and suspicious elf scholar’.

The Camel Beast was not fast, but with Ian subtly infusing Origin Quality to alleviate fatigue and accelerate their journey, they still managed to reach Leyan Territory before the sun rose.

A forest town surrounded by a sea of flowers in shades of purple-red and gold-orange.