Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 990 - 106: The Three Forgotten People

Chapter 990: Chapter 106: The Three Forgotten People

Upon entering the Elven Royal Court, what appeared was not so much a city as it was a sparse forest. There were no buildings in sight, only a multitude of robust trees planted around. The densely foliated canopies intertwined, concealing the sky above. On days with good weather, the sun would shine through gaps between the branches, casting mottled patches of light across the ground.

The circular area was divided into four segments by two main stone roads, paved with blue stone slabs and only twenty meters wide—quite narrow for a major city’s main thoroughfare. However, numerous smaller branches extended outward from these main roads, resembling tree roots or veins, reaching every corner of the circled area. But these side paths were all winding and undulating, unlike the straight main roads. The surrounding trees looked very similar, so those unfamiliar with the area might wander on these paths and soon lose their way, unable to discern their approximate direction without reliance on the sun or the tools.

In this forest dubbed a city, one could often see lighting fixtures hanging from the lower branches of trees. At a glance, Vivian concluded that these weren’t the conventional Crystal Energy lamps but rather Magic Lamps commonly used by magicians. The greatest difference between the two types was in the energy supply method and coverage area. Both lighting systems were powered by an Array supplying total energy, which was then distributed to each lamp via energy pipelines, one using Crystal Energy and the other using Magic Energy.

The coverage range referred to the maximum number of lamps the lighting system could support. Due to the capacity limitations of the crystals and the steep price increase with higher capacity, a lighting system made of Crystal Lamps had a certain coverage limitation. Generally, a crystal worth 3,000 Tael could only power less than a hundred Crystal Lamps, and although each lamp could maintain continuous usage for eighty hours, the number couldn’t grow further. In such a large city, to provide sufficient lighting for city streets, the crystals needed for each energy recharge would result in a huge cost. Consequently, the monthly expenses on street lighting alone would exceed the administrative tolerance, which is why in ordinary cities, such Crystal Energy lighting systems were generally not used for city streets at night. Instead, traditional oil lamps were used, and Crystal Energy systems were reserved for only a few key areas. But the Magic Energy lighting system was different. Once an ample Mana Node was discovered, just one Array could harness tremendous amounts of Magic Energy, practically without a ceiling as long as the supply was maintained. However, such Mana Nodes weren’t commonly available, and most cities did not have them within their coverage area, making widespread application difficult.

Of course, as the birthplace of the Forest School of magicians, the Elven Royal Court did not have the awkward issue of not finding Mana Nodes. The King’s Court’s location was specifically chosen considering the abundance of Mana Nodes. Even with several Magic Towers built within the court, the remaining Mana Nodes still could supply all the public facilities in the city, including lighting.

Having gone through more than ten hours of flight, the evening had arrived. Huront’s flames began to dim slightly, while the Moonlight Triplets were on standby near the horizon, ready to ascend the sky’s stage. Under the shroud of the tree branches and foliage, darkness fell exceptionally early in the city, so at dusk, many of the Crystal Lamps on the branches had already been lit, illuminating the city brightly.

"Is every area like this, or is it just where we are that keeps such brightness?" Catherine asked in surprise. "If the entire city is like this, how much energy must it consume? If we converted the energy into crystals, the amount of gold spent in one year would probably match the total annual income of a small city."

"Big sister, this is Magic Energy," Vivian said, covering her face and tugging at Catherine’s sleeve. "It can’t be converted into crystals."

"I know, I know." Catherine was abruptly awakened from her reverie by Vivian and, feeling a bit embarrassed, she smiled at the others and added, "It just feels like such a pity, ah, really such a pity."

"Oh, there’s no need to feel sorry," said Antuin, the head of the Guild of Mages, who had grown fond of Catherine because of Vivian. He patiently explained, "The Royal Court’s underground is filled with mana nodes. Even if we draw from them extensively, the rate of natural recovery of those mana nodes still exceeds our rate of extraction. Even if it is to supply seven Magic Towers around the clock, the energy from the underground mana nodes is still more than sufficient. No, I should say eight Magic Towers."

"Yes, eight Magic Towers." Flare, now acting like the perfect queen, walked on the city roads with her guests, managing every interaction with appropriate grace. Though the conversations were brief, she never made her guests feel neglected. Hearing Catherine’s and Antuin’s conversation, Her Majesty turned around with a smile and said, "Actually, the Royal Palace itself is the largest Magic Tower. All public facilities in the city are powered by the Palace."

"Won’t that pose any risk?" Catherine frowned and asked, "If the palace’s magic energy facilities are damaged by an enemy, the entire city would be paralyzed."

"That’s the Royal Palace, my enemy. It is the core of the Elven race," Flare said, shaking her head with a smile. The way she said ’my enemy’ made Catherine blush deeply, unable to meet the eyes of the others. The reaction of the knightly young lady obviously amused the queen, who watched her for a while, until Pannis coughed a few times. She then continued, "There are always more than three bored demigods residing inside, growing old, along with strict defenses. If even this could be penetrated and sabotaged, then I’m afraid the path of the Elf race would have come to an end."

"I feel that whenever someone talks like this, it usually ends badly; though, it seems, that rule applies only in my home," said a voice that suddenly sprung up, startling the girls. Turning around, they found the Winged Twins and the scorpion-tailed lion Dillie standing not far behind them. Clearly a lion, the creature wore a human-like, aggrieved expression, and complained discontentedly, "Wasn’t it agreed that we would fly on our own, and you’d wait for us on the way? Is this how you wait for us?"

"Ah." Flare covered her mouth, her green eyes widening in a rare display of embarrassment as she uneasily said, "Ha, ha, you’ve arrived, welcome, welcome."