Starlight really hadn’t expected that his original plan of a solo journey would suddenly transform into a goal for their four-person team.
A quiet warmth welled up in his heart at this unexpected consensus. Although the three hadn't said it explicitly, they were clearly doing this for his sake.
According to the calendar, the start of the term at the Central Spiritual Arts Academy was just a few days away. If they wanted to make it in time, they had to set out as soon as possible. After all, there was a distance of over a thousand kilometers between the academy and the Violet City-State.
Fortunately, their luggage wasn't heavy. After a quick preparation of travel essentials, they set out for the Central Spiritual Arts Academy early the next morning.
“Man, I really need to learn how to use storage space... at least I wouldn't be this exhausted!” Starlight lamented as he trudged along, carrying his massive backpack.
The four were traveling along the broad highway leading to the academy. The late summer sun was as fierce as fire. Although he had no issues with physical stamina, the fur-lined backpack felt like a furnace pressed against his back, making him suffer.
Unlike when he left the valley, the open road lacked the cool, pleasant shade of the dense forest. This forced Starlight to frequently condense water and wind elements to cool himself down.
“And whose fault is that? Someone said we should just set out immediately. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been better to get a carriage or find a caravan commission headed this way?”
Watching Starlight constantly fanning himself, Xia Duo could only shake her head before looking toward Po Kong with some dissatisfaction.
“Hey, hey! You all voted in favor of this decision! Besides, we donated all the rewards from our previous commission, so we need to save on travel expenses, right? But speaking of which, Little Shadow, aren't you two hot at all?”
Po Kong replied helplessly. Although the weight of the luggage was negligible to him, the sweltering weather still caused fine beads of sweat to form on his forehead.
It was then that Starlight realized with surprise that Moen and Xia Duo were walking as if nothing were wrong. Not only did they show no signs of discomfort, but they hadn't even broken a sweat.
Xia Duo was still wearing her tight-fitting leather adventurer gear, and Moen was wrapped tightly in her long dress. No matter how you looked at it, their outfits didn't seem suited for staying cool.
Moen seemed to notice their confusion and smiled as she explained for them.
“This is a divine favor unique to us pureblood elves. Every elf born in the Star-Song Forest is sent into the World Tree for nourishment after they are one month old. During this process, the Mother Tree grants us different levels of blessings. The most obvious trait is that we can ignore most environmental changes; we almost never get sick, and our physical strength receives a certain degree of enhancement.”
“Huh? That’s really something to be envious of! If only humans had a place like that. But considering the size and population of the human kingdoms, it probably wouldn't be realistic.”
Po Kong wore an expression of deep agreement and began talking to himself.
However, Xia Duo shook her head slightly and took over the conversation.
“Even if humans could receive the Mother Tree’s blessing, it would be pointless. You have to understand that this blessing process isn't something that can be completed in a day or two. The longer you stay inside the World Tree, the better the effects of the blessing.”
Listening to their conversation, Starlight asked curiously, “Even if it takes a long time, there should still be people willing to do it for their children, right? After all, the benefits last a lifetime.”
Just then, Noah, hanging at his waist, gave a light huff and spoke up.
“It seems Little Star still doesn't understand the meaning of the term ‘long-lived races.’ As far as I know, this blessing process for the elves often requires sleeping for decades, or even centuries. Given human lifespans, one might die of old age inside the World Tree before the blessing is even finished... That is not an outcome humans would desire.”
“How long? Centuries?! Uh... forget I asked.”
Starlight was startled by Noah’s explanation and couldn't help but shake his head. Sleeping for a hundred years was not something an ordinary human could endure.
“Oh? Mr. Noah is actually so well-informed about our affairs? I thought no one on the human side would know about this.”
Moen was quite surprised to hear this. She looked at the old book at Starlight’s waist with curious eyes, becoming increasingly interested in Noah’s identity.
Po Kong, standing to the side, fell into deep thought. He looked at Moen and Xia Duo, then voiced his question.
“Um... so... Little Shadow, you just said that the longer the blessing takes, the better the effect, right? Then how many years did you two sleep for?”
“Heh heh~ the two of us were naturally among the top tier. I received the blessing inside the Mother Tree for a full hundred years, and Moen was even more outstanding—she spent a hundred and one years.”
Xia Duo wore a proud expression, seemingly very satisfied with her results, and didn't even mind Po Kong calling her by her nickname.
However, Po Kong didn't notice her expression. Instead, he continued thoughtfully, “A hundred years? I remember you said before that you were a hundred and sixteen years old...?”
Xia Duo blinked at his question and nodded subconsciously.
“Then I’m right! Since you were asleep for a hundred years, isn't your actual age only sixteen? So by that logic, you’re still younger than me! Calling you Little Shadow is perfectly correct! It seems my nickname was very accurate!”
“...Is that really what you're concerned about?”
“Um... Po Kong, you might want to look at Big Sister’s face. Why do I feel like you're about to get beaten up?”
Starlight gave a wry smile upon hearing Po Kong’s excited response. Moen kindly patted Po Kong’s shoulder and pointed toward her sister.
Po Kong finally followed her finger and saw that Xia Duo’s face was flushed with a red tint, and she was glaring at him through gritted teeth.
“Po! Kong! If I don't give you a thrashing today, my name isn't Xia Duo!”
“It’s not like you can beat me anyway... Wait! Don't pull out an arrow! Using weapons hurts our friendship! Little Shadow, stop!”
Watching the two start their antics, Starlight scratched his head and said helplessly, “They really have a lot of energy. It’s a good thing this road isn't dangerous, or we’d be in trouble.”
“Haha, doesn't this just show that they have a good relationship? This way, the journey won't be boring, right?”
Moen replied lightheartedly, feeling that this bickering was just a minor interlude in their journey and nothing to worry about.
Starlight shrugged, noncommittal. He then reached down to unhook Noah from his waist and said to him.
“Noah, I remember Master mentioning that you and my father were both graduates of the Central Spiritual Arts Academy, right? Do you have any more information about that place you can share with us?”
“Why the sudden interest? I might not know more about the academy's current state than you do, since I haven't been back in many years. However, I can certainly talk about things from the past.”
Hearing the conversation between Starlight and Noah, Moen also leaned in curiously.
Seeing the two of them looking so enthusiastic, Noah didn't refuse and began to recount the past exploits of Carlos and the others.
Rate on N.U.
