The atmosphere of the teaching session quietly shifted from that moment on.
What had originally been Elune teaching Jiang Lin turned into a contest between two geniuses.
Elune continually brought out more complex and difficult passages of Elvish.
Jiang Lin, in turn, repeated them precisely every time, occasionally even applying the rules to new contexts and asking questions that caught even Elune off guard.
Two hours later, the lesson finally came to a halt.
It wasn't that Elune had conceded defeat, but rather that the textbook had been turned to its final page.
She closed the thin booklet, took a deep breath, and looked at Jiang Lin with a complicated gaze.
“You’ve finished. You learned the entire content of basic Elvish in just half a day.”
“Mm, thanks to your good teaching.”
Elune’s face flushed red; her composure was truly shaken.
“Next, you will need to listen and speak more to truly master the language. If you are willing, you can go to the town market. There are many elves there where you can practice conversation.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Lin paused, his golden eyes meeting hers as he spoke in Elvish:
“Can you accompany me? I need a guide.”
Elune lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cover of the textbook.
“Okay.”
Her voice was very soft, almost a whisper.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.
“My Lady, lunch is ready.”
Alice’s voice came from outside.
“Understood.”
Elune stood up, straightened her skirt, and looked at Jiang Lin.
“Let’s go together.”
Jiang Lin nodded and followed her out of the room.
Little Black jumped down from the windowsill and landed on Jiang Lin’s shoulder.
The three people and one cat went downstairs to the dining room.
The dining table was already covered with exquisite dishes.
There was golden, crispy roasted poultry, steamed river fish, various salads made from fresh vegetables, and several small plates of unknown elven specialties.
Alice and the butler stood by the table, waiting respectfully.
“Please, sit.”
Elune sat at the head of the table and pointed to the seat beside her.
Jiang Lin sat to her right.
Little Black jumped from his shoulder and crouched by the table, its amber cat eyes fixed on the steamed river fish, drool practically dripping.
Lunch was hearty.
Jiang Lin ate in silence, occasionally looking up. Whenever his gaze met Elune’s, he gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Elune didn't say much throughout the meal, only exchanging a few words with Alice in Elvish. Her voice was very low, making it hard to hear what was being said.
After lunch, Elune stood up.
“I’m going to change my clothes, then we’ll head to the market.”
Jiang Lin nodded.
Elune turned and went upstairs, her pace slightly faster than usual.
Alice watched her back.
“My Lady hasn't been this happy in a long time.”
A moment later, Elune came downstairs in a fresh outfit.
She had changed out of her light purple gown and into a simple light green dress. Her silver-purple hair was still woven into a loose braid draped behind her.
She seemed a bit less like a reserved noble lady and more like a friendly girl next door.
“Let’s go.”
The two of them walked out of the main house, following the manor’s stone path toward the exit.
Alice didn't follow; she simply stood at the door, watching them walk away.
Outside the manor was a wide dirt road lined with neat vineyards.
The deep purple grapes shimmered with an enticing luster in the sunlight. Occasionally, elves working in the vineyards would stop what they were doing and bow respectfully when they saw Elune.
“Good day, My Lady.”
“Mm.”
Elune nodded slightly, her pace steady.
Jiang Lin followed behind her, his golden eyes scanning the elves. When their gazes fell upon him, they were filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
A human walking side-by-side with their lady was a rare sight in the aristocratic circles of the Silver Moon Kingdom.
However, seeing his nearly perfect and striking appearance, they didn't find it that surprising.
Perhaps he was an elven noble with some human blood to possess such perfect features?
It wouldn't be strange for such a person to be associated with their lady.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, a small town appeared ahead.
The town wasn't large, consisting of only a few streets, but it was laid out very neatly.
The stone paths were clean, and the buildings on either side were made of stone and wood, styled with simple elegance.
The people on the streets were all elves. Some were picking out goods in shops, others were haggling at roadside stalls, and some were gathered in small groups chatting.
Their clothing was mostly simple and plain, but the quality was fine and the tailoring was precise.
“This is Silverleaf Town, the largest market town within our family territory,” Elune introduced as they walked. “There’s a market every Wednesday and Saturday. Elves from several surrounding villages come here to trade.”
Jiang Lin nodded, his gaze sweeping over the shops on both sides of the street.
There were shops selling cloth, spices, magic materials, and even a few weapon and armor shops.
“That over there is the Adventurers Guild.” Elune pointed to a three-story stone and wood building with a sign featuring a crossed shield and longsword. “If you need to earn money, you can go there to take on tasks.”
Jiang Lin nodded.
“I might try that later.”
He didn't have any immediate plans to earn money for a ship, but he could use it as a way to gauge the strength of the demonic beasts on this continent.
Besides, he might encounter some opportunities.
They continued forward.
As they passed a weapon shop, Jiang Lin stopped.
Various weapons were displayed in the shop—longswords, shortswords, daggers, spears, bows, and arrows. Each was finely crafted, with a faint magic glow flowing over the surfaces.
“These weapons... are they all enchanted?”
“Yes. Alderon’s forging techniques are quite advanced. We can carve low-level magic arrays onto weapons, giving ordinary weapons magical attributes.”
Jiang Lin walked into the shop and picked up a longsword to examine it closely.
The blade was slender and sharp, with a pale blue magic crystal embedded in the crossguard.
He could feel a small wind-attribute magic array carved inside the blade. Once activated, it could increase the sword's speed by about ten percent.
“How much is it?”
“This Wind-Etched Sword is one hundred and twenty gold coins.”
One hundred and twenty gold coins.
Although the currency wasn't the same, in relative terms, it was at least thirty percent more expensive than an enchanted weapon of similar quality on the old continent.
Moreover, his current holy art, the Eight Extremities Holy Sword, was more than enough, so he had no need to buy a weapon.
He looked at a few other weapons, gaining a general understanding of the prices in Alderon.
“Let’s go.”
The two walked out of the weapon shop and continued on.
The market was in the town’s central plaza.
Dozens of stalls were neatly arranged, selling all sorts of goods.
There were fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked bread, handmade leather goods, and some low-grade magic materials and potions.
Elune stopped in front of a fruit stall.
“These are Silver Moon fruits, a specialty of our Silver Moon Kingdom. Try some.”
She bought a small bag and handed it to Jiang Lin.
The Silver Moon fruits were about the size of a thumb, with silver-white skin that had a faint metallic luster in the sunlight.
Jiang Lin took one and put it in his mouth, biting down gently.
The flesh was sweet and juicy, with an indescribable sweetness that was cool and soft, like moonlight.
Even more miraculously, after the juice went down his throat, a very faint, cool energy flowed through his body, making him feel refreshed.
“Delicious,” Jiang Lin praised.
“I’m glad you like them.”
The stalls in the market were packed together, selling fruits and vegetables Jiang Lin couldn't name, spices with exotic aromas, and various low-grade magic materials and potions.
Elune stopped at a jewelry stall. The vendor was an elderly female elf who immediately broke into a warm smile upon seeing Elune.
“Lady Elune, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. And this is...”
Her gaze landed on Jiang Lin, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.
“My friend.”
Elune gave a brief introduction, then lowered her head to browse the jewelry on the stall.
The vendor looked at Jiang Lin again. Her gaze lingered for a moment on his simple but high-quality elven clothing, then at his nearly perfect face.
“A friend of the Lady... Welcome to Silverleaf Town.”
She spoke to Jiang Lin in Elvish, her tone gentle.
Jiang Lin nodded slightly and replied in the Elvish he had just learned:
“Thank you.”
Elune picked up a silver bracelet from the stall. It was inlaid with several tiny, pale blue crystals that shimmered with a soft light in the sun.
“This is a Moonlight stone,” the vendor introduced. “It can calm the mind and help with sleep. You have a good eye, My Lady.”
Elune held the bracelet in her palm, examining it for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Lin.
“What do you think?”
Jiang Lin glanced at it.
“It looks quite nice.”
Elune counted out a few silver coins from her pouch and handed them to the vendor, buying two identical bracelets. She then handed one to Jiang Lin.
“A gift for you. You should sleep well.”
Jiang Lin took the bracelet and, after a moment's hesitation, put it directly on his wrist.
“Thank you.”
He accepted the sentiment, though he didn't plan on actually sleeping.
Seeing Jiang Lin put the bracelet on immediately, Elune broke into a happy smile.
“Let’s go.”
She turned and continued forward, her pace a bit brisker than before.
The market wasn't large, and the two of them soon finished a full circuit.
Elune stopped in front of a tea house.
“I’m tired. Let’s rest for a bit.”
They walked into the tea house and took a seat by the window.
The tea master was a young male elf who immediately approached respectfully upon seeing Elune.
“Lady Elune, the usual?”
“Yes. And a cup of Moon Dew tea for him.”
The tea master glanced at Jiang Lin, nodded, and turned to leave.
A moment later, two cups of tea were served.
Elune’s was pale gold with a refined aroma.
Jiang Lin’s was pale blue, with a few tiny silver-white petals floating on the surface, emitting a cool and soft fragrance like moonlight.
Jiang Lin picked up the cup and took a small sip.
The tea was warm and sweet, with a faint floral scent and an indescribable, cool resonance like moonlight.
“It’s good,” he praised.
The corners of Elune’s mouth turned up slightly.
“It’s a specialty of the Silver Moon Kingdom, made by roasting moonlight flower petals with the skin of Silver Moon fruits. it has a calming effect.”
She paused, her voice softening.
“If you like it, you can take some back with you.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Lin nodded.
Elune lowered her head and sipped her tea in small mouthfuls, the flush on the tips of her ears looking particularly obvious in the reflection of the pale gold tea.
Just then, a noisy clatter of footsteps came from the tea house entrance.
Several elves walked in.
Leading them was a young male elf wearing a well-tailored deep blue robe, with a decorative rapier hanging at his waist.
His face was handsome, but there was a hint of arrogance in his brow.
Behind him were three other young elves—two males and one female—all wearing high-quality clothing, clearly the children of some noble family.
“Elune?”
The leading male elf’s eyes visibly brightened when he saw her.
He walked over quickly, a smile plastered on his face.
“What a coincidence. I didn't expect to run into you here. Weren't you away in the south? When did you get back?”
“Yesterday.”
Elune’s tone was flat; she didn't even look up at him.
The male elf didn't seem to mind her coldness. He scanned the tea house, his gaze finally landing on Jiang Lin.
He noticed that the man’s ears were clearly not those of an elf.
His smile stiffened slightly.
“And this is...”
“My friend.”
Elune’s tone remained flat.
“Friend?”
The male elf looked Jiang Lin up and down.
His gaze lingered on the simple elven clothing for a moment, and a flash of disdain crossed his eyes.
“A human?”
His tone changed, taking on a condescending edge.
“Elune, how could you be sitting here drinking tea with a human?”
Elune finally looked up, her pale purple eyes looking at him calmly.
“Does that have anything to do with you?”
The male elf’s expression froze for a moment.
“I’m just concerned about you. After all, you are a noble of the Silver Moon Kingdom. Being seen with a human... it won't sound good if word gets out.”
“I don’t need your concern.”
Elune’s tone was still calm, but a hint of coldness had crept into her voice.
The male elf’s face turned somewhat sour.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Jiang Lin and asked:
“What is your name? Which territory are you from?”
Jiang Lin held his tea cup, not even looking up.
“Get lost.”
“Ha?” The male elf furrowed his brow. “A lowly human like you actually dares to speak to me like that?!”
The elves behind him let out contemptuous laughs.
Elune’s face darkened.
She was about to speak, but Jiang Lin spoke first.
“I’m going to count to three. Either you get lost on your own, or I’ll help you.”
The male elf was stunned for a moment.
He clearly hadn't expected that an inferior human would dare to be so arrogant in the face of an elven noble’s mockery.
His expression became even uglier.
“You should understand your place. A lowly human is not worthy of sitting and drinking tea with a noble lady.”
Jiang Lin set down his tea cup and finally turned his head to look at him.
“Three...”
“You should leave this place immediately and go back to where you belong.”
The male elf’s tone carried an unquestionable command.
However, for some reason, upon seeing Jiang Lin’s calm, golden eyes, he felt an inexplicable and immense pressure.
“Two...”
...
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