Chapter 53: Festival and Half-Divine Artifact

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Festival and Half-Divine Artifact

Right before his departure, Ailarya hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke up. "Wizard Envoy, if you are looking for the Divine Relics, you might as well stay for two more days to attend the Lucy Festival. It might prove helpful for your operation."

"The Lucy Festival? Tell me more," Chen Shang asked.

Ailarya explained, "Lucy is a traditional festival of the Elf Race. In the Ancient Elf Language, it means ’the time when dew condenses on plants.’

"Dew is seen by elves as the tears of the stars and the crystallization of moonlight—a dialogue between the earth and the heavens. It symbolizes purity, nature, and the birth of life, while the ’cy’ part stems from the ancient Forest God...

"A long time ago, major Elf Tribes would send representatives to attend this grand festival and hold a series of nature rituals..."

Pausing, Ailarya seemed to recall something. She hesitated before continuing. "However, since many races now live together, most of those rituals have been canceled. It has evolved into a casual gathering where everyone just eats and drinks together.

"If you are willing to attend the festival, many ancient Elf Tribes will definitely want to befriend you... They might still possess records of when the Divine Country Fragments fell."

Chen Shang fell into deep thought. As the saying went, one had no right to speak without investigating first. Those ancient clans had lived here for an unknown number of years. Some might have even personally experienced the fall of the Divine Kingdom. The records they kept would certainly be far more detailed than a simple academic paper.

"How long until then?"

"At the full moon of the Moon of Fertility, which is in two days," Ailarya replied. "I will notify those tribes and have them prepare what you need."

"I’ll leave it in your hands, then."

Two days later, by the Fir Lake north of the Royal City, a Lucy Festival began right on schedule.

The ink-blue lake was like a sapphire left behind on the earth. Hundreds of lamps made from woven grass leaves floated on the surface. Their candles flickered in the wind, reflecting on the water and turning the lake into a flowing river of stars. Long tables were set up on the lakeside grass, their tablecloths laden with traditional elven food: baked bread, mead, berry pies, smoked fish, roasted meat, cheese, and fresh vegetables. It was a natural and rustic feast.

The aroma of the food mixed with the cool breeze off the lake, prompting people to unconsciously take deep breaths. By now, the lakeside meadow was already crowded. Elves, Half-Elves, and humans dressed in formal attire of various colors gathered in twos and threes to chat.

When Chen Shang and Ailarya walked in, the venue suddenly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes turned toward them.

Ailarya wore a moon-white evening gown, its hem trailing along the ground like a pool of liquid moonlight. Her skin emitted a faint glow under the candlelight, and her hair was pinned up in a traditional elven style, revealing her slender neck and pointed ears. Her beauty was as natural as a clear spring deep within a forest.

However, the crowd’s gaze only lingered on her for a moment before being drawn away by the man beside her.

Chen Shang looked no different from how he usually did in his laboratory. His powerful, robust physique was hidden beneath a pure black Magic Robe, devoid of any superfluous decorations. His hair was as black as ink, and his facial features were as chiseled as a sharp sculpture. But what drew the most attention were his eyes, which resembled brilliant stars in a deep night sky.

Years of studying Biological Runes had given him a distinctly scrutinizing gaze. When those eyes swept across the venue, everyone subconsciously straightened their backs. Black was generally considered inappropriate at elven banquets, as elves preferred natural, bright colors akin to the forest and the sky. Yet, when worn by Chen Shang, the black robe didn’t feel out of place at all. Instead, it exuded an overwhelming aura of mystery.

A few noble elf ladies—brought by their clans to broaden their horizons and harboring a fanatic obsession with wizards—began breathing heavily. Some even sneaked a few glances at him and, seemingly lost in their own wild imaginations, quickly flushed red in the face. Their legs gave out, and they collapsed onto the sofas.

"Everyone, this is the Wizard Envoy who resolved the plague," Ailarya introduced him to the crowd. Whispers instantly rippled through the hall like a rising tide.

Immediately, several elegantly dressed elderly elves walked over with wine glasses in hand and presented a scroll. "Thank you for saving our people. We heard that you needed some ancient records. These are logs passed down through our clan for generations. We hope they will be of use to you."

Perhaps having been tipped off by Ailarya or simply experienced in dealing with wizards, these elderly elves didn’t waste any time with pleasantries and cut straight to the chase.

Chen Shang took the scroll and sent his Spiritual Power into it, quickly scanning the contents. Coordinates, topography, the distribution range of the Divine Country Fragments, the types of residual energy inside... The information was more than ten times as detailed as the Federation’s maps.

He stored the Crystal Plate into his Space Book and nodded at the elders. "Thank you all for your support."

The atmosphere instantly became harmonious. Following that, several other elven elders stepped forward one after another to offer their respective clans’ scrolls. Some even contained records of past explorations into the Divine Relics, including the potential dangers lurking inside.

Chen Shang accepted them all. He picked up a glass of juice from a passing tray. "Gentlemen, I appreciate your support. Since I must maintain spellcasting stability, it is inconvenient for me to drink alcohol. I offer this glass as a token of my gratitude."

The mood grew even more jovial. No one felt disrespected; on the contrary, one of the elderly elves chimed in, "The Wizard Envoy is truly disciplined and accomplished. Please, make yourself at home!"

As Chen Shang downed the juice in one gulp, the banquet burst into lively celebration.

Shortly after, another female elf approached. Although elves were a race whose ages were notoriously difficult to guess from their faces, her snow-white hair still gave away a hint of her seniority. The elderly woman wore a dark green robe embroidered with golden leaf veins. Pinned to her chest was an emblem depicting a towering tree with branches reaching up to the sky, its canopy laden with stars.

She walked up to Chen Shang, bowed slightly, and presented a wooden box to him with both hands. "Respected Wizard Envoy, I am Elwen Starleaf, matriarch of the Star Leaf Clan. Thank you for saving the Fanuodi Territory and my people. This is a small token of gratitude passed down through our clan for generations. Please accept it."

Chen Shang didn’t reach for it. He glanced at the dark brown wooden box. Its surface was polished smooth, emitting a faint, natural fragrance. Seeing that he made no move to take it, the old woman opened the box, revealing a Magic Staff resting inside.

The Magic Staff was entirely dark brown. A pale green Gemstone was embedded at its tip, shaped like a drop of solidified dew with light flowing within it. The moment the Magic Staff was revealed, the surrounding air suddenly turned incredibly fresh. Many guests looked over and unconsciously took a deep breath.

Ailarya gasped in surprise, "Is this... Natural Fury? The Star Leaf Clan’s Half-Divine Artifact, Natural Fury? Why would you bring this out?"

Chen Shang frowned. He wasn’t an Apprentice who had been sheltered by wizardry education since childhood. Having spent over a decade surviving in the real world, he had seen the fickleness of human nature and witnessed countless exchanges of interests.

Therefore, he knew things were not as simple as they seemed.