Chapter 242: Strange Land, Strange People, Strange Matters

The giant eagle descended from the sky, setting Wang Yu and his two companions down before letting out a cry and beating its wings to soar back toward the Tree of Life.

"Let's just find someone to ask; according to Mr. Gawain, we should be able to find lodging that way."

Wang Yu glanced at the unfamiliar elven city. Built between the ground and the trees, it made him keenly aware that they were now well beyond the borders of the human kingdoms.

The place where the giant eagle Angora had dropped them was a platform constructed on a massive tree, seemingly designed as a landing pad for such large creatures. A corridor led directly from it toward the residential areas, where elves could be seen coming and going.

"Let's go."

Avia took Noel’s hand, following Wang Yu toward the distant elven dwellings.

The elven capital did not feel particularly strange to Wang Yu; aside from its three-dimensional structure built upon the trees, the general layout of the buildings was much like that of Alestle.

Shops and similar structures were clustered along streets formed by platforms built onto the giant trees, while residential houses were scattered elsewhere.

Potion shops, blacksmiths, general stores, bookstores... at a glance, the same miscellaneous shops found in human kingdoms existed here in Liaheim as well.

The only difference was that the elves walking the streets appeared quiet and peaceful, lacking the noise and chaos of humans. Their long lifespans granted most elves a composed and unflappable temperament.

Wang Yu and his companions walked into the elven capital without drawing much attention. Occasionally, they would see cloaked elven rangers darting and leaping between buildings; these rangers would linger their gaze on the three of them, who lacked any elven features, for a moment.

Wang Yu surmised they were akin to city guards, and as outsiders, they were naturally the subjects of the patrols' scrutiny during these times.

"Asking a random passerby isn't impossible, but it feels more appropriate to find a better place to inquire."

Wang Yu’s attention was caught by a building in the distance—a place familiar to all adventurers: a tavern. He hadn't expected to find such a noisy and chaotic establishment among the elves. He spoke, heading toward it.

Pushing open the door and stepping inside, the atmosphere was the usual, inexplicably boisterous one peculiar to taverns. However, compared to the taverns in Alestle, while there was laughter and chatter, it was much softer and quieter, with cheerful, melodic harp music swirling through the space.

"Eh... what is that? Is that a beastman? Are there beastmen like that?"

As soon as Wang Yu entered, he saw something he had never encountered before. On the bar counter where the bartender stood, a black cat lay, beside it a wine glass filled with clear, fragrant liquor.

The cat used its unusually strong tail to grip the stem of the glass, lifting it to clink gently against the glass held by the elf in the waiter’s vest, before pulling it toward itself and downing the contents in one go.

Heaven knows how a cat with such pure black fur managed to drink a volume of liquid larger than its own body in a single gulp.

"Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with, guests?"

The bartender noticed Wang Yu pushing the door open, shaking his cocktail shaker with a smile as he inquired.

"Oh, it's like this. I'm looking for someone well-informed to ask a few questions. If it's not too much trouble, could you assist me?"

Wang Yu tore his gaze away from the peculiar black cat and began to converse with the bartender, taking out the plump acorn Gawain had given him to show him.

"Oh, is this the Elder's token? You must be travelers from afar."

The bartender’s tone turned surprised upon seeing the acorn in Wang Yu’s hand, and he voiced his guess.

"Yes, we are looking for a place to stay. Elder Gawain told us to bring this and ask."

Wang Yu confirmed, stating his purpose.

"Haha, of course, no problem. Since Elder Gawain gave you this token, it means you are honored guests of our elven race. Welcome to Liaheim; I hope you enjoy this place."

The bartender smiled warmly, welcoming Avia and Noel who had followed Wang Yu in. At the same time, he turned to rummage through the back bar, producing a map drawn on smooth tree bark.

"Take this map. Here, these are the houses specifically for guests like you. I'll mark it for you; just follow the map, and show your token to the guards there."

The bartender took a pen, drew a circle on a spot on the map, and handed it to Wang Yu.

"Would you like to consider having a few drinks? As honored guests of the elves, these are on me as a welcome."

The bartender was certainly an active and enthusiastic soul among the elves. Before Wang Yu could even thank him, he had already begun speaking. After handing over the map, he deftly used his mixing tools to quickly prepare three drinks, pushing them toward the trio.

"And you're quite lucky. Mr. Aslan, who is staying with us, is performing at our tavern today. He is the best bard we have here; whether it's the stories he tells or the music he plays, it is absolutely top-tier."

Wang Yu looked at the drinks the bartender had offered. The alcohol content was very low, the scent sweet and fresh—a cocktail akin to fruit juice, which was perfectly acceptable.

He did not decline, taking them and handing them to Avia and Noel, listening as the talkative bartender chatted away.

Hearing the bartender mention the bard named Aslan, Wang Yu followed his gaze and saw a long-haired man holding a wooden harp sitting in the center of the tavern. With slender fingers, he plucked the strings, filling the entire tavern with music as melodious as flowing water.

The harp music was soaring and gentle, possessing not only a beautiful melody but also an indescribable emotion. Each note tapped lightly on the listeners' heartstrings, causing their emotions to rise and fall with the rhythm of the music.

The highly infectious performance caused the people around them, who had been conversing, to settle down and listen quietly to the bard’s playing.

"It is indeed beautiful. This is likely the best bard I have ever seen."

Wang Yu nodded in agreement, speaking softly to the bartender. Influenced by Earth’s music, Wang Yu usually found the music of this world to be merely "quite good," but the performance of the bard before him truly made Wang Yu feel refreshed.

"Of course. This is Mr. Aslan. You will surely learn more about him later."

The bartender lowered his voice, speaking to Wang Yu with a smile.

"Eh, that one... I’ve been wanting to ask since just now... Hm?!"

Wang Yu’s gaze shifted from the bard, who was immersed in his performance, to another spot, for it was simply too eye-catching.

The cat that had been drinking at the bar had jumped down after Wang Yu started talking to the bartender. At this very moment, it was leaning back in a tavern chair just like a person, lazily enjoying Aslan’s music.

Wang Yu’s curiosity made him want to ask the bartender about the cat if possible. Wang Yu felt no druidic aura from it, nor any fluctuations of magic, which meant the cat likely hadn't used a transformation spell to appear that way, making its nature all the more fascinating.

As it turned out, just as Wang Yu opened his mouth to ask, the black cat suddenly extended its paw, opened a spatial rift beside it, reached in, and pulled out a pure white cat smaller than itself.

Cradling the white cat much like a human would, the two cats—one black, one white—leaned against each other in the chair, enjoying Aslan’s music.

This truly shocked Wang Yu. A cat with such high intelligence was already enough to pique his curiosity, but the act the cat had just performed directly caused the emotion of surprise to well up in Wang Yu’s heart.

"Oh, him? His name is Ann. He’s a regular customer here. I was startled too when I first saw a cat that wasn't a druid or using transformation magic walk in, but I got used to it later."

"Look, that white cat is his partner. Amazing, right? Hahaha, every new guest has this reaction when they see him. After all, keeping one's partner in a personal storage space only seems less exaggerated when it's a cat."

The bartender seemed to understand the curiosity and surprise Wang Yu was showing, laughing as he gave the introduction he had to provide for every new guest who saw the cat named Ann.

"A cat using spatial magic is already absurd enough; keeping his girlfriend in a spatial pocket makes it seem even less important..."

Wang Yu listened to the bartender’s explanation, silently grumbling to himself.

"Though I don't know what species he is, he is a bona fide master of space."

"There was once a rare, ill-mannered elf who, after getting drunk, tried to grab Ann. A whole bunch of spatial rifts appeared above his head, and a massive number of longswords and similar weapons shot out, flying past his body. It scared the drunkenness right out of that guy on the spot."

"Heaven knows where Ann gets so many weapons and how he can control them so perfectly. In any case, don't let the fact that he's a cat fool you; his strength is absolutely not to be underestimated."

The bartender shook his head while introducing the exploits of the black cat to Wang Yu. His expression told Wang Yu that even he, who was very familiar with the cat, found it truly incredible.

"Shooting a massive number of weapons from spatial rifts... isn't this the Gate of Babylon? A cat that knows the Gate of Babylon—this world really does give one surprises sometimes."

Wang Yu thought about the scene of the black cat shooting weapons from spatial rifts; the sense of déjà vu was immediate. Even having experienced many shocking scenes, he had to call it absurd.

As he spoke with the bartender, the bard’s music gradually ceased. The guests who had been listening to Aslan’s performance let out sighs of lingering attachment, but no one requested the standing Aslan to play another piece.

With his back to the center, Wang Yu noticed footsteps approaching. Turning his head, he saw the bard named Aslan walking toward him.

His long purple hair was tied back, and his purple eyes were deep and pure, giving him a mysterious air. His build was slender and well-proportioned, soft yet retaining a masculine strength. Of course, the most attractive feature was his face.

Beautiful, handsome—Wang Yu felt this was perhaps the most fitting embodiment of "beauty" he had encountered since arriving in this strange world. The androgynous features made it nearly impossible to discern the stranger's gender, and only through subtle details could one confirm that this "beauty" was, in fact, a male bard.

If Wang Yu were to grade the man’s appearance, he would award a ninety-five, a score rivaling that of the divine corpse he had once seen.

Or perhaps they were simply on par; one possessed a perfection saturated with divinity, while Aslan’s beauty was natural, a grace that delighted the eye the moment it was beheld.

Yet, as always, Wang Yu was not a man swayed by faces; no matter how striking, they were all much the same to him. The stranger was approaching their table, and Wang Yu, certain of this, wondered what business he could possibly have.

"The three of you,

might I be so bold as to intrude for a moment?"

A soft, melodic, androgynous voice emanated from Aslan, making it truly difficult to tell if the speaker was male or female. He stopped beside the trio and inquired with impeccable politeness.

"You must be Mr. Aslan. Your performance left quite an impression on us. Is there something you need?"

Sensing no malice, Wang Yu responded with equal courtesy.

"I am a bard, wandering across the continent, gathering unique stories and witnessing the unfolding of events. I possess a peculiar ability: I can perceive the echoes of the stories that have left their mark upon different people.

"I cannot discern the specific details, but from the traces left by these tales, I can grope toward understanding and draw inspiration for my compositions. For me, music is the very source of my strength."

"I felt something quite extraordinary from you all. This young lady’s story is brief, yet exceptionally brilliant, while this lovely girl carries a record written over a long and ancient span of time."

Aslan explained his unique gift, revealing why he had intruded and sharing what he had glimpsed within Avia and Noelle.

"As for you, sir, I sense nothing at all. It is something I have never encountered before. If you are willing, I would like to ask you to share some music you know, so that I might draw inspiration from it."

Finally, Aslan turned to Wang Yu, speaking calmly of the "story" he had—or had not—seen within him.

Wang Yu listened to the explanation,

not once suspecting the man of spouting nonsense; given Aslan’s temperament and appearance, he could hardly be an ordinary being.

"Yet another power that transcends the systems of the Void, magic, and battle aura. Much like that astrologer from before, these forces of unknown origin are truly curious and intriguing."

Wang Yu mused silently on the peculiarity of the man’s ability, then considered the proposal. There was nothing to refuse; sharing a bit of music was a simple enough task.

"I have no musical talent myself, but I have heard some pieces I find quite good. Would that suffice?"

Wang Yu spread his hands, admitting his own musical ability could only be described as a tragedy. However, as for the music itself, he knew plenty from Earth that he enjoyed, and selecting one for the highly accomplished Mr. Aslan would be no trouble at all.

"Of course, that is no problem. The birth of the music you know, its creation, and the experiences of its author—these are all unique stories to me. The music you share will surely be a wonderful tale, and through your sharing, I may find stories that prove helpful to you in return."

Aslan spoke pleasantly, his purple eyes filled with the earnestness of the truly pure.

"Very well, then I shall whistle a song I know."

Wang Yu was a capable whistler, and his skill was quite refined. Back on Earth, though he couldn't sing a note to save his life, he could whistle a tune with remarkable flair.

Now, bolstered by a knight’s mastery over his own musculature,

his whistling could truly be considered a musical performance.

*Canon in D*—that was the piece Wang Yu chose. It was not overly complex, nor was it long; he simply found it pleasant, cheerful, and relaxing. Being a man of simple tastes, he didn't concern himself with the deeper connotations of the music; if it sounded good, that was enough for him.

A simple melody, a mellifluous tune, echoed through the tavern as Wang Yu whistled *Canon*. Thanks to his strength as a knight, the sound was clear and resonant, never wavering in pitch, allowing everyone in the tavern to hear the lovely composition.

Wang Yu knew his rendition couldn't compare to Aslan’s; the bard’s level of artistry was far too high, his technique transcending the music itself. Just as he had claimed, he possessed the ability to pluck at heartstrings through melody, gaining unique power by spreading stories.

Wang Yu, by contrast, could only replicate the notes accurately without missing a beat; he lacked both the emotion and the nuance.

As the final note of *Canon* faded, Aslan’s applause rang out, and the patrons who had enjoyed the piece joined in one by one.

"A truly wonderful piece. It is not complex, but perhaps that is the simplest meaning of music itself—it is beautiful. Thank you for sharing."

Aslan plucked the strings of his instrument, and the melody of *Canon* flowed forth. Compared to Wang Yu’s mechanical whistling, one could hear a wealth of added depth; he had read something of the inner soul of the piece, and it was truly beautiful.

Aslan expressed his sincere gratitude for the sharing, and then, he posed a question to Wang Yu.

"Is there anything you wish to understand or seek here in Liahim? Perhaps the stories I know can be of help to you."

Wang Yu pondered for a moment. Liahim was entirely foreign to him, and he had much he wished to accomplish. Perhaps this was the perfect time to find his next step?

"Is there a scholar in Liahim with profound expertise in alchemy? I believe I am in need of a teacher."

Wang Yu did not waste time asking impractical questions; he asked plainly for something he truly desired.

The rare herbs in the Forest of Origins convinced him that Liahim would be an excellent place for an alchemist. Alchemy had helped him greatly, and he hoped to find an opportunity to advance his craft here.

"A teacher skilled in alchemy? I believe that is not a difficult question for me to answer."

Aslan smiled, his tone light as he indicated that Wang Yu’s request was easily fulfilled.