The sun was rising higher since the two of them ran away and rushed away from Gracylia. Eldred clutched his hungry stomach. But luckily they had enough food for them to eat today. The wheat bread Kailt had given them earlier this morning was enough to quench their hunger.
But Eldred thought that the most important thing for him right now was that they could leave Gracylia before the bad news that the two of them had made could reach Gracylia's castle, so they would be destroyed very soon. Eldred already knew the myth about the confinement where the prisoners were sentenced there. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if they were caught earlier.
The two of them continued to walk towards the South, following the flow of the river flowing forward. The river looks like a ditch, so it's not shown on the map.
Thanks to the flow of the small river, they finally arrived at a small village located in the north of Gracylia. Eldred was a little confused, the Elfair frowned. "What? There's a village near Gracylia?" he said.
"I just never knew this" Kenley chimed in before continuing. "Should we go there?" he continued. "It's okay, maybe there is a vehicle that can bring us to Gussin quickly," said Eldred. The two of them rushed to the small village. The village is surrounded by wheat and corn fields that are very wide spread out there. The air is also fresher than the air in Gracylia.
They approached the small village. It can be said that way, because the buildings there are not made of wood or stone, but are made entirely of straw. "I think this is a Glinth settlement," Kenley guessed. "The Glinths?" said Eldred curiously. Kenley nodded confidently.
"Yes, Edgar once told me that on this continent there are still other tribes whose majority of the population are Farmers and very far from foreign cultures. Their culture is still very strong." Kenley explained.
"I'm pretty sure they are the Glinths," he continued. They had entered and were on the public road in the small village. They saw the residents there drying their crops. Wheat and Corn. Their clothes were made of perfectly knitted straw. Suddenly a girl noticed the two of them.
"Intruder!" he said in a tone of voice that shocked those around him. Even they were surprised not to play. The girl was now right in front of them, pointing a tool like a plant rake. The difference is that they use the tool to dry the harvested wheat.
The girl stared at the two of them in turn. The girl's eyes and hair were light brown, her skin a tan. "What?!" said Kenley. "What are you doing here?" he asked looking emphatic. Unlike Eldred Elfair it didn't change any facial expression at all. His cold face that looks warm, expresses that they are not bad people. "We're just adventurers," said Eldred in an even tone.
The girl slowly lowered the tool she was holding. "Gaine, you better not believe them!" someone said from across the street. The girl furrowed her brows. Watching them both from top to bottom.
"We just wanted to take a trip to Brandish, we saw this village, that's why we came here to rest for a bit" said Eldred honestly.
"Hey strangers, what are you guys doing here?!" suddenly a man approached them from behind the girl. "Vallker, it's rude of you to talk like that, they're just adventurers who stopped by our village" the girl prevented the person from approaching Kenley and Eldred.
"Sorry, he's my brother, Vallker, his nature is like that when he meets strangers" said the girl starting to believe them. Kenley and Eldred smiled bitterly. The brown-eyed girl seemed to be getting used to it, but the villagers around them still looked at the two of them suspiciously.
Eldred and Kenley were made uncomfortable by the scenery around them. "Don't worry, they are like that. We are always told to stay alert to strangers," said the girl named Gaine.
"How did you get to this little village?" asked Gaine suddenly. "We just followed the flow of the ditch there, which got us here" Kenley said with his trademark smile.
Gaine's older brother, Vallker, had his arms folded under his chest, he didn't like to see the change in his sister's attitude towards the two strangers in front of him.
"Why did you suddenly change like that? Aren't they strangers? Is it because they're men that you're like this?" Thousands of questions just came out of the man's shirt and slightly long brown hair.
"What do you mean?! Hey why don't you take care of the corns?! Otherwise mom and dad's crops will be wiped out by the naughty birds over there" Gaine pushed her older brother's tall body to quickly get out of there. Compared to Eldred and Kenley, his brother's height was only up to their ears. Yes, the Glint have a different height than any other nation, even though they look like the Hamoursh.
"Annoying!" Vallker snorted in annoyance, then he couldn't help but rush over to the corn that was being dried behind his house. "You damn sister" he snarled as soon as he left.
"Just now, your name was Gaine?" said Kenley. The girl nodded. "Then I'm Kenley, and this is my friend, Eldred. He's an Elfair" Kenley continued later, introducing himself and the friend beside him.
The girl smiled as soon as she saw the polite attitude of the two people she accidentally met. "Elfaires?" Gaine said confused. Eldred nodded in response.
"What is an Elfair?" Gaine really looked clueless. The atmosphere was quiet for a moment. "I come from the Elfairites, as the fairies are called. Ours is different from the Humans." Eldred clearly smiled bitterly. Eldred was then forced to remove his hood. You can see clearly, pointy ears and bright albino hair exposed to the hot sun on their heads. Blue eyes like moonlight seemed to combine his gaze that was soft and cold, but felt warm.
"Your ears?!" The two of them had to desperately hold back laughter because of the innocent nature of Gaine, who was completely ignorant of the outside world.
"Yes, the Elfairites are indeed blessed with sharp ears, sharp senses and eternal life," Eldred explained again. Kenley smiled wryly. "Impossible" Gaine's brown eyes were still perfectly round.
"Instead of you being surprised like that, it's better if we take us around this village, Miss?" said Kenley teasingly. The girl's face suddenly turned tomato red from being embarrassed. "B.. Alright" he said as he turned around. Then the two of them followed the girl behind.
While following Gaine behind, Kenley and Eldred took in the surroundings. The people of the Glinth tribe are very diligent. They think so. Kenley thought that the people here were not like normal humans. Their house was made of perfectly arranged thatch, but it was smaller than the houses Kenley was used to seeing in Ortania.
There was some activity they had never seen before in this Glinth tribe. What was even more surprising, they accidentally met a group of farmers who were carrying their crops in sacks, but they carried them on their shoulders. Stacked up twice their height. Even though outside the city, there are already many people who use Vlatsh as a means of transportation, but it's different from the Glinth tribe who seem to have gotten used to relying on their energy and effort.
"Well this is my house, you guys rest here" said Gaine friendly. They were standing in front of the thatched house. Their heads almost touched the doorstop of the house.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Gaine trotted into the house. "Why are you shouting like that?" heard a middle-aged woman's voice from inside.
"Gaine? What's wrong?" said the father. They both wished Gaine's parents came out, then greeted them. Their wish came true.
"Dad? Mom? Introduce, this is Kenley and Eldred, they are adventurers who really want to stop in our village" said the girl with sparkling eyes.
"Gaine .." said the mother who stood behind her daughter. "Mom, don't worry, they are just adventurers, they are not bad people" explained the brown-eyed girl.
Kenley and Eldred smiled kindly at Gaine's parents. They were right, but they both kept it that way so they wouldn't be too afraid of strangers.
"It's okay, you two don't have to be afraid of either of us" said Kenley. Perhaps Eldred could speculate why the people of this village could be so suspicious of them. Because they both carry guns. And that might make the residents of this village cast a wary look.
Because Gaine felt uncomfortable, the girl signaled them to hurry into her house. Kenley and Eldred stepped into the small but warm thatched house.
"People outside are too much," said Gaine feeling a little irritated. But it didn't matter to either of them.
"Thank you very much" they both said at the same time. "So-" Eldred said before continuing. "We were surprised when we saw this village, I don't think it was depicted on the map. Even though it is only a few hours from Gracylia," said Eldred as he sat cross-legged on the wooden floor.
"Indeed. Our village strongly rejects anything from the outside world. Therefore, our elders don't want this settlement listed on the map" Gaine's father said in response to Eldred's question. "Father, he's an Elfair" Gaine snapped suddenly changing the topic.
"Yes, father already expected it because of the pointy ears," said the father. "So dad knows about them?!". The middle-aged man nodded in response, then said. "The border is on the river Seiry, right?"
"That's absolutely true," said Eldred. "Why didn't dad tell me before?!" Gaine pouted while crossing her arms under her chest in annoyance.
"Stupid. If you tell me about the outside world, the people in this village will make fun of you, you can never keep a secret. After all, they will balk no matter how much you explain it to them." The father said he did the same.
"Why are you guys fighting like this?" Gaine's mother came over with a drink. From the smell, Eldred could tell. If the drink is warm green tea that has just been dried before being mashed.
"You should drink first, you must be tired, right?" Gaine's mother placed the wooden cups on the floor with slightly trembling hands. Eldred smiled with satisfaction that his guess was right.
"Thank you very much" they both said. "You didn't make it for me too?" Gaine protested realizing that there were only two cups. "You make it yourself, don't be spoiled" the woman pinched her daughter's cheek, which was still sullen.
In Kenley's heart, really. Who wouldn't be jealous of this warm sight. Kenley lowered his head, but Eldred noticed it. He rubbed his friend's shoulder to make him feel better.
"By the way, what makes you guys always wary of strangers?" Eldred spontaneously asked that. Kenley looked at Eldred until finally the Glinth man in front of him answered.
"It's very clear what I said earlier, we strongly reject foreign cultures. And more importantly-" his words were cut off. It made them both burn with curiosity.
"We have to protect the sacred lake in this village," he continued.
"Holy lake?"
"The holy lake is a place that people in this village adore," he continued.
"It's a long story. Long before, long before the new era spread across the continent, the Lake often shone like moonlight at night. We didn't know until now why. shining brightly. Although the myth is no one knows how deep the bottom of the lake is." he said. Eldred's eyes widened completely.
He hastily pulled the book out of his bag, then looked for a page that seemed to have something to do with Gaine's father's story earlier. "What is wrong?" The man was confused. "I know something" Eldred snapped.
"Moon lake! It's an altar from one of those legendary Crystal pieces!" said Eldred feeling very sure. "Legendary crystal?" the man in front of them seemed confused. Eldred accidentally mentioned the word 'Legend Crystal' to a person he had just met. Even though this was a violation but he believed it, the Glint tribe wouldn't be able to be swept away by outside influences that easily.
Plus a myth that is legendary on this continent, and has something to do with the lake they worship. It wouldn't make sense to the people of the Glint tribe even if Gaine's father leaked it to the people of his territory.
Eldred was certain that the lake the man was referring to was the first Altar that contained the Elfairite Crystal Crytilops fragment, the Moon Lake!
"Are you sure?" Kenley asked a little doubtfully. Eldred nodded firmly. "Uncle, I beg you. Can you take us there tonight? We have very important business concerning the lake and we swear we will not destroy anything there." Eldred closed his book again. The man looked a little hesitant, but finally nodded in agreement.
****