There were three local passengers from Hepu Town on the carriage. They had neatly combed black hair and decent clothes. Their skin was not as fair as the elves in the northern forest, nor as dark as the residents of the southern provinces. They gave people a very comfortable look. . The passengers got out of the car nimbly and nodded politely to Griffith, who was waiting for the bus.
A spontaneous, irrepressible and inexplicable feeling of intimacy immediately spread in Griffith's heart. Suddenly, he realized that his destination was to visit the place where these people lived. It was an extremely natural and satisfying thing.
"Hey, you're a soldier, are you going to Hepu?" The coachman poked his head out of the seat, "Are you visiting relatives? Come on up."
Griffith nodded and handed over a few centimes as fare.
"You left your hometown when you were young, and the memories of life on Neopolis Island will bring you back here." The coachman waited for a while, then waved the reins when he saw that no other guests got on the car, "It's a good time for you to come back now, no. It’s too hot and not as cold as in the north. Fresh fish and shrimp, young girls, the best time of the year.”
Why put fresh fish and shrimp together with young girls? Griffith frowned, not satisfied with the coachman's frivolous words: "Are there any festivals in town recently? When is the Hanami Memorial Ceremony?"
"Ha, let's pay homage to Hanami! It's next week. It's hard to calculate the time according to the kingdom's calendar!" The coachman drove the carriage happily. "The girls put on beautiful dresses, scattered flower petals, and danced by the bonfire. Hey~ Who? Call me old."
Griffith leaned on the seat and listened to the coachman's gossip. His thoughts were taken to a distant place, with familiar faces, and he slowly fell asleep.
…
"Take your baggage," shouted the coachman, "and have fun, private!"
Griffith woke up from his groggy daydream, rubbed his face, picked up his backpack and stepped out of the carriage.
The moment he stepped out of the car door, a gust of hot wind hit Griffith head-on, almost knocking him to the ground.
I am no longer used to the temperature of the southern islands! Griffith, who was wearing double-layer armor, was so hot that he was sweating. Sweat dripped from his forehead and slid down his cheeks to the corners of his mouth.
There is a faint smell of fish, shrimp and seaweed soaked in sea water in the air! Griffith surveyed the empty streets. The hot sunshine embraced the quiet town in the afternoon, and groups of cicadas sang to the sun on the branches. A big yellow-skinned dog lazily looked up at him from the shadows, then buried its head again.
Hepu Town is a famous tourist destination, and tourists from all over the world come here.
"This...did I come to the wrong place?"
The public carriage suddenly started beside Griffith, throwing dust on his face, and pulled away with a squeak. Griffith stood there helplessly, watching the carriage turn around the street and run out of sight.
"Griffith, are you Griffith?" A sweet and cheerful girl's voice sounded beside her, "Why have you grown so tall! Dad asked me to pick you up."
Griffith, who was covered in sweat, turned around and found a girl wearing a thin white dress standing not far behind him. The shoulder straps of the dress are tied behind the graceful neck, revealing smooth and delicate shoulders. The girl's skin is a charming wheat color, which is pleasing to the eye under the bright sunshine. With her hands behind her waist, she came bouncing forward. Her long ponytail swayed as the girl swayed and greeted Griffith:
"Hehehehe! I am Elodie, the first heir and chief assistant of Dr. Zion! Do you still remember me? If you forget something in the car? Then you should give up! When Uncle Teng was young, he was Champion of the Hepu Mountain Road Race!"
I do remember that there was such a person, but at that time you were still a child digging in the mud. What kind of first-in-line heir? Your father is your only child.
The girl's smile is as cute as a peach blossom. Wearing beautiful sandals on her feet, her charming slender ankles are tied with strings, and the youthful vitality of a thirteen-year-old girl is breathtaking.
Griffith, who was sweating profusely, felt as bright as a spring flower field.
"Huh?" Seeing that Griffith didn't speak, the girl tilted her head in confusion, "I must have admitted it right~"
"I'm Griffith? Long time no see? Elodie," the trainee knight opened a big smile, and a few drops of salty sweat rolled down the corners of his mouth. "How do we get home?"
"I'll drive! You sit in the passenger seat!" Elodie jumped on the little blue carriage next to her and patted the passenger seat, which was hot from the sun. "Come on, let's set off now!!"
Griffith glanced at the small carriage on the roadside and found a few cleanly chewed watermelon rinds on the shelf. "Is this your car?"
Elodie smiled and waited for Griffith to sit down, then skillfully released the brakes and raised the riding crop. The car started to move, pulled by two ponies.
"Huh? No? I borrowed it!" The girl raised her chin and looked ahead. "Blue comet? Let's go!"
"Wait! Do you have a driver's license at your age?"
"Hmm~ Hahaha! Hahaha!" Elodie laughed three times in a very stiff tone.
The breeze when accelerating blew on Griffith's face, saving him from the edge of sunstroke: "This car is fine, there should be mountain roads near the seaside."
"You just need a small car!" Elodie kept urging the pony to speed up. "A big car will drift into the sea."
drift? What is it to rush into the sea! Griffith was shocked. The minivan was already running with a roar, and Elodie's long ponytail was flying in the wind.
"There is one more of you today~ It may affect the aerodynamics of the Blue Comet!" The girl turned her head and glanced at Griffith with her beautiful big eyes, "You may not be able to see me at my best."
pneumatic? What is pneumatic? Why should a pickup truck with watermelon rinds care about aerodynamics?
The whistling wind was noisy in Griffith's ears. The minivan got out of the street in the blink of an eye and roared away along the winding seaside mountain road.
Elodie's little carriage began to accelerate, drifting nimbly on the mountain road, and the howling of the wind could be heard in her ears.
The blue pickup truck was flying along the mountain road beside the cliff. Griffith was almost thrown into the sea at a turn.
Raging waves lap at the rocks dozens of meters below the mountain road, and the open field of vision is filled with the blue sea. With the blue sky and sea within reach, even the pickiest tourists will admire the pure beauty in front of them.
Griffith, who had no time to appreciate it, hurriedly grabbed the safety belt on the seat, but when he reached out, he couldn't grab anything!
"This car has no seat belts!"
"Yes! For the ultimate speed, the Blue Comet abandoned all useless weight!"
"Then why is there watermelon rind at the back!"
The small truck carried Griffith on the mountain road, passing through the world of green mountains and sea, and arriving at the halfway point overlooking the sea.
"La la la!" The girl jumped off the seat and pulled the pony to stop at the door of the two-story cabin in the middle of the mountain. With a sweet smile, she watched Griffith get out of the car and stretched out her hands to give a hug. The big circle of the world: "Welcome to Tsuruura!"
Not luxurious but beautiful and elegant red brick houses are built one after another, extending from the clean and tidy coast to the lush mid-level mountains. Griffith noticed that although there were no pedestrians or vehicles along the way, the paths in the town were all paved with cobblestones and were very elegant.
"This is my home, you go in first!" The girl jumped on the minivan again and waved to Griffith, "I have to take the Blue Comet back to the dressing room first, and remember to leave a piece of crab for me for dinner! "
Griffith, who was blown away by the sea breeze and frightened all the way, picked up his backpack and knocked on the door.
Dr. Zion's villa is very spacious, with pots of orchids planted in small clay pots neatly arranged around the walls. The beautiful and delicate crystal flowers bloom proudly, making people feel relaxed and happy.
Griffith picked up the pot of plants closest to the door and found a number marked on the pot.
"2887."
Not a good number. Griffith's mind flashed to the brownie at Nethergarde. The guy finally escaped in the chaos, and I don't know if he escaped from the Whispering Forest.
Other jars have similar numerical markings, all after the number 2500.
Griffith knocked on the door.
"Oh, you're here!" The unshaven Dr. Zion came out and smiled at his nephew, "I haven't been back for many years. Isn't the climate in Hepu quite pleasant? You were so afraid of heat when you were a child, but you are not afraid of it now. The sweat proves it.”
I just got scared, uncle.
Griffith put on his shoes and walked into the living room, giving his uncle a bottle of Beyeland wine as a gift: "Excuse me, uncle. Are you using orchids as test subjects?"
"Because the genetics are stable and require less culture medium, large-scale cultivation does not take up space. In addition to orchids, there are also some other plants. You took Potions as an elective at Homemon Watts. This is a subject with unlimited prospects. ," the doctor pointed to the kitchen, "There is juice in the ice cellar in the basement."
"Thank you," Griffith looked around the room, "is the research going well?"
"The progress is normal," Dr. Zion seemed to be in a very relaxed mood. "Without the interference of those old stubborn people from Homemon Watts, my experiment can be considered clean."
"You and Elodie have met, right?" Dr. Zion walked towards the laboratory. "I have to work for a while. The little girl will come back at six o'clock to have dinner with us. You can rest in the living room."
Griffith nodded and watched the doctor close the door and walk into his laboratory.
What is he studying... Although he is not yet proficient in potions, he knows very well that the larger the sample group observed in Zion's experiment, the higher the probability of success.
Leaving the advanced potions laboratory, mature research team, and large-scale and systematic testing and breeding sites provided by Homemon Watts, hiding in the countryside and conducting behind-the-scenes work like a small workshop is simply child's play, as absurd as in plot. If you want to get the desired result by relying on a few circles of orchids planted outside the villa wall, it is impossible to succeed even if it takes decades.
There must be other reasons why Dr. Zion came to Hepu Town to conduct research.
…
"Ah ho! I'm back!" Elodie knocked on the door several times, "It's not closed! Aren't you afraid that a bear will come in and eat you?"
"Hello, assistant. All the bears in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest have been eaten by humans." Griffith took the newspaper and turned to look at the girl. "You sent the carriage back?"
"It's not a carriage, it's a racing carriage! It's n-da!" The girl turned her head, swung her ponytail, walked into the basement, took out a bottle of milk, and muttered to herself: "The racing race is about to start, but why don't you give in?" I’m really stingy if I practice more.”
"Gudong... Wuha! Chilled milk is delicious!" The girl sat down next to Griffith with the chilled milk, and her youthful atmosphere immediately made him excited.
The girl took a gulp of milk, and a few drops of white liquid dripped down her delicate chin onto the undulating curves of her neckline.
"Indeed..." Griffith turned his head away little by little like the rusty Tin Man in the fairy tale.
While the two were sitting and chatting, dinner was served.
Elodie jumped to the side of the dining table and sat down, patting the seat next to her, "Come on, come on! Sit here! Here, these things are called 'chopsticks'!"
"I can use them!" Griffith took the two slender wooden sticks handed over by the girl and gestured. "You were still breastfeeding when I learned how to use chopsticks."
The cooking of dinner is very simple. Fresh swimming crabs, shells and prawns are boiled with simple onion, ginger and cooking wine seasonings to maintain the original and attractive aroma of the seafood. The staple food is crystal clear and elastic rice, which is delicious in the mouth. Instantly let people experience the reality of life. Fresh water spinach and garlic are simply stir-fried together, and it is full of aroma that goes very well with seafood.
Almost all of them are seafood...Aren't you afraid of gout if you eat like this? Griffith glanced at the only plate of vegetables on the table.
"Elodie, there isn't much going on in the laboratory these days. Let's take Griffith around." Dr. Zion stared at the plate of shrimps in front of him and ate slowly, looking absent-minded.
"!" The girl raised the crab claw in her hand and saluted, "Griffith, Griffith, let me take you to see the seven incredible things about Heura!"
"Oh? Which seven?" Griffith raised his eyebrows, "I remember this was not said when I was a kid."
"Deadly Headless Horseman," Elodie opened her crab claws and counted.
Wait a mininute! Why is the Headless Horseman the first one? Is this an extraordinary person or a mutant creature? Why didn't the garrison kill it? I will organize an encirclement and suppression when I go to the Holy Grace Church tomorrow. Griffith found the first name unacceptable.
“Let’s have clear soup and little water!”
This sounds normal, but why is it so weird?
“No Story Grace Church!”
Holy Grace Church is the stronghold of the Extraordinaries nearby. It is the place where I work temporarily. Who made up this strange combination of yours?
"Alaindel is not in love!"
This is a personal name! Don’t you have any objections to using it as the town’s seven mysterious parties? This time the combination is less regular and does not rhyme. And not too polite.
“The tranquility and warmth are as far as the end of the world!”
Oh... Griffith moved his lips.
"How many words did I say?" Elodie bit the crab without any ladylike manners. In a position that was not easy to chew, she simply swallowed a small piece of the shell together.
"Five, um." Griffith gave the girl a chopstick of vegetables. "Don't just eat seafood. Aren't you afraid of gout in the future?"
"It's so annoying——! Listen to your weak tone! You must be an old man!" Elodie glared at the water spinach in the bowl, "It's rare to eat such fresh seafood, of course you have to enjoy it, otherwise why are you here? !”
Wait a mininute! What do you mean by rare food? Griffith shouted: "Listen to your tone! Have you not lived here for a long time?"
The dinner table suddenly became quiet. Elodie, who was holding a swimming crab and chewing it, froze. Her big eyes slowly turned to Griffith and gave him a guilty look, "Hey~"
"What? Don't you know yet?" Dr. Zion put down his chopsticks, "Elodi usually lives in the pasha's city."
Pasha is in the Western Continent, hundreds of miles away from Neopolis Island...
"How many days have you been here?" Griffith raised his eyebrows.
"Seven days..." Elodie grabbed the crab and resisted, "I am a senior who came seven days earlier than you, okay!?"
"What's the driving experience of Blue Comet?"
"3..." the girl's voice trailed off, "No, today is the fourth day!"
So I actually walked through the door of hell today... Griffith picked up the chopsticks, found an angle, and hit Elodie on the head with the back end.
"Ouch!" The girl hid aside, "But, I learn very quickly! I am the girl who wants to dominate the Hepu Mountain Road Race! Oh, by the way, there is another incredible thing called 'harmony and harmony' Racing'!"
This name sounds ironic and full of malice. Could it be that every sentence above is ironic? Griffith sighed: "There aren't many people in this town anymore, right?"
"I don't know~" Elodie found that she seemed to be let off.
"What's also incredible is the quiet and peaceful full moon night, and the fresh and elegant Hanami Festival," Dr. Zion added for his daughter.
Griffith discovered a new problem: "Hey, isn't this eight? This is eight! Are the people in the town illiterate?"
"You people from big cities are just pretentious!" The girl raised her chin, "Eight of the seven mysteries are universally known to the world!"
…
After finishing dinner, Elodie took Griffith to clear the dishes together.
"I can't tell, but you look pretty good washing the dishes," Griffith stood on the other side of the sink, washing the dishes. Elodie stood beside him wearing an apron. Her thin dress was obscured by the apron. From Griffith's point of view, he could see the girl's undulating curves, smooth shoulders, and slender arms.
It's like I'm just wearing an apron...
"Huh? What's wrong?" The girl raised her head and looked at the tall boy beside her, "Why do you feel this way?"
"No, it's nothing." Griffith turned his head and looked at the moon hanging high outside the window.
The moonlight is so beautiful.
