They had transferred from the small shrine and arrived at the forest capital, Maple.
After a simple greeting to the manager in charge of Maple’s shrine and requesting for someone to transport the sacks of gold coins to central government office, Dylan and Ariane left the shrine.
What awaited them outside the shrine was an enormous city.
Not only were there similar sparse large tree buildings to those in Raratoia, even larger trees also stood in lines here and there. Weaving their way through the roads running in every direction, an overflowing number of elves could be seen.
The early morning blue sky with its chilly atmosphere was concealed by the tops of the large tree-like buildings; the light of the sun, which was still low in the sky, wasn’t sufficient enough to reach the valley.
However, the streets lined with shops, with people touting full of energy, and shoppers gazing at goods in a commotion, weren’t any less lively than that which was displayed on streets filled with humans.
While barter was still the dominant form of trade for the elves, it was common to use gold coins here in Maple.
Ariane, after such a long time away from the capital, took a deep breath so as to ascertain the air, and stretched.
The forest capital was a metropolis where more than 100,000 people lived. The appearance of such a large city in the Great Canada Forest where a monster supposedly rampaged in its interior was something that the humans would never be able to believe.
After all, in the 800 years since its founding, there was never a time when capital Maple had invited a human inside. Not even people from the Rinburuto Grand Duchy who were trading partners have been graced with a view of this city.
The reason was because various things would cause inconveniences if the humans were to become aware of this place. One of those reasons just so happened to pass before Ariane’s eyes.
He had a short stature of around 130 centimetres, but that doesn’t mean he’s a small child. Large burly arms thicker than those of dark elves along with an overall firmly-built body, short pointed ears, and a lengthy beard extending to his waist.
The person who just passed by was a man of the dwarf race.
Formerly the leaders in metallurgy and consequently being targeted, they were a race officially known by the human society as having perished. If you strained your eye and looked properly, you can catch sight of them here and there throughout the town, blended with the abundant crowds of elves.
The metropolis of Maple was a magical city formed through the combination of elves’ spirit magic and the dwarves’ metallurgy technology, while it was the founding patriarch who created the opportunity to build this city.
The founding patriarch also strictly prohibited inviting any humans to Maple.
However, the other villages in the outer circumference were left to the discretion of the elders. Villages on the outskirts of the forest traded with humans as their towns had the advantage of being relatively close to the villages. However, most of the villages further within the forest’s depths and away from human habitats rarely encountered them. Hence, it was rare for a human to enter the other villages as well.
Arc’s invitation to Raratoia was a case where Ariane, unexpectedly the elder’s daughter, acted as the mediator ─ a considerable exception.
After Ariane thoroughly enjoyed Maple’s invariant scenery, with her father’s beckoning ahead, she ran toward Dylan’s direction.
Dylan advanced through the intervening roads in the valley of large tree buildings, weaving through the crowd without hesitation.
A short time later, they emerged in a place where the view that was previously blocked by the large tree buildings suddenly opened up. In the center of the vast clearing stood the largest structure they’d seen so far: made from a giant tree, it was like a tower as it soared before their eyes.
It was at such a towering height that your neck would become sore looking at it as you approached.
Many guards stood in front of the spacious entrance, constantly keeping a watchful eye on the people entering and exiting the building. After passing through the front entrance to the front counter and conveying that they had business, they were met with a female elf receptionist immediately.