Chapter 63. Cinderielle's Realization.

After three days of resting, Ignatia finally returned to her nest with the rest of the ants, having dealt with everything she could do around Liu Shu. Despite the unfortunate loss of around 40 of her children, the remaining 60 had experienced a remarkable surge in their strength. This was not just a mere increase in Levels but a breakthrough in tiers, a testament to their resilience and potential.

Still, the remaining 60 weren't stronger than the initial 100 as a unit, so it was nothing to celebrate.

The fairies, too, faced a similar fate. Their losses didn't bring them any closer to compensating for their winnings, leaving them in a state of unfulfilled hope.

Nobody complained, though, and the presence of the humans and Sylvan was greatly welcomed into their community. While they were careful and wary at first, after seeing them fight with them, many of the youngest Rose Fairies approached with curiosity-filled eyes to see the giants that came to their terrain.

Imagine that suddenly, five humanoids around fifteen meters tall appeared in your city. You would either be terrified at first or in awe and full of curiosity.

Most fairies initially felt the former way, but now that these giants turned out to be helpers during the terrifying beast tide, their way of looking at them had changed.

Ariel couldn't help but be captivated by these enchanting creatures. Standing at a mere 15 to 25 centimeters tall, with the mature Rose Fairies reaching a height of 20 centimeters, they were a sight to behold. Their bodies, slender and delicate, were adorned with a leafy green dress that draped over their chests and waists. Their hair, a vibrant shade of rose red, and their eyes were unlike any he had ever seen.

Unlike a normal eye with a sclera, iris, and pupil, theirs were gem-like and completely red. They had a glossy surface with a darker red circle in the middle that worked as a pupil. It was complicated to see where they were looking for Ariel and the other humans, but once they managed to distinguish the pupil, it became increasingly easier to distinguish where they were looking.

Rober had two young rose fairies clinging to his bear while they giggled, making him feel helpless. Still, he didn't dislike it.

He had worked a long time as an explorer in the past, and the times he fought and killed a Rose Fairy were not few. This situation would naturally not make him feel remorseful, as the Rose Fairies were much more aggressive at those times.

Still, their petite size and cute appearance could even soften the hearts of a battle-hardened warrior like him.

For Robert, becoming a strong adventurer was a dream that was cut short very early. He was relatively quick to reach Level 9 and accumulated enough experience to tackle the Level 10 barrier. Sadly for him, he lacked the innate talent to cross that first barrier.

So, since he was young, Robert has been stuck at Level 9, with his experience, skills, and everything else maxed out and unable to get stronger.

Moreover, as years passed, the time when his stats would start decreasing was approaching. That state, while called aging by some in the profession, was called the deteriorating stage.

Because of the nature of the Ternary Essences, if a, let's say, 70-year-old average human suddenly broke the barrier and reached Level 10, he could've reversed the aging of his body as his strength and stats increased, going back to peak condition for a while longer.

There were treasures, items, potions, and other things that helped people cross the Energy Cycle barriers. Still, they were uncommon and expensive, and more often than not, even if you had the money, most would be reluctant to sell them.

Only the hopeless and without close people would ever sell these treasures. Their rarity and particular use made them one of the most scarce and valuable items worldwide.

Robert picked one of the small fairies clinging to his beard by pinching the back of her dress and lifted her with a smirk. "Hey, little one. Are you having fun?"

The young Rose Fairy froze as the giant human grabbed her, not knowing what to do. Robert laughed and then threw her skyward. "Up!"

"AAAaaahhhh….!!!!"

Robert laughed as the little Level 2 Rose Fairy flew up for more than 20 meters.

"…aaaaaAAAHHH!!"

When she fell back down, Robert extended his hand and cushioned her fall by lowering his arm together with her fall and slowing it down. There wasn't even a notification of Phoer Body Shard damage, showing his absolutely sublime control.

Robert looked at the petite Rose Fairy that was sprawled on his hand while breathing heavily. He burst into loud laughter, making the other one that clung to his beard fall.

Of course, with his reflexes, he quickly caught that one. He asked the one he threw. "How was it, little one? Fun?"

The Rose Fairy blinked several times and then burst into a giggle. "That was fun! Again! Again!"

The other one pulled Robert's clothes and spoke shyly. "M-Me too…"

Robert grinned toothily. "Sure, sure. Up!"

"WAAHHH!! Hahahahaha!!!!"

The mature Rose Fairies looked over and saw them playing around, making the oldest ones gain a rare smile. The laughter of the young ones seemed to revitalize the place as the moody feeling that dominated the area lightened.

During the war, the garden with the Young Rose Fairies had been trampled by the beasts, so many mature Rose Fairies had gone out to get fertilized with plants in the surroundings and lay seeds again in the garden.

Its surroundings were filled with lashes from Liu Shu's several attacks trying to protect that place, which many Rose Fairies noted, but the numbers were too much. Liu Shu was unable to even stop them from reaching her own trunk, not to mention protect that garden by her side.

No one blamed the Young World Tree, in any case. Every Rose Fairy knew that Liu Shu was just a Level 4 being. The fact that she could do so much was already something all of them, with no exceptions, appreciated.

Meanwhile, by Liu Shu's side, Flor and Cinderielle gathered together. Both of them had yet to recover completely, but Flor wanted to speak with Cinderielle as soon as possible.

"Cinderielle, I guess you've realized that I'm wearing an amulet already, right?"

Cinderielle looked at the item on Flor's chest and nodded. "I was thinking about it, yes."

Flor nodded and answered her. "This was made by Liu Shu."

Cinderielle paused and looked at it with wide eyes. "How? That's such delicate work. I can't believe she has this much control over her branches to smelt or design something like this."

Flor shrugged. "I don't care if you believe it; it is the truth. I wanted to speak to you about what we talked about as the initial agreement to exchange. The beasts have been skinned, and the materials are ready to be shipped out. There are quite a lot, so Ariel and the others need to know how to transport it. Ask them to tell me if they need a helping hand, and I'll move a few Rose Fairies."

Cinderielle asked. "Do they have nothing to do?"

Flor shook her head as she leaned her back on Liu Shu's trunk while sitting on one of her branches. "Nothing. The danger has passed, the remaining tribes that are on par with us and live nearby are not aggressive, and the surroundings will become much more peaceful than ever."

Cinderielle asked. "So, what's the point of telling me all of this?"

Flor spoke after thinking about it for a while. "You see, the ability of Liu Shu to create these things comes from books."

Cinderielle was increasingly confused. "Books? Does she know how to read? Can she even see in a usual way? Her sight should be much different from ours, right?"

Flor shook her head. "No, she can eat books." Seeing Cinderielle's look of utter stupefaction, Flor cut her short. "Don't ask me. I'm also clueless. I just know that she ate the books somehow, and then she could do things."

Cinderielle opened her mouth a few times before she could speak. "Do you understand how difficult you are making this to be believable?"

Flor shrugged. "It is the truth; it's up to you whether to believe it or not." Flor shook her head. "Anyway, the reason to explain this is that I want books about anything related to World Trees, Architecture, Woodcrafting, Potions, Gardening… etc."

Cinderielle's eyes flashed as she looked at Flor, and Flor nodded. "You should understand where I'm going with this, right? Plus, a book that teaches World Trees how to communicate should be interesting too." Flor scratched her head. "I don't mind trying to decipher her words, but knowing exactly what she needs is better."

With a smirk, she said to Cinderielle. "You are also eager to talk with her, right? Your reactions since the beginning have been quite suspicious, to be honest."

Cinderielle coughed as many thoughts flashed through her head. "Sure, I'll get a few."

Flor asked. "So, what are the existing crafts that I can get informed about."

Cinderielle slowly explained while placing a finger on her chin. "Hmm… There are woodcrafters and blacksmiths; one works with metals, and the other works with wood. There are Sylvan Architects and normal architects; the first works with trees to change them into residences and many other types of buildings, while the second works with usual building materials."

Flor asked, interrupting. "Do all crafts have the same duality?"

Cinderielle shook her head. "Not at all. But the most important thing is to have it. There are Sylvan cooks, tailors, enhancers, priests, and much more."

Flor commented. "And then, their non-sylvan equivalent, I suppose."

Cinderielle nodded. "Usually, potion makers are not separated. Other works like jewelry, furniture craftsmanship, upholstery, and many more are like potion makers, which don't require to be separated."

Flor was curious, so she continued asking. "And what's the difference between a Sylvan craft and a non-Sylvan craft?"

She easily answered. "One uses nature in a non-consuming way, or at least tries to hurt nature as little as possible. The other uses resources that are harmful to nature."

Flor frowned. "Why would people use the second method."

Cinderielle sighed. "Sylvan crafts, as the name indicates, are usually done by Sylvans. Humans, Beast humans, or any other races that can do them have to have special talents, titles, or passive skills." Cinderielle commented. "While we, Sylvans, could be called the most influential, our numbers are limited due to our race's slow reproductive rate. So, our low numbers make it usually impossible to satiate all races."

Flor made an admiring sound. "Well, here is what I've been wanting to tell you."

Cinderielle nodded, and Flor said. "The books I got for Liu Shu were taken from another Sylvan. A friendly one. I won't tell you the name for now, but she helped us tremendously, and I trust her quite a lot." Flor smirked and teased her. "I even gave her Liu Shu's branch as compensation, hahaha."

 However, Flor didn't see the jealous look she was looking forward to; instead, she saw a look of realization followed by a frown. "Hm? What's wrong?"

Cinderielle asked lowly. "A… branch?"

Flor looked at the woman's increasingly gloomy face and felt that something was wrong. "Hey, are you that jealous? I can give you one as well. There are a few in our treasure from cleanups. You saw it, right? After the fight, there were quite a lot of materials from Liu Shu."

However, Cinderielle's face didn't improve, and she asked. "Is the Sylvan called Verdantia?"

Flor was internally stunned. 'They actually know each other? What kind of coincidence is this?'

The Rose Fairy Queen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

***

Author Note: Hello, dear. Thanks for reading up until this chapter. If you feel confident, I would like to ask for a small review of how you feel about the novel. That would help me tremendously! Thanks a lot, and I hope you continue to have fun ~.