113 Chapter 113 Elven Capital (2/2)
(STELLA HAS PURCHASED MANA BATTERY. MANA BATTERY CAN HOLD 40 UNITS OF MANA. MANA BATTERY WILL RECHARGE AT 1 PER HOUR WHEN ABOVE 50% IN NORMAL MANA AREA. MANA BATTERY RECHARGE WILL BE REDUCED BY HALF WHEN IN LOW MANA OR BELOW 50% OF CHARGE REMAINING. MANA BATTERY BELOW 50% WILL NOT RECHARGE INDEPENDENTLY IN LOW MANA AREAS. CAUTION! COST TO USE MAGIC IN LOW MANA AREAS IS DOUBLED)
Joseph looked at her and she smiled.
”Thank you, Stella.”
'Hey system, how many points is that?' he thought.
(MANA BATTERY IS NOT AVAILABLE TO HUMANS.)
”Do I tell you often enough, Stella, that you are awesome?”
”Yes, Master. But I do enjoy hearing it anyway.”
After her battery was topped off, they headed into the forest. She had enough mana stored to let them escape the forest twice.
Going through the no-magic zone was heavy. It felt almost like swimming for a long time and then trying to get out of the pool. Joseph made sure not to leak mana. He had pretty much gotten used to keeping it contained, but in the low magic area, it was even more important. It felt incredibly weird to not have extra mana around.
A large group of elves greeted them on the other side.
”Elwin, we are here to a.s.sist in escorting the…guests.”
None of the new elves appeared to be mages, but Joseph couldn't see around all of the trees in order to tell. They were a quiet bunch. Even Elwin and Virion were quieter now in their forest. It almost seemed like the mourners from a funeral procession. Joseph went to a lot of those in his past life. They weren't exactly good memories.
”Stella, I don't think they would be patient enough for us to play a game of bunny tag, do you?” he asked, trying to come up with something to lighten the mood.
”I found it doubtful, Master Joseph,” she replied with a smile.
The outskirts of the capital could be seen just before supper. He could see the capital forcefully pulling mana from the forest into itself. It left the forest just enough mana to survive, but some spell was in the center of the capital drawing in all the rest. It might even be under the castle itself, judging by the radius of effect.
Joseph wasn't certain, but the forest appeared to be extremely old growth.
”I think these trees are so old they are weak, and not really growing anymore. I haven't seen a single small tree growing the entire day. With no clear spots for new seedlings to grow the mana grows stale and stagnant. Growing trees are more vibrant and produce more live mana.”
The elves looked at each other, but none of them seemed to want to answer, or make a comment. It was almost as if they didn't have the energy. It was very disturbing.
The city was eerie. It looked beautiful but had little vibrancy. It was like a painting of an elven city, more than an actual elven city. It was as if the entire populace was suffering from being slightly lethargic.
In some ways it was more unsettling than the cities overrun by drug lords in his previous life in the Kingdom of America. The threat of violence kept everyone awake and alert. This city seemed to lack even that. No inns, no trade, no hawkers selling wares in the bazaar and everyone knew that there wouldn't be.
As they walked the streets, they attracted a fair number of looks, but even then, it's not like parents had to keep the children back from running up to them full of curiosity. Finally, the palace was in front of them in all its glory. It was certainly beautiful. Joseph had no memories of anything like it at all. The walls were carved with reliefs, as if the carvers could fly. What's more, there weren't any visible seems or blocks. The entire palace looked as if it was carved out of a single giant rock. It was obvious magic was used in its construction.
”Stella, this is the minimum. My castle has to be at least this cool, agreed?”
She nodded very seriously.
”And twice as big at least,” he added, craning his head to take in the entire breadth of it.
The elves weren't very impressed with his discussion but he didn't care.
”That's a lot of stairs. I'm going to install elevators and escalators, too.”
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