West Reef Islands

When the Silver Moon Elf on the island saw a group of Half-Elf Warrior emerge from the ship, their smiles immediately faded, and they huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

The old Silver Moon Elf hesitated for a moment before saying to Roy:

"We haven't had any guests on the island for many years, and we have gotten used to this quiet life. Since you have been ordered to come here and are planning to stay on the island for a while, you can set up camps on this side of the beach and in this jungle on the west side. However, your soldiers cannot arbitrarily enter our living area and disturb our lives."

Roy was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected the old Silver Moon Elf to say that.

The Half-Elf Army he brought was clearly meant to defend against the Gray Dwarf Bandit, but the Silver Moon Elf on the island didn't care at all.

For a fleeting moment, Roy even considered taking these Half-Elf Warrior from the dock back onto the ship and settling down on other islands in West Reef Islands.

However, as the leader of the Half-Elf Guard Regiment, making such an impulsive decision would inevitably cause conflict between the Silver Moon Elf and the Half-Elf. He didn't want to be at odds with the Silver Moon Elf as soon as he arrived at the West Reef Islands.

"Can."

Roy agreed and didn't continue chatting with the old Silver Moon Elf. He walked directly off the dock and onto the beach covered with white sand.

The area the old Silver Moon Elf was pointing to was a large jungle on the southern slope of the island's main peak, where wooden houses could be vaguely seen hidden in the tree canopy.

Four medium-sized sailboats were moored at the dock, and groups of Half-Elf disembarked. Everyone looked at the island with great curiosity, and Roy led the Half-Elf Warrior to the woodland on the west side of the island.

Compared to the cramped cabins of sailboats, the elves prefer to live in the forest.

Since they were going to be stationed in the West Reef Islands for a period of time, Roy didn't want the Half-Elf to live on the ship forever.

This time, Roy came from the Silver Pegasus Legion headquarters, and the military supplies were once again allocated by Commander Berkeley. In addition to being issued light cavalry armor, the Half-Elf Warrior were also given a full set of personal military equipment, including tents, hammocks, Sleeping Bag, and water bottles.

The West Reef Islands are rich in fish resources, and the islands also have fruits that elves like, so there is not much pressure in terms of logistical supply.

When Roy arrived on the island with a squad of Half-Elf Warrior, some of the Silver Moon Elf on the island reacted as if they had swallowed a fly...

The West Reef Islands are located in the northwest corner of the Empress Ivini Islands and consist of thirty-eight key islands.

The three largest reef islands are located in the center of the archipelago. The middle reef island has an area of about ten square kilometers and a solitary peak several hundred meters high. Dense jungle covers the entire reef island.

Only this island is inhabited by a few hundred Silver Moon Elf; the other reef islands are very small, and there aren't many Silver Moon Elf on them.

Some reefs and islands, only a hundred meters in diameter, are covered with only some vegetation.

Roy stationed a thousand Half-Elf Warrior on the main island of the West Reef Islands, while another four thousand Half-Elf Warrior were distributed across twenty other islands inhabited by Silver Moon Elf. Roy did not station troops on the islands not inhabited by Silver Moon Elf.

Only during their daily routine patrols would the Half-Elf Warrior board flying fish sailboats and head to the uninhabited desert islands to check for any traces of Gray Dwarf Bandit.

In the past, these reconnaissance missions were handled by the Griffon Corps, Half-Elf Warrior weren't particularly skilled at it...

Roy set up a temporary camp on the main island of West Reef Islands. The Half-Elf Warrior tied hammocks to suitable trees and then surrounded them with single-person marching tents to create simple treehouses.

It was clear that the Silver Moon Elf on the island were somewhat hostile to the group of Half-Elf Warrior, so Roy reminded the Half-Elf Warrior that if they had nothing to do on the island, they should try not to wander around the Silver Moon Elf village.

Roy walked to the dock, where two medium-sized sailboats were moored. The two captains were chatting on the deck of the Ship Building, while several crew members were diligently washing the deck.

The seawater here is incredibly clear; through the clear water, you can see the fish swimming freely...

It is said that this is the best place for the Silver Moon Elf to observe the movements of the Naga Sea Clan.

Upon seeing Roy walk onto the dock, the two captains stood up and greeted Roy from the Ship Building.

"Commander Roy, are we going to set sail again today?" Captain Satas asked Roy.

"Captain Satas, if it's convenient, could you please take me for a spin around the waters around here?" Roy asked the easy-going Captain Satas, standing on the dock.

"Of course, I'd be happy to serve you!"

Captain Satas quickly ordered his crew to lower the ladder.

Roy boarded the sailboat, where the crew had already untied the mooring ropes from the dock pillars, hauled in the anchor, raised the half-sail, and plunged the long oars into the sea to row the medium-sized sailboat out of the harbor.

After the sailboat left the harbor, its sails gradually billowed up, and its speed slowly increased.

Captain Satas kept giving orders and adjusting the angle of the sails, allowing the sailboat to ride the waves in the sea.

After the sailboat moved away from the three main islands, their outlines gradually became clearer in Roy's eyes.

At this moment, Roy came to the base of the main mast and carefully climbed up the Lookout Platform using the makeshift ladder on the mast.

When sailing on the high seas, every time the ship hits a wave, the bow of the ship will suddenly rise up, and standing on the deck will feel very bumpy, but this feeling is not as profound as standing on the Lookout Platform tower of the mainmast.

Every time the ship swayed, the impact on the Lookout Platform tower on the mainmast was a huge, unpredictable swing. Only the most experienced and agile sailors could serve as lookouts.

Just as Roy climbed onto the Lookout Platform, the sailboat encountered a huge wave, and the Lookout Platform shook violently, almost throwing him off the platform.

Once the ship had stabilized a bit, Roy held tightly to the mainmast with one hand and pulled a nautical chart of the West Reef Islands from his Magic Pouch with the other.

This nautical chart was obtained from the Silver Pegasus Military Department, and it is said to perfectly replicate the locations of the various islands in the West Reef Islands.

Roy took out the nautical chart so that he could properly observe the West Reef Islands. Since he was leading the Half-Elf Guard Regiment to be stationed here, Roy was prepared to do some homework and memorize the terrain of the surrounding waters.

After circling half of the three main islands, the sailboat headed straight for the reef islands to the north. Almost all of the northern reef islands were garrisoned by Half-Elf Warrior. On the first night the Half-Elf Warrior spent on the islands, Roy wanted to find out about the situation of the Half-Elf Warrior on the other islands.

These reefs and islands appear to be almost connected on the map.

However, if you travel by sailboat, it actually takes a long time to reach the destination.

Roy's inspection was somewhat rushed, so he had no intention of landing on the island; he only wanted to observe it from a distance on the sailboat.

As the medium-sized sailboat passed the first island in the northern region, Roy happened to see a Half-Elf Warrior peeking out from the treetop and giving Roy a military salute.

The island was still far from the medium-sized sailboat, and Roy could only see the blurry figure of the Half-Elf Warrior.

As Roy passed several other islands, he also saw Half-Elf Warrior peeking out from several outposts. On one island, Roy even saw some Half-Elf Warrior fishing on the beach.

The sailboat only circled the North District, and it took up most of the day.

Seeing that the Half-Elf Warrior on each island had set up sentry posts, Roy finally felt relieved.

These islands are not like the mainland; with so many Half-Elf Warrior scattered across various islands, supporting each other is not easy...

Roy spent the whole day on the sailboat, and by the time he returned to the dock, it was already quite dark.

Besides two medium-sized sailboats, several Flying Fish Boat were also moored at the dock. These small fishing boats with super-fast speed were the Silver Moon Elf ' favorite vessels.

Two Silver Moon Elf stepped off the Flying Fish Boat, each carrying a few bright red sea fish. They seemed to be in a good mood, chatting and laughing all the way. When they saw Roy step off the ship alone, they glanced at him curiously.

Perhaps because Roy wasn't Half-Elf, the Silver Moon Elf carrying a string of sea fish greeted Roy:

"Are you the Half-Elf captain who just arrived on the island? Are you also part of the Silver Pegasus Legion?"

Roy nodded, then explained:

"We are the Guard Regiment of Pattington Plane. Most of the elves living on that plane are Half-Elf, so the Guardian Corps consists of Half-Elf Warrior. We were only recruited because a large number of Gray Dwarf Bandit were discovered in the Empress Ivini Islands..."

He didn't want to explain at first, but after thinking about it, he still hoped that the two Silver Moon Elf could spread what he had said.

His Half-Elf Warrior were stationed on the island to help the Silver Moon Elf defend against the Gray Dwarf Bandit, so there was no reason for them to be treated coldly by the Silver Moon Elf while living on the island.

"Are you going to station troops on the island?" the Silver Moon Elf asked, somewhat surprised.

Roy nodded again.

"I knew it! You guys came here to help us..."

The two Half-Elf were naturally delighted to hear Roy say this, and pointing to the Silver Moon Elf village on the hillside, they said to Roy enthusiastically:

"We're staying over there in the village. You can come and wander around the village sometime, preferably in the evening. I can treat you to a drink then."

As she spoke, the Silver Moon Elf shook the sea fish in her hand...

Roy smiled and waved to the two Half-Elf before walking alone toward the camp.

Because the main island of West Reef Islands was too large, Roy ordered the Half-Elf Warrior to patrol along the coast. Just as the old Silver Moon Elf had said, no trace of the Gray Dwarf Bandit was found on the island.

Perhaps the Half-Elf were too tired from their journey by boat, because the camp quickly quieted down on the second night.

Roy thought for a moment and decided that he still needed to go to the village to find out some information about the Gray Dwarf Bandit from the Silver Moon Elf villagers.

Upon entering the village of the Silver Moon Elf, Roy discovered that it was indeed quite different from other places.

The village's roads were well-planned, and although it was already dark, fluorescent light emanated from both sides of these roads, bathing the village in a cool, glowing light.

These dozens of treehouses are built on the southern slope of an isolated peak. The terrain at the foot of the mountain is relatively flat, and the vegetation here is lush. The treehouses are not crammed together...

Only those sturdy, large trees can be used to build exquisite treehouses.

Roy arrived at a clearing in the woods in the elven village. Opposite him was a tavern. These taverns were built under large trees, and there were only a few patrons inside, all quietly sipping their drinks.

Surprisingly, there were also quite a few stone sculptures placed around the square...

The Silver Moon Elf love art and music. Roy stood in front of a statue depicting a Flying Fish Boat riding the waves, which propelled the boat high into the sky.

"This Stone Sculpture is called 'Wave Treader,' and it was created by me two years ago when I was inspired by something."

A familiar voice came from behind Roy.

Roy turned around and realized that it was the same Silver Moon Elf he had seen at the dock that evening, standing behind him with a smug look on his face.

"Not bad, the work is very powerful."

Influenced by Ms. Belinda, Roy has a keen eye for sculptural art.

The Silver Moon Elf was surprised that Roy also knew about sculpture, and immediately became interested, saying to Roy, "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

There were no other options in the tavern except for the fruit wine brewed by the tavern Boss. It was said to be made from a special fruit picked from the island. That fruit grows on Catalpa Tree, and even when ripe, it tastes like chewing sawdust—sour, astringent, and hard to swallow. However, the fruit wine made from it has a unique woody aroma.

The Silver Moon Elf and Roy ordered two glasses of fruit wine and sat down at a table in the corner.

"I've heard that the situation in the Empress Ivini Islands is quite chaotic right now, but we haven't felt that tension here in West Reef Islands..."

The Silver Moon Elf paused here, patted her forehead, and chuckled self-deprecatingly, saying, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rossetti, and I'm currently learning to sculpt."

After he finished speaking, he extended his fair and slender hand. Roy shook his hand and said, "My name is Roy, and I am currently studying island defense."

The two clinked glasses and drank some wine.

"Currently, the Gray Dwarf Bandit have spread across most of the outer reef islands. They have come with great force this time, and several islands to the south of the reef islands have already been occupied by the Gray Dwarf Bandit. That's why Earl Swynborne sent us here..."

Roy sat in the chair, not bothering to lower his voice as he spoke; he was determined to get the message out.

"Then we need to be careful on our side too..." Rossetti took a sip of wine with an elegant posture.

As expected, Roy's words attracted the Silver Moon Elf. One of them, holding a Silver Moon Elf glass, said, "In recent years, Gray Dwarf Bandit have been frequently spotted on Empress Ivini Islands. They are very cunning and often try to sneak onto the islands. We've always driven them away. If they dare to sneak onto the islands this time, we have plenty of ways to get rid of them..."