Canopy Town had been much livelier over the past few days.
After searching for a while, Gauss and his two companions finally found enough rooms to rent at a four-story treehouse inn.
They set down their luggage, paid to wash up in the first-floor bathhouse, and then stepped out onto the street feeling refreshed.
The town had developed into a place dazzling enough to overwhelm first-time visitors.
Aside from all the greenery and trees, its three-dimensional transportation system was another breathtaking sight. A maze of walkways and covered corridors formed a complex network of routes through the air.
The locals hurried back and forth as if walking on level ground, but as outsiders, they had to be careful every step of the way.
One small lapse in attention on the walkways, and they could easily lose their bearings.
"There seem to be a lot of druids around here."
Gauss turned to look at Alya beside him.
Druids were easy to recognize, whether by their appearance and attire or by the unmistakable aura of nature that radiated from them.
Many of them had clearly settled into local life, too, dressing no differently from the residents.
"Maybe spending a long time here helps them attune to nature?" Alya guessed.
Canopy Town's natural aura was indeed far richer than that of other towns. Even Barry, known as the Forest Capital, couldn't compare.
Barry was simply too large. Apart from the central district near the Mother Tree, its outer districts and walled town resembled those of any other bustling city.
Canopy Town, by contrast, had truly grown in harmony with the forest, a settlement born from nature itself.
Even its residents were mostly hunters, lumberjacks, herbalists, fur traders, carpenters, and the like.
"Let's start by gathering some information at a tavern."
A tavern was